week 6 . There's MORE SOL in MOSSORO (you dont pronounce the L in sol so that actually works as a pun okay?)

[mom note: the post titles are all Meg. I am not the one grasping at straws to make a pun. All her.)

Links in red (click for more info)

Well it's official! I'm in the CAMPO! (mom note: field)

Wow. I have so so so much that I could write about this week, but I'm short on time (and a bunch of people sent me emails that I needed this week so I was reading those which took up time. But thank you thank you to each and every one of you who emailed me. If I didn't reply it's just because I'm so short on time today, not because I didn't love your email. Because I did.).

So yesterday I said bye to my sweet sweet CTM Sisters (and cried a ton) and got on a bus with all Elders. I was literally the one and only sister going to Natal haha. I slept through the entireeee flight. Like before the plane even started moving until we had landed. So exhausted. Then we got to the airport and met up with Pres and Sis Soares and the APs and they were all SO nice. Took a bus to the mission escritorio (mom note: office) and a chapel and met up with all the missionaries who would be our trainers. The Elders didn't find out until later who would train them, but it was fairly obvious for me since I was the only sister haha. My mãe (mom//trainer) is Sister Garcia. She is the absolute sweetest person I've ever met. And she's hilarious. Thank goodness. She keeps calling me her filha (mom note: child/daughter) and taking wonderful care of me.

I genuinely feel like a baby here though. I have no idea what's going on or what anyone's saying so I just smile and laugh a lot (which is definitely why babies always laugh, they just don't know what's going on). This is also the reason why I think babies cry a lot. It's definitely pretty frustrating not being able to talk to people or only understand them half the time. The language barrier is killing me right now. But I know that as I work hard and exercise a lot of faith, that will pass and I will be able to speak Portuguese. Heavenly Father has promised me that in my mission call. So I will preach the gospel in the portuguese language. It's just going to take an adjustment period. 

Yesterday Pres Soares welcomed us to "O Melhor Missão do Mundo!" He said, I know everyone says their mission is the best, but ours actually is. Apparently our mission is #3 for number of baptisms in Brazil!!!! What?! And even better, it is #1 in retention! Go Brazil Natal! Am I right?? We did contacting yesterday on the street and the people are so open here! They are so willing to talk about God and Jesus Christ and genuinely want to follow his example. We invited people to be baptized while we were contacting yesterday. Like, Hey how's it going? Will you be baptized? Okay slightly more in depth than that, but that's the basic idea. And we had six people who were interested! We set them up with the missionaries in that area to take things further! Crazy crazy crazy! 

Last night we slept in the casa (mom note: house) by the escritorio (mom note: office) with the sisters in that area. And I met the other Sister Baker! Haha. She's way cool. But since there's already one Sister Baker, that means that I'm going to be "Sister M Baker" which in Brazil sounds like Sister Emmy Baker so I feel like I stole Pie's name haha. [mom note: there is actually a third Sister Baker going to her mission that just entered the CTM today...that won't be confusing haha] But the sisters were all so nice and understanding that I was tired and shellshocked but they all talked to me and were so sweet and I'm already so grateful for every sister here in this mission. 

Today has been more traveling! Sister Garcia and I are in Mossoro. Which apparently has great great ward members, tons of baptisms, and is one of the hottest places in the mission. Haha, of course. Like Natal itself was actually really nice and breezy, but here it's hot hot hot and the sun is apparently stronger than in other parts. Holla. Haha. [mom note: when I saw where she was living I checked yahoo weather. It said it was 92 degrees with 48% humidity and a real feel of 106 degrees. Keep in mind its the tail end of winter for them. I guarantee she will be missing her beloved Provo winter weather] But other than the heat this seems like the best area that I could start my mission in and I'm SO excited to just get to work! Also in my area are three out of the four elders from my CTM district. Elders Fallon, Collier, and Phillips are all in my area and I think a couple or all of them are living in the same house as each other. I definitely thought we'd all be split up, but I'm way excited that I'll see them around still. Poor Elder Giles is all by himself in Sousa, but we'll see him later this month probably, and he's working harder than anyone at the language so I know he'll be fine. 

