11/28/16 It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Wowee!!!! 4 months! Time is going by real fast real slowly :P

Well, lots happened yesterday and today is transfers, but both Leite and I are staying here!!! So excited!!!! We have so many people that we are working with here. Rita and Vitor, Gabriel´s Aunt and cousin. They live right next door to Fernando and Kate.

So... little back story about Sunday. So, yesterday we had church especially for Visitors. So all the lessons and talks were written especially for visitors and the members were asked to bring friends and invite a bunch of people to attend. There were 24 non members there :) So exciting!!! And 5 were our pesquisadores!! Rita, Vitor, Rony, Gabrielly, and Kauani!! So exciting!!! So Rita and Vitor said they loved it!!! Rita said "This is the church for me".... I literally almost started bawlin. :P Vitor said he liked it a lot too. Gabriel was also sharing his testimnoy with them the other day, so he helped a lot to build their testimonies :) Then we taught them A Restauração and Plano de Salvação and they loved it. Bore testimonies and now, they are wanting to get baptized :) SOOOO EXCITING!!!! :) :) :)

So yeah, that was yesterday. Also, literally everybody was soo nice. For Almoço the Irmã that we ate with gave us this huge bag of snacks to take home, a guy gave us 2 bags of this fruit to make juice with, then it started pouring rain while we were visiting less actives, so we went to a members house just to borrow an umbrella, but ended up changing shirts and getting something to drink and resting for a little and just feeling so loved :) Then we went to Fernandos and got desert and then Rita drove us home. Just felt so loved and so much of the Spirit yesterday :) Loved it :)

Anyways, so NOT TRANSFERRED!!! So happy :) We have some people to baptize :) Rita, Vitor, Gabrielly, Kauani, some new people, Maria Eduarda, which she is the sweetest person I have ever met...... she also loves the church and really wants to get baptized, Hemilly and João, and Tiago and Michelle. They all seem pretty promising and are all very nice :) So hopefully I am staying here to help get them baptized and stay firm in the church :)

Well, that was basically all the big stuff that happened this week. There were a couple other things, but I got pics of things :)

So one pic is of our apartment after our search for baratas, cockroaches. We found lots, got a pic of them too. It was a little family. DISGOOSTING-AH!!!! (disgusting in mirando voice :P) Sis Bilhalva was a champ and killed all of them. They were all hiding in the little cabinets.

Another pic is of a tree that says Arvore Harry Potter, I got my wand with me. 

Another is a place that we found near Gabriels place that looks kinda like WA, so took a pic of that, wishing that it was cold.

And the people in the pics are Rita, Vitor, Gabriel, Kate, and Fernando, which Kate got bit by their dog real bad on both of her arms. Shes ok, just got real bad gashes. 

And my shoe marks on my feet, a mean dog we saw, and a funny dog with his head in a hole,and this lady one day gave us a bag of fresh guava and abacaxi juice. So we got that :) Also, the city is ready for Christmas!!! It looks like Christmas, but definitley doesnt feel like it when its like 110 degrees everyday.  I have sooo many more pics, but dont have enough time to send them all.

Well, I love you all and hope that you guys had a great Thanksgiving!!!! I love you all and am sooooooo thankful for all of you!!! You all have helped me become who I am today and I am so thankful for you guys!!!

Have a great week you guys and keep looking up, when you are feeling sad or afraid, just look up and imagine who is up there looking down on you, wanting to help you :) I know Christ and Heavenly Father want to help you guys, just gotta look up and ask :) Love you all and keep smiling :) This gospel is so amazing and there really isn't anything more important than keeping the commandments we have from God and the prophets. I love this gospel and I love you :) Have a great week!!!! :)  Love, Sister Ferguson

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11/21/16 I'll Make a Senior Companion Out of You! (Sung in the tune of Mulan's I'll Make a Man Out of You.)

