August 30, 2010

Olá! Wow this week was so amazing!!! Zone Conference was a blast! It was so good, the talks that the elders gave, President and Sister Batt did a great job, lunch was amazing. It was all so GREAT!!! And I haven´t got to the greatest part yet! After the conference, Pres. Batt had all the sisters stay and he talked to us for a couple minutes. He told us what are "plans" were afterwards: all the sisters and sister batt went to this craft store to look around at some stuff that we might want to get towards the end of our mission (it was so cool, I definitely want to go there and get a couple things) then we went to our hotel to take our stuff there adn get settled in and waited for our van to come get us. Then we headed to the temple grounds where the temple is going to be built in Fortaleza! It was so beautiful, I can´t wait for them to start building. We took pictures and all that fun stuff then went to the beach! We couldn´t go out in the sand, but we went to this pier and we were there at sunset. It was absolutely beautiful! And the ocean, oh my heavens. I got pictures! I´ll send some next week over the computer. Then we went to Pres and Sister Batt´s and had dinner....TACOS, Watermelon, Pineapple, POTATO SALAD. We were all in heaven!!!! And we made cinnamon rolls with sister batt. Then after dinner we had ice cream sundaes and rootbeer floats...with A&W brand :) Then we played games and got to know everybody then headed back to our hotel. It was so much fun! I think they did this for us because in the past they had problems with the sisters and he told us that we´ve been the best group of sisters he´s had while serving as mission president. Well, it´s definitely becoming summer weather here. It´s SO HOT!!! My tan is really coming along :) but im still wearing sun block don´t worry! And mom I think you would be really proud to know that I made CINNAMON ROLLS all by myself (I´m a big kid now ;) no but really i made them for the first time without out you telling me what to do, and I didn´t have a bosch....i used my own two hands to mix it! But.....they turned out PERFECT i was really happy :) And I´ve made a few other things, I can´t remember if I told you, but I Made tyra´s famous chocolate cake for a baptism, turned out REALLY good and today I made "Enchanted Popcorn" the one with the almond bark, i made it for FHE tonight. In portuguese it´s called Pipoca Encantada :) I´ve also learned how to make pastels, they´re really good! I think that´s it, but I´m having a really good time here in Metrópole the people are so awesome to work with, they´re very receptive and accept the gospel very well. Well I better get going. Thank you for all your love and prayers. The mission has been a real eye opener to me and has totally changed my perspective on life. I´m starting to realize a lot of things that are more important in life and wishing I would have done things different, but it´s in the past and what I´m learning now will change the way I live and look at things from now on. THis gospel is such a blessing. Chandler , Garrett and Joseph, listen to mom and dad and do what they say. Be supportive in everything and help mom and dad out with scripture study and prayers and all that. It´s so important to do all these things with the family. You might not realize it now but it´s so important and it will help and strengethn all of you. I love you all so much!!!! love, Sister Ariana Salisbury