September 14, 2010

Dale and Melissa at the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple

September 14, 2010

Hey!  So!  This week was great!  Today I got to see Dale (and by Dale...I mean Elder Hulse) at the temple.  What more can I say :)  Today was good.  We ate lunch together afterwards too.

Me and Sister Robins have been planning a fun activity for Saturday the 25th.  We are going to celebrate the Brazilian Independence Day (yeah...it was a couple weeks ago, but it was the only day we could have the chapel!) and we are inviting everyone to dress in green and yellow and we are going to have a bunch of activities and a Brazilian barbeque.  The purpose of the activity was to do something fun that will get the members excited to invite non-member friends, so people will come and get to know the chapel, and the missionaries.  We are hoping to get really good referrals.  I´m excited too, because usually Brazilians aren´t super patriotic.  I´m hoping this will liven them up a bit.  It should be good.

Our investigators are progressing well.  Gisele (have I told you about her?)  will be baptized on the 25th. She is absolutely incredible.   And I`m hoping Cristina will be baptized that day too.  She´s just gotta let go of those cigarettes.  Diego (have I told you about him?....man I can´t remember anything) WAS progressing really well........really fast, and it was truly remarkable.  Only, this week........he went and got drunk.  This is the second time I´ve found an investigator drunk in the road.  It´s sure not a situation I like.  My heart just fell when I saw him.  He´s got a lot of addictions he´s got to let go of, and it´s been a challenge for him.  Please pray for him.

Davidson and Dayane will mark their wedding this week!  Wahooo!  Then they can be baptized!

Anyway, missionary is tough....but oh so worth it.  I love these people here.

Love you!

Sister Hulse

August 2, 2010

So.....lots has changed. Sister da Silva was emergency transferred, and Sister McCollaum came in her place. So I´m still in a trio, but it´s still been as great as ever. Sister McCollaum is from Delta, Utah and has about a year on the mission. She is INCREDIBLE! :D We became instant friends, I feel like she is my sister. I have been feeling to spirit so strongly with my companions these last few days. It´s been so good.

This ward is incredible. The members are so faithful. (we call this area Zion). It´s interesting, because, the spirit is this area, even just in the roads, is stronger than in any other area I have worked in. I believe it is because of the faithfulness of the members. The spirit is able to prepare the hearts of these people before we even teach them, and testifies in the lessons with an added strength. We have been finding so many good people looking for the truth. I feel so humbled every time, in seeing how much the Lord is blessing us. We´ve got lots to do, and have been trying to find a member to come out with us every day, to do the work of two companionships every day. On Sunday, we had 13 investigators at church. I almost cried I was so happy.

We have been visiting Cristina for a long long time (the sisters found her a few transfers before I got here). She has been coming to church almost every Sunday, and has a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She is incredible, but the thought of baptism frightened her. We committed her to pray about baptism on the date, August 14, and she did, and she said she knows the Lord wants her to be baptized on August 14. She has to quit smoking and drinking coffee real fast to be able to be baptized this day, but she is determined. Please pray for her and that she can have the strength to let it go.

We have also been teaching a young couple who are super elect. Davidson and Dayane. The ONLY thing stopping them from being baptized is that they need to get married, and they´ve been having some document problems, and it hasn't been working out the way they wanted. They are both incredibly receptive to the spirit and have strong testimonies. Whenever we visit them, I always leave in awe of their faith and understanding of the gospel and desires to follow it.

And.....my time is about up, so maybe I´ll try to tell you about the others next week. The Lord has been blessing us so much it blows my mind.

Love you all TONS! Até mais,

Sister Hulse

July 12, 2010

WHooo........ok ok

So, transfers came and went.....AND we stayed.....BUT we also...........got one more!   Haha....I´m in a trio.  Sister da Silva is with us now.  It´s been super fun.  They are both hard workers and focused on the Lord´s work.

This week, we found TONS of new investigators.  It was so good.  I´ve never taught so many first lessons.  I know some of these people will progress in the gospel.

I wanted to tell you about our progressing investigators too....but unfortunately my time is already up.  So....know that I am well.  And the gospel is so so miraculous. 

