January 28, 2019

The joy of His Gospel!

It was a quick week!! Also, today is 2 months in the mission, whoop!

We had a great week here in São José dos Campos! There is almost always a giant lightning and thunder storm every day and we have some how always ended up taking shelter in an Açai shop until it passes :)

I had a great week and can understand a ton more and can actually sorta talk to the people so it has been really great! I still know very little but the progress is coming along and the Lord helps me accomplish my mission each day!

We went to the downtown area to a members apartment (they are pretty wealthy here in my area) and she had this darling tea set display that I asked to take a picture to send to you ahaha A lot of members have cute and beautiful tea sets so I may come home with a tea set next may.... also, every Sunday night we go to a members house for tea...it´s so great! The members are so sweet and really take care of us..we received a ton of food from all different members so we are set! :) 

Sister Miller looks out for me too and checks in from time to time because of our Camarillo connection! I love talking to her about cam! She graduated cam high in 1971 so its fun seeing the differences and similarities! haha

It is so awesome contacting people on the street and clapping at houses because the Brazilians are very open to talking about Jesus Christ and will listen to our quick message about Him.

We started teaching this wonderful family of a daughter our age, a son in his 20s and the mother and father. They are so sweet and really liked hearing about the Restoration! Another one of our investigators we visited a few times and she always is so sweet and loves hearing our messages! She wanted us to go shopping with her at the mall one evening haha but it was in a different area and we had appointments. I am excited to continue teaching them about Jesus Christ and the glorious joys His gospel holds! 

During one of my personal studies this week, I was reading the verse in Doctrine and Covenants 62:3 and found this awesome quote by Elder Packer: ´´The Spirit and testimony of Christ will come to for the most part when, and remain with you only if you share it...you cannot find it, nor keep it, nor enlarge it unless and until you are willing to share it. It is by giving it away freely that is becomes yours.´´ And it is true! My testimony has grown a lot over the past 2 months and especially 3 weeks sharing and bearing my witness of the Savior! 

I encourage each of you to this week to find someone either a friend or a family member to share your testimony of Christ, and I know you will have an increase of your own testimony!

Eu sei que vive meu Senhor! Amor de Christ é por todas as pessoas! 

Love to all! Have a great week!!


-Sister Giles

January 21, 2019

"Get off the Road"

Olá!!

It has been a better week for sure!! I am doing better in the language in that I can understand better and have more confidence to talk to people haha but I love sharing the gospel and teaching them about Jesus Christ!! Brazilians are so fun and loving. I think of the fam alot and you guys give me strength! Thanks for your example and love!! I feel it everyday! We eat rice and beans and some sort of meat at lunch with the members, then will have some bread we bought a the store or candy at night time when we return haha or people feed us sometimes when we are in their houses teaching.

I am able to understand a lot better what people are saying although they still speak very, very...very fast ahah. Brazilians are super crazy but fun and loving!! Let's just say when I get into a car with a member or ride the bus it feels like riding the Matterhorn at Disneyland. No seat belts, super jerky and bumpy, no brakes, and whip around corners going super fast. But Heavenly Father watches over every single one of his children and sends angels, especially when they need them!

After emailing last week, my companion looked one way to cross the street and then looked the other way, then started to run across and a car came flying by and hit her. Do not worry though because she is absolutely and totally fine! I am pretty sure she made the long jump record because when the car hit her she flew and landed on her bum in the middle of the road. Where is frodo telling you to get off the road when you need him? I ran out to get her but she was already standing up and we walked back over to the sidewalk where the ladies that hit her came running over and took us to the hospital. She has three major bruises on her knee, thigh and elbow but nothing else! She was conscience (which is a sincere blessing because I cannot speak the language and didn't know how to use the phone, which she taught me how in the hospital haha) and we were in and out of the hospital in 2 hours. The ladies were very nice and we got to share about the gospel with them, so teaching opportunity-sweet! A member was driving by and thinks she was going about 30 to 35 mph so it really was a miracle!

