Adapting to Real Missionary Work

"Honestly, this has been one of the hardest, longest weeks ever! The spirit has been SO STRONG constantly. I haven't adapted to missionary WORK yet. Saturday we did a service project with the elders quorum here in the Campo Grande Ward and it was to repair a cement roof for one of the members. We were hauling buckets of cement back and forth and I had trouble keeping up with the Brazilians who have had to do this stuff all their lives. But I'm getting better.

Sunday I had to speak in church--in Portuguese! Holy Cow! I stumbled through that short talk. I also had to accompany the hymns on a rickety old organ. I will have to do that every week and this coming week I have to accompany the choir! It's fun, but I wish I had a piano. My companion said that the ward really loves me a lot. I was surprised when he said this, because I really can't tell what they think of me because I don't speak Portuguese. But he says that they really, really, really love me. I am grateful for that because I love them too. They are all so nice and generous.

I haven't gone hungry at all, even though I haven't eaten breakfast or dinner at all, but yesterday I dragged my companion to the supermarket to get cereal because I wanted breakfast. I want to try to make scrambled eggs, but I don't dare cook anything. We are fed lunch by the members every single day. They feed us a lot and I eat a lot. I think I've eaten much more out here in the field than in my whole life.

We live in a small, run down, drab apartment. But it's ok. I've gotten used to it. At first I was disappointed, but we only study and sleep there so it's not a big deal. There are VERY FEW nice homes here in Brazil. One thing I've noticed is that our streets in Bountiful might as well be lined with gold. The streets here are so poorly maintained and so dirty, and the buildings so ugly and covered in graffiti. I shouldn't write anything negative about my area, but this is just to give you an idea of what it is like. The countryside is so beautiful, however. I am not in the big city of Campinas. I am in the Campo Grande region near Campinas and there is lush countryside all around us.

Thank you and I love you all.