First area... Maringá; Sister Scapin; So many hugs and kisses; Food is amazing;

FAMÍLIA!!!  I'm alive and well and (aaah, I can't believe it) in my FIRST area, Maringá!  It's a beautiful city, much smaller and cleaner and quieter than São Paulo. :) I am really enjoying being here, meeting so many of the wonderful people here and having the opportunity to really teach!  My new trainer's name is Sister Scapin, and she is wonderful - I'm really so lucky to have such a warm, loving companion to help me adjust to everything out in the field.  She is from the south of Brazil, a little city called Nova Palma that I think is in Rio Grande do Sul, I don't remember for sure.  But she's definitely a gaúcha, which is fun!  I think of Jamie every time she pulls out the chimarrão.  :)  She's an amazing missionary, and I know I'm going to learn so much from her example during the next few months.  It's a little bit difficult at times since she doesn't speak much English and I don't speak much Portuguese....but it's been fun, and I'm sure it's going to help me learn the language so much!  We're living in a little apartment with one other companionship of sisters, Sister De Jesus and Sister Lopez.  Sister Lopez is from Cedar Hills, and she knows Mary Bonham, a friend of Mike and Candy!  Small world, right?  :)  They are both awesome, hilarious sisters.   The ward that we work in is called Parque dos Pioneiros.  It's fairly big, though really the only thing I have to compare it with is our home ward in Provo.  :)  But the people there are very welcoming and warm, and I've gotten SO many hugs and kisses on the cheek over the last 5 days.  So many.  haha :)  It's probably something that I'll get used to here in Brazil!  We have lunch in the home of a member every day, and OH my.  The food is amaaazing.  Every day, someone's prepared a feast for us.

We've been teaching a few different families, and it's been so wonderful to see how we're helping people progress and come closer to the Savior.  We're teaching one family, Luciene and Reginaldo, and their two sons Rodolfo (17) and Gabriel (12).  Rodolfo was actually baptized last Sunday and confirmed yesterday, and yesterday Gabriel was baptized as well!  It was so exciting, and wonderful to see.  I think it's been a while since I last attended a baptism, so it was really cool to be able to be there, especially since it was for someone that I'd helped to teach a little bit.  I didn't understand the conversation perfectly, but from the pieces that I did pick up, Luciene is deciding to be baptized as well - so exciting!!!  We still need to help her and Reginaldo get married, but as soon as that happens she'll be ready.  :)

Me, Sister Scapin, Rodolfo, Gabriel, Luciene, and Reginaldo at Gabriel's baptism

 

Okay, well I'm out of time.  I love you all and hope everything is wonderful back at home!!!  Enjoy the autumn weather for me...it's getting HOT here.  :P

Love you and pray for you always!

Love, 

Sister Gee