Week 7 - Obidos!!!

Thanks everyone for all the emails! They were great!

So I'll start on last Tuesday. We left the CTM at about 3:45 am and went to the airport. The baggage thing wasn't an issue. I could bring 2 bags and there was no weight limit. So that was good. We had a six hour flight to Belém. Then we went to the mission home and ate lunch and just hung out for awhile. The assistants were there along with the secretaries and a couple of other elders. We had some training and then we were assigned trainers. I had been praying really hard that I would get a good trainer who loved to work hard and be obedient. I also wanted to be put in a pretty remote area so I could get used to the worst conditions and the language at the same time. There were 7 new missionaries and only 4 trainers were present at the mission home because some couldn't travel that far. So all the new missionaries got assigned an area and a trainer and I was the last one... and all the trainers were taken so I expected just to meet mine in the field. Then they announced my area and everyone went crazy! Óbidos is the 2nd farthest area and super poor and right on the Amazon River. So that was one answered prayer. Then Elder Capello's picture came up and everyone went even more crazy! It was a surprise thing. He has been an assistant for the past 5 transfers and now I will be his last companion. He said he loved being in the office but he just wanted to get back out and work. So all my prayers were answered! 

The next day we caught a 2-ish hour flight to Santarem. We met up with some elders in that area and then went to the zone leaders house. Travel was all walking and buses. One of the zone leaders is American. He was waiting for his visa for almost a year but served in a Portuguese-speaking mission in the US so he is fluent. He was so excited to be able to speak English! 

So that night we took a boat. It left at 8 pm and is a 7 hour ride so we just slept the night on there. One of the secretaries served in Óbidos so he gave me his hammock. The boat has 3 levels and tons of hooks! There were SOO many hammocks on there it was crazy! We were packed like sardines! I slept alright but I kept waking up because these stupid black bugs about the size of a quarter kept coming out of nowhere and crawling all over me! But that's alright. We got here Thursday morning and went to work. 

Its crazy here! All the roads are sand so that makes walking easier... its like walking 15 miles on a beach trying to keep up with Elder Capello whose normal walk is my dead out sprint. But its all good. A lot of the houses are literally 4 pieces of wood and a sheet of tin as the roof, with dirt floors, but the people have brand new smartphones and sometimes a really nice TV. And EVERYONE has these huge speaker systems. There are SOO many little beat up cars with a huge speaker on top just blaring music down the street.. tons of them! And they all listen to American music so I'm about fed up with Flo Rida and Jason Derulo... 

People here have lots of kids, and if they are younger than 5 you can bet they are butt naked. So that's funny! There are tons of dogs too - and most of them live on the street and they are either dead or look like they are about to die. So you know that's hard for me.

The food here is amazing. I feel like I've gained 50 pounds! We eat lunch with members every day and they make you eat tons. As long as I have enough rice I can eat anything. My first day during lunch I heard a lot of chirping. I thought it was outside but then the lady reached down and grabbed a little bitty bird that was sitting on the chair next to her and it ran around on the table for a while. HA! And on my second lesson ever, I was giving my part of the restoration and the lady just starts feeding her baby right in front of me. Portuguese is hard enough but that made it way more uncomfortable. But that has happened a few times since so now I'm used to it. 

I have had SOO many people just flat out laugh in my face when I start talking! Its crazy! They say its because they love my accent but whatever. It doesn't bother me. I have made so many friends already! I love these people! I wish I could serve in Òbidos for the whole 2 years! Water is never an issue because you can walk up to any house, clap a few times and they will bring you out some water. These people are so receptive and kind. Its like everyone is family. I am literally the only American here so I'm referred to as "The American"and all the little kids love me! 

I had my first baptism Saturday. He's a 9 year old boy and he is super good. We are teaching his mom now and hope to baptize her soon. We had a special conference Sunday with Elder Toledo. It was really good. We had 14 investigators come! Not bad for 4 days! We literally walked past a family and said hey come to church with us we will come back in an hour to get you! They said ok but didn't look sure so we didn't know if they meant it. But when we walked past later the 2 little girls who were naked earlier were sitting on the porch with their little dresses on ready to go! It was hilarious. I can't take much credit because Elder Capello does 90 percent of the talking! But it was still great!

Elder Capello speaks good English but one of his old American companions taught him slang words so he uses those a lot! Its hilarious! The other night we were about a 15 minute walk from our house and we were about to be late. I usually make contacts on the way home and he told me to go ahead with that but I said we didn't have time because it was 9:25.. He looked panicked and said in English, "Oh fetch, we aren't gonna make it... we are going to lose blessings man!!!" Then he took off running! I took off too! It was hilarious! Then my watch ended up being a few minutes fast so we ran more than we needed to.. but it was still funny!

     

Well that's about it for this week! I absolutely love it here! Not much time but read Moroni 9:25-26. It's a letter from Mormon to his son and I loved those verses. 

25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

26 And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.

Sorry if I missed anything. I love y'all and can't wait to hear from you soon! Sorry I couldn't respond directly to everyone but I love your letters and emails.

Elder Green