Quick Replay (post from 6-27-11)

Guess what every one?!

I'm a year old!

Last week I celebrated my one year mark. Crazy.

I've been thinking a lot about my mission as a whole this last week. For anyone who doesn't remember or wasn't tuned in to all the other episodes of my life, I'll do a quick replay.

(If you were hoping for new stories, I'm sorry. I don't really have any but you can think about it as one of those highlight specials on tv where they just use a bunch of old clips from past seasons. It's entertaining even though you already know the story)

I received my call in Feb of 2010 and entered all my paper work in March. I was supposed to go into the Missionary Training Center on June 2, 2010 but because of this problem that was going on in LA and other embassies to Brazil, I didn't get my visa so they pushed it back two weeks in hopes that it would come in "any day"

I entered the MTC on June 16, 2010 where I spent 2 months with many other awesome people with the same problem. I learned a little bit of Portuguese but really not all that much. Most of it was just left over Spanish with a Brazilian twist.

Despite the many trips to the travel office to get the latest update on that plane that must-have crashed somewhere in the Atlantic with all of our visas and passports -hehe that was a great trick we played on all the newbies... -I always got the same answer... Any day!

But then the day came when I was finally done serving my time on the MTC Compound (everyone shouts hurray!) I got my reassignment for the wonderful world of San Jose California! -oh and hey, My mission President is from my home town of Mesa, Arizona! Bonus!

October. People are asking "aren't you waiting on a Visa?" -"Yes, but I'm glad to be serving no matter where I am." (I say that but the novelty is starting to wear off)

Well I worked really hard there and met some really amazing people. Then Christmas time came... What?! I'm still in the states? What's the deal? I must have really offended someone in Brazil if they still don't want me -oh well, I like it here... I have a car and it's red. Live it up!

January. People keep asking "aren't you waiting on a Visa?" it's starting to really get annoying.

Feb. 2011 Everyday I spent an hour studying my "Mission Language" I was getting really down because wasn't I supposed to actually use this language? Broken Brazilian Portuguese really didn't come in very handy in northern California... maybe if I had studied Hindi or maybe Punjabi.... whatever. I have faith that God hasn't forgotten me. Someday my ship will come in.... or they'll actually find that missing airplane.

March 16, 2011 -Oh look! I'm half-way done with my mission! ---They've been telling me "any day" for a year now. Wait... What the! President says that if my visa ever does come in they'll give me the choice to take it or not... Hmmm.... It's probably because he has 6 new sisters coming in and no one to train them... (he's a lawyer... he likes to keep his options open) But, oh, I'm going to a singles branch... I like it here. I know everyone... I know what to expect from my life... relatively that is...

March 28, 2011 President calls. Should I stay or should I go now?

April 4, 2011- I left it all. all the security of California... and the car. I don't know what I'm doing. I meet my new president. The president I was supposed to start with... He asks me if I speak Portuguese. I'm honest. I say no. I can see it... he's worried. It's too late for me to worry... I'm here. Sister Queiroz asks me how much time I have on on the mission. -Almost 10 months. She cries. I cry. (but only because she started it!) President has pity on me and gives me an American companion. *sigh*

I unpack... and it seemed like time stopped. All I could think was "I'm not waiting anymore... wo." Time speeds up again. This time much faster.

It's mother's day, Hi Mom! -Wow, I finished my first transfer! Time for a new companion. Oh wow, so much Portuguese. My head hurts. But She's great! So I'm starting to feel ok with everything.

Then the dark day. May 23, 2011: The day I received my Email Truncky.
It's the email they send you to tell you you've been here long enough, it's time to start packing your bags. You're about to go home!

"WHAT! I haven't even been here two transfers! I haven't even hit my year mark yet!!! Brasil não gosta de me, não!"

The best part of the story is that it was entirely written in Portuguese. I'm probably the first missionary ever who had to use Google Translator to read my email Truncky. I blow a fuse that must have hit cyber spance because that was the day that my blog stopped working. Sad face. But I yelled at the elder that sent it. So at least I did something productive with that extra energy.

June 16, 2011 Feliz Anaversário! to me. To celebrate My house goes out to lunch with Sister Queiroz at the mall. (Actually, she had no idea it just worked out that way.) and then had Ice cream at home with just us 4 sisters. It was a good night.

Well, that's basically the update for all those who just tuned in. This week we said goodbye to President and Sister Queiros at a mission wide conference. I am really grateful that I was able to have any amount of time with them. My third President and his wife are coming in this week. I've had a pretty good track record so far so I'm excited to meet them. Sister F. Santos and I survived transfers. Actually our whole house survived transfers. (Woohoo!)

Well that's basically it. Now that everyone is caught up stay tuned for next weeks episode.

Sister Chelsea Robson