Update from this week: Things are good! I can't believe I've been here for 4 weeks and 2 days! Everyone says by your fourth week, everything starts to turn around, the language gets better, things are still hard, but the weeks really zip by. There is a glimpse of hope, one elder got his visa! We're all jealous with envy...but in a Christ-like missionary way of course :).
On Saturday, our district did a language fast, ALL Portuguese, all day. I will have to admit it was rough, but I stuck through it, knowing once I'm in Brazil, English isn't an option. This week, we are challenging ourselves to do Saturday through Monday no English. I think it will be really good. On Wednesday, Sister Bee and I taught the first lesson in Portuguese. It wasn't really the first lesson, the Elders taught this pretend investigator 3 times before, and never explained prophets, Christ's ministry or Joseph Smith. They basically say, God loves you, now read this book. Haha! He said he was going to drop us if Sister Bee and I hadn't gone in and explained the whole restoration of the gospel thing (sort of important). It was hard. It took us 50 minutes to explain everything. My teacher said he was really proud of me because he saw me struggling, but I refused to get help from Sister Bee. I needed to be able to form sentences and speak. He said I did a great job and am on my way to doing well. That was encouraging because I still find everything fairly frustrating. Sometimes I feel I can't teach very well in English, let alone adding a whole new language to the mix. But I'm working hard, and know that it will come...someday.
This Sunday, I'm putting together a musical number of the sisters in our branch. We have 11 sisters, and we're singing Mary's Lullaby in Portuguese. Its really pretty, and I'm excited about it. Although, I'm a little concerned that I'm singing the descandt, because I don't feel I'm that great, but not many of them read music. Oh well, it sounds good still.
We had mission conference on Sunday for fast sunday. The second counselor in the MTC presidency's wife spoke, Sister Clegg. She gave one of the best talks on the nativity I have ever heard. Or maybe my eyes are just really opened to basic truths here, because I feel I'm re-learning the gospel through a new lense. But it was amazing, and I've enyoyed studying the Birth of Christ on my own. Did you read that article in the Christmas Ensign about History and connecting Luke to Matthew to The Book of Mormon? I though it was interesting, and I like how much he quoted Isaiah.
This week I'm memorizing D&C 4 in Portuguese. I have the first 2 verses down. I will have the next 2 by next week, its my goal. Our teacher had us find our favorite missionary in the scriptures to share. I think his intention was to have us look in the book of Mormon, but just to be a little defiant, I looked up Parley P Pratt in D&C. Its chapter 32, and I actually found it to be very comforting. He was sent to preach among the lamanites, and was blessed with the ability to speak the language, and that God would always be his companion as he was obedient. Its awesome and I have decided that his blessing applies to me too. Is that okay? :)
I'm learning this whole new idea, well not really new, but applying it that obediecnce=faith. Hello, this should be obvious. Christ was perfectly obedient, so He had perfect faith. But I have to put it into action every minute of my day. The more exact obedient, the more blessings, the more faith. And the adversary works so hard on the little details, trying to bring us doubt and discouragement, there is no room to error on obedience. Every minute counts. Every thought, every movement, every attitude, it all affects everything. The moment I let doubt in the adversary can take over. Its crazy!
And on that note I have to send this e-mail because the timer is blinking at me, screaming that I only have 3 minutes to press send. I love you all! I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the wonderful support! Keep writing, I love the letters. And the Christmas Presents!! FELIZ NATAL!! :)
Sister Pratt
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