First off, I forgot to tell yáll where I am! I am in Jose Walter! I have no idea where that is because we don´t have a map of the mission but we´re not super far from the city of Fortaleza. It's about an hour bus ride. We had to go to the mission office today along with some other missionaries like Elder Quintanilla to go to to the police station for more visa stuff. #thirdtimegettingmyfingerprints #dontworryiwasntdeported so that was fun! No troubles, no worries, just wanted some signatures and pictures.
But anyways, Jose Walter is a small little town but filled with great people. Brazilians crack me up! They love to party and they´re so loving. I would be soo discouraged and homesick if they weren´t so nice. They listen SO intently when I talk trying their hardest to understand hahaha and they usually do even though I´m sure I sound like a child haha! It´s still difficult to talk but I think I´m getting better at understanding people! The people here still talk SUPER fast and I can´t really understand elderly people....awkward.. but I´m trying! Sometimes though when we´re teaching someone who talks and talks and talks super fast, it all just jumbles in my head and my brains like, Stop I can´t translate that fast! So I usually just catch words here and there that I know and try my best to piece it together. Doesn´t always work but that´s what companions are for! And half the time I can barely understand her! Lol no she´s good at simplifying things for me. But man, I seriously can´t wait for the day when I´ll be able to speak exactly what I want and to understand everyone! Slowly but surely! I know if I do my part, the Lord will bless me with the language!
Sorry if I´m just repeating everything from last week but not much has changed. I´m getting to know more people and yesterday was so fun to go to church and know people and have them come up and hug me (and a side kiss of course!)! A couple was visiting from Arizona and the woman didn´t speak a lick of Portuguese so it was kinda fun because afterwards I was talking to her and she told me they were visiting her husband´s mission and then these members came up to me and asked me questions to translate for her and I could! They were so sweet! They asked me, "Where is she having lunch?" So I asked her and she was like, "We don´t know!" And then they were like, "She can eat at our house!" I love these people!! Then this awesome guy we teach, Gustavo, who is 20, a recent convert, and who has decided to go on a mission (!) finally used his English with me! He is basically fluent! He said he learned English from watching movies and books, can you believe it?? I felt so dumb for not doing more before the mission to learn Portuguese. But he´s super awesome and his English is so funny with his Brazilian accent. I´m sure I sound just the same haha!
The days go up and down. I feel confident, I feel horrible. My companion usually makes me share Book of Mormon scriptures with less actives and recent converts which is good but I get so nervous, man! To answer a question from Mom, we walk everywhere. Our area isn´t big enough to need to take the bus (unless we have to go to the city Fortaleza) so it´s a lot of walking! My chaco tan has begun ;) haha but yeah, my legs and feet are dying by the end of day, it´s hard work. The weather is usually good though I´m always sweaty. It´s honestly not that bad though because it never gets in the 90s or 100s like Texas, and it doesn´t feel that humid most of the time. When we´re walking around there´s usually a nice breeze too. But it really hits you when you´re walking right in the sun, and teaching lessons because people don´t have AC obvi. Haha it´s rough at times, but I can do this!
I have felt your prayers this week so thank you all!! I´m sorry this isn´t longer, I´ll try and be better next week but know that I´m safe and I´m doing well!! I love you all so much and miss you more than you know!!!!
Eu amo vocês!
- Sister Parks
Pictures from the last days in Roosevelt!
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