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3/26/2020
Hi Everyone,
I just thought I'd write a quick update for you everyone on the "mish sitch" [mission situation].
Wednesday 3/25/2020 - I'm back home now in the United States! It was great to be able to see my family for the first time at the airport. Here at home, I am being self-quarantined for two weeks and then I'm supposed to be temporarily reassigned to a different mission in the States, at least until I'm able to go back to Brazil (if ever). They're not going to release me from my calling (which means I will remain a missionary) unless there are any new developments that the church makes in regards to missionaries.
It has been a little hard to return home after not having the chance to do any actual work in Brazil, especially with progressing in the language. I have been reading a lot of scriptures (because there's not really much else to do, and I can only play the piano so much) and I've found some comforting and inspiring messages from there.
I have been called to be a representative of Jesus Christ and declare His word unto all people and I know that He will prepare a way for me to be able to do it whether it be in Brazil or somewhere in the US. I know that Christ directs His Church on the earth today and I know that my Redeemer leads me, loves me, and walks beside me. I have felt for myself the Spirit that accompanies the teachings in the scriptures and I know through personal revelation that the Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith and contains the fullness of Christ's everlasting gospel on His earth today.
I love you all so much, keep staying optimistic and putting your trust in God and His son!
Sinceramente,
-Élder Pássaro
3/23/2020
Hello Everybody,
I left the Brazilian CTM [Missionary Training Center] and arrived to my mission last Tuesday. We had a big mission conference with all the novinhos (newbies) and met our companions and were told our zones and where we would be serving. I was put with Elder Espinoza, who is from Bolivia, and we would be in the Zona São Bernardo. We then went to our apartment and it was pretty chique (coolio).
The next day we were about to go to a zone conference, but we got a call saying we had to go back to our casa (home). We couldn't meet together because of the Coronavirus. Then later that night we got another call from our leaders saying we were being quarantined for an unknown amount of time. So the days have been going by slowly and we haven´t been able to do any work. It gets so boring just being in our apartment.
On Sunday, we had church in our casa and I made a xadrez (Chess) set to pass the time with Elder Espinoza. That afternoon, we got another call from our zone leaders and they said we will have to be quarantined for at least four more weeks, so it was looking like I wouldn't be doing any actual work until May.
Then Sunday night when we were about to go to bed, we got yet another call, this time from the Assistantes (Assistants to the President of the Mission). They said that all foreign missionaries in Brazil will have to return home and will probably be reassigned to their home country. Elder Espinoza and I were shocked! They also said that I needed to pack right away and had to be ready to leave at any moment.
I am very sad that I have to leave Brazil so early. I was just getting started. But, I will always put my trust in the Lord, that he knows what is best for me, and I will follow His will for me at all times. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be able to come to Brazil and learn some Portuguese. Hopefully, I will be able to continue learning and growing in the language in my free time. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the missionaries who are feeling a little bit lost at this time, and I am also praying for all of you guys back home. I love you all, and I will see you soon.
Sinceramente, com muito amor e coração,
-Elder Pássaro
[Sincerely, with much love and heart, --Elder Bird]
3/16/2020
Hey Everyone!!
I am writing today because my P-Day is switching from Wednesdays to Mondays now that I am leaving the CTM. Today is my last day in the CTM! I am very excited to leave and get out into the city of Sao Paulo.
This Coronavirus thing is getting crazier and crazier. I'm sure most of you are aware of all the temporary changes and precautions the church is taking in order to mitigate the problem, including cancelling sacrament meetings and all church gatherings. This will definitely make missionary work much harder. I'm not sure what our situation will be in the field, but there are a lot of things that missionaries in other missions are not able to do, so we'll see how that goes.
In other sad news, my mission president sent an email out to all the missionaries serving here that says we won't be able to go to internet cafes to get wi-fi to write and check emails. I am not sure when or where I will be able to write, so this letter might be the last one for a bit.
It will be hard to leave my district, the 10 other missionaries I have been learning with. We have been together everyday for six weeks, but I'm sure I will see some of them in the field over the course of these next two years. I'm sure I will be humbled this week because my Portuguese is still not quite the best! I hope that I get a native Brazilian trainer so that he can help me kick my language skills into gear. I'm super stoked to try to speak to the people here.
I've loved my time in the CTM, and there was definitely a ton of spiritual growth and preparation that happened to me here. I just want to bear my testimony that I know this Church is true, I know that Joseph Smith was truly called of God to bring to pass the Restoration of Christ's church and gospel when he was on the earth, and I know that I will be able to do all things through Christ and His Atonement. I also know that this virus will pass, and that everything will all work out.
Vai dar certo! [It will work!]
I love you all, and I will write whenever I am able. Good luck until then!!
