Sunday 13 December 2015

September 2016 - "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…"

1 September 2015
ÒLA!  What an eventful week I Just had!!
First thing, Germano didn’t get baptised yesterday….sad, BUT he had his baptism interview on Friday and has a new date for this coming Sunday the 6th. So ’ll be praying hard for him!! 
I had an impressive cold this week, like hectic… had some rough days as I “endured to the end.. (of the day)“  Not much you can really do with the flu, took a lot of drugs and used all the toilet paper in our house blowing my nose every two seconds. hahahah! Sister Costa: “Sister Bennallack Where’s my toilet paper!?” SOOOOOZZZZZZ my bad, haha #POORME
My daily planner!
But how crazy blessed am I that I am feeling 99% better! wooohooo.
We as human beings, especially me, take being healthy for granted!! I learned this week that I need to add in my daily prayers how grateful I am for my health!!
SO our fridge died this week/ over froze and we had to use all our force to open it! hahaha #RIPFOOD. Was rather funny/eventful. SO we had to unplug it for a few days and let all the ice unfreeze and start new…..WE came home to our kitchen flooded hahahah! oh my goodness, so much agua! Late night swimming anyone? But happy to report that our fridge/freezer is working again! Yaaay for grocery shopping today.
This week I’m sad to report that my hair straighter also died. #RIP  I don’t really know why, it just wouldn’t turn on? Sad, but oh well, life né? Haha but I was so a “Sister Missionary” This week, since I don’t have a hair straighter or hair dyer and it was raining all week I literally didn’t wash my hair all week.. I'm the best. It got pretty real guys.
Last week was P-DAY de Zona. It was heaps good, although I had a cold.. We played pool and of course Soccer!!! (AHHH I LOVE BRASIL) and we watched a moive!! On the projector with popcorn. It was 'the Prince of Egypt' in Portuguese ,but still so cool!!
We had some pretty amazing experiences this week even though I was zombie, relying on the Saviour's atonement to be able to teach lesson. We taught Kaita again this week, the Plan of Salvation, I was practicing new vocab all day for this lesson. Ahhh  I have so much love for our investigators that I want to be able to speak correctly, and not like a robot. ONE DAY.  
We also taught Kedley and Pricilla again last night, haha ,so funny when we knocked on the door ,the daughter Sofia answered and saw us and them slammed the door on us! hahahaa, its' funny because she's 3! My first door slammed on me in my mission! But the lesson with Kedley and Pricilla went so well, it always does and they came to church yesterday again. Ahhh life is beautiful. We are working with the members more trying to get them involved; we are having a family home evening with Kedley his family and another family who has kids a similar age this week! I’m excited!!
The funny highlight of my life/week happened this week. I don't know, it might be “a had to be there moment” but… Sister Costa and I always sing!! Always always, in our house and on the streets, while we are walking and during “Contatos” (finding)
Anyways the streets here are so busy and crazy and people everywhere, so this one afternoon we were walking and because of the amount of people, I had to walk behind Sister Costa, but she didn’t see me move because she was in her own world singing, she goes to give the “Mic” (her drink bottle) to me to join in the song but she gave the mic to this man who was now walking next to her! hahahhhah oh my gosh guys it was so funny, we died for a soild 5 minutes laughing. Serenading men on the street aye sister??? Haha
Australian bread! cool??
The normal bread here is like American, it's so sweet like a donut.
Hahaha!, sometimes I eat my companion's bread when I want
something sweet… hehe   Also, is it bad that I look for the biggest
piece of bread when I take the sacrament because the bread
is sweet??  ooooooooppppps.

On Saturday, it marks my fourth month on my mission, Crazy that I’ve been gone for four months (you better all miss me! mahahha) What a crazy, but amazing four months it has been as I serve the people of Brasil.
Thanks for your love, support, prayers and everything!! 
Sister Bennallack 
PS. Read this scripture this morning, it’s a goodie:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: That whatsoever ye shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you.” 
-John 15:16


8 September 2015

OI TUDO BEM?  Oh, what a week!!!!!


