Oi Familia!!
Tudo Bem?! Eu amo o campo. Haha The field is great. Much better than the MTC. Really different though! So yeah I didn´t die last week I just couldn't email. Okay, so I'm gonna start from the beginning as far back as I can remember... It feels like years since the MTC.
So as you guys know, I lost my camera... WHICH SUCKED! So I talked to Elder Snyder, (an elderly elder that is in charge of things like that...) and he said that it should be fine because I lost it on the bus and that I would see it again that night. But it never came! So every single day from that Wednesday I was praying and checking with the Snyder´s and.... no luck. Friday and Saturday they were all gone so I was pretty much about to accept that it was gone. On Monday I got a hold of Sister Snyder and asked one more time and she hadn't heard anything. So that sucked but she called and left a message with the bus people. So on Tuesday at 3:00 AM we had to wake up and head down to leave the MTC. We were waiting outside the MTC and right before we left in the vans, one of the staff members walked over with a camera asking for an Elder Davis!!! AAAHHHH it was so legit. Definitely a miracle right there. I was very blessed!
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| How I felt after losing my camera... |
So after that we got on a plane and went to Salvador, and let me tell ya, it was soooooo humid! When I stepped out of the plane... I felt just WET... haha But anyways, we got picked up by the President and his wife, drove to his house, and had a bunch of orientation... And just so you know, I didnt shower Monday night, and I forgot to put deodorant on in the morning, so I STUNK... REALLY REALLY BAD! Anyways we sat and had people lecture us in Portuguese and then went contacting for the first time. It was pretty cool! Then we interviewed with the president and after that he announced companionships. I was with 2 other elders from my district (all the other people who were new were brasileros). So, my new companion is Elder Araújo, he´s brasilero, and he doesn't speak any english. haha
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| Me and Elder Araujo |
My area was a 16 hr bus ride away..... and I smelled like really bad BO already. Anyways, I hugged people goodbye with my BO soaked body, and I'm so tall that usually peoples noses are right to my armpits... so that's not good... But anyways we went on the bus ride which was pretty long and sucky but I slept a lot. Finally we got to Porto Seguro, and we took a taxi near where our apartment is. This first day was pretty overwhelming... The area in Porto Seguro that we are in charge of is really poor. COMPLETELY different lifestyles than Springville! When we arrived at our apartment I was super surprised... I was like... really?? haha It's a really poor place.. but that's okay. All the houses are made out of this redish brick, sorta like in Mexico. Everyone either makes their own houses or hires a bricklayer so it's not very organized loooking. Ill send some pictures. Our apartment is just the upstairs of a members house. (I don´t have a maid mom. haha Its just us.) The House was suuuupper messy and the bathroom was even worse. I am still trying to find gloves or something to clean it with. But yeah it sucks!
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| View from my apartment window! |
Anyways after that I went out and met some members and investigators. (And I don't have a lot of time because I was reading everyones emails and forgot that I have to email the mission president too.) But every single day we just walk around and teach lessons. It's hard because NOBODY here speaks english so I am totally immersed in an only Portuguese area. It's good though, my Portuguese is getting better every day! We have 3 progressing investigators, I dont remember their names... but they have problems with chastity and Word of Wisdom, so we can't baptize them yet. They baptize a lot of people here usually, (we are trying to get at least one a week as a companionship) but this Saturday won't happen. Anyways I'll send you some pics too! I made a voice recording describing things more so I will try to send that next week. I just gotta find a cord.... hahaha alrighty love you guys!! I think about you all the time.
Love,
Elder Davis
(Voice Recording of Josh's 1st week in Brazil)