This week was good!! I am continuing to learn and learn and learn Portuguese. That is about all we do haha. We did get to watch the funeral of Richard G. Scott which was really cool, and then the next day we watched the last devotional Elder Scott gave to missionaries at the Provo MTC in September 2014. It was amazing and excatly what I needed to hear this week!!!! Also at the temple this morning I was in the later session so my companions and I went down to work in the laundry area until it was time. Well, I was trying to talk to the temple workers and one of them told me that I speak REALLY well for only being here two weeks! It made my life!!!! It was the best compliment ever! We teach two lessons a day to investigators. I have gotten so much better at teaching this week. I have a long way to go but at least I can get the message across haha. I am enjoying everyday here at the CTM because I get food, AC, and I get to sit down all day. I know that things are going to be a lot different in Manaus so I am just trying to enjoy things while they last... Especially the air conditioning. Our Brazil roommates left this week :( I loved them so much!!!! They taught me so much especially about the culture here in Brazil. Brazilians are much more touchy and they really show their feelings which is different from me haha. They would always hug me or kiss me on the check. It is crazy how you become so close to people in just a few weeks. The Lord really helps his missionaries see others through His eyes. I have been studying an attribute of Christ everyday here in the CTM. IT HAS BEEN AMAZING!! My love for my Savior has already grown so much. I challenge you all to just pick an attribute (humility, charity and love, obedience, diligence, etc) and study it!!! Like in depth. I am so grateful for a Savior that knows EXACTLY how I feel. Also read 3 Nephi chapters 11-19. It is so humbling to study the Savior during these chapters. I do not have too much else to report expect my district is absolutely crazy and amazing. Lets just say that one day in the classroom, one of the Elders tried to back roll while still sitting in his chair... Yeah... he landed straight on his head. And then proceeded to try again five more times. You never really know what is going to happen in our classroom with a bunch of crazy missionareis, but I love them!!! Have an amazing week :) I love you all so much!!! Love, Sister Bailey Sister Bailey with her two companions. Don't they look so happy?!?! I LOVE it!!
This is the only picture I've gotten since she's been in the CTM. It was taken at Mr. Cheney's Cookies, a store across the street from the CTM. The nice shop owner sent it to me. Morgan is not allowed to take her camera outside of the CTM right now, but we'll get plenty of pictures once she travels to Manaus (end of October).
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Oh my gosh to I have so much to write and like not enough time!!!
My companions are Sister Beecroft from Boston going to Ribeirao Preto and Sister Rogers from Seattle going to Joao Passao. This week I have had my testimony stengthened SSOOOO much. I know Heavenly Father is so aware of each of us. There is no coincidence that these girls are my companions. I LOVE them and we all just get along so well. Sister Beecroft is actually a genius.... she is already fluent in Portguese, I swear. Which is good because she helps me a ton, but also I rely on her all the time which isn´t so good. Sister Rogers just cracks me up!!! Which you know me... I need! I think I have laughed more in the past 7 days than I have in my whole life. My district is amazing!!! It is 9 guys and then us 3 girls. 3 of the guys are going to Manaus with me!!!!! Anyway, we are in our LITTLE classroom for 13 hours a day. Yes, I said 13!!!!!! We only have a teacher for three to six hours a day. The rest of time is personal study. So as you can imagine twelve 18-19 year olds in a small classrom without a teach for hours... Let´s just say that we have a hard time focusing!! The guys in my district are absolutely hilarious. By the second day we were already like a family. Just another testament that Heavenly Father knows me because he put me with people I needed. Daily Routine: 6:30 Wake up ( we only have 30 minutes to get ready and of course the outlets don´t work here!!!) 7:00 breakfast 7:30 Personal Study 8:30 Companionship Study 9:30 workout 10:45 study 11:45 lunch 12:30-4:45 LANGUAGE 4:45 dinner 6:00 Teach our investogator 6:30-9:45 LANGUAGE 10:30 Lights outs On our SECOND day at the CTM we taught a lesson to our investigator!!!!!!! SECOND DAY!!! If it wasn't for my genius companion then I would have literally sat there. She talks the whole time. My Portuguese is coming along well. I think I am really hard on myself because my companion is sooooo abnormally good, but just in just a week I can bear my testimony, pray, carry on a basic conversation, and understand natives if they speak slow haha :) As long as I am getting better every day, right?? I just wish I could form sentences better but it will come. Weird things about Brazil: 1. They use tissue things for toilet paper. It´s not a roll, and the flusher is on the wall. 2. Everyone in Brazil is sooooo friendly!! 