Week 1 of Hortolândia- 1st Area

Miriam at the Mission Offices (President and Sister Card) 

Meeting her first companion in the field, Sister Casperson

The sister on the far right is Sister Stott (Miriam's MTC companion)

Miriam's Letter 👇

 "So, as it turns out, the mission field itself offers a lot more options to write about than the MTC. But we'll see how long this email goes on for because the phone I'm writing it on is complete trash.

Mas, tudo bem.

Day 1: my new companion, Sister Casperson, and I showed up in our new area, Rosolém (I believe that's what it's called**).  There was originally only one apartment in the complex, but it can only house two people, so we were going to get a new apartment. The catch was that there was nothing, NOTHING, in our new apartment except a sink. But in any case, when we showed up to the other apartment for the night, it had been crammed full of all our new appliances and furniture. The stove, the fridge, the washing machine, our unassembled desks and closets...

Needless to say that it was a tight fit for the night.

Day 2: we eventually got all of our crap together late in the afternoon, then we had to go shopping because we also had zero food, cleaning supplies, or dishes. After buying everything, we had to sit and think for a moment how we were going to carry it back to the apartment because we don't have a car. Long story short, we had to carry all of it.

When we got back to the apartment and put everything away, I decided to take a shower. But first, I wanted to test the water. There were no problems when I turned it on, but when I turned it off, all the power in the house went out. SO for the next three days until a member came out and fixed it for us, Sister Casperson and I had to make sure the other was ready at the circuit breaker before we turned the shower off.

Dang Brazilians. WHY MUST YOU PLUG YOUR SHOWERS INTO THE WALL?

(Side note: all of my apartments can only go down hill from here because all my stuff is nEw AnD ShInY aNd ClEaN aNd It WiLl PrObAbLy NeVeR bE tHaT wAy AgAiN)

Tour the Apartment!!!

Day 3: I got to meet a couple of recent converts. The second was a 15 year old named Amanda. I didn't understand a word she said, but she seemed really kind and sweet. My companion had been the one to get her baptized when she was in this same city several months earlier. I wish I had been able to talk with Amanda, but alas. I can't at the moment.

The first convert I met was a 19 year old named Felipe. He had been baptized the week before I got there, I believe, and I have no clue how to describe him. Sister Casperson suggested the description: hilarious in a blunt -teenage -hippie -Brazilian- boy- who- just -stopped- doing drugs- in -the- past -week kind of way.

I have a couple of other stories that happened on days 4 and 5, but I want to save those until a later date.

Day 6: it was fast Sunday so I had to get up to bear my testimony in Portuguese (speaking of Portuguese, I'm getting my butt absolutely handed to me by the language). The members keep telling me that I speak it very well, and one told me that by the time I leave, he's certain I won't even have an accent. I sure hope that's true because right now it kinda sucks.

I also got a little tiny taste of Brazilian rain, and it was, of course, the one time I decided not to bring my umbrella.

I'll end with this thought: I'm so grateful that I have the gospel in my life.

We've met a couple of people who've never had it, and, to them, life is meaningless and dreary. So, I'm grateful that have the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope that I will be able to really share my thoughts soon.

Tchau!"

**[5-1-23 We discovered the city is Hortolândia]