Querido família e amigos,

Olá de Palmas, Tocantins!! The past 5 days have been roooough. Learning a language is hard. HARD. I think one of the hardest things for me has been being in a group of people, and the brasilieros assuming I´m stupid or have no thoughts or emotions because I am not able to express them through their language. Being the foreigner is definitely different from anything I´ve ever experienced. It´s one of the hardest, humbling experiences I have ever had. It´s hard to see small children that can speak português better than I can. BUT, I will get it eventually. I know that. Everybody has to do the first couple months of the mission some time, right?

Now for some GOOD things that happened this week!!

The ward is awesome. The members here in Brasil are INCREDIBLE. They are so loving, so strong in their faith...I love it so much. I really love eating in the houses of members por almoço cada día. The spirit there is amazing. I love that the church here is the same as in any other country in the world. It´s the same! The Restoration is the same, O Livro de Mórmon is the same, the message is the same...it´s the SAME gospel! I am here in the Brasil to preach the same gospel that I learned in primary when I was a little girl. That is such an amazing thing to me.

All of our progressing pesquisadores came to church yesterday, that was awesome!! Here in Brasil, we call members and pesquisadores by their primeiro nomes, their first names. Por exemplo, the wife of the bishop is Irma Bianca. Our pesquisadores right now are Irmão Nilo, we taught him the first lesson last week and he came to church! We also have a family, Irmão Jorge and Irma Francisca. They have a son and a daughter from Irma Francisca´s first marriage. They came to church yesterday too. They have a marriage and baptismal date for December 13th!! Taylor Swift´s birthday;) (not that i know that...)

Today me, Sister Alvez (minha companheira), Sister Constancio (de Argentina) and Sister Soares (de São Paulo) went to the governor´s palace!! In the palace there is the CENTER of Brasil. YES you read that right, THE CENTER OF BRASIL. The center of the country!! The exact center! Cool, right? Eh I think it´s cool. We took a group photo with O Livro de Mórmon cause it´s like quadruple power when you´re standing in the very center of Brasil. :) 

Tocantins is HOT. Way hot. It´s at the very edge of our mission. Every day is pretty much either pouring rain and we´re swimming through the streets (not really...but it´s a lot of rain) or it´s BLAZING hot and one hour after getting outside I´m already gross. Love the mission life, ya??? Our mission president requires us to take 2 showers a day because of how hot it is. #amoserummissionário #ilovetobeamissionary 

 

We walk. A lot. Last night we walked 45 minutes in the rain to get to an appointment. And we didn´t even end up teaching that person. (When I say these things please don´t think I´m complaining, I LOVE IT. Just trying to describe.:) Sister Alvez and I sing hymns as we walk. I´ll teach her songs in inglês, she´ll teach me songs in português. We´ve been teaching each other A Primeira Visão (the first vision) in our native languages. I love it when Sister Alvez talks in inglês!!! She knows quite a bit for a brasilian. It´s so weird to imagine that I have an american accent...I know I do, but it´s weird to think about.

If we´re not walking, we´re taking the ônibus! I love the bus. It feels like the Indiana Jones ride how crazy the buses are. I LOVE IT. Cause it will start and go super super fast, like the IJ ride, and then it will stop suddenly right before crashing into another vehicle. Awesome, right? ;)

There is a quote that I remember out here often:

"If things are going perfectly, treasure it because it won´t last forever. If things are awful, be patient because it won´t last forever." I´ve learned to treasure those really special moments, like listening to the primary program that was yesterday in Church, or laughing with one of the members that I feel is my soul sister from the pre-existence...you have to love those moments!! Because they won´t last forever!! And if things are tough, if I can´t explain what´s on my mind or if I´m having a rough time...it won´t last forever either. :) 

When things are hard, I just remember that this is NOT a sacrifice. At all. I´m on the Lord´s errand, it is a PRIVILEGE to be out here, literally representing Jesus Christ. 

Never forget that Brasil is the best!! Don´t worry, USA is still my home country ;) #lovethismissionlife #MissãoBrasilBrasília #minhaprimeiraárea #Palmas #Tocantins #euamoBrasil #SisterAlvezisthebesttrainerIcouldeverhave

Boa semana, todo! Muito amor,

Sister Hill