First week in new area! (rec'd 9/23/08)

So new area, new companion, new everything! It is absolutely freezing here in our area! I never thought I would experience cold in Brazil! But it has been in the very low 50´s with gusty winds. We are wearing sweaters, knee-highs and during the night we´re sleeping with beds stacked high with blankets, and layers of clothing. Something Sister Souza thought of is that we 'iron' our sheets at night to get the bed nice and toasty warm. Last night I also killed a coakroach the size of a small child. We are adjusting to our new house.

We are slowing figuring out where exactly we are and finding addresses of investigators the other sisters were teaching. But we have already found wonderful families to teach and have a wonderful young girl named Paloma that we have already marked a batismal goal with her, the 11th of October. We are really praying for her and working hard to help her as she already marked a batismal goal with the other Sisters and backed out at the last minute.

Sister Souza is an amazing companion! She is a great story teller and loves to converse and get to know people- me, and all of our investigators and members in our area! She is helping me out with my accent, seeing as it is horrible, and she is extremely anxious to learn English!!

Our first Sunday in church was a wonderful and extremely humiliating at the same time. So we get there early and there is no one to play the prelude music. I offer, and get up there and then the meeting starts with me sitting at the organ!! I was waiting for the organist to come up and shew me away, but with only 10 members sitting in the benches, everyone was expecting me to play. I scratched through the first hymn, and screeched through the Sacrament hymn and nearly gave up the hymn in between. Then I looked to the closing hymn. It was a hymn that only exists in the Portuguese hymnal. I´d never played it before, nor heard the music. I looked to my companion in the benches, to the members sitting next to her and silently mouthed 'I don´t know this music!' They started to silently laugh, and a member seeing my desperation came up the organ (while the speaker was speaking) and told me that he could play the hymn and I could sit down. My companion and I and the members all laughed after Sacrament Meeting, but I think the next Sunday no one will ask me to play. I guess I have to practice more too.

So then we went to the Principles of the Gospel class. However, our chapel has three wards. There was already another ward in our classroom. I thought that we were late for the class since we had been talking with members in the hallway. So I open the door really abruptly and ask 'Did the class already start?' The Elders in the other ward were sitting there in the corner and just started to laugh!! The Teacher turned to me and said 'No, Sister, the class is ending, we were praying!' Yikes, I shut the door, and again my companion and I had to laugh at what an embarrassing day I was having!

Today my companion and I also had the opportunity to visit the temple for the first time since we´ve been in the field! It was a wonderful opportunity to feel the spirit so strongly! I am so thankful for the House of the Lord, and know that the Lord is blessing me in my mission! I was also able to pass by Elder (Brother) Morrill. Sister Morrill had fallen and hurt her knee and was at home, but we sat and chit-chatted it up with Sister Souza, i.e. I translated in between Elder Morrill and her. But it was great, she loves to ask questions and get to know more about people! He is doing great, and I think Sister Morrill is doing better with her knee!

Paloma asked me to share with her my favorite scripture the other day with her, and I decided I Would do the same thing with you all.

Mosiah 4:9-10
9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

Have a wonderful week,
Sister Tittelfitz