Week 7!

And this week begins week 7. Chicka-whaaa?! Yeah, three more weeks and I´m outta here!

Some business really quickfor anyone reading the blog:-If you send me letters, be sure to put the return address on the back. That´s just how they do it in Brasil.-Though it only takes a week from the US to get here, it takes 3-4 weeks for a letter from Brasil to get home--if you´ve written me, I´ve written you back. Patience =]

Well, this week has certainly been full of adventures.Last Wednesday we had to go to the Federal Police to get finger printed for one reason or another. So now the Jordanian and Brasilian governments have my prints on file. Good fun, huh? It was nice to get out of the CTM though! And we ran into some of the Elders in the São Paulo Leste missão who have been out a year, way cool to chat with them. It gave us all hope that we´ll be fluent in a year, hahaha.

I also got my second Hep A shot. I mean, Brasil is a pretty advanced country and everything... But everytime I get a shot I think about Ebola and how it spread through needles in hospitals... and my nurse giving the shot didnt change her gloves.... But I haven´t started breaking out in a weird rash or experiencing internal hemorraging, so I think I´ll be okay =D

We went proselyting again on Friday! We actually ran into a couple guys we had met last time and they commented on how much our Portuguese had improved! Ótimo! We gave out 7 Livros de Mórmon, and it was muito bom. The area presidency or someone decided we as missionaries can´t use pass-along cards anymore--they´re just for the members. So we only had our Livros to give out. I feel like we actually talked with and got to know the people better. There were a few people who listened and talked to us and said no, but people here in Brasil are SO polite. If someone who could barelyspeak English came up to someone in a park in America and tried to talk to them about Jesus Christ, you can bet 99% of the people wouldn´t give them the time of day. But it´s the opposite here. And it also helps being two young pretty American girls ;) No wonder Sisters get in places Elders can´t! But it was a good experience, and I was just so happy to be out there. There was a moment when we were heading back to the van that I looked at everyone around me and just had the thought "They are all children of God" and I just felt so happy and warm inside =D God loves everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live. He understands their struggles and rejoices in their successes. What an amazing thing to know and to share!!!!

Today we went to the São Paulo temple again. Funny thing happened on the way there, that is just soooo Brasil. Our big bus is cruising down the highway, and we pass this accident on the side of the road. Then, our bus pulls off to the side and we see this guy standing there like he´s waiting for us. Our bus driver opens the door, then GETS UP AND WALKS OFF THE BUS! Then this other RANDOM guy that we seemingly just picked up off the side of the road, gets in and drives (quickly!!!!) the rest of the way there. HOW RANDOM! We were all like "What the hey diddle?!" and one Sister commented "Is it that easy to kidnap a bus of Mormon missionaries?". But luckily, I think the Lord isn´t going to let a bus of His missionaries come to any harm =]

Other random fun things:-The word for braces is "apareçho"
-An Elder in our district was talking about Chastity and started reading a scripture about Charity, substituting the word charity for chastity (Moroni 7:45)--SOOOO Funny!
-One of the Elders in our district could NOT say "wolf". He would say either "woof" or "wolv" and oh man, we just laughed about it for a week. But he practiced and now he can say it =] Good job Elder!
-All of the Brasilian elders call me Sister Wilkson. I dont get it. It´s phonetic. Why can´t they get the middle syllable? But i respond to it, so tudo bom, não?

And now, your weekly scripture reading! Alma 5, especially verses 33-35, and 43-49. AMAZING!!!!

Love you all!
~Sister Wilkinson