Missionary surge hitting Brazil!; Baptism of Jean; Flooded the church :-(

Oi Família!!!  Tudo bem?? :D

Got lots to report this week, so get ready for another super long email... :)  This week the mission had a telefone conference with President Tavares.  Unfortunately we missed the conference since our phone doesnt get service in our house (:P), but our zone leaders called us the next day to fill us in on what had happened.  There were a LOT of exciting announcements - SEVEN new missions will be opening here in Brazil, which will tweak the mission boundaries a bit but wont really affect the Londrina mission too much.  We also found out the name of our new mission president - Presidente Carlos Alberto de Genaro.  He is from São Paulo and is a stake president right now...He will be arriving here to take the place of Presidente Tavares in July.   I'm sending the photo that we received today.  I cant believe that President Tavares will be leaving...its going to be so strange to have to adjust to a new president and everything, but I'm excited to meet him and learn from his experience.  I'm sure it will be different, but I'm excited for the opportunity to learn from a new perspective - Im sure I'll learn just as much from him as I have from President Tavares.  :)

We celebrated Justin's birthday on Saturday with a BAPTISM (woohooo)!!  Jean was actually an ex-investigator for a long time.  He had started coming to church with a friend of his who is a member, and the sisters taught him for a while, but stopped visiting because he hadn't progressed much.  But he kept coming to church every week with his friend, even going to all of the activities and youth camp.  Last week, when the zone leaders were at the chapel here in Ibiporã to interview Igor for his baptism, they asked Sister Marques if there were any other investigators who they could talk to and give a little push towards baptism...and she pointed them straight to Jean.  :)  Luckily he was already there at the church, playing soccer with the other young men, so they interviewed him right away and he agreed to be baptized the following week! 
Sister Passos and I got to finish teaching him all the lessons and get everything ready for the baptism Saturday.

We seem to have a talent for getting in to crazy situations, too - Saturday morning we stopped by the chapel to fill the font, and decided to leave the water running while we went to our lunch appointment since it would take a few hours to fill it completely.  Of course that was a horrible idea, and by the time we got back to turn off the water the chapel was FULL OF WATER.  The Primary room, the kitchen, the classrooms...completely soaked with about an inch of water.  :P  Fortunately for us, carpet is practically nonexistent here in Brasil, so there wasn't very much damage done - just a few books in the library that got a bit wet.  We spent the rest of the day squeegeeing and mopping and drying the church.  sigh*.  It was quite an adventure....and today my arms are definitely feeling it.  Needless to say, we are NOT going to make the same mistake again.  :)  But all of the stress and craziness were worth it - the baptism was great.  There weren't  TON of members who showed up - but just enough to fill up the room and finish off the cake. :)  And it was awesome to see Jean finally get baptized.  He is an awesome young man and he is definitely going to be a great example for his family and friends.  Its so amazing to see how much the youth of the church are moving the work forward here in Ibiporã, and it is a blessing to be able to work with them.  :)
Sister Passos and I are still doing great together - our personalities are very similar and we have a lot in common.  :)  I'm loving being her companion, and we are both so excited to be able to work here in Ibiporã!!  We´re working and teaching and singing and laughing and having fun and meeting awesome people every day!  Oh the mission is great, gente.  :D
Well, that´s it for the week.  Love you all bunches and bucketfuls and I miss you all so much - but the time is FLYING by here, and I´ll be coming home before you know it.  ;)  Keep working and smiling every day

Love,

Sister Gee


Citação da Semana!!!:

"As pessoas de nobre caráter não apenas suportam as provações - elas o utilizam."  - Elder H.B. Brown

Baptism of Igor and Emanuelly!

Sister Passos and I have still been working hard to get to know the area and find awesome people to teach here.  It's been going kind of slow....but it's all good, and we're having fun.  :)

Yesterday after church we had a BAPTISM!  Okay, so it was technically the baptism of the other sisters, but I was just so excited that it felt like it was "mine" anyways.  You know?  :)  Igor and his girlfriend, Emanuelly, were both baptized yesterday.  It was so wonderful to see them making this commitment to follow the Savior and live the gospel.  It took a while, but he finally made it into the baptismal font!  haha :)   I'm just so grateful that for the testimony that he has.  I know that sometimes it's so easy for people to NOT do the right thing when it's inconvenient or maybe a little difficult, but Igor knows that this is right and he knows that the church is true, and he didn't let anything stop him from following that testimony.  