LOVE YOU!

Sister Hulse

June 28, 2010

What an incredible week......I can´t even stop smiling.  wooo!

Valmir was BAPTIZED!  It was such a beautiful baptism.  The spirit was so strong.  His co-worker (that gave us the referral) came down to baptize him.  They are really good friends.  His wife and son was there.  I could almost see her heart opening up to accept the gospel and want to be baptized as well.  :D  I came up to her and asked if she would say the closing prayer.  She wanted to so bad....because she knew how much it would mean to him, but there were a lot of people there and got nervous at the last minute and asked me to say it for her.  It´s been hard for her to progress in the gospel as well, because the family owns a little store that they run.  Because Valmir was determined to come to church, his wife and son ended up working in the store every Sunday so he could come. They didn´t want to close it Sundays because, unfortunately, Sunday was one of the days that they earned the most money, and they relied on that.  BUT......ahhh what a good day, yesterday, in the Gospel Principles class, the bishop taught a class on Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  It was such a good lesson.  The spirit was strong and the bishop was so bold and clear about what we should and shouldn´t do on Sunday and why it was such an important commandment.  I was sitting next to Valmir.  At the end of the lesson, Valmir turned to me and said "Sister...I decided.  I want to keep the Sabbath day holy, and I want my wife and son wife me, here in church on Sunday.  I´m going to close my store on Sunday.  The Lord will bless us I know"  He looked so determined!!!  woooo! I wanted to leap in joy......only I didn´t because I´m a missionary...but anyway!  It was so good.  I know the Lord is going to bless him and his family so much because of his faith.  He accepted every aspect of the gospel so well.  He was one of those people that the Lord had prepared so well, and was kept from the truth "only because he knew not where to find it".  I thank Heavenly Father every day that he led the Sisters to find him and his family.  I feel, that very soon.......his wife and son will be baptized too. I pray daily for them.  (their names are Naildes and Vinicius if you want to pray for them too :)  )  Man....the day they get sealed in the temple....I sure want to be there.  I love them all so much.

The happiness I feel now, is worth any heartache or trial I´ve gone through on the mission.  The Lord is so good.  I love the gospel so much.  I love the new joy people find in their lives when they live it.

Love you all!

Sister Hulse

June 21 2010

Yeah the weather really did a turn around on us.  Though this week was a little warmer than the one before.  But I have a feeling, we have a whole bunch of warm days ahead. 

I can´t even say how much I love Sister Santos.  She is the only member of the church in her family.  And when she left for her mission, it was really hard on her family, they didn’t write at all.  President even let her call home once after a number of months without word from them, and her mom refused to talk to her.  It´s been quite a rough journey for her, but her faith is incredible.  She knows why she´s here and she knows that Heavenly Father will bless her and her family because of her faith and service.  Things have gotten a little better.  Her family writes her e-mails once in a while to let her know how things are going.  She is very humble, and doesn´t feel like she has all the "missionary techniques" down very well.  The way she works and teaches is a very simple, straightforward, and clear manner.....and I just love it.  It has been so good to be her companion. 

Love you so much!  I am so grateful to be here. 

