RIOOOO

Song of the week- onda onda by tchakabum 🇧🇷

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/3XbRZ9tgSZpoDPZz9 📸 photos ^^ 🚨 this will be a long email sorry...

 🚨 Skip to bottom for transfer news Story time (funny) Had to share because I got my new fav compliment on Christmas eve night... 

☺️💖 So sister Pinheiro and all the irmãs in the ward were teaching these traditional party dances / samba to us and it was SO FUN. Got one of the dances on video bc it was chill but unfortunately there was this one dance ( majority) where you really had to move your hips and shake your bunda 😜 ( so I spared videoing that bc im a disciple of Christ 🙏🏼✝️ ) HOWEVER the imrãs were hyping me up because I was eating that dance up.

 They were like " SISTER TEBBIES DO YOU HAVE SOME LATINA IN YOU??? YOUR A REAL BRAZILIAN!! SHES ONE OF USS!!!! YOUR THE FIRST AMERICAN WE KNOW THAT CAN DANCE ".... clearly they haven't met very Americans lol but i will take it!!

 Also super cool one of the Irmãos told sis paget that I samba better then him 💪🏼🤠💃🏽💃🏽 Was a historic moment for me. I think I made my mark on the people of Lavras!!! I would like to thank my mom for all the time she has spent dancing in the kitchen with me..... she has always entertained my terrible dancing ❤️ love you momma 

😘 WEEKLY ( Christmas of miracles) First, this has been genuinely one of the best Christmas of my life! The week started off strong with a good Pday that followed with tons of tender mercies and miracles threw out the whole week! On pday I had alot of my family and friends reach out and challenge me to make the best of my Christmas here, to forget about myself and get to work and make it one to remember!!! So that's exactly what I did 🤠💪🏼 those that know me know that hallee knows how to make anything fun!! We came together as a house and decided to spend majority of the day on Christmas eve working in the praça! Me and my comp had this idea to make videos for our area and also we went around asking people what Christmas meant to them using one word! Not everyone wanted to participate in the video but it was a good conversation starter and a good way for us to share our testimonies with them too! ( video in google photos). Made SO MANY CONTACTS/ NEW PEOPLE! 🤩🙌🏼 

 Sis paget and evans had the idea to make a stand to write Christmas cards to peoples loved ones! It was actually pretty productive /entertaining 👌 After me and sister Pinheiro went to work! We both weren't really feeling it and trying to rationalize every reason possible on why we shouldn't be working. I was also annoyed bc the area we were working in that day was an hour walk to get there and it was roasting ☀️. But I just kept having the thought/feeling that we needed to, so once we got to the neighborhood I asked sister Pinheiro about what she had planned for us to do and she said that she wanted to try and knock doors on this street we never knocked before, and we were both super hesitant about it bc it was a richer area, and literally Christmas.. everyone has plans or was gone traveling but I was like ok word lets do this, god put this thought in your head for a reason so lets trust the process but first lets pray 🙏🏼 So I said a prayer of faith and we went off. 

We each took one side of the street and guys i was actually carrying a conversation  in Português and people were understanding me 🤑 that was a HUGE MIRACLE first time I was making contacts without my comp tied to my hip and I succeeded! Wasn't perfect but they understood the overall message lol We also made new people to teach so that was awesome! so moral of the story the promptings of the spirit are real and it was a great opportunity for me to exercise my faith in the savior more! We ended that night with the costas for a Christmas party! Here Christmas Eve is bigger then Christmas day! You spend literally just the whole night with friends and family, eating AMAZING food, dancing, talking, and playing games! Was a night I will remember for the rest of my life. Everyone in the ward was so giving and loving to us and i just felt so grateful 🙏🏼 🥲 best part about this chirstmas is I was able to feel the love that god had for all of us just like even more. It was just so fulfilling 🥹🫶🏽 he loves us so much, that is why he gave us his son.

 Christmas day! Honestly was so fun! The girls that I live with are the absolute best! We made the moring super fun and meaningful and I Honestly wasn't even that sad about missing Christmas! It only hit me a little later after talking to my family! But then the feeling disappeared after my mom showed me an American flag with ZACH BRYANS face on it that shes sending to me 🤩🤠🙏🏼💯🙌🏼.... gonna look amazing in my Brazilian apartment! I literally started crying because I was so grateful my family thought about me and that they know me so well, and that they are my best friends on earth, it just made me so very happy lol 😂 like my family is the coolest, funnest, funniest, most perfect people alive. 

Sorry I dont make the rules. Im so so so sorry this is long.. lots happened this week so I had lots to say * if your still reading thank you for being here ahaha 💗

* Rest of the week was pretty mid. Was really hard to work. lots of people were traveling for the new year, or those who did answered said " we would love a message but come back next year 😜".... so basically January 1-7 is all booked out with lessons with new people 🥲✊🏼 Our baptism date also fell this week and that was absolutely heartbreaking... i gave so much of my heart and soul into this one. ( I always do but I really had a special connection to him and I know without a doubt I was called here for him.. and countless others ofc ) unfortunately his mom said no again. However he said when he turns 18 hes gonna get baptized. I cant wait to see it one day🥹🥲❤️

 TRANSFER NEWSSSSS IM GOING TO RIOOOOOO BABYYYY WHOOT WHOOT DREAM COME TRUE ☺️☀️🌊 im getting mentally prepared to sweat my butt off even more but I could not be more excited!! My new area is Nova Friborgo and its absolutely stunning! Sister Paget has been telling me and showing me all the things about the area because that was her last area! My excitement has only gone up from there!!! My new comp only speak Português like actually ahaha and shes from the nordeste and has a THIC accent whichs means im gonna be learning a whole new side of Português... lucky me 😅 on top of learning a rio accent too. Gonna be a fun few transfers 🤪 Im so beyond blessed and grateful for my time here in Lavras, MG, Brazil. This crazy, cowboy, middle of no where brazil town has forever touched my heart. I will forever remember the wonderful people I have met and taught here. The members here have truly become my family and I love them so much and im so sad to leave them... but could not be more excited for this next adventure 🥹🥰 Love you all! Ill probably wont be able to respond this week due to transfers but I love you, hope you all have an amazing week ☺️ Love Sister ( Hal) Tebbs 🇧🇷