Oi familia!! :) Glad to hear things are well with the family!! It will be sad not having Thanksgiving this year but it is all good!! :) Honestly, it slipped my mind until y'all said something about it!! I hope it will be a great day and I will be missing all the yummy food!! I already do miss food!! I miss my Taco Bell runs every week, more like every day lol... People don't even know what Taco Bell is here hahha que isso?? But to answer some of your questions Dad. We are still in the same area, so I am in the same house and everything... the weather is hot and it is only getting hotter but at night the weather is perfect... we spend our days working and proselyting from 1pm until 9 pm at night! Our area is safe but there are lots and lots of tourists during this time of the year so we have to be more careful! I have even found some people who speak English lol... but yes I feel very comfortable walking around... occasionally they have scorpions- young guys... and they whistle and make weird sounds when we walk by... or they try to speak in English which is pretty funny... but our area is very tranquilo and safe.... we walk everywhere but take a bus for district meeting and for other meetings we sometimes have because we are 1 and a half hours from Fortaleza... to answer Thomas's question we don't have air conditioning in our house but we have fans :) It is very humid but the wind makes it possible to walk around and not die!! :)  I am going to miss the snow and the feeling of Christmas in the states... it will be much different but awesome :) And so the people here are usually Catholic or Evangelical... the Evangelical people are usually a bit more open minded to hear us but everyone is very sweet... sometimes in lessons though I think the investigators talk more than we do hahahaha... people definitely like to talk and tell stories here... and sometimes the stories are strange haha! The other day we knocked on a door and a 18 year old boy came to the door only in like tight little panties and my companion started laughing and I was trying to present ourselves and say we were missionaries but I couldn't talk because Sister Daniele was laughing so much I started busting up laughing and tried speaking 3 times... I took a few deep breaths and apologized and then finally set a day to return and visit his family but his dog ran out the house and he was just running around in the street chasing his dog in these tight little undies hahaha... oh I love the people here... so funny and so open about things sometimes lol... Oh and so I will be in this area for 6 months or more.. Since I am training, I will train my companion for 3 more months here in Paracuru and I hope by then my accent will be better, it already is, but still needs some work lol. So i don't have a ton of time but I hope I have answered most of your questions! :) We have some great people in success here and I am hoping a family will be baptized in 2 weeks! Then this boy Matheus, is awesome!! Seriously he is already reading the Book of Mormon a ton and has a testimony! I can already see him as a missionary and I told him that! He is 17 though and his parents aren't very fond of the church so we will talk to them this week about baptism.. I am praying and fasting things will go well!! :) Well no more time but I will have more to say next week and photos hopefully! Plus I am sending a letter today with photos :)( Have a great week!! :) Love you!! :)

 

Sister Mattei :)

Tudo bem!! :) So it still sounds like everyone is keeping busy with school, the holidays, traveling and what not!! :)  So about this week!! So when I found out I would train I literally felt sick the first couple of days because I was so nervous and could not eat! I lost 4 pounds in a week! And to answer your question Dad, I haven't really gained or lost weight, besides that circumstance. I think I am about the same size and I hope to return the same size lol... if I keep eating all the cakes they have here and all the food they serve at lunch, y'all might not recognize me when I return haha. So the big news :) My new companion is Sister Daniele! :) She is from Argentina, and is very sweet! Sister Twitchell's companion is Sister Galarza and she is from Argentina as well! :) We have Spanish, Engish and Portuguese in our house haha! Training has actually been a lot better than I thought! We are having tons of great lessons, and meeting lots of new people and I have more confidence in my teaching now. I still have a lot more to learn but I can teach lessons fine and I understand the majority of what the people say so I can actually respond and ask questions to their needs. The gift of tongues really is real and even the old people we have taught are understanding me now. They have to pay closer attention because of my accent but it is a miracle because no one is asking me to repeat myself during lessons... plus I can see the difference in my speech in lessons and then when were just walking and talking casually... I am much more fluent while teaching, oh how I love the spirit :) 