Thinking about Dad because of Fathers Day, one of our investigators Mônica has a son, anyway Sister Costa was saying his name and I was thinking that was the stangest sounding name I've ever heard and I asked her so many times to repeat it to me, finally I asked her to write it in my planner so I could see how it's spelt, she writes:
Richard.

hahhahahah! oh my gosh Dad, your name is so hilarious here. Because in Portuguese the "r" is said like "H" so it kinda sounds like "Hitchardch" but with a Brazilian accent. It's the best!!!!!

TRANSFERS!!!! I'm continuing in São Bernado 5 but Sister Costa is being transfered!!! We have been excited to hear the news all week!!! It was so funny, because we hear the news on Sunday night at 10 pm, so Sister Costa and I made popcorn and waited for the phone to ring! So nervous, that nervous feeling like when a 'hot as' boy calls you for the first time! hahaha
Alot of changes in my zone as well, but we don't find out who our new companions are or area till tomorrow at Reuniâo Transferência!! SO excited to know. Ahhhh, I'm honestly so nervous about my new companion, like I've been praying all week that she'll be patient with me and my Portuguese!!! But I know that having a new companion will help me grow!

Germano's baptism
ALSO I'm so happy to annouce that Germano was finally baptised yestersday! Mate, this was a real miracle. Sister Costa and I fasted on Tuesday for Germano. I believe in the power of fasting, because Germano relapsed this week, and you are meant to have one week clean before your baptism.  But we worked with him and our leaders and prayed a whole lot to know what is to be done.  But through his pleading desire and a real broken heart we got permission to go ahead with the baptism yesterday.  What a perfect end to another transfer!!  It was a beautiful baptism service, small but lovely.  Germano gave William (our Ward Mission Leader) the biggest hug after he came up for the waters of baptisim, clean and ready to start his new life in Christ.

But after the baptism service, we left heaps quick because Sunday is the last day of the week to reach all our goals and we had a lot of "lesson with a member present" to fill.T  he only way we could maybe reach it is if we did a 'trade off ' with two of the young women in our ward. AHhhh so scary for me, haha, so I had to run the show without Sister Costa. But this was perfect practice for me as I'll have to expain the area to my new companion tomorrow!! But it was a fun afternoon, knocking on doors (clapping in front of doors because this is Brasil, hehe) asking to share a message right now. Kinda proud of my self, of the fact that I had to do all the talking... in Portuguese!!!  We were one member short of reaching our goal, BUT we where "sprinting to the finish line" trying to end the week and this transfer with a perfect ending. SO close. But still a solid effort.

Minha nossa (Wow) It is raining so hard right now!! SO today I'm emailing later because I'm emailing from a members home, my faviourite member in the ward, Lene. We got permission to email from her house today since its a public hoiliday here in Brasil and all the shops are closed including our internet cafe.... But so perfect because its Sister Costa's last day here and she can say bye as well.

This week we taught a lot of new investigators, which is always exciting/ nervous. We had an amazing first lesson with our new investigator Jean. Ahhhh!  I understood everything I said !hahahah! I memorise phases all the time but don't really understand all the words, but this time I did! hahhaa , so funny.

I felt like a real missionary this week, I wake up in the night thinking about my investigators and getting answers to what I need to study/teach them.  It's kind of stressful at times when you think about how important it is, what I'm doing right now. I honestly can't wait until I can really speak PORTUGUESE and express what I would say in English.

Next week I will have more news with my new Companharia 

Sister Bennallack 


(time to eat some beans and rice now, lunch smells so good! hehehehheh, my life rules.)  




