HELLO!! :) Good morning!! :) So I am glad to hear yall are doing pretty well! I can't believe Mark wrecked my car... oh my luck hahaha.... I guess I deserve it after I crashed Greg's...I hope I make enough money when I return to buy a car lol! Why was he driving my car? and not his?? Well anyway... things here are good!! At times a little crazy when Brazil is playing... but we stay in the house those days since everyone starts drinking and partying... if Brazil loses... everyone will drink and if they win they'll drink as well haha so its just better to avoid the crazies in the road lol! The rest of the week is pretty chill and we still have lessons, usually its the men who are watching the games so they usually don't let us teach lol but we are grateful for the women haha :)

Yesterday, 3 of our investigators were at church. We are trying to get 2 couples married here soon but first they have to divorce from another spouse so it's quite the process and then a 14 year old teen boy, Bauron went to church with us and liked it a lot. We had a training with our ward missionaries this week who are all teens or in their young 20s. After our training they started helping us a lot more! We had activities for them and us 4 Sisters in Conjunto Ceara did a skit that was pretty entertaining and funny! At church yesterday they all interacted more with our investigators and taught lessons with us. Jefferson, a 16 year old teen here,walked with our investigator to church and invited him to mutual and helped a lot! I am super impressed with the youth here! The majority of them are converts and are the only member in their family and they walk to church every Sunday alone and are super strong in the church. I look up to them a lot. They will be great missionaries one day! :) Yesterday, one of the young men opened his mission call in sacrament meeting in front of everyone (it is normal here and super sweet) I won't lie it was super cute, he was so choked up and crying, he could barely read... he was loosening his tie and collar just to take a breath.. he is a member of only 2 years... but it was a super spiritual moment and I am super excited for him! :) Missions are great!! They aren't easy but they're way worth it!! :)

So a little more about my companion! :) She is super sweet and we have a lot of fun together!! Since the World Cup is going on we get denied and rejected more than usual so we tend to get a good laugh during the day from the comments people make... One man was screaming at us from the window and was like y'all already passed my house... leave, leave, leave... I am watching the game haha! Then he slammed the window shut... it was quite the expereince!! We usually just laugh it off and continue on with a smile for the next door we will knock! She is almost 22. She teaches and speaks well already so I am learning from her :) Training is good, I feel much more prepared to train a new missionary this time around than the last. Last time the language was still super hard and I was a new missionary myself so didn't know what was going on.

This week for service we washed Irma Edna's dogs. She has 9 but we only washed 2. It was pretty fun! :) Irma Edna is awesome... I seriously love her!! She is a less active but is in the process of returning and has been to church much more frequently! Her son Erick was baptized about 6 months ago!! Their family is one of my favorite families I have met here in Brazil! :) I will be sending pics in a letter soon! :) Did you ever get my Mothers Day Card?? I hope so! I sent one for you, Granny and Grandma! :) Well I have like no time left but love yall lots!!! 6 months will pass super fast! Have a wonderful week! Yall are amazing!! Thanks for everything!! :)

Com muito amor,

Sister Mattei :) 

Thanks for the package I loved the photos and food and post its and all!! The pics were funny and brought back good memories! Thanks Mom love you! :) I made pancakes :)

Hello!!! :) So good news was that Brazil won on Tuesday! :) We stayed in the house since we couldn't watch the game but we knew the score because when the other team scored everyone was screaming BOO in the streets and then when they scored it was lots of cheering and screaming.... and lots of fireworks! Brazilians are super united when it come to soccer! They all join together to watch the big game and EVERYONE is in green and yellow with Brazilian flags on their cars. Everything here is decorated! I want to take pics but its dangerous to pull out your camera here in the roads... and they don't have disposable cameras :( Yall should try to send 2 in a small package if you think it would arrive in time cuz I want more pics of the outdoors and the roads and all but at the same time I don't want to be robbed and lose all my photos. Tomorrow is the big game since it will be held here in Fortaleza and Brazil is playing! Have yall been watching the games?? It will be pretty sweet if Brazil is in the finals... we will probably get locked in the house for like a week straight haha!

