Easter was a wonderful day; churrasco!!; Antônia and Elias

Hello dear family!!

How are you all doing? Thank you so much Mom and Dad for your beautiful Easter emails...it sounds like it was a wonderful and spiritual day for the whole family to be together :) That makes me so happy to think about you all together, remembering our Savior and the love that He has for us. Easter was a wonderful day for Sister Corrêa and me too, here in Rio Pardo! Church was beautiful and inspiring and afterwards Presidente Rogério invited us to his home for a special Easter dinner with his family....and, of course, a special dinner here in Rio Grande do Sul always always means churrasco!!! ;) Afterwards we went with Ângela to meet her niece, Juliana, who is 8 months pregnant and just found out that her baby is going to be born with disabilities. She was very sad when we arrived, but I felt the home fill with the Spirit and a strong feeling of love as we read together from the Book of Mormon about Jesus Christ and His sacrifce and the love that He has for us. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is perfect and able to heal every pain and every sorrow and to fill us with peace and with light....it was an Easter that I will always always remember.

Saturday night we celebrated Easter Eve with Beranice and her family....painting easter eggs!! haha... They were very skeptical at first...especially the children. Easter here in Brazil is just chocolate and candy and they thought that painting and then eating boiled eggs was a very strange idea. haha... But it was super fun! We decorated with crayons and blue and green food coloring and in the end everyone agreed that it was a very very fun tradition and were already talking about how they would decorate next years´ eggs! :D

Today was an amazing P-day!! We cleaned the house quickly this morning before running out the door...and haven´t gone back to the apartment yet! haha...I think that Rio Pardo is the only area where I end up more tired at the end of the P-day than I am any other day of the week! But that is just because the members here are so fun and wonderful and amazing...I love being here!!! :D This morning, Sister Corrêa and I went with Nara and Antônia to go wedding dress shopping!! It was sooo much fun! The missionaries have been visiting Antônia and her family for 6 months already Antônia was very quick to accept the gospel and has wanted to be baptized for months. She goes to church every week with her 16 year old daughter, Tatiane, who was baptized in October, and reads every night from the Book of Mormon. Antônia told us that she had never stopped praying that one day God would soften her husband´s heart so that he would also accept the gospel and that they could be baptized together. And it was only a few weeks after I arrived here in Rio Pardo that Heavenly Father answered her prayer. Elias asked Antônia to invite us over one night and told us that he had seen the difference in the lives of his wife and daughter and wanted the same light in his own life. He started going to church with his family and making many changes in his life. And now Antônia and Elias are going to be married on May 14 and baptized together on the same day :) It is going to be a beautiful beautiful day! What a beautiful story.... Heavenly Father is a God of miracles!! If we have faith and confidence in Him he will grant the righteous desires of our hearts. I know that this is true :) The dress that we found for Antônia is Beautiful! It is a cream color with golden pearls and she is going to use gold jewelry and a golden crown instead of a veil (to not hide her beautiful long black hair) It was a very fun morning...

The rest of the day was wonderful too! Irmão Ernesto had invited us over for lunch...and from the minute we turned the corner onto the street where he lives, Sister Corrêa and I knew that it was not going to be a normal lunch :) All of the windows open and gaúcho music blasting from the kitchen and the smoke raising from the churrascaria in back of his home....not to mention the ammmmmazing smell. CHURRASCO again!!! :) Hahahaha....he greeted us at the door COMPLETELY dressed for the ocassion, with boots and lenço and a cuia of chimarrão in his hand. Hahahaha!! Afterwards we listened to Teixerinha, the most famous of gaúchan singers, and he and Irmã Marta danced a dança gaúcha for us. It was a very very fun afternoon!

And THEN...no, the day was not done yet...while Sister Corrêa and I were running back to the center of town to do the long list of P-day errands, we found Irmã Suzette on the street. She was looking for someone to do her visiting teaching visits with and couldn´t find anyone at home :) haha...Sister Corrêa and I just looked at each other and smiled...It was going to be another one of "those" P-days! 2 hours and 5 visits later we finally headed for the lanhouse to use the internet....but what a wonderful wonderful feeling filled my heart as Sister Corrêa and I walked back to the center. There is no greater joy in the world than feeling the love that the Lord has for each one of His children. It is amazing to be able to help Him lift and love His children here in Rio Pardo...and in the end I am the one that is lifted and filled with joy! I love being a missionary....

