"I don't speak Portugals I only speak Brasils." : semi-successful

MISSION STATISTICS BOARD

Name: Sister Peterson

Mission: Brasil João Pessoa

Current Location: PROVO MTC

Current Companion: Sister Hansen

Current Transfer: 1/12

Week: 5/6

Total Weeks: 5/75

Address:

03-14 | BRA-JP

2005 N 900 East, Unit #12

Provo UT 84602

United States

CADA BELEZA PARTY PEOPLE!

How has everyone's week been?!

My subject line is kindly brought to you by Elder Van Tassel and my quote book.

This week's spiritual thought is brought to you by my own stubbornness and President M. Russel Ballard.

Flashback to before I got my mission call. I was so excited to go and serve! I had a sure feeling that I was going to South America, you could ask anyone, I knew I was going to South America. However, I thought I would be Spanish speaking. I had a background in Spanish and am minoring in it at school and overall just love the language. Then I got called to the only country in South America that doesn't speak Spanish. I was in shock for a while which then sort of turned into denial. I was kind of hoping that there would be some message from the First Presidency saying "Haha! You just walked the PRANK! You are actually going somewhere Spanish Speaking!!" But, that never happened. I started learning Portuguese slowly with a bad attitude. I just kept thinking to myself "This language is so weird. I don't understand why anyone would want to learn this." Even here at the MTC, I haven't had a great attitude towards it. I would spend my breaks in class speaking with the Elders and Hermanas in the hall, instead of practicing Portuguese with my companion who was struggling. Flash forward to this past Tuesday. As we were practicing for choir, the senior Sister who was sitting next to me received a text saying that PRESIDENT M. RUSSEL BALLARD WAS SPEAKING TONIGHT!!! And we got to sing in the choir!! It was so legit. Throughout His talk, He kept saying that being a missionary is a privilege. It is something that we were chosen to do long before we ever came to this Earth. He said "Your call wasn't just a random pick out of a hat. Your call was preordained in the Spirit world." What I heard was "You were called by God to serve in Brasil during your Pre-mortal life. This is where you are meant to be." THE SPIRIT HIT ME LIKE A BRICK WALL. My heart was instantly opened. I was instantly overcome by the love and support from God. I started to feel so much gratitude in my heart for the Portuguese language and for my teachers. This is where I am meant to be. It is where I want to be.

Throughout the rest of this week, I have been able to think more clearly in Portuguese and am truly learning to love it. I am growing a greater appreciation for the language. Don't get me wrong, I love Spanish and always will ;))

WEEKLY LIGHTS:

-HAVING COUGAR TAILS AT DINNER

-IT WAS SISTER NICKELL'S BIRTHDAY

- getting a super sweet letter from from Sister Nickell

- GETTING SUPER GOOD SWEETS AND TREATS FROM MY MOM

- SNOW

- getting two new cute dresses from my mom as well!

- reading all of your replies throughout the week (I can only reply on pdays so I will try to get to all of them by the end of today but if I can't I'll for sure get to the next week!)

- An elder in my district who was called to my mission got his reassignment :( (It's Colorado, Fort Collins though, NEATO)

- finding out that the MTC president is a FOOTBALL LEGEND.

- more snow

- meeting some missionaries who are going to Olongapo and told them to look out for the one and only Sister Taylor !!

- hitting one month on the mission

- welcoming new missionaries

- realizing that we only have more week of being missionaries (it's a joke, mom)

- getting an email from one of my favorite (second) cousins and finding out that she's ministering partners with Sister Jaggi!

- going to the temple again with the elders this morning

- getting closer with the other Portuguese district

- having comp inventory with Sister Hansen

- almost passing out from dehydration on fast Sunday (don't recommend)