Hello Everyone!!!! Hope your Week has been amazing and full of laughs!!!! :)

Well, this week was pretty dang amazing. So, since this is my 11th week of training I get to be senior companion for 2 weeks.... woweeeeeee!!!! Get to talk to people on the phone, and then have to give it to Leite cuz I cant understand them and they can't understnad me!!!! Get to plan our week and have to start lessons that people can't understand cuz of my portuguese. So awesome I am so excited to do this for 2 weeks.................. *cough* *cough*

Well, nothing super awesome happened, just lots of little real nice things. So, sorry for this letter, its just gonna be a bunch of stories that happened... cuz there really isn't much to talk about :P  :)

So, Yesterday Gabriel was confirmed!!! And his Dad, Fernando and his girlyfriend, Kate, came :) Also, there was a Ward activity Saturday. We ate a bunch of food and took pics. It was really fun. Fernando and Kate came too with Gabriel! They are so confusing, they say they don't like the church, but come to church and all the activities that we have.... we're gonna work with them :)

Anyways, so yeah Gabriel, Fernando and Kate, Oh, we met a lady who seemed really promising and she said she would come to church, but turns out she was just drunk and didn't know what she was doing.... so almost another pesquisador, also another drunk guy started crying while I invited him to church. He was so touched that I gave him an invite... wowee.... so that was exciting.

A guy almost kissed me and the other sisters. We were at the bus stop heading to a district meeting. These 2 guys stopped, asked about our nametags, and then said that we were "Muito lindo, princesas..." Then he went to give me a hand shake first and then leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. I leaned back so far, almost felt like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix. He was literally 2 inches from my face. All the other sisters then kept repeating, "Não Pode!!" (you can't) over and over again as he tried the same thing with the other 3. XD It was funny, but my life did flash before my eyes.

Also, this week we had an activity in a closed ward, which means they don't have missionaries, to help bring in some new people to the ward. We basically had divisions for a day. I was with Sister Snow, she's from North Dakota, and she really only speaks Portuguese, but I can actually understand her. We met an old man named Joaquin. He was going for a walk, so we decided we were gonna walk with him to the church building. He liked it there and kept asking of there was gonna be food........there was. He was really nice and kept saying how excited he was to be walking with two Americanas XD Anyways, so there we helped him, ate some food and jumped on a trampoline!!! It was really exciting :)

We heard these 2 churches worshipping?????????? It was really strange and not reverent whatsoever. They were literally screaming, the preacher was screaming.... it sounded like a Slip Knot concert..... but they can worship anyways they like.... just...... yeah.

Well, that was this week. We are still trying with Gabrielly, Kauani, and Jose. They came to church yesterday, but Jose just won't allow them to get baptized. We want them to get baptized next week cuz it's transfers, and most likely Leite is getting transfered and I'm gonna stay here. So Leite wants to be here for them, so were stressing this to Jose. They are so ready to get baptized, but she doesn't think so. :/ We are still working. We have taught all the lessons, and now are just reading O Livro de Mórmon.

Anywho, thank you all for your support and love. I love you all and am so happy to be out here serving a mission. Things are hard, but man...... When you only talk about Christ and His love for you and everyone on this earth, you can't help but be happy :) OH!!! Did any of you guys change a little thing this week? Could you see a difference? I tried to smile more and laugh more with the members, and I can definitely see a difference. If you didn't keep working and find another thing to change :) I know that you will recieve such great blessings from changing such a small thing :) I love you all and hope you have a great week. :) Also, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!

Love you all!!!!!! 

Love- Sister Ferguson

Pics 11/14/16

11/14/16 PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH!!!! PEOPLE IN THE WATER!!!

Hello Everybody!!!!! Ya´ll wanna baptism? I do too :P

Well.... good news you guys are gonna get one!!!!! Gabriel got baptized yesterday!!! It was crazy. So, saturday we asked him if he wanted to baptized Sundayand he said maybe. Also his family doesn't want him to get baptized so soon,( his dad and his dad's girlfriend) But, he said "maybe tomorrow, I have to think about it." So yesterday morning Leite and I went to the church to get baptism clothes just in case he changed his mind. So when we were there, he was there too and also Kauani, Gabrielly and their mom. Jose was there too!!! So conference was "fire" man. So good. I'm pretty sure the talks are what changed Gabriel's mind. They were so good!!!! So after Leite asked if he wanted to get baptized, he said yes. She asked "today? "He said "Can we?" and then yeah. It was pretty exciting!!! So wow Gabriel!!!! So excited for him :)

Anyways, so something about Fernando, Gabriel's Dad. So a couple days ago we taught Gabriel the Word of Wisdom. Fernando and Kate stay and listen to the lessons everytime. So we taught that and They asked a lot of questions about coffee and why we don't drink it.... it was a weird conversation... anyways, so the next day we went over to talk to Gabriel and there is a pot of tea on the table XD Fernando went and got tea XD Also, when he came in, he acted like he didnt buy it cuz of what we said yesterday, but only that coffee was givng him a headache XD Oh Fernando. He wants to join the church so bad, but Kate doesnt want him to. She is very firm in the Church Universal. So that was kinda funny.