I hope that you all know how much I love each one of you! I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us very much and has a perfect plan for us. He wants us to be happy and to have joy every moment! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and best friend. He chose to come to earth and . He knows exactly how we feel and He knows exactly how to heal us and fill us with love and light. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and for the restored gospel that allows us to enjoy all of it´s incredible blessings!! We are so blessed!!

Well, I have to run again! I love you all! Thank you for being amazing family and friends for me :)

Oh and guess where I will be on Friday??? IN PORTO ALEGRE WITH 400 OTHER MISSIONARIES AND ELDER D. TODD CRISTOFFERSON!!!! :D :D I am just a little bit excited ;)

I LOVE YOU! Love, Sister Jamie Gee

Happy Easter!!! My favorite miracle of the week...

Happy Easter!!!

How are you all doing? Wow...it sounds like you just got back from yet another amaaaazing Gee Family trip! I don´t know how you do it Mom and Dad...but they are always the best! Beach and amusement parks and old western saloons and barbeques and weddings....what a fun weekend!! I LOVED seeing the pictures too!

This week was amaaaaazing!!! I know that I say that every week, but this week was really really special! On Sunday we had 13 investigators come to church!!!! 13! That´s twice as much as normal! The members are really helping a lot here and we are busy busy busy with lessons and references and new people to teach. What a perfect place to be a missionary! I also got to speak in sacrament meeting...about Easter and how we can show our gratitude to Jesus Christ for His sacrifice. Sister Corrêa and I are super happy to be here in Rio Pardo for another transfer together....I can already tell that it is going to be another transfer full of miracles!

My favorite miracle of the week... I think that I´ve already told you about Beranice and her family? She is the mother of 4 children...Lucas (13), Luan (12), Vívian (9) and Tiago (7). Her son, Lucas, was baptized 4 years ago and is the president of the teacher´s quorum and Loves going to church...but the rest of his family never have had much interest in going with him. I remember the first time that Lucas brought us to his home to meet his mom, Beranice. I think it was my first week here in Rio Pardo. I remember thinking that she was very kind and friendly, but it was also very obvious that she was very sad and that her life was very hard. She told us, several times, that she didn´t even believe in God anymore because a loving Father in heaven wouldn´t let her and her family suffer so much. That was the Beranice that I first met...and now, 6 short weeks later, it´s hard to even remember her that way! She started praying and studying the Book of Mormon each night and every day that we visited her she seemed to have more strength and light in her eyes. She told us that she really had started to feel Heavenly Father´s love and that she knew He was listening each time that she talked to Him. Last Tuesday, Sister Corrêa and I invited both her and her daughter Vívian to be baptized...Vívian quickly and happily accepted, but Beranice was more hesitant and told us wasn´t ready to make that decision. We promised her that because of her faith and desire to repent she already was prepared...and told her to pray that night to ask for peace in her decision.

When Sister Corrêa and I visited her again Thursday afternoon, she was waiting at the door with a huge smile on her face and bursting with excitement to tell us what had happened. She told us that she had received her answer from Heavenly Father and that she knew that she needed to be baptized. :) I have never seen her so excited and full of joy! I was thinking about her last night, and I starting thinking about just how much she has changed in these last 6 weeks...from not believing anymore in God to learning how to feel His love and hear His answers. And now she is going to be baptized!! This really is the "good news" of the gospel and the joy of missionary work. This is what the atonement of Jesus Christ does for each one of us that let Him heal us and fill us with his love. :) I am so so happy to be a missionary...these are the miracles that I am seeing every day!!!

Well...I have to go, it´s late again! Today is Dia do Índio (Day of the indian) here in Brazil, so Sister Corrêa and I celebrated with Tatiane and Antônia, making cookies and going on a picnic :) It seems like the hours fly by on P-day...much faster than on a normal day :) I promise that some week I will make sure to find time to write a long detailed email for all of you! But for now, know that I am safe and happy and feeling the love of Heavenly Father for His children here in Rio Pardo every day! I love being a missionary and being able to tell everyone I meet about the restored gospel and about Heavenly Father´s love. We are so blessed!

