Aundrea is now in Cerquilho, Brazil, about 3-1/2 hours west of Sao Paulo. Town of about 45,000 people. There are only 25 members of the church there right now. They walk everywhere- no bikes, or cars, & it doesn’t sound like there are buses. It’s Brazil’s summer so it’s hot & humid! Her new companion & trainer is Sister Robinson from South Carolina.  It was rough week as it usually is the 1st few weeks of a mission while you get used to it- & there’s a lot for her to get used to. Please keep her, & Sister Robinson in your prayers.  As with anything life throws at us, Heavenly Father is there for us & will give us tender mercies & miracles to help us through.

email:  aundrea.evans@myldsmail.net

Here’s the mission home address if you want to send letters and/or packages: 

Sister Aundrea Melanie Evans

Missão Brasil São Paulo

Norte Avenida Nova Cantareira, 1146 fundos

Tucuruvi

02330-001 São Paulo – SP Brasil

11/28/16

 Well you know, my week started out great. I was excited to get started on the work. But this is hard. Like, really hard. I knew it was going to be difficult, but this is even more difficult than I imagined. I have 6 blisters on the bottom of my feet and in between my toes. I’ve got around 30 mosquito bites on my legs, and my blood vessels are showing. Remember when I would throw a tantrum when I was little, and I would get red dots on my eyelids? I have that all over my ankles and the tops of my feet. Whether it´s from the sun or pressure from walking everywhere, I don´t know. I have a heat rash on my neck, my face is always itchy and bumpy, and I have visible bags under my eyes. Really they´re not even bags, they´re straight up luggage. I have a sunburn so bad that it is blistering. I’m trying so hard to learn Portuguese, and I can kinda converse and teach, but people assume I know nothing, and ask my companion questions I can understand and answer just fine while I am right there in front of them. One asked my comp while I was right there; o que é o nome de sua companhera? (What is the name of your companion?) I was right there sitting in front of her. It hurts. All of me hurts. We had around 6 investigators this week, and none of them went to church, so we have to postpone all of their baptisms another week. It´s so hot and I sweat always.

But I have to tell you, there are some good things. Earlier this week, we were walking up a hill, and it was dead hot, no breeze, nothing, and my feet were in so much pain I wanted to die. I was on the verge of tears and I cried out in my head “Lord, help me get through this moment. Just this moment. I can´t do this anymore“ and almost immediately, a cool, gentle breeze passed by, and gave me a moment´s relief, enough to keep me going. That in its self is a testimony to me of the atonement. I sweat from literally every pore on my body, but imagine it being blood. The Savior went through so much more. He was whipped and spat upon, and then had to carry His own cross upon his back, up to the hill where He would be killed. It used to be really hard for me to comprehend the pain that he had to go through for us, but now I have the tiniest taste of what it must have been like.

But mom, the quote you said gave me hope. (Quote “Look to what the Book of Mormon says, which is ‘It came to pass’ not It came to stay”) That was so inspired because this week was long and really hard, but thank you so much for that, because maybe now I can make it through this week without dying. Or at least tomorrow. Actually tomorrow is our multi zone conference, so I think I’ll be able to live through that.  I’ll use that quote the next day for sure though. Haha

I love you all so much. Oh by the way, my thanksgiving consisted of getting all the blisters, and eating instant mashed potatoes with white gravy and a piece of bland chicken. But it was delicious because food is not a thing that I have very often. Anyway hope you all have a great week!!