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