And Happy Birthday MOM!!!! That is so exciting that you get to celebrate an Easter birthday this year!! I hope that you have a wonderful birthday...I will be thinking about you, even more than I already do, every day :) Thank you for being a wonderful mother and friend for me. You always make me feel loved and happy. And your example of faith and desire to always serve others is always inspiring to me. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! :D

Oh!! Other exciting news...it seems like the Brazilian visas are finally starting to arrive for all the missionaries still waiting! Here in the Missão Porto Alegre Norte 19 american missionaries arrived that have been waiting for the last 6 months. And today I received a happy email from my dear MTC companion, Sister Robson. After 9 1/2 months of waiting....she´s finally made it to Brazil!! :D She told me that she also found Elder Francis in the São Paulo airport. I´m happy to know that my whole MTC district is finally here :)

I Love you all!!! Love, Sister Jamie Gee

Kátia and Cássio were baptized; I LOVE RIO PARDO!!!!

Querida família!!

Wow....first of all thank you so so much for all of the wonderful birthday messages!!! I felt so loved and happy reading every single one of them :) I have the best friends and family in the world! I love you all so much!!!

Second of all....I LOVE RIO PARDO!!!! What a wonderful place to be a missionary :D I can´t believe that it´s only been 1 transfer and I already feel so much at home :)

Saturday morning Kátia and Cássio were baptized....I played the organ, "As Famílias Poderão Ser Eternas" before the baptism and as I played I could see the whole family seated on the first row in front of the organ waiting for the meeting to start. What a wonderful and beautiful sight...Kátia and her 12 year old son Cássio smiling and dressed in white, waiting to be baptized and surrounded by the rest of their family. I felt so much love and gratitude for a Heavenly Father that loves us so much and wants us to be happy!! It was a very beautiful baptism...

Yesterday was probably the happiest birthday of my whole life :) Luckily it was also our P-day, because the whole day was spent with one party after another! I love love love Rio Pardo....I can´t believe how much I love this area after just 6 short weeks!! The members are wonderful and loving and fun and alw. Fernanda and Rúbia made Pudim for a birthday breakfast sang and danced a Brazilian happy birthday song, Irmã Marta taught us how to make cuca while Irmão Ernesto played gaúcho music on the guitar, Presidente Rogerio made a nega meluca (amaaaazing chocolate cake) and gave me a Rio Pardo 200 anniversary T-shirt and then we finished the night with a Noite Familiar with Kátia and Carlos and almost the whole ward...with, of course, pizza and more chocolate cake. Wow....I have never felt so loved in my entire life :) The best present of the entire day, though, came at 7:00 in the morning when the zone leaders called with news about the transfer........Sister Corrêa and I are both staying in Rio Pardo! :D I am very happy and excited for another transfer here in this amazing area with an amazing companion!!! We´re both ready for another transfer full of joy and miracles here in Rio Pardo. What a wonderful wonderful day!

Thank you so much for being the best family ever....I love you all and miss you so much! I couldn´t stop smiling when I read each of your emails....it made me soooo happy! Keep enjoying life and being happy and remember that I love you so much!

I LOVE YOU !!

Love, Sister Jamie Gee

General Conference; Júlio and Louriane

Olá querida família!!!

Wasn´t General Conference wonderful?? Definitely my favorite two weekends of the year....the spirit is so powerful and I always learn EXACTLY what I am needing to hear. :) I know that Heavenly Father talks to each one of His children individually through the inspiration and love of His apostles and prophets. We are so so blessed! Sister Corrêa and I got to watch all 4 sessions in the chapel here in Rio Pardo with the rest of the branch. It was great.... It was also great that many of our investigators were able to come and listen too! And yes!! I saw Maria in the last song!!! "More Holiness Give Me" ....it was beautiful and I felt so much peace. It is so beautiful to know that Heavenly Father loves and cares for us so much.

