7-11-11

ÓLA!!!!

I hope all of your weeks were just dandy! Mine was great! To start I would like to publically wish my wonderful mother a very happy birthday....yesterday! And yes, mom I did celebrate. That is weird I think I had more of a celebration for your birthday than for mine. But it was great. First of all we have lunch in members houses everyday right? right! And yesterday was just regular nothing special but after church the Sister in the branch that has lunch next week wanted to switch...why? Becuase it was her birthday and she wanted to spend it with the missionaries! How perfect right? So we had a little party at her house with her whole family and we had cake and everything. And then last night we has a little party too, it was really in relation to anyones birthday but it was really fun. We had another sleep over and made popcorn and brigadeiro (which is sweetened condensed milk, butter, and chocolate powder and you cook it on the stove and its really bad for you but it is DELICIOUS!) Anyway! That was my day yesterday Happy happy birthday!!!

What else I will share with you one story about one of our investigators. Redinaldo (I think, I have to asked Sister Felipe what his name is everyday...its hard), we taught his mom one time and we returned to follow up and see how she was feeling if she had prayed, all the normal stuff. And we arrived and she says ya know Ive been talking with my kids and I am Catholic and blah blah blah...And so we explained a little about the priesthood authority and how it was restored and we gave a brief overview of the restoration of the church because one of her sons (lets clarify, she is like idk 60 or so and so her kids are grown and this son is probably 30ish) was present but he wasnt the time before. So we are reviewing and he says YEAH, I always have asked myself that question why we have so many churches but only one God. UH...yeah! Exactly! And he said he would go to church and when we left the house it was really funny we were both like YEAH!!! She ALMOST cut us but NOPE! Ok not really that funny but the sense of humor of a missionary is a little different. And so we called him on Saturday to remind him about church on Sunday and he said yeah I was just thinking about that right when you called. And then Sister Felipe asked about if he had read the pamphlet we left with him. And he said I have it right here and was just sitting down to read it! AH! It was great. He came to chruch all by himself and he is so awesome! Im excited!

I dont have much else, but I love it here, I love my companion, she is great. And here are some photos! Enjoy!

I am so grateful for this opportunity and I love all of the things I am learning and the person that I am becoming. I love the spirit that I feel everyday and the fact that I really can see the progress that I am making. Sometimes I wish that I was learning more, faster, but I am building my faith and my PATIENCE. I really know that this church is true and really has the ability to change lives and bring so much happiness if we let it. I really can feel my testimony growing and I have the opportunit to bear my testimony EVERYDAY ALL DAY. It is great and it really is true that when we bear testimony our testimony grows!

I love you all!!

Sister Brooks

1. The cake that we ate yesterday! It was gross ps! I hope you had a better one mom!

2. Sister Felipe and I at the mission office!

MEGAN!!! I love you I love your emails! You are a wonderful missionary! Keep up the good work!

June 27, 2011

Òla!

Well I have a new companion. Sister Felipe. Im not really sure what happened but it was an emergency transfer. We found out on Wednesday I think and Friday morning everything was different. We have two companionships again. Sister Dos Santos and Sister da Silva and me and Sister Felipe. I think all of my training periods are going to be 1 week short because I left the MTC one week early, my trainer abandoned me one week early! But it is great I LOVE Sister Felipe, like seriously she is great!

Its cold again. The weather here is as bipolar as it is there. Yesterday it was freezing. We were knocking doors yesterday and no one was coming out because it was so cold. And Sister Felipe kept saying they are in their beds sleeping like normal people not out in the streets knocking on doors like CRAZY people. But it was good and we talked with a lot of great people.

I really dont have much to report on this week not a lot out of the ordinary happened. BUT we had a baptism. Mateus, he is 8 years old and is the greatest little kid ever. He has wanted to be baptized for about 7 or 8 months because his cousin was baptized then but his mom wouldnt give permission because they were moving to São Palo and she didnt think that he would have a way to get to church every week so she didnt allow it. I respect her for that. But then they had some issues in São Palo and came back and YAY he was allowed to be baptized. I love Mateus a lot, he is the sweetest little boy. I think I met him my first day here and everytime he sees us he comes RUNNING up to us and walks with us and talks with us. He is awesome! When I think of him and his cousin, Rafaela, I think this scripture Alma 32:23. It is so true! Rafael´s mom wants to be baptized but she is having a little problem with smoking. And Mateus´s mom came with him to his baptismal interview and she came to church and his baptism and was taking lots of pictures so Sister Felipe and I are definitely going to go teach her this week!

