Mad's Happy Life: MONDAY - January 7, 2012

short stories with sister sackley

dear friends,

its been a while since i have written short stories. so without further aideu....

christmas sandals

There was an instance in Gutierrez where we were literally running full speed ahead through the street. And the street was cobblestone. By the time i got home, i realized my precious chacos had cracked and were starting to come apart on the bottom. They were still wearable, but dying. fast. I was panicking as to what on earth i was going to do. Shoes here are expensive and i am such a clearance shopper i couldnt imagine spending 50 reais on ugly walking shoes...even if it was only like 25 bucks. I was starting to really worry about what i was going to do, if the chacos could make it another ten months or if i could just start wearing my danskos (which i am not a fan of). We then had a conference for christmas that included a small bazar of other missionaries things that we could take home. I found a beautiful leapard dress (thats a joke) and a few other treasures, but no shoes. After giving up, an Irma called us to the Elders section of the bazar and low and behold, a pair of horribly hideous G.I. Joe looking sandals.

They are hideous. And perfectly comfortable. And an answer to prayer.

25 cigarrettes

You are probably wondering what I got for christmas right? among chocolates and leopard printed dresses, i also had the privilige to get 25 fresh cigarettes from an investigator. We met him the 23rd and he happily handed over the addiction he has had for 13 years. Alancar will be baptized the 20th, and since the 1st he has yet to smoke. Also, in the process of getting these cigarettes, i had the privilige to dismantel all 25. After almost 30 minutes i can tell you my testimony of the word of wisdom is strong. And that holy cow, how are you enhaling that stuff?!

salt meat

So....this is totally embarassing. But, Gloria is our neighbor...actually we live in a part of her house. Her and Eduardo her husband are members and they are like our parents. One day this week their son got sick and they had to take him to the hospital. Gloria was incharge of lunch for the day so she gave us the keys to the house with the instructions that rice and meat were in the fridge and to make it yourself. Sister Anderson and i have a burning desire to become brasillian woman, so needless to say, we were excited. We go upstairs to the kitchen, take out the raw beef and i start cutting.

The women here in brasil have a tupperwear container i cant quite explain full of a seasoning they season the meat with. We had both seen them use it multiple times. So i get out the tub, and to our surprise it is a white powdery substance....confused, we think ``it must be the same thing, right?`` So i start rubbing the powder on the meat. All over it. Sister anderson is like ``make sure you get a lot!``we drop the meat in the oiled pan and wait for it to cook.

Yeah, you get the picture. it was salt. And we ended up eating rice and a little of Gloria´s homemade lime pie instead. Brasil:1 sister sackley and sister anderson:0.

Angels

I wont lie, we run a lot. And sister Anderson is in better shape than sister sackley. And we are exhausted pretty much 24 hours a day. Lately we have rolled out of bed and into prayer position and both the person saying the prayer, and the other have fallen asleep before amen. Its a problem. By friday night there is no explanation of how we climb up and down the hills but that angels push us. I cant explain it more than that. I see the hill, I think ``gosh i can not do this hill. not right now`` and before i know it, we are going back down. Literally I find my backpack pushing me up.

Singing

I am thoroughly conviced that singing heals the soul. There are so many sick people here in brasil. Sick with fevers and then literally mentally sick. I dont know if its because in the states mental people get locked up, but here they are EVERYWHERE. Whenever we get the chance, we sing to them. Last week we sang to a woman while sitting on her sickbed. She was in her 90s and had alzheimers. We sang Sol um filho de Deus (i am a child of God) and I literally felt the Spirit fill the room. The woman clapped along, oblivious to everything around her. It made me realize how much every single one of Gods children is loved. And how he literally watches out for every single one of them.

welp, i am off. We are going to attempt making cinnamon rolls today (wish us luck), also if you could pray for Garcias and Eunice I would be more than happy. We are shooting for a very large miracle this week and i am positive it will happen. Maybe just pray for Garcias´ heart to be opened.

Also, shoot me an email! I cant write you back, but i am loving getting letters over email.

love ya!

sister mad

Pictures!