15 September 2015
ÓLA FAMÍLIA E MINHA AMGIAS!!
Firstly: I know that God answers our prayers, 
Because?
MY NEW COMPANION IS AN ANGEL!!!!!!!! She is perfect, perfect, perfeita!
Sister Ramos & Sister Bennallack
Her name is Sister Ramos, from Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brasil <3 <3
I am so, so, so, so happy!! I was so nervous about my new companion, but mate, God listens.
She's so happy, like just a happy person and she is so excited to help me learn Portuguese!!!!  So surportive! When we got our names called out at transfers she just screams like “WOOOOOW” and gives me the biggest hug!! 
She is a newbie as well, like she's only been out one more transfer than me, so I'm so stocked to have someone who's in the peak of their mission and excited to be here. (Ahhh she's so great, I want to be her companion for the rest on my mission!) 
Oh, my langugue has improved so much in a week! SOOO HAPPPYYY! 
We had an amazing week this week, despite the FREEEEEZING weather.  Oh, my goodness! I ’ve had wet feet every day, it rained and rained for this whole week, except yesterday which was so nice, but it was also only a top of 13 degrees C. Not sure if this is Canada or Brazil? Hahaha, but with an amazing happy companion, the “cold never bothered me anyway” lol, yeah, I just quoted 'FROZEN' hahahha, and thats' a lie as well, I really so not like the cold weather but this week was still amazing despite the freezing Alaskan weather. Can't wait for summer, but no idea when that even is here, but I think is pretty similar to Australia /Adelaide.
We had amazing time finding and teaching new investigators this week. we committed TWO people for baptism!!!! Mayara and Aline, for the 11th October. We want to baptised 4 people this date, so more teaching and finding this week!!!
Mayara especially is just so prepared, before we could even set up a return appt she asked if we would come again! GOLDEN. We still have got along way to go with our novos (new investigators) but I'm so excited.
With Aline, we taught her on the steps of the favelas our first lesson, then the second lesson we taught her in her home with her whole family and all these random other people she knows! We taught a powerful lesson, I've learnt so much about boldness with Sister Ramos. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ about Faith, repentence, baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end. We had about 15 people in this lesson, with two less actives. Sister Ramos called the less actives to repentance, hahah , so bold, so Samuel the Lamanite! But mate, it was such an amazing experience and I spoke the best I've ever spoken Portuguese. As I was talking I was watching people nodding their heads in agreement. They understood everything I was saying. AHHHH, I knew that God was helping me speak. Such a special experience!
After the lesson, Sister Ramos gives me and big hug and thanked me for my words and tells me how good my Portuguese is. WHATTT?? SO NICE! I love her!!!!!!!
Ahhhh so happy, if only it was 10-20 degrees hotter, haha, Sister Ramos is from the Amazon of Brazil. SO COOL RIGHT!? But where shes from is like 40 degrees C everyday.. sooo she's so cold all the time. 25 degrees is cold for her.
Our other investigators are progressing as well, we have lots of lessons to teach and people to see this week = the dream.
Saturday night we had a movie moment, where a truck drove past us and this huge tidal wave of water from the side of the road got us real good.... but we where already wet so, yolo haha!
AT transfers, I saw Sister Gudgeon which is always the best but I also saw SISTER NEWELL !!! (insert Jonny B´s beatboxing here) She finally got her visa and is now in Brazil!! For those who don't remember, Sister Newell was in my District in Provo MTC, I love her so much!! When she walked in, both Sister Gudgeon and I ran and jumped on her! hahah! 
Tuchu (ciao) Sister Bennallack  