3. Everyone drives super small cars. Like I don´t even know to describe them all; They don´t have anything like it in the US. 4. Don´t pat a Brazilian on the back when you hug them... I learned that the hard way. Apparently, it is rude. Whoops! I love being at the Brazil CTM though because I feel so immersed in the culture already. Our teachers are Brazilian, I have two Brazilian roommates, we sit next to Brazilians at every meal just so we can get used to speaking more, the food is Brazilian. Just everything. I love it!!!!! There is no AC in my room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my gosh so hot. When I tell people I am going to Manaus their jaws drop, and then they laugh. Even the Brazilians. I have heard SOOOO many horror stories. One guy told me I am going to eat Cobra and turtle!!!!!! no. Manaus is definitely the most 3rd world mission in Brazil. Good thing I have a Brazilian roommate though because she has been giving really awesome tips. Like to check my shoes before I put them on because Spiders will go in them at night. Ah. Funny stories of the week: One day at lunch they had a bunch of mayo on a plate which was super random and a guy in my district got a huge blob on his plate because he thought it was vanilla pudding and took a giant bite!!! I think I peed my pants laughing that day. Then in Portuguese the word for to laugh is rir. Well normally when you conjigate verbs in the "I" form you take off ir and put an o. So Sister rogers was trying to say "I laugh" to a bunch of Brazilians and she said Eu ho... which is totally not right and sounds extremely wrong. I cracked up laughing and couldn´t stop for like an hour!! Last one: Sister Rogers once again was trying to say the word head and pointed to her head and said comida which means food!!!! It doesn´t sound funny but it was hilarious!! The Brazilians just stared at her and laughed. Today I got to go to the Sao Paulo temple which was amazing!!! So beautiful. Sao Paulo is sooo much more 3rd world than I thought!! Trash, stray dogs, run down buildings everywhere. I get to go explore the city around the CTM after this email! I am sooo excited! I miss yáll like crazy! I love being a missionary. I pray for yáll all the time. I have more to say but I am out of time. I am going to try and wifi yall some pictures. If you get them will you send me a quick email back so I can know next week. Alright. Bom dia familia!!! I love y'all and have an awesome week. Love always, Sister Bailey Oi!!!!!
I have made it to the CTM {Missionary Training Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil} all in one piece and with all my luggage!!!!! I by far have the least amount of luggage!!! Even for the guys going to Manaus, but whatever. {She was only allowed one suitcase that weighed 44 lbs. She went a bit over in weight, but kept her stuff in one suitcase!} Mom I don´t know if you got a picture from some random number but there was 45 missionaries on my flight from Atlanta to Sao Paulo. It was incredible!!! Only five sisters, but we have already become really great friends. Sao Paulo is amazing!!! It is way more 3rd world than I thought it would be. The CTM is so open and airy and the view from my window is amazing!!! I can see like all of Sao Paulo. I finally have my badge and I am in a companionship with two other girls from my flight. They are so sweet and we get along great. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE CTM!!! Even though I know NO Portuguese it is amazing to just walk down the halls and say oi to everyone that passes. The spirit is so incredibly strong here. I finally feel 100% happy and I can´t wait to start learning tomorrow. I am exhausted and I feel like this day has been 1000000000 years because I got like no sleep on the flight, but I´ll sleep well tonight. My p-day will be next Wednesday (not tomorrow). P.S. the food is NASTY!!!!! We had some nasty soup thing that tasted like hot milk/liquid corn bread, weird fruit I have never seen before, and cheese and meat for breakfast. But I am just preparing for all the yummy food I will get to eat in Manaus :/ Just know I am soooo happy and I love it here!!!! I love you all more than you know. Love, Sister Bailey I wish I could send pics but I can´t figure out how, so maybe next Wednesday I´ll Wifi you some... but no promises. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!! |