Red Fury's Amazon Adventures!: The beginning of the end...‏

Well it’s finally happened... I, Sister Crystal Lee Ann Degen Poole, am starting my last transfer as a missionary. The past two weeks have been a little rough. I am feeling a lot better. Sister Jayme finally diagnosed my symptoms as Dengue fever after a weird rash appeared on my body há. But Yes, mom I am doing great now! Please don’t worry! I seriously have felt all of your prayers these past few weeks and they have helped so much. I am going to miss feeling the prayers of millions of people in my life. I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. As soon as I started feeling better we got the transfer call. For some reason I started getting my hopes up again that I would be transferred back to Boa Vista. I Love my current área and I was willing to leave it all just to go back for this five week transfer. The call came and the President decided to send Sister Nunes to my old área. So it hás been a heartbreaking few days. I have been with Sister Nunes for along time and I truly do Love her. I Love all those wonderful saints in Boa Vista tôo. I wanted to see them all again so badly, but the Lord knows what He is doing and I won't question it.

I am excited to be working with Sister Hamaker! I think she is the right person to kill me on the mission (há mission slang). She will help me work hard until the very end. I will admit I have been feeling a little nervous and sad these past few days. It was hard saying goodbye to Sister Nunes last night because I won’t being seeing her until 2012. I gave her tons of cards to give to my friends in Boa Vista. I hope she is really happy there; she will truly be missed here. Dad thanks for your last epistle! I loved it! It came at the perfect time! Lately I have been thinking about how tired I am and how I am ready to come home. Your letter gave me the extra energy boost that I have been needing. We still have work to do here in Noel and I need to work hard until the very end. Yes I am exhausted, but I can rest here in a few weeks. I just need to keep praying that the Lord will keep me going until the end. I am a little stressed about Portuguese right now. I haven't been with another American since I started the mission, so basically I have to know everything in Portuguese, yikes! But I know the Lord will help us. We are still talking mostly in Portuguese which is kind of weird, but I know it will help Sister Hamaker learn faster. It will all work out.

We are still having the same problems with the marriage and divorce papers of everyone. Nothing hás changed since last week with the papers. But lots of things have changed spiritually with everyone! Emannoel and his wife loved the baptisms of their two grandkids. Emannoel is still anxious to get baptized. We are going to see tomorrow about his divorce papers. His wife came to the baptism and to Church on Sunday. She loved both days and had tears in her eyes during the baptism. I know she will get baptized one day and it will be wonderful.

Leuge and Sergio are doing awesome! They both bore their testimonies to us last time we were with them and it was an amazing experience. I have never had so many investigators bearing their testimonies before baptism. I Love it! Sergio said he truly feels like he is apart of our family here and that people truly act like servants of our Savior. Leuge said she is starting to see the blessings in her life and that she is more patient and loving with me. It brought tears to my eyes to hear how they both are being blessed and how excited they are to get married and baptized! I love this family!

I still can’t believe I only have five short weeks left as a missionary. This week I have been studying about how to have more Faith in Jesus Christ. I absolutely Love the scriptures in Moroni 10:7 and 1 Nephi 7:12. They both talk about how God can only perform miracles in our lives IF we have faith. We have to show the Lord that we have faith in Him and in our Savior. We have to recognize that ONLY through our Savior’s sacrifice we can be saved and forgiven of our sins. Everything depends on our Faith. We have to have Faith in our Savior and faith in the Plan of Salvation. I am so GRATEFUL for our Savior and His amazing Love for us! I can’t wait to give Him a big hug one day and thank Him for everything He hás done for me!

Have an amazing week! Dad I hope you get feeling better! I will pray for you! I hope granny comes home tôo!

Tchau! Beijos!

Sister Poole

(Crystal comes home on March 23rd at 1:00 p.m. Please come to the airport if you would like to see her. She will probably speak in church on Sunday, Mar 27th. Details to come shortly.)