Week 8 (I Think)

Time really does fly! It feels like yesterday that I was arriving in the field and it's already been a week. I met my trainer, Elder Watson, and found we would be opening a new area and house in Tijuco Preto, which is part of the city of São Carlos. What I did not realize at the time was that meant I would be arriving to a house with 2 mattresses and a bed...total. Thankfully, many of the appliances arrived on Friday and we have had the opportunity to run to the store to get groceries. It was very day to day there for a bit.

The people of Brazil are great, but I have no clue what they are saying. I speak fine and they understand me, but as soon as someone else's mouth opens, it's all Greek to me. I know it comes with time though, and Im already seeing some improvement, but it still is slightly disheartening to basically be deaf to everyone except my trainer.

We get fed lunch as our primary meal and usually it involves rice and beans. At this point, I'm past enjoying it, but also past being dissatisfied with it. I will never complain about more food on the plate. 

I would say the kookiest thing to happen this week was at lunch the other day. We arrived and found that the entire Elder's Quorum Presidency was there, despite it not being their house, as well as another man we hadn't met. After we ate, they simply stood up, went to a different room and started playing 80's rock music without saying a word. We were just awkwardly sitting there a few minutes before we found someone to give a message to and get out. We also later found out the guy we didn't know in the group was the Stake President, so we have simply been left with more questions about the situation than before.

I'm settling well, but am perpetually hungry and a bit tired. I'm sure as the weeks pass it will either disappear or I will learn to live with it though.

We have had the opportunity to teach at least one appointment a day since arriving, and we even got a family to come to sacrament meetings, which was hype. The work is progressing and it feels awesome. At times, our efforts feel a bit ineffective, but no sooner do I have the though than someone lets us in the door. God really does bless His missionaries.

Much love,

Elder Whiting

Weekly Email 6: Last Week of MTC!!!!!!

This week has definitely gone by the fastest thus far. It seems like just 2 days ago I was writing my last letter, and now I'm writing another again. I'm not sure I have enough stories to fill it, but I will give it a try.

As part of my journaling, I have started to list things I'm grateful for each day, but each day the list growing by one. This has lead to some...obscure picks, including, but not limited too: the peanuts from the vending machine, a "nice" bed, power naps, Brazilian Elders, and a dope T-shirt blanket (shout-out to my mom).

Classes are going well, for the most part. We are at the point where our instructors and ourselves are expected to use exclusively Portuguese, which is great because we are able to do that, but also not because it means that we are never able to say what we actually want. That being said, our knowledge grows everyday and it's definitely a blessing to be learning as quickly as we are. That does not mean I am not a bit apprehensive about this upcoming Tuesday. 

Yesterday, one of our roommates carelessly locked us all out of our bedroom while we were showering, which feels like something from a movie, but was resolved in a surprisingly umembarrassing way. We just asked someone else to get help unlocking our bedroom. That does not mean we didn't give the perpetrator the hardest time ever though.

I have started reading the Saints novel, which is surprisingly great. The expressions of faith of everyday people really has helped my testimony to grow and put my struggles in a new light. The stories of miraculous conversions alongside very normal ones has helped me understand that the Lord has a different plan for everyone. 

Overall, I would say that although my time here has been great, I am anxious to get out there and do stuff. My Portuguese is at the point where I feel I could get most any point across and I have some level of listening comprehension, so I really don't feel like I have anything holding me back here except the people. My district is great and we get along really well with another district of Brazilians, so it's going to be hard to say goodbye. I know this is just a stepping stone, but I have gotten comfortable here... Still excited to leave though. I will be sure to let everyone know how the transition goes next week.

Fica Frio,

Elder Whiting

Week 5: The Grind

This week has been something of a snoozer. Not much exciting has happened, but that doesn't mean they don't have us working. We still have classes 6 hours a day and some days I just passout when I hit my bed.

I think I finally figured out Journaling. Little did I know that when we are honest when we journal it is a fulfilling experience rather than a laundry list of experiences. Needless to say, I have been having a much more spiritually blessed experience when I am honest with God and myself about how I feel and what I think. 

Yesterday, Elder Rasband lead an MTC devotional. It was really great to hear from an apostle of the Lord and he left us with two promises that are real special. It astounding that in a 1 hour devotional I ended up with about 3 pages of notes. The apostles really do have profound wisdom and insight. 

Once again, we visited the temple today, it was a wonderful experience. I went with a specific question in mind and took a small notebook into the Celestial room to make sure I recorded my revelation and that made all the difference. I have found that the more I spiritually prefore for the temple, the more meaningful an experience I have. 

It's been a long week. It's weird because day in and day out I feel like I am doing work that does not feel fulfilling of itself, but I feel like I am spending my work as a whole is more fulfilling than I can ever remember.

Até Mais,

Elder Whiting

Brasil MTC Week 3/4 - Elder Whiting

This week (and a half) has been craaaazy busy, but also one of the best of my life. My flight plans were pushed back a day about 2 hours before we left for the airport, which was a not totally welcome surprise. But the extra day gave me some time to be with my family and for that, at least, I am grateful. Because I was traveling late, I ended up traveling alone as well. But in His infinite mercy, the Lord put many people in my path to help me emotionally. To many tender mercies to list in one place. 

I arrived at the MTC and it has been a blast. I got reunited with my old district, minus those who are still waiting on visas. We also gained two new members, Elder Chandler and Komatsu. Both are from Japan, but Elder Chandler's father is in the Army, whereas Rlder Komatsu is ethnically Japanese. On Friday we also gained a 10th Elder, Elder Canon, who got kidney stones and has to stay a couple extra weeks while they monitor his health. 

I gotta say, the food her is AMAZING...for the first couple days. It is the same meal schedule every day. Paninis for breakfast and rice and beans with some variation of meat for lunch and dinner. The exception is Thursdays when we get pizza for dinner. Even that is different in Brasil though, because one of the options for tonight was pizza with a jam sauce and cheese curds. It was pretty solid.

The Holy Ghost speaks in a whole different way now. It's not louder by any means, but It is perhaps a but more willing to make its presence known. It also is just easier to feel with both the structure of the day and the content we study. I look forward to having this gift for the next 2 years. 

We get to play volleyball everyday, which is my jam. My district has found it amusing how in just 2 weeks I have turned from a fairly solid but quite player to a much more...animated version of myself as my competitive nature begins to express itself. 

We had the great opportunity to go to the São Paulo temple today. It was awesome! The Celestial room was smaller than San Antonio's but also very beautiful. 

To be honest, I have had to many experiences to put in one email. Hopefully, next week my thoughts will be more linear.

Love from,

Elder Whiting

Photos:

1. Average Meal

2. Elder Canon and Getz sleeping in .5 FOV

3. At the São Paulo Temple visitor center

4. Posting up in the dorms