This is Kieren's first email she sent after her first week in Brazil. I really just think she is the cutest most wonderful girl in the world, and at this rate so will all of the people of Brazil. Enjoy! And don't forget to write her :]
I have 10 minutes so excuse any typos!
The first day in the mtc has been soo amazing but it all started even before then. When I first got to the airport there were two elders sitting together and talking. Another elder came and I talked to them and eventually there were 10 or 15 of us at the airport. We went and got food and talked and it was great. They are my zone here, plus one sister from Idaho (everyone else is from out east)
So in the terminal I decided to try out some Portuguese, so and elder and I started talking to a couple and they were from Porto Alegre! They were just finishing a vacation to Miami and Disneyworld! They were so nice and answered a lot of questions. Then they started talking in English for clarity but we talked for several minutes in Portuguese! It was cute because the word for warm and friendly is quente, which literally means hot, so the man was talking about how hot and nice all the people in Brazil are haha.
On the plane I sat by an elder who is also going to Porto Alegre and by a Brazilian from Campo Grande named Fernando. he was so friendly and welcoming. We talked a lot about his plans and life, etc and at the end of the flight I gave him my Portuguese Book of Mormon. He accepted it and said thanks and said that he had a friend who was a bishop and knew a little bit, etc. I am not sure how interested he is, but i told him he could read it on his bus ride home, which will last until Wednesday. Lots of time to read.
I am in a trio with Sister Cummings and Sister Piper. They are super nice and we have a lovely room with two bunk beds and it includes a shower and bathroom!
The food is AMAZING! We had beef (bife pronounced beefy) and eggs and chicken (frango) on a stick and some delicious green thing that looked like really long apple slices but was savory and I am not sure exactly what it was.
We got in a little late, but got oriented and stuff. Everyone is so nice here. Everyone says hi and is so enthusiastic and welcoming. There is a sister from Australia who is the first Australian missionary in Brazil! Ever! She was super nice and had a great accent and told us about stuff. She has been here for a week.
I have a huge bag of new books and stuff in Portuguese and I was able to pray in Portuguese for the class twice! No one else really speaks any Portuguese and I feel like some of them think I am a show-off but I am not trying to be. But by tomorrow I think we will all be fluent!
Most people here are Spanish speaking and from Peru, Bolivia, etc, Countries close by. They are super awesome. Everyone radiates with light and joy. There are only about 250 people here and everyone seems to know everyone else which is cool.
We got to walk around the city a little bit and it is so beautiful! We are in the middle of a pretty typical part of town I think. Everything is super dirty and super colorful and just amazing! The people here are all so nice and welcoming. Dad, I think I am already beginning a little bit to understand about the love of the people and how it grows. All I can think about is Fernando and hoping that he reads the Book of Mormon and hoping that the missionaries will find him when he does and that he will be prepared and find that joy. He is not sure what exactly he is doing with his life. He is a civil engineer and he used to work planning housing, but he said the market for that is not so great and he just spent 70 days visiting his sister in the U.S. so he also might go to his uncles farm and work, which you can only get to by boat because it is in swampland! Which I thought was cool. Anyway, pray for him! I will have more time to write next week!
Love,
Sister Smith
Kieren's last goodbye's to Mom and Dad and her first day in Brazil at the MTC
