Wherein Sadie Crosses Into Brazil!

 May 22, 2023

Hey guys! How are you all doing? This week was good but I'm not feeling as wordy as usual, I'm kinda tired, but to recap a little of what I did this week... 

Did a capacitación in district council and learned a lot as I was preparing it! 

Saw that God leads us where we need to be and ended up in the hospital teaching our friend Mauro that we thought we'd never see again as he fell back into drugs. Part of the thing I got to prepare for district council was on how to support those with addiction and in recovery, it was perfect timing.

Went to Maldonado for a multizone conference and learned a lot and talked with some cool missionaries and i got mail!! 

Friday we had intercambios and it was a strange day but we had like 10 enseñanzas so it was a good day! We had a lesson with someone that we were genuinely so stumped if they were a girl or boy, got headbands from a member, knocked on an old guys door and he looked at us through the window then suddenly we heard crying and screaming and were very worried for him but had the impresión we needed to just get out of there so we did, and most importantly....our sweet friend Ana is on date for baptism now!! I know so strongly that it is the spirit that teaches and that God takes our efforts and makes up the rest. My baptismal invitation was so bad. Like nothing was coming out of my mouth right and it just was not good and she said no before i even got to it....but then there was a member there sharing their testimony and the Spirit did it's work and now she's on date for June!! We fasted for her this weekend to help her accomplish this goal! Thank you for your prayers for her! Sometimes I'm just not a super great missionary haha and things just dont sale de mi boca bien and I can't seem to teach well but all that God asks is for my best and as I give that, He makes up for the rest!!! What a very very beautiful thing! Being a tool in His hands is a great privilege! 

Saturday I went to Chuy to get my companion back from exchanges and we crossed the border to Brasil so that was super cool!! Except our phone broke again and wouldn't turn on for like 2hrs on the way there at like 6am so me and this other missionary were just on a bus in a foreign country headed to the border of Brasil without a phone. I accidently set off the emergency siren on the phone from pushing the power button so many times and woke up the whole bus(yes super embarassing)and ya that day was a mess but also we got acai in brasil which was soooooo yummy and I prayed and prayed and the phone turned on and worked again so all is well!!

Well this ended up wordy anyways but just think how bad it could've been if I had energy lolol!

You should go read Moroni 10:32♡♡♡

I am just so grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary and be here in Uruguay! I am so grateful for all the people I've met so far and I am so beyond grateful for all of you supporting me!! 6 months has gone by so fast!! I maybe haven't accomplished all the goals I came here with, like having a baptism lol but I've accomplished more than I ever thought because Christ is my strength! I am giving this next year my whole heart might mind and strength! All in! 

Love you all!!!

Ofa lahi atu!!!

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: we have a new friend in our window that I see every night before bed! 

Pictures: 

6 meses, it's FALL!!!!!, chuy and waiting for the bus, lesson with Ana after she accepted a fecha!!, intercambios walking in campo, last videollamada con our jenifer dorada, headbands from a member hahaha this picture is just a gem- please enjoy!!, hospital, van ride to Maldonado, MAIL!!

Wherein Sadie Speaks on Mother's Day

 May 15, 2023

Hola! Just out here living a happy happy life as a missionary in Uruguay! I'm still here in 33 with la hermana heyborne and we are happy to have another transfer to work here in barrio Plaza together! So exciting!!

This week we said bye to some of our district that were leaving the area which was sad and then we had a lil fomo not going to cambios but then we got new missionaries in our zone and it's been fun to get to know them! My líder de distrito is from manti, ut so that's cool! And my hermana leader from my training in pan de azucar is now one of my hermana leaders here and I love her! they opened an area of hermanas too so now theres 6 hermanas in 33!

We invited our friend Ana to be baptized and tried to be pretty direct about how she's not on the path until she's baptized but she's still holding back. She's so close and has the strongest testimony but just wants to be so sure of it. And its been this way for a long time. Please pray for Ana to take this step of faith! we want her to be baptized so badly, we don't want to stop teaching her, but she needs to be growing her faith!! and this is that next step!

Most of our friends aren't really progressing much and we may need to turn our efforts and time to finding new friends but just yesterday and today we've had 2 member referencias and I have a good feeling about them!! And all 5 of our recent converts in this area were at church yesterday so that's great! We also found a girl named Camila, turns out she has been going to another ward here in 33 because her boyfriend is in that ward and the elders have been teaching her there lol! those thieves haha! not sure we'll really fight to have her though even though she's in our area, because we are just happy for her!

we had another stake choir practice and i'm happy to report my companion and i have still not been kicked out! The poor new missionaries in the zone however did get a little hit to their self esteem from our querido director, josue! its just like a solid hour of second hand embarrassment and just trying to laugh everything off and fly low. its awesome.

I spoke in church yesterday! and tomorrow I'm giving a capacitación in district council!! Then we have a multizona in Maldonado on Thursday so it should be a great week!! 

Feliz día de la madre to all of the great examples in my life! Love you all! 

you should read the talk by elder Uchtdorf called Our Heartfelt all!! 

