Português Slang is not American…
First week in Brazil is in the books! Lots to learn and lots to do, but overall, it was fire. Apparently, “Nego Doce” means your super nice, or really friendly. Well when, the Brazilians came up to me and started saying the phrase, that was not what i though they were saying. After a little convincing, I realized it was an actual phrase here in Brazil.
I’m the new LD but keep it on the DL
LD means District Leader in Portuguese. The first actual day here, Branch President Fusca points to me in my first class and says, in a very broken accent, something along the lines of, “You, you are the District Leader.” To be honest, I had no clue what that was, and I was mad confused. For all those who don’t know what a DL does, I basically just make sure the district is where we’re supposed to be and get the things done that we need to get done.
The Gift of Tongues Is Real
I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve just started speaking in Portuguese and had full conversations without even having to think about it. The craziest experience was at lunch. There are four main languages that people speak here: Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French. At lunch, I was at a table with some Spanish-speaking missionaries, and the whole time I could understand them and speak to them. The words just came, and they didn’t even speak Portuguese that well or English at all, but somehow we had the whole conversation without skipping a beat. Needless to say, it comes and goes. Sometimes I can’t understand a thing, and sometimes I can speak like a Brazilian. Crazy.
I met a guy from the area I’m going to serve my mission, and I couldn’t understand him. The Recife accent sounds like gibberish.
Funny thing: if you speak in a Southern accent, only Americans can understand you. We’ve been speaking in our Southern drawls when we want to say something without the people who know English hearing. Also, you can talk in a Southern accent straight from Arkansas in Portuguese, and the Brazilians think it’s the funniest and most mind-blowing thing.
Last thing for language: one instructor here speaks English with an English accent but speaks normal Portuguese. I think he learned from someone who was from England. It is the craziest thing I’ve heard; it catches me so off guard every time.
Jail Break
First week in the CTM (Missionary Training Center). They call this the prison. It’s a 7-story compound smack dab in the middle of São Paulo. The windows are tinted to the max, the place is surrounded by towering fences topped with barbed wire, and each entrance has a 24/7 guard. To be honest, it doesn’t feel that bad because the bottom floor is all open; there’s no wall in transition from inside to outside, so it seems like you’re free. We left the prison to go to the São Paulo temple and the Campinas temple. The São Paulo one was like an hour away. The city is crazy; there’s so much trash, smog, and grime. No disrespect, though; I love it. Campinas, on the other hand, is basically LA. All the streets are tidy, the houses and neighborhoods are just a bunch of mansions, and every tree is a palm tree.
General Conference
This general conference (basically a two-day-long church worldwide devotional) was loaded with some banger talks. Kevin Brown’s talk and Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk are definitely worth giving a listen. I’ll add the link here. (51:55) I would STRONGLY recommend watching.
God’s Hand
Ending on a spiritual note, this first week away has taught me so much. Out of all the experiences I’ve had with languages, people, and sports, the biggest lesson I’ve learned and continue to learn is that without faith, works are dead. There have been many occasions where I’ve tried my best to manage my learning, my schedule, my obedience, and my district with no success. I continue to learn that no matter how hard you push, if you don’t have the Savior on your side, you’re not going to go far. “Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?” (Job 40:9). I invite you all to look to your Savior, Jesus Christ, when you can’t do it on your own. When everything, one thing won’t: the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s such a beautiful thing to see followers of Christ all working for one unified purpose because they love the Lord. Languages might change, cities might change, and the people might change, but no matter what, the Holy Spirit does not. It doesn’t stop when the English does; it continues to speak in the language of the heart, the language that we all can understand. I can’t promise you much, but I can promise that Jesus Christ won’t leave you stranded or feeling alone and lost if you ask for him in faith. I know because I’ve experienced it. Sometimes you have to take a couple of steps of faith, but He’s always there waiting for you to accept him.
Art of the Month
This was super quick, and it’s in my phone case, but it’s of the CTM, and I love it.
Notable Events
– Whooped some kids 3/3 in pickleball (shoutout Aaron)
– Whooped some kids 7/0 in basketball (shoutout Lawrence Squad)
– The weather is crazy. One day it will be 60, and the next it will be 95. (It goes back and forth every day.)
– Saw Sister Stuart (shoutout Kearney Bulldogs)
– Figured out how to take off Portuguese autocorrect on the phone, so there should be less grammar issues with this email.
– I’m the newest barber on the block, and the block is hot.
– Our district has a goal to eat with the Brazilians, and they’ve been teaching us so much about the language. We’re way ahead of all the other gringos.
– I’ve gotten good at drawing faces (for the most part); it’s so fun.
I will try to respond to as many emails I can and I appreciate reading them from yall so keep the stories and updates coming.
Join the google photos to see the fire pics and my sketchbook. https://photos.app.goo.gl/cnvNHFLuWEPTfcKj7