Thursday, August 20, 2015

HEY EVERYONE, GUESS WHAT??? I'M IN BRAZIL!


August, 17, 2015

HEY EVERYONE, GUESS WHAT????? IM IN BRAZIL!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!! Okay so this is gonna be a long e-mail because I’m including the stuff that happened my last week in the MTC and what's happened since I’ve been in Brazil.
 First, my last week in the MTC. I went to the Provo Temple for the last time for two years, which is sad because it is so important to me, but I know I’ll be back in no time. The temple truly is a beautiful place and I am so grateful for it. President Nelson of the quorum of the Twelve spoke to us tonight for the devotional and it was awesome. He didn´t say anything we couldn´t say, it was very simple. But he spoke with authority and power, and I know everyone in the room was feeling it. I got to do some teaching/spend more time with Elder Bradshaw in my district. This last week and he´s really helped me to be optimistic. He´s really good at the language, is a hard worker, and is a good friend, and I´ve really enjoyed working more closely with him this week. I had my last lessons with my investigators Jose and Manuela and it´s so amazing to see how they´ve progressed from the first time we taught them. Along with that, I said my goodbyes to my teachers, Sister Sandholtz and Brother Belchior. I´m really gonna miss them ,they both taught me so much about how to be the best missionary and best person I ca. It´s awesome how much I know I’ll use what they taught me in the field.
I´m not gonna go into details cause I don´t have time, but the Lord worked another miracle on Sunday. It´s amazing to see what he can do for us. Sunday was a day of goodbyes, and that was really, really difficult. I’ve made so many amazing friends here at the MTC and I´m gonna miss them a lot. But most people I’ll see again at BYU, so it´s okay. It didn´t hit me that I was leaving until I got on the plane for Brazil. I was glad to be travelling with two people I knew, Elder Summers and Sister Stowell, and then we were joined by another missionary, Sister Rammell.
When I got to Brazil, holy cow. Everything is Portuguese and I have no idea what is going on. They had a church person there for me to make sure I knew where to go, then I said my goodbyes to my American friends and I was on my own.  A Group of Elders also going to my mission talked to me a little at the gate and I didn´t understand anything. The accents combined with the speed of natives prove to be very difficult. But I saw one Sister I knew from the Provo MTC, Sister Wheatley, who helped me out a bit.
Then was my flight to Joao Pessoa and the beginning. I met my mission president, and he´s nice. Brazil is a lot different from the US, obviously. Basically there was dinner and orientation and driving around the city and I had no idea what anyone was saying or anything that was going on. This first week has honestly been difficult beyond description. It´s gonna take a lot of faith, patience, trust in the Lord, and hard work until I become the missionary I want to be. My trainer, Elder Hodges, is an American, but he speaks like a native, and he makes me speak Portuguese all the time, which is good but also extremely frustrating. This area is very poor, and I’m actually glad to be living in a different lifestyle then I’m used to, it´s very humbling. The people are great, very nice. So I did the usual, tracting, appointments with investigators and members, street contacting, the whole bit. I can barely contribute, but I give input when I can. We had a baptism on Sunday, the person had already committed before I got here but I’m glad to have been a part of it. Food is good, although my stomach needs to adjust. I’m sorry I am short on details right now, I don’t have much time. But ya, think that´s about it. Very difficult, but I know I’ll be blessed.
Until next week!
Love you all!
Elder Carroll
final week at the MTC with our teacher Sister Sandholtz
 
final week at the MTC with Brother Belchoir
 
with Brother Belchoir
 
2 Carroll boys at the MTC - with my cousin (1st cousin once removed actually) Austin
 
Elder Carroll made it to Brazil & into his mission's monthly newsletter

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