Sister Hulse

June 6, 2010

SO MUCH HAPPENED THIS WEEK!!!
First off......the World Cup is coming up.  Brazil is going crazy.  The roads are lined in Yellow and Green.  People are painting the roads....their houses....themselves.  YELLOW AND GREEN EVERYWHERE!   You´d think these people like soccer or something :)
We had multizona this week and it was WONDERFUL.  President talked about Humility and Pride.  He taught us about the effects of the Fall and why it is so important that we be humble.  The spirit was incredible.  I felt like my heart was going to burst into light.  I felt like Heavenly Father was teaching me personally through the spirit.  It was wonderful.  And everything I needed to hear.  I am so grateful for a President who carries the spirit with him so strongly and seeks inspiration.
On Sunday, we had Stake Conference.  Only it was a regional stake conference and they did it from Salt Lake over satellite for all the stakes in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.  It was SO good!  It was in all Portuguese....no translators.  Elder Christofferson (speaks Portuguese really well), and Sister BECK!  (who knew???) and a couple other members of the seventy gave talks in Portuguese.  Even the little words that come on the screen with the name and calling of each new speaker were in Portuguese!  I LOVED it!  Their talks were so uplifting, and directed exactly at what the Saints in Brazil need to hear.  The members afterwards came up to me and were like "what......do everyone in the States speak Portuguese???"  haha, it was really good.   Everyone loved it.
Dayana accepted baptism this week!  She is going to be baptized on the 26th of June.  She has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon already.  She truly was an answer to my prayers. 
Last of all......HUGE news.... I just got a call (like 2 hours ago) from President Jackson.  I´m getting transferred.  TODAY.  Right after I finish using the e-mail I have to go to the office to be picked up by my new companion.  Sister Santos will be my new companion!  She was my other roommate in the CTM and I always hoped I´d have the chance to be companions with her.  She is a sweetheart.  I´m going to St. Tereza in Parque Pinheiros.  It came as a huge surprise.  But I feel it´s time.  The only sad part is, I´m going to miss Dayana´s baptism :(  
I love you all.  Thanks for your love and your prayers.  I love the gospel so much.  I know that through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can find solutions and peace and hope in any problem we are facing.  I know that the Lord uses the Book of Mormon to enlighten our minds, lift our spirits, and give us spiritual strength in whatever challenge we are facing.  The gospel truly is incredible.
Sister Hulse

May 31, 2010

So, end of May.  It´s starting to get pretty chilly here. 

Dayana is progressing REALLY well.  She reads more of the Book of Mormon than we mark, and is doing everything she can to learn more about the church.  She won´t accept a baptism date yet, but I feel like she will real soon. 

Haha....so funny situation happened here.  A family of members, decided to let their youngest daughter, Paula, wait a while after her 8th birthday to be baptized.  They wanted her to be older, they felt that she was a little too young to decide already if she wants to be baptized.  They want to make sure she was sure she wants it.......(I don´t completely agree with the situation, I think 8 is old enough to know what she wants...but whatever, it´s not for me to decide) anyway, Paula is going out of her mind she wants to be baptized so bad.  AND she turns 9 years old on Wednesday.  Which means, that the ward can´t baptize her anymore, so we, as missionaries, have to teach her all the lessons and she has to be interviewed by my District Leader to be baptized.  We marked her to be baptized on the 19th of June.  She is ecstatic. :) Even though I had absolutely nothing to do with her conversion, I´m excited to help her be baptized.  I feel like the whole situation is a little tender mercy from the Lord.  And I am grateful.

Love you all!  Please remember me in your prayers.  These past few weeks have been really rough.

Sister Hulse

May 12, 2010

I got the luck to get the really slow computer today, so I´m just going to write an e-mail to all of you if that´s ok......sending only one e-mail = not having to click so much.  I´m avoiding clicking as much as possible....it takes the computer forever to figure out what´s happening every time I click...bleck

Talking to you all on Mother´s day was so much fun!  Weird too.  You all sound really good!  Sorry about my rusty English....I think I only slipped into speaking Portuguese 3 times though.  Did you notice?  Weird to think that was my last call.  We had interviews with President yesterday.  He was telling me about a program called Skype? (something like that) that he uses to call all his family at the same time (his family is split between brazil, spain, utah, and arkansas) it´s a program online that costs 20 cents a minute.  He said it´s really good and you can hear everyone super clear and if you have a webcam you can see everyone too.  He said we could use it next time to have us all talk on the phone at the same time, with you guys me and Dale.  haha...then I reminded him that I don´t have a "next phone call home"...bout blew him off his chair.  He didn´t realize I have so little time left.

Things have sure been a challenge with Sister Sales.  She is a sweetheart and I love her to death.  But working with her has been rough.  Her family at home isn´t doing very well at all....and she is super worried about them.  She can´t sleep...think, focus...anything.  It´s been really rough.   I´m running out of ideas of what I can do to help her.  I have a feeling I need to learn a lot about doing my best, even in situations that not ideal, and accepting my best effort, even though I know I could do better if the situation were different........because that´s been my life for the past 3 months.  The Lord is teaching me patience. 

