Week #56 - Hello from BRASILIA BRAZIL!

Monday, February 15, 2021

My new companion Sister Silva - I love her so much already!

HELLOOOOO FROM BRAZIL!!! Wowza... what a week. Honestly. I am feeling sooo many different emotions, with leaving Arizona, being in Brazil again, not knowing what anyone is saying!! It's been crazy. So buckle up, because this weekly email is gonna be a long one.... 

So.. not much happened with leaving Chandler. I wish I could've stayed there long, but it was a good time to leave! We did have zone conference, and I got permission from President Goaslind to go to that. And we also had a little goodbye party at his house 2 nights before we left. It was fun and super sad to say goodbye to everyone!! 

It was strange to be alone traveling until I met up with other missionaries.

Sister Hernandez and I enjoying our last American meal!

Elders and Sisters going to Brazil with us and various other missions in Brazil.

We had a 8 hour layover in Dallas, 5 hours in Sao Paulo.

Sister Westhoff, the other sister going to Brazil the same day as me, so she spent the night before we left at our home. Then we left bright and early! Except her flight left like 3 hours after me. But it all happened for a reason. Because I had the COOLEST experience on the flight from Phoenix to Dallas. I was nervous when I said goodbye to President Shumway, who dropped me off at the airport, because I was all alone hahaha. So I prayed when I got to my gate to know who I should sit by and talk to before we boarded the flight. So I went and sat in this open seat next to this middle aged man. We talked, he asked me about my mission, I told him I was going to Brazil, and then it was time to board and we parted our ways. I decided that I would give him a Book of Mormon afterwards if I saw him. But since God doesn't do random... guess who my seat was by... THE SAME GUY! So he told me that he had lots of friends and co workers that are members of the church, but doesn't know what we believe. I explained my purpose is to help all to understand what we believe, and then we spent the next 2 hours on the flight talking about so much. We talked about the Restoration, the Holy Ghost, the sacrament, the Plan of Salvation, and so much more. And he just took it all in and understood it. I gave him the Book of Mormon afterwards and promised him that if he read it, he would feel his Savior's love for him more. Wow. What a cool last teaching experience in English. 

Arriving after 32 hours of travel!

I arrived in Brasília with my companion from the first week of the MTC, Sister Hernandez. It was so fun to be with her! I got off the plane before Sister Hernandez, and when I came out... wow, pretty much the whole mission was there waiting for me. I saw Presidente and Sister Priday, and they were so happy to see me. It was such an amazing experience. They told me that I was the FIRST American that they had seen since being here in Brazil in August. Crazy. I met a lot of people that day, and then we went to the mission home to have dinner with Presidente and Sister Priday! But first, we went and drove by the Brasília temple that is in construction. It was super fun. That is when I found out where I was going to be for the next transfer. I am in Ceilândia 4 and Águas Lindas (beautiful waters)! I am finishing doing the second half training of Sister Silva. She is from an Island here in Brazil, so all the missionaries call her Moana. Hahaha! We are both new to the area, and don't have any way right now to know who we are teaching. But hopefully in a couple days we can know hahaha! WOWZA Brazil is so fun. Before I got here in Ceilândia, I was with the STLs and spent 2 days there. We went to church with them, and taught some lessons with them! It was a lot of fun and good to relax after the long trip here. 

President and Sister Priday

This banner greeted us - along with many missionaries!

I was so touched by the welcome from everyone!

I am so happy to be here. I would be lying if I told you guys that I am not overwhelmed hahaha. It's a lot of take in. New place, language that I still can't understand too well, and a new area that me and my companion know nothing about. But, with all of that, I have so much trust in my Savior and all that He has done for me, and all the miracles I have seen. Thank you for your prayers! Remember in your prayers to pray for Sister Guilott to have the Gift of Tongues so she can speak and understand this amazing language. 

Eu amo vocês muito! Obrigada por todas coisas! 

♡Sister Guilott♡

Week #55 - Last 3 Days in Tempe; It's hard to say goodbye!

