Week 4 - Oi!

Como vão? :) Wow, time just gets more and more warped here!  Mission life moves so much faster and slower, at the same time, as normal life.  I  love it so much.  I am learning so much, especially spiritually, and I see so many tender mercies every day.

Thanks for all the advice about helping the sisters.  They set some goals to help with communication and they're working on being exactly obedient.  Sister Nasau and I shared our testimonies with them about the Atonement and relying on teh Lord and how, when we seek to have the Spirit with us, we are working toward perfection (having the Spirit as our constant companion), and that the fruit of the Spirit is charity (compare the attributes in Gal 5:22-23 and Moroni 7:45... it's really cool!). It went really well!  The Spirit realy was there, adn they are figuring out how to solve their problems by themselves and how to be more united and to focus mroe on the work.  It has ben such a blessing to witness adn to help.

We are all growing so much here.  Elder Pauli has been praying to know why he is here so he can make sure he has the right motivation and focus, and he received his answer Sunday night.  Janice kapp Perry spoke, and we sang a medley of six of her songs, and the Spirit spoke to him trhough the music.  That was so cool for me to hear, too, because Elder Pauli LOVES singing.  It is just one of many examples that show how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know each one of us perfectly and They communicate with us in the way we need ti.  They love us so muych, more than we can ever comprehend.  And I love seeing the Lord change these missionaries, and change me, as we learn to rely on Him and to trust that our best effort is all He asks us to give.  He is so proud of us wehn we just try... when we strive, struggle, adn desire to do what is right. And He loves us, no matter what.  Another tender mercy: hossting was awesome, and we get to host again tomorrow!  I got to see Emily (or Sister Demke now), and Brenden (Elder Garrett now), anotehr friend I really was hoping to see.  And, guess what?!  Sister Demke's residence is on the same floor as me, just around the corner!  Plus, we have the same meal time.  It has been so great to see her all the time and to see how ell she is doing.  The Lord even takes care of us in the little things.

I am really learning for myself how important it is to make sure we are teaching according to the needs of our investigators instead of teaching lessons.  Wehad a really powerful lesson wtih Plínio when we spent some more time to get to know his situation adn his heart a bit more.  Then, we promised him that if he read the Book of Mormon and prayed for help from Heavenly Father, and if he went to church on Sunday, he would find answers and receive help.  WE promised him peace and comfort and help in beoming the best father he can be to his girls if he would go to church.  The spirit was so strong, and we were able to testify so powerfully of the truthfulness of what we promised him.  It was so amazing.

My talk went well on Sunday!  I took pics of it and tried to send them... did they work? I had been praying and studying about recognizing the Spirit during most of my personal study time, but I just didn't know what teh Lord wanted me to say. So finally, on Friday night when I prayed I asked the Lord for guidance and help and just really poured out the feelings of my heart to Him.  That night, as I climbed into bed, thoughts started to come to me.  It was a completely different direction than I thought I would take, and it helped me focus on simple but powerful truths, which is all I could say in 3-5 minutes. It was a huge tender mercy.

That afternoon, Edler Hadlock's grandfather (also known as NEIL L. ANDERSON) and his wife met with us as a zone.  He got to know each one of us a little, and he told us about our missions.  Sister Anderson is so sweet.  She gave us all little goody bags and told us about how the Lord is in the details of our lives and how we are going exactly where He wants us to go.  She also told us somethingto this effect: "if you are having trials, if you have a difficult companion or something, so what?   This is the Lord's work and we are His servants.  This work is so glorious and it isn't about us."  Elder Anderson told us that he sees life through teh eye of faith.  Everythign happens for a reason... everything.  IT was so cool.  By the end, I really learned that he is a humble follower of Christ, just like all of us are/can become.  I grew to see both the imperfect, humble man, and I could also see the mantlehe carried as an apostle of teh Lord.  It was amazing to be able to see both.

Then yesterday, we met with Pres and Sister Mathews (that's not a typo... there is only one t in their last name)!  It was so fun, and I love them already. They already feel like my surrogate parents.  They are so humble, sweet, loving and fun.  Now I just want to go straight to Cape Verde though! Haha :)  I can't wait!  Also, FSL (SYL in English) works wonders.  But I am going to do it even more now, because I REALLY want to learn as much as I possibly can in these last two weeks.

