Hello hello!
I'm sweating right now because i have 15
minutes to write this email...hopefully it doesn't show too much in the content
that my stress level is through the roof!
We have two new roommates who only speak
spanish. So there is an interesting language beign spoken right now in our
room....portuenglanol. (portuguese, engish, espanol) but they are awesome.
So, since we have people that came from
the Provo MTC to our district, they also brought this virus from provo that made
nearly everyone in our district sick. We are all wrapped up in blankets in our
classroom, eating cough drops (they are becoming candy because we eat them so
much :) ) and blowing our noses and coughing. Everyone calls it "the Plague of
the Americans" haha. it's quite funny. Instead of shaking hands, we do lots of
"elbow bumps".
I work out every day with Sister Shirts.
She's a machine! We run sprints on the track and try to run a few miles, and
incorporate some abs and legs as well. If nothing else, i feel better and am
maintaining a good weight.
This week Irmao Allan didn't come to
class one day. The next day he comes in and says, "You want to know why i didn't
come to class yesterday? Because i dislocated my jaw while eating an apple!"
Everyone was like....what! Haha so now he has to be really careful. Too funny.
Irmao Allan also has names for each of our books that we use to learn
portugues. One is Shrek, another is Fiona, and the last one is "gato de botas"
(puss in boots). Its so funny...he'll say, "okay, page 15 in gato de botas and
page 175 in Shrek!"
They have cheese bread here that is similar to Tucano's...it's a killer on
the waistline but soooo good. I try to contain my self :)
On sunday, the whole CTM had to prepare a music choir number for the
fireside that night. There was one part that our director wanted someone to
demonstrate how to sing. But no one raised their hand! So i went up there and
sang the part into the microphone. Once i finished singing, everyone went,
aweeee ohhh. It was funny. Later on, Elder Wood said, "Sister Sperry, i'm pretty
sure all the Brazilian's name tags flew off once you sung so that they could
propose to you" :)
Some sisters in our District bought the brazilian version of "funyuns
chips". They smelled awful...we were all passing the bag around to take a whiff
when Elder sprouse said, "ya know, they have a familiar smell. They smell like
my brother's 5 year old sandals!|" They seriously did smell bad. In that moment,
i will admist i missed America a bit :)
So. There are two buttons on the drinking fountains here: one for the
American's (blue) and one for the Brazilheiros (white). The white one is normal
temp water, and the blue is cold. It really is true though. I only drink from
the blue one!
There is a kid here from our stake in Illinois named Easton Huch! He's
super good at piano....last night at devotional he played this arrangement with
the choir that he just made up from the basic hymn we sang. How funny that he's
here at the same time as me in Brazil. At the devotional,. Sister Moore, Sister
Christophersen and I sang a trio by Sally DeFord called I come to Him. It was
beautiful! I really do love music.
ON Sunday I was called by our Branch President to be the Sister Leader of
our Branch. Essentially I need to make all the new Sisters feel welcome and make
sure that everyone is doing okay. I am really excited to serve and get to know
them better!
The other day I was reading in Alma, and it talks about the 2000 young men,
the army of Helaman. As Helaman is writing about them, he has great respect for
them. I want to share a few of the things he says:
"And they were all young men, and they were exeedingly valiant for courage,
and also for strength; but behold, this is not all - they were men who were
truat and all times with whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were
men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of
God and walk uprightly before Him . . .
Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with
EXACTNESS; even according to their faith it was done unto them. Never had I seen
so great courage. Now they had NEVER fought, neither did they fear death . . .
yea, they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would
deliver them. . . And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered
themselves up unto us, behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them
fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God;
yea, never were men known to have fought with such and power and miraculous
strength"
So, what can we learn from the Army of Helaman? Have courage. Be EXACTLY
obedient. Remember what you've been taught and have faith in that. Trust in God.
This mission is the most difficult thing I have ever done. But it is the BEST
thing I could be doing in my life. Like the Army of Helaman, I will go forth
with courage and faith in who I am and who I can become. When we have God on our
side, we can NEVER lose. So rise up; try a little harder each day to be a little
better. When I think about the type of missionary I want to be, I think of these
young men. I challenge each of us to try a little harder to be a little better.
I love you all more than i can say and I wish you a fantastic week. Christ
lives! And I love Him so much.
Love,
Sister Sperry
No comments:
Post a Comment