Super Pumped! (a Call, an Anniversary, and a Great Mission!)

I'm super pumped about Bub's Mission call*. A little bummed that it's not Portuguese-speaking, but I'll live. His mission is huge! It will be way different from mine. I've been telling everyone that will listen that he's going there. Super proud of him. Duolingo is valuable! I fully support Duolingo.
*Central Eurasian Mission speaking Turkish. He reports to the Provo MTC on December 20th.

All right, getting right to your questions*.
*She wrote to Leroy that I had "a Billion questions." Such an over-stater!

On whether the area has a high baptizing rep:
No, the area isn't a high baptizing area. Well kinda, but just a high child-baptizing area. Meaning: only children get baptized here. The branch got super pumped when we baptized 3 non-children in one weekend. I've been chatting with Sister Braga who has been in this area for 4.5 months now. She says she's never taught as many people or marked as many baptismal dates. Super awesome. We have a lot of potential baptizees. We have one this weekend and it's looking like we'll have about 4 this month of October!! (1 Year!!* Crazy!)
*October 4th is her 1 year mark. Woot!

On who they're currently teaching:
We're teaching some Jehovah's Witnesses; they made lunch for us today. I'm pretty sure they're going to get baptized soon! They love the Book of Mormon, have gone to church a few times and know a lot of the members.

On how she's managing all those people:
I have no idea how we're managing our time with them all. It just happens? We're really trying to let the Lord lead our planning sessions. I'm amazed at how things work out every day. This week, we ended up teaching 44* people and having 35 baptismal dates. We met so many incredible people this week. I'm psyched!! Last week of the transfer too.
*Abnormally high numbers, even for Brazil. They usually average 1 baptism a month.

On how she's managing the stress:
I don't know how I'm relieving my stress. To be honest, I don't feel very stressed out. The members tell me I am super faceira*. Just super happy always. My resting face is happier. I looked into a mirror and I was happy and smiling except I didn't know it. I think I'm learning to trust in the Lord and feel the peace that a Christ-centered life brings. It's real Joy, you know?
*Dictionary definition: Happy, cheerful, charming, handsome, content.

On the other things she's learned:
I've learned how to play the accordion a little. I don't know. I feel like I'm learning a lot. Exercises, etc. I learned, kind of, how to knit, but I really do not have the talent for it. I'm fantastic at cleaning and keeping the house organized and everyone tells me I should be a veterinarian because I'm obsessed with animals. President BANNED Me from touching animals for the rest of my mission because my rash is still bad and probably caused by touching the dogs in the street. I cried.

On how she and her comp are together:
I help clean up and I taught my companion some card games. She buys me chocolate. We get along well. :-) Not a single problem so far!

On who feeds them and who their 'people' are:
We eat with members every day. The special people in my life are the members! They're all related and I feel part of the family already. Seriously, they're all so incredible, faithful, helpful and awesome. If I could marry into this family, I would!

On what we should send her for Christmas:
I don't think I need anything for Christmas. I think I'll end up buying a ton of food and some new shoes*, I don't know. But I would like to give BYU shirts to my companions and American food- they all think it's awesome!
*Shoes are a constant issue cuz they walk so much and it's often unpaved.

On her comp's family:
My companion is from Fortaleza. Her sister will be starting her Mission papers soon. Sister Braga was super excited for Bubba with me. :-). She's a great example of Charity and Service to me. They write her, she gets stuff every once in awhile (she's new on the mish; she got here with sister Lins, whom I trained.)

On receiving packages:
Mom, being in Arroio Grande means we get packages never. I just got a package that you sent in July. There was no stamp so I don't know when it arrived. But it was opened by Customs. We never go to the mission office or the temple because only the people in the Northern Division of the mission go. I have spent the whole mission in the southern Division and currently live closer to the Uruguay Mission home than our mission home. But, I'll be able to get the shade shirts* to Gotuzo, no problem. It'll just take a little while. I'll send it via missionaries, AKA for free. Don't worry!
*One member wanted shade shirts. Another wanted garments. That's usually what's been filling our packages to her. Plus a few little treats for her and her comp.