Well, not a lot happened this week. Nelson left for his Mission. He was the one that baptized Niro He went to Paraguay. It's been really stormy here and rainy, I love it, and my shampoo fell out the window in the bathroom cuz of the wind... 3 stories... it didn't brake so that's good :P Well... I am definitely enjoying my mission more and am more excited to go out and preach. I had some real bad allergies this week and I had to stay in one day to get better. During that time I was able to really think about why Im here and why I traveled all the way over to Brasil for a year and a 1/2. I know that this is what I need to do. And each day I am making a difference.

Every little thing we do changes someone in this world... we may not know who, but it does. I have something for you guys to think about htis week. Think of all the little things you do on a daily basis. Think about the influence that they can have on someone. Is it a good influence or a not so good one? If a not so good, change it. Find another thing that could make a person just the tiniest bit happier. Like being positive or smiling, or looking up and not at the ground, a hug, a compliment, a joke, anything. Just think about it :) I know that once you start doing this small thing everyday, you will see such a big difference in people and in yourself :)

I love you all and hope you all have a great week. It's the little things that count!!!

Love-Sister Ferguson

these are some pics from halloween, and my shampoo that fell out the window and the baptism :)

11/7/16 Old MacLondrina Had a Farm

HOOOOOOO MAAAAANNN!!!!! I am so pumped right now. We had such a good day yesterday :) HOO HOO HOO HOO!!! 

So, first, just gotta talk about Sunday. So, this week we met some real cool peeps. Jose, who has 2 daughters, 8 and 10, a 15 year old son, and Marido Crodoaldo, they're not married, but live together. So, she is interested and her daughters are too. She Marido is a member actually, but was baptized like 20 years ago. He is definitely less active, but we've sparked his interest again. Her son was baptized 5 years ago, but is less active now too. Her whole family basically are members, but not her. So we taught them, and yesterday her 2 daughters came to church... and they wanna get baptized!! She said they could too!! So now, just gotta prepare. :) Then, we met a lady, Adriana, who was just a contact, we are not the first missionaries to teach her. She has 2 kids. They came to church too :) Also, we met this family, Gabriel, who's like 20 or 24... Fernando, Dad, and Kate, Mom. So yesterday we weren't expecting them to come, but during church while talking with Adriana, we Leite and I both saw Gabriel walk by. Leite flipped. She literally started running or waddling with her boot over to them out in the hallway. It was hilarious. She yelled Gabriel and then started "running". Hoo man. So we had 6 whole people come to church yesterday!!!! So exciting. :) Also, during sacrament meeting, Niro came and sat by me and asked when he could go to the temple. I literally almost started crying. Yesterday was testimony meeting so a bunch of people were talking about the opportunity they had to visit the temple... there was a big ward temple trip on Thursday and Friday. It was so amazing. Niro is literally the best :) 

Anyways.... so now that I got all my spiritual experiences out, I got some funnies. :) 

So, while walking over to a pesquisadores house, we met this goat. We took pics with him :) Then, a guy passed by and said that he was very brave and we need to be careful. So we left and then, the goat started following us. He was pretty big, for a goat that is. Then he started going over to this other guy and started jumping and kicking and standing up, trying to attack him!!!!! It was crazy. We needed to walk down the hill that he was on, but we didnt really wanna fulfill the plan of Salvation at that moment, if you know what I mean.... (missionary jokes.... wow) So yeah. He was crazy. Finally he left and we were able to talk to Anna, who is another person. She didn't come to church. 