Hope you are all doing well!! Let me know if there's anything I can do for you!! Keep me updated on your lives!

con todo mi amor,

Hermana Bailey 

Spider count: bout fell out of my chair and said a not awesome word in the middle of a zoom call with the zone because a big and fast spider crawled into my scriptures

Pictures: disfruten!

Last district council, mi querida hermana Escobar finished her mission, sad because our zone leader left and our zone was changing, I'm a uruguayo gaucho , morning workout turned Burrito, service cleaning a ladies house, massive dessert at lunch, waiting for our taxi about to throw up in the streets-we have stomach problems from eating carbs y nada más, toilet paper lol, feliz día de la madre!!, a member that knows family friends from utah, cooking, hermanas de 33 mi primer cambio!!

Wherein Sadie Goes to Stake Choir!

 Hola todos! Como andan? Andan bien?

This week was a lil different but super fun! Tuesday we were in a trio here in 33 then the hermanas from chuy came and stayed with us because we had zone conference on Wednesday, which ended up being a whole day thing. We all had lunch together after then did some studies together and then did a choca de fuerzos where we all worked in the same areas and just tried to talk to everyone and knock doors. They did it in our area so now we have a bunch more friends to try teach!! Vamo arriba! 

Then Thursday we had interviews with President here and funny story I thought he was like calling me to repentance and I just thought like oh man what did I do?! Turns out he wasn't, I just am not quite an expert at spanish yet. Lol. Classic miscommunications. He was just sharing with me what he does to always be progressing because i shared with him how ive recently felt like i was just going through the motions as a missionary and I've recently kind of had to recommit myself to my decision to wear this plaque every day and be a full time representative of Christ and it was just a good discusión and now yo hago un patrón de arrepentimiento tambien como mi presidente. And its intentional again and it's beautiful. Reading scriptures every day is super important and there's so many things like that that I recommend doing, but if there's anything I would recommend starting right now, today, it would be daily repentance. What an amazing gift we have to be able to use the Atonement and be forgiven and improve and become better each day. Always progressing upward and becoming more like Christ. I dont want to be the same person in a year or even in a month as i am today. The more i use the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the more i want to share the gospel with others. Just like its a lot easier to introduce a friend to someone than introducing a stranger, its a lot easier to invite others to come unto Christ when you have a personal and close relationship with Him!! Christ lives. He is my friend and my Savior. And Hago means"i do" its not command form. And now I'll never forget that.  

Then after interviews we got on a bus to Montevideo. We stayed in an extra apartment of the mission that is super boujee and we got to go to McDonald's and see some of the city and we also got to go to the distribución center and get some new garments and a cute little book of mormon... was seriously like Christmas! Friday we did that stuff in Montevideo and we went to migraciones to start our process of being legal here!! haha. Then we went back to 33. I sit down on the bus and I had the very back seat by the bathroom and I just wanted to eat my food then sleep, so i take my dramamine pill so I don't get sick and it basically just knocks me right out, but as soon as I shut my eyes, this old guy sitting next to me that smells very strongly of smoke or beer or both, started talking to me. I was pretty annoyed and so tired like literally drugged up tired, but the thought just popped into my head that we pray every day to find people... I better not pass any opportunities. Well not sure he's interested, but I had a nice, sleepy 5 hr bus ride learning about trees and paper and rice and corn and cows in Uruguay. Yeehaw!! 

We had a really good video call lesson with our friend Jenifer. She is golden. We finally found someone that we hear about in all missionary stories, that's just so ready!!...and we have to give her as a reference to other missionaries cuz she doesn't live here. But I am grateful for the opportunity to be a little part of her story and it gave me a lot of animo for the work, to have found someone so ready! I know the missionaries there will take good care of her. 

Sunday, all the missionaries got invited to stake choir practice and.... I've never felt second hand embarassement so bad in my life. Basically the director is brutal and half the missionaries got booted from the already small choir because they can't sing!

Anyways that was kinda our week and then we just got transfer news yesterday but i was supposed to send this email monday and not know yet so imma leave yall hanging and tell you next week! Just know I'm very grateful for my time with hna heyborne in 33! This cambio has been the best! Catch yall next week! It's a real privilege to be part of the Lord's work here! 

Sorry for the long email mom, I just had fun adventures to tell that i didnt journal all of and its easier to type to catch up. Love you!

LOVE YOU ALL MUCHOOO! hope you have a great week! 

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: haha this weeks adventure was actually a fat slug on our counter!  Howd it get there? I don't even wanna know. I'll take it over spiders any day though

Pictures:

33

Montevideo adventures, McDs, and city views!!

Facetime fam- Leo

my comp remembered my half birthday- what?!

Hna wonnacott!