On her health:
Don't worry. My feet are fine. The rash* is still there but more on my arms than my legs now. I'm in general just fine. Sometimes my ankle hurts but it happened at home sometimes, too, so nothing abnormal.
*She's allergic to Brazil. JK. She's had it all over her legs for months, which has spread to her arms.

On why her hair is so long:
 I want to sell my hair and make Bank.

On what inspires her:
The thing that inspires me is the faith of the members. It's not easy being part of a tiny Branch. It's what motivates me to work extra hard. This Branch deserves more converts.

On the weather conditions:
The weather has been fine. Just a lot of rain which is bad because it means our investigators don't go to church: no one has a car here. Sometimes it gets really hot or kind of cold I don't know. It's spring, luckily.

On travel:
We're planning a lot better so we don't walk as much. Probably only 10K* at maximum. We are totally in the middle of nowhere.
* About 6.2 miles

On coming home:
I should be getting a call soon with details about my return flight. It'll probably be mid-March. But, I was thinking about staying one more transfer, so I don't know yet.

The Miracles continue to come. Bub will love the mission. I pray for you guys. I don't think about you guys much during the day because we teach so much but you guys live in my heart! Keep living a Christ-centered life! It's what will make us happy and protect us from difficulty that could come. I love you all! I love my future Eternal Family!


Until next week.

Love,
Sister Hartman

11 Months, whaaattt!

Well, this computer is awful and I can't upload any pictures, so the letters will have to wait for next week. But this week was so awesome and we saw so many miraclesssss!!! 

I'm so excited to be here. I love love love the members here so much. Yesterday, I felt the spirit so strong at church because the members here SING. Man, it was glorious. We had a road trip to Pedro Osório, that was fun, and we went caroling, but with hymns. Good fun. Sister Braga is awesome and really easy going. Just say a little prayer for her mom, who found something on her ovary and needs some divine help. And also for our Branch President, who has a serious heart condition and the earliest he can get talk to a specialist to schedule a surgery is the 11th. Norma Cristina Braga and Vagner Moraes.

Mom, there's a member here that wants american garments so bad. Do you think you could send some? (ASAP because we're so far away from the mission office that we get packages about once per transfer. So if I miss it, I have to wait for a long time to get stuff.) She is a little shorter than me and a little gordinha*. She says a medium would be good but idk** how the sizing works. Lemme know. She's so sweet and is willing to pay anything. 

*fuller
**I don't know

Love

-Sister Hartman

Yo, Dad!


The picture was in front of the pig pens at my Bishops House. He's got a little bit of everything at his house - chickens, cows, sheep, horses, cats, dogs, pigs, flies, etcetera.

Poor Andy. Sorry to hear he is sick. Hope he and his 'nose holes' are getting better. I feel like I'm in the Andy-stage of the Portuguese language. The other day, I didn't know how to say eyelids so I said "eye caps". Language is hard. Haha

I can't believe you guys are actually going to Korea without me. :-(.

I did have a really good week I went to porto Alegre this week because D. Todd christofferson was visiting and wanted to talk to us. One of the things he said was to write in our journals. But I definitely needed your reminder to write about spiritual experiences. I mostly write about food. Lol. Definitely will write more about the awesome experiences I'm having. The mission is super awesome. Today marks the first day officially of my fourth transfer and sister Pereira and I are super excited. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Stories to come. Miss you, love you, hope everyone stays safe and happy!

Semanaaaaa brings Ex-pastors & the Elect our way

So this week was interesting. We picked up some new investigators... they're ex-pastors of the Igreja Mundial*. Haha! So that's awesome. He really really knows the bible. And they're loving the Book of Mormon! They are recognizing the concurrence of the bible and the book of mormon. It's so cool! The only thing that stops them from being baptized.... is living in our area. They are trying to buy a house here but money is tight. If you could pray for them with me, that would be so great!!

* World Church

We are helping some people get married. They went to the cártorio* this week and they'll be married and baptized in 40 days! Unfortunately, I probably won't be in this area anymore when they get married, but yay!!!!!

