no campo

This past week has been great. Some crazy things have happened but all´s
here.

Our investigators are the bomb. Seriously. So awesome. I´m glad to have the
opportunity to serve them. The food is literally the best. Never eaten so
many good things in my life. Ahhh!!! I´m going to have to be rolled out of
Brazil.

Also this week I rode what I like to call The Harry Potter Bus, but here in
Brazil it´s just the normal bus. But literally I thought last week the bus
I took to get to Sergipe was crazy but actually it was totally calm. So
crazy, exactly like the bus from Harry Potter. We rode it because we had a
zone meeting in Aracaju. Good meeting and I learned a whole lot about how I
can´t understand Portuguese.

I had my first contact this week! All by myself. A contact is where we stop
someone on the street and tell them who we are and invite them to church
and to be taught more....it was good. They said they wanted to know more
but sometimes Brazilians are flaky and so we´ll see.

Also since I was complaining about the heat it decided to rain. And when I
say rain I mean RAIN. Sister Barros and I got caught and we were super far
away from our casa and so we got absolutely soaked. soaked to the bone.
(also thank you so much Aunt Wendy for sending me the stuff to make my
shoes waterproof because they would have died without it)

We had an interesting experience this week. We went to go teach a lesson to
one of our investigators on the other side of our area. Out in the way out.
We clapped and she didn´t answer so we decided to come back later but then
she opened the door and we were super excited. yay! When we got in there
however there was a man there too and he just kind of sat there and watched
us creepily. Anyways, we tried to start and this man offered to say the
prayer. And then he stood up and started shouting and doing super weird
things and it was so strange. He prayed for almost 15 minutes. yup. After
that we tried to share a message but he started shouting more in portuguese
and i couldn´t understand but he kept looking at me and I heard Americana
and stuff like that and at one point he stood up and got right in my face
and pointed at me and said more things and so yup. When we left it was so
nice because there was just a bad spirit in that house. anyways, fun times
in brazil.

Yesterday we walked through a mini amazon! haha but it was really fun and
we found some really cool people on the other side.

The members here are absolutely awesome. They feed us sooo well and do a
great job of helping our investigators feel welcome. The kids think I´m the
coolest things since sliced bread because of my pop rocks. The faces on
their faces when the eat them....haha. Gets me every time. Especially the
adults! Our area is great. I love it here.

I know this church is true. I love it. I love my mission. I love the
opportunity I have to serve the people here and be on the Lord´s errand in
bringing others to Him. I love you all so much. Thank you for everything
you do!

Sister Helm

The Church is True

The church is true. That is all I have to say.

Well, I am definitely in Brasil. My companion is Sister Barros. She is from
Cape Verde. She speaks very very little English. It has been fun to be
using hand signals and pictures and broken Portuguese to communicate with
her! She is incredibly loving and I am so glad she is my companheira. I
really am blessed because she has the most patience I have ever seen in a
person. Sometimes I worry she will get irritated with me because I am
always asking questions in my terrible Portuguese and making her explain
grammar to me.

Did you know they taught me the wrong language at the MTC? I am almost sure
of it. I have been here for six days and people are still just babbling in
some strange language. hahaha not really but sometimes I wonder if anything
could ever prepare you for something like this. Sometimes I look at what I
am doing and I think I am crazy. How am I doing this? The church is true. I
have no idea how I am able to teach lessons in a language I can hardly
understand, let alone speak. I have no idea how I am able to love a people
I hardly know. I have no idea what is happening most of the time. But I
know that I am doing what I am supposed to do.

So after we met the Misson Presidente and his wife we went to a meeting and
met our trainers! Super stressful. But I got a great companion so that is
awesome! Lots of things happened after that but I do not remember much
because it was all in Portuguese. It is funny because I know they were
saying important stuff like rules and things but they said it all in
Portuguese so Elder Trout and Sister Lopez and I were very confused.
Luckily we have trainers to lead us around. We stayed the night in Maceio
and then in the morning headed out the the other side of our misson....it
would probably be about 6 hours away by car but we took brasilian crazy bus
and got there in 5. I like it here. We are in the area called Eduardo Gomes
just outside of Sao Cristovao. Its one of the hottest places in the mission
and I can completely attest to that because it is incredibly hot. Super
duper. Never experience heat and humidity like this in my life. The only
thing I can compare it to is when I was at fair and had to change into my
FFA show clothes and my jacket and everything in the hot van and it was
super hot and sweaty. It like that all the time. I think Wyatt and
Anneliese might understand here. Also the bugs are terrible. I will be able
to kill bugs like a pro when I am done with the mission. I have a story. On
like my third day I was in our casa when I saw this really weird looking
bug and it was by my foot a few inches away and I was watching it trying to
get the courage to kill it when it sensed my fear and, I kid you not, it
full on jumped at my foot and tried to kill me. So I screamed and karate
chopped it in the air. Super fun times in Brasil!!