Also, while walking we made a contact with this guy and he said that he wasn't worthy to talk to us and that he doesn't want our support or welcoming smiles. So.... that was weird. And when we were gonna leave he asked to pray, so he put out his hands and we prayed together. Which Leite talked about God's love and His spirit, in which the guy responded with very loud and firm "Amens!" Then when she started speaking about prophets and things about the gospel, he said Amem even louder and wouldn't stop. It was strange, but this is a normal thing here :P 

Anyways.... there are a couple of other things, like almost being attacked by 2 big birds while walking to our District meeting, some members got mission calls, Chile and Mendonca Argentina, made a poster about the Plan of Salvation, made 72 contacts in one day, and had a fly go in my mouth during a prayer with some pesquisadores. :) This week was really good. Also, met the cutest little puppies I have ever seen (and kittens, played with them too :) Got pics. So lots of animals this week, thats why the title is what it is. Also It's mating season for these huge bugs, they sound like cicadas, but I'm not sure, I got a pic of one and they literally sound like aliens. Its everywhere and everyday. Really annoying. Anyways, lots of animals, and I am not complaining :) 

Well.... mission is getting so much better. I am loving it more and more each day. I am not super homesick and am getting lost in the work :) I love you guys so much and I hope you guys have a good week. Stay positive and remember that you are a child of God and He loves you so much :) You are literally never alone... just gotta pray and you will be comforted :) I have grown to actually know this here and that there is nothing more important in this life than remembering Him. Each and everyday my love grows and I know that this gospel is the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. We have a prophet today and 12 apóstolos, chipo when Jesus Christ established His church on the earth. It literally is the same church and has the same authority of God. I love you all and hope that you really and truly know this too, because it is... and you gotta know the truth :) I am so thankful for this time to learn more about my Savior and Heavenly Father here in Brasil. Even though it is in a different language I can still feel the Spirit like I have always been able to. I Love you all!!!!!! 

Com Amor,

Sister Ferguson

Pictures from 10/31/16 - 11/07/16

Bought some painting supplies and painted these birds.

10/31/16 Where In the World is Everybody?

Hello Everybody!!!!! Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!! :)

Well, another week, with not much luck with people..... We have gotten some new pesquisadores, but they aren't really progressing. We met a guy that seemed really interested, Antonio and we asked if we could teach his family about the gospel, but he said that his wife doesn't like other churches. So We returned another day to talk to him, but his wife was there. So we talked to her about the church and she was really excited to learn more and really liked the church...... So that was weird. That day we made 58 contacts!!! We usually make like 20 or 25 everyday so it was really exciting for us :)

Então, this week we mainly rested cuz Sister Santos´ back hurt really bad and she and Leite had a lot of medical appointments. So we would work a bunch one day and then rest the next. Not much happened. It rained a lot and there was a lot of thunder and lightning. Walked a lot in the rain... and have new people in our district. Also Sister Santos is going home. She has finished a year of her mission, but her back is hurting way too much and she can't work. So that's sad :( But She is excited to go home :)

Umm..... I had my anniversary for 3 months of the mission!! Every 27th is my anniversary!!!! So exciting :) I held a bird which kept asking me "Tudo Bem?" It was really cute :) Tried to make cookies for Reunião do Distrito e Zona, but they didnt work out for some reason. Stayed up till 11 trying to make them, but... I'm a Fergsuon, dont really have the best of luck :P

OH!! Something that was funny, so while walking one day, there was this old man that just started running yelling at another guy in front of us walking with a dog. He was really old and didn't have a shirt and was yelling "Ele meu cachorro!!!!! Voltar aqui!!!!" (He´s my dog!!! Come back here!!!) He was getting closer to the other guy and when he was getting closer the other guy started running. While running his pants kept on falling down and the dog kept getting in his way. It was hilarious. So we have a running joke, literally, of "Voltar aqui!!!" Leite died when she saw this and sometimes she like has these little bursts of laughter cuz she remembers it, and at the weirdest times too :P

Well, sorry this letter isn't really exciting. Nothing really has happened. Oh we went to a Halloween party for the ward, only there for like 10 mins, but saw everybody and their cool costumes :)

Well, this week mentally was pretty hard. It was really hard to stay positive, but I made it.... Just had to think about the wonderful blessings that will come from this mission, for my family, friends, and my future family as well. It is hard, but so worth it. Especially when I know that this gospel is nothing but happiness. I love this gospel so much and I am so thankfl for it. This is why I'm here..... serving in Brasil to share this light and happiness. I know that life is hard, but when we just stop and think about all the blessings that we already have, life gets so much easier. COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS!!!! Literally name them one by one :)

I love all of you and hope that you guys have a great week count your blessings, cuz you all have so many, just gotta look for them :)  and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! 
Sister Ferguson