Drip, drip, drop little "april" showers...‏

May 26, 2014
Dear Family, 

This week has been wet! And chilly! (Don't laugh--it really has. Brazil doesn't know how to protect from the cold. So....it feels colder than it is. Ok...you can laugh a little)

Anyway. This week was good. :) Tuesday, we got in touch with that golden family I told you about--the ones that had left the note--and it turns out they had fought that day and just didn't want to talk to anyone...but they said that yes, they know it's true, and yes, they want us to come back. Whew! Well...wait for it. Wednesday we couldn't leave the house (I'll get to that story in a minute), Thursday they didn't answer the door. Friday, a 20ish year old boy came out and said he'd moved there that day....they moved!!!! Our investigators moved to another city in less than 3 days!!!!!! Pois é. Figures. 

But...we had an incredible miracle on Saturday! We finally had a breakthrough with a family we've been visiting, and the mom and her three girls came to church! And LOVED it! Vania was a referral from a recent convert from another ward. She's pretty confused about what to do religiously in her life. She was raised Catholic, and believes that baptism really is a commandment. But she feels that even though she learned good things in the Catholic church, that they lack authority to baptize. (Yes, those words left her mouth) She goes to another church now, that believes in reincarnation. But they don't believe in baptism, so she knows that can't be all right either. On Saturday, she told us that since she was taught the Restoration, she's felt that this had to be true. She's still divided because of the beliefs she knows she'd have to abandon if she was baptized in the church of Jesus Christ. But she knows it's true! So we talked to her about praying to know (and to do!) God's will, and not her's. He knows what's best for us. :) Yesterday at church, she integrated herself with members, participated in all of the classes, and the little girls (6, 9, 11 years old) looooved Primary. When they left Primary, the 9 year old asked, "Mom, are we going to get baptized in this church?" 

"Do you want to?" Vania responded.

"Yes!"

AAAAAAHHH!!!! Vania said she still needs to pray...but she's going to get there!!! Pray for her please!!! 

Fun tidbits:

yesterday a cat entered the chapel through the window. Twice

Also yesterday, a member wanted to know my first name, so I told her to guess. She looked at me for a minute than said....

"Raquel."

I....think that might be it. I gave a talk yesterday!

OH! Almost forgot! Remember that devotional with Elder Russel M. Nelson? Umm....canceled. Due to police riots or something ridiculous like that. Then we got grounded for the day, too, incase it got crazy. It didn't. So we just studied....and ate food. Haha, just what I needed. 

Love you!

Sister Fuller

"Endure to the End, which is Life Eternal"‏

May 19, 2014
Hey Family, 

Wow, I skimmed your emails really quick...it sounds like this week's been incredible! I'm so happy for you all, and especially for Devin. Dev, learn everything you can from the temple now. And the doctrine of Christ. Which really is the same thing as the Plan of Salvation. AAAAH I love the gospel!

This week we met an INCREDIBLE couple, Tatiane and Cristian. We marked a baptismal date, and taught them every day this week. They progressed SO MUCH. Until Sunday....we went there and they left a cute little note at the door (literally--she drew little hearts and put stickers on it) that said thank you so much for all we had taught them, but they wanted to continue in their church. AAAAH! I hate Satan!!!! Don't worry, we know we have the truth. And the Spirit. And the Lord is on our side, so....basically, it's all going to work out! But feel free to pray for them :) With LOTS of faith!

Other exciting news--we got an email from President Martins, and the Area Presidency decided to let ALL of our mission go to the special devotional with Elder Nelson!! So on Wednesday, we're going to São Paulo to see ELDER NELSON!!! I'm so excited!!! 

Anyway, I'm out of time...but know that I love you all!!! 

Sister Fuller

Fine Gold Park‏

May 12, 2014
Dear Family, 

Hey guys!! It was so great to talk to you yesterday! Haha. A fun little family night, with a little bitty Karalee sitting on the dinner table...yeah. A little eccentric, but I liked it! Hahaha. That was fun. I love you alll :) And I'm so excited for Devin....it's ridiculous! Watch out, world!

