9 Month Mark . . . I can't even believe it!!

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, and Friends,

So yes, Wednesday we´ll be the official 9 month mark. I can´t even believe it. The time passes so fast. I feel like I´ve learned so much but I still have a lot, and I mean  A LOT, more to learn. (In response to your question Mom, no I don´t have a return date or anything yet)

So the baptism we had this week, let me explain how it happened. So, last Monday during P-day, the bishop´s wife called the other sisters and said, "Sisters, we have a baptism! We have a baptism! Come to my house at 6 and I´ll explain everything." Well the bishop and his family live in our area, so we went over there and turns out that a member that lives on the same street as them has a granddaughter who has gone to church for years and decided she wanted to be baptized. Theh granddaughter´s name is Thaynar. So Thaynar´s mom is not a member but she is totally open to letting her children chose their religion. Thaynar´s sister who is 10 years old was already baptized but their mom let them decide when. So last Sunday Thaynar decided that she wanted to be baptized. It was truly answer to our prayers. Two Fridays ago, Sister Cameron and I fasted for a baptism for the following week and Sunday we didn´t have anyone to baptize for the following Sunday. Then Monday rolled around and this miracle happened. It was a great baptism and she is such a cute girl! Love the whole family so much!

Mom: 

I´m so glad to hear that stake conference was such a success. I have no doubt that Dad´s talks were just great and the story I loved the most was Sister Bradley.

Oh, thanks again for sending the packages! You´re the best! haha, I hope I get the basketball shorts, or maybe you´re right, maybe some postal worker is enjoying some nice basketball shorts, haha, who knows. 

haha, I can´t believe how many people know about that back rubbing story, definitely one of my favorites from the mission so far, haha, I´ll never forget that meal. So random story from this week, so we were in the front of an investigator´s house and this crazy man comes up to us and just starts talking nonsense, even the investigators weren´t understanding, and they´re Brazilian! haha, he was so crazy and he was touching my shoulder and then out of the blue touched Sister Cameron´s head and he was just being crazy, but anyway, it´s amazing the people you meet, or the people that talk to you in the street, haha, very interesting...but at the same time we meet so many amazing people too, :)

haha, yah, the baptisms here are a little crazy here sometimes but we have a saying here that is "Só batiza!" "Just baptize!" haha, we say that all the time :) I love my mission and it´s such a blessing to serve in Brasil. 

So now, each zone just has one sister leader trainer so I just am over the sisters in my zone and there´s just the four of us so I don´t travel. If I get transfered to another zone that has more sisters I would travel and go on more exchanges but it´s nice too to just have the 4 of us. 

I´ll ask Sister Stolk to have her mom send the pattern for you, it´s a super cute stocking :)

And thanks again for sending the packages! 

Dad:

I´m so glad to hear that everything went well with stake conference. It´s always a little bit crazy with the tech stuff too. That´s cool that you did a Q and A session. I´m sure that went over really well. What were some of the questions that people asked? Our stake conference is in about a month. I can´t wait for General Conference! 

That´s so interesting how much your mission has changed. It´s so interesting to see the growth and changes in every mission. There are a few members in our ward that remember when there was just one stake here in Paraíba (the state) and now there´s at least 7 stakes.

I loved what you said about prayer and fasting, scripture study, and obedience. I couldn´t have said it better, that´s really the foundation of great missionary work. 

I also really liked the story about Nephi and the sacrifice that he had to make. It just so happens that I was studying sacrifice this morning too. It´s a really interesting gospel principle. 

Oh tell Grandma, Grandpa, Becky and Claudia that I say hi and that I love and miss them! :)

Taylor: Congrats bud! That´s so cool about the second interview and the Spain study abroad! That sounds so exciting! haha, yah you´ll be the real phil dunphy! haha, I´m so happy to hear that you´re doing well and I can´t believe you´re almost done with your bachelors! That´s so exciting! What else is new? 

Lindsey:Sounds like you guys are having a great time in Denver! That´s so nice to spend some time with your family and some time alone with Bryan too! 

haha, I loved the quotes from Norah, I always laugh out loud in the internet cafe and I think everyone is judging me haha :)

aah, you´ll have to send lots of pictures of Andrew and of Norah and Alice too! haha :)

Well, this week was really great, it was crazy we had 10 investigators at church yesterday and 6 of them have baptisms marked for this Sunday. (The others can´t because they´re not married or not over 16 years old) but if you guys could pray for them that they´ll be baptized Sunday that would be great. Their names are Ramon, Eduardo, Everton,(3 16 year olds) Raissa (Fatima´s (recent convert) granddaughter), Alison (a man), and Jessica. 

The work is great and I´m so happy to be here. I´ll try to be better in writing the everyday things that happen. 

I LOVE YOU ALL THE MOSTIEST!!!!

Love,

Sister Hicks