We stopped by to visit Maria yesterday night because she hadn't shown up to church that morning and we were worried that something had happened.  We showed up at her house and found her sitting by the front door.  We talked with her and tried to figure out what had happened, and she told us that she didn't want to be baptized any more because she just can't quit smoking or drinking coffee.  It was the saddest thing that's happened so far on my mission...we've really gotten to love her so much, and to see her so completely without hope was awful.  We tried to help her understand that she doesn't have to be perfect to be baptized...that repentance is ALWAYS available for us, no matter how many times we mess up, but I don't think she was really understanding much that we were saying at that point.  So, I think we're going to try to go back another day when she's in better spirits...I'm just praying that we'll be able to be led by the Spirit to know what she needs.  It's HARD...but I know that this really is the work of the Lord and that He really does know each and every one of His children... I know that He can help us teach her what she needs to learn, and guide her through this difficult moment in her life.  

Anyways, that's it for now.  Love you all!  Happy Valentine's Day last week, and Happy Birthday to Justin on Saturday!!!!  :D

-Sister Gee

New area, new companion Sister Passos; Maria and Marcio - awesome investigators; Igor is going to be baptized! Water up to my ankles :-)

It's been a rainy, rainy week here in Ibipora, and my companions have told me it's always this way the week of Carnival - that the heavens are weeping, they say.  :P  Apparently Carnival is basically a week of partying and drinking and doing pretty much whatever you feel like.  haha :)  I don't think that it's nearly as big a celebration here in Parana as it is in Rio and Sao Paulo, but it's been raining non-stop since Friday anyways.  I don't know what Jamie's record was in Porto Alegre, but the water reached up to my ankles on the way here to the internet house this morning!  Fun stuff, right?  :)

 

It's been a great week.  Sister Passos and I are both new to our area, so we went out first thing and bought a map!   We have spent a lot of time trying to find streets and getting lost....but it's been an adventure.  :)  Sister Passos is great!  She is from Sao Paulo and has been here in the mission for a little over a year.  She was actually Sister Marques' companion in the CTM.  She is an awesome missionary - SUPER obedient and enthusiastic and very dedicated to the work.  It's been good to work with her this week and I'm sure I'll be learning a lot from her example this transfer.  As we're basically opening the area, we don't have a ton of solid investigators at the moment...so yep, we've been working like crazy to find people to teach.  I'm pretty sure that finding makes up about 80% of missionary work...haha, or at least it seems like it!  

We do have two super awesome investigators that Sister Gomes and Sister Ramirez had been working with last transfer, Maria and Marcio,  mother and son.  Marcio is 25-ish and really great, and sincerely searching to know the truth.  Maria came to church last week but wasn't able to come yesterday, and Marcio wasn't able to come last week (he works some Sundays), but made it yesterday!  Haha, so they've been taking turns coming to church, but hopefully they'll both be able to come this Sunday!  I love it when people come to church, not because we pressured them into coming, but because they really are interested - and that's Marcio.  We didn't even have to call him or have a member pick him up or anything.  I think he really enjoyed it, so now we're just going to work to help him receive and recognize an answer to his prayers to know if our message is true and if baptism is really something he needs.  I'm so excited about them - they're such great people and I really think they're progressing.  :)  

 

The exciting news of the week - yesterday night Sister Passos and I were talking about Igor, how it seemed like he was starting to feel comfortable being a "member-but-not-really" (he always comes to church, activities, shares the gospel with his friends, etc...), and how I was starting to think he wasn't ever going to decide to be baptized.  As we were heading out to go to an appointment we had set, we met Sister Marques and Sister Ramirez in the street.  They had just gotten back from Jataizinho, and told me that Igor is GOING TO BE BAPTIZED!!!  For reals this time.  :D  He's moving back into his mom's house this week, and will be baptized this weekend.  I'm SO excited!  I know that the Lord is helping him and that this decision is really going to make such a big difference in his life.  He'll be preparing to serve a mission and to go to the temple and I just know he's going to have an amazing future as a member of the church.  :)

Anyways, that's all for now!  Thanks so much for everything you guys do for me!  I have the best family ever!  :)  Good luck with school and work and EVERYTHING.  I love you all so much!