So, a quick summary of my life right now--there was another special little transfer last Tuesday. So last Monday afternoon, the Zone Leaders called and told me I'd be transferred. Surprise! Bigger surprise--I was being transferred back to the interior (the half of the mission that's farther out from the big city. Basically, they're completely isolated sides...) to Sorocaba, The Parque Ouro Fino Ward. (that's fine gold park in english, so kind of funny) What does this truly mean? That I was going back to the Interior one week before all the missionaries from the capital would go to the temple. So...no temple. Psych! Pois é. :)

Sorocaba is ridiculously cool. It's the third largest city in the state of São Paulo. I believe that the first ward started about 50 years ago, and now they have 4 stakes!!! The church grew so quickly!! The goal is to have the ¨5th stake¨. Also, I'm serving in Zona Trujilo....which for some reason, I've always wanted to do. So that's kind of fun! Our area is very pretty. Much flatter than Santana, and also much smaller. So we walk everywhere again (woohoo!) and it's working out great. It's a very clean and organized city. Of all the places I've been to in Brazil so far, this is where I would most want to live. 

As you saw, my companion is Sister Vaughn. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! 

Basically, I can die happy now. :)

We were together in the MTC, and I learned so much from her. And now she's my companion! Best thing ever!! We're living it up. Sorry for not explaining the situation better yesterday, but one of the members whose house we were at speaks fluent english, and I felt weird explaining it in front of him. But yes, we are the Sister training leaders over this region (so about 8 sets of sisters), but we aren't doing exchanges with them yet. This area needs a little...pick me up, so President wants us to focus our efforts here and not have to worry about leaving multiple times a week. So everything we do with the Sisters for now is just over the phone. But it's great, and I couldn't be happier!  

Sister Vaughn and I share a lot of the same goals and desires as missionaries, so I really feel like this will be a good time for personal and spiritual progression. I've had the best companionship studies I've ever had on the mission all in this last week, and I'm so, soooo excited to try out all of these new ideas we're thinking of together!

Well...that's kind of it. Except a little Santana update--my little Andressa was baptized! I can't remember what I've told you about her, but she's the cousin of members, and just the sweetest little 12 year old girl you've ever met. I'm soooo ridiculously happy for her! Also, Magali is getting baptized on the 17th.  Woohoo!!!

Hope you all have a great week! Challenge for the day...do something out of your comfort zone to share the gospel! You guys are the best!!!!!

Sister Fuller

         

Maio, Maio, Maio....isn't that just fun to say?‏

May 5, 2014
Hey, everyone!

It's May! Happy May! Karalee, happy almost birthday!!! 

This week, I had a really neat experience of acting on a prompting. We had a little bit of time, and decided to go visit a recent convert family. As we walked there, we talked about what we'd share with them, and practiced a little. (My companion's learning portuguese, so a little more important than usual. But practices are always important, so...) We got there, sat down, and I was looking at the couple...and I just thought. What do they really need to hear? So I said a quick prayer, and as we chatted with them, I felt the spirit move me to another direction than what we had planned. We said a prayer and started the lesson, and then as I looked the woman, Silvana, in the eyes, I had the thought, "tell her how much I love her". So I did. And as I talked to her, I found myself making specific promises about how the Lord wanted to bless her, and help her with trials she was facing. Then Silvana started to cry, and opened up to us. She said that she's been feeling so weak lately, and hasn't felt like anything has been going right. She said she'd be thinking God didn't love her anymore, and had told her husband a little before we had stopped by that she was going to give up. She opened up and told us what her struggles were, and every single one matched up to a promise I had given her. The spirit was so strong, and then S. Mills shared a story and a scripture about how the Lord consecrates our trials for our good. We left, a little awed. Heavenly Father truly had used us to be in the right place and the right time, and to share with His precious daughter what He needed to be said. 

I thought about it--as missionaries, we're always looking for someone to visit and to help. So because that's our desire, Heavenly Father can guide us to where He needs us to be. But then I think of when I was home, and how often I was in that same frame as mind. It sure wasn't as often as it is now! But really, stopping to think about how I can serve others...that needs to be something I always have time for. Because if I'm not thinking about it, how will He be able to use me? It'll take a little more yelling from the Spirit. :) So I've made that a goal for when I get home--to try to think more outwards, instead of inwards, and to try to think more of what good I can do than of what I want of need. Pode cobrar, tá bom? (I tried a good 2 minutes to translate that, and couldn't think of what it is...and we're pretty much out of time. Sorry) You can...make me do that. Keep on my...heels? Toes? I know there's an expression about that. Anyway, moving on....