 Monday, February 8, 2021

My companions in Chandler for the past two weeks

My last week in America... that sounds crazy doesn't it? But it is true. I am leaving in 3 days (Feb. 11th) to BRAZIL! But holy cow I have learned so much while being here in Arizona. I have learned that my Savior Jesus Christ is my best friend, and that when people know that Jesus Christ is their best friend, it is eternal happiness. But here are some highlights from the week:

Sometimes bathroom selfies at the church are the only way to get a picture!

Service Exercise Day with these fun ladies!

This area us definitely a little slower now since the Lugos go baptized, so we were thinking of some things we could do, especially during our modified quarantine. So, we made cookies from scratch! 😋🍪They didn't end up the greatest... but we still delivered them haha. We didnt know who exactly to give them to though. We thought about our bishop, the family that just got baptized, and a less active that lived closed to them. And then we had one more thing of cookies left, and we thought of this random family (the Knauers) to give it to. So we went and doorbell ditched the cookies. And the next day, Sister Knauers gave us a call and told us that yesterday she was really sad, because her dad had passed away the week before... which we didnt even know!! She went on to say that throughout the day, she was craving chocolate chip cookies, but didnt have anything to make the cookies. So she just prayed that somehow, she would be able to get some cookies... WAHBANG she got the cookies!! That right there, is a testimony of following the spirit, now matter how simple or easy it may seem. ALWAYS. FOLLOW. THE. SPIRIT.

I also went on exchanges with beautiful Sister Packer this last week. We had to wear masks the whole day, so that made it a little difficult haha. But it was so much fun. We spent 6 hours outside, and it was a blast! We actually met a lot of fun people. At one point, we were at a park doing some language study and this little 10 year old girl came up to us and started talking with us saying how she's a member as well. She told us that she wanted to serve a mission, and then ran away haha. It was adorable. We also were walking back from a lesson in an apartment complex, and this guy stopped us asking who we are. We told him that we are missionaries, and then he asked if he could come to church with us! We said DUH of course. I don't know if he ever did end up going, but he was super down to go. It was a super cool day! We also ate some yummy acai! 

Honestly, the time I've spent here in Arizona for the past 9 months have been amazing. I love it here and might even move here one day because its warm 24/7 haha. I am sad to say goodbye to all my friends and my mission president and his wife, but I'm pumped for my new adventure I will have in BRAZIL 🇧🇷🇧🇷 thank you for all the prayers!! Next week, I'll start adding some more portugues to these!! 

♡Sister Guilott♡

Week #54 - Chandler: Quarantine and a Baptism

 Monday, February 1, 2021

Saying "goodbye" to my awesome companions!

Wowza another amazing week as a missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission! I had to sadly say goodbye to Yuma and my amazing companions. I would've stayed there if it weren't so far away from the mission home. BUT now I am in Chandler in the Pleasant 3rd Ward, and I love it here already so much! I do miss Yuma a lot. I learned so much there about my testimony and my Savior. I am grateful for the life long friends I made there, including my wonderful companions: Sister Martin and Sister Hartley. They are the BEST! 

Chandler is fun! It's a lot of big houses, and a lot of people live around here. So I am in a trio again for the 10 days I am here, Sister Risk who was originally assigned to Australia Mandarin speaking! She is super awesome and outgoing! My other companion is Sister Curry and this is her original mission. She is more on the quiet side, but is also super fun and amazing! But here's some craziness that happened with our trio... Sister Risk got exposed to covid, so she was in her area up until this last Saturday night, when transfers are usually on Wednesday. She had to wait until she got her negative covid test result, and then she got it. Then she started showing symptoms so she had to get another negative test result... she FINALLY got that and then made it here! And right in time for the best miracle...

A BAPTISM! I only met them a couple days ago, but April and her 2 sons, Xzavier and Ethan, all got baptized on Sunday! It was so awesome, and I loved being able to participate. I got here right when we needed to plan the whole thing, so that's what I spent most of my time here in this area doing so far! But they were so happy to make that covenant with our Savior and Father in Heaven. It was an amazing miracle. And Sister Risk got here right in time!! 