I know this email is lacking my usual charm and embarrassing stories, but there was just too much that happened in the last couple days to even go into my whole week! And if this email doesn't make any sense, cut me some slack haha. I've only heard portuguese for the past few days so my english might be off. 

I miss you guys more than I can explain. This is HARD. Probably the hardest thing I've ever done. And it's only the second day in the field. But this work is worth it. I do not doubt that for one second. 

I love you so much!!!!

Sister Baker

PS // I asked Pres and Sis Soares about Davis and President Soares said "I love that guy!" haha. Way cool connection! (mom note: Davis is Megan's cousin. He and his family lived in Brazil for a few years. If I remember correctly Davis served in the stake with President Soares and was also the Soares' home teacher)

[mom note: none of these pictures came with an explanation so I'm guessing on what or who some of them are]

View from the CTM in Sao Paulo

Comic book version of the scriptures...looks like a Megan doodle job but I can't be sure

CTM teachers

CTM Mission President and wife...President and Sister Swenson

Sao Paulo Temple

Megan's district at the Sao Paulo Temple...Sister Clinger, Sister Hatton, Sister Hartvigsen, Sister Johnson, Elder Fallon, Elder Giles, Elder Phillips and Elder Collier

Megan and Sister Clinger at the Sao Paulo Temple

Sister Clinger, Sister Hatton, Megan, Sister Hartvigsen and Sister Johnson at the Campinas Temple

All the missionaries in the CTM going to the Natal mission...one of these things is not like the others

All the Natal missionaries once they arrived at the Mission Home. 

Megan with her companion Sister Garcia and her mission president and wife...President and Sister Soares

Megan and Sister Garcia

week 4 . never postpone a prompting

Links in red (click for more info)

Alright everyone! Another fab week at the CTM!

We got two new "investigators" this week! So we've got Carla, Selete, and Brooks & David. The thing about the last two is that they are actually Elders Collier and Fallon from our district! So that is sort of weird and sort of the coolest. And Sis Clinger and I are Jaqueline and Thais for Elders Phillips and Giles which is fun. It's really cool to be on the investigators side of things to see what they are thinking during a lesson and what things we can do to bring the spirit more and to help them understand.

But speaking of investigators.. Carla's baptism was scheduled for Aug 30th and we showed up at her "house" the next day and I'm pumped beyond belief and ask her how excited she is to be baptized. And she just stared at us with the saddest look on her face and didn't say a word. . . she didn't get baptized. And I know she's not real, it's just Irma Blanco playing Carla but boy oh boy in that moment did it feel real. It was a really hard lesson for Sis Clinger and I, because it felt really real and we were both so heartbroken for her. But it also was probably one of our best lessons because we were so completely led by the spirit "not knowing beforehand the things which [we] should do." [mom note: 1 Nephi 4:6] We didn't talk very much. There was a point where I almost asked a question to break the silence, but I just knew that I needed to be quiet, and a minute later Sis Clinger asked the perfect question that brought the spirit so powerfully. My companion is a rockstar! Carla talked, we listened. The spirit spoke to us and her, we listened. All we did was figure out what the problem was and reset a baptismal date and now she is right on track to be baptized on the 8th! So even though it was hard in the moment, it was such an awesome experience.

Yesterday I had a moment where I was just feeling like not enough. Like I wasn't doing enough, like I didn't know enough, and just like not a good enough missionary. But my district ended up reading Alma 26 (all separately but talking about it together) and it is phenomenal. I think I marked the whole chapter, no joke. There was even a verse that talked about how "God is watching over us wanderers in a strange land' which was so cool. [mom note: verse 36] I have to keep reminding myself that as long as I'm doing my best, my Heavenly Father will pick up the slack. Because I can't do this alone. And He knows that. And He wants to and will help me if I trust in Him. This hit me really powerfully today as we went to the Sao Paulo temple for the first time. It is BEAUTIFUL. And the spirit and the love of God was so present there. So thankful for the scriptures and the opportunity to go to the temple every week.

