Sister Sarah Elizabeth Crofts: CTM Week 3!

Hi Mom!

Things are going good! The elders honestly drive me crazy sometimes, but I'm glad I am with the people I'm with. We are like a family and don't get along sometimes, but we all love and support each other. I know I have 8 elders that have my back! We are all learning and growing together!!

The language is coming along.... it is soooo hard! I am working on doing more memorization this week and memorizing more scriptures. The lessons are easier and easier, but i still have so much to learn!! I understand soo much more than I speak, and it is helping a lot to have a bunch of Brazilian friends to talk to! And I am getting three new Brazilian roommates this week so I'm sure that will be awesome!! I am so sad my old roommates aren't here, but all in Gods timing!! Tonight I am cleaning up the room. I made and set up my new roomies beds so they don't have to, and am giving them candy with a note! I am so excited for tomorrow!! Lots of changes coming this week! There is another american that came that I love she is also a solo sister and is in a different room (Sister Walker)!!

For PDay we went to the Sao Paulo temple and that was beautiful. AMAZING! Beautiful temple, beautiful stained glass! Wonderful session!Then we went to a fruit market which literally was my favorite experience yet here in Brazil! I hardly understood them, but I bartered for some mangoes and got some sugar cane juice with coconut and lime!! Tomorrow we are going to the fruit market again, then our instructors are taking us to a meat place and we are also going to get ice cream and explore!! I love Brazil so darn much!!! My love for it and its people grows every week!!

Last night we did goodbye hymn singing in the halls for the sisters leaving and I just again felt so so much love for them all! I feel like my main spiritual experiences here have been with the people. I just feel so much love for them it is crazy! I was about to fall asleep last night when I had this strong impression that I had to write down that this is where I am supposed to be, that Heavenly Father has prepared me to be here, and that these Brazilians have been people I was meant to know and love as Christ would. So awesome. Really Mom, I have never found a more loving people, ever. I just feel so much love and peace about me being a missionary here.

Yesterday this kid in the cafeteria ate 22 jellos (each with one swallow) then proceeded to throw up in the hall. This about sums up the maturity of elders! Sunday I was called as an STL (Sister Training Leader) so that is exciting! I am partners with the new sister, sister Walker! It also poured (more than I have ever seen! It was AMAZING!!)while we were in a meeting on Sunday and I saw it raining then realized our room window was open!! haha! So I ran back, and closed it after sticking my head out and enjoying some! It felt so warm and I felt so alive!! Haha! I am crazy about rain! I also had splits for three days and had a Brazilian comp for half the day which was good! She taught me a lot about teaching!!

One funny thing, MANY of the Brazilian sisters call me Princessa and Delicato, and Taylor Swift!!! They love my hair and eyes, and it is the sweetest thing ever, definitely boosting my ego a bit, but it is funny to me how foreign it is! There are only five American sisters in the CTM right now--we are a huge minority!

I miss being able to talk to you, but I have a Pai Celestial (Heavenly Father) who loves to hear wha'ts going on so that helps :) It has been hard to stay positive sometimes, but really what pushes me through is LOVE! If I Iove people around me and serve them, and realize that my purpose as a missionary is all based on love, it makes the days so much easier!! When we yoke ourselves with Christ our burdens truly are lightened!

I love you!

Love, Sister Sarah Crofts