So the World Cup is fun! Yall see the pic Amanda put on FB in front of the flag? I'll try to buy souvenirs for everyone while I am here! :) and so about the missionary work... surprisingly it has been pretty good even with the World Cup going on! We have lost time to work because of the games and the strikes that are going on here but we are still having success with teaching lessons. In my area we are still looking for people with real interest. We had 3 people at church yesterday but they all have marriage problems and need to separate from their ex to marry with their spouse they have now and it's quite the process and a bit of a fun mess... They will be baptized... We are just not sure when. I hope while I am still here in my area but the more important part is that they are baptized :) 

Yesterday we taught a woman who would like to go to church with us but because of medical advice she has to stay in her house for about another month because she has cancer and is doing lots of treatments. We are continuing to visit her and hope soon she will be able to make it to church. She is a very sweet, humble lady! A very happy person for the circumstances that she has. I truly love the people here and I love meeting new people every week! :) I have made many friendships in the year I have been here and am excited to one day return and see them all again!! I'll have to work lots to pay for the trip but it will be worth it! :) Well I have no time left but I love and miss yall lots!! Yall are always in my prayers! I wish yall a wonderful week!! Take care and always smile!!! :) 

Com muito amor,

Sister Mattei :) 

Hello :) How are y'all?? So to fill you in on my companion I am training... She is from Santiago, Chile and she is 21. She came straight from the MTC in Sao Paulo. She is super sweet and things have been going great! She speaks Portuguese super well already! :) We opened this area but to clear things up I am still in Conjunto Ceara and in the same ward so I am still with Raquel.  Our ward has 4 missionaries and covers 2 areas. Now, I am serving in the other area in Conjunto Ceara. So I am still with the same members but can no longer visit Raquel and our recent converts since they are in the other area. I still see them at ward activities and at church on Sunday, plus Raquel likes to work with us so I can still see her :) So my companion from last transfer, Sister Zambrana, still lives with me in our house, but she stayed in my old area and now has a new companion who she is training as well. Her companion is from Argentina. Sister Zambrana and I are still Sister Training Leaders so we are still together sometimes for meetings with President and when we have splits with other Sisters. When we work or leave together for meetings and what not, our companions work together in our areas. This week after just one day in the field we had a meeting with President so our new greenie companions worked alone and just did their best! :) They are awesome!

So the situation we have is sort of strange since usually Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders and all are companions with one another... but President has been making lots of changes and there have been problems with some of the Sisters when training new missionaries so he is trying to make circumstances better so did this with us and a few other Sister Training Leaders. President Souza will leave at the end of the month so is trying to make changes and make things good for the new President. We will see how it all goes! :)

I am enjoying my new area... it has been a lot of work and we just talked and visited new people this week since this area didn't really have anyone progressing.I am meeting the less actives in my new area and the people who've been baptized in the past. I had met most of them already but now I am getting to know them better :) Everyone is super sweet and the members who are on this side where I am working now have been helping us a lot to get to know the area. Mariana the lady who was baptized last week in my old area was confirmed yesterday! :) She will be a super strong member of the church, she already wants to visit people with us!

Oh so super quick, the World Cup will start on the 12th and the police in Brazil are thinking about going on strike.... so I am not sure what we will do as missionaries. I am sure President will let us know if they really decide to go on strike and the members told us if they do they will put military in all the streets. This should be interesting. Brazil has been having lots of problems lately with transport and assaults and all... so we are just being super careful! Still nothing has ever happened with me which is amazing cuz many missionaries have had lots of problems with robbings and what not so I consider myself very blessed! The Lord is protecting me :) Well I have no time but love and miss yall lots! :) Have a great week and know I am praying for yall! :) Tell Garrett I miss him lots too! Aww he is so sweet!! :)

Sister Mattei :)

News!! We had transfers yesterday and as Raquel told you I will be staying in Conjunto Ceara but today the Assistants called and told us the other part of the news... So there are 2 areas here in Conjunto Ceara and the 2 other Sisters left their area which we thought was strange and now I will take over their area and Sister Zambrana will stay in the area we were working in. We are going to be training new sisters. We will pick up our daughters tomorrow! My 2nd baby lol! :)I was ´pregnant´ and I didnt even know it.... but now I know why I was sick this past week with upset stomach and fever hahaha! Seriously this past week I had stomach problems, a cough and hot/cold flashes during the night and during the day... but now I am feeling much better so its all good! It was nothing too serious, just a bug so we continued to work this week. The days passed by a bit slower but I am better and our investigators gave me all sorts of herbal things to try hahaha! They're awesome!! :)