My first day in the field was very interesting. It started out with a
district meeting at the church building. There are me and my companion and
two other sisters that live with us and then four other elders that are
about 20 minutes away by bus. They are all awesome, but I had no idea what
was happening...at all. I think they were trying to talk to me because they
kept looking at me like they were asking questions but I think they were
speaking chinese because nothing made sense....haha. Anywho after that Sis
Barros and I went to a local store to get some food. It was incredibly hot.
So hot that my companion passed out while we were waiting in line.
Omygoodness I had no idea what to do then all of a sudden some man had
picked her up and was taking her to an air conditioned place and all this
time people are yelling at me in Portuguese and I have no idea what they
are saying and somehow I am able to get our cell phone and call the other
sisters and ask for Sister Lopez (different sis lopez than the MTC) because
she is American so I can speak in English and tell her I have no idea what
is happening but I need help. Yup. Super fun. All this time people are
still trying to speak Portuguese to me and everyone in the store is staring
at me because some white girl is talking in English super fast in a phone
and all the world is in panic. Yup. Great first day in the field. It all
ended up alright. The sisters came and saved me and Sister Barros was fine
and we went on our way.

Compared to the first day all the rest of my days here have been much less
exciting. Every day though, without fail, when I walk on the streets the
people will literally stop what they are doing and just stare at me as I
walk past. Yup, the life of a super white ruiva. Super awkward though.

On my second day we clapped at a random house and a young girl answered.
She agreed to listen to our message...just like that. The people here are
ready to here the gospel. Sister Barros taught her about the restoration
and then sister barros turned to me and I taught the first vision. In
Portuguese. And then I invited her to be baptized and she said yes. just
like that. :))

Brasil is very.........different. To say the least. Let me tell you about
some things in Brasil. People drive like maniacs. They have no crosswalks,
people just frogger across the streets. Also I do not think there are speed
limit because people are always going a million miles an hour down the
street. The food here makes up for everything else. It is amazing. I am
going to be a million pounds when I l leave because all the little
Brasilian women are always shoving more food on my plate.

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers.

Sister Helm

I have arrived

WoooooWoooo! Finally, I made it to Brasil. I spent way too much time
sitting in a plane. Really do not recommend it for anyone.

I do not have much time, so I'm going to be quick. 

However, I am here safe. Brasil is crazy. For realz. I have zero idea what
is happening right now. Besides Sister Lopez and Elder Trout like 10 new
missionaries came from the CTM in Sao Paulo. Yes, they are Brazilian. Yes,
they talk a million miles a minute. And yes, I have no idea what they are
saying. They keep trying to talk to me and eu não sei o que é acontecendo.
Hopefully this goes alright or this will be a really really long missão.

I am not sure when I will email again. Just know I am safe and clueless.
Yay. More details will have to come later.

Eu te amo muito! Obrigada for your prayers. :)))))

Com amor,
Sister Helm

Small World

Aunt Melanie saw Bailey as she was getting off the train for work today.  Bailey is headed to the airport to fly to Brazil today!

 My district being normal

All of us with Irmao Barlow

All of us with Irmao Workman

Brasil, here I come!

The next time I email I will be in BRASIL! Eu sei, it's crazy. I really
have loved being at the MTC so much and I'm so glad I had the opportunity
to come to the Provo MTC. There truly was a reason that I was sent to this
MTC. I had the most amazing teachers, the best companion, the coolest
district, the awesomest zone, and pretty much the most incredible
experience ever here. I'm so thankful for my lovely Aunt Wendy who
diligently sent me packages that made all the elders in my district jealous
(it's alright I shared) and was always one step ahead of me whenever I was
thinking....man, I really could use some cookies. Also, I'm thankful for
Uncle Peter, Ariana, and Myla for writing me beautiful letters that I love
to reread over and over. I'm so grateful for all the people who sent me
letters of encouragement and love. Thank you thank you OBRIGADA MUITO. Eu
amo voces!

