Week 20 Shrek and the Donkey ??

OI FAMÍLIA E AMIGOS!

Questions:

We notice a lot of graffiti on the buildings.  Do you have lots of gangs in Brazil?

Hahaha yes there are a ton of gangs. Lots of gangs but the graffiti is not usually them. A lot of homes decorate their homes with graffiti type things and so do stores and restaurants! Where I am has a lot of gang related violence. But I feel completely safe. They don't mess with us!!! (: I know the good and bad areas and we are exactly obedient to the rules and to the spirit. We actually don't work at night in this area we work during the day and morning(:

We are curious to see what road you take to get to the hill that you climb.

Next week I will send you a list of cool streets to check out! One really big hill is Rua Professora Seevero Rodriques, Santa Rita.

Do you get out any more on P-days than you did in the last area?

Yes and no, haha this area has a lot more shopping but not more things to do! haha we have plans to do a spa day(: haha President said we could! hehe only thing we are not allowed to paint are nails any color other than clear or white. haha so only a massage(: We have SUBWAY AND MISTER MIX (an amazing milkshake place) HERE. In my mission we are not really allowed to do a lot of things, but we make the best of what we can do. We do a lot of crafts and music (efy of course) (:

How do you wash your clothes? Are there laundry mats?

I have actually never seen a laundry mat here... we have a washer. but we hang dry all of our clothes; funny thing you ask that this week because our laundry washer broke and we now hand wash our clothes (for the next few weeks) until we can get another one sent to us(:

I see your clothes hanging near your bed.  I guess this is how you dry them?

Yup! And because our apartment is really small we don't really have room to dry them! haha

This week was hard but there are always miracles and funny things to share.

1. Here in Brazil they make this noise (psh) to call attention the people or children. Its really cool! (used the same way we whistle) But it is a little tricky to make, and I was practicing as we were walking because (I thought there wasn't anyone in the street) well there we two boys about my age and I made the sound really loud. And they thought I was calling them. (the same way guys whistle at girls there) It was so funny!!! I couldn't stop laughing- my comp explained to them I didn't see them. And me we talked to them about the church. haha

2. SO my comp and I have been together almost 10 weeks! And the other week we were walking and she stopped and said "you are strange." I didn't know how to respond so I laughed and said thank you. Then she continued... "you never talk in our house, you don't talk a ton in big groups, you don't talk a ton during our meals, you don't talk a ton in church." then she stopped and asked me if I knew the movie Shrek. And I said of course. And she asked me if I remember Donkey. And I ask of course then she said, " but boy when we are walking you are an exact copy of donkey in shrek. You sing and talk a ton." I could not stop laughing!!! Then we started to really think about it and I am totally donkey- I talk and sing a ton, I am usually really positive, and super goofy. haha And she is totally Shrek. Now it is our joke. I love her a ton but its true we are different. But we have learned how to work and love each other! That is a miracle of the mission!

3.I do not have photos of my family and I was really sad about that the other week and I was looking in the ensign for a photo for my planer and I found the photo of KAYLENE ABIGAL AND MARDELL! haha I had no idea it was in the exact copy.. and it was in Portuguese(: hehe I show everyone my cousins! Its so much fun! (was another miracle)

4. Funny thing here people call afros- black power! its hilarious!

5. Cool fact- the yws have their own hymn book here!!! its really cool!

Well don't have much time! Thank you all for the recipes and letters! I love you so much!!!

Sister Wheatley

Week 19 Cookie Recipes??

Oi amigos e familia. 

Today is going to be really short because I really don't have much time today! haha I never do but oh well haha.

I LOVE THIS WARD THIS AREA! I love it sooo much! This ward is incredible! 

1. The ward mission leader has step up a plan like nothing I have ever seen for us missionaries and the ward missionaries which there are 5 companionships. Each week we are each (each comp) a list of 15 less actives and our goal is 2 investigators for each group to have in church on Sunday.

2. every Sunday the ward does visits. and they chose an area and everyone visits the members and less actives in that area.

3. Every day a member goes out with us.

It is amazing!!!!!!!!!!! 

Alright I need your help! Here they do not have cookies like we have cookies. But everyone here has heard about American cookies. I need the best cookie recipes you all have. The ward wants to make American cookies for an activity. They want all kinds. So please send me recipes. We have all the normal ingrediants here!!! (and if you have brownies from scratch that would be helpful too) hehe ya´ll are the greatest!!!!! 

I love you all thank you all for your love and support!!!!!  

TE MAIS!

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Sister Wheatley

Week 18 Excited!

OI AMIGOS E FAMILIA!

I HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS FOR EVERYONE!

ok i over did that a ton but I am just really excited! I have the privilege of doing something many sisters don't get to do!

