Òla!!
Just another week in a foreign country trying to speak a foreign
language!
Mafra is amazing! But its tiny and the work here isn’t the greatest
which has been hard. We teach the first lesson a lot but it doesn’t get much
further than that, but that’s okay. This week has been great! ~
I am starting to be able to understand a lot more and actually teach
some during lessons. People just assume I don’t speak the language so they are
always so surprised when I do speak and always help me with the conjugations
and grammar which is so nice! After I prayed one lesson the lady we were
teaching leaned over to my companion and asked where I was from. Like hello I
am right here and I can answer your question!! But yes my accent is still
really really bad
It’s only us really in the area. On Tuesday we had district meeting
and then we went to Mem Martins yesterday so we were with other
English-speaking missionaries but we are a Portuguese speaking mission so we
aren’t supposed to speak English. I mean of course that’s really hard but
everyone says I actually speak really well for only being here a week so I was
way surprised by that!
We have been doing a lot of finding this week at home because it’s
been colder in the evenings so there aren’t too many people on the street.
Finding is not my favorite thing because about 90% of the people are Catholic
or just aren’t the nicest to us. One night we had been knocking doors for about
2 hours and it was so windy and so cold and I was pretty over it, but sister
Santos was determined to get to the end of the street. At the end of the street
this older couple opened the door and they were SO nice they let us in and fed
us cookies and juice and they were just the greatest! They weren’t overly
interested so nothing will probably come of it but we got good food and a warm
place for a few minutes so it was so worth it.
Mafra in itself is pretty tiny but then we also cover Malvera and
Ericera so we try to take the bus to those places once a week. We go to Mavera
every Saturday and Ericera every Wednesday and just schedule all of our
appointments those days. It’s hard for those Pescadores though because church
is pretty far for them so we don’t have many progressing there. But other than
that we just walk everywhere. Mafra is definitely the prettiest of the 3 areas
we cover so I am glad we live here.
The branch is so tiny. It has only been around 2 years. They have
their own building (like an office building) but it is super nice. All of the
leadership comes from other areas in Portugal. The branch President right now
lives in Mem Martins and they were called to serve in Mafra right now. They are
incredible! But other than that there aren’t many other members. The branch
president always brings a priesthood holder with him to bless the sacrament and
pass so that’s good. Its crazy how small it is and that there are no elders.
It’s just us as the missionaries. The area is too small for more than one
companionship and there were 2 transfers where the elders really messed around
I guess so now there are sisters trying to fix the area. It’s hard because
there is really no work. Too many people are catholic or just don’t want the
gospel.
When people find out I’m from America and California they always ask
if I know their family. One of them was like oh I have a cousin in Florida do
you know him?? Hahah NO and then someone asked if I knew someone from Boston.
Geography is not their strong point clearly.
Communication with my companion has gotten so much easier and we can
joke around with each other and have a fun time. But there is still a lot of
smiling and nodding pretending like I know what she is saying.
We taught this old lady this week who was in her 80s or 90s and she
talked SO much like so so much so we kept just trying to cut her off to
actually give the lesson! I was talking
about Joseph Smith and about to say the first vision and she turns to my
companion and tells her that her neck looks a little fat and she should
probably get it checked out and talked for like 10 minutes about necks it was
SO funny. Finally we just bore our testimonies and ended the lesson because she
would not stop talking.
Yesterday we went to Mem Martins with the branch president for
lunch. 3 other missionary companions came to that are in the area and it was so
fun! They made Brazilian food that was INCRÍVEL and it was so fun to be with
other missionaries too! But I realized that right as I am around English
speakers my desire to speak English increases so much, so there is definetly a
reason I have a native speaking companion.
Since I can’t speak the language that well I don’t really feel like
I am doing any work and its pretty frustrating. I really want to help others
come unto Christ and feel of God´s love but I just don’t have the words to do
that and it seems like forever until I will be able to speak and understand
well. It has really forced me to give up every ounce of pride I have and fully
rely on the Lord. He is literally the only way I can get through each day. ~
That text from Denise is so comforting because I feel like the only
one so lost with the language with a native. All of my other friends and people
from the MTC all have English speaking companions or live with English speakers
but I am really all alone. I know I will learn a lot faster this way but it is
just SO hard sometimes. Especially in the morning it is so hard to communicate.
But I am finding a way to make it work.
Also the best part of Portugal is probably the fact that since there
are no dryers everyone hangs their laundry outside their window and in our
apartment right by our door a lady is always drying her granny panties as she
sits there and drinks her coffee without a care in the world. EVERY day without
a care! Cada dia. It’s awesome!
Today for P-day we went to the beach and it was SO PRETTY! It
reminded me of home so much… ahh I love Portugal!
Literally so pretty here! My pictures won’t upload at the moment but
I will try again because so pretty!
Okay so long but that was my week! Love you all! Love this church!!
Sister Jones
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