12-3-12
Well, I survived my very
first week in the field, lol!
We got picked up from the
mission home last Tuesday and had a very nice dinner with the Mission President.
He is such a nice, kind and loving man. Then we went to a chapel in Lago Norte
and had a little meeting and interviews with the President. Then we met our new
companions mine is Elder Ribeiro Silva He is awesome fun and a really kind and
loving guy! He’s from Brazil and I have learned a ton from him! We went to our
apartment and unpacked for two seconds and then we went out tracting. We went
to a new members house and talked for a while, I just kind of sat there because
they speak so fast ha-ha. And then we went home and I just passed out I was so
exhausted!
My area is very poor. The
houses are all brick and only have about 4 rooms total and one floor. It’s definitely
humbled me and I feel so different about money even after just one week. The
three most important things in Paranoa are church, getting drunk at night, and
soccer. At night we try to be home
by 9 because it gets pretty dangerous apparently. And people get drunk at like
7 at night and stumble in the streets. They spend a lot of money on alcohol,
it is so cheap that the can buy a lot. Oh and people don’t get married here
they just live together apparently that’s custom in Brazil, apparently it’s
easier to split up that way to. lol
The weather here is
perfect, I can close my eyes and imagine that I’m at Cape Cod every single day,
it’s about 65 to 70 and sunny!
We did a lot of
contacting on Wednesday. We have to find new investigators to teach and then we
went and talked to a member by the name of Roberto. He got back from his
mission a month ago and he is doing great.
Thursday was rough! Just
getting used to a new life style and work is so tough it really bore down on
me. Mornings are rough because I just think about home but then I try and put
on smile and it definitely helps to lose myself in the work; it takes my mind
off of things. I did set my first date for baptism. He is a cousin of a member
and he said he would prepare for baptism on Dec. 16th so that was pretty neat.
We ask ´people if they will be baptized on the first visit it’s kind of weird.
The members are genuine
and love the elders so that makes me happy. We get fed for every lunch and then
it is on us to make food for breakfast and dinner, which is usually a snack. I’ve
probably lost about 10 lbs so far. Church was interesting it’s kind of like a
social event more so than feeling the spirit but that’s just how Brazil is. I
was so tired yesterday I just fell asleep at a member’s house ha-ha.
P-day is great, I just read
and wrote letters and now I’m emailing! I hope everyone is ok back home! In the
moment time feels like forever, but the weeks are flying by as I look back!
Love you all!
