First Week in Brazil

My very first week here in O Brazil. It is poor!! Everyone told me, “Oh, Porto Alegre is so rich; it’s just like America.” No, it’s not! It is a third-world country for sure. But, it’s really nice, the members love the missionaries and are willing to do anything for them. (That could be totally off because I understand about 10% of the Portuguese that is spoken.) My companion, Elder Bezerra, can understand everything I say in English, but can’t speak it very well, which is kinda annoying. I can barely communicate which isn’t helpful in a lesson when you don’t know what is going on....Bleh!! I need to be patient.

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Basically, you wake up, don’t eat breakfast, study for 4 hours, go to lunch for two hours and eat the biggest meal of your life, work from about 2-9pm not eating anything, had some milk with Nesquick and go to bed. One giant meal a day. It’s going to take some getting use to. Lunch is typically beans, rice, meat and chimarrão (look that up on the internet, hard to explain). Oh and the best lasagna I have ever had.

I totally understand why that missionary in São Paulo got hit by a bus. People are crazy drivers and there are no cops at all. Cobblestone roads with only hatchbacks, buses and giant Mercedes trucks roaming the streets with thousands of dirtbikes weaving in and around traffic. I’m surprised I haven’t been hit yet.

I am tired all the time because we walk ever where, which is fantastic but hard on my feet on no existent sidewalks and cobblestone. But people are really nice, as far as I can tell. People think it’s cool that I’m an American and always say that I speak really well, but I’m not buying it because my companion sometimes laughs at my accent. We have a ton of potential investigators because everyone we walk into on the street says, “Sure we will listen to your lesson. Just come by the house another day.” We taught a man name Jorge about the restoration and we just saw him yesterday and he says that when he reads and prays about the Book of Mormon he feels joy! Batismo!!! My very first day and my very first lesson we committed a women to baptism in 3 weeks. Brazilian are really humble, that’s for sure.

Well, I hope all is well, have fun on your cruise mom and dad! And you being married Zach and Sabrina! And you Brandon finishing off another semester. I love you guys.

Elder Willard