In Which I Laugh, Dance, Cry, and Sing

(Sorry I'm late this week! I've been at EFY! --Becca)


Hello, English-speaking world! I'm four weeks into my first transfer and I'm still alive to tell the tale!

QUICK stories of the last couple weeks:

~ at a member's home, there was a white pigeon that thought it was a chicken...it followed the rooster around and danced for it! Hilarious and weird.

~ one evening, I got home from a day's work, opened my bag, and realized I had accidently robbed some little family of their remote control. We laughed a lot about this one.

~ it's much harder to speak Portuguese early in the morning and late at night. Often, I accidently say things in English to people during these times. I get some weird looks.

~ yesterday night, we were walking through the middle of the city and saw a little herd of cows (looked more like zebus) scrounging for food in the street. They found a trash pile and commenced eating, including the baby cow, who was nursing from it's mother. Oh, Brazil.

~ a man we contacted the other day thought I was Latino at first, even though I'd said a few things to him. Then he thought I was Portuguese! Auntie Anne, apparently I sometimes have a Portugal accent! Haha! Cool.

~ people here put on sweaters and coats when it gets in the 60s. Seriously...I'm getting concerned for the summer.

~ I bought 20 ORANGES FOR 2 REAIS. That's about one dollar. I'm stilling freaking out about this. And still eating those oranges.

This week was long, and sometimes really hard. I'm still struggling with the language. Correction--actually, I'm doing pretty okay with the language, but I'm impatient with myself sometimes. Each day I'm improving, though. There's absolutely nothing like a mission to humble a person!

A scripture that has began to mean more for me this week: in the Book of Mormon, Alma 28:14 - "And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing--sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life." This is powerful. The biggest sorrows of missionary work is when people who were progressing and changing lose their focus and thus lose their chances of happiness. But when people we teach don't lose focus, and they read the scriptures and pray and get an answer from God, they are so blessed, and so are we as teachers!

I am so so so so so grateful and happy to be here. Missionary work is a funny thing

I LOVE YOU ALL

Sis. Petty