--Elder Bird
Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Pictures -
1. São Paulo Brazil temple
2. Everyone in my district, plus our zone leaders before they left
3-4. Sao Paulo Brazil CTM [missionary training center]
3/11/2020
Tudo Bem!
Thursday 3/5/20 - We had our first (out of two) lesson with our Devisão (splits) companions today. I think it went pretty well, except that nobody really knew what was happening and there wasn't really any supervision. But we had lunch with our companions and Elder Gómez is a really nice guy. He definitely made up for my slack during our lesson.
In the evening, Irmã Nascimento showed a really funny video about some missionaries trying to teaching a real lesson. The first lesson was awkward because the person the missionaries were trying to teach, didn't fully understand what was being taught, so the next lesson, four days later, was all about clearing up the miscommunications. It was also funny because the video kept pausing and starting because of a crazy mosquito that was buzzing and flying into the touch screen TV.
Tão Engraçado! [So funny!]
Saturday 3/7/20 - Today we had Member TRC for the first time, which is similar to regular TRC, but rather than an "interested person," we were practicing having a lesson with someone who is already a member of the Church. Elder Bone and I taught 'Victor,' who was super nice and joke-y with us for the whole visit. He even memorized and recited the scripture we were going to share with him which was really impressive. It was super fun to teach him about member missionary work and we invited him to talk with someone at work about the gospel. Irmão Aravena warned us that a lot of missionaries are tempted to stay longer than they should with the members, and now I understand why. It was just so easy-going and we actually understood what Victor was saying, so we wanted to talk more with him. Overall, it was good to see what things might be like in the field so that we will be able to understand and heed Aravena's advice.
Monday 3/9/20 - We're going into our last full week here at the CTM. Today we had three practices with teaching interested people, and we will continue to have as many per day. *Our goal as a district this week is to not speak any English during our classes, so that we don't go off topic as much, and to practice what we know, which is really a lot more than what I presume we all think. I'm surprised at myself sometimes when I can actually find the words to say what I am actually thinking in my head. I'm so grateful for all the resources that are provided to us missionaries for the purposes of learning the language and the doctrine. I know that we have come far from the time that we arrived here, but I also know that most of the real learning will come when we get into the field. I can't wait to get out of the CTM and serve with all my coração, poder, mente e força! [heart, power, mind and strength!]
Pictures:
1. Classico Tag picture & Campinas temple
2. All the Elders and Sisters in my CTM district
3. Me and Elder Sabel
4. Campanions and matching sweaters (Me & Elder Bone)
3/4/2020
Thursday 27/2/20 - During our afternoon instruction, we got some bad news. Sickness has been plaguing the CTM, so any instructor who was sick had to go home and remain there, effective immediately. This included one of our favorites, Irmão (Brother) Aravena. We'll miss him while he's gone. As he was leaving, another Irmã (Sister) came in and told us that anyone who had any symptoms of sickness had to wear a face mask. That meant pretty much everyone in my district got a face mask, and we have to wear it for a couple days. (See picture below)
Friday 28/2/20 - We have been hearing about the Coronavirus and found out that there was a first confirmed case in South America, and it just so happens to be in São Paulo. Kinda scary. But everyone here was joking and saying, "What if it's someone in the CTM." I would definitely not be happy if I had to go home because of the virus.
Saturday 29/2/20 - Muitas coisas interessante aconteceram hoje. [Many interesting things happened today] We were scheduled to go out proselytizing today, which is just talking to people on the street and getting their contact information for future visits from missionaries. Everyone in my district was nervous, but all ready to go out; we had practiced how to start conversations with people and were ready to use them on people to help them come closer to Christ. All the missionaries who were going out were out by the vans waiting to leave when our district was next to get in a van. So we all piled in and were sitting there joking about not having to go due to Coronavirus when one of the staff opened the door and said it had been cancelled. We were all like, "Serio???" super shocked and then he said "Yeah, for real." So we all clambered out of the van and headed back to our classroom while we waited to know what the actual cause was. Then Irmão Aravena came in and told us it was mostly because it was the end of Carnaval, but it was in part because of Coronavirus too. He told us it would be too big of a risk for a missionary to catch it and spread it around the CTM, where people are being sent all over Brazil, Argentina, and even a few to Japan. It would definitely not be good if the virus spread all over South America because of the missionaries.
Tuesday 3/3/20 - Eu acho que estou se tornando melhor em ler e escrever frases em Português , mas eu ainda não posso totalmente entender quando as pessoas falam muito rápido. [I think I'm becoming better at reading and writing Portuguese phrases, but I still can't fully understand when people speak too fast.]
Love you all, and I hope you all have a great week!
Tchau tchau!!!
-Elder Bird
Pictures:
1-2. The unlucky ones who have to wear face masks (including me)
3. Us and our Brazilian roommates the night before they left the CTM (last week)
4. Me trying on Elder Nicol's glasses at the police station (last week)
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