Oh Im not sure what day it was but Sister Felipe was here and we went to Orlando´s house, I think I talked about him before but you probably dont remember. I never remember who is who when missionaries talk about their investigators but it really isnt important. Anyway. We went to his house (him and his family) and we were talking about our names and they asked what our real names were and they couldnt understand what I was saying but everyone here knows who Britney Spears is and so I said Brittany, like Britney Spears. And the mom was like OH!!! Ok! It was funny. And they all have kind of a hard time with ´Sister´ and so later she was trying to get my attention and she said TITI (pronounced chee-chee) Brooks. And so that is now my name!

Oh! I had to give a talk in chruch this week. I think it was more so that the people in the branch know that I can speak portuguese but who knows. I dont think anyone heard anything I said because they were all shocked that I was speaking. Whatever. But this week I read Helaman and Im pretty sure it changed my life. I took a good long look at my heart and where my heart is and the importance of our hearts and our desires. Go ahead....read it!

I had my camera with me a lot this week so I have some pictures to share with you all! I hope you had a wonderful week! I love you all! I am learning a lot and growing a lot. And this week I have been focusing on my faith because I NEED more faith. I need faith that I can see miracles in the mission. But I think we all need to have a little more faith and all of us can learn more and understand more about the importance of Jesus Christ in our lives. And so I challenge you all the study a little about faith and have a little more faith this week!

Tchau! Até logo!
Titi Brooks :)

Most the roads we walk on do not look like this but this one happened to,

it was so beautiful! I loved it.

June 13, 2011

Hello All!
I hope you all had a fabulous week! Mine was great, as always! :) And I hope you all remember the very special day that is this Friday, the day of my birth! Please celebrate for me! Thanks!

I made a list this week of thing I wanted to write because I couldnt remember anything last week. Ok so first of all we have this girl who is 14 and her dad wont let her get baptized but she knows the church is true...really its tragic, this is the second time this has happened. She had missionaries about 3 or 4 years ago also. Anyway we were teaching her and I invited her to be baptized and she said no because I dont know some lame excuse. And then we talked about following the example of Christ...all that good stuff. And she says and I quote (but I also translate): I dont want to follow Christs example. I think my jaw literally dropped. And I repeat a lot of what people say to me because I cant understand but this I was just floored and I asked if I heard her right and she said YEP! (kind of like a snotty 14 year old...lol) Anyway, then her mom explain that that wasnt true but that her dad wouldnt let her get baptized but it was really funny, I was so shocked!

Anyway, Ibiporã is having this festival of some sorta, Im not really sure what it is but its been going on for quite some time now and it is beautiful, we walked through it the other day and they have lights and these paper cut out banner things, I dont know what they are but everything is so colorful and it was really cool when we walked through at night during the day its not THAT great. Anyway the other day when we walked through we stopped and got a pastel, which was DELICIOUS..just meat and cheese in a fried bread thing, oh man! So Sister de Oliveira and I are walking down the street enjoying our delicous food and this guy stops us and starts talking about the church and some other old sister and Im not really sure but then he starts talking about marriage and he was looking at me. And I dont speak Português and so I didnt understand much but he thought we were both American and Sis. de Oliveira was laughing so I laughed too. But then when he went to leave put his arms out and tried to hug me, oh my goodness it was the funniest thing Ive ever seen. I screamed, ran backwards, Sister de Oliveira grapped me, shouted NOOOOO! and pulled me away. Ok Im not explaining this week and its probably not that funny but we laughed about it for days which was a blessing!

Oh so we have this record for someone that was taught in the past, Maurinho, and I have been really concerned with him and I say to Sister de Oliveira everyday that we NEED to find him. We looked for him one day and some lady said he was old and died but the record says that he is 18. So I told Sister de Oliveira that was a lie and we needed to find him. Anyway, on his record it says that his girlfriend, Suelen, is a member but no ones seems to know her. I talked to one member that I was told would know who she is, but the member didnt know. Yesterday we were near the area that he lives waiting for the bus and this girl walks up so we start talking to her and she says her name is Suelen, and I almost died, I was like OMG your name is Suelen, we have been seaching for a Suelen!! (literally I said that). And so I asked her if she knew Maurinho and she said no...BUT she lives on the same street as Maurinho and she has gone to church one time a few years ago in a different city. What are the chance, I think she is why I have been so concerned with Maurinho, but Im still a little concerned with him because we have made no effort to find him. Oh if there were only more hours in the day!

