Finally some pictures!

Happy Birthday, Logan!

Happy Birthday, Logan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the best week of the transfer for sure! For starters, a car just passed by blasting the song ``Love the Way You Lie`` by Eminem and Rihanna. First time that I have heard that song on my mission. Made. My. Day. But...coming back down to earth—we had a baptism yesterday! Nilva! It was really sweet. I sent pictures to mom—hopefully they turn up on the blog. 

We are working hard. One thing we have started doing is that every day we write a list of miracles that we saw in our planner and then put the list in our journal. Man is it helping me to see how much God loves us and blesses us. A member in our branch told me the way to measure success on a mission is to count how many people you can make smile every day. I love that idea. :)

Funny story of the week- we went tracting. (which is way easier in Brazil than in the states, btw.) Anyways, I went up to a door to knock and this dumb dog comes out raging mad. I saw every one of his teeth and thought he was going to kill me. But afterwards, I almost died laughing. Everyone warned me in blogs before the mission that dogs would be an issue- I just never had a problem before this week. But, man, did that dog chase me! And quite frankly, he only made me remember that I’m kinda out of shape hahahaha!

I love you guys. Sorry, out of time, de novo, but I sent a ton of pics. be happy :)

LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister M. Seal

Gente

Gente, I´m just going to make a public apology: I am getting lazy. You may or may not have noticed that my emails leave much to be desired. It's the truth, but at least I am aware of it and admit it? 

I don't know what to say other than I am well. We are working hard. Brazil took 4th- thats the best news I´ve got. And the world cup is over. Congrats to Germany! 

I heard something really cool the other day, "If you want your kids to talk to you when they´re older, talk to them when they´re younger". Don't shut them out--make time for them NOW, and they will make more time for you LATER. It was a really cool ad I saw... and anyways, thought I´d pass it along. The other idea was "if there is no communication, little problems quickly become big problems" and "Children spell love 'T-I-M-E'"

Yes, that makes me a hypocrite- because I am not doing a good job of giving you all time, am I? hahaha I will repent.

Ok. Shoot. Out of time. Love you. 

Sister M. Seal

Homework!

My message today: Read the talk by Elder Holland from the Oct. 2012 General Conference called, ``The First Great Commandment``- its STELLAR. (Conner, I am directing this to you especially, ok? Please read it and let me know what you think.)

I'm doing well- happy, healthy, working hard. No news. My companion is an ANGEL. I love her so much- she really understands sacrifice and service. She does EVERYTHING for me and never complains or asks for anything in return. She is a huge blessing and example. :)

Mmmmm, this week is the 4th of July. HAPPY 4TH! Send pics Paleeez! Wishing I could be there to watch the fireworks, but hey! We´ve already got plenty of them here with the world cup and crazy holidays. The world cup is da hora!!!! I hope you are all watching the Brazilian games (and US games too). Minha nossa. Sorry, folks, but I am 98% BRAZILIAN now. Hahahaha

Anyways, tomorrow is going to be legit- leadership training again. :) Last Thursday, I gave a district meeting training, because now I am the district leader of all the sisters in my zone, too. Ha. I talked about new beginnings. Read the talk, ``The Best is Yet to Come`` By Elder Holland. CHANGED MY LIFE. Seriousy. I know, I am a failure of a blog writer- I give you nothing but homework, but do it- these are the 2 talks that I ask you all to read this week- perfect Sunday activity. Or any day activity, as we should be studying the gospel everyday... you are all doing that right? Studying every day? Good.... 

Love you all. Have a great week! Smile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy JULY!

Love, 

Sister M. Seal

No. No transfer calls for me.

No. No transfer calls for me, anyway. The 3 sisters I was living with were all transferred, but I am staying in Mamanguape. Whoot! But...I have a new companion. Good and bad. I really loved Sister Chap. I liked her a LOT! She became one of my best friends a lot faster than I thought possible. But... it’s also good because she wasn't testing me- she may have been too perfect. Now I am with Sister Caiani. And guess what! SHE’S BRAZILIAN! Yes! I get to work on my Portuguese again.

Highlight of my week: I SAW JAQUELINE IN JOÃO PESSOA! We had to go to the doctors because my companion was sick and Jaqueline met us for lunch. Best day ever! She seems to be doing well. We ate in a huge supermarket that looks like a real Wal-Mart. I didn't know they had supermarkets here that chic! But... man was it expensive- most expensive meal of my mission. A plate that should have been $8 was $26. (You weigh the plate on the scale... but don’t freak out- it wasn't that much food, gosh I’d have died) I put the receipt in my journal. It made me a little bit upset, but we've just got to laugh, right?

