TALK ABOUT TOUGH

First week in the field. One good word to describe this so far.... (nearly) impossible. Honestly I don´t know how I´m still alive. The last week in the MTC was good, with lot´s of preparation to get out of there.  I made lots of friends and stuff. It was good, and I learned a lot. But it´s hard to think of anything specifically. Hardest part of this week was leaving Sister Lindsey. She was all I had here. She was my family, and now I have none. I´m here in my first area, Hortolândia Inter Lagos. I am learning lots, praying like a mad woman, and barely surviving day to day.

 Brazil CTM District

Sister Lindsey!

My trainer is Sister Vilar, and she´s from Northern Brazil, so her accent is very hard to understand. But we can communicate pretty well after one week. She´s 29, very different from me, but is a blessing in many ways too. She's a tough cookie. I´m learning to love her more and more every day.   

 Also the people here are amazing... Wow... I can tell that I will learn to love them so much!  I already have in many ways. But I am very lonely. The times I´m happiest is when we are teaching and talking with people, and with Irma Mirya, I will include a picture with her. She speaks very good english, and wants to keep learning so she´s helped me a lot too. 

Irmã Mirya (my saving grace)

Hilary doing my makeup (Irmã Mirya´s daughter)

I can understand probably 60% of the language, but sometimes that 60% is a 0%. Anyway sorry I´m all over the place. Our apartment has just us. It´s empty and sad. It's home, and it´s where I get to sleep every day, which by the way... it feels like I don´t even sleep, because all of the sudden I´m awake every day.

I wanna be uplifting so, here´s the thoughts I´ve had this week. This is my moment to be a missionary, all the "trunky" missionaries talking about home, or the ones that have been here for a year, or 14 months, they had their moment to start too. So this is my turn, to start fresh, and struggle and learn and grow and cry and pray and overcome until I learn to love it every day. This moment will come and go, so I need to learn to love it and accept it as my life. I have had so many prayers answered and so many tender mercies. I´m so grateful for my Savior. Keep your heads up everyone!

Sister Walstad

P.S. - Here is another experience that Kassidy/Sister Walstad wrote home about:

I know I am supposed to be here. I have had a few cool experiences already. My comp had me choose a road to work.   As we were walking, I turned around and saw a little girl waving from the gate to her house. I had a feeling to go back and talk to her even though she´s a kid.  I felt really strong about it so we went back, she got her mom, and a few minutes later another woman walked in with her grand daughter.  Boom!... 2 pesquisadores! Amazing! 

THEN we met Ocila, a super cute lady who we just taught the other day. I prayed for her and her son, Daniel, and she started crying. I promised her that she would receive the things she needs, and that the Lord will provide a way as she has faith in Him, and that I know that from experience.  She cried as I testified.. IN PORTUGUESE!! Our Savior, takes our efforts and makes them enough because we need Him to be enough. I am literally here for ONE reason and that reason is Jesus Christ.

Arriving in Piracicaba

Me with President and Sister Bangerter

At the mission home