Itacoatiara is pronouned eeta-kua-chi-ara.

April 20, 2015

Oi momma,

hahaha when i first heard and saw the name of where is was being transferred to i called it itaco (like iphone but itaco.. the food haha) and then chuwawa haha but Itacoatiara is pronounced eeta-kua-chi-ara. haha  My companion is Sister V. and she doesn~t know a lick of English and neither does anyone in my Zone :) yay! One whole week of only Portuguese! haha it has been good :) it was funny, so one time i said a quick phrase in English and Sister V. looked at me and i was like what..? and then i realized i~d talked in English haha because with Sister S. we~d say quick little phrases in English that were funny but i will have to learn how to be funny in Portuguese too ;) my area of proselyting is on the Rio Amazons, 

We have a church building, we are in a branch and 97 were at church Sunday :) they are sweet! I have grown and learned a lot this last week! My comp and i are starting to understand each other so that is good. haha

The spirit is strong here. I am searching for the humble and open hearted. We have had a rough start, but i feel that this week will be better. i~m learning how to take lead and make the decisions, deciding where we need to go here, what we need to do and having to look up where people live. i~ve been a lot better at talking with people on the street and asking where roads are. oh and there are no road names and signs here haha funny that in Manaus the numbers didn~t make sense at all but they had the names of the streets. Here they have perfectly good numbers on the house, just no names for the streets ahaha it is an adventure full of love and learning!

Sounds like everyone is keeping busy! That is good! We are keepin busy here too :) we pretty much have nothing to work off from because of the Elders who were taken out didn~t keep the area book. So we are still trying to learn about all the people they were teaching and in the meantime contacting and making a new teaching pool :) so lots of walking! Actually we have like no hills, that is really nice haha but the area is pretty big.. My legs are pretty dang tired everyday haha 

So there have been miracles and the more i realize that more often the not, the miracles are happening in me. For instance, every time my heart grows for another person here, when i hadn~t said more than 5 words to them; when i hear a recent convert~s testimony and conversion, everything thing i hear and do, it changes me and that is really where the biggest miracle happens on a mission i believe, because if you don~t change here, wow you really didn~t want to become a missionary because anyone who wants to be the best they can will change.

I can honestly attest to the fact that the Atonement is real. It in itself is a miracle! and we need to let it take ahold in our lives! Every chance we get to thank Heavenly Father for this Blessed Plan of Salvation thank Him! So like every day, all day have a heart full of thanks! It is amazing the difference it makes.

I have sat in the home of a family of converts, it started with Lesli and her fiancé Fabio Jr. they were baptized a year and two months ago. wow are they such a good example to me! Their testimony is as strong as anyone who grew up in the church! If not stronger than the average ``Mormon`` ahha and when i heard the love and thanks she poured out in testimony that Heavenly Father would allow her to see her parents and rest of her family be baptized and active in the church, it burned to my soul! Her parents were married and baptized four months ago. Wow and man are they such an example to me! I want more than anything in the world to bring this to every family here! I just want everyone to put down their judgments of the ``Mormons`` to just look at the fruits of Christ~s church. why are people so judgmental and fast to listen to the lies of the world about us and not just talk to us, see what we do, and learn of Christ. My heart acts when people assume what we are like and what we do because they close their heart to the possibility of this great and everlasting joy!

I know that this is the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. That Christ stands at the head of this, His church! I know that he talks with President Monson face to face, just like all the other Prophets of old. The Apostles know Him! and we can to! I know that the Atonement is real! That the biggest and smallest miracles happen within our own hearts! I am so grateful, every day for this knowledge! That I know I am a Child of God, and that He loves Me! I know he will always listen to my prayers, whether said in my heart or when i pour my soul out to him. He cares about every single one of us! And he knows us better than we know ourselves and most importantly he knows who we can become. We are to be Heirs in the Kingdom of Heaven, even joint heirs with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer! What an amazing blessing! IF we but choose it. Choose to follow Christ, Choose to Live His teachings, and Choose to Share His Gospel. It is our responsibility. We have this knowledge, and how selfish i was for not sharing it as much as i should have. I know my Savior lives, I know that he directs His church even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is the same in every country, language and people. Why? Because it is His! I love Him! And i love you!

I love you momma! Keep being awesome and taking care of dad, and everyone!

Love,

Sister Post

Photos:

Rio Amazons

hahaha saw this sign when we were leaving on the bus.. They have a truck named Montana too down here. It is funny when i see it :)

 here is more pictures. It is three flights of stairs haha it is rough at night ;) but good for my bum :) and in the picture the building with the white pillar, yeah that~s the church :) bem perto!! (pretty close) yay! haha :)

Me and Sister V.