Rio Iguacu, Brazil- Week Five

This past was very busy for Elder L and me. We had several meetings with members of the ward, district meeting, and a special meeting for new missionaries. I had a lot of time to think about the things I need to improve on and how we can better bring people into the gospel. Every lesson we teaching is an opportunity to help our investigators grow their faith and their testimony. It is really important for us to be doing all we can to better help them feel the spirit and desire to follow Christ. 

We have a baptism this week planned for a girl who just turned 8. Her parents are not members but are progressing and have a desire to also be baptized. Her name is E and she is very quiet and a little shy during our lessons. I am comforted that she is understanding what we are teaching when she blurts out right answers to our question during our lessons. Also, during Sacrament meeting yesterday, she was drawing on my note pad and she drew a little picture of me. I felt pretty special.

Our ward here is planning an activity called "The Voice". A singing competition and I don´t remember if I have talked about this before but American music is really big in Brazil. They basically listen to the same songs we listen to on the radio but it is all in English. The people here love to listen but that can´t necessarily sing along. It is difficult so I was immediately drafted to perform because I speak English. I am going to sing, "The Scientist" by Coldplay with one of our investigators, Matheus. He is 20 years old and he love music. He plays the guitar so he will be accompanying me for "The Voice". We are really excited and I am a little nervous, but only a little nervous. The activity is on the 11 on November. 

This was the week that I finally got some mail!!! I was really excited. The package is here too!! I don't have it yet however. Quick story. The zone leaders were at our district meeting this past week and they said that a package had come for me and that they pick it up. It is at their house, which was great but they didn't´t know that Elder L and I were going to the mission home and could have pick it up their ourselves. So now I had to wait until this week when they do divisions with my district leader to get the package. Confusing and a little sad. BUT I know it is here. It was really cool to get my first letters.

Happy Halloween!!! Everyone I have talked knows about Halloween but I have not really been told that people do to celebrate it here. I don´t think it is as children friendly as it is in the states but none the less I am planning to buy the most pumpkin like fruit I can find and try to carve it with my companions.

This past week I got my first haircut in the field. I don´t really have any complaints other than I am told it is the "American" haircut. 

Love and miss you all. 

-- 

Elder Pinkney

Rio Iguacu, Brazil- Week Four

This past week, we had what I had been anticipating for a long time- a bad day. It was basically all I thought it would be. A lot of the people we needed to teach were not home. It rained. We were hungry. Elder L was the first to say it was not good. Because I had been expecting this, it did not hit me as hard as I thought but I spend a lot of time pondering what could have we done better. Elder L and I talked about it and he told me this. "We are here as representatives of Jesus Christ. This is not our work. It is God's, so if we have a bad day, we do not need to feel sad or depressed." God is directing our lives. It does us little good to spend more than a few minutes being sad. We can still feel sad but we need to keep going in faith that God is going to bring to past all He has intended for us. 

We have been teaching a family that received a little bit of persecution and pressure from their religious neighbors about the Church. Some very negative things were said about Mormons and so forth. So, Elder L and I had to work through some of these comments and it was pretty tricky. We have not met with them for several days now. However, we talked to President about this family and he offered to accompany us to a lesson with this family. My eyes lit up when Elder L told me this after getting off the phone with President. There is only a little pressure when you have to teach a lessons with the President of the Mission there. I am a little nervous but I am told he actually does this a lot. The lesson will probably be this coming week, so I will definitely write about it next week. This coming week is actually really exciting. We have district meeting at mission headquarters, and hopefully a baptism. 

This week, I'll say a little about my district. Super great. We are doing a lot of great work. 

Also Elder L and I had fun with the special effects on my camera (see below).

All and all I am doing really well. I am learning lots more about Brazil. I realized this week that I have not seen a single bath tub while I have been here. Can´t say why. Also, dryers are not a thing. But they have Kinders Eggs, which is something we are deprived in the States. (Google if you don´t know. They are amazing.) 

Thanks to all of you for your love and support,

Elder Pinkney

Rio Iguacu, Brazil- Week Three

This past P-day, we had a super P-day. We got together with a group of Elders and played board games at the chapel. We had lunch and it was a good time.

We were also inspired this week to BBQ on our back patio, which I had some doubt about starting a fire back there, but my companion was not hesitant, so we did. Everything turn out fine and it was pretty good BBQ.

We did a lot of work this week. It rained a lot, but luckily I had my handy dandy umbrella, which made the rainy nights bearable. My companion got soaked a couple times however. He didn´t always want to come under the umbrella for some reason.

Saturday was my birthday, so we had a little celebration that night. Pizza, Chocolate, and fun. My companion and I had a good time throwing confetti around the house.  It was a lot of fun.

We are working with an investigator named, J who is 14. He is progressing really well and he is scheduled to be baptized on the 28. We have a lot of faith that he will.  We are really excited for him. 