Also, it has ben pretty different with teh Mission Presidents' seminar.  We get into the cafeteria a back way, adn everything but one food line and the salad/wrap bar is blocked off.  We eat off disposable EVERYTHING so they can block off the line to turn in trays/dishes.  They don't make wraps anymore, and we get a mix of things like hamburgers and the leftovers of the mission presidents (steak, shrimp,...).  I have a love/hate realtionship with  it. But one day they had grapes here!  So it's all good... haha :). Anyway, I'm doing great, Elder Pauli is still going to Cape Verde (the elders were just trying to see how gullible we were, apparently, but I called him on it), we are ushering this afternoon for the oddly-timed devotional with the two-hour devotional review, and I CAN'T WAIT to get to Cabo Verde.  Really though!  I am so excited to share something with those people that has made me into who I am adn brought so much light and blessings into my life.  I am so excited.  Love you all!

ALSO: read Alma 37:6.  It is so true.  IT is really about grace, and it is really through the small things that amazing things happen.  That's the scripture I'm memorizing in Portuguese this week.

Also, things I learned about Cabo Verde from Pres and Sis. Mathews:

1. Mail takes 2-3 wks to get to Praia then another 2 wks or so if the misionary is not in Praia

2. They don't have addresses.  Neighbors show you where people live by taking you to their house, and in teh area books you draw how to get to someone's house.

3. There are 140 missionaries there right now: about 100 from the US, 20 from Cape Verde, 10 from Brazil, adn then 1 each from all over the world.

4. They have stoves, washing machines, ovens, microwaves, some peopel have cell phones, they ahve internet cafes...

5. One of the islands are uninhabited, adn sister get to go to every area except maybe some more sketchy parts of Praia.

6. They have huge spiders adn they grow a lot of fruit there ( and avacados that are as big as normal bananas), but they don't have anything that bites or is poisonous, except for centipedes.

7. They don't need to import all their water, but water is a very precious resource there. Also, 90% of their food is imported.

Love you all!

Week 3

Minha Familia!

It was so fun to see all of you at the wedding!  And don't worry, it has actually helped me focus better and completely trust the Lord to take better care of you than I ever could if I were with you.  So I don't really miss any of you at all anymore because I am able to really focus on the work and the MTC feels like home now. Yay!

Wow, a lot has changed since I saw you on Wednesday!  Elder Freestone was reassigned to the Texas Houston South mission on Thursday, and he left our branch on Friday.  He leaves tomorrow! I think he is doing a lot better since the reassignment, so that has been really good to see. Elder Pauli is a solo missionary now and we teach our investigators and plan, etc. as a trio.  But he got called to the front desk today and it is rumored that he was reassigned to the Portugal mission. I'm not sure though, but that would stink!  It has been a lot of fun to kind of be a trio, and we've really come a lot closer as a district, even though we miss Elder Freestone.  

Companionship inventory is such a blessing, let me tell you!  Being with Elder Pauli, I was really able to see what Sister Nasau and I need to work on. So, we talked about it, especially about how it is hard on me when I feel like I need to lead everything and how it isn't helpful for her, either, if she doesn't tell anyone what the Spirit is prompting her about.  She has really been trying hard to act on those promptings to talk, and it has been amazing to see the Lord bless her with more promptings and self-confidence as she has opened herself to us more.  Her opinion, spiritual direction, and understanding of the Gospel is golden.  She has a much more simple but still a powerful understanding of gospel principles because she is a convert, and it is really helpful.  We balance each other out really well, I think.  I love her so much!

On Saturday one of our teachers talked to us individually to see how we're doing/what's on our minds, etc.  It was so helpful, and he gave me a lot of advice and encouragement.  He told me a phrase I love: the Lord really loves baby steps.  I have been planning things in 15-20 min increments now, and I feel so much more productive.  I am just focusing on one thing to improve at a time, just working on taking baby steps, and being humble enough to see that God is proud of me for conquering my mountains one little step at a time.  His grace is helping me climb those mountains incredibly fast, since I am focusing on one step at a time.  I can't explain it, but it is beautiful and wonderful and i know I am not doing any of this by myself.  Not at all.

Yep, so on Sunday I got released as Music Coordinator.  It was a bit sad, because I love music, but Sister Nasau and I got called as the new Sister Training Leaders.  In some respects, we had kind of been playing that role before, but as I sat down after they announced it in Sacrament Meeting, I could feel the mantle being placed on my shoulders. We are already receiving greater enlightenment and feeling more responsibility for these wonderful sister.  One of the greatest blessings of the call has been the glimpse of these sisters I have been able to see and feel.  They are SO loved by Heavenly Father, and He is so proud of them!  I feel very blessed to be able to be His instrument and be a missionary to these missionaries.  It is wonderful. 

