This week was absolutely amazing! In Brazil you are constatly wet... either from the humidity, the heat, or the rain... or, my favorite, BAPTISMS! Soon our investigators will be as wet as we are!
This week we had four days of rain. Having been serving in Arizon all this time, I haven´t seen rain in a ver long time. I love every minute of the rain. The roads are like rivers. My little umbrella is as valliant as the armies of Helaman! (shout out to the Talbot family!) It´s refreshing after a week of walking in the hot, hot sun that comes along with being in an area on the beach. A beach, which I still have not seen!
We are teaching two families with baptismal dates. And we are planning a WEDDING! I must have missed the part of my call that designated me as a wedding planner, but I don´tt mind! Gives me a little experience... wink wink! ha ha just kidding! Keep your hats on!
Funny story: This week I was relating the story of Joseph Smith in a lesson with a less active member. I have a very hard time conjugating irregular verbs in past tense... the verbs ´`pedir`´-to ask and peidar- to fart are very close... And to make a long story short... I said, "Joseph Smith farted God, and so can you." I am going to go live under a rock now!
Funny story number two: Once upon a time in a far away land called MTC, Provo, we were taking photos on the stairs with our zone. An elder named Elder Timmons was three stories above me and accidentally dropped his full water bottle on my head. The head injury must have made me forget, because when I saw him at an activity we held I didn~t recognize him. He looked familiar, but I couldn´t put my finger on it. When I asked him where he was from and told him he looked familiar his jaw dropped! Starteled, he asked, "You don't remember?"
I said, "Remember what?" When he related the story to me it hit me! He said, " I finally have the chance to repent! I will make you a cake!" And this is the story of how I met one of the elders in my current district. What are the chances that he would be in my mission, let alone my district! ha ha When President Cabral got word of how we met he said, "Repent!" ha ha Elder Timmons was bright red!
Mission humor... get used to it!
I also got to talk to my family via skype! What a blessing. All I could do afterwards was pray in gratitude for the miracles my family has seen. Many see Riley's cancer as a scary and informidable obsticle. Some see it as the end of a road. Not my family. This is Riley's miracle mission. I would like to thank all those at home who have hgelped in any way. Your prayers and service are powerful, and quite frankly, Heaven sent. When Riley told me about all the fundraisers, make-a-wish, his friends shaving their heads--all are great miracles. The fact that my Grandpa, who is rooting for us from Heaven, was the home teacher of the doctor who saved Riley's life is a miracle beyond comprehension.
I've been thinking a lot about the roll that faith has in bringing miracles into our lives and the lives of others. FAITH=MIRACLES. I invite you all to read Moroni chapter 7 in the Book of Mormon. it talks about faith, hope and fear. Fear and faith cannot be within the same person at the same time. ABANDON FEAR. If all you can do is hope, then hope. You will see the hand of God in your life everyday.
My family has no fear for the future. We have faith that Riley will be cancer free by the time I return home. We have faith that with the continuous service and prayers of the community, we will walk out of this refiners fire as diamons. Ready to lift others along with us!
Prayers and kisses coming at you from Brazil!
Love Sister Culley
This week we had four days of rain. Having been serving in Arizon all this time, I haven´t seen rain in a ver long time. I love every minute of the rain. The roads are like rivers. My little umbrella is as valliant as the armies of Helaman! (shout out to the Talbot family!) It´s refreshing after a week of walking in the hot, hot sun that comes along with being in an area on the beach. A beach, which I still have not seen!
We are teaching two families with baptismal dates. And we are planning a WEDDING! I must have missed the part of my call that designated me as a wedding planner, but I don´tt mind! Gives me a little experience... wink wink! ha ha just kidding! Keep your hats on!
Funny story: This week I was relating the story of Joseph Smith in a lesson with a less active member. I have a very hard time conjugating irregular verbs in past tense... the verbs ´`pedir`´-to ask and peidar- to fart are very close... And to make a long story short... I said, "Joseph Smith farted God, and so can you." I am going to go live under a rock now!
Funny story number two: Once upon a time in a far away land called MTC, Provo, we were taking photos on the stairs with our zone. An elder named Elder Timmons was three stories above me and accidentally dropped his full water bottle on my head. The head injury must have made me forget, because when I saw him at an activity we held I didn~t recognize him. He looked familiar, but I couldn´t put my finger on it. When I asked him where he was from and told him he looked familiar his jaw dropped! Starteled, he asked, "You don't remember?"
I said, "Remember what?" When he related the story to me it hit me! He said, " I finally have the chance to repent! I will make you a cake!" And this is the story of how I met one of the elders in my current district. What are the chances that he would be in my mission, let alone my district! ha ha When President Cabral got word of how we met he said, "Repent!" ha ha Elder Timmons was bright red!
Mission humor... get used to it!
I also got to talk to my family via skype! What a blessing. All I could do afterwards was pray in gratitude for the miracles my family has seen. Many see Riley's cancer as a scary and informidable obsticle. Some see it as the end of a road. Not my family. This is Riley's miracle mission. I would like to thank all those at home who have hgelped in any way. Your prayers and service are powerful, and quite frankly, Heaven sent. When Riley told me about all the fundraisers, make-a-wish, his friends shaving their heads--all are great miracles. The fact that my Grandpa, who is rooting for us from Heaven, was the home teacher of the doctor who saved Riley's life is a miracle beyond comprehension.
I've been thinking a lot about the roll that faith has in bringing miracles into our lives and the lives of others. FAITH=MIRACLES. I invite you all to read Moroni chapter 7 in the Book of Mormon. it talks about faith, hope and fear. Fear and faith cannot be within the same person at the same time. ABANDON FEAR. If all you can do is hope, then hope. You will see the hand of God in your life everyday.
My family has no fear for the future. We have faith that Riley will be cancer free by the time I return home. We have faith that with the continuous service and prayers of the community, we will walk out of this refiners fire as diamons. Ready to lift others along with us!
Prayers and kisses coming at you from Brazil!
Love Sister Culley