You Know Enough

Hello everyone! 

This week has been a really humbling week for me! Let me tell you, the mission field is hard stuff but on the bright side the food just keeps getting better and better!:) 

We have found a couple of new investigators! A lot of them are young teenagers--which just to my luck--I cant understand teenagers at all!!! They speak with so much slang and I was not taught slang! The people I understand the best are 3 year-olds and the grandmas! My really good friend here besides my companion is the bishops daughter who is three years old! We get along so well! She understands everything I say and I understand her! It’s awesome! We are teaching a girl who is 17 tonight about the restoration and I am excited! I know I am not going to understand much and my Portuguese will be rough but I am excited for her to hear more about the gospel! 

We have another investigator who is 17 as well! His name is Mateus and he is super cool! He doesn’t have a religion but has a lot of faith in God! He was going to come to church with us yesterday but things got mixed up and he didn’t end up coming with us. But next week he says he will for sure (hopefully!!) We are also going to start teaching a girl named Victoria! She talks realllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy fast and I don’t understand what she is saying but I know she has potential!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

This week has been very humbling because I have never gone through anything this hard in my entire life! The mission field is so hard but so humbling! I am physically and emotionally drained everyday! I was having a rough time because I felt very alone this week! It’s hard because my companion doesn’t speak English and I can’t fully express myself to her! I got a blessing from my mission president which was really cool! He invited me and my companion over to his house! He played a song called “Weary Not” by the Motab and it was really humbling and was exactly what I needed to hear! Sister Hart gave me a talk called “You Know Enough” by Neil L Anderson! I have felt this week that I don’t know as much as I thought I did about the gospel! I don’t know everything about the gospel—in fact, I know very little but I know enough! The Lord is really there for us and he knows us perfectly! He helps us through the hard times and he doesn’t expect us to know everything! As long as we love the people and help them know that they are loved that is enough! Ether 12:27 has been my scripture of the week! 

I love you all!! 

Sister Erickson 

Hello Everyone!!

Well I am in Curitiba!--my first week in the field. It has been a rollercoaster for sure. This has been the longest week ever. The field life is very different from the MTC. You know how when you see a 3-month old baby and their eyes are huge and they just stare at you when you talk to them. Ya--that is how I feel when the people talk to me. I feel very lost all the time. 

We walk everywhere here and we eat lots!! The members love to see the missionaries eat a lot of food. I have seen so many things that have humbled me this week. I am in an area called Bom Reitro and it is right outside the city. Many people here are very poor and don’t have a lot and others are not poor. We get both sides of the spectrum. My companion’s name is Sister Silva. She is Brazilian. She has been out for 7 months and she is my trainer.

One cool thing here is instead of knocking doors we clap outside their houses because everyone has gates here so we can’t go to the door. We have taught a lot and I don’t really understand much. I feel bad for my companion because I can’t really contribute much besides my testimony and reading scriptures but I will learn.

I am happy and I am sorry if I don’t respond to all your emails. We don’t have much time to email. Know that I have read them all and they make me cry (in a good way!!) I love hearing about everyone. I love you all and I will send pictures soon. I couldn’t find my camera in my bag!! 

Much love,

Sister Erickson

Curitiba!!!

Hi!! 
I made it to the field!! 
Man has it been a day. I woke up at 3 this morning because all my roommates left at 4 am. We didn't leave until 12 in the afternoon. We packed and just sat around. I wish we could have left earlier. 

Curitiba is beautiful and it is so clean and the buildings are so nice. We got here and our mission presidents met us at the airport. They are wonderful and so nice. There are only 4 of us Americans and then the rest are Brazilians. I have been understanding way better but that might change haha. We are currently at the presidents house eating Dominos pizza. Their house is very American and it reminds me of home. 

I love Curitiba. i feel like I belong here.

Mom, the driving is crazy. I think you might die here. I just don't look out the window and I am all good. We are staying with some sisters tonight in their apartment and then we are meeting our companions tomorrow. I am way nervous and I hope my companion has a lot of patience and love. I can't wait to get to work. 

I love you both and I am not sure when my p-day is and when I will be able to email next but just know I am safe and I love it here. I'M A REAL MISSIONARY!! I am happy to get out of a building and I'm excited to start walking and talking and learning REAL Portuguese. MUCH love to you both. 

Love,

Tahlia 

Letter From the Harts

Dear Family of Sister Erickson,

We are so pleased to welcome Sister Erickson to the Brazil Curitiba Mission. We were thrilled to pick her up at the airport and spend some time with her and the other new missionaries at the beautiful Curitiba Temple and then at our home for dinner and a short visit together.  President Hart has scheduled an interview with Sister Erickson that will occur within the next few days.

