Aug 18, 2014
Hey Família
Well let’s just say so much has happened. I don’t even know where to start. Monday we had a Zone meeting and we all were in the church in carrão. They called our Zone Leaders and told them where we would be going. I found out I was going to Jacareí, in the JD Liberdade area. That is on the other side of the mission. That night I stayed up until 2 in the morning packing all my stuff. Oh and yeah I have way to0 much stuff…like way to much stuff. Tuesday I met my new companion and we started our travel to our new area. We took the metro, then train, then bus, then another bus. In the end it took us 4 hours to get to our house. I am in a house with another group of missionaries. We go to the same ward and everything. It is really fun. Every night we mess around and it’s just so much fun to go to lunch with 4 elders. This first week was amazing. We worked and walked a ton. They really don’t have buses in this area, so if you want to go somewhere you have to walk. This week was really good we had lessons every hour of the day starting before lunch. Thursday we had a lesson at 10:45PM. We got home late, but the familia is almost ready for batismo. The fruit here is sooooo cheap. For a box of strawberries it is only 80 American cents, and they are so good. Every day I have different fruits. The ward is amazing, it is so big, and they have so many youth. The youth are so cool, they work with us, teach with us, they also play soccer and volleyball with us. Every Wednesday they bring friends, so we are allowed to come and play with them and talk with their friends. This week my shoes ripped in half, they have a big hole, so I am down to only one pair for everyday wear. Sunday the class for investigators the teacher was sick so me and my comp taught the lesson... which went really well so that was good. This week was good, oh and I made French toast on Friday for everyone, the other American in the house has maple syrup. It tasted so good. I really like it here; it’s kind of amazing to work again, and to teach. I am doing the Lords work, and growing.
Questions I asked Dalton
1. What is the biggest difference between where you are now and where you grew up?
This isn’t the city so it is a lot poorer, and more relaxed. People don’t work every second of the day and they are a lot nicer.
2. Something you will miss eating from your mission when you have to go home?
We eat rice and beans every day for lunch, so I guess when I get home that will be the thing I miss. The fruit is good here and there are so many different types.
3. What do you wish you had done BEFORE your mission that would have been really helpful?
That is a good question and there is not much I really would have changed. Learn more about The Book of Mormon and Bible. Really just learn to be cool and relaxed and to never get mad, things happen but if you can always have a smile then your day will be that much better. I wished I read a lot more of The Book of Mormon before, just like one chapter a day it is so easy, just 10 minutes out of my day. Yeah that is just all part of it.
4. What is the most amazing thing you have seen on your mission so far?
The love the people have here, and how most people have only been members for five years. A lot of the missionaries are the only members in their family. The coolest thing I have seen was “The temple of Solomon”, it was crazy cool.
5. How has Brazil changed you?
I am humbled now, I have such a perfect life. What I had may not have been a lot in the states, but here I lived the perfect life. I never knew how good I had it. The house and the conditions that people live in is unreal, sometimes it hurts me in the heart to see people living in these conditions, it’s crazy. This church is so true, the joy that comes from it, is what keeps them going. I have learned how blessed I am, and how much more I am blessed to have been born into the faith. Brazil has changed me more than I could have imagined and I have only been here 5 months.

NEW COMPANION