Happy As Can Be

This week's letter is a compilation of responses to what we wrote her ... What we wrote her is in blue.  

Have FUN serving and work well!  The Holy Ghost can help you feel peaceful and comforted, not only when it's good, but when it's tough, too.  Be grateful and Be as Happy as You Can Be!  (Kimara's license plate:  HPYSCNB).  

That is the coolest license plate ever!  that is one thing I have been thinking about lately.   there are so many people we stop and talk to that say that they are not happy.  and i just want to give them some of my happiness! obviously the gospel is the source of true happiness, but even people within the church need to remember that happiness is a choice. being happy isn't going to necessarily change your situation, but neither will be being sad. but it will make the circumstance more bearable. even if you are in the worst situation in the world, there is always something to be grateful to Heavenly Father about.   there is an amazing quote that says:

 "Don't be gloomy. do not dwell on the unkind things. stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. even if you are not happy put a smile on your face. accentuate the positive. look a little deeper for the good. go forward in life with a twinkly in your eye and a smile on your face with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life!"  

President Gordon B Hinckley.    good quote huh.  

I found parts of these quotes in two different talks, so I think it's a combination of two talks ... definitely good ones!  

   (How Can I Become the Woman of My Dreams? and The Spirit of Optimism )  

whats new.... hmmmm... oh well last p-day at like 8:30pm sister benetti said she wanted to do something fun and wanted to do something she could video tape.... she obviously didn't know what she was getting in too, because i then got our mattresses and made ramps down our stairs to surf down. it was so fun, but she jammed her toe on the wall. it turned black and swelled up and was pretty bad. luckily she is an amazing sport and said who cares it was fun so it was worth it haha we then proceeded to run to a bridge near our flat to watch the sunset for the last five minutes before we had to be back home.  it was super windy, and i had the urge to spit off the bridge. idk why.  i hate spitting, but i did and it blew back and hit me in the face. i was reminded why i hate spitting. haha

the funniest thing of the week was when sister benetti got pooped on by a bird.  actually hilarious. she didn't think so but i was rolling on the floor laughing

we have planned an international party. it is going to be fun.  different nationalities from the ward are going to have a booth and have food from their country and then each will have about 20 mins to do a program or teach everyone something from their country.  any suggestions on what we should do for America?? it is going to be really fun and hopefully have lots of members' friends there!

The ward here is so amazing, but very old and tiny. it is sad because in about 20 years it may go extinct without new families! so that is our goal is to find families.... we have a few, kind of out there ideas on how to find new families.... we are trying them out this week, but i won't tell you until next week what they are and how they work. any fun or interesting ideas you can think of to find families?

I love you guys!! Mom you can just pick and choose what you want on the blog i don't care. you guys are the best! literally was SO HAPPY this week reading the emails. you guys are funny. now i know where i get it from.  we are a funny family! weird funny, but stilll funny. 

love you!
rachel

ps I bought a american flag shirt... it is hideous, but you best believe i will be reppin it all day in the flat on the fourth of July, and possibly under my shirt when we go out :) haha

 look up the talk courageous parenting by larry r lawrence i heard it was really good. 

 Courageous Parenting  

Here it is.  She was right.  It was really good.  

Another week come and gone

Another week come and gone.  before I know it, it will be Christmas! and we will get to skype.  lucky you guys. :)  this week has been interesting.... quite long and quite tiring, i think it may be from not really having a day off last week, and from having such an amazing last week with Olivia's baptism that now normal missionary life seems so rejecting. haha      

but that is okay.  After one extra trying day this week and loads and loads of rejections, i got to thinking about how awful it is to be rejected when we are just trying to help them. but then I got thinking about our Savior and how it must have felt for him to be rejected by people.  Everything He did was for others; He suffered for us, and gave his life for us, even the people that rejected him and persecuted him.  He is such an amazing example of loving people and serving them even when they slam the door in your face.  So that is something I am trying to work on.  When someone is rude, not getting frustrated, but just being sad for them that they don't get the amazing blessings from the gospel and happy that I have the truth, and this amazing opportunity to teach people this thing which is so precious to me. the scripture Alma 26:27 came to mind haha.

the Portuguese ... is coming. we don't really do language study because we don't have time, so i can't speak it at all, but i understand a lot of it now.  the thing is i probably only have three weeks left here so by the time i am going to start being able to speak Portuguese probably one of us will be moved and i will lose it all.....  but I am going to keep trying.  I am currently working on my testimony in Portuguese.  I will try and be able to write it out next week and I will send it to you.  

