Week 5 of Hortolândia- 1st Area

 Well, we talked with Miriam through Messenger at the usual 6am time this morning. She told us she's feeling better than she did last week. So, that's a relief! 💗She's meeting with the Mission President this Wednesday for a transfer interview. Sounds like her first one will be coming up soon. She's a little nervous because she's heard stories of some of the other areas in her mission having flea and ant issues or members not being very kind.  She said she's had it too good in her first area with a brand-new apartment, no bug problems, and such caring/loving members. "It's bound to be down-hill from here."

I replied, "Not necessarily. Life has a way of balancing out difficulties and blessings. There will most likely be things in your next area that you absolutely love, things you didn't have here in your first area. Each new stage of our life is often both better and worse at the same time....but mostly better. ;) It's hard to compare because each stage is just different."

"What's the update about Adilma, that woman you told us about your second week there." Miriam seemed disappointed, "Things were going pretty good with her but she's struggling with the concept that we're the only true church with priesthood authority. This is an issue for Adilma because she has already been baptized in another faith and doesn't understand why it's not valid. We told her that this is something she's going to need to pray about because the only one who can help her understand this is God." Joseph and I said,  "It sounds like you guys told her the best answer. I guess we'll see what happens." 

We asked Miriam if she was planning on sending any new pictures this week or writing an email. "There's nothing new to share, " she said. 

"Don't feel bad about that, Miriam. We were talking to your Aunt Merrit and Aunt Ann yesterday on a family zoom call and they said that Isaac and Emma never write emails. I guess with missionaries being able to call home once a week, they don't feel like it's very necessary. BUT I still think it's great to try and keep up with emails because all the other people back home like to get the updates."

We asked her how the food issue was going. She said she still doesn't dare to tell people when she's full. "It's impolite here to not eat everything they put in front of you. The people actually get mad if you turn something down." She cited an earlier scenario, "This past week we were with some other Sisters and Elders and there was one Elder trying to tell the member who was feeding us that he didn't feel well and that he couldn't handle anymore food. The member snapped at him and demanded he not leave until he ate everything. Luckily for Miriam, this Elder distracted the member enough that Miriam was able to sneak away without her noticing that she had also not finished everything on her plate.

Miriam looked out her apartment window contemplating for a minute, "You want to know another strange thing about the way they do things here? All along the street people put their garbage in little baskets on a pole for the garbage workers to pick them up. The guys run along side the truck, jump off grab the basket to dump it, and then jump on the back of the truck.

And they don't just go down one side of the street at a time, they zig-zag the from one side of the road to the other the whole street down." It makes her so grateful for the simple city programs we have in America.