The week got flipped turned upside down.

Monday, May 30, 2016

I´d like to take a minute just sit right there, I´ll tell you how I became a Sister in a town called Ceara. (If any of you catched my Fresh Prince of Bell-Air thing there, gold stars for you) Can you tell I miss America? Only a little.

This week started out insane and to really frank, wee bit frightening. Long story short (because you reaaaaalllyy dont want the details), I had to get a colonoscopy on Tuesday. So Monday, Sister Bonini dropped of all those PURE LAXATIVES you have to take before hand. I died. I could only have water and Sprite. When you live in the land of Coca-Cola, its so difficult. Anyways I woke up from the colonoscopy like still super drugged. The fun part? I had interviews with my mission president right after. Yep. So Sister Jackson and I walked from the hospital to the mission office, mean while I´m saying whatever comes to my head. Sister Jackson said she got a real kick out of it. I said that the doctor that puts you to sleep looked like McDreamy. Then while we were waiting for my turn I started crying because theres a Sister Missionary from Temple Square that got to be in this last Ensign and the Ensign from last conference. I cried. But completely sober I still think thats unfair. Then I told the office Elders that if there were office Sisters the work would be more effcient. Yeppppp. I said that. But they all knew I was druggy still and thought it was funny. I was fine before my interview but getting to that point took a while. Poor Sister Jackson.

Wait, it gets better. So I was pretty much set that this week would stink. Sister Jackson got really sick the day after so we couldnt work. As we were doing visits, those three young boys we´ve been teaching said that their dad would give his permission. WHICH IS A MIRACLE. So all week we were waiting for him to be home. But he works for the military so hes rarely home. We finally tought the entire family Friday night and we shared a message about the importance of baptism. Then the dad looked at us and said, if they want to be baptized, I´ll support them. Gente. These three boys LIT UP. They´ve been taught for atleast the past year by MANY missionaries. And they went to church,seminary,activities every week by themselves. They´re THE GREATEST OF BOYS. They seriously are so strong in their faith, they had to be with their dad. And he signed the baptisimal form.

Saturday night, the boys suited up in white along with their uncle, Zenon, and were baptized. They were cheesin so hard when they got out of the water. And their whole family is Mormon, but most of them are inactice except for the uncle. The best part? The whole family was there. All three of them bore their testimonies. After, their grandma stood up, and said "I´ve waited so long for this. Now my family can be together forever". I just died inside. This is what missionary work is about. Its not about learning a new language, living in a different country. It´s bringing families together for ETERNITY. There is NO OTHER IMPORTANT work.

Sunday, there were more miracles. A family that had been active for YEARS, had gone through the temple, went inactive. We´ve been working with this mom and four kids to get back to church. Week and week went by and nothing changed. This week we had a lesson with her. Sister Jackson bore her testimony on the importance of the temple. I followed up with my feelings on families and what I wanted for my future family. I expressed to her that I had no idea what being a mom was like, but as a child, a crazy one at that, nothing was more important that my parents did, than take me to church every Sunday. And as we entered the chapel I saw that mom, dropping her kids off in their classes. It was such a tender moment. She said to us, Sisters, I did it today! Ugh I just cried. In sacrament meeting Caio, Gustavo, and Arthur recieved the Holy Ghost. The best part? Later that day, we got to watch Caio, Gustavo, Arthur, Valdeon, and Chrismeyer( son of the mom that came to church) recieve the priesthood. I sat there thinking about who theses men would be. Bishops, missionaries, semanary teachers, dads.... honorable men who changed my life. But the best thing is that whatever their lives will be like, they´ll be serving the Lord

These past two weeks have been incredible. Sometimes people look at missionaries who are baptising and think, wow theyre great missionaries. I will tell you one thing. The Lord puts us in the right place, at the right time. And without a doubt, He has changed the lives of these people. Not me, not Sister Jackson. The most important name on our name tags is Jesus Cristo. I know this church is true. Its the church Christ established here on the earth. The gospel is so simple. Following the example of Jesus Christ is the only way to be together with our families. I am where the Lord needs me to be. I love forgetting Chandler and putting everything that I was to be Sister Myers, a servant of the Lord. Thank you for your love and support. It means the world to me.
Boa semana e ate a proxima Segunda.
Sister Myers


 This was when I was forced to drink a bazillion gallons of laxatives (life isn't always golden, folks)
 Caio, Gustavo, Arthur and Family
 Os meninos e As Sisteres

Semana Cheia

Monday, May 23, 2016

Nossa. I cant email how INSANE this week was. If you´ve been keeping up with the email and ,I know quite a few of you have written me about this golden couple, you´ll know that Catia and Valdeon not only got MARRIED, but also got BAPTIZED! Gente... it was the most beautiful week. I had to apply makeup more than once so that was a little sad but other than that, I dont think I´ve ever cried so many happy tears in my life.