So on Sunday I gave a talk at church, it was alright, it is a bit crowded and we have no microphone so I think it was difficult for people to hear but we have investigators there so that was awesome!! :) It is so difficult to get people to come to church, and our mission is very big on numbers, I know numbers are important but it is the quality that counts and if we are working hard and trying our best. And I know we are working hard and being obedient! My companion can speak Portuguese well, Spanish is very similar, sometimes it is hard for me to understand her accent but we talk quite a bit and she comes from a group of 25 members in Argentina so she is used to the small amount of people! So this week we are teaching the brothers of a member, Rogelson, that we found a couple weeks back. Rogelson is 16 and he has 2 younger brothers that aren't baptized. He was baptized in Fortaleza. We also found a great family that is married and everything. In lessons, it is the best feeling ever when you can truly see a persons eyes change when you say something and it is like something marvelous just clicked in their head and their eyes just glow!! That happened with a woman this week we were teaching! So food Dad, I like to eat some of the cakes here and I like rice and beans, we eat it like every day!! :) I don't have much time left, but things are good and my first week training has been good! :) It is a bit stressful at times because I have a lot of responsibility in a country I am still trying to get to know, but tudo bem! The Lord is blessing me and helping me a ton so I a super grateful!! :) I have lots to learn... but that is why I am here!! Remember to always have faith and patience during the hard times!! :) LOVE Y'ALL LOTS :)

Sister Mattei :)

Oi familia! :) So I am glad to hear things are pretty normal with the family!! :) Everyone seems to be keeping busy! Time flies! So the pics on FB from Geymeson were from a party we threw for Sister Sowa's birthday!! But I love their family!! So the news!! I am officially done with training!! So crazy and so fast!! I will be staying in the area we opened in Paracuru with Sister Twitchell. Sister Sowa and Sister Alcantara left our area. Sister Twitchell and I will be training!! So crazy because we just got trained!! I have faith but I will not lie I am a bit scared and nervous because I still can't understand everything and some people still can't understand me, usually the older people... it is interesting because some people I can understand each word and they can understand me clearly but others it is a totally different story! We will get our new companions tomorrow so I don't know if she is Brazilian or American or what... So it will be a surprise!! This feels like a ton of responsibility for me because I already feel so lost sometimes... it's a new world here.. but with prayer and patience and hope things will work out!! Optimism is the key!! :) So yesterday was so great but really sad because everyone was crying because our other sisters were leaving and that it wouldn't be the same without all 4 of us but I know they will love the next companions we have as well!! Plus the spirit was so strong and Sister Sowa sang a hymn in Portuguese and it was so perfect and it brought almost everyone to tears! She truly has a musical gift and it was very touching!! PLUS :) We had almost 50 people at church and we had no chairs left in our tiny building!! We need a new house and more chairs lol but this is a good problem :) 

So food is normal to me now,sometimes we have some things that are a bit different but it isn't too strange! I eat a lot of pasta still and cereal! Oh and Mom thanks for the mac and Cheese they don't have that here!! I loved the family album and I look at it often!! I am also glad Granny got my card!! I am writing one for Grandma and Grandpa so I hope they will actually get this one!! So things with the members are good and the food is fine and the language is still coming, much much better than it was! When the boy from here said my Portuguese was different it is because I have a really strong accent. Sister Alcantara and some people understand everything but I think it is because I have a bit of a southern drawl in my voice!! So I will be sending a letter to yall this week as well and I will fill you in with everything!! Sorry I don't write a ton on here but we really dont' have a lot of time and then I try to write a bunch of emails for people and my President too so it just all adds up!! We have found more members who were baptized in other areas and then moved here so this is always such a blessing!! This little old lady here is so cute she is a member we found and she was baptized a year ago in Fortaleza but didn't know we started the church in Paracuru so she was so excited and she is just so darling and tender!! I love her!! Her grandson and her son are members as well! And we are teaching her daughter! Well I need to get going but thanks for the long email I love hearing how everything is going at home!! I love yall so much and am so grateful for this experience here!! It is hard but it is such a blessing!! :) Love you guys!! :) have a wonderful week and keep smiling even when life is stressful!! :) Oh and tell Ben and Becca congrats!! :)I had tears in my eyes when I read that!! That is so exciting!! :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

