Casa, Dolce Casa

Welcome friends, family and people who want to know what is happening in my life. As you will all now know, or will come to know very soon.. (this means while reading this blog post), I, Sister Reising, have officially come home from my mission. Yes. I do know that this may spawn a lot of questions and that is exactly why I made this blog post. I had been on my mission for a little over 7 months and during that time I learned many many things—how to speak Portugues, how to love and serve others, how to live and love everyone through the thick and the thin, and generally just how to be a better person. However, after much prayer, fasting, reading scriptures, talking to my mission president, everything.. I felt like it was just my time to go home. I am here. I am happy, and I am ready to move on to the next phase of my life. As my life motto continues to be, “Live life without regrets.” I can honestly say that I enjoyed serving my mission—it was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow and serve in ways that I could not have even imagined. But as I sit here in my house I know that my place now is here. There really isn’t a whole lot to it. I love you all and I look forward to helping and serving and loving you all from a much closer proximity ☺ Ate mais..

Almost 7 months

Hello friends!

This week I got another batch of letters (packages are still in Floripa), but I should be getting those this week.. I got letters from:
Ludwigs--Thank you for your thoughts. I really appreciated them!
Blanks-- Your sticker packages make my and the other Sisters here SO HAPPY!! Glad to hear that things are going well!
Ginny--Really appreciated your point of view. I agree. Thank you Ginny! (I'm the cat...)
Karren-- Got the Primary package.. working on that..
Natalie-- Hawaii?! Jealous.
(These are the ones I remember.. there maybe were more..)

Happy Birthday week mom! This week we got to know our area a little better.. Sister Mendes is from Fortaleza, she joined the church 9 years ago and she is a fire cracker of entertainment. I have taught her a lot of English-- things that are of the utmost importance (words like boring, awkward, nevermind, random, creeper). There aren't Português substitutes for these.. so I had to help her out a bit.. haha We also enjoy singing "Singin in the Rain" when it is raining outside AND I taught her the hop/skip thing from the Wizard of Oz. The weather here is random. For a few days it is freezing cold and raining, and then a really hot stream comes through. I think it will continue to be ADD like this for a while. The only problem arises when it looks like it will rain and we dress all wintery and when we get to the neighborhood we are working (40 mins away by bus), it decides to be hot.. I had to buy and use flipflops the other day because the boots and the sweater I had were killing me in the intense heat... The umbrella that I had though I still used (just to block the sun). Right now we don't have a ton of new people that we are teaching.. mostly just reactivating members. Sundays are always a huge gamble, waiting at the doors and hoping that all the people you invited will show up to church. It's always great when they do come!!
There are many ups and downs here on the mission, but one thing I have learned is to just keep smiling. :D Hope all is well back home.

Sister Reising

Pictures from Chapecó

So, as promised last week, we totally went to a museum in town.. There is a picture of me contemplating death in a death urn, Sister Mendes and me in a picture of Chapecó and the stadium that we live next to.. The catholic church and a cool statue.. eating 'crepes' (NOT crepes..).. and the fattest dog I have ever seen. I think that my companion and I laughed harder than ever when we saw this creature with a tiny head and a HUGE body.. I hear that there is a youtube video of this dog... .bahahaha

All is well. Just working.. I enjoy the comp, we are working a LOT with inactive members right now just to get to know the area.. but all is good. Hope all is well there!

Sister Reising

Map of Chapecó and the stadium we live next to



Me and Sister Mendes in front of a Catholic church and iconic statue for Chapecó


Brazilian style crepes


Funny dog

(Note from Sam's mom - be sure to check out last week's email, which I just posted yesterday because I was traveling all week. Sorry about that!)

August 15 letter

Dear all..

Hello world! I am still here in Chapecó. You might be thinking.. ah. Then she wasn't transferred!! Slow down fast thinkers, I still WAS transferred.. to the other side of the same city. :) I am still living in the same apartment (where I CAN receive letters - see new address below) and I have a new companion.. Sister Mendes. She is a short fiesty northerner from Brazil and I like her. A LOT. She is the first Brazilian that I have met that enjoys breaking into song and dance, and taking random pictures (today we are being tourists here and we are going to try and find touristy things to do.. I think there are like two things. maybe..) We plan on being goofy and resting before we go off to work this evening.

This week was better. The first couple of days were a nice break in the schedule with the transfer that happened--I was companions with Sister Stahly (an American here) for ONE day! It was magical. We sang musicals and cracked jokes that I haven't been able to make for months. We also enjoyed some ice cream in the street as a celebration of the beginning and end of our companionship.

