Letter #57- WOW its cold!!

Hey family! Hello Friends!

Brazil has gone on the cold front! in the southeren states it snowed!!! lucky!!!! it got so cold here i thought it would snow... but just a lot of fog. Man, our house doesnt have heater or ac or anything like that... so when it gets cold outside, it becomes an ice box... when it gets hot... its tough to cool off. But its all part of the experience! it was a few days of FREEZING rain... but now its already heated up! :D

We had a wedding in the ward, with his baptism! it was so great! such a great turn out from the ward, and now its the daughter´s turn here in a few weeks... this family is amazing! I love them! I love helping families start their eternal family... which is first being baptized who has the authority... and here in one year, they can go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity with this same power and authority! I love the Priesthood, i am so grateful for it in my life!

I love you all so much! Thank you for the support! I am doing great! I am really happy, right now I am in Sao Paulo... passing the p-day with Sis Abreu!!! woo hoo!!!! tomorrow I have to renew my visa... so... We are going to have fun while we are back in the city! I love being a missionary! So we are off to have some fun for a bit.

I am doing great! Miss you all so much! but time is flying by, and in no time, we will all laugh and have fun! :D

Love, 

Sister Waite!

Letter #56- FAMILY

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!

This week was a great week too! Getting everything ready for a few weddings its fantastic! I love the gospel, and to see the changes in each person... with some it is a drastic change, like our friend who was baptized last sunday, he showed up yesterday with a shirt and tie!!! oh man... its fantastic. and the peace that the gospel brings is so real...

this morning I read Elder Cook´s talk from conference, about peace. I LOVED it! that we really do find peace, and happiness, when we live righteously. when we humble ourselves to repent and change our actions to be in line with Heavenly Father´s will... brings real contentment. How many times do we think of the things we dont have... we are not content... then to see the things we do have and recognize that its ALL from a loving Heavenly Father... ah! Love it! I love the TRUE peace that comes through repentence and the Savior´s love. I am so grateful for His gospel in my life and for this short time to help share it with everyone! 

Brazil is hot... even in the winter... with cool nights. The bugs are loving me and Sister Carvalho... and we have had lots of adventures... the moral of one of the adventures we had this week was there is nothing good that comes from cutting routes... you end up with wet shoes for the rest of the day, and grass hanging from the hem of your skirt... :D But it happens to the best of us right.. haha 

Thank you for all for the prayers and encouraging emails and letters... I am so grateful for all of them! you are the best!

Love,

Sister Waite

Letter #55- Miracles Happen!

Hello family!!!! Hello friends!!!

We have seriously seen the miracles that the Lord has worked through the Lorena Ward. I love being a missionary and helping people realize the love that the Savior has for each one of us... and how happy He is to see His children make the right decisions! 

I am loving training Sister Carvalho! She is such a doll... she is so sweet and tender-hearted missionary! I love studying the scriptures with her and helping her grow in inviting and teaching our investigators... the best thing that we can do is to invite people to come unto Christ. This is an everlasting principle... for all the missionaries, for all the members of the Church, and for all the Christans that have a testimony of the Savior... the very best help we can give someone is to help them realize the love the Savior has for them.... and we can show him OUR love and OUR faith when we do what he has asked of us.... 

3 Nefi 11... this chapter is really specical in the Book of Mormon. When Christ appears in the Americas... and what are the first things he does? He shows the marks... he proves that he IS the Christ, and it really IS him... the second thing He did was to call Nefi to be a prophet... and he gave him POWER... and the Permission to use this power... to baptize... this is how we accept our Savior... when we live to our covenants we make at baptism.

We had the privlege of helping 4 people take this speacial step yesterday, it was such a great meeting... the spirit was so strong... there will be one this evening too! The Lord is really opening up the windows of heaven and helping the work progress rapidly here in Lorena... and Sister Carvalho and I are eating it up! I love this work, I know it is true! I love the Savior and the power of prayer... Always remember you are never too far away from the people who know you and love you Most! Just a simple prayer...