Even though things have been rough, I am doing well.  I am happy.  I know I´m supposed to be here in Brazil (the Lord confirms it every time I need a reminder)  and I am truly so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary.  I can´t believe how much I understand now that I didn´t before....how much I´ve grown.  I feel so much more dedicated to the Lord. 

I love the Book of Mormon.  I love that I can feel Heavenly Father teaching me personally when I read it.  I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost, that helps us know truth, and brings divine guidance in all our decisions and choices. 

I love the gospel!  And I LOVE YOU GUYS!  :D  Famílias podem ser eternas! 

Amo vocês!  Tchau!

Sister Hulse

May 3, 2010

So......the last few weeks have been hard.  BUT I am finally starting to get to know the area, which helps us plan a ton more effectively.  Also, we have been focusing our work on incomplete families in the ward, and we are finding a number of really good people!  Yeah!  I love completing families! 

Funny story....so here in Brazil, most people´s names have both a female and masculine form.  You just change the letter at the end to change the gender.  For example.....Rafael (boy), Rafaela (girl), Fernando (boy), Fernanda (girl), Luciano (boy), Luciana (girl), Claudio (boy), Claudia (girl)....and so on.  Anyway, we went to visit this older lady who is inactive yesterday.  We told her we were the "Sisters"  but she kept calling us the "Elderas"  hahaha...I loved it.  We laughed so hard when we got home.

Also, I have a sweet story.  First I have to give the background though.  When I was in Cantanduva with Sister McGary and Sister Vieira, there was this bakery that made this unique type of bread, made with corn (different than corn bread).  I don´t even know how to explain it, but it was so so good!  We bought it all the time, and I just loved it!  After getting transferred, I´ve never seen that bread again, I assumed no one else made it.  Very very sad, but I´d learned to accept it.

Ahhh!  gotta run!  Love you all!  I love being a missionary!  The church is true!  Tchau!

Sister Hulse

April 26, 2010

Hi!  I am good, doing great.  Still feeling lost in my new area....BUT I´m starting to find a new familiar places and getting to know some roads.  Progress is good...

So, Sisters don´t usually get to go on exchanges like the Elders always do, because we are usually so far apart, and because all our leaders are.....well, Elders.  We can´t exactly do exchanges with them.....BUT because we have 2 duplas of Sisters living in the same house with areas right next to each other, President lets us go on exchanges with each other!  Yay!  How fun!  It´s strange to switch companions once in a while.  Every P-Day, we have to start working at 6, and we do an exchange.  It´s been really good actually.  Sometimes the other Sister is exactly what the investigators needed on that day. 

We had Multizona last Thursday....President talked about Diligence.  It was so good :)

I found another new favorite scripture.  D&C 123:17.

So...I´ve heard rumors from other missionaries that no one will send you letters your last 6 months on the mission.  You guys would NEVER do that to me... right?  Oh good....thought so.  Hey hey write me!

Ahhh!  Times up!  Gotta run!  Tchau!

Sister Hulse

April 19, 2010

Woooh.......where to start.  I got to stay the night Monday night at the Mission Home.  That was super fun.  Sister Jackson got to be my companion til Tuesday morning when we went to the chapel for transfers.  I am now in Campo de Fora in the Santo Amaro Stake.  It is almost right next to my first area!  I am living in a house with another dupla.  Which is super fun too actually.  After being with an american companion for 4 months...the Lord has given me 3 Brazilian roommates!  haha.........SUPER different.  But it´s a lot of fun.  Sister Vieira is in the other dupla in our house.  We were super excited we get to be so close again.

My companion is Sister Sales.  She is Brazilian and this is her 2nd transfer on the mission.  She doesn't know the area super well yet, and is still learning how to be a missionary.  But she is a sweetheart with such a solid testimony and is ready to learn.  I know we will be able to accomplish a lot this transfer.  I know I will learn so much with her.

