Dec 23rd: Tudo bem, tudo bem!

 

Oi, minha familia e meus amigos!

Esta semana foi otra semana de milagres. Cada semana no servico(tail on the c) do Senhor e(accent) cheio das bencaos(tail on the c) dos ceus(accent on e?) (Serious lack of accents in that sentence!) Anyhow, Every week in the service of our Lord truly is a week filled with the blessings of Heaven!!

On Thursday we had a Mission Christmas Conference. It was incredible to be gathered with 200+ young missionaries! Music is so powerful. It was a privilege to hear several Christmas musical numbers and talents shared. Music often touches me in a way that words cannot!  Good music testifies of Jesus Christ and the miracles and blessings all around us which he provides. Christmas conference was wonderful!!

This weekend, on one night Sister S and I were driving from one appointment with Ja and his family, to our next appointment with the H family.  S and E  were coming with us as members- isn't that incredible! From learning, to being baptized, to sharing the gospel!! Ja is also sharing the gospel and talking with all his friends! These three are on fire! They have seen the direct blessings connected to having the gospel in their lives, being baptized, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.  As we were driving, we were just laughing and smiling and talking about how much we LOVE these people!! We are so grateful that they are part of our lives. And it hit us strongly that we will never forget them. And they have told us that they will never forget us!  As I thought about that, a few lines from a scripture came to mind ..."I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." I realized that we love these people so much, we sacrifice our time to be here, we pray for them and think of them specifically every day, and so we love these people very deeply. How could we forget these people?? ...but actually, we COULD! We are imperfect, forgetful, and weak. We could easily stop living the gospel, let our lives change, become numb to the whisperings and promptings of the Spirit, and possibly forget some of the miracles we experienced on our missions and forget the love that filled our hearts for those we served. But as long as we are living the gospel, I do not believe that we could ever completely forget how we love these people we are serving. But Christ is different. He, on the other hand, will never forget us. That is a guarantee! He has not just given a small portion, 18 months or 2 years, of his life for our benefit. He gave everything! It hit me strongly that Christ lived every moment of his life for us. He prayed for us, thought of us constantly, and he still does! Even as he gave his life, and suffered for our wrong doings, he thought of us and loved us, and prayed for those who He suffered for. While as missionaries our sacrifice is pleasing to the Lord, it is far from perfect. Christ's sacrifice was and is perfect. He will not and cannot forget you!

I looked up the scripture verse later when I was at our apartment.

Isaiah 49:15-16

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Verse 14 stood out to me! "14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me."   As imperfect children of God, with limited perspective here on the earth, it could be easy to think "Where is Christ? Has he forgotten about me? Does he know I am here? Why am I going through these trials?" But Christ, forever patient and merciful, replies with these verses. "Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."

I have felt Christ's healing power and his love for me over and over again in my own life. Now I have the opportunity to feel a small portion of his love for those who I have the privilege of serving here in Texas, and his love is incredible! It is much greater and more all-encompassing that we could ever imagine!! I know that he lives! I know that his love is perfect and that he will never forget us. Just as we as missionaries think of and pray for each person individually and by name, he knows, thinks of, and loves us that way, one by one.

1 Nephi 11:31-33

31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

These verses stood out to me this morning. In one verse, Christ is healing (spiritually, emotionally, and physically) the people one by one. In the next verses, he is taken up on the cross and "slain for the sins of the world".

I know that Christ gave us a perfect gift. While he gave these gifts all throughout his life (like in the example of 1 Nephi 11:31) he did not receive perfect gifts in return. In contrast, he was slain and then suffered for our sins. But I know that while our gifts and offerings are imperfect, when we give them with a broken and willing heart, they are pleasing to Him. He is happy when we give of ourselves in the service to others, when we nourish ourselves and others spiritually, and when we testify of him, share his love -his gospel-, and point others to him.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Christmas! All is well in Pflugerville, Texas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

-Sister Greenall

 

Sister Greenall and Sister S on Christmas Eve

 

Sisters at the K Family Home on Christmas Eve

 

Dec 9th: Oi Familia! Tudo Bem??

Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Pictures say more than I can!

Interesting fact:

I got punched in the eye by a vacuum cleaner! I have a black eye!! Oh dear! My crusty winter nose and black eye must make me quite the missionary sight. It was 6:30 am and I was going to the closet to get my exercise tennis shoes... the lights were still off and I bent down to pick them up, and my eye/face went right into the handle of the vacuum cleaner which I didn't see...That's embarrassing!

Funny missionary moment:

We visited a nice gal who has a little baby. She told us he had just gotten baptized in her church. We asked if we could share a scripture and she asked if we have any about babies! So Sister Salisbury whips out the Book of Mormon and begins reading! ...it basically said "baptizing babies is an abomination before the Lord" and that parents who baptize their babies are an abomination. Whoops! Haha! Nah, not a whoops, but a very bold statement! It was rather funny! It was just the first chapter Sister Salisbury had thought of about babies, and as we were reading it we realized what it was talking about and just kept going. Hahahaha! fun times! She didn't take it badly at all! It was a nice meeting. She kind of just baptized her baby out of superstition and to please her family and friends.

This week was incredible! Saturday and Sunday were so perfect.

The baptism of Ja, E, and S was beautiful! This weekend I received a tiny glimpse of the true missionary purpose -- To bring others to Christ. Not just in this life, and through baptism, but throughout all eternity. I want to see these people someday in the Celestial Kingdom with our Savior! I love them! He wants them there and our Father in Heaven wants them back!! It was the most peaceful and incredible thing to be there as each of these precious children of God entered the waters of baptism and made sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven.