So this transfer the World Cup will start and I will be staying here for at least 2 more transfers since I am training. I will have 4 transfers here! I don't know my new area very well so that will be an adventure and the Sisters that were here didn't leave us with anyone to teach so the beginning will probably be a bit difficult, but I am excited to see who my new daughter will be! During the World Cup it will be pretty hard to teach and some days we will be staying in the house since it's dangerous with all the games, tourists....Everyone says there are lots of robbings during the World Cup so we will have to be extremely careful. Everyone says people will probably not let us teach because they will be watching the game... it will be interesting but I am excited to be here during the World Cup even though we can't watch the games. Oh and we will have a new president in a month so that will be a change up. I am curious to see what things will change. 

So I have like no time but yesterday after church Mariana was baptized, she was one of the golden people I talked about last week! She is super funny! I have never met someone who accepted everything so fast like she did. She doesn't understand everything but she says that she feels and known in her heart that these things are true and wanted to be baptized right away! :) She smoked a pack of cigarettes a day when we met her and in 2 weeks she was down to smoking nothing. We gave her a date to try to reach for baptism and after that she was determined to quit. She is seriously so amazing!! I will miss all the people in my area that we were teaching and that were baptized... but at least I can still see them at church! :) Well I dont have any time left but I love and miss yall like crazy!! Oh and the kitchen looks awesome!! :) 

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

Hello, hello!! How are y'all doing?? :) I hope everyone is doing well and keeping busy as always!! The kids will be out of school soon!! It is summer already!! Here it is pretty much always summer lol... winter is when they have rainy season which is right now! We walk in the rain soaked at least 1 or 2 days a week haha it keeps things fun and adventurous! :) So this week was super good!

The last 2 weeks were a bit hard and stressful but this past week the Lord blessed us big time! :) Seriously Sister Zambrana and I were like what is going on this week... because everything was going so well. We are still waiting for someone to tell us everything was a big joke haha. So this week we had 5 investigators at church, Brenna was baptized, we found golden people... We had a lesson last week with a 17 year old girl and she didn't seem that interested and said that all churches are right... we bore testimony, asked her to pray and left the Restoration pamphlet for her to read. So we showed up 2 days ago to have another lesson and we started to ask her questions... It went like this literally.

Did you read the pamphlet? Yes, all of it. 

Did you pray? Yes

How did you feel? Super good.

Do you feel that this was an answer from God that this church is true? Yes

So how would this gospel and what we are here to teach change your life? It would change absolutely everything...

Sister Zambrana and I were like is she understanding everything we're saying.. because usually these questions don't go so smoothly and they usually have a doubt, question or didn't pray, read....

Then I asked... Do you believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored the church of Jesus Christ? Yes.

Having this answer from God will you be baptized in His church June 8th? Yes.

Then we bore testimony about baptism and the blessings she will receive and then she said the prayer and we left. We seriously left thinking was that a joke?... she was seriously golden! The Lord answer our prayers! :)

So that was just one person...

We have another woman who is about 53 who is preparing to be baptized this next Sunday, she just needs to quit smoking completely... she is almost there :) So she is reading the pamphlets and the Book of Mormon. She even did the Additional Study questions at the end of the pamphlet. So on Saturday she said ´I am studying a lot because I want to know how to answer people's questions about our church` I love that she already said our church. Yesterday was her first day at church with us but before she had even been to church or was baptized she referred to it as her church. She is seriously so awesome and funny!

