Really funny story....... on Wednesday I got reassigned to go to North Carolina Charlotte........ I was getting all prepared to speak english and only study portuguese for 30 minutes a day and all that good stuff........... then today while writing letters the travel office called me down and..................I JUST GOT MY VISA!!!! I will be traveling on Tuesday to Dallas then to Sao Paulo. I leave the SLC airport at 12 noon and get to Brazil on the next day at 7:30 am :) I am going to BRAZIL..... I kind of didn't think it was going ot happen........ but I am and I feel a little nervous. Portuguese is a lot more real and vital now!! So here it comes. I am just getting ready to not understand anything when I get there!! :) I also get to make a 5 minute phone call home, and I have had this oppertunity since Wednesday but I dont think I am going to do it, everytime I started to get ready to call I just felt weird. So I am not going to call, I hope everyone is ok with this, I will get to call the parents house on Mothers Day and talk then. I just feel a little fragile and if I were to talk I would get super attached and have a hard time focusing, I am not going to call from the air port either. Just know that I will be safe and arrive safely. DO NOT WORRY. It will all be ok. I'll email on my next p-day and let you know that everything is good! I love you all.
So it's snowing here today!!!!! That is exciting and sad but I am going to Brazil to head into their winter now!!!!! :) Fun Fun
THANK YOU FOR THE STINKIN AWESOME PACKAGES!!!!!!!!! Corissa, thank you for the goodies and shirts, MOM (and i heard Leisl and Kert helped, maybe the kids too) thank you for the package, I think I have a whole new wardrobe in the box, it was really exciting and the goodies are greatly loved by everyone! I'll just have to be careful not to be over weight with my luggage! Thank you though really, it was very nice to get and I LOVED THE NOTE in the box! That really is the funnest part, I love the whole thing but I love the notes! Thank you everyone!
Thank you everyone for everyhing you do for me, thank you for helping me,supporting me and helping me and making sure everything goes ok back home. I love you all, I am so blessed to have you all in my life and to be family. That is pretty special. Families have a far greater importance than i know, and i love it!
Its snowing here!! Isn't that exciting!!!! Wow, I was wearing nice light clothes all week and drinking in the vitamin d, then it snows. Good chance to bundle up again! :)
I have had this desire to write down what I want to be, so I did. I wrote a whole page of attributes and qualities and things I want and it's great!!! I feel like I captured the emotion of what I want. Now I want to write a life motto, what I expect of my self and what I want to live up to. (I did that in page form but now I want to consolidate that to a few phrases that I can memorize and form) I don't know what exactly I want to include, and it doesn't have to make sense to everyone else as long as I get it, but it's sometihnng that has been a really exciting and encouraging thing for me. I was having an interview with one of my teachers yesterday and we were talking about this and my desire to improve and change. He talked about Ether 12:26-27. Go read it, it's about if men come humbly to Christ, He will show them their weaknesses, we have weaknesses to be humble. If we are humble and have faith in him he will help our weak things become strong. It's a very powerful scripture for me right now.
Yesterday I was giving a spiritual thought in class about Luke chapter 2 when Mary "pondered these things in her heart" and I was trying to say that I love this because I am a woman(mulher), but I said I love this because I am the best (melhor). I always get these words mixed up, and I tried so hard to say the right one, but then I messed up and I looked purplexed so one of the Sisters whispered mulher to me and everyone started laughing and I was laughing and my thought prcess was gone!! so I started to say Umm, ahh, etc a lot. (Which I do a lot in portuguese because I have a hard time filling in all the words) so my teacher had me go in front of the class and speak in portuguese and every time I said "um" and "umm" he flicked the light, it was a good example of how distracting filler words are. I hate filler words but I always use them in portuguese! So that is a goal of mine, I actually felt really good after he did that because it's been something i want to change but now I see the imoprtantce of it and I have this huge desire to improve. I am realizing how important it is to always be progressing!! It's so important and I feel so much happier!!! It's no fun to feel stuck and so important to becoming better. Anxiously engaged in a good cause!! :)
I love you all.
Have a great day.
