feliz natal para vocês!

Family. Friends. I'm in Brazil, can you believe it? I still have moments where I'm in total awe, and my mind cannot even fathom...That I'm not in the USA. I remember one letter my friend Railee said in her letters home from Brazil, she talked about moments where she'd be just walking, and I too have moments where I'm just walking, walking- and I forget about what's around me, the beauty, the differences- the newness often starts to wear off, which I never imagined when I first got here. Still, I cannot imagine this, all of this in Brazil, being normal to me. So, at times I have to shake the dust off my eyes and remember to see the things around me. It's easy to not see beauty when you see it every day- is there something around you, that you see every day and fail to see the beauty of? A person? Painting? Tree? 

Here, Merry Christmas is Feliz Natal. Here the trees are usually plastic, but I got really excited when I saw my first nonplastic Christmas tree, even though it looked a little different. They do have Christmas trees here though, and all the wintry decorations in the middle of summer. Though, at times the summer here is more like a spring of winter with all the rain. (Of which, I'm not complaining of, I love it)

There's a family here, FamilyM1 is our newest solid family that we're working with. I think...What I want to say about them... Is how the mother can relate to Joseph Smith, in seeking for truth, wondering why there are so many different kinds of doctrine. One thing that she said that I love, "I have doubts, but not about my faith, my faith of God, Jesus Christ," explaining how it's been confusing that each faith, while they believe in God, have different doctrines, in a sense, different truths, when God is a God of One Truth, He is never changing- it is man that is everchanging. It was also a powerful experience teaching them yesterday with my companion. We both don't know Portuguese. We both only have three-ish months here... But God really does make up the difference for those who are in need and ask for it. And the message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ speaks for itself.

Life of a missionary is not what I expected, but better than I had thought. It's not perfect, but who is perfect, but the Savior? I have a testimony of the strength of the Atonement of Christ in our lives. I know that it's only through Him and our Smiles that we can make it to the end. A smile with the hope of Christ, a smile with the love of family and friends. 

Thank you for your prayers and love, 

Sister Duncan