Postre with heyborne

Wherein Sadie Sees Several Miracles

 April 25, 2023

     Hola todos! Sorry I didn't get this sent out earlier but last week in Uruguay was good. We had some hard times as we watched our friend on date use his agency to turn down a different path, listened to a mom cry as she talked about how drugs are taking away her son's agency, and we felt disappointment as we ran around town inviting everybody we knew to baptisms in the district and everybody chose to not come. But then we saw some miracles too. On Saturday we had the baptism of a little girl named Mia. Not our investigator but of the sisters in our district. On Wednesday I had exchanges in their area and got to meet her. We just reviewed the baptismal interview questions for that lesson before her interview the next day. I promised her I would be at her baptism Saturday but we have to have a friend with us to go to a different areas' baptism. But we had just had to stop teaching one of our friends. And our other progressing friend was sick so she couldn't come. So we said a prayer that we could find one of our other friends to go with us and we got to work. At 5:45 and after trying for more than 13 different people, we didn't have anyone. Then we decided to go to this one friend's house. He hasn't even really had many of the lessons but is super religious and goes to a different church. I may have been a little blunt but we got him to come with us!! We had to wait for him to go change and some crazy guy came up to us and kissed us on the cheek and asked to marry us while we were waiting so that was awkward and we tried to slyly wipe of the nasty wetness on our cheeks but we were just happy to be going to the baptism! It started at 6 and we made it on time! Cuz everything starts late here haha. Sweet mía thanked "the other misionera that taught me the questions" (interview review) in her testimony after and it was so sweet!! Then on Sunday there was another baptism in our district and we needed to go but again couldn't find a friend. We prayed so hard and worked hard up until 5:15 (the baptism started at 5) but we had nobody so honestly we just sat on the side of the road to kinda be sad for a minute! Not the greatest thing but we were tired and frustrated. Although I don't think God loves it when we just sit and wine, I do know that He was aware of our efforts to work hard and not give up even right up till the time it started. He knew our hearts and pulled through with another miracle. We look up and walking down the street towards us is our friend leandro from the day before coming home from his church. He stopped and talked to us and we mentioned there was another baptism but we missed it and he was confused why we werent there. We told him we needed a friend with us and we never thought he'd want to go again cuz he had his own religión and had already seen a baptism but he said well what time are you going? I can go!! It was already 5:30 but we hopped in a taxi and went anyways and we made it during the opening song! Everybody was so welcoming to him at both the baptisms and he loved them so much and he is interested in learning more!! Two nights in a row we ended up in a taxi on a way to a baptism with our minds blown that God had helped work it out as long as we just kept working with faith even up until past the time the baptism started. Faith takes action. And God sees our efforts. I don't think I'll ever forget the image of leandro walking down the street towards us. And those were the first baptisms in the mission that I've been to!! What a special experience and feeling to watch somebody make that decisión. Both baptisms were so special to see how Christ and this gospel is changing people's lives at different ages and different circumstances. This gospel is for everyone because we are all children of God who wants us to live with Him again and this is the way back! After a kind of down week after seeing our friend use his agency to choose things of the world, it was a great way to end the week seeing these people choose el camino de Jesucristo!

Also we got followed by a punto rojo, crazy guy to church on sunday but we knew who he was so we were straight up about not messing with us and he ended up leaving once he saw us talking to the bishop about him. Aint nobody gonna mess with us!

This week we laughed a lot. For some reason we just can't stop laughing sometimes. We were literally making the bench at church shake with us trying to laugh quietly. 

The intercambios we had were great! Hna wonnacott is so fun! and I felt kinda grateful for the experience I had with my struggles with my first companion because I was able to understand and have empathy and share things that helped me when i was in a similar situation as she is in right now. Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"

Also I had my first English class and that was fun! Also it's getting colddddd here!! Yeehaw!

Anyways, hope yall are well!! Oops for not getting this sent out earlier! We had district pday on Monday and I was just playing monopoly and volleyball haha!! And then we couldn't go into our church and use the computar because it had just been fumigated for spiders!

Love you all mucho. talk to you pronto

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: found this nasty thing at the church

Pictures: English class, pretty views, cold, rainy day with comp, Spider, mías baptism, a member wrapped me in their shawl thing at church cuz I was coughing and they thought I was cold-so kind, comp!

Wherein Sadie Shares Favorite One-Liners!

 May 2, 2023

Hola buen día! 

Just out here in Uruguay, sharing the gospel, trying my best, seeing miracles, learning Spanish, killing bugs, laughing, following the spirit, eating carbs, and Learning to not be soooo wordy. Life is really good, going on a mission is a good decision. God is good.

Favorite lines of the week:

"I've been searching for the truth and studied so many religións but I've been missing this one"

"You're from the country with NASA and you can't find the outlet"

"There are 10 cows in Uruguay for every person that lives here"

"Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness."

This is a great talk, you should read it. Happiness your heritage by Uchtdorf

•I know that God loves us and wants us to be happy. I know that true eternal happiness is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ and because of Him, we can experience it. let's seek it!

Pray for Virginia, Jenifer, and Gaia, please! ♡

Have a great week. Thanks for all the support. I love you all!

Hermana Bailey

Spider count: one fell on my lap while we were eating the other day. I'm scarred.