Please know that both the spiritual and temporal well-being of our missionaries is a top priority for us.  Our son, Tanner, is serving a full-time mission; thus we too are experiencing the many joys and concerns associated with having a loved one in the mission field. We have learned that in general, missionaries who do their very best to follow the counsel given in the Missionary Handbook and Preach My Gospel experience a special level of health, protection, safety, and spiritual growth and power.   Therefore, we will continue to emphasize diligence and obedience on a consistent basis to these great missionaries.

We know that the mission experience is an ennobling one and that your daughter will grow through serving the Lord and the people of Brazil. Please know how much we value having her with us and that we will love her and do our very best to see that all of her needs are met as she dedicates her life and time to the work of the Lord.

Please feel free to contact us about any concerns you might have.


With love,

President Douglas K. and Sister Cheri Hart

Provo MTC with Samuelians

Sao Paulo CTM

Dear Parents,

Sister Grahl and I are very happy to let you know that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil Missionary Training Center.  What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they begin their missionary experiences with us! We will surely take good care of your missionary.                                                                                                     

The missionaries now have companions and are settled into their rooms.  They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.  Their branch presidents and wives will meet them this Sunday.  These wonderful couples are richly blessed as they work with, motivate, and interview the missionaries assigned to their branch.

The MTC has a physician to care for their health needs. We are also happy to report that the MTC food is plentiful, healthy and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple.  This will be either Wednesday or Friday, depending on individual assignments.

Your missionary is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of many others. President Lorenzo Snow said: “There is no mortal man that is as interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the Gospel as is the Lord who sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children".  We love these missionaries as if they were our own.  We will watch over them carefully to ensure they are ready for a wonderful missionary experience after the rewarding time they will have in the MTC.

We thank you for preparing such a wonderful representative of the Lord.

Pres. Paulo R. Grahl and Sister Zuleika M. Grahl

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

PLEASE DO NOT SEND PACKAGES to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving, not the MTC. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers.  The cost to process this type of correspondence is exorbitant.

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

LAST WEEK IN THE MTC!!!!!

Wow! I never thought I would be saying that! I will head to my mission next Tuesday and today is my last p-day. I get to go into the real world with real people. I feel like this week is flying by!! I am beyond excited to get out there and start! This week has been pretty much the same as last week! It finally rained here! Let me tell you when it rains, it rains hard and fast but only lasts 30 minutes at most. Carnival has been going on and we can hear partying outside of the MTC a lot. 

Last night we had a really amazing devotional. We watched a talk by Elder Holland and it was really powerful! Afterwards I felt like I got hit by a spiritual bus. Something he said in his talk that I really like was: “A mission isn’t supposed to be easy because it wasn’t easy for the son of the living God.” That hit me hard. It wasn’t easy for the Saviour and He wept and He got rejected and He carried his own cross. I thought a lot about how I need to be like the Saviour and I need to put my whole, entire heart into this work and work until I can’t anymore. My missIon isn’t supposed to be easy. If it were there wouldn’t be any point in me coming out here. That is my goal this week and for the rest of my mission--to put my whole heart into this work. 

I’ve been out a month now and I feel like time is just going to fly by! I love you all and by the way everyone, I have a new nephew and he is the cutest thing ever!!! I can’t wait to meet him when I get home! Remember to always keep your head up when things get hard. That is what I have been trying to do. Remember to just keep smiling. Life is too short to be sad!!! I love you all. Have an amazing week!! NEXT EMAIL I’LL BE IN MY MISSION!!! AHHHHHHH:):) 

Love,

Tahlia 

Brazil CTM!!

Hello friends and fam!!!

Sorry it has been a while since I have written. It has been a very long and crazy week! I made it to Brazil!! It is beautiful here and the people are amazing!! I can't believe that all in one week I flew to a new country, came to a whole new mtc, got a whole new companion (well kinda I got my same comp back from the Provo MTC) , and all the people only speak Portuguese. I have learned so much here already and the food is AMAZING!! Everything is home cooked fresh every day and for every meal. We have rice and beans everyday all day. It is pretty awesome. Brazilians don't really believe in veges so it's just straight carbs and meat all the time. 

The CTM here in Brazil is way smaller than in Provo. There are only about 200 to 300 people here compared to Provo which has a million. The CTM is all one building. We are in the middle of a neighborhood in Sao Paulo somewhere. 

My first day here at the CTM I am sitting eating lunch and all of a sudden a girl walks up to me and starts talking mad Portuguese. Alright so I thought I understood portuguese back in Provo but it turns out I don't understand real Portuguese. The American I am just looked up at her and nodded and gave her a thumbs up. I got nothing out of that conversation besides something about being my companion for something haha. Here at the CTM we do splits with the Brazilians every other day. We have to teach a lesson with them. Let me tell you it is sooooo hard but I learn so much. In lessons I will say something and right after my Brazillain companion will say, "what she said was".....hahah. 

