8/27/18 - Emma Letter to Family

Thanks for the great email! The piano looks great and I'm glad you're all having a great start to your school year. No update on the package. Our ward mission leader signed up to get a text when Its delivered and then he'll call me.

I cried when I found out we were giving the piano up too. I love that crooked old thing. I hope the Cooks will let me make a visit and play him one last time when I get home. 

Everyone in brasil has a problem with Emma Smith. always when they find out my first name they say " want she excommuinncated" and a bunch of other stuff. I have been unable to find a clear answer on what really happened with her after the Prophet's death. Please help me better understand. I feel bad not knoing the full histroy of my namesake. 

A member told me you posted a baby picture of me on facebook? haha! I think it's awesome they all follow you guys. It was fun to have the youth grab me after sacerment insisting we needed a photo juntos.

I'm ready to leave Vila Angelica. I'm determined and I have faith to baptize fabio and francisca in the 2 weeks I have left here but I'm really feeling like my time is up here. We cut all of our investigators except them because no one was coming to church. We're pretty much starting from scratch and it hurts bad. On the bus on the day of the apostles a bunch of elders who passed through our area were talking about how easy it ws to bapize in our area not realizing that they were being jerky. Sister Jales and I had a good meltdown and I spent a really really long time on my knees that night. I'm obedient, I'm talking with everyone but baptismal date after date is falling through and I jsut cant seem to figure out what Pai Celestial needs from me here in Vila Angelica. I'm going to talk to president about it in my interview tomorrow. I hit 5 months today. % months without baptism. That doesnt happen in Brasil. I'm grateful to have been apart of Milena's baptism, but It's a little different. I dont know how to explain it. It's harding going to all district and zome meetings as the only area with baptism. I'm trying to be patient and receptive to the spirit. I have faith this will FINALLY BE THE WEEK we get Francisca and Fabio in the water.  My district leader told us we need to be doing a 24 hour fast twice a week and doing all this other intese stuff to ensure baptism this transfer. I thought he was crazy but he's our leader and at this point I'm willing to do anything. It's gotten to the point where I can't even dream about anything but Fabio and Francisca. 

I'll share more about the Apostles in my weekley but some other quotes I really liked

Elder Ballard talked a lot about becoming fearless in our service. Grandma Barlow always told me I was fearless and now I realize that on my mission I need to be fearless more than ever. When our faith gets from our heads to our hearts we become fearless in our service becasue we acrually understand the magnitude of our message and the blessing we have to share. he said. "We've never lost a missionary from over work. One sleep in your bed and breakfast with your mom and you'll be right back to life" Ithought that was funny. He also said with all the trash in the world pornography, violence, media etc missionaries have to be better than ever. We have to be so pure and dedicated we cut through all the noise into people's hearts. I love Elder Ballard. 

On the 2 hour bus ride home we all sang really loud portuguese missionary hymns with the elders making a really cool brazillian samba beat. It was the coolest thing ever I wish my video would send. Reminded me of my high school bus trips

Funny note of the week. Every saturday and sunday all the Churrasco shops smoke meat outside and so everything smells really good whereever you go. I took a big wiff and told my comp, "Que saldade! (Ah I miss that!) Chero como meu pai! (Smells like my dad)" She turned to me with a concerned look on her face, " Your dad smells like food?" I had a little explaining to do. 

1) cutest baby in the ward named Thomas

2) This made me think of Hyrum and gave me a little daily motivation boost

3) Burger King last week. The only meal I've had without beans and rice here

4) Me teaching the MILK song in Englsih class I wish videos uplaoded faster so I could send you that. Tudo bem.

I put more pictures of our park day on my cloud if you want to see them they're pretty cute.

Love you all! 

BIGGGGGGG HUGGGGSSSS!

Ps I had a dream Sorocaba got a temple and I rember very vidly what it looked like. Maybe when I come back and visit my mission that will be a reality. who knows?