It is HOT in Ribeirao Preto!

Sorry I didn´t get an email out to everyone last week! Sometimes emailing time is a little short.

 

Well, we had a really good week this week! We taught the most lessons this week than I have any other week of my mission. It was really satisfying to sit back with my companion and think about all we accomplished. The only bad thing here is how HOT it is. It is so hot and the people are saying it´s only going to get worse these next 3 months. We have 4 fans in our house and 4 Sisters so luckily I have my own fan. My companion and I started getting ourselves wet before going to bed, which is helping us stay cool and get some sleep. I now thoroughly appreciate air conditioning and will never take it for granted again. I run into air conditioning sometimes in stores, in sacrament meeting, and the mission office, so that´s nice every once in a while. I will be coming home really really tan. There´s already a big difference. Even with the heat, I really love it here. This is the last week of this transfer. It has gone by SO fast. We´ll find out about transfers this Friday... where I´ll spend the next 6 weeks and with who. I´m anxious to know!

 

So much happens during the week... it´s really hard to know what to write about... Everyone will get a better update in just a few months in person. That´ll be way better.

Hope you all have a great week!

Sister Shipp

Conference!

Oh my goodness. General conference was SO GOOD! I got to watch it in English with a few other American Missionaries (pic attached). We switched it over to Portuguese when Elder Godoy spoke, which was way cool. After watching conference this weekend, I feel like I have so much more strength to do all that I need to do and finish my mission strong! I really got some answers that I was needing as I listened to the words of the Prophet and the Apostles. If you missed it, go watch it! It is definitely worth your time. I really loved Elder Bednar´s talk at the end of the conference. He explained why we share the gospel. It explained perfectly why I am so far from home for a year and a half, adjusting to a new culture and learning a new language. All the talks are on the website lds.org :) I am so excited for this week. I´ve got new goals that I am excited to accomplish.

The gospel really is true. I´ve never had so much joy from anything else.

Love Y'all!

Sister Shipp

Another Week

Man, when it comes to writing emails, I never know what to say...

 

This week was so good! We had a conference with my mission president and a few other zones. All of my Brazilian companions were there, as well as my 2 American MTC companions, so that was neat :) I am really enjoying serving with Sister de Oliveira! She is so sweet and so prepared to be a missionary. I am sending a couple pictures with her so you can see what she looks like!

 

I think the highlight was seeing the Woman´s Conference. I am so grateful for the opportunity to listen to living a Prophet and Apostles! I´m so excited for the chance that we have to hear them this weekend. I know they will tell us the things that we need to know, the things that God wants us to know. (lds.org)

 

I hope you all have a good week! Get ready for conference! I´m already making a list of questions I have to listen for as I watch conference.

 

Love y'all!

Sister Shipp

First Week in Ribeirao!

Well, it´s been a good first week in my new area! Ribeirão is sooooooooooooooooooo different than Bebedouro. Everything is a lot closer and we walk a lot less which is awesome because my legs have to last for 4 more months and they definitely hurt sometimes. It´s a lot different serving in a ward again after serving in a branch for so long! My companion is from the Southern part of Brasil this time so I´m getting used to a new accent and new words that she uses that my other companions from the North never used. It´s been fun so far :) We had some rain this week so things were a bit cooler, but I´m getting myself ready for a hot next few months and a really really hot Christmas. That´ll be weird. Christmas in the summer....

 

Everything is good here! Training seems to be a lot easier this time around and my companion is literally awesome. She is already teaching so well and leading the lessons lots of times. I have to remind myself sometimes that she is only in her 2nd transfer!

I hope y'all have an awesome week!

Sister Shipp

Transfers

So after 5 transfers (6 months) in Bebedouro, I have finally made my way to another area! I am now in Ribeirão Preto! I´ll be serving in Ala 1 with Sister De Oliveira from Southern Brasil! She only has 6 weeks (1 transfer) here in the mission, so I´ll be finishing her 12 week training. It should be good! I am excited!

 

I had a good last week with Sister Vaneza, although the goodbyes were really hard. It was especially hard to say bye to José Luiz, Franciele, Leonildo, and Jeniffer. They are some really special people. I am really going to miss them!

 

I´ve been thinking a lot about change this week. Change is hard, but from time to time, it´s exactly what we need. We can learn so much as our circumstances change. As I´ve reflected back on my mission, I´ve realized how much I´ve learned from each companion and area. I´m so excited I Have this new opportunity to learn more! I just hope I don´t get too lost here in Ribeirão. Oh, and I´m a lot closer to the mission office where letters are so I´ll get letters faster ;) That´ll be nice.

 

Oh how I love to be a missionary <3

It really is the best.

Com Amor,

Sister Shipp