Bom dia todos.
Things have been a changing here in Georgia. I was transferred to the Paper Mill Ward in Marietta, Georgia. The Paper Mill area has a concentration of Brazilian Americans, many of whom are here in the States temporarily to work, and hence speak very limited English if any at all. The other four visa waiters were here last transfer. We actually have permission from both mission presidents to cross from our mission (Georgia Atlanta North) to the Georgia Atlanta mission if it is necessary to find Portuguese speakers. We haven't done that since I've been here. Our goal, basically is to establish a branch of Portuguese speakers. Right now it is called the "Paper Mill Portuguese Group". Yesterday I attended. It consists of sacrament meeting and a sunday school class. All in the Relief Society room of the Paper Mill Ward's building. I played the piano because the only other person that plays is a member who is only semi-comfortable playing hymns. It was a group of about 30, including us six Portuguese missionaries.
Which brings me to another point. We don't really have companionships. We are assigned to be a group of six by the mission president. We have decided to work in two threesomes. Remember, there are four visa waiters and two missionaries actually assigned to this mission.
Here's the break down:
Elder Mu: He has been on his mission for about 20 months. He spent all of it up till three months ago as a Spanish missionary, but was changed to a Portuguese missionary a few months ago when he was transferred here to Paper Mill. District leader (us six Portuguese are our own district). From Vegas.
Elder McGregor: He was origianally called to the Brasil Rio de Janeiro Mission. He attended the Sao Paulo MTC and spent eight months in Rio. He was forced home by unfortunate circumstances, spent several months back at home, and is now finishing his mission here. He is the best Portuguese speaker among all of us. From Sacramento.
Elder Gneiting: Remember this name? We were roommates in the MTC, he flew on the plane with me to Georgia. He was in Winder, GA until this transfer. Visa waiter headed to Vitoria, Brasil as am I. From Aberdeen, Idaho.
Elder Ni: Also on the plane with Elder Gneiting and I, another visa waiter. He is already 21. From South Jordan, UT.
Elder Vi: A native Brasilian from Recife. He is called to the England London Portuguese speaking mission, but needs a visa first. So, I guess technically he is the best Portuguese speaker among all of us. But he speaks English all the time, because he needs to learn it to survive in London. He is pretty good.
The threesomes as of this time are Elder McGregor, Elder Gneiting, and I. Then the other three. There are two English speaking Elders in the apartment complex with us. We have two apartments. Four people each. I actually live with the other Portuguese threesome. The English and my "companions" live in the other. It is weird.
It has been interesting, but frankly, it has been brutally difficult already. It is massively difficult to find the Portuguese speakers, and to find them home. We scour apartment complexes. Those Brazilians we talk to forget about appointments easily. We find more interested English speakers to teach than Portuguese, but we have to "hand them over" for lack of a better term to the English Elders to teach. Suffice it to say, the English Elders see great benefits from this assistance. They just baptized and confirmed two people this weekend. Since the Portuguese speakers have been here (around about June) there have been no baptisms for the Portuguese Group. But, there are two very very solid baptisms coming up on Sunday. They have been being taught since September. We are going to teach them again tonight. They are a couple, and are amazing folks. Then we have another baptism coming up the week after. But, those are the result of the former Elders' work. We are excited though. I haven't been to a baptism since being here.
It is cold cold cold here. It's snowing outside right now. I will be buying some warm clothes today. Frigid.
We had our Portuguese Group Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun. I talked to a lot of native Brazilians. Some of whom are only family of those in the Group who are up here to be with family. They actually live in Brasil. That was cool, because I was talking (in Portuguese, mind you) with real Brazilians. It was in the home of a member of the high council in the stake we are in who served his mission in Brasil. Brasilian cuisine and desserts were awesome as well. The members of the Group are very spread out though. We had to drive forty minutes to get to the Christmas Party. The nearest members to us live a twenty minute drive down the freeway. Things are very elementary right now. It's interesting.
President Alba, the first counselor in the Mission Presidency lives in the Paper Mill Ward. Strange because President Monsen, the second counselor in the Mission Presidency lived in my last ward (Athens 2nd). We ate dinner with President Alba last night. He is really nice and is actually going to be flying to Boise for the Humanitarian Bowl and to visit family this weekend. Lucky him. It was great to be in a nice warm home all decorated for Christmas with people to chat with.
Elder Gneiting and I had to go out tracting (knocking doors searching for Portuguse people) by ourselves for two hours yesterday). Elders McGregor and Elder Mu. were teaching the lady that is getting baptized a week from Sunday. So here we are, both only with three months since starting at the MTC, with nine weeks of Portuguese training behind us and most recently four months of English speaking service all alone trying to speak Portuguese. Some people laughed at us after we left, we could hear them though the door. Our Portuguese on the doorstep needs some work, you might say. IT was scary, because Elder Gneiting knows even less than I do, so I was basically in charge. It was hard. No one let us in to teach. We did set up an appointment with a Brazilian for Saturday. Also, we found two interested English speakers. Just really scary to be by ourselves. We haven't even been in the mission for six weeks yet.
So, in other words. Things are extremely difficult here. It is cool to see the Portuguese group, which seems to be growing slowly. It is freezing. I am very homesick for Athens and for Elders Mortenson and Arnett. While Elders Gneiting and McGregor and I get along alright, we just haven't been hitting it off as well as any of my previous companions. Oh, and there are roaches in our apartment. But things really are going okay. It's been a long five days. I feel like I've been in Paper Mill for an eternity already. I hope everyone is enjoying their December especially as school gets out and Christmas comes closer. Keep pressing forward.
Love,
Elder JOSHUA BODILY
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