Surprise!  President didn´t want to COMPLETELY whitewash Jd. Mirna....so guess who re-opened it?  Sister Macedo and Sister Rowland!  Crazy I know!  Two sisters that were my companions there and are now going back!  I feel a lot better knowing that sisters who already know the area will be there, and I know Sister Rowland will make sure that everyone will be taken care of.  It was so hard for me to leave.  I felt so close to all the members there and my investigators.  I´m hoping to finish all my P Day things speed demon fast today so I can have time to write a bunch of letters to everyone there.

Being in a new area is rough.  I think I was born without a sense of direction.  I´ve been making myself a nice color coded map to help me out.  The area is bigger than I´m used to.  We have to take the bus a lot more often.  Apparently, this area is known as "the Salt Lake City of the 7th day Adventist Church"  because their Brazilian headquarters are here.  But it´s a really good area.  Our Ward Mission Leader is awesome!  Yay!  The work is going to fly!

Love you all tons!  The Church is true!  Gotta run

Sister Hulse

April 5, 2010

Hello!

SO!!!  Conference was wonderful.  Everything seemed to be exactly what I wanted to hear.  I loved the emphasis on the family that was put.  I felt so grateful for my own family and excited to some day be able to have my own.  My favorite talk was probably Elder Uchdorf´s.  (I am so sad that every conference his accent becomes smaller and smaller! :(  I loved his accent!)  About how we can be the "hands of the Lord" in the lives of others.  I loved the Sunday morning (afternoon to me) session.  And the focus on the Savior on Easter morning.  It was such a good conference.  Elder Nelson´s talk even made me excited to look into Family History when I get back (.....haha....he did the impossible!)

The TV in the English room died at the end.  So I got to watch Elder Anderson´s talk and the Prophet´s last words in Portuguese.  Elder Anderson speaks Portuguese too!  He gave his own talk. 

Cida, Alfredo´s wife will be BAPTIZED!  This Saturday!  Can you believe it!  She had a hard time for a while with accepting that not a single one of her 4 baptisms in other churches were not valid.  But the more she´s been coming to church the more see´s starting to realize how much she really needs it.

Sister Horn hasn´t gotten better yet, but I am completely humbled to see that once again, while I felt like we have been accomplishing so little, one of our investigators has reached the point where she is ready for baptism.  I know that the Lord is working here with us.  Without him, it would not have been possible.  I know he loves the people here.  He has blessed us and them so much.  It is such a comfort to know that the Lord is able to and takes care of these people in all the ways that we are unable to. 

I love being a missionary.  Love you all so much!  Tchau!

Sister Hulse

March 29, 2010

Tudo bem?

This week has been a challenge still.  Sister Horn´s health has continued to decline.  She got to call her family this week, to talk to her parents about what they think she should do.  Her mom suggested another medicine that we are going to try this week.  I hope it helps. 

These past few weeks have been challenging, and I hope and pray this will pass soon.

I don´t have too much else to report.  Except that I love you all tons!  :)  And I love getting all your letters.  I can´t tell you how comforting it is to know how much support I have at home.  Thanks for all you all do!

ALSO!  Did you know Orion is almost completely upside down here???  I had to twist my head around almost completely upside down to see it normal!  You´d think I was on the other side of the world or something....

I know that the gospel is true.  I am so grateful for it in my life and the life of my family and friends.  I am excited for conference this weekend.  I know that when we take a question to the Lord at conference time, the spirit will touch our heart through the words of the prophet and apostles to know what the Lord would have us know and do.  Heavenly Father just loves us so much.

Love you!

Até mais,

Sister Hulse

March 15, 2010

This week was rough.  Sister Horn has been feeling worse.  We took her to the doctor and he didn´t know what it was.  He told us it was probably a virus and gave us an antiboitic for her to take.  We´ll see President Jackson this Thursday at Multizona, we are hoping he will have some ideas.  She has very little energy and her body hurts all over.  She feels really nautious all the time.  It´s been really hard for her to work.  The irmãs in the ward weren´t able to do as many divisions with us this week, so we didn´t work too much.  I hope we can get her feeling better soon.  I feel like such a slacker.

