Petrópolis

Olá meus querídos!

Like I said in my last email, I was transferred from a small city in the state of Minas Gerais to a larger city called Petrópolis right next to Rio de Janeiro!  It’s been a bit of a transition because it is very different here than any other place I’ve been in my mission.  Most of Minas Gerais is small cities with endless rolling green hills.  The people there are friendly, generally well off, and very Catholic.

Here in Rio, the landscape is like an extreme version of Minas.  There are mountains that literally go straight up. It’s so much greener here, probably because it rains all the time.  But unfortunately the people are less friendly here, the living circumstances are a lot simpler and there are many people here that are VERY firm in their beliefs.  I’ve been bashed more times in the past two weeks than my whole mission. One of them was with a pastor.  He sent us a media reference and asked for us to come over, but it was a trap.  Don’t worry though we totally won.

This ward is pretty dope.  The bishop is super awesome and super involved in everything in the ward and the missionary work.  The only problem is that our area is tiny.  This city has 5 companionships and our area is just a couple of neighborhoods of it.  That’s way different from any other of my areas because we were the only missionaries in the city and the surrounding cities.  It’s good though, because I don’t have to walk as much.

Also because I’m in a different state everybody here talks so differently.  They’re actually a lot easier to understand, but everybody makes a “sh” sound instead of an “s” sound and it’s kinda funny because now I’m starting to talk the same way.  Also everyone uses “tu” here. In Portuguese there are two forms for saying “you”:  “Você” the more common form and “tu” which is used in very formal situations (referring to God) and informal situations (talking to friends).  Almost everyone in Minas uses “Você”, but here everybody uses “tu” which is very different for me haha.  I’ve been speaking Portuguese for almost a year now, but now I have to relearn the word for “you” and it’s killing me cause it’s already automatic.

Last week me and my comp ate at a Chinese-Brazilian restaurant (a Chinese person making Brazilian food) and we got sooooooo sick!  Like I didn’t eat anything the rest of the week.  It was a pretty nice looking restaurant but some of the members said they sell stuff with dog meat.  Don’t worry I will not be eating there again and they will receive a scathing Yelp review when I get home in a year, when I have more free time!  

This area didn’t have much going on when I got here and we don’t really have any progressing investigators but we’ve been working hard and we’ve found some cool people.  So hopefully I’ll have some more good news for you guys next week. I’ll let you know if Aldo the Pastor goes to church because he said he would.

Here’s a dope scripture!

Helman 10:4-5:

Blessed art thou Nephi for those things which thou hast done, for I have behold how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the words which I have given unto thee, unto this people.  And thou has not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but has sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever and I will make thee mighty in work and in deed, in faith and in works, yea even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.  

Pretty cool right?!  Because of Nephi's faith, obedience and diligence, God blessed him and said he can do "all things" because he wouldn't ask contrary to God's will.  I've been relating a little with Nephi preaching to the wicked Nephites but I've also seen, like him, how obedience and diligence brings blessings!  Although I don't remember his exact words, President Nelson said something like "keeping the higher laws of God gives us access to His higher divine power".  Without a doubt, mission rules are a much higher standard than given to any member of the church, the ability to promise blessings in the name of Jesus Christ as His representatives. I can't deny the spirit I have felt testifying of Christ as His representative. I know this is His work and we are His hands.  I love you guys!