I'm so excited to have the blessing of serving the people of Maceio,
Brasil. I love that I have the opportunity to share with them a message of
love and joy. It truly is a message of joy. I attest to that with all my
heart. I know Jesus Christ lives and that he is our Savior. I can't wait to
help my fellow brothers and sisters in Brasil come to know their Savior as
their friend and God as their Heavenly Father.

It was really sad today to say adeus to our professores. Singing God Be
With You Till We Meet Again this morning was triste. They taught us SO much
in the space of a few weeks! Really, everything we know about Portuguese is
all thanks to them. I'm so grateful that I was blessed with having amazing
teachers that were willing to teach us all they know. In reality, our
teachers are only a few years older than us but their knowledge about
Portuguese and the gospel is truly incredible. I'm also so grateful for all
that the Spirit has taught me about the gospel and how to teach people. My
personal study time is something I look forward to every day. Sister Lopez
has also taught me so much. What an example she is to me. Wow. I have been
so blessed. Just looking back now I can see how much I've grown. And it's
only been six weeks! What will come in the next 17 months!?

Thank you to everyone who is including me in their prayers. I feel blessed
beyond all else. Thank you so much. Don't forget to pray for the other
88,000+ missionaries out there bringing people to Cristo! I love all of you
so much. There is nothing else in the world I would rather be doing than
what I'm doing now. I'm so so so blessed to have this opportunity to be on
the Lord's time. Some may say that a mission is a sacrifice, but I can
testify to you that it is a blessing beyond compare.

I've had a great time here with visiting dignitaries, trying to speak
Portuguese, not understanding anything that's happening, learning, growing,
laughing my head off at the elders in my district, and so so so much more.
The MTC has been great. However, I'm ready to say goodbye. It's time to get
to WORK.

Jesus Cristo vive. He is our Savior. God, our Heavenly Father, loves us and
wants us to return to his presence someday. To quote Aunt Wendy, "You've
had eternity to prepare for this mission and you have eternity to reflect
on it. But you only have 18 months to live it....Hit the ground running and
don't ever stop". There is no greater work on this earth than bringing
souls to Cristo. *Shall we not go on in so great a cause? *

Sister Helm

WHAT EVEN IS BRASIL?

It's weird to spend Halloween at the MTC. Mostly because we can hardly
remember if there's a real world out there. It ended up being a pretty
otimo dia because......

I GOT MY VISA!

WoooWoooo!! So much of the excitement!! I leave early Monday morning to the
SLC airport to fly to Atlanta, GA, then down to Sao Paulo, and then back up
to Maceio. Ahhh!!! A lot of flying, but I'm so excited right now! I've been
waiting for para sempre dizer all this and I'm just so thankful for all
your prayers, support, and love. So many things to do though before
segunda-feira! I'm also super thankful because Sister Lopez got her's as
well as another elder in our district.

Also on Halloween Sister Lopez and I had TRC. This week we got to skype
with a member from Maceio! It was so so so cool to meet someone from where
we are going just after finding out we are actually going there! It was fun
but I also had a hard time understanding a lot of his Portuguese because of
his accent and also he spoke realllllyyyy rapido. (Yay for going to Brasil
next week and not understanding anything!)

Other than that the week was pretty chill. We have class all day and then
we eat and then we study and then we sleep and then we wake up and do it
all over again. So much fun. But so much otimo at the mesmo vez!

Sorry this email is so crazy. There's a lot of things to say and not very
much time to say it.

It's going to be a whole week of lasts. Last days, last times, last
goodbyes. This morning a bunch of elders and a sister that came a few weeks
ago got their visas and left to the Brasil MTC. Only a few missionaries are
being reassigned. Something strange is that an elder and a sister in our
district that are going to Mozambique got reassigned. Strange to have
missionaries that are going to Brasil getting to go straight to their
missions and missionaries going to Africa are getting reassigned.

I'm happy though. Not sure if I'm prepared for the extreme heat/humidity
but you know that going to be expected. I've been studying so much harder
the last few days trying to cram in as much Portuguese into my head as I
possibly can.

Obrigada para tuda de voces por sua oracaos e por sua amor.

THREE CHEERS FOR BRASIL!

Sister Helm