Then another woman this week who was also at church yesterday  asked us on our first visit at her house how she can participate more... We were like alright let's start teaching haha :) People are amazing! We went to pick up another woman and she was all ready for church and everything but her little girl started throwing up after lunch :/ so wasn't able to go. So there you have it the Lord is always listening and hears our prayers :) because seriously the last few weeks we were working so hard but everything was going wrong and falling through and people were having marriage and work problems that conflicted with going to chucrh and being baptized... so this week was super refreshing!! The Lord is a miracle worker :)

So a little more about the baptism yesterday... So Brenna the young girl I talked about last week was baptized! Her mom said she would go but didn't and I felt super sad for Brenna. She is seriously amazing for being so young. She helps her grandparents so much with her younger brother since her mom is always working and not in the house. She calls her Mom by her first name it's super sad and calls her grandparents Mom and Dad. The other day she was on the phone with her real mom and she accidently said Hi, Mom and was like sorry I meant... and then continued to call her mom by her first name. The Lord will bless her for all she does! She loves church and said she never wants to miss a Sunday :) I will send pics in a card this week :) Our Zone Leader baptized her because she thinks he is cute and really nice haha. We planned the baptism for 2 o'clock and the other Sisters had a baptism too. All of us and our members showed up at 2 for the baptism but our Bishop didn't show up until 2:35, and he had the keys to the building and the baptismal font wasn't filled yet... it was a huge rush because church starts at 3:30... our Bishop isn't the most organized person. I like him, he is cool and all but he tells jokes the whole time he speaks in sacrament meeting and he shows up late to chucrh and to baptisms and what not... it is a bit ridiculous. So that was a bit stressful for us missionaries but it all worked out in the end :)  So some funny things this week... Wow I am writing a lot y'all should be super happy with me haha :) So we have a guy here who is always in the road and tries to talk with us. I think he is like 30 and he is bald with braces and has a crazy smile haha... so we see him everywhere and he always shouts stuff to us... so we try to avoid him cuz he is a bit creepy... he isn't harmful but just a bit of a weirdo lol! So we were walking on the road at like 8:30 at night and he was on our side of the road so I was like Sister we need to go to the other side or we will run into him... we switched sides and so did he... he then  asked why we switched sides haha... and then we talked briefly and I gave him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet so we could leave... he then asked if we will marry... well I thought that was what he asked... I replied one day. The problem was that I wasn't paying well enough attention and he asked me if I would marry him hahaha and I said one day... he then tried to kiss my hand but I pulled it away and we left laughing super hard. The next day we had a member with us, Allana and we saw him again... Allana is super funny! She is 20. We passed him and he was forming a heart with his hands as we passed... he said when will we be married and Allana said you can't marryu her until after a year and a half haha and he said alright I will wait! hahahaha oh my life, I am a dum dum but I have to admit we got a good laugh out of it! Just plan on coming here for Brazil in a year and a half for my wedding lol ;)

Oh and the other day we knocked on a door and a young man opened the door and I dropped my pen so I went to pick it up and he did at the same time, and we bonked heads super hard haha it was super awkward but funny!

Well I have no time left but I am loving my experiences here, the funny ones just as much as the spiritual ones!! :) Well have a wonderful week, love yall lots!! Take care! :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

Tudo bem!! :) So today we saw Elder Neil Andersen :) He came to speak with us! He is such a sweet man! He speaks Portuguese....he lived here for 4 years... I didn't know that. He speaks I think 4 languages.. pretty impressive!  We could tell he was trying to remember all the Portuguese words and how to conjugate them but he remembered well and we understood plus they had a translator there to help as well. Made me feel a little better... I was thinking it's not the words and understanding that is so important but more the spirit that is brought and the spirit was there so that's what counted :) His wife is so sweet... she told some wonderful stories :) She spoke what she could in Portuguese with us and it was super cute :) He spoke a lot about the Atonement and just about the love they have for the missionaries all around the world! It was a great experience to say the least! :) He shook each missionary's hand and we all took a mission photo with him. We had 2 missions there so there were about 400 missionaries!! I took lots of good notes :)

