Week #49

 

Ola from Brasil!

 

Well now all of my emails will have some Portuguese in them again. Let me tell you, being in the MTC again is not my favorite thing. But it definitely is much needed. I am the only person in my whole district that didn't do language study on my mission. Woops. But that's because I actually wanted to, ya know, do some missionary work. I forgot how exhausting the MTC is. And how spiritual it is as well. Lessons go so well here! Here's my classic line for the MTC "...and the spirit was so strong". Still rings true on another continent. But I like the MTC here WAY BETTER than Provo. First of all, everyone was wrong about Provo being better for learning the language. Total immersion is the way to go. We sit and talk with Brazilians every day at lunch and everyone is so nice here. It's a lot more friendly. You ALWAYS say hi. To everyone. Portuguese is coming along. My companion speaks and understands it really well. It's super frustrating because that's how I want to be! I have to work so hard and we don't have any study time. Anytime we are supposed to have time to study another teacher comes in and plays a game with us. So that's kind of hard. But it's really fun! I don't know if it helps me learn, though. I speak a lot better than I did in Provo and I think it's because I actually know how to teach now so I know what I want to say. I just have to put it into another language. I think all missionaries should have a chance to teach a few times in their own language before they have to do it in the mission language.

 

So we're actually allowed to leave the MTC here and walk around outside on P-Day. Only problem is it just so happens that today the buses decided to shut down and there was lots of protesting so we couldn't leave. So sad! But we do get to out and proselyte on certain days. Last Saturday we took a bus to the center of Sao Paulo and we had to give out 4 Book of Mormons as a companionship. I had so much fun. Brazilians are the nicest people. It's so easy to talk to them and they love Americans. It's great. Too bad I couldn't understand anything they were saying. But we gave away all of ours and one guy was reading it when we walked away! So cool! We had a couple of older men blow us kisses when we left and one man kissed my hand haha. Once I got the hang of speaking the first time it got easier and easier. I just can't wait to get out of here and be able to speak it non stop because since my companion speaks so well she doesn't really care to SYL all the time. She speaks in English a lot.

 

Oh I got sick. It was pretty bad. They call it traveler's sickness I guess when you go somewhere completely different and you have to adjust to new surroundings and a new culture and new food. I lost 10 pounds..... But I'm okay now! So don't worry. I eat a lot because I couldn't have anything for like, 4 days. The food here is so good.

 

Well that's about it. There's not really a lot of interesting things that happen here in the MTC. Hopefully I'll have some better stories when I get to the jungle. Oh the weight in my suitcase was under! So that's good.

 

It's definitely different here and it was hard to just be a missionary when we went to proselyte because I wanted to walk around and see the city. When I get off my mission I'm for sure coming back.

 

Love you!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sister Clark