The rest of the week was really good! We met a lady in the park walking her dog and she really wanted to learn more, so on Thursday we went and taught her about the Restoration and she started to cry during it and told us that is exactly what she has been needing to hear! Super neat! We will visit her again tomorrow and I am very excited!

A recent convert who got baptized a month before I came, named Junior, received the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday and that was awesome! He wants to go to the temple next month with the ward, so we will be able to go! There are a lot of less actives in the ward, so we try to visit them as much as possible. We have a bigger area and only one ward, so we are planning an activity to help get the members involved in the missionary work...more details to follow next week :)

On Friday I had my first Zone Conference and that was fun! It was nice to see some familiar faces from the CTM and meet other missionaries in the Zone! Presidente and Sister Miller are really great and they came to check on our apartment, so we got a VIP ride back which was nice (air conditioning!).

It has been pretty hot, but thankfully no or little humidity and there is usually a nice breeze or shade to cool us down...or açai, which we get a lot haha. It is super delicious!

I love being here in Brazil and sharing about our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ and His ministry here in the Americas! You can really feel that these people are the descendants of the Lamanites because of their eagerness and yearning to learn more about Jesus Christ.

Have a fantastic week!!

-Sister Giles

First week/AREA!!! January 14, 2019

Olá!!!

This has been one crazy week of adapting to the new changes and whole new routine of life! When I first hopped out of the van at the mission home, Sister Miller(our Mission Presidents wife) came up to me and said ''Hello sister Giles, I am from Camarillo too!'' It made my whole week!! She grew up and joined the church in good ole Cam and graduated from Cam High! It is definitely so fun to talk about home with her and is sweet blessing!

I am in more of the countryside called São Josê dos Campos! It has a main city than some suburbs and country side. The people are absolutely amazing!! My trainer is Sister Ashcraft from Springville, Utah and she is awesome!! She is really good about sticking to speaking Portuguese but it is nice when we really need to communicate we can speak English. So nice! She has helped me with the language a lot this week and I am feeling more comfortable talking to people.

We wake up at 7 am in our mission which is super nice, get ready for the day, do personal and companion study, then head out the door at 11 or 11:30 for our Lunches with members! That is their main meal here. Then we walk to our appointments, we have taken the bus twice, so it is mostly walking around and visit less active members or go contacting! Contacting is so much fun! The people here are very open to talking about religion and are interested to hear our message. Super awesome! I wore pants for the first time Saturday and it was very weird haha but it has been getting warmer and warmer so we try to stay cool with eating lots of Açai....so delicious!!

On Friday we had a really neat experience where it was hot out and we were out walking when Sister Ashcraft stops and we talk to an older man sitting outside of his garage smoking his cigarette. Then 2 minutes later his wife comes back from shopping and invites us in for water. Seriously 3 minutes later it started absolutely pouring outside and begins to hail! The streets flood and it went non stop for almost an hour. So got to chat about the gospel and watch the rain storm with this fun couple. God knows each of us and cares for His children! We were worried that our house would be flooded because there are openings under the doors, but when we returned everything was fine. Tender blessings!!

2 hour church was really cool and the members are really welcoming and so sweet! Only 8 bug bites this last week, not too bad I thought! haha

Thank you for all your support and love! It is so worth it to share the message of Christ with these wonderful people! I hope you all have a great week!

-Sister Giles

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

Letter from President and Sister Miller:

Sister Miller and I were excited to welcome Sister Giles to the Brazil São Paulo East Mission. She has been assigned to an area with a companion who will serve as her in-field trainer. You should receive an email or letter from your missionary in the next 10 days in which she will tell you about her area and her new companion. Her companion has been given the assignment to help your missionary become a powerful instrument in the hands of God in her missionary service. Sister Miller and I will also do everything in our power to help her have a successful mission experience.

Preparation day for our mission is on Mondays. All missionaries are given the opportunity to email and/or write their families and close friends on that day. In as much as their time on the internet is limited, we encourage all to be brief in their communications. The use of internet social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other chat sites, including email “conversations”, are not approved for missionary use. Note also that missionaries are allowed to call home, but only on Mother’s Day and Christmas Day. Should family emergencies arise or you have concerns or questions, please contact us in the mission office.

