Surprise Video!!

Brigette here.  We received this video of Sister Little singing a musical number from the President of the Brazil MTC in an email this morning.  Best surprise!!!! Enjoy!

CTM Week 6 - Blessings!

*Note from Mom - Kind of cracking up at her mix of English and Portuguese!  I'll add translations in [brackets] when she doesn't provide them!

Ai! No time again! This is so hard! Desculpa! [Sorry!]

Anyway, this is a crazy week. LAST WEEK IN THE CTM!!! So many mixed emotions!!! There are SO many people who I love here, who have helped me so much, and have made Brazil home, that it´s going to be really hard to leave them. There have also been SO many moments this week where I´ve just wanted to cry (some I have....I try not to do that in public though...XD) because I don´t feel like I have the ablities I need to be able to help the people who need me no campo [in the field]! I want so badly to be able to share the gospel and the testimony that grows inside of me each day that I´ve really had a hard time with not knowing everything (mostly the language). On top of that, my companion and I got sick this week, so we missed most of two days of classes. Rough. Talk about just wanting your mommy! (Thank you again, Mom, for everything you´ve ever done for me!!) BUT!!!!! The priesthood is so real!!! We both got blessings, and the next day, we were able to go and smile again.

The blessing has also helped me so much with knowing that everything in the field will be okay. The familiar feeling of Heavenly Father speaking through a worthy priesthood holder is beautiful. Hearing that your Heavenly Father is proud of what you´re doing makes everything worth it. LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!!!

Take away from this week: we have angels everywhere. People, seen and unseen. Little miracles everyday, and some of the sweetest are when you get to be the answer to someone´s prayer. My challenge to you this week: be an angel. Pray to be the answer to someone´s prayer, and then just LOVE everyone. That will guide you.

Muito amor!!

Sister Little

CTM Week 5 - I Never, Ever, Ever Want to Leave!

Sis. Little can't send pictures from the MTC, thus the generic pictures.  10 more days and she's out in the field!

I LOVE BRAZIL SO MUCH AND I NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR WANT TO LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (But I also want all of you here, so y'all better start practicing your Português!!) 

One month today. I have been living in the most beautiful, amazing place ever for a month to the day today. I have learned more this month than any other thus far.  I can´t ever begin to be able to express the feelings I get every time I open my window and look out over the city, or remember a new word I learned in Português, or get a hug and a kiss from friends and instructors. I am amazed that I am able to teach lessons with no notes, pull scriptures from my head when a question is asked, and not need to be afraid if the lesson is going to be the one we planned or revolve solely around a question a pesquisador has. The Lord is amazing. The things we are able to do por meio the Atonement (dang nab, English is getting harder. There are just words that say it better from português...)  

I am so in love with this people, and to have the opportunity to share the things that are more dear to me than anything else (and I mean that completely seriously-no exaggeration), really makes me happier than I have ever been in my entire life. (Oh, and mom, when you do send a package, if it´s not to heavy, more than anything, I would love to have my verb book that I forgot. BIG DEAL. Holy smokes, there are a MILLION ways to conjugate a verb! OH! and printed talks...in Português...they only do so much in English. I´d love His Grace is Sufficient, too. Good one. THANK YOU!)

I only have one minute, but my advice for this week is to read your scriptures every day. Pray and talk with your Heavenly Father. He really, really, really loves YOU, and He would be happier than anything to hear about your day. Things as simple as the weather will make Him smile, and you´ll feel it. I promise. 

Oh, and just laugh. Life isn´t easy, but letting the small things make you happy - WAY MORE FUN!!! Trust me!!!

Eu amo vocês!!!!

Sister Little

Alma 7:11-14

D&C 6:22-24

And hus and kisses for everyone. They make me smile. I hope they do you too!

CTM Week 4 - That is why I'm here!!!

AH!!! I love you! I only have 7 minute to write today, but today the Lord is amazing!!!!! We went proselyting on Wednesday, and THAT IS WHY I´M HERE!!!!! We (my companion and I) were able to give 8 people Livro de Mórmons and get 2 addresses for referals. EIGHT  FAMILIES HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS IN THEIR HANDS NOW, AND THE LORD LET ME HELP HIM DO IT!!!! I feel SO blessed to have been able to do that. Wow!!! 

I spoke to people in a language I´ve been learning for three weeks, and gave them the first piece of the puzzle to eternal joy with those they love the most, and I can only feel more humbled that the Lord allowed me to do it. Wow. Every day is a blessing, and I´m learning more and more everyday that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on the earth today! We have a living prophet!!! What a miracle!!!! Jesus Christ is our Salvador, and because of Him, nothing in this life can break us beyond repair. 

To whoever is reading this right now. Your Savior loves you. He does. He wants to heal you. Go to Him, pleeeaaase!!!! Let the Spirit give you peace. Read the scriptures!!! Start with 2 Népi 31 (2 Nephi 31) and Moroni 10:3-5 if you need a place to start. Please take the couple of minutes it takes to read these, and then talk to our Heavenly Father. He wants to hear from you. He WANTS to hear from YOU!!! Please do this for me. Do this for yourself. Please, do this for your Savior who said you were worthy. He said you were worthy when he set your price at the price of his perfect life.

I love you all!!!

Sister Little

CTM Week 3 - Transferred!