Another miracle that happened this week was at the baptism, another one of April's sons who hasn't ever been interested in learning more from the missionaries, came up to us telling us he was interested!! So we got his phone number and we are going to start teaching him! Yay!! 

One of my favorite scriptures from this week is Mosiah 16:9 - "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened." Look for Christ as that light in your life. He is there!! ☆

♡Sister Guilott♡

Week #53 - Last Week in YUMA; Going to Chandler and then . . .Back To Brazil in Two Weeks!

Monday, January 25, 2021

I will miss my companions - LIFE LONG friends for sure!

Hello!

What a week. This week was full of miracles. We also found out about transfer news, and I am leaving to Chandler to the Pleasant 3rd ward in another trio. And, my companion from the first week of the MTC in Brazil... My new ward in Chandler is her home ward! WHAT ARE THE ODDS?!?! But I am so sad to say goodbye to my companions right now. They are life long friends for life. BUT I do have some really exciting news. I will only be in my new area for 2 weeks... Because I am GOING BACK TO BRAZIL!!! Honestly.... This is such an amazing miracle, and I am humbled and so excited that I can return to this amazing country. I am very sad to be leaving Arizona. But it is all in God's plan! But here are some other amazing miracles from this wonderful week:

We have been trying unsuccessfully to get together with our relief society president and finally, this week we finally had a lesson with them. Her daughter's father-in-law who isn't a member of the church is living with them. His wife recently passed away, and he is looking for some peace in his life. Well... it's a good thing that the gospel is what brings the most peace to us!! We shared a message with them about eternal families and he had sooooo many questions now about what we believe and we are hoping to meet with him again soon!

Our amazing Elders Quorum President in our YSA ward loooooves talking to people about the gospel, and he gave a Book of Mormon to his boss at work, and we were able to meet with this awesome man at his house and shared a message with him and he wants to learn more! He is awesome!! He was already reading The Book of Mormon and loves everything we have shared with him. 

Mark Concha, the amazing man who got baptized a couple weeks ago, his son is turning 8 next month and wants to take lessons like his dad did to prepare for when he gets baptized! So we met with him this week and did a lesson with him over video call, and he is the smartest 7 year old I know. He gave the opening prayer, and in the prayer he said: "Please help me to gain a remission of my sins through baptism." I don't know about you, but I've never heard another 7 year old say that hahaha. But he is doing awesome.

BIGGEST MIRACLE EVER!! Ever since me and my companions have been together here in Yuma, we have been working with this family who wants to come back to church, and they haven't been active in YEARS!! But this Sunday.... after 3 months of teaching them.... THEY FINALLY CAME TO CHURCH! And they loved it. They weren't going to bring their 2 year old daughter, and so her parents were going to watch her. And we told them that Satan would do whatever he could to make it so they wouldn't come to church. That morning, her mom texted her saying she couldn't watch her daughter.... but they still came! And they felt the spirit so strongly. It was an amazing miracle.

Wonderful friends!

We have been working with Murphy, and he doesn't necessarily like to pray. But he finally prayed for us this week! But he still says he feels nothing. And our member who was in the lesson with us, lost her necklace that her mom had given her that day. So we went outside to find it, and Murphy told us "we will never find it..." and so while Sister Hartley went with Kylie, me and Sister Martin were with Murphy looking. And I told Murphy that if he prayed right there that we would find it. And he just stared at me and said he didn't know what to say. So I literally said a prayer for him so he would know what to say, and he said it!! And right after he said amen.... kylie yells "I FOUND IT!" Murphy's face was like he had seen a ghost. He felt the spirit and he knew it. It was awesome!! 

I am so thankful for all of you and your prayers, especially with being able to return to Brazil. GOD DOESN'T DO RANDOM!! 

♡sister guilott♡

More goodbye photos of wonderful people I will remember forever!

We cooked a healthy meal!

Week #52 - Scooby at Dunkin Donut invited to FHE!