Starting this week I get to open an area for missionaries!!! This area has never had missionaries before!!!! Its a suburb of Santa Rita. There are no members there and its very very rural. we actually have to take a train to get there. This area will be apart of our ward until it can form a branch. President was really sure we were up for the task. We hope to plant many seeds! We are so excited!!!! And a little nervous. I am a little nervous especially because my Portuguese is improving but not perfect and I really want to help in this new area. But I know Heavenly Father will help me.

This week was a little hard opening an area for sisters because the elders gave us nothing. We didn't have recent converts, a map, locations of members, nothing. We spent a good part of the week figuring out where we were. haha

But we had a ton of miracles. 2 recent converts actually found us on the street. THE WARD HERE IS AMAZING!!! They really want to help. This ward has already sacrificed a ton for us. We already have new investigators. Families (members with their children) went on splits with us. The ward on sunday went with us to find less actives. The ward mission leader is a boss. he has set up a system here. This ward is ready for missionaries. I LOVE IT!!!!

We (the missionaries) actually did a ward activity Thursday. All about missionary work. And Sunday we gave talks.

I gave my first talk on Sunday!!!! in Portuguese!!!! haha I hope they understood me. hehe (: I spoke on love. And how our savior loved us and because of that he sacrificed for us. And now its our turn. I told them I am here to show my love and I know together we can show our love and strengthen the missionary work in this ward. I think it went really well. I felt the spirit. Not sure if it was the nerves or the Portuguese. But I am so excited to be here.

The area is very hard physically. I actually have 3 areas now. All three are very far from the church building which is hard. \9we live by the church building) And two are on a HUGE plateau! The area starts at the bottom and ends on the other side. The streets are on all sides on the plateau and are very very steep! and long. A lot of them you can not see the bottom from the top. Some are so steep you can only go on foot. Some I actually walk on hands and knees. I am climbing in a skirt! SISTER POWER (: hehe haha During the day when its really hot I am so tired. But every time I get really tired. I pray and I have energy again to press on. When we return at the end of the day I crash. haha But another plus ... I am losing more weight! haha And the members feed us a TON!!!! haha I am never never hungry!!!

Another miracle. I am not in pain. I push myself to my capacity everyday. At night sometimes I hurt. But when I wake up in the morning; my body doesn't hurt or feel sore. I feel normal. I know its only because I am doing what God needs me to do.  I FEEL SO BLESSED.

Well I don't have much time! But I love you all!!!! Thank you for everything! I feel it!

• REMEBER you can do anything with Gods help. Even climb mountains in a skirt in 90 degree sun! haha (: (I know I could do it in high heels if he asked me to do that to. there is no doubt in my mind)

Sister Wheatley

Week 17-Transferred -opening it for sisters-Santa Rita-new pictures

Oi familia e amigos!!!!!!!

haha welllllll I wasn´t online yesterday because a LOT of things happened!

1. Sunday night at 9pm we received a phone call saying that we were having a emergency transfer and we were to report to our new area 8am Monday!!!! haha

2. They closed my area for sisters. and we are opening an area for sisters!!!! 

3. REASSIGNED TO SANTA RITA!!! (: You say Rita in portgues like (heata) 

4. We had 30 min to talk to the members in our area before we had to be in our home.

5. Then we had to back and clean the entire house for the elders to live. We were up to 2:30am cleaning.

6.Then we woke up at 6 to go talk to a few of our investigators and recent converts. That was really hard especially because many people were angry that sisters were leaving and we were leaving....

7. We crammed 6 HUGE suitcases sister lavor and me into a tiny tiny car. I sat in the space that could barely fit Jacob! haha My legs were dying!!!

8. When we arrived: the elders showed us to are new home. 

IT  WAS HORRIFIC!!!! I am not one to think things are horribly dirty, but I dont not understand how the elders even lived there. I refused to bring my things into the house until it was cleaned. It is very small and smelled and looked like death!!! Spiders where part of the family!!! hahaha 

9. All the elders said was sorry and laughed. I seriously cant look at them the same anymore! 

10. I said nothing. I thought the other sisters where going to kill someone!!! haha They wouldnt stop saying "I will never marry." I have to be honest - it crossed my mind too.

11. We cleaned the apartment from 9am to 3pm. NONSTOP. And then we started to unpack and relax. We all fell asleep.

12. We were not able to email because 1 it was a holiday and everything was closed and 2 we have FHE with the ward when we all woke up! 

13. THE WARD HERE IS AMAZING!!!!!! 

14. The area is difficult but I am excited haha(: We know nothing. haha we have a really scary map and the elders did not write anything in the area book. We dont have names or addresses. Just an awesome 1st councilor in the bishopric who has been a miracle!!!