The next day at the confirmation during Sacrament meeting was even better. There was a visible difference and light about them as they each returned to their seat after being confirmed in front of the congregation. They were each smiling and radiant. Ja especially has been looking forward to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. As he always says "the Holy Ghost is the key." After Sacrament meeting (the confirmation) and the baptism, they were just flooded by love and members, hugging them, congratulating them, etc.  E and S had already really bonded with many in the ward, but it was incredible to see the way Ja felt so comfortable after being baptized and confirmed. He was talking to everyone, shaking their hands, hugging them! He was so happy!!! And especially after that Sacrament meeting, I could see the light of Christ shining through him. He was surrounded by little kids who were congratulating him, and they were looking up at him and smiling, and he was looking down at them and shaking their hands and brushing their little cheeks with his fingers, and he had the greatest smile I've ever seen him smile!! That was one of the most beautiful moments for me. It was a little tiny glimpse of the Celestial Kingdom. Where we are a family and have perfect love for each other.  Our joy is full when we are rejoicing TOGETHER and for EACH OTHER! With our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ! Rejoicing for each other and loving each other are loving and serving our Savior and Father. I hope I can always have that scene of Ja with those little kids engrained in my memory.

Mom, like you said in your email, help from the ward members is so key! Luckily, we haven't been shy or had to be shy about asking our ward members for help. They are incredible. They have truly welcomed these new members into the ward family, the covenant family of God!  We have members who come to lessons, give rides, fellowship, invite investigators into their homes. It is incredible.

Seeing someone brought into the fold of God who you have taught the gospel to (well at least have been the instrument as the Spirit taught them) is the greatest ever!

I love you all so much!

Com muito amor!
-Sister Greenall

Baptism of E and S

Ja and Brother M

Us, Ja, and Brother M

Dec 2nd: Oi! Otra vez!

 

Hello y'all! It was another incredible week in the mission field here in Austin, Texas.

Here are some highlights:

We have found incredible people! The Lord knew where they were all along, and he brings them into our lives at just the right moments!

One day, our relief society president realized a new record in our directory for someone she didn't know.  She gave the name to us, and we went to go visit them. We knocked on the door and heard a gruff...intimidating man's voice. "Who is it??" "The Sister Missionaries!" We heard the person walk away...and the next moment, the door opened wide and we saw a young man standing there smiling, saying "Welcome!" Haha! Drastic change! ...turns out, his wife is a less active member. She has been inactive for years, but had been thinking and talking about the church a lot lately, especially in the last 3 weeks! She was so excited to see us there! ...the interesting thing is that they have been in that house for quite some time, I think. And yet, the records for them just showed up in our ward, so we could have their contact information!  Milagres!! Her name is Ti and she is the sweetest girl!! Her boyfriend's name is Tr, and they have two daughters. The two girls were asleep, and we got to teach Ti and Tr the Plan of Salvation! Tiffany was beaming the whole lesson. She keeps telling us what a miracle it was that we came. Travis was very open and agreed to read the Book of Mormon. The next time we went and met their daughters as well! Their older daughter wants to go to church and be baptized! This family is incredible! They invited us to stop by on Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving!

I've never been so full! We were fed 2 Thanksgiving meals and 3 Thanksgiving desserts!! And there would have been more if we hadn't turned down a couple of offers when we dropped by to visit people. Sa and Ch fed us Thanksgiving lunch ...Wow!  Sa cooks like ...I don't know how to explain it!  She is one of the most creative people I've met and everything she does, she does beautifully! She exudes creative energy and excitement! Haha!

Then we went to E and S's! (Mom and daughter)  They invited us over for dinner.  They live in a cute little apartment, just the two of them, their cat and guinea pig. It was so neat to experience different families’ Thanksgivings with them. Each place we went, we could feel of the family's love for each other and us.  E and S had decorated with paper chains and candles, and had made special placemats with the things they are grateful for written on little leaves. Some of those included "the Church", "Jesus Christ", "Sister Missionaries" and even "Sister Greenall" and "Sister Salisbury"!  We love them so much!!!  They have made us a part of their family!

We also stopped by Ti and Tr's again on Thanksgiving night. Tr had insisted we try sweet potato pie. "It's like pumpkin but way better!!" ..He was right!  We met Tr's dad and brother there.  His dad is a member of the church!!

This week we had a lesson with E and S at Sa's house. Just as we expected, E and S loved Sa and her house and backyard.  (Her art and decorations are incredible!)  After the lesson, we made invitations together for E and S's baptism.

Ja!

This has been a hard time for he and his family. We had a wonderful lesson with Ja at a member’s home this last week. He testified of the Book of Mormon!  He said that when he reads it, he feels God's presence. He knows it is true! He reads it in his spare time nowadays!  Ja later told us when we went back for another lesson that when he had gotten home from that lesson, Fe (his cousin- the mother of the family) did not even recognize him and would often say words and phrases that didn't make any sense.  This was hard to hear. Fe has had cancer for 5 years now.  She is in her thirties and has 4 children.  Her husband, Fo, is smiling and welcoming every single time we stop by.  And yet inside he is struggling so much. That became apparent even more as we talked with Ja. Fe has been talking about wanting to back to Africa to be there in her home because she knows her time is short. Fo wants to take her, but they don't have the money  for the trip.  They might be able to go in a few weeks. Fe's condition has been worsening.  We were worried about Ja also, because he had a date set for his baptism already and normally a person has to come to church at least 3 times before being baptized.  He had only been twice, and had missed one week because he had to stay home with Fe and Mu (her son who is very autistic).

Yesterday, we prayed and fasted for Fe and her family and for Ja, that he could be baptized.  At church, Ja wasn't there.  Ja had to stay home to care for Fe in her worsening condition and to care for Mu. But we did have a few other miracle people come!  I still felt like Ja should be baptized though. I know he needs this step in his life and is ready! He wants to receive the Holy Ghost so much! And I want him to have that gift and to be able to go to church and be a part and receive those blessings even if he has to go back to Africa very soon.

After church, I called our Mission President. He gave us special permission for Ja to be baptized! .....Sister S asked me to talk to him because she could tell how much I wanted Ja to be baptized this Saturday and thought I could talk to President Sl with conviction because Sister S could see the pros and cons of both doing it now or postponing it.

When we visited Ja that night, we wanted to talk to him and just be sure that he wants to be baptized on Saturday, because it really is a very difficult time for them all. We assured him that he could be baptized at a later date if he felt it was better for him. But he answered as he always does - he is ready to be baptized and wants to make those covenants!  I am so happy and excited that he is being baptized this Saturday with E and S! It's going to be the greatest day ever!!!!