The Wedding: So around 3pm, Bishop´and his wife picked us up and we went over to see Catia and Valdeon. And Valdeon had bought THE FANCIEST suit. Like a really nice grey pinstripe suit. Like the one dad has that makes him look like a gangsta.  And of course Catia made her dress. Correction. She made her dress, decided at 3AM THE NIGHT BEFORE that she didnt like it then worked until 6 AM THAT MORNING to do another one. And it was blue. But hey, every woman to herself. And half of our ward all caravaned over to the Cartorio. I dont know what that is in English... but here you have to get married in this like court in order for it to be legal. So all the members have to be married in the court before they can marry in the temple.Anyways so they had theis very cheesey but adorable ceremony. I cried. And my Bishop said "You´re a strong sister but I knew you had emotions inside". Sounded like something Monica would say to me LOL. Then we had this cute recpetion at the chapel and Bishop bought them a cake and little snacks. Ugh, it was perfect. AND THEY WERE JUST GLOWING.

Baptism: I just wish all of you could have been there. Sister Jackson and I put everything perfectly together so that all would go well. AND BOY DID IT. Catia and Valdeon were the cutest in white suits. I´ve never seen a couple more prepared for following their Savior 110% like them. Bishop baptized them and each squeezed him immediately after. After, Sister Jackson played the flute for everyone after (shes crazy gooood) and Catia was just bawling. Then as I went to hug Catia, she just kept whispering "obrigada, obrigada" over and over. It means "thank you, thank you". And all i could say over my crying (YES AGAIN), was " Não, e O Senhor" or "No, its the Lord". The following Sunday, they were confirmed as members and recieved the Holy Ghost. Each of them turned to us in church and said I feel so different.

Long story short, it was an amazing week. One I´ll never forget; with a couple I have come to love with my whole heart. I love the mission. I love the people I´m meeting here. Our ward IS AMAZING. We have about 4 recently returned RMs that love helping us. They were all Elders so that means they have alot of pep in their step about baptizing the whole world. I think its a Brazilian thing. Im so happy to be where I am. Coming up on 5 months, I just want the time to pass more slowly and be everything the Lord wants me to be.
Beijos!
Sister Myers






Waiting to Move Mountains

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

hello family and friends! Hope all is well up there in the North, LOL. Everything is going great. I dont have very much time to email so I´d just like to say that I´m happy and I´m healthy and I think thats all that really counts. I want to say that this week has probably been the hardest yet. The mission is a place where your weaknesses are so apparent and as a person who needs to be more humble, its been difficult. Im grateful to have a loving companion, a supportive family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is easy to wonder what life is like back home. My nephew just got baptized, today is my sister´s birthday and she´s due next month, my friends are starting to come home from missions, other friends are starting back up at BYU-I. But theres never a minute that I dont think I should be here. I love who the Savior is allowing me to become. It means letting go of alot of who Chandler is and becoming what the Savior needs Sister Myers to be. Thats who I want to become in the next 14 months. So I may come home different but I know it´ll be for the better.

Thank you for you love and emails. I promise I will get to respond to them next week. I cant express how much gratitude I have for you all. Tons of misionaries here dont have families supporting them and I think about how my parents didnt either on missions. Im so greatful for all of you, who´ve become like family to help me along, grow, and sending PB all the way to Brazil.
Boa semana
Sister Myers

Back to Reality

Monday, May 9, 2016

Hello from sunny Fortaleza. Last night I woke up to rain pouring on my face due to the normal impeding rain with the sense that my stomach wasnt handling the food I had eaten earlier very well. Brazil, whatcha gonna do?

This week was awesome. It was probably the first week in my mission that I felt like we were starting to show success in our area. We have 4 baptisms planned within the next two weeks and they´re all really strong investigators.