22 September 2015

I have so much to write and not much time..... eeeeekkk we only get an hour to email today since it's not actually P-day today.  Tomorrow will be our p-day because tomorrow is… P-DAY DA MISSÂO!!!!!! Woooohoooo P-day with the whole mission.  I seriously am serving in the best mission and right now with the BEST COMPANION!!! Ahhh I thank God every night for my companion, she is the best!!! And we leave the house so pumped and excited  to work our 'buts' off which leads me to the next part to my epic email for you today..
I believe in miracles.  Okay, so last Monday night at Zone meeting, we had the best training and lesson, (I LOVE the new changes to my zone as well, my leaders are so 'on point' and excited) anyway, we had a lesson about miracles. What is a Miracle? What miracles do I want to see on my mission? Ect ect, and made goal setting.
My new zone leader talked about how real miracles are and we WILL see miracles on our mission, and the first miracle that we will see is us, our personal progression. 
So on point. Such a good zone meeting.  So Sister Ramos and I left last Monday night to a lesson with Jean.  I had only taught Jean once with Sister Costa and it was only like a spiritual thought/family home evening thing.  Jean has been coming to our ward for a few Sundays now, he’s dating a member from another ward Luana, she is also the best.
Since we were so inspired from Z.M we decided that we will invite Jean to be Baptised this lesson!! For the date of 11th October. Miracles happen right?
We had such a good lesson, I have learnt so much from Sister Ramos, anyway, she invited Jean to be baptised as planned….but she says for the 20th..of SEPTEMBER  
<3 <3 WHATTT ??
ohhh, hahah, he accepted! hahaha
SO WE HAD A BAPTISM YESTERDAY!!!
We taught Jean pretty much everyday this week in preparation for Sunday. I wish I had a 'go-pro' strapped to my head so you could have been there for our lessons, mate, such amazing experiences this week with Jean, a “miracle”.  My testimony has grown even more literally watching him accept the gospel of Jesus Christ in his life.   The Baptimal service yesterday was so so so beautiful as well, ahhhhhhh! My life rules.
Jean's baptism - a beautiful experience
It was a pretty cool experience at Jean's baptism because Saturday was also Chloe’s baptism, (CONGRATS AGAIN CHLO, CHLO) and how homesick/sad I was thinking about missing that, but watching Jean also enter into the waters of baptism makes missing family events worth it.  Just a solid reminder of why I’m here.
Okay, right now I sweating hardcore trying to type so fast. I know I talk about the weather a lot..probs way to much ,but it so dramatic that it's worth writing about.  Last Sunday is was a top of 12 degrees C.. Literally Greenland, but by yesterday the following Sunday it's 34 DEGREES C, what the crazy!??? Stoked about it though, but it won't last long, back to rain this week I’ve been told… but the days of the heat were the best!!!! Can’t wait for summer, summer!
Our other investigators are coming along, we were expecting a pretty solid number at sacrament meeting yesterday but a lot pulled a 'no show'…. Meu coraçâo!! (my heart) was pretty sad but we taught/visited them all yesterday so all goods, THIS WEEK. We have a family home evening with one of our investigators Mayara tonight with a family from the ward, pretty pumped about it. Mayara has a baptismal date for the 11th, she's pretty solid, we just have to get her to actually come to church, but I love her so much.
Sister Ramos gets cooler and cooler everyday! She’s índia (INJA) like native Brazilian indigenous!! So cool, she’s literally from the jungle, and she eats bananas with everything, hahah, with chicken and rice. Her life is so interesting! Love her! Ours days are so great and she's so encouraging with PORTUGUESE! BLESSED x a billion and she's teaching me k-pop dance moves. (She loves Korean music) SHE'S SO COOL! hahah!
Random story, so we live in a house, but its like an apartment house? So hard to explain but we have people that live above us, next to us and underneath us… so kinda like an apartment. Anyway, we were both wide awake at 4am last night because the man that lives next to us has his TV BLASTING! Like so loud, I don’t even under stand?? So I'm trying to bribe Sister Ramos to chuck a shoe at his window, haha, but she was to scared… I don’t know what happen to me, but I just got up and opened the window and spoke/yelled the perfect Portuguese I've ever said! hahhahah! Telling him that we want to sleep. Sooooooooo funny. 
Okay now that I typed that it doesn’t seem that funny, but it was ;)
Sister Bennallack 


