Weeks 12-13

Me with my Mission President,
President Miller, and his wife.

Hello Everyone!! I finally made it to Brazil!! I don't have a ton of time today, unfortunately, to talk about everything that went on this week, but I'll try my best to cover all the fun stuff that happened!

First of all, I am now serving in the São Paulo East Mission of Brazil, in the Mooca area, and my companion is named Elder Steere. Elder Steere is from Colorado and has been out on his mission for 8 months. He is an awesome guy who, thus far, has been just a great companion who is doing his best to make sure I learn the language quickly here. (Side note from Kasey's mom: Elder Steere said during our call "Your son speaks Portuguese very well.") It has been pretty hard here with learning Portuguese, as upon arriving I discovered that I know so very little, but alas I am learning! The people here, however, are very kind, and either give my reassurance with learning the language, or tease me just a little about it, in a fun loving way, haha.

Me and my companion, Elder Steere

Before coming here to São Paulo I was able to try some Brazilian stroganoff, in Florida, from a friend we were teaching, Cynthia, and this week I was able to have some more... We had lunch this week every day with some different members, and for three of those lunches they served stroganoff with chicken and mushrooms. Now don't get me wrong, I love it, but it was hilarious that they all prepared stroganoff for us, as my companion said it had been a couple of months since he last had stroganoff.

I also discovered this week, according to rumors I had heard before coming out to São Paulo, that Nephi is a missionary in this mission. Yup, you heard me. The actor that plays Nephi in the new Book of Mormon videos is a missionary currently, in the São Paulo East Mission. Isn't that crazy?!? And even crazier, I live with him! I live with Nephi!! Now it seems as if he's a little tired of people making a huge deal of it, so I haven't pressed on the matter at all, but it still is just super cool that I live with him, and that he is one of the Assistants to the Mission President in my mission.

The area here, in Mooca, is so much different from what I had experienced in Cypress Creek, in Florida. In Florida, it was super flat, and we were riding around on our bikes on somewhat smooth and nice sidewalks and roads. Here it is CRAZY! The roads are windy, bumpy, broken up, and go up and down in elevation. I'm very glad I don't have to ride a bike here because I'm pretty sure I would die. But it's been super fun to walk around this city and see all the different stores, markets, homes, and buildings. There are lots of people living in different situations, and although I could be in an area of the world with a lot less than here, I've still been reminded of how blessed I have been in my life previously, and I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for those blessings.

What's cool too is that in April our mission will be getting smartphones! I wasn't sure if we would ever have smartphones in this mission, as I was informed previously that it was a mission with simply basic flip phones, but I'm excited to be able to receive smartphones in the near future to further the work!

One day this week, I was feeling super down. We were doing some visits that day with a young man named Tiago, who plans to serve a mission, and I just remember stumbling over and over with the language, hardly understanding anything, and being barely able to respond. We were doing a lot of walking that day, and after a lot of feelings of homesickness and doubt, I found myself asking the question, why am I here? After a bit of time, we brought Tiago home, and he handed me the Book of Mormon we let him borrow for the day. I held it without thinking too much of it, and later, as we sat on the pavement so my companion could call some other elders, I just looked at the Book of Mormon in my hands, and felt a small, yet piercing, warm feeling about me. With faith, I opened that book, and it opened right up to the account of Captain Moroni, encouraging his brethren to remember who they are, and fight for their families and their god. I came across the question that drove me to serve my mission, which says, what manner of men ought we to be? I once again thought, what manner of man ought I to be? Well I ought to be a humble servant of God, forgetting myself and putting others at the forefront of everything I do. I felt comfort in that moment that I wasn't alone, and that if I would endure my trials well, that I would learn the language, and I would bring many souls unto the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want you all to know that I have a strong testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon, the word of God. I know that it can change anyone who reads it for the better, and I would invite you all to read this book if you haven't already, and if you have already, to read it still, every day, for I know it has great power to heal the soul, to strengthen the weak and lonely, and to bring lasting and fulfilling happiness to all who abide by its precepts.

I'm doing great here in Brazil! Although the language is a struggle, I know that I will soon learn it, and will be able to speak and bear powerful testimony in this language through the language of the spirit, which has commonality among all languages, places, and people.

Some other fun experiences this week included playing basketball and ping pong with some young men, trying some new fruit such as papaya and dragon fruit, and being told by my new favorite member on the mission thus far that, in his words (originally in Portuguese) "Elder, you're gonna get fat". That was reassuring... we shall see Ismael (the name of the member). In fact, that night we had an amazing dinner with Ismael who prepared salmon, rice, potato salad, and ice cream for us. The salmon was amazing and I was thrilled to get ice cream as well! Then he insisted on sending us home with leftovers, as well as a huge bottle of orange soda, and some wafer cookies. He is a super funny guy who also has a powerful spirit about him when he bears testimony.

Anyways, I wish I could include more in this email, but alas we have to get back to work here pretty soon! I hope you all had an amazing week, and will have an even better week this week! Until next time!

-Elder Lightheart