But now I am working on the other side of Chapecó.. Ramo 1. Honestly it feels like I am in a completely other world.. it is more of the down town, nicer houses.. feels more like a neighborhood in America than the other. It was also great because this companion trusts my opinion and lets me help! We bought a map and I am completely in control of where we go.. we got lists of members and are trying to get to know everyone. It's nice that I get to teach and share and help with what I already know here with her and she is more than happy to let me. Being useful makes the time pass a lot faster. We also enjoy eating meals together and we chat a lot. She is definitely a good companion for me. :D

I would like to throw out there that my birthday is happening at the end of next month and if you want packages to reach me in time, send them now-ish.. (grin) We will have a transfer the week before my birthday so hopefully I will get things then.. As to what to send? I would love rainbow chip frosting and rainbow chip cake mix.. really any kind of cake or brownie mix would be AMAZING. Any chocolate chips.. any corn bread, MUFFINS.. anything in a box that is delicious. If a box is not in your fancy, I love stickers, things to color, and honestly I just enjoy reading the words "Happy Birthday!" I hope that this helps those that were asking.

I hope all is well for you! Till next week,

Sister Reising

Address for letters here:
Rua Pará, 53 D Apt 03
Bairro Maria Goretti
Chapecó-SC 89801-400

(Send packages to mission home address at Florianopolis - but letters can go to the new one mentioned above.)

Six Month Mark

Hello!!!
Tomorrow is my 6th month anniversary! No, I am not going to do anything special, but the day in itself is a milestone. This week we had a Festa Julhna which is kind of a crazy pioneer western thing.. but anyways... I thought that I would send a small message and some pictures.

Eu acho que seria um ideá bom a mandar um Email em Português também. Esta semana tenha muito sol para algumas dias mas agora esta ficando frio de novo. Eu espero que eu não vou ter muitas coisas a fazer la fora, mas vamos ver. Esta semana também vamos ter uma transferência. Eu não sei que vai acontecer, mas eu acho que eu vou ter uma outra companheira e talvez uma outra área. Eu sou muito feliz para receber cartas essa semana também! Próximo semana eu vou saber o que vai acontecer. Eu espero que todas la são boes! Ate mais!

Use Google translator. I hope it doesn't botch it too much.. just a hint of my life. haha

These pictures are of the baptism here, my english class in Ingleses, and some pictures from the party. Much love!

Sister Reising

Warm in Winter

Hello Friends and Fam..

This past week was WARM!!!! miracle! Thanks for all of the prayers.. Really appreciated them. It is raining today, but it is still warmer than before, so BONUS! it was great. This week was pretty good. Marked a couple baptisms but it was raining on Sunday so the people didn't go to church. Always some kind of an excuse.. Then again, here people don't have cars and for some the church is about an hour walk away, so we understand, but still.. it's somewhat of a pain. This week I also had the opportunity to give a talk! Last Sunday when I was asked I just stared at the guy and said, "What? You want me to give a talk? In Português? For ten minutes?!" He jokingly said, "No sister, you can talk in English. Of course Português!" So, it took a while to write out.. thinking in English and writing in Português, but it went really well! A full ten minutes and everyone understood everything and really liked it!! YES! Huzzah! Other than that, we are still walking a lot..

Letters I got:
Blanks-- You rock my world! Stickers and the awesome card? LOVE. Stickers here are like gold, so thank you. Appreciated it!
Elin- Thanks for all the letters too. I will do my best to get some thoughts down on paper for you.
Elizabeth- Thank you for the update! I am glad that she is doing well! Brooke will be in my prayers. Loves and hope you're doing well!
Annie-Glad that cat is keeping you safe. Dust is scary!
Lunds- That package was amazing! Starbursts and tootsie pops? I love them! American candy for the huge win!
Parents-That last package with the junior mints was great too.. they just kind of melted together...haha

My new mission president has us write him each week as well so I don't have as much time to write, but I like him a lot. Has really good direction and is helping me a lot too.

Requests: big Bag of m&ms. No need to send more rootbeer candies! Love them but have a lot. I will be able to get packages and letters again in three weeks! (maybe sooner). Thanks for everything!

Loves
Sister Reising

From Chilly Brazil...

Hello world!

Well, this is definitely the coldest 4th of July that I have ever lived through. This past week had some fun weather. It included really really cold days and days a little warmer.... because of the rain that engulfed the area. It was fun though because I feel like I can finally say that I parted and walked through the 'red sea.' Many of the streets here are cobble stone and with the rain and the red clay combined on the many MANY big hills, there tends to be a red river that runs down the street. While I was walking home from one of the neighborhoods in the rain I realized that it was not even worth my time to try and avoid the streams of water anymore, my shoes were completely soaked... instead I focused on the fact that I had an umbrella, it was raining, and there were street lamps. Yup. I sang singing in the rain like there was no tomorrow!!! Danced, skipped a bit. My comp probably thinks I'm crazy--no not thinks, she should know by now... haha but I have to say that it was one of the best rain experiences to date in my life.

Other than the crazy weather, this week was pretty good. This week we talked to a lot of people and have some new contacts. We also had a reference for a young man who we taught last night and he went to church--SO he will be baptized this week or next!! #5! woo

Our new mission president is coming this weekend, so that will be good! I am interested to see what he changes and does. Hope you all have a great holiday weekend!!! Here are some pictures from the transfer!
My "mom"-sis colares and "dad"-sister godoy)
My 'grandpa' Sister F. Santos
Elders staying warm in the chapel