Letters and packages from home must be sent directly to the mission office. The office address is:

Rua Caa-Açu, 229 Belenzinho

03122-010 Sâo Paulo SP

Brazil

We are confident that Sister Giles will enjoy spiritual experiences and see miracles occur in the lives of people as she dedicates all of her heart, might, mind, and strength to this sacred calling from the Lord. We invite you to join your faith and prayers with ours in her behalf.

Sincerely yours,

President and Sister Miller

December 18, 2018

Feliz Natal!

Hello!!!

The weeks are starting to fly here at the CTM! On Thursday, Friday and Saturday we did splits with the Brazilian missionaries, where we ate lunch together, then prepared a lesson to give and then taught the lesson (all in Portuguese of course) and then were taught a lesson by another companionship. It was fun and very informative of how little I know haha (they speak very fast) but my companion Sister Ferriera was very sweet and she spoke some English so it was good! I just would read from the pamphlet and then bear my testimony in Portuguese and she did all the rest! I love her!

The temple last PDay was spectacular as always! We went to the Sao Paulo temple again and will go there again tomorrow! Maybe next week we will go to the Campengus temple! Anyways, we got back and went across the street to Mr. Cheneys cookies...they are SO GOOD! Then Sister Vaenuku and I went with our sweet American friends Sister Larsen and Sister Jarrett to get dessert empanadas from a street market and then got a few things at the grocery store (aka snacks and candy). We met up for dinner with the American trio as well (Sister Vuyk, Sister Wilkin, and Sister Andersen) where we went to a delicious burger place called Firewood and it was the most delicious thing!! A sweet taste of home, but I am definitely enjoying this whole new experience in this great country!

Today was super sad because they all left this morning to go to their missions, so it has been a quiet and empty day here at the CTM. A new bunch comes in tomorrow, so now it it our turn to show them the love and friendship we have felt so dearly from the ones before us! Our sweet Brazilian friends on our hallway left as well and they are the absolute cutest things!! Everyone calls Sister Vawnuku Moana and it is so funny, but these dear Brazilian friends call me Cinderella as well haha Sister Vaenuku and I sang them the EFY medley last night and they started crying and said they loved hearing the voices of Moana and Cinderella haha oh how I will miss them and our fun dinner talks where it takes 5 minutes to express what we are saying hahaha

Also, Sister Vaenuku and I became Sister training leaders, but no one has said if any Sisters are coming in tomorrow, so maybe we will be training each other? lol 

It has been getting quite hotter here, so I am trying to utilize the air conditioning as much as possible. Our classrooms have AC but our rooms do not so that is where the sweating really happens...but the rain helps to cool down the temperature so that has been a blessing! 

I am absolutely loving the people here and learning the Portuguese language has been such a hard, but rewarding experience! Learning and teaching the Doctrines of Christ daily has been the biggest blessing of all! I love my Savior and am grateful for this opportunity to serve Him and the people here! Feliz Natal! I cant wait to call next week for Christmas! I hope you all have a very special Christmas! Love to all! 

Sister Giles

December 11, 2018

CTM is awesome!! Beans and rice daily but the people are incredible!! Not a lot of time, so real fast, Sister Vaenuku and I have been teaching our investigators (our instructors) every day and we have definitely improved, which is nice to know haha our Portuguese is still minimal but it is so fun to be around the natives and be immersed in it.

 The Sao Paola temple was so beautiful and really neat to do a session in Portuguese! I love my time here and am loving Brazil!! We can walk down the street for P day so we can go to stores and buy food which is a nice break! The weather is different everyday, from cold to super warm, like today, super hot! It has been so awesome to be immersed in the gospel everyday and I loved the |Christmas devotional where Pres Nelson invited us to read the Spirit of Christ this season! I encourage you all to share His love with all around you! His love is everlasting!!