Oi!! :) So this will be super short! So this week we set a date for marriage for a couple here in Paracuru :) Their daughter Stephanie will be baptized this Sunday :) So yesterday was perfect at church... all seats were filled with members and with investigators of the 4 of us!! The testimonies were so powerful and strong and the spirit was really felt. it was the best Sunday here yet! :) Lots of people and just filled with the Spirit!! Plus we had a flour fight in our apartment after a long day!! We also found other members here who were baptized in Fortaleza :) Well no time, but love you lots!! :) Have a great week :) Miss y'all! :)

A little more... you can add this in lol... So the member we found was this 16 year old boy and in our lesson with him he was so awesome and we were teaching his Mom. He and his Dad are members but not his Mom. He was baptized 3 months ago. So when he prayed the spirit was so strong and he was so sincere about having his Mom know the truth of the gospel. It was adorable :) While he was praying I had tears in my eyes and was thinking about what a great missionary he will be one day :) For a 16 yr old it was so touching... I don't think I prayed that way at that age!! Well really have to go now :) Love yall :)

Oi familia!! :) 

Glad to hear  things with Mom are better and you are all home now! Last P day was a bit rough for me after hearing about that but with faith, hope and prayer the Lord truly blesses us!! :) But tell all my lazy brothers haha to help Mom out more haha :p I can't talk because I didn't do as much as I should have either before I left... I am glad Heavenly Father has a great heart and is willing to forgive us of our stupid mistakes :) Being on a mission I have realized so many things I want to be better at and work on so I pray I will take these things I am learning now back home and some day into my future family! :) 

So yesterday we had 6 of our investigators come to church which we were super excited about because sometimes it is hard to even have one show up. After there are a sufficient amount of members here they will build a chapel but the people here are so great because they come to church and attend church in a tiny house with no air conditioning. The people that are being baptized here have so much faith and will be taking on callings and much responsibility with so little time as a member. We are hoping Josue will be baptized next week, he is so awesome and during church he read like 30 pages of the gospel principals book so we gave it to him to take home. He has such faith and is such a great Dad with his little girl. He is very interested in the church but his wife has a lot of doubts but is still wanting to learn :) Also, we have another family but they are not married so we are hoping to set a date for them to be married this week :) They have the cutest little boy! :) Lessons are great and teaching is getting easier and easier.. I can have very casual conversations now with my trainer and this week since it is my last 2 weeks of training I will be senior companion and will lead all of our lessons... so good luck for me haha :) In my companionship with Sister Sowa before we switched leading lessons so it probably won't be much different.

So you asked about P days and what we do... Well sometimes we shop for a new skirt, we buy groceries, we watch Disney movies (we can in our mission) last week we watched Lion King- I thought about Mark lol! We write cards and eat food and just relax :) But today with some of the young women that were recently baptized we are going to have a shaving cream and water war :) I am pretty excited :) And I will be sure to take photos! :) I never have time to send photos... so I will next week but my email will be shorter... Oh and on Wednesdays we always take a bus for an hour and half to go to our district meetings... we leave our house at 6 or 6¨30 am... So I am always a little more tired on Wednesdays but it is fun to practice teaching with our district and socialize a bit. I think I may have talked about that last week... I can't remember! Well got to go, but love you lots!! :) I am always praying for you all!! :) Remember to have faith and hope in all things!! :) Smile :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