I am excited to say that I almost have a whole month in the field. Portuguese is getting a lot better. I have faith that I will eventually be able to talk to people. I am so grateful for the blessing God is giving me everyday, It is crazy to see the miracles everday. 

All is well,

Com amor,

Elder Pinkney

Rio Iguacu, Brazil- Week Two

I am actually surprised at how easy it is to find people. We talk to people in the street and knock on doors. But our schedule fills up pretty quickly. We taught about 26 lessons this week and we had 7 people come to church. We have hope that one of our investigators is going to be baptized on the 28.  We actually don´t knock on doors. Every house here has a gate to their driveway, so you clap your hands in front and then people come out. It is honestly one of the biggest difference I can think of about Brazil.

This area is a little different. It was a part of a big area but they split it, so there are four missionaries in the ward. My companion and I got the area that did not get tracked a lot because it is far away. There is only one member family in our area and one less active that we actually got to come to church this week. Exciting!! Anyway, there is a lot of work. We also have to walk two miles every day just to get to our area. The chapel is then also a couple miles in the other direction so it is really hard to convince our investigators to come to church when it is so far away. However, we got 4 investigators to church with the help of a member with a car. Plus, three of the less active family. So, my companion and I are counting it as 7.  It was a really good week. We do try to spend as much time as we can with the members. 

We taught one lady this week that was very aggressive. It was crazy. At one point, she threw her Bible across the room and later on, threw it in a trash can in front of us along with the Book of Mormon. It was very tense and I just sat there quietly trying to not say something that will further aggravate her and I let my companion do the talking. It was a crazy and funny experience, after the fact. 

The ward or congregation here is small but mighty. The members are so kind and they are so willing to help us. It is a good different. 

I think, for sure, I am coming to rely on the Lord more. Learning Portuguese has really humbled me. I feel like I would be so lost without my companion. I would not be able to function here. One thing, in particular, that has been challenging is teaching. I know I am able to teach people but it is so hard in Portuguese cause even when I think I am saying it right, my accent is really bad and they do not understand. I work with my companion a lot on focusing on little phrases and principles that I can share during the lessons. It is little by little and it has been so frustrating because I just want to be able to do everything right, right now.  I don´t want to feel like a burden to my companion or that I am not being the best missionary I can be. SO, I have really been praying and working on staying calm and having faith. Focusing on the things that matter like sharing my testimony so they can feel the spirit. I actually have been reading My Heritage and I have been inspired a lot through the sacrifice of early saints. I feel a lot like them in many ways. That is what I will share. I am definitely not going to try to stay the same. 

All in all it was a great week. I know the church is true and that God is helping me every single day.

Love,

Elder Pinkney

Rio Iguacu, Brazil- First Week in the Field

Our flight from Sao Paulo to Curitiba was really fast about the same time from D.C. to New York actually. There were about 15 of us all together going to the Curitiba missions and 4 other American Elders that went to Curitba South with me. Our arrival at the airport was a lot less frantic and scary than as it was getting to Sao Paulo. We were greeted by the AP´s and President Cuvelier. We went straight to the temple and took pictures and had a message from both the Temple President and President Cuvelier. That is where we send goodbye to the other mission and we went to the President´s home for lunch. Very good!

After that, we went to mission headquarter where we spent the afternoon and evening having training and interviews with President. It was so exciting to finally get to meet him and start to build my relationship with him. There were a lot of jokes made at us poor Americans that could not understand Portuguse, however, that will quickly change. 

I meet my trainer, Elder L, who ahs been out for 9 months. He is from Belam, which is up north and was a proffesional soccer player before his mission. (Unfortauntely, he will not get any practice since we are not allowed to play in our mission.) 

That night we went to our area (Rio Iguacu) and sleep at our house. It is about 40 minutes outside of Curitiba. There are four missionaries that live in our house. Myself, Elder L, Elder G, and Elder S. All of us are serving in the same ward (Rio Iguacu) and we are our own district as well. We spend a lot of time together. 

The next day, we had our district meeting at the chapel, which is about an hour walk from our house. After that, we got to work finding people and teaching lessons. I was surpirsed at how right of the back, we found a lot of people who let us come into their home and share our message. The people here are so kind and they seem really open to the missionaries. 

This weekend, we had general conference, which we were going to watch at the chapel but their interenet was not working so, we were invited to the stake President´s home to watch Saturday evening. It was a great expereince. All the missionaries in the stake were there and it is crazy that even though I am in Brazil, the stake president´s home has the same Spirit. It was very comforting to be there and watch conference.  We watched the Sunday session at another member's home and we were very relaxed. 

All in all the first week was very exciting. I am excitied for this coming week were we will have more time to get to work. Also, I am excited to say my Portuguse is getting a lot better too. 

I know that I am doing the Lord´s work and that there are many people here that will be blessed through the gospel. 

Love you all,

Elder Pinkney