15. My area is on the top a mountain. haha not really just a massive hill!!!! We live a 45 min walk from where my area begins. And thats if we walk fast! haha .... My area starts with the biggest hill I have ever seen. You can not see the top from the bottom and its almost straight up! hahaha The hill goes on for about 15 minutes in a car. haha

16. The area is beautiful! And there are so many resturantes, fairs, and stores. 

17. Pray for us the next few weeks. To help us settle in and learn the area. 

Thankfully I know this is where God needs me!! I love it here. The people (members) are so welcoming and REALLY excited to have sisters. I will miss the people of Bayeux! They are amazing too!

Well I love you all gotta run!!! <3 

Te amo!!!!

--

Sister Wheatley

Week 16

oi familia!!!!

Are you getting used to using the 24 hr (military time system)? no. its horrible. hahaha especially because for some reason numbers are really difficult for me! haha in my planer I always write the normal time. haha 

What are some more customs you are noticing?

1. They eat ketchup and mayonnaise with EVERYTHING! hahaha and a ton of it!!! It is crazy. I thought we eat a ton ... they eat gallons of the stuff! hahaha 

2. It seems like Brazil has a holiday every week!!! haha its really funny! And on these holidays EVERYTHING shuts down. You can´t do anything. and the hard thing is that its always on a Monday! haha

3. If you need information about anything. You just stop someone on the street. People are very open and talk to everyone about everything! haha Its really nice as missionaries because people open up to us REALLY fast! THEY LOVE TO TALK! hahaha Even more than I do!!! haha (: Actually its quite funny- I have changed a ton, I talk but not excessively hahaha I got in a habit of just listening and now I like it. and I LOVE silence now. its so nice they few times I get it! Hahaha (:  ]

4. They LOVE the Aristocrats here. The little girl cat is everywhere! haha

Do you have many Spanish speaking people in Brazil? or other languages other than Portuguese

Everyone speaks Portuguese. Only the missionaries are fluent in Spanish (: haha everyone here studies Spanish and English in school. Like we do with Spanish in the USA. But English is everywhere. Music, signs, directions, people here use English a lot!

Do you still remember how to drive?  Do they drive on the left side of the road there? hahaha I wish. I think it is the same. Most streets are one way. There are not many streets two ways ... those streets are HUGE. Many people have motorcycles. Cars are REALLY EXPENSIVE. a used car is around 50,000 reias! haha so must people don't drive cars.

Are you getting used to the consistent weather there?  It is starting to get cool here. It gets hotter everyday but for some reason it doesn't really effect me. Everyone else is dying but I feel fine haha its a blessing and a miracle! There is a LOT of wind"!

Here are some words in Portuguese:

Accounting- contabilidade]

My warrior- meu guerreiro (zacks nickname) 

Travel agent- agente de viagems

This week was a week of miracles again! We found 4 families married!!! I am so excited to teach them this week!!! One family wants to get baptized! I am so excited for them!

This week we have lots of plans. Today was transfers but Sister Lavor and I  and my whole apartment will be staying together|!!!! This transfer is a little different it will be 7 weeks instead of 6!!! so its really long! We are excited to make the best of it!!! 

MY MOM IS THE GREATEST! She sent me the greatest funniest package ever!!!!

They have Oreos here but not other flavors! My roommates where in heaven! And the animal crackers!!!! haha

The little spiders are soooo cute! We spent hours making them the other p-day I will send pictures! hahaha

And playing Spot It!! Mom you are the greatest!!! haha 

I LOVED THE CARDS AS WELL! THEY ARE SO AWESOME!

Well I love you so much!

Amo Voces!!! Short on time!

Sister Wheatley

Week 15-Birthday Miracles (Ashley's words)

Oi minha familia!!! <3 I love you all so much!! This week was awesome! Was a birthday of miracles.

As you know yesterday was my birthday. Its weird to think I am 20! haha  But it all started with the other sisters bursting into my room at 6:30 singing and dancing with a huge gooey cake!!! And TONS of sprite! haha We eat cake and sprite for breakfast! (life of a missionary) haha

But the milagres/miracles started when we went to church!!!

1. Joao received the priesthood!

2. 3 recent-converts that never go to church were there!

3. 2 less active families we have been working with came!

4. A new investigator came to church!

5. The missionaries were asked to teach gospel principles and other sisters did not want to teach. at all! haha and for the whole week they fight over who was going to teach it. And Saturday night came and no one had prepared anything. So I said I would. And so for only 1hr and 30 min I planned a lesson about the roles in families. I have never prayed so hard  for the language and the spirits help. And Sunday came and I TAUGHT AN  45 MIN CLASS IN PORTGUES!!!! The spirit was so strong and THEY UNDERSTOOD ME! There was a lot of discussion and participation and I was able to do and say everything that I wanted and felt the spirit needed me to do.