I don't have a lot of time since it is not P day but I got permission to check my email. Thanks for the pics of the cruise- MOM. And I am super glad everything is okay with her heart and that all is well now because I was pretty worried about her needing surgery or something crazy...Hopefully this won't cause any more problems and it was just a one time thing! But like you said prayer is real and the power of the priesthood is such an amazing gift we have in this gospel! Oh and I already received my package!! thanks MOM :) had some funny pics in my photo album lol... I was surprised to receive it so fast! Sis Sowa still hasn't received hers and her mom has sent 3 all before mine... seriously putting Mary on the packages really works because her mom didn't and I think that might be the problem is that people stole them... but thanks for all the goodies and love!! :) As always I will continue to pray for all of you!! Take care and Mom no more heart attacks! :p Have a great week!! :) Love and miss you lots!! :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)

So I don't know how to really start this email. I am crying at the computer because I was expecting to only hear good news about the cruise and not that Mom had had an heart attack. I am glad that you all had fun on the cruise and that it was relaxing! You all deserved a relaxing trip away from everyone! That is great you got to spend time with the Hoyts and Robinsons also. I am glad that Mom was able to make a joke about it all and say she had so much fun on the cruise that she had a heart attack lol... Way to be optimistic Mom :) and good thing it was after the cruise! She has permission to be a slacker with my blog lol...I will definitely keep you all in my prayers, especially Mom and ask for permission to check my email for information. If something really serious happens or I need to know you can contact my Mission President. I don't know what all to say but I am definitely in a bit of shock and hope it is a minor problem... and not something that will cause more problems. I will work super super hard because I know the more I work and am obedient the more blessed I will be here but also the more blessed you will all be as well. 

So this week, Wendleson was baptized. He is 14 and the brother of Geymeson. He was also baptized in the sea and next week as well we will have another baptism for Eduarda, a 14 year old girl, she is so sweet but very shy. We had a family in our other area here in Paracuru baptized 3 weeks ago and Eduarda is friends with them. We have the Paracuru area split into 2 divisions but this family is so great and I love them and they are already feeding us lunch as members :) Then yesterday Diasis was confirmed. He is the best, he is 40ish and he has such a desire to do good in the world and to become the best he can be! He is so sweet and gave me a book of poems of people in Paracuru that he wanted me to have. The people are just so great! We found new families this week but our problem is getting people to come to church. This week was a bit disappointing because only 1 of our investigators came to church. It is heartbreaking when you work so hard and the people say they will come and then Sunday rolls around, and no one shows :( but I know as we keep working hard and having faith we will continue to have progress and baptisms here :) I have learned so much here already and I only have 3 months in so I am excited for my knowledge , understanding and testimony to grow as I continue on in this journey! :) The language is getting better and working with Sister Alcantara my Brazilian trainer has really helped me to understand the language and to speak better. It is really funny though because like every lesson we teach, people ask her if she is learning Portuguese because she has a bit of a Gringo accent haha... she says before she taught with me no one said this haha so she is picking up my American accent a little lol... My accent is a little stronger I think because in MO we say some words different already and I probably have a little bit of a southern accent to my voice.... It is funny though because she is like I am from Brazil and people think I am learning Portuguese hahahha... Oh and also this week we came home one night ad Sister Sowa and I had dead baby birds sitting on our beds... We took pictures and I know you all are dying to see so I will try to send those soon. But it was so sad and pretty gross! It is because we have birds in our apartment sometimes... they get in through a little hole and they had a nest in our rafters and I guess the babies fell on our beds... poor birdies! It was funny though because Sister Sowa was freaking out about her having a dead bird on her bed and I was laughing and then I entered my room and I had one too haha.. karma lol! Hopefully we won't have more haha! Well I need to get going!! I will be praying for you lots and if you really need to get in touch with me talk to my mission President but I pray nothing will get that serious!! I love you all so much and I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord and to have the gospel in my life!! We truly have much happiness because of this and are so lucky!! :) I am praying for you all!! :) Love you lots!! :) Tell mom I hope she feels better but to keep being optimistic :) and have faith :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)