February 13, 2017

I am loving being here in Pinhais, Brasil. I am meeting so many amazing people and learning so much! 

Outside our apartment

We have a new mission schedule which is wonderful and gives us a little more flexibility! We wake up at 7:30, exercise, get ready, plan, personal study and then from 11 am - 10 pm we have an hour of lunch, then choose when to have 1 hour of companion study, 30 mins of language study and then the rest of the time we spend teaching lessons and finding people. 

Baptism of Jose do Espirito Santo!

He is so incredible! He said that he will help bring more people to church because he wants everyone to know about the church and how it can help our lives become better! 

Sister Hulme and I have been spending a lot of time knocking doors and are having lots of great, interesting and quite amusing experiences!  

One time we were talking with a lady and she asked where we were from. For some reason my mind went blank and my companion wasn't responding so I ended up saying ``Uhhhhmarrica...`` Then the lady with a confused look asked ``Ahh are you guys speaking brasileiro well?`` and I said ``Yes, I just forgot how to say America or Estados Unidos for a second.``

Another time we were talking with a women and asking if we could return and give a message. She said yes and so I asked ``Voce tem um dia que é bom para voce?`` (Do you have a day that is good for you?) and she said ``Obrigada! Voces tambem!`` (Thanks! You too!). She thought that I was saying that I hope she has a great day, and we didn't know how to respond to that, so we just ended up saying see you later and walking away. 

Another time a woman tried to slam the door on us but the door got stuck on the ground about half way... So that didn't work very well for her.

Mission Conference 

It is a great life!

``If we knew that God already had at least one person prepared to receive the gospel because of our efforts we would have more faith!!!``

I know that God is preparing people to learn about the Gospel and we can each share the gospel with everyone! We can pray for the desire to share the gospel and be good examples for everyone around us! There are people all around us who are searching but don´t know where to find it! 

January 30, 2017 - Transferred

I was transferred! Now I am in Pinhais Centro. My new companion is Sister Hulme. She is from Las Vegas and has about 4 months on the mission! 

 Sister Hulme and I

 

Here are some pictures from my last few days in my other area: Autodromo

 

 

Lunch at a member's house

 

Last day with my companion Sister Muniz! She got here visa and will be going to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida mission in 1 month!!!

 

On last Monday I started packing my bags because I had the feeling I would be transferred! On Tuesday night I finally got the call the I would be transferred!

Everyday in my new area it has poured and even with umbrellas we ended up getting soaked! 

We got SOAKED!

 

I LOVE my new area, the members, my investigators and my companion! 

My new companion Sister Hulme: 

``God loves us the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way.`` 

I know that God loves us all so much and that he has a plan for each one of us. He sent us to the earth so the that we could learn and grow. Through our trials and difficulties we can learn to rely on our Savior and grow to be better each day! 

I love you all so much and hope y'all have a great week!!!

-Sister Hancock

January 9, 2017 - Happy New Year!

"Hello everybody! My name is Sister Muniz and I am a missionary! We have a special message for you and you and you and ALL of youuu!!! Now... LISTEN TO MY COMPANION! Speak companion speak!!!" 

My companion is waiting for her Visa to go to Florida and I have been trying to help her learn some more English. The phrases above are what she will yell on the streets!

I apologize for not writting the past few weeks! December 17th we had transfers, but I stayed in Pinhais again with my companion Sister Muniz! 

I won´t write too much, but here are a few things that have happened the past few weeks. 

We had a Christmas Devotional and the 4 of us that live in Autodromo ended up being the ONLY 4 people that didn't wear red. Every single person was dressed in red... except us. At one point President Hart said ``Wow you are all wearing the Color of Christmas!!! Red!.... Almost all of you are wearing red! Haha, there I was sitting in the middle of the crowd dressed in a teal shirt and a coral flowery skirt! The only thing red that I was wearing was my face from embarrassment! 

Mission Picture Curitiba Mission December 2016 

(Sister Emily Hancock - 8th from right, second row- borrowed a red jacket, I think - Emily's Mom)

The day after and for about a week and a half I was sick. The doctors have no idea what it was and each doctor said something different. So I still don´t know what it was... But at this point I am feeling 100% better! 

On Christmas I got to Skype my family! It was the best Christmas present! (Yes it was - Emily's Mom)

Gifts from the Members in Brazil

(Emily's package from home arrived several days after Christmas)

On New Years I was already sleepy at 10:30 but then got awoken by the fireworks. I looked out the window for about 5 minutes and then put in ear plugs and went back to sleep! 

We got soaked in the rain a few times this week. Three times we got caught in the rain, far from our house, without an umbrella!!!

This past week we got to go to the temple and it was incredible!!!

I am starting to forget English sometimes. Here 2 examples from the past few weeks. We were teaching a person who is from Haiti and he doesn't speak Portuguese but he does speak English a little! We were explaining the book of Mormon to him and I said... ``This page is an explication of the book`` then my companion said something and I say thinking... "Explication?... Explication?? that doesn't seem right..." then about an hour or so after the lesson we were walking on the street and I said "OHHH EXPLANATION!!!! Its not Explicate! It is Explain!!!"

Also sometime Sister Muniz will ask me how to pronounce a word and sometimes I can't remember so she has to ask another sister that arrived 4 weeks ago here in Brazil!

We are having lots of lessons and all of a sudden we have a ton of investigators! It is wonderful! It is wonderful to be able to see people change their lives and come closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ!!! 

I love you all!!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and a great start to the year 2017!!!

-Sister Hancock

December 12, 2016

We had a Family Home Evening on Monday with the Bishop and his family and 2 of our investigators and their 3 year old son. It went really great! 

