...and I am told it won't be the last! We were waiting at a bus station when a man came up to me and very exitedly started asking about America and why I am here. When his bus came, he went to shake my hand and before I could pull back he took it and kissed it too! Also ran into a man on the street that said he was going to marry one of the sisters that was here before me but, in his words, "she went back to the states before I could ask." He invited us to teach him but I think we will just send the elders his way :)
Got the chance to spend a day with another American this week! Her name is Sister Mackenzie Renshaw and she is going back home in a month. Every month or so, we swap companions for a day so I got to tag along with her and explore a new part of Aracaju. It was so nice to be able to speak a little bit of English with our Portuguese and to be able to see where I want to be in 16 months. We got along really well and it will be sad to see her go!
Something has been going on with my achilles this week and physically it has been a little harder. Can't figure out exactly why but I think my body is just adjusting to walking all day every day. I hope that's all it is! Anyways, I had a couple days this week where the pain was pretty bad but I noticed that on my hardest days, I saw the most tender mercies. I am constantly getting those reminders that I have God right here with me.
Language-wise, this week has been fantastic. I still am nowhere near fluent but I am seeing SO much progress every single day. I am getting to the point now where I can joke with Sister Cruz and we have had a lot of laughs this week.
Speaking of Sister Cruz- still love love love her. She is so patient and is always encouraging me. She loves singing and anytime we are walking or at our apartment she is singing and/or dancing. We get along really well together and I am grateful every day for her!!!
We are teaching a man named Alan right now and he is so cool. He has a disease(not sure what it is called because I don't speak medical Portuguese) so he has been confined to a wheelchair for the last year or so. His wife left him after he got sick and he can't work either. He has every reason to be miserable but he has used his free time to stuy the Bible. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation this week and he was very involved, finding verses from the Bible that connected to what we were saying. It was really a testament to me that God is preparing people to hear our message and we are just tools in His hands. I will keep you guys updated!
I have said it before but the food here is unbeatable. I tried pastels this week and they are amazing. The members always make us fresh juice from fruits I have never heard of and it all is so good. Sister Cruz taught me how to make brigadeiros this week as well and we also bought this thing called goiabada(I think). Like I said, it is a gooooood thing we walk so much.
I bought an adapter cord last week for my camera and got here today and it didn't work... I am going to try and find a USB adapter today so hopefully I can send my pictures next week. I have one picture of all the letters I printed out last week from you all- thank you so much for all the love.
I was talking to Sis Renshaw about how my adjustment here has been relatively easy. It is so hard to learn the language and I will always miss my family/friends but overall, this transition has been pretty smooth and I am so happy here. I think it's God's way of letting me know I am where I am supposed to be. When we follow his and His plan for us, everything works out.
MUITO amor de Brasil,
Sister Lauren Mather
PS. Address!! Here's the address for the mission office. Packages & letters take so long to get here and I will be moving cities so it's best to send things to the office and they will deliver it to me from there :)
Av. Santa Rita De Cássia, 287
Farol
57051-600
Maceió - AL
Brasil
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