It has been a hard 6 days, 6 really tough days. My Companion is a Brazilian, Elder Muniz. He doesn´t speak much English and is from Rio Janerio. The people speak really fast and it is really hard to understand them and respond and for them to understand me. It gives me a headache. A lot of them say he is an american and I don´t understand when he speaks but I try to teach the gospel and bear my testimony. Somedays I want to cry, lol but I'm fine, it is just hard not being able to talk to others. Two other missionaries live in our apt, which is a little different than home. One of the showers does not have a shower head and there are plenty of bugs to go around, they are both American and speak english but they try to use the language as much as they can. But I love being in Brazil, I do miss home a little bit but only when I´m not teaching or understanding. I pray a lot and ask to be comforted, which I am. The Spirit is very nice feeling when times are rough. 2 days ago we had Elder Bednar visit! He answered a lot of my questions and I understand what to pray for and how to be a better listener. I try to listen to every word the Brazilians speak and try to remember as much as I can. I try to say the words correctly so the investigators will understand, and I try to let the Spirit do its job and testify to the people. He really helped me remember that the mission should be overwhelming the entire time and even though my understanding grows the work never stops. So basically I´m great when we are teaching others and it sucks when they talk about stuff I haven´t learned yet. O by the way apparantly I have the gift of tongues just the wrong language. My companion said I have been speaking spanish in the lessons lol. So I guess the Spirit is using what I know to help the people understand me. Things will get better.
The area is defintitly different than the US. There is a pretty fine line between poor and doing ok to pretty well of. It looks like a lot of the people make/improve their own houses. Every lunch and dinner is rice and beans with some type of meat and either guarana or orange fanta. Sometimes the have fruit too which is basically a treat in my opinion. Sometimes the have spagattie or it looks like spagattie. And sometimes they have salad. It also looks like the people spend more of their money on clothes and materials rather than their homes. And some of the clothes the girls wear are pretty much, too much. I also in the hottest city (so I have heard) in the mission so it is just like home but sticky. Its actually not that bad all the time like people make it out to be but it is not quite summer yet so it could get hotter.
The charger for the MP3, don´t worry about it. The presdent has asked to try to keep study time silient. plus dads right I will propbably find a cheap cord here somewhere and probably won´t find it until until the end but its no big deal. Letters here can take 2 to 7 weeks to get here, lol so yay better start sending the them now lol jk. It is just nice being able to write to you guys. can´t wait to get your letters. The address for the mission is the same one for the packages. I don´t have the address with me but it should be in the email we got before my mission when we lost the booklet.
Dad may like this, so lately when I speak I kinda sound like Dad and I go wow where is he. Then realize that voice is mine. I also learned where dad became a good listener, on the mission field. Elder Bednar said the best person to listen and disern is the one not talking. He said that when your companion is speaking don´t go anywhere, stay there! I try to stay there but I feel like I am still trying to figure out what the begining of the sentence said lol. But I would like to become a great listener and ask great inspiried questions. My English is getting really bad, I think and my Protegues is not getting any better yet, but it will and Hopefully things will be better next week.
I suggest to try to do as much as the paper work as you can do for the mission as soon as possible and I know you guys will. I got the letter from Grandma´s sister. I am eating plenty of food, at least during lunch ( trust my they feed me plenty). I just feel tired and worn out but like Elder Bednar said that feeling should never go away.
Love you all, Happy Thanksgiving
Elder Richard Scott Searle
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