Week 2 in Brazil!

Well, it turns out that I spoke too soon in my last email, because in less than 24 hours it went from wearing a sweater under our suits to dripping with sweat in our short sleeve shirts. But other than that things are good!

A little more about Elder Ahmed (my companion): He was a Catholic growing up and went to church every week. He was converted when he was 13, and he has an awesome testimony and tons of gospel knowledge. His experience/conversion gives him a unique perspective that he shares with the people that we teach. He's been super helpful at helping me learn portuguese as well.

Towards the end of this last week I had been feeling like my portuguese was going nowhere. I still couldn't understand much, let alone say what I was thinking. However, I realized while I was sitting in church yesterday how much I really did understand, especially compared to how lost I was the week before. So I'm improving, slowly but steadily.

The area authorities have said that missionaries are not allowed to play soccer here, so yeah, that's all I have to say about that. We follow the rules because we know that we will receive blessings for being obedient.

And we have already seen these blessings!  Because we are opening this area, we had no one to teach, and we didn't know anyone here. As we were unloading our bags, a lady approached us, and it turns out that the previous missionaries had been teaching her. This has happened multiple times, and now we have lessons scheduled for the entire day!

The branch here is great and we have had great lunches every day. Beans and rice with every meal, with some type of meat, and sometimes a type of pasta or casserole and vegetables - which I love so much. But seriously, I'm usually so hungry that even vegetables taste absolutely delicious.

All in all, everything is good in brazil!

Week 1 IN BRAZIL

Ok, so I had some trouble logging on, so I don't have much time. We got stuck in a holding pattern outside of Atlanta and we were going to have to land somewhere else to refuel, but with the prayers of 20 something missionaries on board we were able to land and rush to our connecting flight to Brazil. It was long, but I was able to sleep for most of it. I was looking out the window as we came into Sao Paulo, and I thought wow, thats pretty big. Turns out what I was looking at was just a suburb of the city. The plane turned, and even from thousands of feet in the air, I couldn't see the other side! Sao Paulo is HUGE! Four other missionaries and I waited in the airport for a couple hours while the church travel people helped the other missionaries that were on the flight catch connecting flights to their missions. Then the 5 of us got in a van and drove to the mission office to drop off luggage and then we went to have lunch with President and Sister Martins. After that the other elders and I went back to the mission office where we would sleep, but first we went out contacting with the office missionaries and I taught (mostly listened, with the occasional testimony) my first lesson! I didn't understand most of it, but it was exciting nonetheless.

 

I was assigned to serve in Itepetininga (population ~ 150,000, or so I've been told) with Elder Ahmed. There are 2 branches here and we live with the other set of missionaries in an apartment. Elder Ahmed is from NYC has been out from a year and six or seven months, and he's awesome. He's trained several times before, and he was a zone leader for a long time until this transfer. He's fluent in english and spanish and now, portuguese. Most people we meet think he is from brazil because he speaks so well. Elder Ahmed and I are assigned to the eastern half of the city. We live in the "centro" which is a relatively nice part of town, but many of the neighborhoods in our area could be described as "humble". Which is great! Especially because we are opening this area, so we had no one to teach. Had. Now we have our planners filled for days in advance with scheduled appointments. It's awesome! The people here are, for the most part, very friendly and willing to at least let us in and talk to us.

 

Portuegese is coming along. I can understand most anything gospel related if people talk slow, and I can follow normal conversations, but not quite understand everything. I've been told I speak fairly well, but I know that I probably sound like a caveman, with simple sentences and unconjugated verbs. But I'm learning fast and Elder Ahmed is super helpful.

Oh, one last thing, it is freezing cold here. Like, I can see my breath. In Brazil! and it's windy. So I just wear my suit most days, and Elder Hendrixson lent me a sweater to wear at night time. You don't need to send me any, because by the time they get here it will be blazing hot. I'll probably buy one today since it's PDay. But I'm totally fine, so don't worry!

And the food is absolutely amazing! I've loved everything I've had so far.

Ate mais!

Love,

Elder Carr

Week 5: IM GOING TO BRAZIL!!!

Well, needless to say, this has been quite the week!

 

First and foremost, I got my visa and I leave for Brazil on Monday morning! I'll get to that later though.