A hard part... While we were there, Fe came out of her room. She was walking around and seemed disoriented. Mu had broken a window right before we came, so Fo had taken him to get medicine and something to wrap his arm as well as new blinds for the door/window, because those ones had gotten destroyed.

They are such a humble family in a hard situation. That first night, on Saturday, when Ja told us about Fe's condition, it hit us very hard that she may not last much longer. It was a sad night. We felt joy from sharing the gospel, but also realized what it means to take Christ's yoke upon ourselves.  To go from home to home, experiencing the people's joys and sorrows with them.

I love being a missionary. I feel so blessed to be here. There are a trillion other miracles I could write about!  But all that really matters is that the Lord loves these people!  He is in charge of his work, and his hand is in this work every single day! And this is the Lord's true church, restored to the earth through Joseph Smith!

This is going to be an incredible week! The Zone leaders called us last night after we turned in our records and congratulated us on our work and success so far. That was humbling. The Lord is blessing us so much!

Love,

Sister Greenall

Milagres Milagres Milagres!!

Oi todo o mundo! Tudo bem?

This last week has probably been the best of my mission so far. There have been so many ups and downs but the ups have been really up!! I can't help but say to myself every day "milagres milagres milagres!!!" Miracles are happening all around and every single day!

Sister S has been an incredible trainer and companion. She has taught me that exact obedience DOES bring forth miracles.

This week we gained 9 new investigators and 4 or 5 are progressing so well!! We have 3 who are so ready to be baptized!

Every day people are placed in our path or we are placed in theirs!

E and S:
Sister S and her companion before me met E and S while they were unloading the groceries from their car. They talked to them and found out E had been looking for a "home church" for she and her daughter. E asked questions like "Do you know where I can get a Book of Mormon?" "Where is the church located?" She had a friend who was Mormon and wanted to learn more.

We had our first lesson with her on Saturday. She had read a lot of the Book of Mormon already and had done lots of research on the internet from the right sources. She was so ready to learn. S, her 10 year old daughter was so excited about everything!

As we taught the restoration they accepted everything so easily. It was what they were looking for. As we targeted questions and explanations to S, E would say thing like "See S, this is the restored gospel with the Priesthood." She's incredible!!!

We gave S her own Book of Mormon since she's a great reader and they are going to keep reading together. They are going to pray together about getting baptized, but said they would see how church was the next day.

Yesterday church was so perfect! We had 4 investigators come! It was the primary program!! And it was so beautiful. The kids all sang and shared testimonies and simple truths of the restored gospel, like "I am a child of God." "My family can be together forever." And "The gospel was restored through Joseph Smith."  S got to go to Primary (We visited the primary as well to introduce ourselves, read comments from the members about the primary program, and to share a missionary message). E came to gospel principles with us and then relief society. Sister R, a member we had contacted and asked to help, was their personal guide and made sure to take good care of them both throughout the meetings.

After church, we asked them how they liked it. E said that about half way through the first hour, S leaned over to her and said "This is it!" while we were all standing there talking, E asked S, "So do you think we found it? Is this our home?" Sarah said "YES!" and gave her a big hug. E said, "this isn't how I expected a LDS meeting to be..but there is something about it.  It is so comfortable.  It just feels comfortable, like home."

I know that church is so special and so important! This IS the Jesus Christ's church and it DOES feel like home!

Fe and J:

We received these referrals from the other sister missionaries. This is an incredible family! Fe is the mother. She has cancer and is going through treatments. She is so kind and loving and welcoming, even while going through a lot of pain. Fo is her husband and is Muslim but super super friendly and open to us teaching his family. Fu is their daughter and is in 8th grade and super nice. Mu is their son who is autistic. They also have two other daughters who are not living with them. J is Fe's brother who came to help them. They are all from Sierra Leon in West Africa. J came just a few months ago to help.

When we went to visit, it was planned to be just service. The other sisters had told us it wasn't really a good time to teach because of her treatments, but that they said we could come do service. When we knocked on their door, they welcomed us in and had us sit down. We kept asking what service we could do, but they just wanted us to pray and share a message with them. It was Fe and J. We shared the tree of life. We hadn't planned a message, and I just felt like they would like the story. We gave J a Book of Mormon and gave him 1 Nephi 8 to read to get the whole story. Fe's eyes are not very good, so we asked J to read to her.

The next time we went back, J had read the story and shared with Fe and he had loved it! He talked about how he had never read the book before and that he learned a lot and liked the focus on Jesus Christ.  We taught the Plan of Salvation.  It is one of the most amazing experiences to see someone seeing the Plan of Salvation for the first time! Fe has met with missionaries in the past, and she loves the messages as well and accepts them as true, but it isn't new for her. It is so incredible to see how J listens so carefully and soaks everything in, and then he asks very thoughtful questions! After we explained it, he asked us to explain the Spirit World again. We talked about it until he fully understood. And I could tell that really touched him. The first lesson he had agreed to pray about being baptized, and Fe had agreed to pray as well. This second lesson, J agreed to be baptized. He still needed to pray about the date we gave him though, because he thought it might be a bit soon. Dec. 7th. Fo, the father, listened while taking care of Mu. He said that the Plan of Salvation was so similar to the Muslim beliefs. The only difference is our belief in Christ as the Son of God.

Another of the most wonderful experiences is to pray with your investigators at the end of a lesson and to hear them pray! Fo asked me to pray, so I prayed first as we kneeled, and then we had J pray. It was awesome. The Spirit is so strong in their home. They are so humble and receptive to the Spirit.

Another miracle about this lesson: We had been trying so hard to find a member that could come. Before the lesson we had dinner with the So family. Sister So and her 18 year old son volunteered to come to the lesson with us! So they were there with us for the lesson and it was so great to have their input and friendship for Fe's family!

The third lesson, we taught the Restoration. Fu was home too this time! She joined us, and also J and Fe had told her about what we had learned last time, the Plan of Salvation. They all were very receptive to the message of the restoration and the priesthood. We asked Fe if she would like a priesthood blessing some time. She said yes and that we could come any time. I could tell this message truly touched them, especially J. He listened so intently as we shared the first vision.

By the end of the lesson, J said he wanted to be baptized on Dec. 7th. Fu is also praying about baptism. Fu said the closing prayer for us, with the whole family.  Also, the Br family was there with their 3 month old daughter and they shared their testimonies of the restoration and the priesthood in their lives and the temple!  It was so incredible to hear Fu pray so sincerely after the lesson. Fe also wants to be baptized and come to church, but isn't sure when she can be baptized and wants to wait til her husband can come to church with her so he can care for Mu while there.

J came to church!  We had some members pick him up to give him a ride. And Ru (the 18 year old So) took him to gospel principles and priesthood meeting. We dropped by to talk to J that night and he liked church. And the primary program touched him. He's saving his questions for our next meeting on Wednesday!

I love this family!!!!

Q:

We contacted him from our potentials! We just knocked on his door, he was open and talked to us! He met with elders in the past and was open then, but he was more receptive this time to see that we were sisters! He didn't know that there were sister missionaries. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would start reading and that he has wanted to come see our church but has to see when he will have a Sunday with work off.

Our first lesson with him:

His girlfriend was there with their son, so we could go inside. He had so many questions! He has thought so much about all sorts of religions. He grew up Christian, but now he thinks openly about everything. We were struggling to maintain control of the lesson. He was asking all sorts of far out questions. I felt impressed to ask him a question and bear testimony. We were teaching the restoration- at least were trying to, and we needed to get back on track. He had gone on a tangent about authority.

I stopped him and asked him how he knows that Jesus Christ is real. He thought about it and eventually stated that he didn't know for sure, but that he would like to believe. I bore testimony of the gift of the Holy Ghost. I told him that many people may claim to be teaching the truth, but that the only way to know the truth is through the power of the Holy Ghost. I promised him that God will always testify of what is true through the Holy Ghost, and that only God can give us peace, so we can know what is true by feeling peace. He became very quiet as I testified to him and he just listened so intently.  I promised him that if he focused and prayed to know if Jesus Christ is his Savior and is real, that he WOULD get an answer and could know! His girlfriend was nodding her head and smiling.  Haha:) I told him there is an answer to all of his questions but that we want to help him build a solid foundation on Jesus Christ, and that God teaches us line upon line, precept upon precept. He really took that to heart, and we were able to continue on and teach him about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith and priesthood authority.

He had already read about 10 pages of the Book of Mormon, starting in 3 Nephi 11 where we asked him to read, and now is going to go back to the beginning to read. He's a big researcher and reader so he is really delving into the Book of Mormon. We challenged him to focus on how he feels as he reads and to pray to know that Jesus Christ is real and that the Book of Mormon testifies of him. He accepted our challenge and the lesson ended really well. He prayed at the end as we all kneeled, and his girlfriend was so happy and surprised that he did!  She told us we didn't know how hard it is to get him to pray and go to church, since he considers himself spiritual but doesn't see a need to go to church or do some other things.

I later found out in the car, that while Q had been going on his big question tangent, Sister S had prayed that I would know the right thing to say, since we both didn't know what to do. That's when I had the impression to testify of what I did. Isn't Sister S amazing??? She's the best! She has taught me so much!!

Well, I'm running out of time! But I LOVE being a missionary! I can truly feel the Lord guiding us and doing his work through us! I just want to be a better instrument for him and the Spirit.

I love you all and hope you are doing well!

-Sister Greenall

 

 

November 4 Email: A Missionary Halloween

 

Oi Family and Friends!

 

We were supposed to be back in our apartments by 6 on Halloween, unless we had an appointment or dinner with a ward member. So the day before 6 was a normal day. We have weekly planning on Thursdays also, and that takes up to 3 hours! ...Sometimes more. So that was our Halloween! Lots of planning and then appointments!  And at 6 we had a dinner with an investigator at a member’s house! We ate curry and rice. YUM!  With fruit smoothies afterwards. The members name is D and the investigator is dear ol M. He’s an “oldie” since he's been investigating for almost a year! Or maybe 6 or 7 months since there was a break in between there. It was a lot of fun! And later when we were home we celebrated by drinking eggnog. We also wore our Halloween costumes that day... meaning I wore a purple shirt, Sister M wore a green shirt, and Sister C wore an orange shirt... to try to be halloweeny with our colors. We also listened to Handel’s Messiah early that day during our lunch break... So our Halloween was kind of Christmassy!  Handel...egg nog... Haha! We got it all mixed up! ...But we did buy a bag of reeses cups just in case we had some kiddos come. But we didn't! And then the elders (who live in our same apartment complex) ended up door bell ditching and delivering a ton of candy and chips over the next couple of days!!!  Ay!!! Haha! The elders are so funny! They are a trio and are the district leaders. They are literally just a side walk down from us. So we door bell ditch them a lot. Or deliver random things to them, like a packet of powder crystal light mix. Sister C likes to blast her recorder playing at their door and then run for her life. (All of these visits take place after we all are all home for the night of course. during our personal/free time).

One funny event that happened this last week was that we got a call from the Elders when we were in for the night and they asked if we wanted some chips. I said "Sure!..."  Elder B: "What kind?"  ..."What kinds are there???"   "We'll just come over and let you choose..." "Ok!"  A couple minutes later, I hear a knock at the door.  I open it up and there are the elders...with a HUGE box!!! It probably went up to my belly button and I'm not a short person!  And it was half way filled up with little bags of chips!!  Hahaha! Earlier in the week, Elder B had given us some twizzlers and a box of chocolate covered peanuts (from Canada he said!) and so it turns out that his grandma/relatives in Canada has sent him that whole box of like 30 lbs of food!!! Hahahaha!  Actually, when he gave us those chocolate covered peanuts (the packaging was in French) he had said they were chocolate covered raisins. Later in the car we were eating them and we realized "...these are peanuts..." then we get a text from the Elders that says "Oh! Those are chocolate covered peanuts, not raisins!! Sorry!" we reply "Sister M is allergic to peanuts. We've already eaten some."  "...I am so sorry. You can throw them away!! Is she ok???"   "Were you trying to kill us?" Sister C is such a trouble maker. Finally I get the phone! "Sister C is naughty! Sister M isn't allergic! These are delicious!" Poor Elder B almost had a heart attack! 