29 September 2015


BOM DIA!
I can’t believe its P-day already!???? Actually I totally can, but this week went so fast!!
First things first, PDAY DA MISSÂO! Ahhhhhh, was so fun! We went to the Botanical Gardens here in São Paulo.
STUNNING. 
Botanical Gardens, Sao Paulo - Stunning!
Like, so beautiful!!! It tromps Adelaide's haha. SO Brazillan, like exotic and GREEN. I was such a tourist for a day. The whole mission met there and we firstly, just got to walk around and take photos and hang with our homies, then after, we had activities physical, like touch or war and all these random other running games that I've never played before and have no idea how to explain, but it was so fun. I got 'mad sweaty' because is was also SO HOT. Mateeey mate, but don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all, I LOVE THE HEAT SO MUCH. Come back por favour, it's currently raining and cold again.... but no more about the weather this week ;) maybe next week! haha
After games, we had lunch, so much food and just hung out. I got to have the BEST catch up with Sister Gugeon and Sister Newell <3 <3
Half way through our chatsies we were like, what the heck? Let's just speak English! hahah! so much easier, I'm not going to lie, it WAS SO NICE to speak English, ahhh I felt like I had a personality again.  It was also so interesting to hear about their experiences so far.  We all have had the same amount of time on the mission but all have different struggles (okay well, we all have Portuguese as a struggle haha) but also hearing about all the things we have loved and currently love was so refreshing, BRASIL <3. SO happy we are all serving in the same mission.
After lunch we had a talent show.  I can't tell you how much I've missed music!! So cool, we all know I love those reality singing shows, so it was nice to listen to people sing songs in English and BRAZILIAN and songs in Portugugese. SOO COOOL
After the talent show, President spoke to us for a while, HE IS SUCH A INSPIRED MAN. Ahh, I seriously love Presidente Broadbent, he so motivating and just knows what to say. I am SO blessed to be in this mission.
Sister Ramos & Sister Bennallack  (So pretty, I want my wedding photos here!!)
This week was also the best but on Wednesday after P-day da missão I experienced a tiredness at a whole new level........  my whole body was so sore and we were like zombies ' 911 help',  but all goods!  We were stoked just to have a chill p-day today. Especially, that it's raining.
WE HAD THE BUSIEST WEEKEND!!!! Minha nossa.
This week was ward conference here, which meant Saturday night the ward had a Churrasco (BRAZILIAN BBQ) we had quite a few of our investigators come! And so many members brought friends… ahh, the dream, we got everyone single one of their amgios addresses! THIS week will be so solid.
SUNDAY: Sunday was the best day of my life, not really life. But sooooo good. Ward conference was so 'on point', so, so solid.  All the talks were perfect, since we had 11 investigators attend Sacrament meeting!! ELEVEN!! 
Sunday was so so busy, we were literally RUNNING from one investigator to the other. So crazy, but a busy Sunday for a missionary is a succesful Sunday!
I can't express the feeling of pure happiness when I see our investigators walk in the church gates, like so, so, so, so happy. 
Sunday was also the best, because we got to go to the stake centre and watch the Women's Broadcast of General Conference!! It was sad that I wasn't sitting next to you mum, but it made it all goods because I was sitting with my family here in the mission, all the sisters in our zone.
It was like Christmas! I felt a little guilty just sitting and watching but it was so nice! I can't say i understood it in total, since they had Portugues voice overs but I understood a soild chunk of it, just got lost in the last talk with Pres Uchtdof. But I'll read it when the Liahona comes out. ;)
I had one of those 'my life is beautiful' days yesterday, like, how good is life? BEAUTIFUL.  I love that as humans, we adapt to change so well, and as a missionary you firstly have to change so much (rules, bye-bye English) and it's so hard, but you get to watch first hand people changing their lives for a more fuller and beautiful life. We all are changing together.
I know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are literally His children and because we are His children He wants only the best for us. I am so grateful for my life, and the opportunity I have everyday to improve myself, to come to realise more and more my potential as a daughter of God. 
Sister Bennallack

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