YAY! Happy 1 Month in Brazil! Only 14 more to go... ;)

Let's talk about the fun and exciting stuff first and then I'll get a little serious with you.

Birthday Dress: For my birthday present to myself, Sister D. and I decided to go shopping in Sao Paulo. Oh man, it was so cool. Shopping in Brazil is divine. They have miles and miles of clothing shops. It's Heaven to say the least. Anyways, I ended up finding a flowy blue dress for R$60. I have to get it hemmed today, but I'll send you a pic next week. Also  we went to the train station to get there and I'm pretty sure I found platform 9 3/4...

The Youth! On Wednesday, we had a meeting at the Chapel and all of the youth were there. And, oh my heck, they are so awesome. They were all playing soccer in the back with a flat basketball (lol) and then they came and started trying to talk to me and telling me their names and what not. Talking with the Youth is WAY easier than talking with adults because when you ask them to speak slower, they actually speak slower instead of just talking louder at the same speed and giving you a wierd look. Also, there's a youth that is an olympic gymnast in our ward... it's fine. no big deal. and he wants us to teach his friends. shawn johnson maybe? 

English Class: Can I just tell you how much I love teaching English Class? I LOVE it. Not just because I get to forget all of my Portuguese for an hour and a half each week, but because they are just so funny! They love to ask me about my family back home and my love life and they always bring quotes from English movies to ask me about. This week they asked me about the term 'teenage kicks' and about how you leave the house when you are 18 in the US. 

M.: This week there is something very special attatched to my email... A picture of one of my investigators and me! Meet M.. M. is in his 60's and LOVES me. Seriously. He just loves me. Probably because the first time I met him, I told him I have an accent because I am from Recife... now every time he sees me he says OPA! The girl from recife is here! Haha he thinks I am hilarious. He has taken all of the discussions, but has a problem with being baptized again. thats the only thing holding him back... big surprise haha But anyways, this week he made us a HUGE cake, it was so good. Favorite thing about Brazil... Chocolate is its own food group.

A familia de S: Let me tell you about my favorite family in Brazil. Meet S. S is in her 40's. Her husband passed away about a month ago from Cardiac Arrest leaving three young children behind, C, P, and L. She works from the early morning to late at night everyday. They live in very humble circumstances. S has been learning with the missionaries for over a year and wanted to be baptized, but did not have enough money to get married to her husband. This week we brought cookies and taught S and her children about turning to Christ through your trials. P, who is five, drew pictures of missionaries and the Book of Mormon in my planner as we taught. :) S told us about all the hardships that she has been having since losing her husband. Afterwards, she made us salad and her kids taught me all about how to talk about Spider Man in Portuguese while Sister D talked with S.I now have a secret handshake with each of the cute kids. :D

Policei de Federal: It's official! I officially have my Brazilian ID card! On Monday night, all of the new missionaries and their companions rode the bus/train to Sao Paulo and spent the night with the senior missionaries. In the morning, Sister S (the next gen primary president, I swear!) made us french toast and bacon. Oh my heck, after 3 weeks of bread and maracuja for breakfast, it was so good. Then we all made the treck down to the police station. They took our pictures and fingerprints and gave us our OFFICIAL VISAS! WOOHOO. #imabrazilian

C. e Acai:

We had a lesson with a less active member this week. He runs a froyo/acai/sorvete shop. I swear to you, he is the fastest talking man I have ever met in my life. I didnt understand a word he said. My companion had trouble too. They would just talk back and forth and then all the sudden he was giving us keesh. It was soooo good.

4 horas com M....: M. is an investigator that we teach who is about 50ish years old. And let me tell you, he thinks I am hilarious because I speak with such an American accent... probably because the first time I met him, I told him I was from Manaus... oops.

Sisters' Training: This week we also had Sisters Training! Woo! President and Sister T. had all of the Sisters in the mission, about 25, at their house to eat and converse. So FUN! I also got to spend the whole day with Sister C.... so that was a plus. 

As Problemas da OniBus: On the way to Sisters Training we had a little... problem. Sao Paulo is a BUSY city and so the trains in the morning are always packed. Like people shoved up against each other, pressed up against the windows packed. its absolutely insane. anyways, we were getting on the train and everyone was pushing and shoving and definitely invading my sister missionary bubble. Before I knew it Sister D. was on the bus and the doors were closing and people were shoving me off and then I was watching the train drive away... ALONE. hahaaha yes. I got left behind at the train station. Thankfully I had already expressed my fear of this event happening to Sister D. before and we had made a plan of what to do in the event that this happened... so I just rode the next train and got off at the next station and had a great reunion with my mission mom haha... it was still scary though.

Pasar Mal: When you have a cold, In Portuguese you say that you are passing evil/bad. really wierd, I know. But anyways, I have my first Brazilian sickness. Some nasty cold. Enough to make me feel terrible, but not enough to stay in bed all day. woof. makes the work miserable.

A Sala de Ingles: In our english class this week we talked all about English expressions and vocabulary words that go along with being sick. :) Then I opened the class up to any questions. They asked me about the wierdest things! For example... one asked me about laser hair removal... what? another asked me about some swear words. haha

Anyways, this week was good. Still don't speak Portuguese, but eventually... haven't gotten any mail yet, but anxiously awaiting ;)

Love,

Sister Hargrove