Called to Serve: Elder Jeffrey Carroll's Joao Pessoa Journey: 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