OKAY THANK YOU MOM AND DAD FOR THE PIZZA PARTY AND PACKAGE. It made my district's and my day. And maybe week. And maybe entire CTM experience. Honestly it was the best Pday ever, so fun. So delicious. And so weird that Dad was just outside the CTM. I can't wrap my head around it, and I think it's better if I just don't because it freaks me out knowing that he was so close.

Alright the moment you've all been waiting for. . . #minhavida

(1) The classic fall in TRC from last week. . . well there was a video and my entire district plus Irma Blanco watched it and died. Also Sis Johnson was talking about how funny it was in front of this Irmao worker man and he just goes, I know. And she asks him if he watched it and he just nods and laughs so hard. So he probably posted it on YouTube or something. Wouldn't be surprised if Ellen wants me on the show when I'm home.

(2) When I was taking off my makeup the other night I had black all around one eye and I turn to Sis Clinger and say, hey look I'm a dog! Then I put my hair up in two pigtails and traipse over to the other Sisters' room (in my granny nightgown) and open the door and bark at them. Don't know why. I really don't. But the best part is they had a new little Brazilian sister as a roommate and I guarantee she thinks I'm actually insane now.

(3) There was a visa waiter Elder who showed up the other day and looked so familiar. I was pretty sure I knew him from the dorms so I saw him about to go into dinner and like basically ran over to him and yelled at him that he looked familiar. Okay I didn't yell, but I was excited. And he's just like, oh? And I lowkey grilled him on whether he lived in the dorms and when and what building etc etc and we were in the same ward freshman year! But he was not as excited as I was and sort of just walked away while I was still talking. And now I'm 99% sure he's avoiding me because when he was walking down the hall he saw me and literally turned around and went down the stairs the other way. Ouch.

(4) Accidentally threw a pen right at Elder Phillip's head. He's a trooper and forgave me, but it looked like it hurt. Oops.

Some housekeeping stuff :: I've been getting all the pictures from you guys and LOVE them, more more more! Thanks pie for the MEN picture, much appreciated. [mom note: a picture of Megan, Emily and Nathan McBride their cousin. I had to ask Emily cause I wondered what "MEN" pictures she was sending haha] But fo real. I would like more pictures of everyone!

Okay I'll end with a story from Sunday night. So church on Sunday was phenomenal every talk, lesson, everything was perfect. Great great day. And during one class President Swensen talked about never postponing a prompting. Which seemed obvious. Duh, always do what the spirit says right away! But that night when I was in bed, I could not fall asleep because I kept thinking 1 Thesselonians 4 in my head. Which was weird becuase I wasn't even sure if there was a chapter 4 in Thesselonians, and to be honest I'm not really familiar with Thesselonians at all haha. And I almost got out of bed and read it just so I could fall asleep, but I didn't want to wake anyone up so I put it off until personal study. I'm sure you all already see what's wrong with this story. I ignored my CTM President's counsel in the very day that he gave it! I felt so dumb the next morning for postponing something that I knew was a prompting from the spirit, because it most definitely was not from me. I read the chapter during personal study and it's wonderful. Go read it (and Alma 26) for homework ;). And there wasn't anything life changing in there that necessarily mattered the night before. But God had prompted me to read the night before, so I should've read the night before. But because of this I made a promise to myself from that day on to never postpone a prompting no matter how small it seems or what's going on. Heavenly Father's ways are higher than our ways!

Alright, time for me to go! But I love all of you so much! I love the CTM! I love my district (leaving them in a week and a half is going to be the worst)! And I love being a missionary for this church! Because this Gospel is true! I know that with all my heart because I've read the Book of Mormon, I've prayed to God and asked Him, and I know!

All my love,

Sister Baker