Two for the Price of One

Email #1 (Probably from last week)

Family and Persons of my wonderful life!

This week was crazy and went by really fast! The CTM experience was super cool...took forever to get there and back but was such a joy to see all the missionaries of my mission and be a part of a devotional that they’re going to broadcast to every Brasil stake! I’m going to be famous!!! GAH!  Not really but it was awesome not needing the headphones for translation like the other missionaries of the CTM. After it, we were on our second onibus, and I was pooped,  but the guy next to me asked me a question and I had no idea what he said, turned to my comp, she translated and then he got the pic I wasn’t Brazilian and spoke a bit of English to me! Long story short, I ended up talking to him in my broken Portuguese and he responded in mostly Portuguese but some English. I gave him a Book of Mormon and taught him a bit, and I didn’t get motion sick! So many blessings everyone! He was super kind and receptive. Tender mercy right there:)

I was shredding a root for a member...its going to be tapioca. almost hurt my pinky!

Some great musical moments have happened. I’ve helped sis Bezerra translate the song Glorious into Portuguese so she knows what it actually means and while doing so I felt the spirit. She is such a wonderful example and as I helped her learn how to pronounce the English lyrics I felt her desire to learn and grow. Music is awesome! Then we had a family night with some great members who had a guitar! Obviously I asked to play...it was a bit old and out of tune but it worked just the same :) I pulled out my hymn book and played. I sang Families Can Be Together Forever after our plan of salvation lesson. Even though I can’t speak perfect Portuguese, I can bear testimony through music and I think Lucia felt that. She’s a wonderful member with such a strong loving spirit. She gave the closing prayer and started to cry, thanking our Heavenly Father for this wonderful plan, for the great opportunity to feel of his love and have his companionship through the holy ghost. Her hugs are great too :) So caring and as we left she whispered, you better return, neh? It was such a tender mercy to feel of her testimony and love.

A crepe?

This plan truly is wonderful. I don’t know what my purpose would be without it. Who am I without my family? Without knowing where I came from, and why in the world I’m living on a planet called earth, serving a mission in a country called Brasil that has a ton of people, dogs, and houses. Without it, why would I want to do good? To grow and learn after I experience a trial? and how my goodness would I make it back to my Heavenly Father without my Savior who was sent down here to atone for our sins???? my sins?? He is the center of this plan, without Him, we have no purpose...no reason to continue in his life. I have learned so much this week about how I need to use this time wisely, use this earthly experience for my benefit because everything God creates and does is for our benefit. Like a life you don’t want to take a vacation from. (that’s a quote from something I think...don’t quote me on that) I am loving it here. Even when I see little doggies shivering in the corner of an alley as it’s raining, or have investigators who don’t come to church. BUT I still love it because there are people prepared to live this plan. There are people who surprisingly come to church! And are ready to get married and be baptized! Anyway, know that I’m loving every minute.

Tchau for now. love

Sister Oldroyd 

Email #2

People! sorry about the confusion...last week I was trying to do too many things and my time ran up before I could send my weekly email...don’t worry, I have repented and am starting every email session with it first. This week was awesome as usual. The people and sisters in my mission never cease to amaze me with how giving, loving, and serviceable they all are, mainly the sisters in my house, and the members. We had a multi-zona meeting thing that lasted all day on Wednesday which meant breakfast, lunch, and snacktime...and games! And wonderful trainings on how we can be better missionaries and use our time better. I participated in a basketball shooting thing...missed my shot...but so did almost everyone else...basketball isn’t really Brazil’s sport :) fine by me!  It was a great time to really see how awesome my mission president and his wife are. After it, we rode home in the President’s car with him cause he was going to visit Cotia...let’s just say I did my best to let him see how happy I am even though my Portuguese isn’t quite perfect yet. Obviously my companion brought up my weird voice talent thing....did that for him...he practiced a couple English phrases with me...and he bought us food :) what a great day neh?

In the President's car waiting for the food

I’ve really been blessed to have a different perspective during my mission. I find the weirdest things beautiful...like a bunch of broken tiles in a pile that could be used for some cool art piece! or when our lesson goes a little late and the investigator offers to drive us home in their old buggy and it feels like a mini roller coaster ride as we bumpily make our way home, especially over every speed bump (haha) or my goodness, the prettiest sunset that really looked like heaven for a minute.......enough about that...

On the 15th was my 2 month mark! Woo! Happy anniversary to me. My companion was so nice and made me tapioca which is this interesting grain stuff that meshes together with heat and you eat it like a crepe. It’s good just a little different texture. Love her to death!

One blessing of being the tallest is I get to stand on a tiny desk, stand on my tippy toes and use my trusty pocketknife (which I think I’m not supposed to have but its mandatory!) to unscrew the other sisters light cover thing to help them change their light bulb. Boy did it work my arms and calves but we were successful!

For the spiritual part of the week, I want us to realize how it does not matter how long we've been a member of this gospel to have a great strong testimony. There are some members in our ward who have been a part of this gospel for less than a year but it seems like they’ve been a part of it for years! Their testimonies and spirits are amazingly strong, and influential. It really made me think about how I've used my time as a member of this church. I’ve had 19 years and they’ve been in it under a year....let’s think about this for a minute....how well have I used my membership in this church? Our FREE membership to be a disciple of Christ, A latter-day saint today? I hope we have taken advantage of realizing how blessed we are to know our purpose, to know why we go to church every Sunday and sacrifice a mere 3 hours of our week...some churches here have multiple sessions throughout the week but how amazing it is of God to only ask for 3 hours....I could go on forever about this and point out the billion tender mercies and blessings of God but that’s my food for thought this week and I’ll spare you the possible novel. You don’t have to be a member for long to make a difference or decide how much of your time you’re going to spend in strengthening your testimony and reaping the bounteous rewards this gospel membership has to offer. Know that I’m going to try harder to be a more faithful, studious, spiritual, serviceable member of this gospel. I love you all.

Tcau from Sister Oldroyd

A Missionary and Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints