Hello Everybody!!

Hello everybody

Well we received transfers yesterday! and I'm staying in Lucas! but Sister Ines is going to the south and has a 16 hour bus ride ahead of her. My new companion, Sister Tomaz (I think) (she is Brazilian and from the North ) will arrive in Lucas at about 11:30 tonight. I'm super nervous to meet her but excited as well. We will be kind of opening a new part of Lucas so I'm kinda nervous. But everything will work out ok. Sister Kimball and Sister Helena will be staying together and we are all staying in the same house so that makes me feel better that I get to stay with some of my friends :) Sister Ines and I had a good last week, we finished up a lot of stuff for the new elders who will be taking over our new area and were able to teach our investigators for the last time before we hand them over to the elders. We finally received a kitchen sink for our house today so now we don't have to buy water! yay! In all its been pretty quiet.... ill be starting my new area with my new companion tomorrow so maybe next week ill have some more stories! :) It has been raining a little bit here and I think its going to start raining some more because September starts the rainy season thank heaven for rain boots! We had to teach one of our investigators in the rain because we couldn't go into his house without another woman with us, at first he was mad at us and thought it was because we thought he might try to kill us or something, but when we explained that as missionaries we have certain rules he calmed down haha :) I had a division with sister Kimball this last week also and we had a similar experience with one of the single brothers in our branch. He was about to slam the door in our faces because we told him that we couldn't come inside but then once we explained he was totally fine and let us share a message in the door way. Well I should probably go... sorry its short! I love you all and miss you! thank you for your prayers and emails! love Shelby

Another week has gone by in Lucas....

Hello everyone :)

Another week here in Lucas has gone by... and were doing great:) We now have all the furniture in our new house put together and and set up. Accept we still don't have a kitchen sink. Its kinda strange here because when you buy a house you have to go and find your self your own kitchen sink and counters and cabinets... it doesn't just come built into the house... kind of strange I think but what ever works. Anyhoo the furniture store people sent us a counter with no place for a sink in it... so we have to figure that out. but other than that everything is just dandy :) Sister Ines and I have been commuting to our area everyday... its a long walk but its worth it. After this transfer, our area will be the area of the new elders. We hope and pray that they will keep up with our investigators there.

Well we had ourselves a miracle this week. Remember the homeless man that we were teaching who lived in an old red car behind the bus stop? WE FOUND HIM AGAIN! Yay! We were in church when one of the brothers came to us and told us that he had seen him at the same bus stop with all of his stuff, so we asked one of the sisters to drive us there so we could bring him to church. When we got there he wasn't there but all of his stuff was so we figured he couldn't have gone very far so we looked around and finally spotted him in front the the assembly of god church talking with the pastor there. and so we marched right up to the front gates of their Church and waited patiently for him to finish his conversation. When he saw us a giant smile spread across his face and when we reached out to shake his hand he pulled us in with all of his strength and gave us a very smelly hug. (yuck :) (we've explained to him that were not supposed to hug men while we are on our missions but it hasn't sunk in yet I guess haha) We were able to bring him to church, a sister from our branch fed him lunch and we were able to share a message with him (on the side of the road under an ant infested tree). I don't know if he will get baptised but it was cool to find him and talk to him again. Later that day we were talking with a group of people including a very drunk man, who marched up to sister Ines and told her that his mother has depression, she told him to bring her to church and he said he will. when we went to leave she went to shake his hand and he grabbed it and kissed it. So Sister Ines has had her share of affection for the month haha :)

Sister Ines and I also taught a great family this week. Sister Ines and sister Helena had contacted the mom and dad during a division we did, then sister ines and I went back to teach them. It was AWESOME :) They were so great and it wasn't even like we were teaching a lesson because they discussed with us about everything we told them, they asked questions and they loved what we shared with them. When we went to share a scripture in the bible with them all the kids told us to wait and they all went and got their own personal bibles and came back and followed along with us each one of them marking the verses we shared. So cool :) In all its been a wonderful and fast week :) I'm so grateful that I have this opportunity to share this marvelous message with the people here and to be able to get to know them and their culture. But even more I'm so grateful that through it all Ive been able to get to know my heavenly father and build my relationship with him. I know he loves me and wants me and my family to be happy.

Also this week was our interviews with the mission president...whoohoo! I loved it so much and it helped me so much! I love President and sister Reber! They are amazing! Well everyone :) I love you all and I'm so grateful for the prayers and emails and thoughts :) Love Shelby

Hello Everyone!

Hello Everyone:)

What a crazy week it has been! Last Tuesday we were informed that they found a new house for us in the more central part of Lucas and that we would be moving on Friday. So all last week we have been cleaning our apartment for the new Elders who are coming in the next transfer, packing up our stuff and buying new furniture for our new house. The new house is a lot bigger but only has one bathroom :( however its brand new! and all of our furniture is brand new too! no more ´´Elder Smith waz here!´´ written across our dressers :) yay :) We were able to move all our stuff over to the new house in about six trips with a very tiny truck :) it was quite the adventure :) but even though we were moving and trying to get things in the house ready, we were able to work a little bit and get some visits in so that was nice! More and more of our investigators keep dropping us but its OK because were working hard and the lord will bless us :) On Sunday we had three of our investigators come to church! They were all out side the apartment complex where they live waiting for us to pick them up and walk with them, and they also came to the branch family night! whoohoo!

This week we have interviews with President Reber! I'm so excited :) he is such a great mission president! He will also be checking out our new house to make sure its secure, safe and fit for sister missionaries :) Also coming up is transfers on the 27th:) and I think I will probably be staying in Lucas but who knows :)

On Sunday I had to give a five minuet talk on family home evening :) it was great and everyone told me that my Portuguese was almost perfect! I'm sure they were just saying that to make me feel good but I'll accept the compliment anyway! :) The world cup ended this week (yay!) so we don't have to spend days in our house anymore :) Even though Germany won, all of Brazil was having a party because they all hate Argentina here, they say that they're ´´dirty players´´ so we were all Germany fans for the day :) Well that was my week :) Sorry its kinda short I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and support :) Love Shelby

Hello fan club!!

Alrighty Fan Club :)

Hows my most favorite people in the world? I'm doing great :) Sill in Brazil if you can believe it :) Just kidding :) The work is going great and I'm loving it here :)

We have a family that were teaching and they are so awesome :) they live in a tiny one room house and we teach them while sitting on the cement floor while they sit on their bed. They are awesome! We have been teaching them about the importance of marriage and also baptism but yesterday we showed them the restoration movie and I felt the spirit so strong! They loved the movie and afterwards they prayed to know if Joseph smith was a prophet and the book of Mormon is the word of god and we felt the spirit so strongly. I felt it testify in my heart so I know they felt it too! :) Well have to see how their doing this next week and see where were going to go from here :) Also this week sister Ines and I met a couple that is less active and they told us that before they had a meeting house here in Lucas the meetings were held in their home. (their pretty wealthy and have a large house) they were very nice and gave us cake and orange soda, which made me like them more :) haha :) They told us that they want to start coming back to church :) so were going to continue to visit them. Also this week I had a division with sister Kimball (one of my most favorite things in the world) and again I learned so much from her! The fourth of July was very uneventful and I actually forgot that it was the fourth of July. I remembered right before it was time to go to bed and quickly told sister Kimball (who is the only other American in our house) happy fourth of July :) The world cup has been exciting. It doesn't get to crazy here because were about 5 hours away from Cuiaba. but when Brazil plays we have to stay in our apartment for most of the day. and we can always tell when Brazil makes a goal because people honk their horns and set of lots of fire works and scream and yell :) its kinda funny :) Well everyone thank you for your love and your support! I love you all :) love Shelby