First Week With My New Companion……. Yikes!

This week has been by far the most stressful and interesting week so far on my mission. It starts off great with a farewell party for Elder Nunes. We ate at an all you can eat Brazilian grill down town São Paulo. I sent some pictures so you can check it out. Elders from Jarjim Angela, Shaka Santana and members of our ward were there too. So Tuesday we got a ride from a member in our ward that I have never seen before(that happens a lot) and we went to the Stake Center in Firrera and meet with all the missionaries who were going to be transferred. A lot of my buddies in my group were there because they were receiving new companions or moving to a new area. Generally you stay with your first companion for 2 transfers, but president Jackson thought It would be best that I get a new companion. So at transfers people were being called up and then my name came up and I was hoping to get another Brazilian and then they called elder Vianna up. My first impression was ahh man an American. But once I talked to him I realized he was no American. He had a strong accent and speaks really fast haha. It turn out that he is from Rio Dineiro and he is a full blown Brazilian even though I look more Brazilian then he does haha.

My first day out in the field with him was interesting because I didn´t know were lunch was, but luckily we had a member guide us.     (it was in the middle of no were). Then we started to head back to our apartment and start working. The night before Elder Nunes forgot to help me plan the next day because he was packing so I had to wing it. We got lost only once. It was really hard because I am not really good with names so I tried to remember were recent converts were and so on. Then the next day was awful because I forgot what buses to take and were. So Wednesday we had divisions again and I paired up with an Argentinean which was really fun and we had a fun time getting lost trying to find a referral and asking people were the street was and everyone had a different opinion on how to get there. So we ended up not finding it and moving on to lunch were I didn´t know were it was and our cell phone ran out of credit (thank you elder Nunes) so I went to a members house to get help. Luckily it was really close so it all turned out okay until I realized that my companion told me to wait to eat lunch until he came back from a meeting because he wasn´t going to be fed. So he got a little angry at me and then I pick the wrong bus home and he got a little bit more angry at me. Overall it wasn´t a great day. But the good thing that happened that day was me and the other Elder I went on Divisions with helped an old lady across the street after she tripped in the middle of the cross walk. We helped her cross and everyone was watching us and I think it helped the image of missionaries and how we serve others. So things with my companion started off ruff and I didn´t feel like making contacts with people on the street. The best part of the week by far was the BAPTISM!!! It was my first baptism on my mission! It was so great holy cow I finally brought someone unto Christ! I have never felt so happy and had so much peace in my heart before. It was incredible. I performed the ordinance perfectly and in Portuguese. ( I even explained how a baptism worked in Portuguese for Gabriel who is 9 years old). I took some pictures which are really beautiful. So then Sunday I had to make 39 contacts to make our goal that I set with elder Nunes. It was a miracle because my weakness is contacts and I managed to get 40 contacts! Nossa it was incredible and a miracle! I feel so much more confident with contacts now and we set a lot of appointments to talk with new people other days. So my English is slowly getting harder and harder to switch over. The other night I had my first dream in Portuguese! It was weird because I was teaching the lesson and in the middle of it I started to struggle to say a word in Portuguese. Then I woke up and got my dictionary and looked it up haha. The good things about my companion is he is hard working and he talks a lot to me in Portuguese ( more then Elder Nunes) and we are setting better goals for me to learn. So overall I know almost every street around our investigators and I know how to get around when I get lost and everything. Thank you all so much for your prayers and letters. Sister Tryon and Sister Thompson. Mom and Dad I love you so much thank you for the emails they are like opening up a Christmas present on Christmas eve haha. I have to write my president now, but I love you all so much and Dustin thank you so much for the email good luck being a father send me pictures!