The temple was INCREDIBLE!! Its smaller but so beautiful!! There is this beautiful stained glass at the entrance inside of Jesus standing and all the people coming to touch him and embrace him, the colors are amazing in it and the message is even better! The grounds remind me of the LA TEMPLE where the gates come right up to a busy street! Being there brings a sweet taste of home and I cannot wait to go back tomorrow!!


I am absolutely loving the people here, seriously the sweetest, they embrace every chance they can and do a little kiss on the cheek which is so precious! I love my roommates and companion and my district is pretty sweet! It has been extremely hard work learning a new language in such a short time but have definitely seen the Lords hand in my life in helping me speak to those around me! Love it!!!

Thanks for all your well wishes and prayer! I love this work and Brazil!

-Sister Giles

Brazil CTM November 28, 2018

Ola Família e Friends!!!!

What a whirlwind of a week it has been!!

Tuesday I flew to Atlanta and met up with 11 other missionaries where we all flew to Brazil together which was a huge comfort! The flight was SO long, but landing was pretty cool....and scary! It definitely takes getting used to living in another country, which has its ups and downs. The MTC (or CTM here) has been pretty sweet so far! The cafeteria food is pretty good, except we have the same thing every.single.day. But that's okay! Rice and beans are a staple for sure. My companion is Sister Vaenuku! She flew straight from Tonga where she is from.....and Tongan people are amazing!! She is so friendly and loving and we get along really well!! We are in a district with 2 companionships of Elders who I flew over here with. The other 2 Elder companionships and one other Sister American companionship are in another district and we all stick together which is great! There are about 25 other Americans here which has been such a relief to talk to in english haha! Although all the Brazilians are ridiculously fun and super sweet! In our dormitory are Sis Vaenuku and I, the 2 other American sisters one from Utah and one from nor cal that we are really close with and then a Brazilian companionship of Sister Fernandes and Sister Diaz- THE absolute sweetest and cutest things! Also, we have a trio companionship of American sisters down the hallway and they really helped us adjust the first few days and have been great friends! Almost all the Brazilians we come in contact with are so understanding of the language barrier and try to teach us new words which is super helpful and they also want to learn English as well! Every broken conversation we have is such a treat (they mostly happen in the cafeteria or bathroom and that's where we have the most laughs with them haha)! Surprisingly, not too many bugs yet and even more surprisingly I have only been bitten twice! Legal! (cool in Portuguese!)


Missionary work is definitely hard work, but so rewarding, just like the gospel of Jesus Christ! We watched a devotion by Elder Holland from a few years back to the Provo MTC and he really emphasized the importance of missionary work and that it is not to be taken lightly. All of us as disciples of Christ are to follow the direct path of the Savior, which He did not so easy a path, from being scorned and mocked and bearing the Cross alone, we too will have trials and hardships, but we will never experience aloneness because Christ is always with us!

We are in our district classroom basically from 7 30 am to 8 30 pm every day except Sundays and Wednesdays (P days) but we have already learned a lot more Portuguese than we knew one week ago haha! We have already started teaching our 2 investigators (our two teachers Sister Gabriela and Brother Louza pretend to be our investigators) with the little Portuguese we know (it is a super small amount). They are fun and very instructive! Fun fact! Most Brazilians I am finding learn English through American YouTube videos, movies, and TV shows they watch in English or from American companions, so basically self taught! Super cool!

On Friday we watched and had a count down to turn on the Christmas lights in the MTC but it was raining so we watched from inside haha. It has rained every other day so far, except today was pretty warm! We are not allowed to take pictures except for Pdays but cannot upload them while at the MTC so I will send them all when I get out in the field in 5 weeks! Some instructors have emailed a few photos so I will send those! We do a session at the temple on wed mornings for pday so that is why we write on Tuesdays. My district is going to the Sao Paulo temple tomorrow so I am super excited!!

I am so excited for this opportunity to serve the people here in Brazil and am so grateful for all the love and support of my family and friends!!

Love to all!

Sister Giles