Aug 11, 2017

Boa Tarde!

It has been a week! Time is really starting to fly by in the CTM, and soon I'll be out of here and on the field!

Last week our district had the opportunity to proselyte! I was really nervous, and at the beginning, we weren't able to talk to anyone. One older man raised his hands up and said "Nope!" when I said hello. But it got way better once we crossed the street. The first man came up to Sister Kearsley and I and said we were doing an important work. So sweet! Then (as recommended by a teacher), Sister Kearsley told a young woman, "we’re learning how to speak Portuguese, would you mind helping us for a minute?" She said that she knew english but was willing to hear our message in Portuguese. It turns out she had met an RM at DisneyLand and he had told her a little bit about the church! We didn’t get her information because she doesn’t live in São Paulo, but it was a good confidence booster. For the third and the last person we met, Sister Kearsley and I had a method. We would zero in on someone waiting for a bus, and I would go sit down to adjust my socks (they did actually need fixing). We would say hello and then find a natural segway into our message. One was a kind Chinese Catholic woman, and the other was a young Evangelist woman. The fourth person we talked to was an old man walking the smallest dog. I asked the dog’s name and if I could pet her (which I just realized today was not allowed?) and he was really nice. It was hard to understand his Portuguese, but it was still a good experience. We did not manage to get any addresses for the missionaries in that area, which I was a little sad about, but it was a good learning experience.

Also for the past two weeks, I have has the opportunity to go on splits with a Brazilian! Her name is Sister Cantagesso, and she is so sweet. I was really worried last week because I didn’t know too much Portuguese, but she took that in stride and basically taught the entire lesson. I mainly bore testimony last week, but this week I was able to teach a big chunk of the restoration! In Portuguese! Sister Cantagesso said that my Portuguese had really improved, and I’m so grateful for the gift of tongues! There is no way on this earth I could know this much Portuguese without the help of the Lord! I still have a lot to learn about the language and myself, but I know that with the Lord I can do all things! I’ve also found out that I can speak some Portuguese, but my problem is being able to understand when other's speak. Something to improve!

All of the Brazilians are so sweet. Sister Kearsley and I had two roommates named Sister Santana and Sister Neves, but they left on Tuesday for the field! I definitely cried, but I know that they’ll both talk Campinas by storm! We haven't gotten new roommates yet, so it's been quiet at night.
I love my district so much. There are ten of us, and every person is just a riot! I'm so grateful that six out of the ten of us are going to the São Paulo Leste mission! It's been really fun to get to know everyone and become closer through Volei, Lanche, and TALL. (Volleyball, nighttime snack, and language learning program). I'm also grateful for the sisters in my district! Sister Kearsley has definitely saved my life several times, and we've been getting closer to Sister Bearden and Sister Dailey! A couple days ago, we recorded ourselves doing a round of I Like to Move It from Madagascar, and we could not stop laughing! That night after volleyball, I was opening the window in our room and Sister Dailey came running up behind me and scared me! I almost fell out the window. Good times.

My scripture study has been really fufilling too. I'm in Alma now, and I've loved reading through Mosiah. It's been a huge help to be highlighting and marking up my scriptures. What a blessing it is that a fourteen year old boy had the humility to pray and ask a question, which has changed the lives of thousands of people!

I have to go now, but I thought I'd let you know that I'm teaching the Relief Society lesson on Sunday! It's about Christ-like Attributes, another blessing! The Lord is good!

I love you all so much! Please continue to send pictures! Also I wouldn't mind some snail mail if you had the time!

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Sincerely,
Sister Carlson