Irma Baer told us some things I really loved.  She said that often times, it is not selfishness, but lack of understanding of one another that causes problems.  She had them create a vision (only positive things) of where they want to be as a companionship by the end of their time in the MTC.  She also told them to erase the past, to just let go of what happened in the past and to start fresh with this vision in mind.  I learned a lot from that experience.

Oh yeah!  And because of the mission presidents' seminar, all the branches will be combined... half in one sacrament meeting and the other half in a different sacrament meeting.  And they asked me to speak... crazy!  I 'm just glad it's in English though. :)  Also, we are hosting tomorrow!  I'm so excited! :)

I love the Lord and I am learning so much here!  Also, Happy Father's day to Dad, Aaron, Jordan, and all the future fathers (Rob and Christian)!  Haha Sheri Dew spoke to us on Sunday and she called it "happy divine nature for men" day. :) 

Anyway, I love you all!  You are so awesome and I feel so lucky to be part of such a wonderful family!  And thank you so much for your prayers!  Being on a mission, I have felt the Savior closer to me than ever before, and I can literally, somehow very literally, I can't explain it -- feel your prayers with me.  It is amazing. :) Love you all!

Sister Zimbelman ;)

Week 2 - I'm not very creative with subject lines

This week has flown by.  I think I am starting to really experience the MTC time warp (days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days).  I think a lot of this is due to the fact that I am growing and learning more in the past two weeks that the entire year before the MTC.  This gospel is amazing and I cna now understand how it is people gain about 10 years' experience in a two-year mission.  I can also understand why there are so many typos and run-on sentences in missionary letters: becuase there is so little time to write that it isn't worth it to fix all the typos haha :)

(you know, in addition to being so immersed in a different language)

I am doing so well. I am learning how to be humble enough to know in my heart that my best is good enough, and to make sure I don't set expectations for myself that are higher than God's expectations for me, and all He expects from me is for me to do my best.

I think I have figured out how to manage my thoughts so I don't get homesick... yay!  But it's kind of tricky right now, still, because of the WEDDING TOMORROW. :)  But I am doing well at not dwelling on it, and I am figuring out how to focus on one day, one moment at a time.

Sister Nasau, Sister Z, Elder Pauli and Elder Freestone 

Sister Nasau and I have been working really well together.  It has been such a blessing!  She is still figuring out how to open her mouth and share the things the Lrod prompts her to say, and I am working on having the faith to be quiet when the Spirit tells me to, but we have come a long way.  We are consistently able to bring the Spirit into the lessons we teach, and we are becoming a lot more unified and receptive to the Spirit every day.  I love her so much.  Our companionship isn't perfect, but whenever problems even start to arise, we have become very good at addressing them right away.

I know so much Portuguese!  I truly am seeing the gift of tongues here.  I'm not fluent by any means, but when I think of where I was when I came into the MTC, and even where I was a week sago, I know that I am learning a ton in a short amount of time.  We watched the Cape Verde video that dad loves yesterday, and I picked up on at least half the words they said!!!  It was a true tender mercy. That's how much I feel my testimiony has been growing too, along with my ability and faith to trust in the Lord.

I sang in the choir Tuesday night, and we are going to sing again tonight.  I'm so excited. :)  Brother Eggett is AWESOME!  IHe is so funny, but such an effective teacher, talented storyteller, and his testimony is so powerful.  He has a gift at making the songs so meaningful.

The devotional Tuesday night really reminded me that it is imperative to know who you are and to truly love those around you before you can effectively help people come to Christ.  I've been working hard at that.  Sorry, I guess I didn't write down the speaker's name in my journal, but it was a great talk.

Also, Sister Nasau got her patriarchal blessing this week and it was an awesome experience for both of us!  It has helped her so much, and I was able to hear the importance and power of patriarchal blessings again, after five years. :)

Sister Nasau, Sister Z and Pres. Jackson (Bob Jackson's twin brother)

Also, we watched Edler Holland's talk from Thanksgiving 2012 this Sunday night.  I admire Sister Holland so much, and I hope to have a testimony like hers some day.  They both really drove it home to me that the BOM is something that should be cherished and it has the power to do SO MUCH for those who read it and learn to cherish every word in it.  Elder Holland said we are helping God do His work.  All He does is work to save souls.  His talk reminded me that I am here to learn how to save souls and it reminded me how beautiful and precious each of His children are.  I just really wanted to go to Cape Verde after that talk!  It was wonderful.

