I love everything about Uruguaiana!

Hey everyone (:

I am in love with everything that is going on here. EVERYTHING. Things are so beyond perfect here. I literally got here and I felt like I had been here for months. I can't believe that it has only been 6 days since I got here. It absolutely blows my mind. I feel like I just came home after a long trip (: I am LOVING these members, our investigators, my companion, everything. Really, everything. Haha.

I'm serving in a ward called Vila Julia. It is fantastic here! The members are SO solid and have such a desire to help with the work. We are already seeing miracle after miracle with our investigators because of the desire these members have to help us. It's one of the greatest things in the world to be a part of! I am loving it!

My companion is Sister Silva Santos. She's from Salvador and she is the best in the entire world. If you want to know how she is, just think Jasmine Watkins. FOR REAL. They are identical. I honestly can't believe how similar they are. Sometimes it kind of freaks me out how similar they are. But needless to say, we are best friends already! We have been together for 6 days and I already have told her pretty much my entire life. She is so fabulous and we are getting along SO well. I love her so much.

One thing that is blowing my mind here is when I introduce myself and tell where I am from, no one believes that I am American. They only believe me because of my last name. SUCCESS. I truly am becoming Brazilian (: I will come home and I won't be American anymore. Just so you all know (;

I am loving everything about my life. I love my mission. I love it far more than I can explain. Why do I end every email like this? I end every nightly prayer like this as well. It's just unexplainable how much I love this work and where I am at. It breaks my heart that it has to one day come to a close. There is nothing more devastating than when the members ask how much time I have on the mission and they all say, "Oh, you're almost done, then." What? No! I still have six months here! I still have a real long time! I love what I am doing. There is nothing to explain these feelings I have about missionary work. It is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. And I can't wait for my Jackson to get out here. THIS WEEK? AH. I am going to be freaking out all week long. 

Anyways, I love you all! I know this email isn't super long, but I love you and miss you like crazy!!! I hope that things are going so well! You are always in my prayers!

Sister Card

xoxo

PS - The fact that Seth and Jeanine Nielsen are getting sealed tomorrow just made every hardship on my mission worth it! I LOVE THEM AND AM SO EXCITED FOR THEM. 

Eva, Quilino and Eliveltom!

Gabriella, our investigator with her cute daughter Maria!

Lucio! This man is honestly one of my best friends... I ADORE him.

Maria Angela and her cute girls!

Maria! What a doll.

Presidente Felipe and his cute family!

Sandra and Gabriella!

Back again with Sister Jensen

My new companion! I love her so much! Sister Silva Santos!

Lucileny!

One more Noite Familiar with the Elders!

This kid cracks me up. We did this sign to signify 

"White Power" hahahaha. He is so dang funny.

Transfers are the hardest part of the mission, I think ):

Hey everyone!

So the inevitable happened... Tchau São Gabriel... I am heading off to Uruguaiana later this afternoon, which is right there on the border of Argentina. Get ready for some major Portañol! Haha. But here's the greatest part of it all... My new roommate is Sister Jensen!!! AH. We are going to be living together again! I got to call her and talk to her last night and I was almost in tears thinking about the fact that we are going to be together again! We will be celebrating our one year mark together this transfer - we really have been through it all together! I love her so so much and I am so excited to see her again!!!

This week was the greatest week that I have had in São Gabriel. Everything just came together so well and I have the strongest feeling in the world that I did my very best here and really helped this area so much. I love these people here more than I could ever ever ever describe. When I got the call that I was leaving, we were visiting a less-active member, Eva, and she just started bawling, telling me how grateful she is for me. She said that I have become like a daughter to her, and that she is going to miss me so much but will continue to write me. She went on about how I was going to help so many other people like I have helped her. As we made the rounds to say goodbye to everyone, there were so many other people with the same responses. Needless to say, I was in tears all weekend. There people are the sweetest people in the entire world. I love them so much. They have become family to me. You would have all died if you were in our Sacrament Meeting yesterday. Sister Ponce and I are both leaving, but almost every single member of the branch got up, in tears, and thanked us for all the work we have done here and told us how much they truly loved us. I have never felt so much love in my entire life. We have been through a lot here. We have truly grown with this branch and seen miracles happen here. I can't even begin to express the gratitude I feel for the time I spent here in São Gabriel. It will always hold such a special place in my heart <3

Other highlights of my week: Anderson, our darling convert, is now enrolled in Seminary, studying Preach My Gospel, and this week is at EFY. CUTEST THING EVER. Arthur, our other convert, received the Aaronic Priesthood and bore his testimony yesterday, for the first time. Absolutely in tears the entire time. I know that I am leaving these people in good hands. Things are going to be so fabulous with them and I know without a doubt that I did my very best to help them out.

Heavenly Father is so good to me. These past few months that I have spent here in São Gabriel have been a little rough, I won't lie. But I have learned more than I could ever explain. I'm getting it. I am figuring out what this work is truly about. I love these people, and I truly desire their happiness before my own. I owe 100% of this growth and the blessings I have received because of this time I have spent here, to Him. How loving and tender is my Father in Heaven? It brings me to tears, thinking about how much He really does love me and how proud He is of me. I can feel His love and His presence in my life stronger and stronger every single day. I can honestly say that my Heavenly Father is my best friend in the entire world, because of this relationship that I have developed with Him over the last four and a half months here. It is the most incredible feeling. He truly loves me so much and I can't even begin to express that love I feel for Him as well.

Anyways, time is short. I have an hour and a half to get back home and finish everything up and be at the bus station... I've got a 5 hour bus ride ahead of me... Oh my word. Haha. I love you all so much though. I am SO thankful for all of you, for your thoughts and your prayers! I have the best support group at home. I really do! I love you all so much!

Happy birthday Momma, Zac, Natalie Cahoon and Justin Bieber (of course, I didn't forget about my Justin!) this week!!! I LOVE YOU ALL. 

JACKSON'S PAPERS ARE IN. CRYING. I AM DYING TO HEAR WHERE HE IS GOING. BRAZIL. I AM CONVINCED. I really am SO beyond proud of you Jacks. You are the most incredible example in the world. I love you so much! You are going to be an amazing missionary and bless so many lives, like you have blessed mine! I LOVE YOU. Two more years without seeing each other is nothing (; Okay, maybe only a little...

AMO VOCÊS! 

Sister Card

xoxo

PS - I have a billion photos, but I can't send any right now! I will try to next week! LOVES.

My going away party at the bus station in São Gabriel! 

All these people came to say bye one last time... 

Cutest thing in the world!