Regardless of hard circumstances, the Lord has blessed us so much.  Alfredo was so excited for baptism, and even though we couldn´t get out of the house a lot, he made it possible for us to take care of everything necessary for his baptism to happen.  We were able to visit him when we needed to and take care of all the little baptism details.  It was a beautiful baptism.  He thanked us again and again for our patience with him and for helping him get to that step.  He´s 56 years old.  We are hoping to help Cida, his wife, take the same step soon too. 

Haha....so I just wanted to share kind of a funny story.  At least, I got a kick out of it.  We have a back porch behind our house were I keep all my shoes.  I went back there and put my sandles on and let out a little yelp of pain because they were so hot!  The sun had been shining on them and they had gotten really hot.  Sister came out to see what happened, and I laughed and told her my sandles were really warm.  She replies "well sister....maybe you shouldn´t put your sandles out in the sun"  I said, "but the sun wasn´t there when I put them out here....it moved"  Sister Horn, being the very smart person she is replied "no sister...the sun doesn´t move the EARTH moves"  I then decided to tease her back and said "how do you know??? maybe the scientists are all wrong and really it IS the sun that moves!  Not the earth!"  She laughed and rolled her eyes at me and that was the end of it. 

Then.....later that same day in personal study, I found I scripture that gave me a good chuckle. Helman 12:15.  Looks like the Lord was trying to nip that thought of false doctrine in the bud...

haha

Love you!

Sister Hulse

March 8, 2010

Sorry I didn´t write an e-mail last week!  No time.....bleck.

The past few weeks have been pretty rough.  Sister Horn got pretty sick, and no one´s sure what she has.  She said this morning that she´s feeling a little better....I hope we´ve fought through the worst of it!  It´s been really hard to work.  2 weeks ago, we hardly worked at all because she was feeling so sick, and this week the assistants called me and told me to try to set up a division, so I could still work while she got better.  She´s had to stay at a member´s house while I go out with a member to proselyte.  It´s been really hard on her, but I think we´ve gotten through the worst of it.

The weather has been so much cooler lately!  Yay!!!  Who da thunk I liked the cold????

Alfredo let go of coffee and smoking this week!  He´s going to be baptized on Saturday!  He is wonderful wonderful.  I am so happy for him.

Yesterday was one of the best days on my mission.  Such a sweet tender mercy.  It was fast and testimony meeting.  Cicera got up and bore her testimony.  It was so amazing to hear her say "I know the church is true" and "I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God"  after knowing the fight she had to go through and hearing all her doubts.  Her testimony brought such a sweet spirit to the meeting.  After she got down, TONS of members stood up and shared their conversion stories too.  It was a wonderful meeting.

I love being a missionary!  Até mais, Love you!

Sister Hulse

February 22,2010

Ahhhhh! SO SO much I want to say! And so so little time...
Shilea was baptized!! WAHOOO!!! She looked so happy on Sunday! She was just glowing. And her mom even came to her confirmation and just loved it!
Funny Story! I had to go to the office building the church has next to the temple with Sister Horn this week to finalize some things with her Visa. There I ran into....Sister Hall!!!! From the Singles ward! We screamed and hugged and it was good. :) She´s such a sweetheart. She´s is training right now too. ALSO...I sat and talked with the guy who is over the Visas for the Brazil missionaries. I went through the stack of passports for the missionaries who are in the CTM right now. I found both cousin Dale´s Visa and Tyson Shaw´s. I got super excited, which he thought was really funny.....and he took a picture on his phone of me holding up Dale´s passport. He said he would be going to the CTM the next day and show it to him.
Sister Horn is doing well. Poor girl has had it so rough. Being asked to speak Portuguese for the first time in 4 months. But she´s getting the hang of it step by step and I´m trying to help her however she can. She is VERY different from Sister Rowland and it´s been an interesting adjustment. But she is also a sweetheart and I´m excited to continue to get to know her better. I hope I can help her.
I have to go down to the main mission chapel today and have an interview with President....not sure why. I´m kind of nervous, but we´ll see. Anyway.....ahhh! Gotta go! Bleck clocks are annoying. Hope you´re all great!
Sister Hulse