Things here have been so great! I love the missionary work! Guess what?? We got a call from President Slaughter last night! I was so surprised when he said "Is Sister Greenall there?"  "..Yes!"  "Are you on speaker phone?"  "...Yes!"  "Firstly, you aren't going to Brazil yet."   Hahaha! I let out a huge breath.  "This isn't about your visa, but you are being emergency transferred to the Merrilltown ward tomorrow to be companions with Sister S."  Wow! None of us expected that! So today I am being transferred!  Actually, I was just there in Merrilltown on Tuesday on an exchange!! It is a family ward area within our singles ward area (since singles ward areas are huge). It was a really great day and I loved the area and people I met!

Stories from last Tuesday exchanges...

I was companions for the day with Sister L and Sister S. They are awesome! Sister L has been out for about 9 months, but has struggled with her health for a long time and is going home. That's why I am going to be companions with Sister S. I learned so much from both of them while there! And interestingly, ever since Tuesday I've been thinking I'd love to be companions with Sister S and be trained by her sometime. And today I will be! I'm excited because Sister S is a super hard worker! She schedules a ton in with backups and everything, sets high goals, focuses on exact obedience, and works so hard to reach those goals! She has a lot of qualities I want to set for a foundation for the rest of my mission, so I know I will learn a lot from her! Also she is a Spanish speaking missionary so we can speak in Spanish and Portuguese together and do language study together which will be great!

We visited a family that night when I got to Merrilltown on Monday night. Their names are S and C. They are the neatest couple! S is a recent convert and C is investigating the church. They are an older couple, with grandkids. They fed us an amazing dinner! And she made a giant pizzookie for dessert. She's quite a cook. I've been doing good with eating no gluten…. until that pizzookie! She served me up a piece and I hadn't given any forewarning that I was gluten free since I just got to the area that night, and I ate the piece and it was incredible!  Hahaha! But I haven't been eating gluten, so that one piece didn't cause any problems.  But oh boy!

*****************

I got your package!!! Mom, that was so sweet!!!! All those gluten free goodies! I am so excited!!!! Pancakes, cornbread, and brownies! Some of my favorite things!! Along with my other favorite things!! Trail mix, mangos, and craisins are lovely too!!!!!!  Thanks so much! And the face washes are greatly appreciated!  
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Anywho, S used to be a drama ...what's the name… she was a teacher for the classes in high school that build the drama sets...the set for the plays.  Does that make sense? So her house and backyard are incredible!!!! Her house is decorated so uniquely inside!  She just creates all sorts of amazing things!  But the backyard is the really unique part. On either side of the backyard is a pirate ship!!! It's hard to explain...I'll be sending pictures when I can!! The next day we actually went back to her house to do service. We helped fix up the boats because she was going to have a Halloween party for all the kiddos on Halloween! How fun!

That day in Merrilltown I also knocked lots of doors! Which was great because we never do that in the singles ward and I need to learn! We also ate dinner with the relief society president's family that night. They were such a cute nice family!  They feed us very well in the Merrilltown ward! 

Oh, but also, in the apartment where I am moving to tonight (where I was on Tuesday) there are four sisters per apartment. So their apartment is a bit different and bigger than ours here. Theirs has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a big living room and big kitchen. All the sisters there are Spanish speaking. So it was really cool to be able to practice Portuguese and have them understand!  I'm looking forward to that part of moving there with them! Also, we went running for our gym time while I was there, which was so nice! We usually go to the gym here with my companions which is good, but it was nice to go outside and run.

A lot has been happening this week! It's been so great! We see miracles each day, little ones and bigger ones! There was another baptism on Saturday! Her name is T! She was one of our investigators but decided to get baptized into the family ward, the Shoal Creek ward (because her mom and aunt- recent converts- are in that ward). The Elders that live by us work in the Shoal Creek ward. 

On Monday night, we went to the Sq’s for fhe! They are the sweetest little missionary couple! They work with the African refugees here. T’s mom is actually from Africa I believe. They invite us and the Shoal Creek elders on Monday nights. Last Monday they served us waffles with ice cream and strawberries! (I ate ice cream and strawberries! haha! And then I went and had dinner in the Merrilltown ward with S and C and Sisters S and L! And dessert! Oh boy! So much food!! Hahahaha!

This week we have met some really awesome people, including J and K who are prepared and I think we will continue to meet with a lot! (Except I'm leaving the area!) 

I'm running out of time!

I love you so much! Hopefully I'll have more time to write later today in email or letter...my companions aren't big letter writers, so I haven't been finding much time to write letters! Hopefully I’ll have more in my next area!

I'm kind of combining your email with the everybody email I guess!:) But I love you so much Mom and Dad!!! And my sister, D! I love you dearly!!!!! I hope BYU has been awesome!!!

Love all y'all!

Oh! On Sunday I bore my testimony, and I said y'all without even meaning too! I didn't even realize I said it! I still don't remember saying it! But when I sat down, my companions looked at me and smiled and said "you said y'all"!!  ...The gift of tongues, Texan style. :)

I love this work! I love being in Texas! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ!! This church is true!!!! God leads the missionaries to those who are prepared and He leads them to us! We've had several of those people this last week!! Including another really incredible gal named R, who I sadly don't have time to write about.

LOVE Y'ALL!!!

Com amor,
   Sister Greenall

October 28 Part 2: Oi oi oi and HOWDY!

Hi Family! I have a little bit more time to email now!

Some more neat people and experiences....