Sister Corrêa and I had another great week here in Rio Pardo. We are finding so many amazing people to teach and the references from the members keeping coming and coming!! What a wonderful place to be a missionary :) My favorite story of the week was a lesson that we had with a new family...Júlio and Louriane and their 23 year old daughter Jéssica. Louriane was baptized into the church with her parents when she was a young girl, but it had been many many years since she had gone to church. Fernanda (an amazing irmã here in Rio Pardo and "missionary mom"....she is always happy and loving and hugging and making food for us :D) told us that she has been friends with Louriane for years and had been thinking about inviting here to church for several months already, but had never found time. She gave us their address on Thursday night and told us that she would talk with Louriane the next morning to mark a visit on Friday night with her whole family.

What an amazing family!!! They were very happy and excited to meet us and really liked the lesson and asked a lot of questions. Júlio was especially interested in the lesson and told us he wanted to know more about the church. As we were leaving Louriane told us a special story... She said that for months and months she and her family had been feeling like something was lacking in their relationship with God and that the night before Júlio had been praying that they would be able to feel His spirit more in their home. The next morning, he told her that God had answered His prayer and that they needed to find out more about "her parents´church" He said that he had had a dream about the Mormon missionaries entering their home and teaching their family. Less than 2 minutes after telling Louriane about his dream there was a knock at the door with Fernanda inviting them to church and asking them if she could invite the missionaries over that night. !!!! Louriane told us that she knew that God had answered Júlio´s prayer and had sent us to help her family find His truth. :) Wow...there was such an amazing spirit in the room when she told us that story. I love being a missionary! I have no doubt that this work is inspired and guided by God!! Miracles happen when we have faith in Him!!!

Kátia and Carlos and family are doing wonderfully! Sister Corrêa and I are still visiting them almost every single night...it´s a wonderful and happy way to end each day with a quick visit with a family that I love! :) Kátia is excited and getting ready for her baptism this Saturday. I think that watching Carlos and 2 of her sons be baptized last week really gave her a strong desire to prepare for her own baptism and to make the same covenants with the Lord. She has already commented on the difference that she has felt in her home and in her husband and children. The whole family LOVED general conference (Diogo and Eduardo especially liked seeing the snow covered trees on Sunday...."That´s where you LIVE??" they asked me over and over :) haha..they think we´re pretty lucky to live in a place that has snow! So no complaining, Dad! ;)

The whole family is also on fire with the spirit of missionary work! Carlos and the boys are always telling us about friends and family and co-workers that they have invited to church or talked to about the gospel. This Saturday, after Kátia´s baptism, we´re going to have a Family Night at their home with another family that we have been teaching for a few weeks, but that still hasn´t come to church...Elizângela and Elisandro and their 4 children. Elisandro works with Carlos in the "frigurífico" and when Carlos found out that we have been teaching his family, he got super excited and started planning how the family could help invite Elisandro and his family come to church. :) It is going to help them so much! Wow, there is nothing like the fire and spirit and excitement of a new convert! It is a great example for me :)

Well, I´ve got to go again! Today is Fernanda´s birthday and Sister Corrêa and I are going to make donuts!! :D I love you all! I´m glad that you are all happy and doing well and that you all got to watch General Conference together...just one more before I am there watching with you!!! Thank you so much for your emails and prayers!

Love, Sister Jamie Gee

Baptism of Carlos, Diogo and Eduardo; Special conference coming!

Olá querida família!!

How are you all doing? I can´t believe that another month is already ending…April is already almost here! April is a month that I love :) Spring and birthdays and Easter and General Conference!!! Everything that I love. And this month is going to be even more amazing this year because Sister Corrêa and I received amaaaazing news this last week…..on April 29^th we get to travel to Porto Alegre for a special conference with all the other missionaries of BOTH missions, Porto Alegre Norte and Porto Alegre Sul for a special visit from………………Elder D. Todd Cristofferson!!! :D :D I am very excited!!!

This week was wonderful! On Friday, President Pavan came to Santa Cruz and gave a great training about how we can help the members in our ward develop Mission Plans in their families to become more involved in the missionary work. It really is amazing the difference that it makes when the members become excited about sharing the gospel with friends and family.

