My First Week

Óla from Bonfiglioli!!!!

Oh my goodness...I can´t believe that I am really doing this! It is truly incredible.

Tuesday, was my first day actually out in the field. We left the CTM about 8:00 am and rode in a van about 45 minutes to the mission home here in São Paulo (which is actually President Faust´s old home here in brasil).

When we arrived, the office elders gave us a little orientation and then we went to President and Sister Cooley´s apartment for lunch...it was awesome--everything about it. In fact I almost cried, it felt so much like home...and there was carpet! I miss carpet like you wouldn´t believe! hahaha Their home was absolutely beautiful and this was the first time that I had eaten outside the CTM and the food was AMAZING!

After we ate, President Cooley started talking to us and looked us each in the eye (these are all the new missionaries, about 10 of us) and he says, ´´ I can tell that there is a powerful spirit about all of you, and I know that in about 10 months, this mission is going to turn around because of you.´´ What that means exactly, I am not sure...but he was very tearful when he said it and the spirit was really strong. I don´t know if we have some slacker missionaries, or if they aren´t trying very hard...I don´t know. I all do know is I know why I am out here, and I only have a short time to do it...and I am going to to my very best! These people are depending on it! After President said that, His wife turned to him and said, ´´well that was nice honey, unplanned, but very nice.´´ (I just love sister cooley!)

After lunch, we packed up our stuff and rearranged it...we can only take one bag with us and leave the other one at the mission home because for some of our transefers, we have to take the bus...and Holy cow!

Later that night, we went tracting (teaching and contacting people)and I had the opportunity of riding a public bus for the very first time...and in Brazil the busses are nothing like they are in the states...maybe back east, but not in UT! People are packed in there like sardines and most of the time you just have to stand and they have rails for you to hold onto...imagine riding one of those on the winding, crazy roads of São Paulo!! I´m already a clutz...add the bus and roads...and we kind of have an interesting situation!

That night, the Elders who live close to the mission home stayed at the mission home and let us stay at their apartment...I have never been so grossed out in my life...everything about the place was sooo gross. I didn´t even know if the pillow case I was sleeping on was clean...Mom, you would die. But, they did order us pizza and a chocolate pizza...my favorite!

The next morning we had our transfer meeting and had to say good-bye to Sister Winters and leave with my new companion, Sister Cruz...she is adorable!!! She is Brazilian and doesn´t speak but 5 words of english...

We gathered my stuff and headed to our apartment...it´s the cutest little thing, one bedroom, a small kitchen (NO MICROWAVE), and a bathroom. Ok, let me tell you a little about the bathroom situation...There are no walls, barriers, or curtain for the shower and it is in the same part of the bathroom as the toilet and sink. So, when we take our FREEZING cold showers, the water gets all over everything, and then we have to squeegy the bathroom down.

The owner of our apartment lives right by us...and when you say ´´right by´´here in Brasil...I literally mean attatched...haha. Luckily she has a washing machine-nothing like we have at home- that she lets us use...although we still will have to wash some clothes by hand. There is something so satisfying about hanging clothes on a line to dry...and I am being dead serious.
She also has about 3 dogs that I know of...who are as gentle as can be and they always greet us and I am actually quite grateful to have them. It´s nice when at the end of the day you are dead beat and you see them so excited to see you.

The members are absolutely wonderful to us!!! Everyday, we have lunch, the biggest meal here, with members. And, sometimes, they even send us home with left overs. I have not had one thing yet that I haven´t loved! I have seriously got to learn how to cook like a Brasileira!!!

The work is good, we have a baptism set for next Saturday. Maria, a 77 year old woman who is just adorable. She lives in a one bedroom apartment with all her stuff...to be honest I don´t know where she even sleeps, and she shares a bathroom with her neighbors. She can´t afford much so she eats bread for every meal because you can buy it fairly cheap here. She can´t even afford milk. She is so excited about getting baptized...and I cannot wait to be there to see it! I can´t really take any credit for her wanting to get baptized because she was already planning on it before I got to the area. We have 2 more planned for the following Saturday too.

My legs, shins, hips, bum, and feet are sooo sore! I think I have walked more this week, than I have in my entire life! I have really good shoes..it´s just that my feet are getting calices and it is kind of a painful process. The sidewalks, if you can call them sidewalks, are so unpredictable...if you are not careful you could fall, trip, stub a toe, or shin...they are sooo uneven.

I am incredibly amazed at how these people live...most people have so little...and there is a lot of work that needs to be done as far as helping people change their lives and come unto Christ...a lot of these people live such sad, and sinful lives and a lot of them don´t even know any better. They don´t know or understand what it truly means to be happy..so they look for it in other ways.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to help these people do just that. I cannot wait to see miracles in their lives. I am even more grateful for the opportunity I have to grow closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and do His work. I have been doing a lot of thinking about that lately living the ´´primitive´´ life I have been living the last week, and I have realized that just for these short 16 months, I have the opportunity to live life as he did.

I love you all!!!

this church is true!!!

love,
Sister Scott