H!! H is a cool guy! He's very easy going and funny. He's tall and black and is always wearing scrubs! He works night shifts and when we asked where he works...he said he does surgeries all night. We were all taken aback...and then we found out he does surgeries on computer boards and stuff. Haha! He does some of the assembly line for a new apple project or something like that. Last time we met with him we read with him from the Book of Mormon. He likes it! We would talk about the verses he liked and he talked about all sorts of stuff and was able to relate the Book of Mormon to his life. He came to church on Sunday!  We had a total of 6 investigators at church on Sunday, isn't that incredible??? How awesome!! :D  And at church, Huey kept joking about leaving early...but luckily a member had given him a ride. Hehe. So every time we saw him, he's say loudly  "Hey D, how about we just stay for 30 minutes of class and then go home!!!"  Hahaha!

Ty. She is a referral from her mom. Her mom is a recent convert and wanted us to go visit her. She opened the door the first time we went to visit and looked at us with a crazy look. She is a shorter black girl with long hair, big eye lashes, gold color contacts, piercing, and a hilarious attitude.  I was thinking "uh oh..." we started introducing ourselves and as soon as we mentioned her mom sent us, she let out a big breath and laughed, like she was relieved. "oohh! ok! You actually came!! You actually came??" she had a few friends over watching a movie, so we just had a quick visit and said a prayer with them, we all held hands. It was fun!  She said we could come by again. We had a lesson with her last week. Her grandma was there cleaning, and her grandma is hilarious! More sassy than her!!  Her grandma called over, "so what church are you from??" We said "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

"Ya'll aren't Mormons, are you?"  Hahaha! The grandma said that! And we all got quiet, and then said, "Actually we are!!" Ty's eyes got so big!! She started looking at us wierd and cleared her throat.  Haha, after talking with her, we found out her friend had told her some pretty crazy things about us!! We told her she could ask us questions. "Are ya'll cannibals?"  Hahahaha! We soon cleared up her strange ideas about Mormons, and by the end of our visit she said that her perspective had totally changed!  And that she went from thinking all sorts of crazy things about us to respecting us, so that was cool!  During our little lesson, her mom actually arrived! Her mom is quite a contrast from Ty and her grandma! Hahaha! Her mom is more reserved, but still with a great laugh and very sweet and kind. She was so grateful we were there.  She had been planning on taking Ty to church with her but when Ty found out her Mom’s ward was at 10am and ours is at 3pm, she instantly decided to come to church with us instead!  She actually came! She stayed for the first two hours.  Back when we were still at her house with her grandma and mom and little brothers, her mom had given us hugs goodbye and whispered to us, "Don't give up on her. Pray for her. Keep visiting her! Thanks you sisters so much."  Sweet family. :) They are fun.

It's really fun going out to dinner with the members. Some of the members sign up to feed us! Since we are in a young adult ward, not all of the members have resources to cook, so they take us out to eat. We've had dinners at members’ homes and out at restaurants. Both are so fun! This last week, W, a member from the ward, took us out to eat at a place called Kerbey Ln. It's an original restaurant in Austin, and it's on Kerbey Ln. W is a really cool guy. He's a tall and fun guy. Guess what Kerbey Ln had? A gluten free menu! Which included gingerbread pancakes and apple cinnamon pancakes. Wow, they were delicious! I got a breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, fruit, one gingerbread pancake, and one apple cinnamon pancake. Afterwards, W got some things from his car that his mom made for us! She made us a plate of cookies and a plate of cornbread! I couldn't eat any, but it was so sweet of her!! Just the fact that she made them made me feel so loved. We actually ended up door bell ditching the treats on the Elders' doorstep. They gave us some goodies the other day.

Last week we also went over to a member named D's house! He served a mission in Brazil! So we went over so I could teach him one of the lessons in Portuguese.  He also fed us a breakfast lunch! Which was fun! Turns out he went to culinary school, so that's really neat. It was great to practice Portuguese with him and to teach a lesson in Portuguese. I miss it! I do get an hour of language study everyday though which is really nice!

We met with B again last week. We met at Panera and he actually bought dinner for us. He also brought a friend of his from church, named M. D, a member of our ward also came! B is very set on having evidence and logical back up for his beliefs.  He used to just walk by faith, but has recently realized he wants to find evidence for his beliefs. He believes whole heartedly in the Bible and Jesus Christ...there is history to the Bible.  But he's having a harder time believing the Book of Mormon could be real.  He's super friendly. He said "Not to be rude...but there isn't really a lot of evidence or history about the Nephites.  I mean I haven't found anything!" But turns out he hadn't actually had time to read any of the Book of Mormon! B!!  Just read it!!  Hopefully he reads some this week! He's a really awesome awesome guy and I like him a lot.  I just want him to actually read some of the Book of Mormon, because that is the ONLY way to know if it is true!  To read it and pray about it! :D  M kept turning the conversation to only the Bible. Haha:) He's a really neat guy. He travels and does bible study with people and I think does teaching and works with people in a Christian way. He actually gave his phone number to D and gave his wife’s number to us and told us to call them if we ever wanted to do a Bible study!  Super nice and good people and he was being the missionary! Hahaha! Which was awesome, but we won't be able to meet wtih them again unless we are able to share our message as well and learn together. We left his wife a message and said we'd love to meet her! It's just that we are here to teach, so we need to keep that as our focus.

Lots and lots of great experiences everyday! And so many little miracles and big ones too!

Oh! I forgot to write about Big Mama! We went to visit a potential investigator named A. The first time we stopped by his grandma answered and A was at work, but she told us to call him and come back because she'd really like him to be around people like us. That was really nice.:) This time, no one was home, but there was a garage sale happening next door, and a lady was sitting in a chair smoking. We started talking to her and found out she had been baptized like 20 years ago! She was really nice! She told us to call her Big Mama. Hahahaha! We asked her if she knew where her Book of Mormon was and if she wanted a new one. She did, so we gave her one, and she was very happy. She reflected on when she first read it when the missionaries taught her long ago and how she would get chills when she read it and she knew it was true. That was neat. She didn't want missionaries to visit her because she's very busy, but she was grateful for the Book of Mormon and visit and said she would call us on the number we left her if she needed something. That was neat to meet her.