It has been raining all week, it is really hot today...well not really hot but hot. But for two days this week in rained ALL day and not just a little rain, like SOAK you rain. But good thing I have a raincoat! (Thanks mom!) Also we moved, our new apartment is REALLY nice, I love it it is so much bigger and I think nicer than most of the places I lived at BYU. I have heard quite a bit this week that our mission is the nicest in Brasil as far as wordly possessions goes...I dont know though. I havent been to all of the missions in Brasil and Im not really sure how people are judging that but whatev!

We had another investigator that literally did not understand ANYTHING I said, and I said things...PERFECTLY. I have been practicing a baptismal invitation and I finally got it down perfectly with her and she didnt understand a word of what I said. And then Sister de Oliveira repeated the SAME thing and she understood everything. And I mean I teach people all day everyday and this was the first time there was a probelm like this. I felt so bad but Sister de Oliveira assured me it was because of my accent...whatever. Not my favorite moment of the week.

Lastly, we had investigators come to church on their own...this doesnt happen. It was crazy! We showed up and they were already there, it was a miracle! Normally we have to go to their house and wake them up at 8:30 because church starts at 9 and bring them with us. But Ubaldina and Mario came all on their own. They are great but they need to be married! Hopefully more on that next week!

I love love love this work. It is hard and it is WORK but Im learning so much and it is so great. This week I realized how powerful prayer is. The very few investigators that we have that sincerely pray about our message receive an answer, not sometimes, always. It is incredible. I love it. Prayer is so powerful and has the power to change peoples lives, literally. Im so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for all of your love and support and prayers! Thank you! I finally received some letters this week! It was exciting! And my first birthday card from Auntie Joel! Thank you! I love you all I hope you have a wonderful week and remember the importance of Friday! :)

Sister Brooks
p.s. sorry for the novel email! But the past few have been really short!

June 6, 2011

Hello Everyone!

This week has been really great! We taught...like a million lessons and my portuguese is getting slowly better...SLOWLY! Its kind of killing me. I had a bunch of things I wanted to tell you all but I cant remember them anymore. I get a little stressed when we come email because I only have an hour and I have so much I want to say!

Um...first the other sisters that I live with had a baptism yesterday and it was the first time that the guy baptizing had ever done it and it was literally the most hilarious thing that I have EVER seen. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Some people had to leave the room because they were laughing so hard. It was HILARIOUS! At one point the baptiz-ER and the baptiz-EE (I dont know what the right words are for those people) were holding hands, it was really bizarre and then when he was baptized the person being baptized didnt bend his knees and oh my I really cant explain it, I dont know why I am trying but just know that it was seriously the funniest thing ever! And my compainion and I had two investigators there and they were like...um...and we were like NO...this is not normal please dont be freaked out, but Im pretty sure they were anway.

We found this family this week and they are so great! We taught the first lesson to only the dad and one of his daughters because everyone else was not home. And it was a great lesson. And we went back yesterday to teach the whole family and the dad actually read and prayed about it and it was so great. I think I asked him 5 times...You actually read?!?!? (ok it was only once but 5 times sounds more dramatic) but I was so happy, people never read. Uh! Anyway, it was a great week!

Oh I remember one thing, so people here are always washing their sidewalk...I dont know. Its kinds strange and I always thought it was strange but they all have very clean sidewalks! Anyway so this week we had interviews with the mission president and so we were in Londrina and Sister Bartell (one other sister I live with) wanted something to eat so I walked with her to the bakery and she bought something. And we were walking out and it was like a tile floor and they had just washed it and I was just walking and talking and all the sudden I was slipping across the floor. But there was a step and when I got to it I totally fell and it was SOOO painful and SOOO embarrassing. And I was so irritated that people are always washing their sidewalk! Uh! Whatever!

Ok I dont know the exact days but I know birthday are soon so happy birthday to Stacie, Derek, Uncle Larry, and Jacob! Sorry if I forgot you! But I love you all! Until next week!

And here are some pictures...FINALLY!

Lastly, I know this church is true, I know that it has the power to change peoples lives if they will let it. And that is the trick getting people to open their hearts to hear our message and understand that their lives can be changed but its difficult. I know that if we are all doing the simple things, if we are reading and praying everyday and going to church and following the commandments that God will bless us. So do those things if you arent because as simple as they are they are SOO important!

1. The view from the first apartment I was in for like 5 days, I thought it was way pretty!

2. Me and Sister de Oliveira in our area

3. Me at a ward activity like my second day in Brasil

4 & 5. Our really tiny apartment, this is the whole thing, we are moving because clearly there is not enought space for us and all of our stuff!

6. Me and the other sisters I live with: Sister Dos Santos, Me, Sister de Oliveira, Sister Bartell

May 30, 2011

Óla family and friends!

