Mitchell, week 34, Marabá

Back to the Past! :P


Well, I made it another week! These past weeks have been crazy! TONS of rain and just having a good ol´time! :D Sadly transfers ended this past week and Elder Montarroyos is leaving, and that's all we know. We haven't gotten any other information (when he leaves and where? and who is my new companion and when he comes in) but I am excited and sad at the same time. 

So this past week we have been getting tons of rain. One night we got caught in the rain as we were heading home. It was getting close to 9:30pm (when we have to be home) and we started running. When we got home we were soaked soaked soaked TONS!!! But it was great! :P Plus one of the photos I sent was when we just finished our lunch with Irma Raquel and we were heading to Irma Wagna and Irmao Lucas house to visit them. And we came upon this road that became almost a river,  but we had to cross it to get to her house. But ahh it was great! :P That day it rained practically all day! :P

Also we are visiting Herber and his family. we have family home evening at his house and I made Mac and cheese!  :) AHH IT WAS FLIPPING GOOD!!!! I went to heaven and returned! :P I was definitely a little trunky (thinking of home) as well. They don't have mac and cheese here in Brasil! :D But ahh it was soo good! :P 

Also this past week we stayed home on Friday because Elder Monarroyos stomach wasn't feeling too good and so I had the chance to work on our Area book and work on some other stuff. But this next week I am not sure what's in store, but I am excited to be here in Brasil and I know this gospel is true! I know it is true because I feel it every day! btw, this past Sunday during sacrament meeting I gave a talk over the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it went pretty good I thought! :D But I know this gospel is restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and is restored with the same keys as when Jesus Christ was here on the Earth. I love my Savior dearly and I love my family! I am grateful I have 19 years (almost 20 years <-- on 3rd of April :D) in the gospel with my family! I am thankful for missionary work and I love you all! Keep holding to the Rod and counting your many blessings! :D and don't forget to SMILE!!! :D

ATÈ MAIS,

Elder McCrea

(Also this week I hit the big two zero 20! :D WHOOP :)

the mac and cheese that I made at a family night! :P It was so good and it made me trunky! :D

 And we came upon this road that became almost a river

But the last one was from family night at Herber house. with (from left to right.... Rodrigo, brother of Herber and his wife, Herber and irma Tamires, elder Montarroys and me with their dog :D

Mariah, week 40, Zaporozhye

Hello all :)

Yesterday was a great Sabbath for me too. Over the last couple weeks, I've been working harder on trying to pay more attention to the sacrament and what it means every week and stuff. And this last Sunday was the first time where I actually felt like I renewed my baptismal covenants. But alas, I haven't watched the Women's conference yet... I don't think I'll have time to watch it in English, so I'll just have to wait for the Ensign GC edition come out in a few months to be able to read them. 

I had a good birthday. I didn't really tell anyone until the day off -- well, I told Sister Meyers the night before. But she did a good job of telling everyone that it was my birthday the next day. The elders in my district even went and bought me a cake and sung "Happy Birthday" in Russian to me. It was grrrreat :3 

But as for all the political hooflah that's going on in Ukraine... I have no idea. We're not kept very informed on what's going on. The only news we hear are from members in the branch and the people we talk to on the streets. But yes, don't worry. I'm sure that all the members and missionaries are safe. President van Bruggen has had us start to keep a week's worth of food storage in our apartments in case we have to stay in for a while or something. And they're having members start to keep a 3-month's worth. Nothing big. Just usual things that LDS members should be doing anyway to stay prepared. 

BUT YAY! Reading by chapters or pages -- do whatever you need to do. I want to be able to finish reading the Book of Mormon one more time before I go home too. I started reading it again at the first of March and right now I'm in 2nd Nephi 10? I think? I'm not sure. SCRIPTURE POWER! :D

And thank you for your testimony. and I'm glad that you support me. I'm not sure what I'd do if you didn't... 

Love youu :)

Mariah, week 39, Zaporozhye

Hello world!

This last week (on the 19th of March to be exact), I hit my 9-month mark on my mission. Which means that as of now, my mission is more than half-way over. I've been on my mission for more time than I have left -- if that makes sense. Which I'm not quite sure how to feel about that.

But alas... Today also just so happens to be the first day of a new transfer! My sixth transfer! Start of a new transfer means the start of a mew missionary planner! Whoo-ho! And the official start of the reign of Sister Meyers and Sister McCrea over the Zaporozhye Right Bank area. All hail.

I love the start of a new transfer. To me, they are like the start of a new season. Which is kind of a coincidence because Spring just so happens to be right around the corner. I am totally loving this warmer weather.