OH! Also, Sister Nasau is EXACTLY two years older than me!  How awesome is that?!

Oh yeah, and the devotional tonight is going to be a broadcast  and according to Bro. Eggett, an especialyl important broadcast.  Broadcasts = apostles (quorum of 12), so I don't know what an "especially important broadcast" will mean, but I guess I will find out.  I love you all!

Love, 

Sister Zimbelman

Minha Familia!

It is weird to think that I am the one sending the emails this time!

I know what missionaries mean now about mail being like gold out here!!! It has been so good to read your letters!

I am doing well!  This first week was pretty crazy, and challenging, but Sunday and my time after that has been wonderful.  The language is coming, and I just have to remind myself of how much I have learned.  I am picking it up pretty fast, I think, but I still have a long ways to go, and that can be pretty discouraging at times.

Sister Nasau (her companion) got sick on Saturday.  It was hard.  She had a 24-hour stomach bug.  We are the only ones in our room, so I studied basically the ENTIRE day in the residence hall while she slept.  But she felt better after she took the sacrament the next day, which was a tender mercy.  The other sisters spent time in the room with her so I could bring lunch and dinner back to the room and so I could exercise for part of our gym time that day.  It was hard to be cooped up in the room so long, but I got a lot of studying done, so that was good. :)

Sunday was so awesome.  The talks were so great and I felt so much peace and comfort.  I have been a bit more homesick than I expected to be, but Sunday helped a lot with that.  I think it's just when I think about you all for too long, I start to miss you. Haha I don't want to see you or to come back home, but I just miss you a bit.  But it's okay.  I am learning to pray and read scriptures when I start to get those feelings, and then I feel comforted and I can focus completely on this wonderful time at the MTC.

Sunday afternoon, Sister Nasau and I had companionship inventory, and can I just say, companionship inventory is AMAZING!!!!  Apparently she had been making us a little late just because she wanted to pull my chain a bit, because she knew how much I like to be on time.  But we talked about it, and we talked about being better communicators.  I guess I had been imagining a lot of bad feelings between us, because she hardly said anything, but I explained that and we have been working on communicating with each other.  It has been really good, and she is also working on opening up a bit to the other missionaries in our branch (there's only 13 of us, but I was wrong... we have three districts, not four).

We started teaching our investigator, Adriana, on Friday.  At first, our teachers wanted us to teach two lessons each day, except Saturday (and no lessons on P-day, of course).  It was so stressful and hard to plan two lessons, one right after the other, for the same person.  So the elders talked to our teacher on Saturday (Sister Nasau was sick), and then all of us talked to him again on Monday.  I expressed my concerns about planning lessons according to the needs of the person when we don't know what those needs might be for the second lesson, and told him that it was really hard for me to focus on teaching people, not lessons, because of this, and he completely understood.  Now, until we teach two investigators at once (starting Thursday, I think), we will only be teaching one lesson a day.  Without that stress of trying to make sure our next lesson would also be what she needs to hear without knowing if her needs have specifically changed, Sister Nasau and I were able to have a great lesson.  After the companionship inventory and the change by our teacher, we felt the Spirit there and I was able to feel the Lord's love for Adriana.  It was so amazing, and I think it showed both of us what to work for.

I love it here.  It is so hard, but it is so, so good.  I'm glad you all are praying for me, I definitely need it!  But I am doing well, and loving it.  I am the Music Coordinator for our branch (oh yeah!  President Radebaugh is now in a district presidency and President Jackson is my branch president now), and that has gone pretty well so far.  Yep, I am the pianist now :).  This has been a great experience and I can't wait to hear the devotional tonight.  It is really weird that I can kind of take a break today... I can't get used to it yet.  But I am reminded of that scripture that says "it is not requisite for a man to run faster than he has strength" or something like that.  Sorry, I'm not going to look it up because I don't know how long to expect myself to take on emails yet. :)

Also, if you use Dear Elder* to get me a hard copy, please try to send it to me the day before.  The elders haven't checked the mailbox today yet, but they checked it last night.  That will also allow me more time to read it. :) Thanks!

Oh and one more thing. I think I need to buy a card reader to send you pictures... this cord isn't working for me.  So I will send you a bunch of pictures next week, I promise!

Love you all!

*Note from mom, dearelder.com prints out and delivers letters the same day for free. Go to the website, choose send at letter to the Provo MTC click on "write a letter" Her unit number is 103, mission code is CAP-VDE and her Estimated departure date is JUL 09