 Monday, January 18, 20201

Another great week here in Yuma. Soooo many crazy things always happen here. Here are the updates!! 

Our zone leader has a friend from the MTC that is actually from Yuma, and he's been teaching all of his friends from here up in his mission. We've been trying to get in touch with this elder, but he kinda always dodges us. But this week we earned his trust. We gave us the name of 6 of his friends that we could reach out to that want to learn more. WHAT?? And then he told us that he would give us a couple more over the weeks. But one of his friends goes by the name of Scooby. And Scooby works at Dunkin Donuts, and we decided to drive to the Dunkin Donuts that he works at (which was like 30 minutes away) and meet Scooby. We got there at 4:03.... and they closed at 4.... and they wouldn't let us in 😭 butdon'tt worry because we are smart, and decided to go through the drive thru!! And who was right there at the drive thru window?? SCOOBY!! We ended upgettingn his number and inviting him to FHE. Aaaaand we got free donuts!! Dunkin Donut miracles!!

We had zone conference this weekend and it was awesome. Zone conference is when our mission president comes down here and gives us some trainings, and also does interviews with us. During interviews, he sometimes hints what will happen to you the next transfer (which is next week.. eek). But he told me and my companions, that he has no idea what he will do with us. So be excited to hear what's going to he happening down here in Yuma!! 

Now some updates on the people we are teaching...

Jordan is doing so good! We met with him twice this week and talked about baptism with him. He told us he wants to be baptized, but wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true first. Which honestly is 100% what he should do. He told us he wants to know everything before he gets baptized, and the member who is there with us says to him, "Jordan it will take you more than a lifetime to know everything." But Jordan was talking to us about his praying, and how sometimes he feels this warm sensation all over him and he feels the blood rush to his head. He told us he thought he tripping out because he was kneeling while praying. He thought he would have to pray while standing because he didnt know what was going on. But we told him what that feeling was. THE HOLY GHOST! And then we read this scripted with him from the Doctrine & Covenants 9:8 and it says, 

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." When Jordan read this, he literally couldn't believe it. So he is praying about being baptized now and if that really is the desire of his heart. Keep him in your prayers!!

We started teaching this new guy and he was a referral from the Hermanas down here. We gave him a tour of the church, and he is already reading the Book of Mormon. He seems super cool and were excited to teach him some more. 

We went over to our members home for dinner the other night, the Titensors, and they had their grandson there. He seemed like a cool guy. But he hasn't been to church in a while, and opened up to us how he wants to strengthen his relationship with God and our Savior through prayer. We invited him to come to church the next day... AND HE DID! And the stake president was there, and he was talking about receiving revelation and strengthening our relationship with our Savior and God through prayer. Wow. God doesn't do random. Our friend is now wanting to come to church weekly, and wants to come to our FHE activities!! Yay!!

I love you all!!

♡Sister Guilott♡

Week #51 - Service

Monday, January 11, 2021

All the sisters in our zone went to watch sunrise at the 

Sand Dunes where they filled Star Wars!

Happy Monday everybody!! 

This week has been another amazing week here in Yuma AZ. I say it every werk, but I love it here and being a missionary. It truly is the most important work here on earth. Sooooo here's some crazy stuff that happened this week...

We went over to our Elders Quorum presidents house in the YSA and taught our friend Jordan. He's soooo cool. We finished talking about Gods plan with him today. But last time, we talked about my favorite thing ever with him: the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And we asked Jordan if he was able to recognize how Jesus helped him the last week, and he told us that he was able to turn to Christ and feel His love so much this past week. It was awesome. We brought up baptism, and Jordan told us he wants to keep reading the Book of Mormon to gain a better testimony. MIRACLES!!

Crazy antics of two YSA members both named Michael;

They tried to scare us - didn't work.

Here's some craziness from the week. Our friend Edwin who is the beesssttt got transferred to Flagstaff :( so we sadly had to say bye, but he still wants to be taught by missionaries so we know the missionaries down in Flagstaff our LUCKYYYY!! But he did come and say goodbye to us, and brought us our Christmas presents... they are a snuggie type blanket poncho thing. It's super comfy and was super random hahaha. But he's gonna do good down in Flagstaff.