Sister Little had the opportunity to travel to the temple in Campinas this week!

 Eu amo vocês!!!!  Muito, muito, muito!!!

 CRAZY WEEK! The days are going by faster, and the week flew by even quicker that that. Portuguese is coming. My companion and I are singled out all the time for learning really quick. Kind of awkward, but I´ll definitely take it over the alternative.

This week´s crazy event and heart wrenching change was being transferred. Yup. Transferred. Two weeks in the CTM and my companion and I have been transferred. We were in the BEST DISTRICT THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER EVER SEEN. Nine of the most incredible, funny, wonderful people EVER! We all clicked INSTANTLY, and life with them has only gotten better since then. Well, Monday night, we got word that there were 4 elders coming from Provo that were to be in our district........the MAX for a district here is 12. So....Tuesday night, we finally find out that it will be my companion and I that move to the district of the 4 new elders to help them learn Portuguese and other stuff. Wow. Stab to the heart and twist. I was the one that was stressing when we decided to switch around where we sat within our classroom! (Meeeee no likey change...). This has almost been harder that the moving to Brazil thing to begin with! All of my teachers are different, different investigators (and our investigators were doing SOOOOOO WEEEELLL!!!), new people, new schedule...almost staring all over again just without the awesome district we were in. It sounds bleak, but I´m definitely learning a lot from it. (Elder Conover is in my new district-that´s cool, at least!) *Note from Brigette - Elder Conover is a childhood friend from when we lived in Arkansas that was called to the same mission.  Such a small world!

1) Even when I don´t understand, Heavenly Father is ALWAYS right

        -I actually still don´t actually know why it was us that had to switch yet, but I do know that it´s right. We found out when we were moving our things over that it was actually supposed to be another dupla of sisters that transferred, but somewhere down the line, that changed, so we are definitely the ones that are supposed to move, even if I don´t understand why.

2) Sometimes "losing" someone can bring you closer to them

      -Leaving my district and my teachers (all the people who have been my ANGELS coming here) is really just hard, but every time I see them, it´s all big hugs and kisses (or handshakes for our Elders) and conversation definitely means so much more. Everyone here is so amazing!!!

3) How to be a trainer

      -Yup, that´s what we´ve been designated as. We are trainers for the Provo implants. It´s fun and ridiculous, and hard, and crazy. It´s sure funny at times! Haha! Crazy!

There are definitely more things I´ve learned from this and many more I´m sure I will learn over these next 3 and a half weeks, so here we go!!

Stories (or as many as I can get down in the next 5-10 minutes...)

Investigators:

Thaís (she is our interesting story)

    Thaís is characterized by my teacher Irmã Tamiris (If anyone in Brazil has been my angel, it is her. I. LOVE. HER. SO MUCH!!!!!) Thaís wants to be baptized, but she and her "husband" aren´t married (common in Brazil-it´s super expensive to get married, so people just decide they´re married and move on). That and her aunt just died, and her family believes that after life, you just become an angel, forget about your past life, and live as an angel of God for the rest of eternity. She´s been struggling with that. First lesson we planned to just get to know her (Quebrar o gelo), and talk a little bit about eternal families and talk to her again about her desire to be baptized. We only had 20 minutes.. NO HARD CORE DOCTRINE OR REPENTANCE YET. But did she let it be that easy? Ha! NO! We´re talking about being baptized and forever families, and she actually brings up the not married thing, and asks if it´s a problem.

-Well, ya it is, but we´ll work through it with you and get you to baptism. No worries.

-But why is it that I need to be married?

-Well, it´s a commandment of God

-Where does it say what I´m doing is wrong? I don´t understand.

*My companion whips out the 10 commandments in Exodus while I´m looking like a deer in the headlights going "oh man...oh man....oh man......"*

-So am I an adulteress?! And I'm committing adultery?!?!

-Uuhhhhh.....welll......yaaaaaaaa....BUT!!!!!!!

I talk about how she didn´t know before, and we´re here to help her work through it. She has a pure heart, and is doing all of the right things. Ya. Hard core chastity lesson RIGHT OFF THE BAT!!! Try to do THAT in a language you´ve only been speaking for maybe two weeks. Since then, she is keeping commitments, and learning fast. We sang "I Am a Child of God" in our last lesson with her before being transferred (no one knew about the transfers yet), and it was super powerful. She cried super real tears and the Spirit just testified so strongly of the reality of those words. (Mom, will you put them below, please?)

The Gospel is true. It WILL bless you and your family. I k.n.o.w. this. Please, hang on tight to it if you have it, and if you don't, find it. Please. I can´t tell you enough how real the peace and blessings are.

Much love to you all, and make this week the best week EVER for someone else (I can tell you that that´s the best way to have a great week:)

Sister Little <3

1. I am a child of God,
   And he has sent me here,
   Has given me an earthly home
   With parents kind and dear.
2.  I am a child of God,
   And so my needs are great;
   Help me to understand his words
   Before it grows too late.
3. I am a child of God.
   Rich blessings are in store;
   If I but learn to do his will,
   I'll live with him once more.
4. I am a child of God.
   His promises are sure;
   Celestial glory shall be mine
   If I can but endure.
5. Chorus
   Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
   Help me find the way.
   Teach me all that I must do
   To live with him someday.