Auntie Kat
Sister Taylor
March 18, 2011
Dear Family,
I have just more then one WEEK left in the MTC, that is crazy. I have started to feel comfortable here, but there is nothing like change to make you grow. Speaking of change!!! A lot has happened lately. 3 people in our district of 11 got their visas so now we are down to 8. There is a lot more room in our little class room and I am no longer in the corner, we miss them but at least they are in Brazil. One of our Sisters left so we have a new companion, (3 of us together) it is very different and our personalities are TOTALLY opposite of each other but it really is a blessing because I had no idea how to connect with my companion. She is sweet and I love her, I just couldn't relate to her AT ALL, so with this other Sister we all have to work harder and it helps us to be better. I feel more motivated, this other sister is exactly like my friend Clare Smith, she came home with me once and I lived with her in a house in provo for a while. This new sister, Sister Myers, was intimidating at first then I realized she is exactly like my friend Clare and suddenly, it was all ok. A big blessing. :)
We also got put into a new branch with a new Branch President and everything. They are going to make it a full Portuguese speaking branch, earlier we were with Italians. That will be neat but we only have 1 week in it. I feel like something else got changed but I am loosing track now :)
I have no idea what is going on with visa! but I am not worried. It would be great to serve somewhere in the USA for a while, (just so I don't have to be totally lost when I go to brazil) but it will all work out. I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for me! :)
So a special experience I just had was in my prayers. I was struggling with feeling my prayers for a while, I really wanted to have a very connected feeling but I wasn't feeling it. So I kept thinking, what do I need to change? What do I need to do? I struggled for a few days then last night when I finished praying I had the sweetest small feeling come saying "I am here". I know it is small and the importance of the feeling I had with those little words is hard to convey but it was special for me. I know God is there, that he looks out for us, and that we have to be ready to hear and accept.
How is everyone doing?
I love you all!!!!!! Have an Amazing day!! Tell the kids I love them and Auntie Kat says HI!!!
God Bless
Sister Taylor
I have just more then one WEEK left in the MTC, that is crazy. I have started to feel comfortable here, but there is nothing like change to make you grow. Speaking of change!!! A lot has happened lately. 3 people in our district of 11 got their visas so now we are down to 8. There is a lot more room in our little class room and I am no longer in the corner, we miss them but at least they are in Brazil. One of our Sisters left so we have a new companion, (3 of us together) it is very different and our personalities are TOTALLY opposite of each other but it really is a blessing because I had no idea how to connect with my companion. She is sweet and I love her, I just couldn't relate to her AT ALL, so with this other Sister we all have to work harder and it helps us to be better. I feel more motivated, this other sister is exactly like my friend Clare Smith, she came home with me once and I lived with her in a house in provo for a while. This new sister, Sister Myers, was intimidating at first then I realized she is exactly like my friend Clare and suddenly, it was all ok. A big blessing. :)
We also got put into a new branch with a new Branch President and everything. They are going to make it a full Portuguese speaking branch, earlier we were with Italians. That will be neat but we only have 1 week in it. I feel like something else got changed but I am loosing track now :)
I have no idea what is going on with visa! but I am not worried. It would be great to serve somewhere in the USA for a while, (just so I don't have to be totally lost when I go to brazil) but it will all work out. I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for me! :)
So a special experience I just had was in my prayers. I was struggling with feeling my prayers for a while, I really wanted to have a very connected feeling but I wasn't feeling it. So I kept thinking, what do I need to change? What do I need to do? I struggled for a few days then last night when I finished praying I had the sweetest small feeling come saying "I am here". I know it is small and the importance of the feeling I had with those little words is hard to convey but it was special for me. I know God is there, that he looks out for us, and that we have to be ready to hear and accept.
How is everyone doing?
I love you all!!!!!! Have an Amazing day!! Tell the kids I love them and Auntie Kat says HI!!!
God Bless
Sister Taylor
March 11, 2011
HELLO, I am down to 20 minutes! I have pictures going out this week to everyone!
So most important things first! I just realized that when asking for all of your testimonies and beliefs I should have shared mine with all of you first.
Here is my testimony.