We found some really awesome people on Sunday. At the beginning of the transfer, we had about 8 people that could get baptized this transfer. By Saturday, we had cut that number in half. We got kinda bummed about it, but we found a ton of awesome eleitos** on Sunday "on accident" aka the Lord put them in our path!!! I love when this happens. They are so great. They already have gone to church and everything and have testimonies of the book of mormon but didn't know there was a chapel closer to their house! They just have to stop smoking and drinking but I no longer see that as a difficult obstacle because Antonio and Angelica stopped smoking after 2 weeks. So yay for the book of Mormon!!

*Registry

**Elect

Sister Lins and I are getting along really well. Even though I still get moody sometimes (both of us this week because hormones), we laugh together so much. We had some crazy experiences at home this week. I will upload pictures. Hehehehe 

I love you guys so much! Hope everything is well at home!!! I want all deets always!!

xoxo,

-Sister Hartman

I'm channeling my Inner Mr. Taylor this week....

Well, no personal letters, or any photos, this week because the stupid, free computers here in the library don't have an SD card slot. But just know that I love you guys and that you'll have lots to read next week! Also, I'm gonna try to buy a USB converter. Haha

Well. This week was good. 

This week, we went door-knocking for the first time in forever and found a woman named Regina. After the lesson, she said that normally she doesn't like to let people in, like she did with us, but that she felt like she needed to let us in and listen. WHHAAATTTTT? Well, yeah, it happened. And we haven't been able to find her at home since, it's pretty normal, but we will visit again this next week.

We have been teaching this woman, Zazá (Glenir) for 4 weeks now, since the first week of the transfer. She has cancer and lives with her 17 yr old daughter, Samuely, who has Down Syndrome. It's been a battle with her, a little. She always reads and understands really well, but she was raised very catholic so she has a hard time accepting and usually can never go to church because Samuely is afraid of church and never lets Zazá go. Well, this week, we were fasting and praying that we would get someone to church this week, and when I called Saturday night to ask if she needed a ride, Samuely said that she would go. And they went. And it was the best. Fast and Testimony meeting ever because all the youth went to FSY* a week ago AND everyone went to the temple with the caravan recently so there was a lot about receiving answers to prayers and eternal families. Good stuff. (Also, the great thing about Brasil is that Fast and Testimony meetings are always super full. Everyone races to share their testimonies. My ward has an attendance of about 60 people and we never had that awkward time where no one is speaking, and we went over so everyone on the stand could speak. And it was like that in Jardim do Sol too. BOMB!!!) *FSY (For the Strength of Youth) conferences are multi-stake youth activities held under the direction of Area Presidencies.  

I am the new Mr. Taylor* in my ward. I somehow turned into the ward choir director and, TBH** it's SUPER FUN. I love it and them so so much. We have some pretty awesome songs that we're practicing for Stake Conference. They are improving so so much too. It's awesome to see. It's my favorite thing that happens during the week. **Internet slang meaning "To be honest." *He was the Choir director at Mountain View HS.

Chris and Eduardo, SA's favorite members which we visit every day, have a daughter, Gabi, who loves me. I am her human-sized doll. She generally begs to brush my hair and put makeup on me. Lol. This week, I let her put purple lipstick on me. And... I actually really liked it. I'm down to try out the purple again! Haha, she's great.

Also, mom, don't freak out, I eat dark chocolate and tomatoes* by myself now. Hahahaha it's weird. Also, I ate potato salad that had raisins and bananas and it was actually pretty good. *She's always hated them. Yay for newfound maturity and new taste buds! (I hear every 7 years you have a whole new set of taste buds, not all at once, mind you.)

Ok, that's it now. Just know that the Lord answers prayers in big and little ways and that we're blessed for doing our part. Man, so much good stuff, so little time. This week, I finished up the book of Alma (in português, woot!). Alma 56 is great. It talks about the 2000 jovens* and it's super inspiring for me. Hope it is for you too! *2000 stripling warriors (jovens translates to 'youth'.)

Love you guys so so so much and hope you have a great week! Miss you guys like crazy!!!!! 

-Sister Hartman