The best part, of course, was being able to see Carlos be baptized! He is such a great person and example to me. Carlos has a lot of faith and desire to do what is right. He told us that he felt so happy and blessed to have found the truth and to start a new and clean life. :) On Saturday he and two of his sons, Diogo and Eduardo, were baptized and now the rest of his family are excited to follow his example! Kátia has completely stopped smoking and told us that she is ready to prepare to be baptized on April 9^th :) What an amazing and special family….

Today was a great P-day! Aline, a young woman in the ward who always is helping with the missionary work, took us to all the tourist attractions in Rio Pardo. I didn´t know that this town was so historic!! Apparently Rio Pardo is one of the oldest cities here in Rio Grande do Sul…we visted museums and forts and then finished eating ice cream in the park. It was very fun :) I love ALINE!!! :) It was great but also left us with little time to write letters and emails….sorry!!

I hope you all know how much I love you and am thinking about you every day! Thank you for your prayers and emails….I know that this gospel is true and that we are so blessed to know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan and a perfect love for each one of us J

I love you!
Love, Sister Jamie Gee

Um Dia na Vida de um Missionário

Oí Família!!!!

Como estão vocês?? This week was wonderful!! Really a week of miracles. Sister Corrêa and I are seeing His hand in this work every single day!

On Saturday Sister Corrêa and I planned an activity with the youth in the branch. We called it "Um Dia na Vida de um Missionário" (A day in the life of a missionary) and handed out mission calls to all of the young men and young woman, inviting them to be missionaries for the day. We decorated the chapel like the MTC and assigned companions for each one of them when they arrived. We explained to them a normal day in the life of a missionary...our schedule and rules. Then we talked to them about how they can share the gospel and practiced 2 minute street contacts.....different things that they can use to talk to people about the gospel....and then we sent them out on the streets with their companion and a empty paper to write names and addresses of people that they were found that were interested in hearing more. haha...they walked out of the chapel a little hesitant and timid, but returned full of energy and smiles and stories of all the people that they had met and talked to about the church! Most of them have already asked to go with us to teach the people that they contacted on the street. It was super fun and so great to see them catching the fire and joy of missionary work! :)

This really is a wonderful wonderful area to be a missionary....and the biggest reason is because of the members. I am so amazed at how loving and giving the members are here....to us and also to each other! It feels like one big united family. There is not a single night during the week that a family in the ward plans a dinner or a family night and invites other families and friends and the missionaries to participate. It really makes a HUGE difference, both in the members and especially in the people who are starting to investigate the church. Sunday night was Cuca night with Jorge and Edimeia and on Friday night, Feijão and Daniel made fish stew.....it is amazing here! :)

Kátia and Carlos and family are still doing wonderfully! Praying and reading the Book of Mormon every night as a family...it´s amazing the difference it has made in their home and their family :) Carlos, Eduardo and Diogo are going to be baptized this Saturday and they are very excited!! At first we had hoped that the entire family would be able to be baptized together...but Kátia has been struggling a little bit giving up smoking this week and she told us that she would like more time to really feel prepared and ready to be baptized. I was sad at first when I heard, but after thinking about it I realized it would be a good thing. Kátia has made AMAZING progress...and in very little time! She told us that she has almost completely stopped smoking, and just relapsed a few times when she felt stressed or upset about something. She really is learning to trust in the Lord and has a strong testimony that He hears and answers prayers. But she wants to be sure that when she is baptized she is 100% ready to make promises to the Lord and start a new life. So this Saturday it will be and a few weeks later Kátia and her two other sons, Marion and Cássio, that also wanted to wait to be baptized with her. Maybe Carlos will be able to receive the priesthood before then and baptize them himself! :) I looooove this family!

The lanhouse is closing so I have to run.....

I love you all!!! Love, Sister Jamie Gee

On the verge of a miracle

Oí Familia Gee!

Como estão todos vocês? Eu estou xíque demais!!!! Which means, I am doing GREAT!!! :)

This was a wonderful week in Rio Pardo for Sister Corrêa and me! Let me tell you why....