6. The elders had a baptism and asked me if I could help the girl. She was scared to death of water but wanted to be baptized. And I was able to comfort her and help her with the whole process. It was a really sweet experience.

7. The elders also asked me to sing at the baptism and I song "I like to look for rainbows..." (that song) in Portuguese! It was really special!

8. And the elders bought me a cake too!

9. My sister training leader and 1st comp (my mom) called me and sung happy birthday to be and I was able to talk with them for a little!

10. I am 20. I made it to 20. And now I don't want to get older! haha (:

Some fun things to know that happened this week:

1; I saw 3 dead people. You have to laugh about this but its really sad. Two because they had a viewing in the middle of the street. And the other was in the hospital. (my comp was sick friday)

2. I was buying grape juice the other day and  uva (is grape) and ovo (is egg) I asked the man for suco de ovo (egg juice) instead of suco do uva (grape juice),. I have never seen someone laugh so hard in my life. But because he laughed like he did he gave me any juice i wanted for free. I chose orange juice because it was easier to say! hahaa (: wow.

Melhor cada dia!! Love you and thank you for all the videos, letters, and emails for my birthday! You are all amazing!!! <3 

Te amo!

--

Sister Wheatley

Week 14 Joao's Baptism

Oi familia e amigos!!!

This week was crazy but ended amazing!!! 1st questions haha

Do you actually get up in the morning (there are those that question if that is possible)? hahaha yes I actually get up exactly at 6:30 and I can proudly say that. I get up at 6:30 immediately pray then pray with my comp. and then I get up an exercise for 30 min. Eat breakfast. Get ready then study. Every single morning. (; I can proudly say I am exactly obedient. (: 

2.  What part of Brazil is your companion from (you may have already told us? Oh haha I haven't really described my comp for you guys. She is 20. Is from Sao Paulo I don't remember the exact city but its an island in lower San Paulo; she is an only child and is really really funny,. She loves loves loves to talk; I think it is great!!!!! She laughs after every sentence unless she is serious about something so I always know when i need to pay attention! hahaha Everyone knows her because he boyfriend was the assistant to the president before I got her; It has really helped me get to know lots of missionaries!

3.  Are you ready for 16 months of 80 degree wheatley. I have no idea what you are asking hahaha!!! haha

4.  Describe your apartment. Well its normal; hahaha a lot like my apartment in college but there is no glass in the windows just bars and wood panels. the kitchen is smaller and the electronics are cheaper. haha we don't have a bathtub but the showers are nice. you can take a hot warm or cold shower. But you have to be careful because if you change it while the water is flowing you will get electrocuted. I am speaking from experience. haha we don't have couches but weirdly we have a ton of mattresses that  we lay out on the floor with. its really cozy and fun! haha We don't have a dryer but we have these cool little racks that our clothes dry out on. All the houses have a gate and then the door to your house and its the same with me!

Ok well this week: Joao Batisita (John the Baptist) was baptized!!!!!! 

And I just have to share the story of Joao!

It all started when we were walking down the street and we both had a clear impression to speak to this woman. But when we did she did NOT what to hear us. And we turned around to find Joao listening to us. And so we started to talk to him.

We found out Joao loved to drink. (We later found out he was the "town drunk.") Bur in that moment Joao wanted to change his life. He wasn't sad about drinking but he was sad that no one respected him and his whole family was always angry with him. And in that 1st encounter we taught him the word of wisdom and invited him to church.

That Sunday three days later he showed up to church. Which was amazing but he was drunk only a few hours before church. But he stayed the whole time... when church ended we walked him back home. And he would not stop saying "there is something different about that church." And we didn't see him again until wed. of that week.

And he had completely stopped drinking alcohol and cafe and he had quit smoking. All by himself. We taught him about prophets and the commandments. And everyday he changed. AND THE WHOLE TOWN HAS NOTICED. Everyone wants to learn about the church that changed Joao. We are teaching his family now. His mother. Aunts and Uncles. And Brothers and Sisters. 

He chose to change his life. He still says he loved drinking. But he has chosen to follow Christ in every way possible instead. AND he was baptized Sunday. (: He is a testimony to me. He has not a a drink of alcohol, smoked, or drank coffee since that 1st Sunday. And he has not once complained.

I am so happy for him. He is so different now. He is so happy and talks with everyone about the church. And he does not care what anyone says. He just wants to follow the Savior. And it makes me so happy that I got to be there to see it!

Well I have to go! I love you all! I love to read your emails. I may not respond individually but I do read all of them!!! I love you all so much! Te amo!!!! <3 

Remember repentance and the gospel is for EVERYONE. Not just people that look like members. Everyone needs the gospel. Everyone. 

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Sister Wheatley