Cement, Rice and beans :)
Saturday, March 4, 2023; Osasco, Baronesa, Sao Paulo, Brazil:
Oi!!
Just over a week left in the CTM then I go to Manaus!
This week has been pretty similar to last week. 6 hours of class a day. Three meals a day with 2 meals usually featuring rice and beans. Devotionals on Sunday and Wednesday.
On Monday I again had a mock 'teach someone' with my companion Elder Pohm. We were going to have one on Wednesday too.
Wednesday was the weirdest day this week. We found out in class that our schedule would change in the evening. The church Area President of Brazil came for the Wednesday night devotional. Because of that our Wednesday mock teach was canceled. We also had choir Wednesday which is always one of my 2 favorite parts of the week. We ended up singing one of the same songs from last week so. Last week I said we sang in 5 languages. The song is 'Called to serve'. The choir director this week told us this: In the current English and Portuguese church hymnbooks the song has 2 verses, but the Spanish hymnbook has 4 verses. So, we sang a version with 4 verses. The chorus of all verses was in Portuguese as that doesn't change between verses. The melody/song part of the song has English, French and Japanese for the first two verses and
Spanish for the third and forth. I thought that was cool.
My companion Elder Pohm and I decided this week to help us do better at getting up on time and preparing when we need to, as well as getting more from our daily planning, we would do our planning at a specific time on the first floor in the courtyard. We were able to do that this week and it was really cool to see how making an effort at something helped us have a much better planning. The courtyard is basically outdoors and has plants and trees, so it was good to get more fresh air. Also, the courtyard (in the early mornngs-6:30-7:30 a.m.) is a quiet place away from tons of other people and that also helped create a peaceful place to study a little and do daily planning.
I have learned a lot more this past week about Portuguese grammar conjugations and stuff-very boring and a little confusing. Overall though it has been ok.
Friday was preparation day again, the same as last week.
I got to go to the São Paulo Temple again, which was my other favorite thing. Last week most of the temple ordinances that I did were done in English just for the native English-speaking missionaries. This week it was interesting because they still did my session in English, but they had a bunch of Brazilian missionaries in the session too, so half the missionaries used translation devices to hear it in their native Portuguese.
At least once every few hours a plane or helicopter randomly flies over the CTM. This week and every week we get a decent amount of rain several days a week. That rain is usually in the evening.
Being here at the Brazil CTM reminds me a little of high school. Each Tuesday 1-2 districts/classes of Americans (along with tons of Brazilians and Spanish speakers) arrive, and around that number leave to go to their missions. When you first arrive, it feels like the other Americans know and speak so much more Portuguese than you. It also felt like those who got here before me were years older than me even though most of them are within a year of my age. Then as new English speakers/Americans arrive I feel like I am moving up in the world here. I am comfortable with the CTM and more comfortable with simple Portuguese. And then after the four weeks here, I know I will suddenly be sent to my mission-just like going from middle school to high school. I will suddenly be the super new guy, the greenie in the field.
Perhaps sadly for my mom ;) I haven't been too homesick. I know it will come sometime, both for my family/home, and just for the US. Either way I am doing good, but I am super ready and excited to go out to my mission field and speak to everyday people. AND find out how bad my Portuguese really is ;)
Something I have enjoyed over the last several weeks is learning how to focus on the people. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has things that can apply to and help anyone and everyone. Actually caring for the people and paying attention to their needs, as well as staying tuned to the Holy Spirit lets me as a missionary best teach them the truths that will help them and help them find Peace In Christ.
Eu amo vocês!
Elder D. Olson
Current Location-Brazil CTM
Pictures-
-7th floor view of the middle courtyard at the CTM
-In class, with a Portuguese 'preach my gospel' book open to read out loud, and an English one open to actually understand what was being read ;)
-My district with the CTM/MTC presidency our first week here.
-CTM picture with Brazil area President Parrella and his wife right before our devotional Wednesday.
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