Till next week,

Sister Gee

Sick this week; New companion and new area, but stil in Ibipora

TRANSFERS!!......... and I'll be staying in Ibipora once again.  :)  Not too exciting, right?  But it will be a liiiiittle bit different.  I'll be switching to the other area here in Ibipora, and receiving a new companion, Sister Passos.  I've only met her a few times, and haven't heard TOO much about her, so we'll have to see...  Sister Marques will be staying in our current area with Sister Ramirez, and Sister Gomes will be leaving Ibipora to TRAIN a new sister in a new area,  It's kind of crazy that they're switching things around like that, and kind of random, but I'm sure it's for a reason, and I'm....well, pretty excited to see how it goes.  

This week has been....once again, uneventful, as far as missionary work goes at least.  I started feeling pretty sick-ish last Saturday and when it didn't get any better over the next few days, Sister Marques and I decided to call Sister Tavares.  She was a little nervous that it could have been dengue, so she sent us in to Londrina to see a doctor there.  We spent an hour in a room packed full of people waiting to see the doctor, and when we finally got in, he poked around at my stomach, listened to my breathing a bit.....and informed me that I had some kind of intestinal infection...yay.  They hooked me up to an IV and Sister Marques and I got to wait in the hospital for almost two more hours while the fluid dripped into my veins.  Super fun.  :P  Don't worry though, it really isn't anything serious, and it's pretty much cleared up by now. 

Anyways, ever since I've mostly just been trying to recover, and we haven't gotten a lot of work done as a result.  We finally got out to work again on Friday, contacted a few references and taught a few people.  Saturday and Sunday were pretty much the same deal. 

This week I'm starting a challenge our mission president gave us a few weeks ago - Personal Sanctification.  He invited us to make a list of every thing, every habit you have that takes the Spirit away during the day, and then make a commitment that for 40 days you'll avoid every single thing on that list.  I made my list on Saturday, and for the next 40 days I'm going to do my best to make sure I don't do any of those things that prevent me from having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.  I'm really looking forward to the experience - I know it's going to be hard, but worth it.  As a missionary, the guidance of the Holy Ghost is everything, and I know that doing this challenge will make a difference in my mission/life.  I'll be keeping you guys updated on how it goes.  :)

Well, that's it from me for now!  I love you guys so much and hope all is well back home.  Keep smiling, serving, studying the scriptures, and writing your favorite sister missionary.  ;)

Love,

Sister Gee

Getting ready to be a trainer!?!?!; 17 Miracles; P-Day in the park

Olã família, and Happy P-Day once again!  Woohoo :D  It's been another good week here, and Sister Marques and I have been working hard, despite the occasional setback or two.  We had a surprise interview with Presidente Tavares last P-Day, and I think that actually made a big difference this week.  He is awesome, and even though people often see him as being super strict (remember the 170+ extra rules we have here in the Brazil Londrina Mission?  :P), he's really very understanding and motivating more than demanding.  It was really good to have a chance to visit with him this week, and Sister Marques and I have both felt more enthusiastic ever since.  :)  He didn't give very many clues about what this next transfer will bring, but he did tell me that although it's not my time to become a senior YET... I should probably be getting ready!  :P  He said that we're going to be receiving a LOT of new sisters soon, so I need to be getting ready to train - crazy!!  This transfer there are only two Brazilian sisters coming, because there are apparently 20-something Americans that are still waiting for visas.     

I think the highlight of the week (for me at least) was Saturday, when we had our branch activity night.  Noite da Pipoca!  :)  Irmão Omura brought his big screen TV all the way to the chapel and we set up a little "movie theater" right there, complete with popcorn and everything.  :)  We watched 17 Miracles, and of course everybody left a little teary-eyed.  I love that movie so much - the Spirit was so strong, and the stories of faith in the face of trials were just as powerful to me as the first time I watched it.   