Last Thursday after emailing, Sister Corrêa and I went to teach Kátia and Carlos the Word of Wisdom. Kátia smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and has told us that she has already tried several times to stop, but never has been able to. So that day when we went to teach the whole family about the Word of Wisdom. And wow...I´ve never had a lesson so dificult to teach! The phone kept ringing, neighbors kept entering and leaving, the children were playing and interrupting.... and it felt like NO ONE was understanding or even listening to what we were trying to teach! When we asked them, at the end of the lesson, if they were willing to live the Word of Wisdom...Kátia just started laughing and told us that she had no desire to stop drinking coffee and that she already knew that it was impossible for her to stop smoking. :( Sister Corrêa and I left their home that day feeling very discouraged.... and I was already thinking that their baptism was not going to happen as quickly as we had thought...

But then Sister Corrêa reminded me of something ...(and this is one of the many reasons why I love her so much :D) She said, very confidently and optimistically...."You always know when you are on the verge of a miracle, because you start to feel Satan work harder than ever to make you discouraged!" :D

And it is true! If we weren´t scaring him so badly, he probably wouldn´t even be trying to work against us :D haha....well, if anything, her comment made me laugh and feel much happier!

So we decided that we weren´t going to be discouraged so easily and decided to try again the next night.... and this time to be sure to prepare ourselves very well before trying to teach again. Sister Corrêa and I spent the whole hour of companionship study finding scriptures and quotes from prophets and studying the Word of Wisdom and decided to pray and fast for extra help.

And the difference was amazing! Friday night the whole family was there for the entire lesson...listening and participating and asking questions. Carlos and the children were even giving ideas for things that they could do to help Kátia stop smoking.... When we invited Kátia again to live the Word of Wisdom and stop smoking and drinking coffee, her response was a much more humble "Yes, I will try."

Sister Corrêa and I were VERY anxious to go back the next day and see how she was doing with the goal....We made a poster with a quote from Emma Smith "Strength is not something you have, it is something that God helps you find!" with the picture of Jesus Christ helping a little boy cross a river. .... When Kátia opened the door, she greeted us with a smile and a light in her eyes that I have Never seen in her before!! She told us that she hadn´t smoked a single cigarette all day long and that she was feeling so happy and light inside! I asked her how she was doing it and she said "This morning, I woke up, read a few verses from the Book of Mormon, and prayed for God to help give me strength...and He is helping me!" :) What a beautiful testimony...it is wonderful to see her faith growing! I think I have never felt happier!

:D :D :D I am so happy...I really love that family! Last night we read with them all from the Book of Mormon, each one taking turns reading a verse, and I felt like I was home again with you all! It is amazing the feeling of love and peace and happiness in their home now...in just the few weeks that I have known them, I can really feel the change that the gospel of Jesus Christ is making in their lives! And this is the joy of being a missionary :)

Another quick story about another wonderful person that I love here. Vanessa is a young mother that I met on the bus going to Santa Cruz for a district meeting. She lives an hour away from Rio Pardo in an even smaller town called Pântano Grande...and I´m pretty sure that people there haven´t even heard about the church yet. But she was really interested in the church...especially in the Book of Mormon and was very excited to read it. She gave me the address of her friend in Rio Pardo, Ana, who she stays with when she studies in Santa Cruz.

Ana is such an amazing person!! I could tell from the minute that I walked into her house that she is a very loving person and very loved by everyone who knows her. She has 7 kids...all grown-up and married, and a bunch of grandchildren. Her house is always full of family and friend and neighbors...all day long! We taught her about the restoration and pulled out the Book of Mormon to show her...and to our surprise she said "Oh! I have one of those!" She told that her husband had been given the book from a friend when he was sick in the hospital a year ago. For the 4 months that he stayed in the hospital before passing away, he had been reading and studying the Book of Mormon. Ana said that she had already read parts herself and really found comfort in some of the words that she had found in the Book of Mormon, especially in the hard and lonely moments after her husband had died. Wow...it is amazing how the Lord is always there for us, for each one of us, in the moments that we are seeking for his help! He is our very loving Father and He is so good to us!

I am so happy to be a missionary! I love the people that I am meeting each day! The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses and changes lives! We are so blessed :)

I love you family!!! Have a wonderful week!! Love, Sister Jamie Gee