Sunday was interesting because we left our flat and got to church (which is not very close, we have to walk then catch a bus then walk some more...) and I realised that I didn't have my tag.... oops. I usually leave it on my jacket but I had taken it off.... So it was about 9:05 church starts at 9:30 and we had to run, literally run home and grab it.  Well we hopped on a bus, usually every bus goes by our house, but of course the one bus we grab, doesn't.... so we almost started to head out of the town towards Norwich, which is a city about an hr away.... luckily we got off right before the motor way, but then had to wait for another bus to grab back to town and to our flat then run and grab my tag and then run back and wait for another bus and then run back to the church..... needless to say we were late..... we got there at about 10. luckily they have sacrament meeting last so we just missed a bit of relief society.  you would think being almost three months in i wouldn't forget my tag.... haha 

but besides that life is great! i love my companion. the ward is feeding us all to well..... luckily my skirts started a little bit too big haha 

I love you guys and miss you so much! hope you have a fantastic week! 

love 

rachel 

So many miracles I don't even know where to start!

Sister Benetti and I had a baptism this past Sunday!! crazy huh because I haven't ever mentioned a person close to being baptized, that is because we just met her a week ago.  So many miracles I don't even know where to start, but it is the longest story ever so I will just do a reader's digest version (don't worry mom long story in the letter i sent).  

So we met Olivia last Saturday, the first of June.  She is the cutest little lady from Brazil, and was the most spiritual prepared person I have ever met. Everything we taught she understood and knew was true.  Came to church and loved it and we taught her some more and invited her to be baptized June 22. She was so excited. but then problems with her mom and she had to leave to Brazil June 13..... awful huh. And we have this rule here that you have to go to church 3 times before you are baptized, but we called President Jordan on Friday the 7th and explained everything and he said that she could get baptized this Sunday before church and be confirmed during church.  It was incredible. we did a power lesson and taught her everything Saturday, got everything ready and it was amazing.  She is so great, I feel so close and connected to her and so much love for her and we have only known her a week.  She will be in Brazil for a while but is coming back, but we started teaching her mom and she said when she goes to Brazil she will be baptized!! crazy how when someone is prepared the Lord makes his work possible.  I learned so much from her.   

I love this area.  Honestly it is amazing. I am by the sea, and it is beautiful, rolling hills and fields and ya. I love it.  My companion is Sister Benetti, I don't know if I told you that.  She is from Brazil, and I absolutely love her.  We work so well together.  It is funny because she has a short Brazilian temper and doesn't like to be bossed around so I just listen and laugh when she vents about our leaders ha

Sorry I didnt email yesteryday but we had the coolest experience of going to London and listening to Elder M. Russell Ballard speak to us.  The whole mission and London South, at Hyde park chapel. It was amazing.  We found out Sunday night and had to leave at 6:45 in the morning on Monday and got back at 10 at night, but it was worth it. he was so amazing!

I love you so much I am going to do pics right now so I may not have any time to write more, but you wanted pics so here you go :)

love you!!!

rachel

I am so Thankful for the pictures and sweet letter!  Thank you Rachel!  There are a few more -- Click on Photos from the home page.  

Lots and Lots and Lots to say .. and no time to say it!

For those of you wondering why there wasn't a post this week, her email is below written in big font so it looks longer ...  And a picture from me -- She wore this same Elvis shirt for PJs a few days before she left.  If her time to write us on the computer lasted as long as this shirt, I'd be a happy Mom!  (OK, I already am a happy mom... I'd be a well-informed Mom).  If any of you Portuguese speakers have that 3x5 reference card you made in the MTC, let me know.  It could help her learn Portuguese.  My Italian one was well used at first.  

When Ashlee was moving!  Age 6?  

  
"oh my goodness don't hate me.... i just finished reading all your emails, and the library is closing early so i don't have time to respond.... i am so sorry!! and i have lots and lots and lots to say! I will write it in a letter then ya?? sorry again.  dumb library. next week will be better i promise."

Gotta love her!