Well, I'm going to go for now. That email was super long, so if yall don't make it through the entire novel, I totally understand.

Hope y'all have a wonderful day, and I love you!

-Sister Greenall

October 28 Part 1: Oi oi oi and HOWDY!

Oi, minha familia e meus amigos!

Tudo bem aqui no estado grande de Texas.

The work is working! It's amazing to see it actually happening!! Every day I meet incredible people and have opportunities to teach and testify, and I've seen God's hand already in this work!

It's been awesome to actually be meeting the names we've been praying for! Haha! We have lists of names of people we've been working with, and at first they were just names to me, but now they are so much more! As I meet each of these individuals, I can't help but love them! They are each so awesome.

Here's a cool experience…

We kept trying to visit a gal named T.  We hadn't been able to contact her by phone or anything. The first day we put her on our schedule and drop by her house to see if she is there, she is home! We didn't have an appointment or anything.  But she saw us, opened the door, brought us inside, and went to her room to get her Book of Mormon! She put it on the table, and was all ready for us!  As if she had been waiting for us!!!  Later we found out that just the day before-I believe- she had been reading her Book of Mormon and praying for some kind of sign or guidance to know more. She had also been praying for a "small group"- like someone to go to church with and study with. When she told us she had been praying for that, she said "yall are my small group!"

We had a lesson with her about the Restoration. She full heartedly believes it all! She just nods and accepts and says she believes it! She believes in Joseph Smith and knows the Book of Mormon is true! She also wants to be baptized! Sister M had visited her a week or two prior with her past companion and they had set a baptismal date for T for Nov. 16th. Sister M said that that time they visited her she was the same as this time- had no idea they were coming but opened the door as if she was just waiting for them. Anywho, by the end of our lesson, Sister C asked T if she would be baptized. T. said "Yeah, November 16th, right?"  Sister C and I were so surprised! Sister M realized she had forgotten to tell us...Haha! But T is truly amazing! It turns out that two months ago she had made some major changes in her life. She's incredible. She wants so much to change, and she already has! She reads the Bible and the Book of Mormon each day and prays! She thanks Jesus Christ each day for his strength, help, and mercy that she can be how she is today. She has a sweet little three year old son, N, and lives with her mom and three siblings. Her mom is very kind. She told T "You know I will support you with whatever decision you make."  T has a few other younger siblings. They are such a fun family! They were all dressed up/getting ready for their school barnyard Halloween party that night and were so cute.  Every time we've given T a chapter of the Book of Mormon to read, she reads it! And then she tells us what she liked about it!

On Sunday, she came to church! And at the end, she showed me her Book of Mormon and the chapter she had read that we had asked her to read, 3 Nephi 11. It was marked and highlighted, and she had even put a sticky note in it with her thoughts written on it. She said "Can you give me another one?" and she handed me her pass-along card (we had written the chapters for her to read on the back). Sister C started fumbling to find a pass along card...and it took us a moment to realize she was asking for another chapter to read!! How awesome is that???! 

On Friday, we went to meet with a recent convert, S. When we got there, her sister M opened the door. M hasn't been opened to the gospel. Last lesson, S had told us about how it was difficult with M and her other sister. They weren't very supportive and weren't open to the message. Well, miracles happen. We sat down with M and talked with her, and she was so friendly and sweet! S was in the shower. When she finished and came in, M stayed for the lesson!!! We talked about the Plan of Salvation, the Temple, and eternal families. And of course, at the center of everything, Jesus Christ. The whole lesson, M was nodding her head and smiling. S too of course :)  ...Both of their parents have passed away. And as we talked with them about what they liked about the Plan of Salvation, they told us their favorite parts and told us about their parents. They love the Spirit World, Temples, and the Celestial Kingdom. At the end of the lesson, the Spirit was so strong. Sister M asked M if she would follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. She said yes. Wow, the Spirit was incredible. That was a complete miracle. The Lord is directing this work! It's all in his hands! I'm out of time for now!

Love yall!!!

-Sister Greenall

Photos - MTC to Austin TX

A few photos....

Seeing Sister M (awesome buddy from BYUH) at the MTC

Sister M and Sister C in Austin, TX



 

 

A's baptism in Austin, TX

 

 

At Rudy's with Sister M

 

This is our food which you order in bulk.

 

 

This is my "plate" -- a piece of wax paper 

 

 

Me trying on Sister C luscious locks

 

Me with luscious brown hair :)

 

 

 

Howdy Partner! Tudo Bem!

Email from Erica

Received  October 21, 2013

Today was a bit crazy busy and I only have like two seconds!!  But here's some info:

I'm in Austin, Texas working in the Mount Bonnell singles ward!  I'm loving it!!! It's so great to be here! The people are incredible! I'm in a trio with two awesome trainers: Sister M and Sister Cl. Missionary work is incredible and hard!  I'm printing your email so I can read it later!

Your questions!

1.  What is your new address?

Email me if you would like Sister Greenall's latest address: christine.greenall@gmail.com 

2. What has been your favorite experience in Texas so far?

The people here are awesome!  Favorite moments:  getting to the mission home!  Our mission president and wife, the Sl’s, are awesome! Our first day in we got to go to the Alamo (just like on the district) and we all stood in front of the Alamo as the AP elders read us the story of the Alamo....at the end they related it to a quote about choosing the Lord's side. They had us all stand behind a line (like in the Alamo story) and asked who would cross to join the Lord's side!  Then we all crossed! Then they took out a big box of copies of the Book of Mormon and said, "ok! Let's go place these!" Scary!  Rejection, avoid eye contact, "do you have a minute?" "No.", haha!  It was really hard!  We learned what not to do!!  Then the AP elders came and helped me and my companion!  He would stop people and start talking to them (he's so good at it! He's just so friendly so people talk to him) and then he would pass them over to us and we would share the Book of Mormon with them. They fed us lots of good food that night and for lunch that day and we all met together as the new missionaries. There were 20 of us new missionaries and 10 are visa waiters.