Next week I might be going to the temple!!!! I don't think I need to explain to anyone how excited I am about that!!! I hope you have a great week, Scott---do something special for my sister, ok? Aaaaand...until Mother's day!!! Aaaaaah!! 

Sister Fuller 

         

Miracles!!

Dear everyone, 

I finally was able to send pictures! And a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So I'm good now? 

Sorry, that took a while. But this week was INCREDIBLE. As, actually, you should be able to piece together looking at the pictures. There were the three baptisms...

1. Douglas. He's actually not even our investigator. But his friends are in our ward and he wanted to get baptized here, and the Zone Leaders are too sick to leave home and plan his baptism in Alphaville, sooo....they asked us to plan it. I love the picture I sent you--it's our entire district, except the Zone Leaders. And it's their baptism! I just think it's funny. So I'm sure Douglas has a great conversion story, but I'm not really sure what it is. I just planned his baptism...just kidding, I know a little more than that. But not the details, so maybe some other day I'll let you know!
2. Tamires!! She's the daughter of a recent convert, that wasn't baptized when her mom was only because she wasn't married to her live in boyfriend at the time. But now they're separated! So we visited her this week, and were taken away by what a spiritual powerhouse she is. She was so ready to be baptized. So on Wednesday, we invited her to get baptizedSunday morning. And she was!!! She's incredible, and we love her!!! She also has thecutest little boy you've ever seen. I'll have to get a picture to send to you! 
3. Eliane! I don't know if you remember me talking about her a while back...she's the one who was the live in girlfriend of a less active that S. Pereira and I taught! She had marked her wedding date, and on Saturday she was finally married. And Sunday, baptized! So awesome. She is so strong--I remember we were talking to her the day after she marked her wedding, and she was telling us about how Hugo didn't want to go. But she physically dragged him out of bed, made him get dressed, and said, "No! Today, we are goingto do this!!!!!" And they went. hahaha I love her! I was so grateful to be able to be there for the baptism!

We have just had quite a few miracles this week, and I'm so grateful. The Lord really does have people that are prepared--we just need to find them! (And He knows where they are, so our chances of finding them are pretty great. Handy, right?! haha)

Love you all!!!! Have a great week!!!

Sister Fuller

 Did I mention I bought a fruit dress? Also, this dog follows me around for hours at a time, various days a week. Like, he loooooves me. So I named him pretinho. 

 our zone, minus the zone leaders. They're ridiculously sick and not allowed to leave the house. But they're getting better now!

April 14, 2014

Dear everyone, 

Hope you've had a great week! This week we moved houses. Surprise! Apparently our house wasn't very safe, so we got a call from the office the other day saying, "Hey, you guys are going to move. Can you pick up your keys tomorrow?" I love how smoothly these things are done...so fridge, stove, beds, the works all needed to be moved over to our new house. By ourselves. It was exciting...we enlisted the help of a recent convert and her friends, and a family from the ward, but it still took almost a full 2 days. Crazy! So once again, our numbers were a little low, and I was feeling a little stir crazy. (Lemme out! Lemme work!) Then we prayed a ton, and Heavenly Father blessed us. We found 16 new investigators in the last 3 days! MIRACLE!! It's humbling, especially because I know there's more we could be doing. But somehow the Lord blesses our small offering, and uses us to do His work. 