Have a fantastic week! work hard!

Sister Waite 

Letter #54- 4th of July

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!

Life in the mission fiels is on a roll! we are loving the area, the people, the members, the laughs, the scriptures, the flag cake for the4th, and especially seeing the hand of the Lord on our side. WOW! Its like we woke up in a dream this week! It was a very successful week for us! helping two families, and helping another come back to church and teaching her children... wow... what special people.

We had a meeting last night with the visiting teachers and home teachers... and the Bishop said something that is SO true... ´who has gone away from a visit sad?´ NO ONE!!! Why? because we ahve the spirit with us, we are helping that family that sister or brother, and we have learned about the message we taught. The greatest difference in missionaries, visiting teachers,and home teachers... is that themissionaries only visit non-members... and it is so true! misisonary work is in the visiting teaching program and home teaching program! wow! so if youhave served a mission... live the ´good old days´ again and make a visit! :D I have a huge testimony about theimportance of a thesmall visists... the little things make a big difference!

Paul is my new favorite missionary... there are a lot, but he caught my eye this week! Read in Acts and you will know what I mean! Scripture power! :D yay primary! spcripture power, keeps me safe from sin... scripture power is the power to win!!! :D and that is the truth!

Had a WONDERFUL 4th of July... we had a family night with Bianca.. she had invited her friend to come and introduce us to her... There was great american food. BROWNIES! and COOKIES!! and PINK LEMONADE! haha she made carmel apples and burritos... ahha it was quite the mix, and quite tasty!!! I am so proud to be an American... I LOVE AMERICA!!!! I LOVE MY COUNTRY!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful fourth of July, full of fireworks! :D

Have a fantastic week and know that Brasil is absoloutely fantastic!

Love,

Sister Waite

Letter #53- Countryside!!!

Hello Family and Friends!!!!

WOW!!!! I love my new area! Lorena is one of the furthest areas in our mission... aka COUNTRY!!!!!! I was in the heart of the city... and now, back to the trees, horses, trains, bugs and hick accent! haha its fantastic! discovered that I am really a country girl... I love visiting the city, but I love the fresh air and the calmness that the countryside brings... oh Spanish Fork! How this city reminds me of you.... its fantastic, I am home again! Only everyone speaks Portueguese. Its like what Greg said in his letter... we both are in the ´other country version´ of SF... woot woot!

So, I am training! Sis Carvalho is from Mesa, AZ and is doll! no really... she is so cute and gentle like a doll... and she speaks really really well! Her dad is brazilian and her mom is from Chile! so she grew up speaking Portuguese in her house... thats neat! She is on fire! ready to learn, ready to help the ward here grow...

We are already seeing so many miralces! we are going to the Cartório... (the law office? I forgot what it is...) to get there papers ready to get married!!!! yay!!!! 2 families... and another 2 are in the process... I LOVE ETERNAL FAMILIES!!!! It is so great to teach about eternal families and that we have the power to seal them togother.... para sempre!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhh!!!!! its incredible.

I am so grateful for this new area, new compaion, new chance to serve with everything I have... to be honest... it feels like we have a year to prep... to practice the language, practice teaching and using the scriptures... and NOW is the time to give it ALL!!!! Im really excited to train Sis Carvalho... she is such a sweet heart! The ward here is taking REALLY good care of us... I love being a missionary, I love seeing the hand of the Lord in the work... it is so wonderful.... These next 5 months will fly... but I want to make them worth it! Lets go!!! :D

Love you all so much! we are safe in our house next to the church! woot woot! and the members are always calling us to help us with directions! \we have to WHOLE city to conquer.... Alma and Amuleque... off to the wilderness to cry repentance! YES!

I love you all! have a great week!

Sister Waite

Helaman 10...  My new all time favorite chapter.... Sealings!!! Temples!!!! amazingness! Check it out!