Last Friday we got to go and clean the Provo temple. It is undergoing some major renovations (which look amazing) and there was a lot of dust everywhere from the construction, so most of my district was dusting and cleaning. My job was to scan in the contractors, which I did for 3.5 hours. In any other situation that would've bored me out of my mind, but I was able to read and FINISH the Book of Mormon while I was there. To understate it a little bit: it was awesome.

Then on Saturday we skyped with people in Brazil! Elder Andersen and I got to talk with some guys that work in an institute building in Sao Paulo. It was hard to understand, but I'm going to blame that on the computer and microphones; I mean, come on, its hard to understand english on skype sometimes! But it definitely gave me a wake up call! We taught them the restoration and plan of salvation and then got to hear a little bit about what their missions were like. Overall it was a great experience!

Sunday was normal, and Monday was far from that, because I got my Visa!

Elder Andersen and I were teaching one of our progressive investigators and just as we were asking him to be baptized, my entire district burst into the room yelling about how the travel office just called in on the intercom in the classroom asking for me to come down. We finished our lesson and then ran down to the travel office where one of the workers nonchalantly handed me a packet with "Travel Intinerary" written on the front! So here's the scoop:

I leave the MTC at 8:45 Monday morning and take the Frontrunner to SLC, where I fly to ATL at 1:55. Then at 9:55 (after a 2 hr layover) I fly to BRAZIL! I'll get there at 8:25 am on the 13th! I'm buying a calling card today and I'll be able to make a brief phone call at the airport. I don't know which one or anything, so I guess just stay by the phone all day? I'll try the home phone and then I'll call mom's cell. If you want me to do it differently, email back and I'll check later today. I'll let you know during that call an address to send stuff to, although it will probably just be the mission home.

Once I'm in Brazil, I will go to the mission home and then go straight to the mission field. No one else go there visa, but I was talking to an Elder in the lunch line and he is on the same flight, so there will be at least one other elder there (Plus Sister Yankura who got her visa last week).

Mom, to answer some of your questions:

 

My district's reassignments just got here and I have to go get the mail, so I have to go, but I'll get back on later today. If you have mmore questions let me know soon!

 

 

Week 4: MTC

Oi minha familia!

I got your package with the pictures and candy yesterday!

This week was, once again, a typical week in the MTC. We woke up, went to breakfast where I have a chocolate donut, a cinnamon roll, a glass of chocolate milk and a glass of pink lemonade (every day).
Then we go study. I finished 4 Nephi yesterday and should be done with the entire Book of Mormon within the next few days. Personal scripture study is easily my favorite part of the day; yes, even more than gym time. It is uplifting and refreshing every day without fail.
Then we have class until lunch. During this time we usually teach one of our "investigators", have a lesson on how to be a missionary (for example, yesterday was about teaching people, not lessons), and,  of course, Portuguese.
Then lunch and pick up mail, and then TALL (learning Portuguese on the computer/ try to stay awake). Then class again with our other teacher.
Then dinner and back to class for personal study time, and after that is gym time, where we dominate on the volleyball court (more or less). After gym is more study time until 930 when we go back to the residence.

The two things that weren't typical this week happened yesterday:

1) The entire district spoke Portuguese all day. It was awesome. And a lot quieter.

2) Sister Yankura got her visa! She'll be finishing out the last week and a half here and then head to Brazil on the 12th. Four other missionaries in our zone from "younger" districts got their visas earlier this week as well. However, I'm not getting my hopes up, the district above us all got reassigned (Riverside CA, a bunch of New Hampshire, Colorado, and New York). If no visa comes, I'll get my reassignment on Friday (a week from today).

As far as Portuguese goes, I feel as if I've hit a wall with my learning. I just can't wait until I get to Brazil and I am forced to learn. But, until then, I'll continue to work my hardest!

Oh, cool little fact: Elder Ward, who I spoke with in my farewell, is serving in Elder Andersen's (my companion) stake/ward in Idaho, and is having dinner at his house this week!

Sorry this is short, but next week will be more exciting. Here's a preview: Cleaning the temple, Skyping people in brazil, hosting (showing the new missionaries around), and reassignments. A lot to look forward to! Ate mais!

Love, Elder Carr