Letter from January 2nd

hahahaha Mom, I LOVED all of the pictures!!! It made me want to be home for Christmas and experience the chaos! And I just realized that literally everyone was home for Christmas except for me, gosh dangit! And don't worry, I had plenty of time to look at the photos because we've reached that point in the mission where only you and dad and Justin Hubbard write me on a weekly basis haahahahha what a life! Every once in a while one of my brothers or sisters writes or a friend from the mish who's already gone home, but thats about it, and honestly I'm fine with that. Life is good and CRAZY here in Orquidário, but good! We've been working SUPER hard to try and find people, but it is pretty different being in the middle of the city on the beach. Everyone is just pretty much naked all the time and lets just say I am soooo sick of seeing men in speedos. Imagine downtown Sydney and trying to enter in apartment buildings...haha its interesting. But, I'm having to learn to trust in and dedicate ourselves to working with members, because thats the only way we'll see success here. My companion Sister Ñiquen is from Peru and SO SWEET and funny and nice and works HARD. She has a sweet scar on her neck like Moniques from when she had to remove her thyroid and has actually a lot of health problems, but NEVER uses anything as an excuse to relax or slack off, so she's awesome and super loving, which is good when it comes to working with the sisters. The best part is that she has the loudest laugh and you know that I also tend to yell when I'm laughing, so we make quite the pair! 

Life is good, I'm healthy and happy, with only that one strange pain on the muscles on my back and I'm sooo tan already hahahah summer has arrived and WOW it is just so hot constantly. What a life! LOVE YAS! 

Alina with her new companion who she is training

Well, I know that I have some winter clothes there packed away at home, but I'm not gonna lie,  I'm probably going to need to buy a good amount of clothes when I get back....so sad, right?;) Love you daaaaadddddd 

Is there something specific that you all would like me to bring back for you from Brasil?

This week was awesome and we found two new investigators named Carlos and Sandro. They both went to church and LOVED IT! It was the week of testimony meeting and there we were all happy and normal when suddenly I saw that Carlos (He's about 21 years old) stood up and went up to the front in the line to bear his testimony. I thought a lot about you and how mom said that you tried to do the same thing the first time you went to church and how she wouldnt let you ahhaha! But he went up there and Sister Ñiquen and I were freaking out a little bit about what he was going to say, and it was amazing! He talked about the Spirit he'd felt all that day in the church and how he knew that God had led us to find him and talk to him and nothing is a coincidence. He looked like a member, super comfortable up there in the front talking!!!! Yep, he's going to be baptized this month:) 

All is well em Sião!!!!

LOVE YOU DAD & MOM!!!

Sister Neal 

Ps: Tell Aubry and Emmy that I for SURE will babysit them ahahha SO CUTE 

Another Picture with Alina and Sis. Rodrigues

Alina with Sis. Garcia and Sis. Rodriques

Alina with Sis. Rodriques at Mission Christmas Party

Well, I was transferred! President decided that he wanted two companionships of Sister Training Leaders and so we (me and Sister Garcia) will be "training" two new Sisters to be SLT. I will spend my last transfer opening another area that is called Orquidário, which is right next to Jabaquara. Sister Garcia and I were pretty dang sad to be separated and in the beginning I was VERY sad to spend my last transfer opening a new area (especially one that is just apartment buidings in the center of Santos...) but my companion is really great! Her name is Sister Ñiquen and is from Peru! My first Hispanic companion! Woohoo!!! I realized that really I should nbe grateful to have the opportunity to have to work REALLLY hard my last transfer and give my all, and hey, that way I wont even be able to think about home hahah! 

LOVE YOU ALL!! It was great to see and talk with everyone!

Love,

Sister Neal