PERU!

Hey everyone (:

K, I still can't get over the fact that Jackson is going to Peru! I am so so so so excited for him and for everything that is going to happen in these next two years. I think that South America is going to explode with two Cards serving here, even if it is only for a few months together. They aren't going to know what hit them (: Miracles are going to be going happening like crazy here. I love it! I really can't express how excited I am for my cute Jackson!!!  He is going to be such an incredible missionary (:

So Momma asked for some "boring details"... Haha. I will tell you all about where I am serving and what it's like.

Uruguaiana - It's a pretty big city, with tons of people. It is SO different from São Gabriel. We don't have cobblestone streets or anything here! There is a lot more movement here than there was there!

I live in a big apartment complex on the fourth floor. It is the worst thing in the entire world at 9:00, trudging up those stairs, after a long day. Sister Silva Santos and I are always in tears as we get up there. Hahaha. But yeah, with all those stairs, I'm looking real good (; So it's worth it, I guess! Hahahaha just kidding. No, but really..... (;

We live right next to BIG (the Walmart of Brazil) and right next to the Internet Cafe. So it makes things super easy on P-day. Running errands is super fast, which is such a blessing on P-day! Leaves us with plenty of time to write letters and sleep (:

I don't eat rice and beans every day anymore... It's actually super sad and I really do miss it... We eat all sorts of things here. Rice, pasta, lasagna, salad, lentila, and churrasco. SO much food every single day! But I have totally started my "diet" now and it is the worst thing ever. "Six months to sexy" (the missionary diet when you have six months left) has started... In six months from yesterday I will be home. Yeah, I am dying about it too... So crazy fast.

There are a ton of members here! A ton! There are 5 chapels here and they are currently building another one. So fabulous (: The church is growing SO quickly here. It's incredible to see and to be a part of!

That's about it though with the boring details! Let me know if there is anything else that you want to hear about (:

The work is going along so well. I am amazed every single day in the ways that the Lord is answering our prayers. He really is so involved with the work and with everything that is taking place. I really feel like we are in a trio with Heavenly Father. He is helping us with EVERYTHING. I don't think I can even express how much I love that feeling - knowing that the Lord is truly so involved in our work and in our lives. I realized, this week, how much faith I really have in Him and how much I trust that things are going to work out. A few months ago, I never felt too sure about the future, in my own life or in the lives of our investigators, but now, I can honestly say that I know that things are going to turn out exactly the way they need to, as long as we are trusting in Him (:

I love what I am doing. I love it more and more every day. I feel like the days are going by far too quickly, but I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be here and to be a part of this work. Even though this time is going by CRAZY fast, I am taking advantage of every minute of it. I love what I am doing. I really, honestly, do. I am excited to keep working for another six months here and to keep bringing others to Christ. I am so blessed.

I love you all so much! I miss you all like CRAZY. Seeing all those pictures of you all at Jackson's mission call opening brought back SO many memories. Can you believe it has been a year and a half since I opened mine? Insane! But I love you all!!! STAY STRONG. This church is true. There is nothing better <3

Sister Card

xoxo

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." <3

-D&C 50:24

No pictures this week... I am lame, I know.

Miracle after miracle after miracle!

Hey everyone (:

What a week! I can't believe that it is already over. For real. It went by far too quickly this week! But it was such an incredible week, and I saw SO many miracles.

So let me just start out by saying how much I love my companion. We are literally best friends. It has made the biggest difference in our teaching, because of how united we are. We walked out of lessons this week, in tears, because the Spirit was so strong in every lesson we taught. We had the EXACT same promptings in every lesson. We are so unified and we have seen how much of an impact it has made with every single investigator. We have people that are progressing that you would have never thought could progress in the gospel. There are truly miracles happening every single day.

It's hard to think of specific experiences as I get to writing these emails, but one that was absolutely amazing was with our investigator Cleci. She is fabulous. She's been coming to church for the past six months. She is a member of the church already, I swear! She cleans the chapel every week, she comes to church every week 15 minutes early (and that never happens in Brazil!), she is at every activity and is almost finished reading the Book of Mormon for the second time! Yeah, she is perfect. But baptism is a tender subject with her. Sister Silva Santos and I have been praying and praying for something to happen so that she can feel the desire to be baptized. This week, we had a lesson with Cleci. We went in with no idea what we were going to teach her, since she already knows it all. We just went in, trusting in the Spirit to help us out. We sat down and Cleci just started asking us question after question about baptism. She said she is finally getting to the point where she feels like she can get baptized. She just needs to receive her answer that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet. Once that happens, she will be ready. So we have this awesome lesson planned out about Joseph Smith that we are going to be teaching her tomorrow. But I am still just so amazed at that lesson we had with her. We didn't know how we were going to bring up baptism, since it is such a touchy subject, but the Lord came in and did it all! Isn't He amazing? Keep Cleci in your prayers. We are SO excited for the growth that she is making.

Oh, I went to Argentina this week. Yeah, another country. My mission is so cool. Uruguaiana is on the border, so it was a 10 minute walk from our apartment. So cool.

I am constantly amazed at the things that I am experiencing here as a missionary. And I am constantly amazed that I could still be so in love with what I am doing. As I was writing in my journal this week, I realized that it has almost been a year that I have been a missionary, and I am still so overwhelmed with gratitude that I am here. How is it that it has been a year and I still can't believe I am here, doing something so incredible? It's because this work is so perfect. I can't express the love I feel for this time I have to be a missionary. People write me all the time and they say, "You are always writing about how good things are going. You can tell me about how things are REALLY going." But NO, I am REALLY telling you all how things are going. Things really are so fabulous here. I really do love what I am doing so much. There is nothing to describe these feelings I have. I do have my times of frustration and doubt, but when I really think about why I am here and what I am doing, those feelings seem to vanish. This work is incredible. I am SO grateful to be here. I love every day of my mission. I love these miracles that are taking place here in Brazil, in Alabama and Mississippi and in Alpine as well. The Lord is truly watching out for me. He is taking good care of those that I love (:

I love you all. I hope you have a beautiful week. This world that we live in is truly a wonderful place, isn't it? I sometimes take it for granted. We are so lucky. Remember, darlings, that things are going to turn out just fine. Trust in your Heavenly Father and trust that beautiful things are in store because you believe in Him. 

This church is true.

Sister Card

xoxo 

Rafaela (:

Andressa e Daphne (: I LOVE THEM. So darling.

Argentina border!

Border (: How GORGEOUS is this sky here?

Border!

Elder Muniz, the sweetest thing you have ever met. 

Marlise! What a doll. She is my favorite ever!

Moroni!

Taina e Anderson!

Taina!

Unreal church on the border of Brazil and Argentina!