Mom, Dad. I think I grew up in the wrong country. I say this because they have motorcycles everywhere. Literally everyone rides one. It is awesome. Something I love about this MTC is on pdays we get to go out and explore the area. We get to see the people and try the food. Also today I got to go to the Sao Paulo temple. It is beautiful. It is about an hour drive from the MTC and the temple is tiny. It's amazing how any temple you go to in the world you feel the same spirit. Today as I was in the celestial room I felt an overwhelming feeling of love. I just sat and cried because the spirit was so strong and I felt something so powerful. I am not 100% sure what it was but it was amazing. 

I love you all and thank you so much for all your support. It means the world. This is my second to last week in the CTM and then I am off to the field. I hope everything is so awesome at home!!! 

SEE YAAA LATER AMERICA

HI HI HI EVERYONE!!! 

Well you read the title of my email! Yup that is right I leave for Brazil on Monday!! I am so excited!! It actually feels real now!!! I'm scared and excited and nervous because i don't really speak the language! Pray for me!!! No it will be great!! I can't wait to see where I will be living for the next 18 months!! It's weird to think i won't be in Utah for a whole year and a half! I'm gonna say I am gonna miss our mountains like crazy! I'm gonna miss A.F. Canyon and riding in the mountains and skiing!! Today it snowed and i thought to myself, "My Dad and I would be skiing right about now!!"  I'm so excited to meet the crazy Brazilians! I'm sad to be leaving all my teachers! I loved all of them!! They have taught me so much and I feel like I have grown so much as a person! There are about 20 or so people that got their visas this week!! so there will be a ton of us heading out to Brazil!! It will be an adventure!

I just want to give a quick shout out to those who have sent me packages these past weeks! Thanks to the dozen cinnamon rolls, dozen donuts and caramel apples (Thank you, Mom) , oh and package with reeses peanut butter cups, goldfish, and sour patch watermelons( MY FAVVS) oh and  a big shout out to the MTC cafeteria for the icecream they provide EVERYDAY. I would just like to thank you all for helping me not fit in my clothes anymore!! It is very much appreciated!:) hahahaha I'm just kidding, really thank you for all your love!! My companions are like how many packages can you get?????? I really do have the best family and friends in the whole wide world!!!!:):) 

My next email will be from Brazil so I love you all and I will talk to ya on the flip side!!!!!!! I'm not sure when my next pday will be so I will email as soon as I can!!!! 

MUCHHHH LOVEEEE:)

Tahlia

Letter from President and Sister Hart

Dear Sister Erickson,

We are thrilled to know that you have been called by the Lord to serve in the Brazil, Curitiba Mission. We know that your decision to serve a mission will be a blessing to you throughout your life.  You will have many opportunities here to teach others, to strengthen your testimony of the gospel, and to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Our family has been serving here in the beautiful state of Paraná, Brazil since July 2016.  Having left behind our home, friends, and family in the state of Utah, we know something of the sacrifices you will be making to serve the Lord.  Four of our children are here with us on the mission, Hayden (17), Taylor (15), Anna (12), and Katelyn (9).  Our oldest son, Tanner (19), is currently serving a mission in the Peru Trujillo South Mission.  We love being a family so much and want along with you to bring the knowledge of the restored gospel to other individuals and families so they too can enjoy the fullness of Heavenly Father’s blessings in their lives.  We love the Savior and are thankful that He gave His life for us and that He has provided a way for our family to be together eternally.  

We look forward to getting to know you and to the many opportunities we will have together in this marvelous work of the Lord.  While the life of a missionary can be challenging in every aspect, please know that we love you; we support you; and we will do all we can to help you find success as a missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It’s a lot of work that comes at much personal sacrifice, but it will be worth every moment!

Please don’t hesitate to call the mission office if you or your family has any questions.  Our missionaries in the office will be able to meet most if not all of your needs.  They are eager to help in any way. 

Please know that you are in our prayers.  Working hard and exercising our faith together with you in this divine cause, we will develop a strong bond of love and friendship that will last throughout our lives!  Thank you for becoming such an important part of our lives, the lives of the many members of the church here in Curitiba, and especially for blessing the lives of so many of Heavenly Father’s children here with whom you will share the marvelous good news of the gospel!

Love,

President and Sister Hart

GUESS WHAT??

I got my visa today!!!! I head to Brazil on Monday!!!! I cant believe it is getting real! My pday will be Saturday so I can email you again then. They let us email real quick right now. I'll tell you more details about it on Saturday. There is a alot of us who got our visas so I'm excited. Its getting realllllllll ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! 
I LOVE YOU