Miracles and a Sweater...

Okay I don’t know what happened I’ve been trying to upload fotos for like 10 minutes. So... just remember what I look like okay? GREAT. Obrigada.

Sorry about the money! I was going to tell you! The other day we were waiting for the ônibus in another bairro (neighborhood sort of?) and I was literally freezing to death. Like... almost an icecube. The weather here is like a Sister missionary. I won’t sing Katy Perry for you... okay I will... YOU´RE HOT THEN YOU´RE COLD... (Side note- the other day I called Presidente for permission to leave our area and he started singing [in English] IF YOU DONT KNOW ME BY NOWWW. YOU WILL NEVER EVER EVER KNOW MEEE. OOOH. OOoooOOOooh. Which is actually true because he is leaving at the end of this transfer...) But really it was FREEZING. I think the vento (wind) did it. Anyway there happened to be a nice little shop there with straight up American sweaters. Like Abercrombie and Fitch? So I bought a sweater. It was way pricey, but I figured the hospital bills for pnemonia would be worse. And now it’s my favorite sweater! WOO! I dont know why I just spent a whole paragraph explaining a sweater but... you get it. DESCULPA! AND I almost got a perm today? My hair is dying. I’ll keep you updated, but I need just one more for 6 more months right? Consider it a birthday present? But claro (obviously) I’m being careful!

I love that you name dropped Harvard and MIT! Ha! Everyone here thinks a gente é bem rico (aka they think we are rich) but they think all Americans are rich. So keep traveling. Aint nobody gonna judge you! Mas, I must admit. I miss the Veendam. Sometimes I have dreams where I just sleep. Im so tired. I understand all the boys who get home now. When they say things like- I fell asleep in church. SHOOT, I practically fell asleep in a lesson the other day.

Im still here in Santana de Parnaíba! With Sister Sares. Which is a little bit of a surprise to everyone, but Im excited to stay for my birthday! We have one more transfer June 17th for Sister Huskey and Sister Montjoy to come here- so if I don’t recieve a new American, I think I’ll stay here til July! Can you say longest area ever? Toto, we are not in Montana anymore!

What is a week in Brazil without finding at least one elect family? Or for us this week. TWO! WOOO! One doesn’t live in our area so that was a little triste, BUT we were riding the ônibus the other day and I started chatting with this guy Clayton. (He has an American name- I know) and Im like you should visit our church! Where do you live? Pq. Santana dois. .... NOOOO! The elders area!!! But I get his info to give to the elders and we hit our stop. So then Saturday we are walking home and I was having sort of a horrible day because the whole world was like- hey can I marry you? Are all Americans as beautiful as you? which sounds really flattering, but when it happens to us we have to say super forcefully NOOO and leave the area so they cant follow us around? So essentially that day we walked to whole city. My companion is always like- I always wanted an American companion, but this is a little bit annoying! HA! I die. But anyway, we see the same guy with his wife and he is like TOMORROW 9 o’clock! Ill be there! I didn’t forget! We are like alright see you there! But then he insists on buying us sorvete (ice cream) which is way expensive here and then the next day... WHAT DO YOU KNOW he comes to church with his wife! I don’t even care that he is not in our area, he is the BEST. His wife and him loved church and she started crying a little during fast and testimony meeting. THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIKE A FIIIIIRE IS BURNINGGG. 

Oh and the elect in our area. Jader and Janice. The other day I was on the phone with someone and we were going up this hill. Apparently some guy said to my companion- are you evangelizing? She said yes and then just continued walking. Not a joke. But I was on the phone so I didnt hear this. So then the next day we are walking down a street and meet this boy Henry (pronounced here like you are drowning.) He is like- I used to go to your church when I was like 10. So we get his contact info and the next day we are in that area. Brazil thinks they are so clever with names of streets so we are on Rua Urugai. como Uruguay. (Obviously I have a preference for Rua Estados Unidos- but it only has like 10 houses on it so...) Anyway we go to visit this house and it turns out Henry doesn’t live there! We are like oh.. sorry what is your name? This woman says Ivonette, remember me? The other day you were with a different American and you asked if you could visit me! (The other day as in a month ago) Oh- yes of course I remember you! (lie) Can we share a message? She had a whole bunch of people there and looked pretty busy so we were a touch reluctant and she is like- I have my 2 sisters and friend here. Is that okay? CLARO! So we teach them and in the middle this man comes into the house and is like- I KNOW YOU to my companion. Turns out he wanted to talk to us the other day but we just passed by. I told Sister Sares she will for sure have to thank God on judgment day for not letting that little gem pass by a second time! Him and his wife came to church, are reading the book of mormon, and will hopefully be baptized this next week! 

AHHHH Milagres people! They exist. I know because somehow I speak Portuguese these days.

Love you! 

Soldades de vocês.

Sister Haley K. Mills