Catia and Valdeon: This week was Valdeon´s birthday and they had payed everything they had for their wedding and rings (YAY FOR MAY 18) so Sister Jackson passed by with a cake and candles. I´ve never seen an adult man be so excited for cake in my life. They´re really progressing and are ready for marriage and baptism. Nothing beats the feeling of getting your face slammed with doors all day, then entering a house that has the Spirit. Stay tuned for the rest of their story...

Antonia: Her brother met the other Sisters in our area and told them to visit his house. Because it was in our area, we passed by and found Antonia. She´s the most humblest of women I´ve met. We have to sit on the curb of her house for lessons because she doesnt own any type of chairs. They´re by far, the most powerful lessons. She has a sons who´s a drug addict and she wants to change to be an example for him. Antonia said she felt the Spirit so strongly in church on Sunday, and this was after she had told us earlier that shes never felt peace in her life.Miracles happen.

Luiz Fabricio: He´s a 12 year old boy we met talking to his mom in the street. His mom is very Catholic but she wanted us to talk to him because he´s been "acting out". He´s really just becoming a teenager. But he´s awesome. He´s prayed, recieved an answer, gone to church, and is excited to be baptized. Even better, his mom supports him, which is hard to find here. The young men here have really befriended him and even invited him to clean the church with them... and he went! LOL

Mother´s Day: Okay truth time. I havent gotten completely ready since the MTC so it was weird to get done up for momma bear. Especially when it all melts off before the Skype call. It was awesome to hear from my family. I love how we get enough time to just ensure that everyone is happy and healthy. It was weird to remember that America, let alone my house, exists. Now I´m back to reality, but its really the best type of reality. I´ll say what no other missionary dares to say: I miss my family. But these families that Im helping meet their Savior and His plan for them is always the best.

Feliz dia das mães para o tudo mundo. Thank you for your love and support.

Sister Myers

Valdeon's Birthday
 Skyping the family
 Coca Cola cans for the the Olympics (#issoeuro)

Transfers, Terinamento, Tape Worms and Testimony

Monday, May 2, 2016

Ola bom diaaaa! I would like to wish you all a happy May. Wow May... thats weird. So first TRANSFERS!!! Sister Jackson and I prayed like no other to stay together because its her last transfer and our group of investigators is growing. We even had investigators praying too, lol. Andddd we´re sticking together! Poor Sister Jackson, stuck with a greenie again. And we´ll only have 3 Americans in our house this transfer so it´ll be weird. I´m so grateful to be her companion. She has taught me so much and cant wait to catch up after the mish.

Treinamento: Im officially a trained missionary. Which is absolutely rediculous. It means I can have responsibility now. Hahaha. I loved doing training everyday and learning how to be a missionary and servant of the Lord for the people here in Brazil.

Tape Worms: JUST KIDDING MOM. Im sorry that wasnt funny. Just a little.

Testimony: This past Sunday was testimony meeting. I like to sit in my seat and listen to the member´s tesimonies. Mostly because it´s scary to bear your testimony in that type of setting and I dont speak Portuguese. And then, Valdeon stood up and said "Vamos la menina". So I followed behind him and bore my testimony in Portuguese. I think the members could hear my voice shake but it was awesome. As Valdeon started bearing his testimony, I started bawling. Theres no better feeling than seeing an investigator testifying of everything you´ve shared with them. He just gets it.

Everything is really good here. I just have such a strong conviction of this Gospel. I´ve seen it change lives in ways I never thought possible, including my own. I want to share with all of you, if you feel something is missing in your life, search for Christ. And when you find Him, follow Him constantly. There is no other way to be ETERNALLY HAPPY. Theres been many days before the mission that I thought I should share the Gospel with those who arent of my faith because I know it was the ONLY WAY to be and stay happy. For anyone who wants this for you and your future family, I may be a thousand miles away, but I can help you get in touch with the missionaries, where ever you may be in the world.

I want to thank everyone who has helped me throughout my life, and shaped me to who I am today. Thank you for your letters, packages, emails, thoughts, and prayers. I truly feel the support of an army across the world.
Boa semana por todos de vocês!

Sister Myers

Real coconut water. Not as good as it looks.
 I FINISHED TRAINING!
 Catia and Veldeon marking the wedding!
 The cool kids!
Soup Night!! Catia told us tomato soup isn't real soup so she made us her own. By FAR the most flavorful thing I've eaten here.

 
template design by Studio Mommy (© copyright 2015)