AND OH MAN. Not any time left. I just wanted to end with a scripture that I read this morning during personal study:

Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.

Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

-- 1 Nephi 22:11-12

The Lord is making His gospel known to everyone on the earth. There are over 80,000 missionaries all over the world doing His work and spreading the good news. We as missionaries are helping bring these people "out of darkness" so that "they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer". I'm so glad that I get to spend this time, this short, precious 18-months serving my Lord, Savior and Redeemer. I know that and my testimony of this grows everyday. Missionary work is hard, but it's worth it.

xoxo

Cectpa Makpeй

Mitchell, week 33, Marabá

All is good! :)

So yesterday (3/17/2014) we had zone conference with President and Sister Scisci! It was GREAT!! Learned TONS of stuff I can apply to my mission life and a lot about after the mission life. But I am grateful also I saw all of the elders in our zone. Kinda cool but we have 12 missionaries in our zone; 4 in my city, 4 in Parauapebas, 2 in Canaã, and 2 in Altamira. And there is 6 brazilians and 6 norte americans. It was good to see them all and I got to see for the 1st time a missionary from my MTC district.... Elder HAYES!!!! :) He's awesome!!! He was serving in Jacksonville, Florida waiting for his visa and he barely got his visa like over a month ago. But it was crazy to have 12 missionaries in our apt the night before conference. But all went good!! The 24th next Monday is my 8 month mark on a mission!! WOW! Time is flying!!!!!!!

This week we also had the offical paperwork signing session. (Not sure what you call it in English) but Brother Claudio and Sister Kayla are married!! :) The paperwork takes a month until they will get it, and after they as a family can enter the waters of baptism! I am so excited and happy for them!! :) WHOOPIE!!!!!!

Sadly all the rain we have been getting in Marabá, the river of Tocantins has risen and it has covered some streets in the old part of Marabá. We haven't visited that part lately but we have planned to visit Brother Heber and Sister Tamires. So this week we should be able to get some pictures of that part of Marabá. Really sad to hear about their homes and all.... (Count your many blessings and keep them in your prayers)

My time is runned out but I know that this gospel is the same gospel when Jesus Christ was here on Earth. I know Joseph Smith restored this gospel in the last dispensation. And right now we have a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson here on Earth. I am grateful for this time I have to teach this wonderful gospel to the people here in Marabá, PA. I love my family and I love my work! Continue to count your many blessings, say your prayers, read the scriptures, and SMILE!! :)

With Love,

Elder Mitch McCrea

Sister Kayla and Brother Claudio with Elder Montarroys and I. The day of their wedding session on Wendsday (3/12/2014) :D

River Tocantins. Over the bridge during the bus trip we take every day! :) That was such a pretty day! Also had a lot of rain that night...

Zone Conference - Elder Montarroys and I. My companion; his from Recife, born in Africa
(Adopted at 6 months to a Spaniard dad and a Brasilian Mom), 19 years old (Birthday also in April!! :D ), Surfs, just a really nice solid dude! I am glad we are companions!!

With Love,

Elder Mitch McCrea

Mariah, week 38, Zaporozhye

Snow in March?

 What even?? Just when I thought that the weather in south Texas was weird, just wait until you experience the weather in Ukraine. One day it's nice and warm, the sun is out and it feels like you don't even need a jacket; and the next... it's cold, gloomy and below freezing. Ukraine y u so dum?

Anyway. This week has been a roller coaster. Tuesday, I said a bye to Sister Nielsen. Naturally, it was a sad parting. But all is well. We're going to hang out for a month and watch all the movies together when I come home.

[Sister Gottscheck (who went home with Sister Nielsen), Sister Meyers, Sister Nielsen, and I.]

My new companion is... Sister Meyers! Who was actually in the MTC with me! She's such a cool kid, and I'm so glad that I get to spend the next six weeks with someone that I already (somewhat) know... Although, in all honestly, Sister Meyers is not the Sister Meyers that I knew in the MTC. She has grown spiritually so much, and I feel so lucky to be with someone who has such a strong testimony of the message that we are trying to share with everyone in Zaporozhye, Ukraine.

Sister Meyers is helping me re-look at the way we try and find investigators. Through our efforts, we've actually found a family this week, who turned into three new investigators. The mom is really nervous and anxious about all that is happening in Ukraine right now. I was so glad though, that the Holy Ghost was working through me and I was able to tell her about the story of Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty. I know that The Book of Mormon is true and it can totally apply to any everyday thing that happens. Ahh! And I'm running short on time. 

To end, please enjoy this picture of me and a cat!
 And what the inside of a (nearly empty) tramvie in Ukraine looks like!

xoxo
Сестра Макрей