One of my favorite experiences from this week was with someone who doesn't actually live in our area. We were coming home from District Meeting on Tuesday, and the bus was ridiculously crowded. I was tired, my head was pounding, and the bus was hot and loud. I was carrying all of the materials we had received, and just trying to stay standing up right. The last thing I wanted to do--I, not as a missionary--was talk to someone. Then a man gave up his seat for Sister Mills to sit down, and I walked over to be next to her. I passed the stack of Book of Mormons for her to hold in her lap. On my side, there was a woman seated down. When I smiled at her, she smiled back a little and I had the thought, "I really should talk to her." But I just couldn't--or didn't want to yet. So I said a prayer, and asked for help, then opened my mouth! We started talking, and then about the church, and pretty soon the man next to her looked up too. He asked some questions, and I ended up teaching them both about the Restoration, and marking down their addresses to pass to the missionaries in their areas. Then they both got off, and I was able to sit down. (Woohoo!) Sister Mills passed the Book of Mormons back to me, and a man sat down at my side. Have I ever told you how it still kind of scares me to talk to men? Literally, every time I do a contact with a man, I have to talk my brain into it first. And this guy was not super approachable! He's a large, bald black man, wearing sunglasses (in the bus!), and had headphones in. If he had been the first one to sit next to me, I think I might have justified not talking to him. But...I was already in teaching mode. So I picked up one of the Book of Mormons and stuck it in front of him. 

"Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon?" 

"No! What is it?" 

Complete change! All of the sudden he took his sunglasses off, pulled the headphones out, and turned to look at me. So we talked about the Book of Mormon, and what it was, and about the Church. And he was SO INTERESTED! Super, super, ridiculously interested. He literally begged me to give the Book of Mormon to him. Which is kind of funny, because I had to push down the thought of "we never have materials! The Sisters in his area can just give him one!" Oh, the natural man. Don't worry, that time I squashed it. :) "Of COURSE you can have it! But only if you're going to read it. And pray about it." He was almost insulted I included that. "Well yeah, that's why I want it!" Hahahaha. His name's Pedro. He's a young father, and a really good one. He was on his way to a job interview and just talked about how the new job would be so much better for his family. He really wants the best for them, and the gospel IS the best! So then I called the Sisters and told them to visit them ASAP! He said they'd all go to church on Sunday too. 

It was so great. It was especially a tender mercy because I know that Heavenly Father gave me the prompting to talk to the first woman so that I'd be prepared to talk to Pedro when the time came. Heavenly Father knows what He's doing. :)

This is crazy, because I didn't even say anything about our area, but I'm out of time! Sorry. But I love you all! Thanks for your prayers and love for me! 

Sister Fuller

Zone conference

Cristina's Baptism

Finalmente Abril!!!!

Dear Family, 

Doesn't Abril just sound so much nicer than Março? I'm so excited. Which is hilarious, because normally April's only exciting because it's spring and flowers and warmer weather. Whereas, here it's finally cooling off! Let's be serious for a second--I actually kind of want a t-shirt that says "I Survived January 2014", and then something about Salto on it. HOT. But so much better. Lucky Sister Mills. 

Oh yeah! (haha) I have a new companion! Aaaaand...it's an American! (I think that's kind of my thing now. Out of my 7 companions, only 2 have been Brazilians. And that's only counting Sister Garner once!) She is also from Mesa, AZ, but she didn't know S. Garner. Wait, did I tell you all that S. Garner and I are in the same zone?? If not, we are. And it's the best thing ever! Ok, sorry pretty spazy today. But Sister Mills actually already graduated from ASU and wants to go back and study law after the mission. She entered the MTC the same day as S. Cristoffersen (but doesn't know her either), so served almost 9 months in the Billings Montana Mission. She's speaking really great portuguese already! It's pretty fun. She also has a blog that probably has letters that are a lot better than mine, which issistermills.blogspot.com. 

The new apartment in Povilho for Sister Pereira and her new companion Sister Armstrong (from Dallas, TX) wasn't ready yet, so they've been staying with us all week. They actually just moved out this morning. But it's been super fun, kind of like a big huge slumber party! Missionary style. :) But it's so fun to have our little foursome working in the same ward. We're just a little happy family....and we're going to be able to help so many more people now!! WOOOHOO! 

And that leads to our other exciting news!!! Cristina was baptized on Saturday! And she's incredible, and I love her. (But I left my camera at home, so pictures will have to wait, sorry!) And what's even better is that now her husband, Rogério, wants to get baptized too!! 

Well....I'm going to have to go. But I hope you all have a great week! Love you so much! 

Sister Fuller