FIRST OF ALL!!! Congrats to Jessica and Trevor! And thank you to all of you who made sure that I knew, I received like 12 emails about it but I really only read the one from Jessica, thanks cuz! Love you!

I hope all is well in the U.S. Brazil is great. It has been really hot in the area Im in by today is pretty cold! Anyway I finally have a companion and my own area. I am in Londrina (part of my mission is in São Palo) and my area is Ibiporã. It is really nice, I think Derek would die if he saw some of the houses. I mean there are definitely parts that are not so nice but overall I think it is a really nice area. My companion´s name is Sister de Oliveira and she is from Rio de Janeiro and is 35 so that is a little different. But she is a great missionary. I am still getting used to teaching with another person and we are pretty different but I have a lot to learn from her.

Anyway so we´re teaching lots of people and we have this one guy that is like my favorite person ever. His name is Franzio, ok actually he´s not my FAVORITE person but I think he is hilarious. He talks SO loud...all the time and everything we say he just says AMEN to, its hilarious. But to be quite honest he doesnt really take the gospel seriously and he just accepts any committment we give him but doesnt follow through. Kind of sad. But hes great.

We had a goal to baptize someone this week, well I mean we always have that goal. But this week in our district meeting they gave us a specific goal for eac compaionship to baptize someone and so we were trying to find someone and I feel like we walked to all ends of the earth and talked to everyone but couldnt find someone. We had one girl that was taught the lessons a few years ago but her dad wouldnt let her get baptized and so we taught her yesterday and her dad said she could be baptized but now she isnt sure so well see.

I have had lots of opportunities to teach and bear testimony and it is a little different from the MTC mostly because Sister de Oliveira has a very different teaching style than me and I cant understand a lot of what they are saying but were working and I feel the spirit so everyday so were doing something right. But it is a lot more tiring than the MTC out here!! :) Every person I meet and we teaching I tell Sister Oliveira, I love them! They are so great! She doesnt really agree with me and always has something that dashes my hopes and dreams about them being baptized but I seriously think everyone here is the greatest person Ive ever met. But I cant really talk to them still and I dont really understand exactly what their problems are. And I have a really hard time remembering their names, but aside from all of those things were all pretty much best friends!

Anyway, Im excited to be here and learning from all of these missionaries that have been here longer than me, I live with two other sister and one of them in from the states and so she helps me understand what is going on A LOT! And it is so great to see the impact that the gospel can have in peoples lives becase it is so powerful and it really can change lives. There are a few teenagers who are ward missionaries and they have a goal to baptise 1 person a month and yesterday they went out contacting by themselves and got us some references. They are great and you should all get involved as well because missionary work is SO much more powerful with members! I hope you all will! And give the missionaries references! You have no idea how much it helps! I love you all! I love the gospel I love missionary work! Until next week!

Sister Brooks

May 23, 2011

Óla from Brasil!
Wow! The past 4 day have been so wonderful! I love it here, the weather has been SOOO perfect! I couldn´t ask for anything better. I don´t actually have a companion yet because trasfers aren´t until...actually I don´t know...the language barrier makes this a little difficult I am with 2 sisters right now and we all thought I would be gone today but who knows no one has told us anything yet so I´m just waiting. These sisters are really nice but I feel like they are jus babysitting me and it´s just awkward sometimes. I really want a companion, I was sure that when I got to the field I would have one but I still don´t. Oh well...I will soon enough!

I think my family will find this interesting but I really love the beans and rice, it is not like we had when I threw it up...that was gross...this stuff is good! :)

One of the girls I am with has been here for 6 weeks and was serving is the U.S. before waiting for her visa and the other is from Brasil and speaks so fast. Everything she says I have to ask her to repeat slower. It´s embarrassing but I do eventually get it and I can converse with everyone but I think I sound like a caveman! The sister from the U.S. says that I understand way better than she did which makes me feel better and everyday I understand a little more so that is good. And I have taught a few times and for the most part they understand me. Yesterday I had one girl who we were teaching and I was asking her a few questions and sharing something and after she asked me how long I had been here and I told her and she was like oh wow, you speak so well and I was like well I just hope that you understood what I was saying and she was like yeah I understood everything. But then later I had a different girl who seriously just looked at me and I was like I don´t understand about everything I said...so pretty much opposite experiences. Whatever it´ll come!

Ok so the first time I stopped someone in the street to tell them about why I am here and who I am and what I´m doing after I told her that we were missionaries she was like I don´t have time and walked away before I had time to say anything else...epic fail! Oh well! It was funny I wish you could have seen my face it was VERY discouraged. I´m over it now though.