Wearing the hoodie ponchos we got from Edwin

Mark is doing awesome!!! We were able to have another lesson with him last week, and he was also able to recieve the priesthood this week!! 

Funny story: This week for our FHE activity, we played chair soccer. Which is where you try to keep your chair safe from the soccer ball. It was so fun!! But I got into it. Like big time hahaha. I was running after the ball, and a YSA member named Jonathan was too and he tripped me and I totally WIPED OUT! I layed on the floor for a second and thought i was dead for a second... but I wasn't, I was fine. And I'm fine now hahaha. But it was funny, and a good turn out for FHE! 

We've been doing a lot of service lately. We went over to one of our ward missionaries home to their orange trees in their backyard and they gave us buckets full of oranges. It was so fun! We also have been going to the food bank each week and we meet all the national guard there. It's also been lots fun!!

Fun mural at the foodbank

Oranges from our Service Project in our kitchen

Service on Exchanges with Sister Taylor

I was able to finish the Book of Mormon again this week, and each time I finish I gain a stronger testimony and witness that the Church is so true. Even though I've already gained a witness, I still prayed and asked my Father in Heaven if the Book of Mormon is true. I love the promise it gives us at the end of the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:5 - "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." 

I invite all of you to pray to know!! 😁😁

♡Sister Guilott♡

My companions and roommates - and we are all wearing

Sister Martin's clothes in this picture! 

Week #50 - Baptism!

Monday, January 4, 2021

Yuma Territorial Prison Visit with our Zone

What. A. WEEK!! Honestly so amazing. Let me tell you all that Yuma is the promised land! I love it here. And a lot of fun stuff happened....

As I told you all last week, we found out that Mark was going to get baptized! YAY! And he told us that he wanted to get baptized on Wednesday... so we planned a baptism in 2 days, and it was so amazing. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life than I did at Mark's baptism. And everything leading up to the baptism went so good... almost too good.... so we get to the church, fill up the font, and wait for everyone to get there! Brother Holt, the one who was baptizing Mark, came and asked us - "Where's my baptismal suit?" Uhhh... what? Well we did not know that we were supposed to get his baptism suit. But then Sister Hartley said "oh we'll be right back!" And then we followed her into the kitchen?? I was so lost, and then next thing you know. There's a baptismal suit the perfect size for Brother Holt behind the kitchen door that Sister Hartley had seen 3 months before that. MIRACLE!!! 

We had originally asked our Bishop, and Elders Quorum President to give talks and then Mark wanted one of his friends to give a talk over zoom. So we told the Bishop that he was off the hook. So we hear the talk about baptism, and then Brother Wayas goes up to give the talk on the Holy Ghost and he reads to everyone a text message he received from us... it was us explaining how Mark was finally getting baptized, and how Mark wanted him to give a talk on Baptism..... well, we had him down giving a talk on the Holy Ghost.  And he called us out in front of everyone, and said "I will be using the Holy Ghost a lot right now to help with this talk." HAHAHA he gave the best talk ever. The spirit was so strong.

But this Miracle truly was amazing. To see Mark enter the waters of baptism, and for all of his sins to be washed way because of his love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This week I also hit my one year, and truly what an amazing year it has been. I have loved all of it. I wouldn't want to serve in any other place than Brazil or Arizona. And I wouldn't want to serve any other time than RIGHT NOW! Missionary work is stronger now more than ever before!

Funny story from the week: we are helping our friend to come back to church, and we were teaching him about the Restoration. We asked him - "How do you know God is real?" And he told us... "well... my favorite drink is milk, and I see that God is real because cows drink water, and eat green grass... yet their milk is white. That's. Miracle." Well my friends. God is real because Cows milk is white, and because Mark was able to recieve a remission of his sins and to be on the path to be with God and Jesus again one day. 

♡Sister Guilott♡

We visited the Yuma Territorial Prison

Wonderful people!

Out to lunch with fabulous friends!