My testimony is simple, there is nothing fancy about it. I know that my Reedemer lives, I know that he died and suffered for me personally as well as for everyone in the world. I know that the act of the atonement was essential to our eternal salvation. I know that the plan of salvation is real. I had a very special small experience with this the other day. Our class was reading in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon and it talks about the angel Moroni, when we read that scripture I had a very clear feeling in my heart that the plan of salvation is real. The longer I thought about it the more I realized how many things it influences in my life. It touches everything, that knowledge gives me direction in life, more desire to go to the temple, more desire to progress, repent and become better. More desire to work on family relationships, because we really all can live together again. I know this is true, and not only live together in family units but live with God and continue to progress. I know the Book of Mormon contains the word of God, there is power in those words and when we apply them in our life we feel a difference. I know that to know the truth of the Book of Mormon, it is an emotional feeling, we can look at all the proof but once we have the Holy Spirit confirm its truth and we are willing to act on it, it changes your life. I know that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and called him as a prophet, I do not know why he choose a young man but I have faith in God. I know that faith, repentence, baptism, recieving the GIFT of the holy ghost (to be a constant companion) and enduring to the end is the simple doctrine of Christ and as we do that we gain more knowledge and guidance in our lives. I love this gospel, I love my Savior and the comfort he provides to me, especially when I don't deserve it. I love the feeling of the holy Ghost, it is the most comforting and uplifting feeling I have ever felt. I know that the power of prayer is real. I have had some very tender and special experiences while at the MTC with prayer and I know that God listens as we pray and he responds, but it takes a lot of work and personal rightousness. I know that in the temple we make covenants with our Heavenly Father that make us more dedicated and better disciples of him. I love the opportunity I have to be serving a mission, it is hard but now that I am here, I can not imagine being anywhere else. I say these things, in the name of our savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all. I have a lot of pictures to send out.
My family I love you all. Be safe and come closer to Christ.
Love, Sister Kathryn Taylor
So most important things first! I just realized that when asking for all of your testimonies and beliefs I should have shared mine with all of you first.
Here is my testimony.
My testimony is simple, there is nothing fancy about it. I know that my Reedemer lives, I know that he died and suffered for me personally as well as for everyone in the world. I know that the act of the atonement was essential to our eternal salvation. I know that the plan of salvation is real. I had a very special small experience with this the other day. Our class was reading in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon and it talks about the angel Moroni, when we read that scripture I had a very clear feeling in my heart that the plan of salvation is real. The longer I thought about it the more I realized how many things it influences in my life. It touches everything, that knowledge gives me direction in life, more desire to go to the temple, more desire to progress, repent and become better. More desire to work on family relationships, because we really all can live together again. I know this is true, and not only live together in family units but live with God and continue to progress. I know the Book of Mormon contains the word of God, there is power in those words and when we apply them in our life we feel a difference. I know that to know the truth of the Book of Mormon, it is an emotional feeling, we can look at all the proof but once we have the Holy Spirit confirm its truth and we are willing to act on it, it changes your life. I know that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and called him as a prophet, I do not know why he choose a young man but I have faith in God. I know that faith, repentence, baptism, recieving the GIFT of the holy ghost (to be a constant companion) and enduring to the end is the simple doctrine of Christ and as we do that we gain more knowledge and guidance in our lives. I love this gospel, I love my Savior and the comfort he provides to me, especially when I don't deserve it. I love the feeling of the holy Ghost, it is the most comforting and uplifting feeling I have ever felt. I know that the power of prayer is real. I have had some very tender and special experiences while at the MTC with prayer and I know that God listens as we pray and he responds, but it takes a lot of work and personal rightousness. I know that in the temple we make covenants with our Heavenly Father that make us more dedicated and better disciples of him. I love the opportunity I have to be serving a mission, it is hard but now that I am here, I can not imagine being anywhere else. I say these things, in the name of our savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all. I have a lot of pictures to send out.
My family I love you all. Be safe and come closer to Christ.
Love, Sister Kathryn Taylor
March 4, 2011
Wow, so time FLYS!!! I really feel like I was just here writting and doing laundry!!! Crazy, everyday we do so many things and always busy but time goes fast!!
First of all some scriptures that I really liked this week!
In Isiaih 40:28-31 and then Isiaih 41:10. They are about the Lord making up the difference in our honest efforts and how he gives us strength! Such amazing scriptures! Read them!