So that was the highlight of this week! :) This week was super good but yesterday- Sunday- was quite the day hahaha! So my companion Sister Zambrana and I gave talks. Our bishop told us May 25th and then announced our names yesterday the 18th in sacrament meeting.... so that was a huge surprise and we just had to wing it! Things here aren't organized like they are there. We have programs for sacrament meeting and here I think they don't exist haha. Things are done at the very last minute most of the time... but it always ends up fine in the end! :) It can just be a bit stressful in the moment, it's a good thing I was a procrastinator hahaha I learned to deal with stress well. Oh talking about stress when I get home I am going to get a massage lol... I think I have Moms back now lol... everyone tells me how hard my back is and that I am super tense haha.... I don't feel pain though :) Hmmm... what else happened yesterday? Oh so the last 2 days we went without water in our house... so we couldn't take a shower for 1 day and then the next day we went to a member's house.Most of Fortaleza went without water for 2 days straight and only some houses still had water to shower, cook and use the bathroom. It was an adventure :)

We also had to pay for 2 taxis to take us and our investigators to church because all the members with cars who we planned for fell through.... But we had investigators at church so that was good :) In few words, it was an adventurous and a bit of a difficult day for us but we just laughed everything off and continued on :) Oh and we think one of our investigators who was planning to go to church with us was drunk when we passed by yesterday...

But today is a new day!! :):) and Brenna, the young girl who was on Skype last week will be baptized this Sunday :) She has a difficult family life so we know the gospel will help her now and in the years to come :) She is so sweet and writes us a lil card every week! :) She is super smart and understands everything for being as young as she is. Well I don't have much time and I need to get going but I am super excited for my packages to arrive!! :) Thanks for sending them!! They got here super fast if they really already passed through Customs! YAY!! :) Thanks for all y'all do and your examples!! Love and miss y'all lots!! :) You're always in my prayers! Tell everyone hello for me! :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

HELLO!! :) So for starters I was super happy to see y'all yesterday!! Y'all seem to be doing well and look good! Tell Todd hello for me and that I love and miss him! Oh and Angel is still living so I was happy to see her!! I hope she makes it until I return! :) Hope Mom had a wonderful Mothers Day and Granny and Grandma too! :) Yesterday was the highlight of my week, going to church and talking with y'all because seriously 2 of the baptisms we had planned for this next Sunday fell through :( One of the ladies is having marriage problems with her husband who is less active but returning and they had a fight and were screaming at each other in front of us in the middle of a lesson... Goodbye spirit... She said she wants to see a change in him first before she is baptized because he doesn't always act exactly how a ´Mormon` should. After that, things exploded! It was super sad to see people fight like they did... he has done some things in the past to lose her trust so things are still rocky and just a big mess... I felt like a marriage counselor... we made and wrote goals on how they can strengthen their relationship... I had to tell him to stop screaming at his wife... and that they needed to see one another's side and perspective... it was terrible, she ended up crying and he threw the cell phone on the ground super hard trying to break it... and then at the very end it was a bit better and we bore our testimony to try to invite the spirit and I said a prayer... all I can say is that I DO NOT want a marriage like that... but that I truly know repentance is real and people can change with the gospel... but first they have to have  a desire and be willing to change and put what they know is right into practice. Despite all that happened I still have hope for their marriage! :)

And then our other investigator can't go to church every Sunday because of work so feels she shouldn't be baptized if she can't go absolutely every Sunday and keep the Sabbath day.. we explained to her that we understand her situation and it would be better to be able to go every week and have  a new job at some point but that shouldn't stop her from being baptized... I think it's more than that though... I think someone might have said something... because seriously they were both excited about baptism... Satan is terrible... he always works with people right when they're so close to doing what's right...

So after all that I don't have a ton of time left, but this week we will be teaching lots and lots of people to try and find people who are ready to hear about the gospel. We hope Brenna will be baptized soon if her mom signs because she is only 9 but wants to go to church every week and is always ready when we pass, with a cute dress and The book of Mormon in hand. She has a rough situation at home so I think the gospel would really help her. She has been to church for 5 weeks straight... y'all met her yesterday on Skype... oh and Raquel loved seeing y'all... she said she even teared up a little because she was so excited! She is so sweet! :) Well I will keep on having a crazy adventure here in Brazil!! I learn something new every week and always meet either the funniest, strangest or best people ever haha! A mission is a crazy ride full of miracles and those stinky bumps in the road... haha! well love y'all lots!! Have a great week! :) SMILE :)

Sister Mattei :)