I hope you are all doing wonderful! Mom, the recipes are perfect! Thank you so much. :) I will make some muffins for breakfast with those little adorable Brazilian bananas. :)
Happy Independence of Brazil, everyone!!!! :) Hurrah for Brazil, that I love! Saturday was Brazil's birthday, and oh, these people can paaaarty! Phew! Dancing and music and food and drinking and rodeo-ing and all kind o' crazy stuff. It put a bit of a damper on missionary work, however. Bummer. For 4 nights in a row this week we were told we had to go home because it was not safe for missionaries. The roads were full of horses and drunks and drunks riding horses. Not really the most ideal situation for proclaiming the good word, eh? :) But despite that, this week has been a week of learning for me! It is crazy how much you can squish into your brain in one week.
So you know how I never really know what is going on, I just kinda go with the flow? Well, here is a doosey: For a while, the sisters and I had been practicing this "skit" thing. I hadn't the foggiest why, but I just did my part and went with it. One day, we went to the church and the sister's had me put on a full-blown snow white costume. Um... Okay. :) A member came and got us and took us to a school that she works at. I found out that us and some members were acting out the story of Brazil's Independence for the entire school. WHAT?? At first, I was really hesitant and super uncomfortable with the situation. I kept thinking, "How is this bringing others to Christ?" "Pretty sure the Mission President would not approve..." "This is not missionary work." I didn't know what to do and I was not a happy camper. Right before we went out in front of everyone, I quick grabbed Sister Benedict and asked her what we were doing and why. She looked at me and said, "Sister Mann, these kids have close to nothing. Some don't even have enough food to eat. We are showing them the light of Christ and bringing them some fun that is good and clean. President already approved this and thinks this is a good idea to help our community and share a little love." With that, we went out there and acted out the story of Brazil Indepedence! It was hoot and the kids loved it. Afterward, they swarmed us and hugged us and I'm not even sure how we got out of there, but we did. Ha ha! I have a funny life... :) Missionary work is not always teaching the Plan of Salvation and inviting people to church, it's just loving people the best you can and giving your whole heart to it. :)
This week, I hit 1 month in Brazil. When I realized this, my heart just broke. Where did the last month go? Ai ai! All day I was feeling kind of down, because I was thinking about how I wasn't progressing as much as I want to. When I got home that night, the sisters surprised me with little chocolates and a water balloon fight on our deck, ha ha! I love them! Later that night, I was reading my journal and thinking about it and then I realized, wait! I have progressed so much! I don't think I have ever learned this much in one month in my life. It is incredible how much you learn in your mission! I am so blessed and so lucky to be here! This month has been hands-down the hardest month ever for me, but I would not trade it for anything. I could barely say the alphabet and I couldn't even say the name of the church right when I first got here, and now I can understand people and talk in full sentences! I have come so close to my Heavenly Father and have learned to trust Him. I have learned to pray and listen the Holy Ghost to an all new degree. I am so grateful to be here! :)
Anyway, this is going to be a short e-mail today. I have so much stuff I want to tell you and stories, but I suppose I will have to tell you those another day. :) I sure love you! I am doing well and I hope you are too!
All my love and baby banana muffin,
Sister Mann
(Editor Bonus! Here is a youtube video of the play she was in. Sister Mann comes in around minute 10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=325MtSMKvBM )
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