It’s raining like CRAZY here and the world cup is going well- not too many crazies.. hallelujah. This Saturday there is another game- should be interesting, I am pretty sure if we lose its over- but I don’t know- I don’t play soccer. haha

That’s really about it. Sorry I’m so boring haha but.... já era. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!! Talk to ya, Monday! ;)

PS. My camera had like 20 viruses, it shut my friends computer down- so he had to clean it all up and now it’s back, but the computers in this city don’t have virus protection, so I won’t be emailing pics as often anymore- just at members’ houses. Sorry. But, just to let you know. :) Tchau!

Viva Brasil!!!!!!         

World Cup Crazy

AHHHHHHH! I fixed my camera! Yes! Take that, Katie! I can work with technology toooooo... It may just take me a little bit longer..... :P

Sorry, that ridiculous outburst has been a long time coming. 

Happy Fathers Day! (Special shout out to Daddy, Papa, and Craig!) Also, Oma, Happy birthday this week! Whoot whoot!

Good week as always. Everything goes crazy around here the day Brazil plays in the world cup- but it keeps things fun, right? For those of you who don't know, Brazilians are craaazzzzyyyy. And, I love them :)

News: This week marks 1 year here in Brazil. I remember my first day well, and man has a lot changed. I've changed. You´ve changed too. It all seems like a dream to me. And boy does it go quickly. I remembering eating corn- thats what we eat this time of year (São João). A year ago, I wasn't a big fan, but these days its painful to think I will soon leave it all behind: The traditions I love... the people I love... 

Speaking of days passing quickly- this is the last week of this transfer. So, I will be emailing again next Wednesday in 10 days time. Of course I will not be transferred, I just got here, but it is interesting to begin my last 2 transfers when people begin to say “Your mission is over- you´re dying now”. Its horrible really, people don't stop with the jokes and the teasing haha. I guess I´ll get used to it. 

I read the Character of Christ this week, it was good to read again to remind me of the vision I had when I left the MTC. I highly recommend it to all of you who have never read it and even if you have, its always good to read again. Another good read is Clayton M. Christensen´s book, “The power of everyday Missionaries”. Get a copy of this book and it will change the member missionary that you are! Seriously, this book has changed the way I see my role as a member of the church. We have great responsibility. We also have great responsibility to KNOW, in the first place, what that great “responsibility” is.

A few quotes I read this morning, the first by David O. McKay, “Mans greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.”

I think the first step in learning to lose ourselves in the service of others is to prioritize our lives. Thomas S. Monson said, “We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we are doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the `thick of thin things`. In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting the most important causes.”

Yes, its true, the “most important causes” require effort- its takes work, usually work that isn't easy, and often found tiresome. But as Henry B. Eyring said, beautifully, “When I find myself drawn away from my duties or by other interests and when my body begs for rest, I give myself this rallying cry: `Remember Him`.”

Faith and Miracles

Morning!

Good week here—always is, right?

We had a leadership meaning Tuesday and our zone meeting Wednesday- they both went really well. Our new focus here is less actives! Love the idea, this mission really needs it too. Glad for yet another proof that our mission president is inspired. 

This week Jose and Fia were baptized. It was really awesome. :) God is really helping us in His work here. 

I am doing well- its starting to rain a lot here, again. Love the rain. Love the work, couldn't be happier. You´d also be pleased to know that I am mastering a few cake recipes down here- cakes every week for every baptizing... and I wonder why I am a little chubbier. HA! 

Zooeira. Anyways, everything is going well here- my companion is awesome. This branch is great, too. Yesterday, in sacrament meeting, Elder Carbonie came to talk to us- he is one of Pres. Nogueira´s counselors. Every time I see him he says, "Sister Seal, I know your father." Funny, right dad?

So happy to hear that you seem to be doing well- all of you are doing such great and exciting things- keep it up. I cant wait to catch up with you all in a few months time. And no- I don't want to talk about how little time that may be. Minha nossa, how it flies!

This morning I was studying faith and miracles. 2 Nephi 27:33, "For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith." 

I think miracles are a lot like salvation in the sense that yes, "`his grace is sufficient" but it also requires work on our part. We work to qualify for eternal life and we work to qualify for miracles. We cant merely wait around for a miracle to fall into our laps. Quite frankly, miracles rarely come when we are sitting anyway...

Having faith to see miracles doesn't mean we just believe someday maybe one could or would or might or should happen. The reason faith is a pre-requisite is because faith means we ACT. Ether 12:30 says, ``For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved wherefore thou workest after men have faith.`` 

We hear about this "faith to move mountains" all the time. I've also heard it said that if you looked behind that "moving mountain", you would see a bunch of people pushing it. 

Real faith is in our works not our words. 

This was a good lesson for me to learn this morning- and definitely one I have seen in action time and time again here in Brazil.

I LOVE being a missionary. And, I love all of you. Have a great week and may God be with you till we meet again.

Love, Sister M. Seal

These pictures are from a different camera- I think mine has a virus because they wont upload. I am going to start using a different memory card. SORRY. Dad or Katie need to fix it!!!! Love you all! Smile!