Today we spent the morning in Ibiporã's most exciting attraction - the Parque Florestal!  haha, to tell the truth, there really wasn't that much to see - a few funky birds, butterflies, spiders ... and a TON of mosquitoes.  But it was nice to spend a little bit of time tramping around in the trees and relaxing for a while.  We actually caught a glimpse of a wild pig (or something like that) on our way out of the park, but I didn't get a very good look.  But.  It was cool and beautiful, and a very nice way to start to the week.  :)

 

 

Anyways, that's about it from me.  We're still just looking for people to teach here, but you know.  Things are going well and I'm loving being a missionary here in Brazil.  It really is an amazing time to be a missionary - there is so much work to be done and I'm so blessed to be a part of it.  :)  

Love you all so much!  Keep the prayers (and letters) coming my way!  ;)

Love,

Sister Gee

P.S. Megan - got your MissionTies this week!  Congrats on the audition, and way to keep the Gee family tradition of awesomeness alive!  ;)  I'm so proud!!!  :D

Investigators not progressing; Still working with Igor; Transfer ending soon

Oh my goodness!  So much exciting news from home this week, I can't believe it!!!  :)  awwwwwwwwww, I'M AN AUNT!!!  :D  I can't even tell you how excited I am - I've been waiting my WHOLE LIFE to be able to say that, haha.  :)  And she is SO beautiful!  Congratulations to Ryan and Celecta, you guys are PARENTS!!!  Thank you so much for the pictures you guys sent, it was so good to see them and feel a little bit like I'm there with you all.  I can't wait to be able to see her in person in December.... I'm sure shell grow a LOT in the next few months, so you're going to have to keep sending pictures!  :)
CASSY HULSE - Con-stinkin-gratulations on the mission call!!!!  I am SO excited for you, Cassy!  I had no idea you were putting your papers in, so it was a surprise to hear that you already got your call.  The mission is WONDERFUL - hard but worth it, and I know you're going to be AMAZING.  I'm so so soooo happy that you're going to serve a mission.  :D  WRITE ME, okay??
Well, not too much has been going on here lately.  We've been cutting a lot of our investigators over the last few weeks because nobody seems to be progressing or keeping commitments....frustrating.  But we've spent the majority of our time trying to find new people to teach, and things have been starting to pick up a little bit. 
We're still working with Igor, trying to help him make the changes he needs to be able to be baptized, but it doesn't look like its going to happen any time soon.  We had the zone leaders come in to Ibiporã the other day to have an interview with him, to see if they could talk with him and make some kind of a difference, but....for the time being, were just going to have to wait!  That's the worst, when you have an investigator that you KNOW is an eleito, but they just don't do the things they know they need to, whatever the reason may be.
It's crazy to think that January and another transfer are ending soon.  This transfer has FLOWN by, which doesn't make a lot of sense since its one week longer than usual.  We're pretty sure that Sister Marques and Sister Gomes are going to be transferred since they've been here quite a while, and that Sister Ramirez and I will stay...of course, anything can happen, so well just have to see.  :)  I have LOVED having Sister Marques as a companion and it will be hard to have her leave.  She has been helping me learn to be a real live Brasileira - teaching me the language, to dance samba, to cook arroz and feijão.... it has been pretty awesome, and I have learned so much with her!  On Saturday we threw a party to celebrate the 9 month mark of Sister Ramirez - we made cachorro quente (hot dogs), São Paulo style, with corn and mashed potatoes and everything.  haha, VERY different, but surprisingly delicious!
Anyways, I'm glad you are all doing well.  I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for everything you do for me.  :)  Enjoy the cold - its still CRAZY hot here!  :P  :)  But I'm learning to love it. :) 
Com muito amor,
Sister Gee    

The streets in Ibiporã are deserted!

Hello Family!

I don't have a lot of time left today, so this email is going to be a quick one.  Sorry I missed emailing last week, I'll try to make up for it today, as best as I can... But don't worry, you didn't miss very much!   It has been SUPER slow ever since Christmas, and really not very much at all has happened.  With Christmas and then New Year's the week after, TONS of people have been travelling to visit family, and the streets here in Ibiporã have been deserted.  So yeah...We haven't gotten a lot done.  But it's always exciting to me to start a new year - new goals and expectations and experiences!  And yes, it is crazy that this is my last year in Brazil... a year still feels like a long time, but I'm sure it will fly.  :)

Well, to make up for this email being super duper short, I'm going to attach a BUNCH of pictures that I haven't gotten around to sending yet!  woohoo!!

I love you all so much!  Hope you're having a GREAT 2013 so far!

Love, 

Sister Gee