Then I have been wanting to work on humility lately because I get really annoyed with people or situations a lot (because I apparently think that my ideas are better, I never knew I had so much pride, well I kind of knew but it's just really obvious now). I was trying to study humility and they were really good, but I wanted to know how to humble your self (and not need to be humbled by the lord, because that just sounds a lot more intense : funny side note, I was praying for humility the other day then I thought ahhhhhhhhhh, well actually just teach me how to be humble: I was imagining something really intense happening because I asked for it, even though it would be good for me, it just sounds super hard! :) )) and I found a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 54:3 (I think the history is the saints were having a lot of issues with consecrating land, etc.) entao (like a transition work in portuguese, like or like well, or then) verse 3 says something about "if people want to escape their enemies then repent, truly humble themselves and something else...." and I thought about how I don't have physical enemies like I am sure people did then but I have enemies of my soul, right like our sins or tempations, and so then I thought about how I want that, so repentance brings humility and something else....... sorry, I don't have the scriptures in front of me but it was really good and I really liked it :)!!!!! Any more ideas on not being proud?
I am getting a haircut today.... well really just a trim because I would freak out if they actually cut a lot of it off. :)
I was going to send pictures today but I went to the desk to pick them up and pay for them but she said they weren't in and so they were probably lost. I'll get them next week! Sorry. I'll try to get a good one of just me doing something cool... I just don't know what that would be........ oh never mind I just had an idea!! :) Done and done.
We taught a lesson in portuguese this week, the person we were teaching was really nice but has served a mission in portugal so he had a lisp when he spoke and I could hardly pick out anything he said so I just went off of his body language and hoped I was getting it right. My portuguese was pretty rough but he was being nice and said I spoke pretty good for 5 weeks. :) He got home from his mission 1 week ago!! He was funny, you could tell he felt kind of akward around us, it was funny. He asked if I spoke spanish because it came out in my portueguese..... opps............ I'll learn eventually! But I don't even speak that much so it's funny, k so who knew but I guess portuguese is really tough grammatically!! Ya that means I am having trouble and when ever I speak in class my teacher looks at me with a blank look ( kind of how we looked at hime for the first few weeks) :) Funny how the world goes round.
Time is running out!! I love you all!!! Have a great week! Let me know how you are!!
Sister Taylor
Auntie Kat
First of all some scriptures that I really liked this week!
In Isiaih 40:28-31 and then Isiaih 41:10. They are about the Lord making up the difference in our honest efforts and how he gives us strength! Such amazing scriptures! Read them!
Then I have been wanting to work on humility lately because I get really annoyed with people or situations a lot (because I apparently think that my ideas are better, I never knew I had so much pride, well I kind of knew but it's just really obvious now). I was trying to study humility and they were really good, but I wanted to know how to humble your self (and not need to be humbled by the lord, because that just sounds a lot more intense : funny side note, I was praying for humility the other day then I thought ahhhhhhhhhh, well actually just teach me how to be humble: I was imagining something really intense happening because I asked for it, even though it would be good for me, it just sounds super hard! :) )) and I found a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 54:3 (I think the history is the saints were having a lot of issues with consecrating land, etc.) entao (like a transition work in portuguese, like or like well, or then) verse 3 says something about "if people want to escape their enemies then repent, truly humble themselves and something else...." and I thought about how I don't have physical enemies like I am sure people did then but I have enemies of my soul, right like our sins or tempations, and so then I thought about how I want that, so repentance brings humility and something else....... sorry, I don't have the scriptures in front of me but it was really good and I really liked it :)!!!!! Any more ideas on not being proud?
I am getting a haircut today.... well really just a trim because I would freak out if they actually cut a lot of it off. :)
I was going to send pictures today but I went to the desk to pick them up and pay for them but she said they weren't in and so they were probably lost. I'll get them next week! Sorry. I'll try to get a good one of just me doing something cool... I just don't know what that would be........ oh never mind I just had an idea!! :) Done and done.
We taught a lesson in portuguese this week, the person we were teaching was really nice but has served a mission in portugal so he had a lisp when he spoke and I could hardly pick out anything he said so I just went off of his body language and hoped I was getting it right. My portuguese was pretty rough but he was being nice and said I spoke pretty good for 5 weeks. :) He got home from his mission 1 week ago!! He was funny, you could tell he felt kind of akward around us, it was funny. He asked if I spoke spanish because it came out in my portueguese..... opps............ I'll learn eventually! But I don't even speak that much so it's funny, k so who knew but I guess portuguese is really tough grammatically!! Ya that means I am having trouble and when ever I speak in class my teacher looks at me with a blank look ( kind of how we looked at hime for the first few weeks) :) Funny how the world goes round.
Time is running out!! I love you all!!! Have a great week! Let me know how you are!!
Sister Taylor
Auntie Kat
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