We shared a few short videos about Christmas and how we can get more into the Christmas Spirit. #SejaALuzDoMundo #LightTheWorld (Mormon.org) If you haven't already watched the videos be sure to watch them! They are great! Also, the church has a campaign 25 ways for 25 days to get into the Christmas Spirit. Each day has a topíc and then different ways that we can serve others, be a light, and get into the true spirit of Christmas! 

Merry Christmas!

-One day we received money for lunch and so we went to look for a really good restaurant that a member had taken us to before. Sister Muniz and I see it almost every single day when we are walking to visit people but every time we go to look for it to actually eat there, it disappears. We searched for quite a while and then finally found it! It is seriously the best Brazilian food ever! 

-We were having language study and we were teaching our companions english and then one Sister said "Wow this is something I thought I would never see, an American and a Canadian laughing at each other's accents!"

We had training with President Hart this week! If we are humble we are always looking to improve and we will accept that we won't be perfect. If we are humble, we will rely more on our Savior and the help that He will give us. We will be obedient because of our love for God not because we feel like we are obligated to do something. When we are obedient to the commandments God will give us the spiritual power that we need to face our daily challenges. 

Have a wonderful week! 

-Sister Hancock

December 5, 2016

This week was wonderful! I saw so many miracles! 

On pday we made Tacos!!!

We taught a lesson in the rain on Wednesday! I gave my umbrella to our investigator and we taught in the rain. Then on Sunday we left our umbrellas at home because it was really hot in the morning and there were not many clouds. As we were about to leave a lesson it started pouring, so we ended up walking to our next lesson in the cold rain!

We ate Doge Doce together on Friday!

This past Sunday we had 12 investigators at Church!!! It was super exciting! 

Valdecir

A few weeks ago I told a story about a man who showed up to sacrament meeting. 

On Sunday November 6th we were in Sacrament meeting and sitting at the front. A member came up and said there was a man at the back of the chapel that just showed up. We rushed back to sit and talk with him. He told us that the night before he had a dream that there were two girls that invited him to an activity but before he saw the location he woke up. The next morning he left his house to go for a walk, not knowing where he was going. He walked by the church and for some reason felt like he should enter. He walked in and sat at the back feeling a little sad and confused. At that moment we walked over and sat on either side of him. He started to cry and a little later said that when we sat next to him he felt that two angels sat next to him.... 

We talked with him that afternoon and learned more about his life. Then again on the next Wednesday. He was going through some personal problems. He wasnt really accepting our message. We decided to return the next day. He still didn´t accept our message and he didn't want to change. We continued visiting him almost everyday or so. About a week later he made the decision to change his life and follow what we were teaching him and the things that God had put into his life. After he made the decision to change and rely on the Savior he really started to progress. We set his baptism for 2 weeks later, December 3rd and he accepted! 

This past Saturday December 3rd, Valdecir was baptized! It was a really happy day! When he came up from the water he had a smile of pure joy on his face.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to see him change his life through the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I know this Gospel is true and that through Christ we can change our lives. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Love, Sister Hancock

November 28, 2016

Happy late Thanksgiving everyone! We didn't celebrate it here in Brazil. It was just another normal day with beans, rice and chicken. 

On Monday we got fed two dinners. We went to one girl's house who is on a foreign exchange, from the United States, here in Brazil. We got to know her family and they ended up feeding us dinner. We ate, shared a message and then left to a different investigator. We arrived and she had also made dinner for us. We were so full but we ate again anyway. The food was delicious, but we were so full! 

 

My District

On Tuesday we had Zone Conference with Presidente Hart! 

``Faith is not only believing that God can do something, Faith is believing that he WILL do it.``

The four of us from Autodromo and our Zone leaders

I learned a lot during zone conference. We talked a lot about learning by the Spirit. The process of learning: 1) Listen or Read something 2) Learn, Search, Think, Ponder 3) Feel 4) Write, plan, make goals, and remember 5) Do and follow up on the plans 6) Become. This Process leads to repentance, change and conversion.

The rest of the week we taught lots of lessons, had weekly planning, had a ward activity, had exchanges, and stake conference. 

John 15:5

We should teach all gospel principles not as unrelated ideas but as appendages of the Atonement. By doing so we can make the Savior that center of our teaching and our lives. If we make Him the center, we are promised growth strength and nourishment. 

Eu amo todos vocês! 

-Sister Hancock 

An Elder brought his Ukulele to church!

November 21, 2016

The weather is LOCO! One day it was chilly when we left the house and then it was super, super hot an hour later. Then it was really windy! And about 10 minutes later it poured! Then it was really cold, hot, cold again, rained again and then really cold. All in one day. 

Some quotes and experiences from this week with some of our investigators. 

-We asked one of our investigators if he had prayed about our message and he said he had gotten home at around midnight. He prayed and said "When I prayed I felt a peace that I had never felt before. All I wanted was to keep that feeling forever."

-"I made a decision to change my life. God has put this gospel into my life and I need to follow it."

-"Wow, before you even asked me if I would pray, I already had the desire to pray and know if this is true. The story of Joseph is so beautiful and I felt such a peace and joy when you shared it."

-"I already know this is the right path for me. I didn't know this was what I needed. I felt that I was missing something in my life and now I know what it was. I will do anything I need to in order to follow this path and help my kids follow it too."

I am seeing miracles everyday how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is helping people change. Through faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost we can be changed. I know this Gospel is true and through the Gospel our lives can change and we can become better. 

Mosiah 24:15

All of us have to face challenges. Jesus Christ suffered, sacrificed and atoned for each one of us. He can understand exactly what we are going through and how to help us because He has already suffered for us and has felt everything. The Book of Mormon can give us the confidence and assurance of His power to comfort us. We need to have faith in His power that can give us patience to face our challenges. When we wait and pray with patience, Jesus Christ will give us the strength we need. 

I love you all! 

-Sister Hancock