My mission president and his wife are amazing! When I arrived, they had this banner in the airport and the other Elder I was with said that they were jumping up and down but I didn´t see it. Anyway they are just the greatest! I love them. They don´t speak English and Sister Tavares speaks VERY fast but when she slows it down we can communicate very well!

We had a baptism yesterday...well I would more say that they had a baptism because I had only talked to him like 1 time and he already had a baptismal date when I arrived. But still I was there. He is so cute, he is like 10 and his family is less active in the church and he told his mom that he wanted to be baptized and she didn´t want him to and he told her: mom this is my decision and I want to be. And so he was. And he reads the Book of Mormon on his own. It is just awesome!

I don´t have a whole lot else to say but I am so excited to be in Brasil and so excited to be doing this work. And I know that it is so true and it is changing people´s lives here. The message we bring can change anyone´s life and I´m just so excited to share it! I know that the only reason I can even speak this langauage like a caveman is because of the Holy Ghost and it is literally the hand of the Lord in my life, helping me bring His message to others.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Sister Brooks

April 1, 2011 I'm Ridin Solo!!

Ola Friends and Family!

To start I would like to think ALL of you who have written me and dear elder'd me. Seriously I am so happy to hear from all of you. I will be writing you back today so look for a letter! All of your letter have included something that I've needed to hear and usually brought me to tears so thank you for listening to the spirit becuase it is comforting to me. I've been here for a week and a half now and it's awesome! I have experienced a lot of firsts and my firsts are coming to an end. The time is starting to move faster and I find that I don't have enough hours in the day to accomplish all of the things that I want. Especially because I want to be fluent in the language and be able to answer any and all gospel questions that come my way without hesitation. In other words I am expecting perfection out of myself...which in case you were wondering is difficult to achieve.

I am officially a solo sister. I thought it was going to be the best thing ever, I wasn't going to have to learn to get along with a companion just yet. Turns out I was very wrong. Now I spend all my time with two elders...and let me tell you, it is an adjustment. They don't listen to ANYTHING I say. They think that I am some mumbling idiot or something. I'm not really sure. Turns out that after they give it a second thought and turn to their notes they find out that I'm right...shocker. Not that I know so much but uh...why do they not trust a thing I say?? Oh well! I did move into an apartment with four other girls so I get to go home at night and talk to them for like 30 minutes before we go to bed. That'll have to do for now!

And the long awaited question...no I have not filled out my electronic application yet. I did ask about it again...same response. It will probably come soon...thanks! So I wait but let me tell you this MTC is AMAZING:

Let me share an experience with you. Those of you who have served missions will I'm sure know exactly what I'm talking about but last Sunday (by the way, Sundays here are the best) we had Mission Conference. Which is just all of the missionaries that are here (about 2000) meet together and someone speaks to us. So the musical number this week was all of us missionaries singing together the most beautiful arrangement of "Called To Serve" I have ever heard. Seriously. It started out really quiet and gradually progressed until we were standing and singing fervently! Anyway I'm pretty sure I was literally sobbing I couldn't actually sing but I tried to hold it together a little. Appartely they do this a lot at the MTC. I don't care if we did it everyday I don't think I would feel the spirit any less.

I don't remember if I told you about my teacher last week but they are great. I had a little issue with one of them this week because I felt that he wasn't really helping me and not teaching me exactly how I wanted him to. But I had a big realization yesterday that I need just trust him and I have learned a lot and he is the reason, he is making me stretch myself more than I would like to.

Ok sorry this is jumbled, I have only 5 minutes left. I had decided I wasn't going to share this experience but now all the sudden I feel the need to. So I was REALLY struggling earlier this week with the language and being a little too hard on myself and I was sitting in our weekly Tuesday night devotional waiting for it to start just sitting (with my elders) and thinking about how much I wished that I was speaking English. As I thought this I had an experience that my mission prep teacher likes to refer to as having the top of his head lifted off and a quart of inspiration poured in. I had the most distinct thought and this is what it was. "I called you to go to Brasil for a reaon, I have faith in you and know that you can do this. Why don't you have faith in me? Why do you doubt?" Uh...yeah. I don't know, I'm sorry! Anyway so I have worked on my faith a little bit this week! I hope that you enjoyed that, I feel a little weird about sending it but I hope it helps someone.

Ok I have 1.5 minutes left. I just want you all to know that I love my Heavenly Father, he is blessing me so much. I know that I am learning a lot and wouldn't be able to do any of this without the help of the Lord and from the promptings of spirit!

Ok I love you all very much! Sorry if this was jumbled!

Sister Brooks