The next day: transfer meetings! We went to the big transfer meeting in San Antonio where all the San Antonio missionaries got their new companions and assignments for areas. There was a group of us left in the middle without our assignments at the end and we found out we were going to Austin! So here I am!

We have lots of people we are working with here! Incredible people! Our work is through the members and the referrals and I'm surprised how much we have to do!

We had a baptism on Saturday! Her name is A and she is amazing! She is the perfect example of someone who was prepared to receive this gospel!  

Also, we visited a guy named R yesterday.  Wow, he's amazing.  He has had a difficult past, but he has such an amazing light about him now and he loves the gospel so much!  He reads from the Book of Mormon every day and prays. He's a really unique and cool person. He has three awesome dogs, a big Doberman, a little terrier, and a Pomeranian, and they are super nice because he's a dog trainer.  THE GOSPEL TRULY CHANGES LIVES! He is a new person! And he is incredible!!!!

3. What has been the biggest challenge since arriving in Texas?

Hardest thing... I learned what Irmao Porter meant when he said missionary work is hard. He said that we need to go to where our investigators are before we can bring them to where we are. One of our investigators is struggling so much.  She is going through some really difficult family situations. We prayed for this sweet girl and to know how to help her and comfort her and to give her what she needed.  We began talking with her and comforting her. Words came to our mouths. Scriptures came to our minds. And for a moment it felt like our Father in Heaven was speaking with her through us. Which I'm quite sure he was :)  After sharing some scriptures, she actually said through the tears "Thanks, girls" Which truly meant a lot.  

It was so hard to see someone in so much pain. As missionaries, we learn a bit more how to feel for others as the Savior does, how to love them, and how to want so badly to help them. I love the people here so much already. I have seen many miracles already! Verses of scripture have come to mind when I need them!  In one lesson, we had a question, and a specific book of the bible came to mind with a specific chapter and specific verse. It was Amos 3:7 which I learned in seminary.  But at the time that it came to mind, I honestly could not remember what it was about. I looked it up, and it was perfect for his question.  It's amazing to be a servant of the Lord.

We meet people at just the right times and in the right places... It's amazing how missionaries are guided. Missionary work is hard, but it is the work of the Lord! I can feel that! It's spiritually exhausting, but so so so rewarding!!

Tudo Bem Tudo Bem!

I really don't have much time this p-day.  I should have more next time! But for now,

Eu amo voces!!!! I hope all is well!

-Sister Greenall

Oi! Oi! Last P-Day in the MTC

Email from Erica 

October 15, 2013

This week has truly been incredible. I never really know where to start or what to say with these emails. Just know that everything is incredible here and I am so happy! Dad, thanks for your awesome dear elder.  I really loved that.  I am so excited to serve in TEXAS! How many people get to serve two missions???  in one?? The second mission call was about as exciting as the first!  And I'm so excited to be bordering Kelsi's/Sister M's mission, and to be serving in the same state where Grandma and Grandpa Greenall served, and even to be in the mission where some of Aunt Paula's family lives!!! How cool!!!!!

This last week has involved many goodbyes and many incredible experiences where the Spirit was undeniable.

Testimony meeting as a district.

Testimony meeting in class with Irmao Porter
Irmao Porter "culture day" where he shared his mission things and experiences
Saying our goodbyes at 3 or 4 am in the morning
The elders giving the sisters priesthood blessings before they leave
Learning SO MUCH through the Spirit

Receiving our reassignments! Sister Ch and I had left the cafeteria... we all thought the assignments were coming Thursday night, but we walked out after lunch and saw a group of people with their reassignments, so we ran back in, told the elders, and our whole district charged like a stampede to the mail room!!  We opened them right there!!  We went off to the side, Elder G passed out the papers, then we went around in a circle and read our assignments.  LOTS OF EXCITEMENT and hugs/handshakes (depending on whether elder or sister :)  Hahaha, we had lots of firm handshakes with the elders this week. The firmest handshakes I've ever given! These elders are our brothers now!  We are so sad to say goodbye!  But they are coming to Texas with us, so that's cool!  The only ones left here at the MTC (in our district) are the 6 of us going to Texas!  We sent Elder B off to San Diego this morning!

Yesterday in class with Irmao Miller we practiced doing contacting on a bus!  Hahaha! We stood in front of the class as if we were standing up on a bus and said "Oi!! tudo bem tudo bem?? Eu sou Sister Greenall e eu SEI que Jesus Cristo vive!!!! Nos temos uma mensagem maravillosa para voce!  Se quiser ouvir mais por favor fale conosco!!! "  "Hi! I'm sister Greenall and I know that Jesus Christ lives! We have an incredible message for you!  If you want to hear more, please talk to us!"

My computer doesn't have Portuguese so I can't put accents, but here's some Portuguese thoughts...

A vida e boa. Life is good. Tudo bem aqui. Estou tao animada para servir no TEXAS! E depois BRAZIL tambem! Eu tenho dois chamados missionarios!!! QUE OTIMO!

Eu sei que Jesus Cristo vive. Ele e verdadeiro. Nao tenho ningum duvida que Ele vive e e meu Salvador e Redentor.  Eu amo meu Salvador! Eu amo Jesus Cristo! E amo meu Pai Celestial! Deus e nosso Pai Celestial! Deus e SEU Pai Celestial! Eu sinto seu amor todos os dias. Ele e tao tao bom. Ele e mercicordioso e amoroso. Ele enviou Seu Filho aque para expiar para nossos pecados. Este evangelho e verdade. Sao as boas noticias!! O evangelho de Jesus Cristo vai a trazer o mais alegria na sua vida.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is this: His Atonement. He died for you. He suffered for you. He's felt everything you have ever felt -  your pain, your sorrow, your grief, your loneliness, your guilt, your joy, your hope, your longing.  He is ALWAYS there for you.  He is knocking on the door.  He gave EVERYTHING for us so we could have this "at-one-ment" and become one with He and our Father and our families again!!

The gospel is true!

I love you all! Eu amo voces!!! PAZ!

-Sister Greenall