Eis! Meu novo companheiro!

Carta Semanal-

Eis! Meu novo companheiro!

 

 

Hahaha, Everyone say hello to Élder Costa e Silva! We´ll be spending (at least) the next six weeks together. He´s from São Paulo, is 20 years old, and has 11 months on the mission. He´s a bit of a dork for anime, drawing, and video games. He also knows how to play Violin as well. Because of his interest in these things, he taught himself English (believe it or not). His rate of speaking is remarkably slower in English than it is in Portuguese, but he´s basically beyond fluent. So, I´ve been given both a blessing and a curse because I´m glad to have someone who can understand me if I were to need to speak English, but at the same time, I want my Portuguese to accelerate too.  When we walk in the streets, I refuse to speak English to him and I started that way too the first couple of days in the houses and the busses, but each and every time, he would respond in English! I was actually a little frustrated because of that but we compromised in speaking English in the house and on the busses (to mess with people and catch their attention) and Portuguese on the streets and, needless to say, in the lessons as well.

Just imagine me, sitting in the transfer meeting having no idea who my companion was going to be. On the PowerPoints, we have a bunch of areas divided up and it slowly progresses through each and every area with every missionary and President Lisonbee says who says, who goes, and who gets who. The area I´m in now, 7 de Abril, is one of the first areas to pop up. So I knew that I was going to be one of the first to know. Anyway, it came to me and it showed my name and my picture next to Élder Costa e Silva´s but I was too dang nervous that I didn´t pay a whole lot of attention to the name or the face. All I saw was a Brazilian face with a Brazilian name and knew that it was about to go down. So as they call the companionships, we stand up, give a handshake-hug, and sit down next to our new companion. I remember him a few times in our transfer meetings before we were companions speaking English to some Americans here really slowly, so I figured he didn´t really speak very well but I was wrong apparently. Anyway, we sat down next to each other and just clapped as the companionships rolled by and the highlight of that moment was when we were sitting down, and his Trainee´s name popped up with his new companion, and out of nowhere in the middle of the applause, I hear Élder Costa e Silva half-standing with his back and head turned, pointing to Élder Sandoval, his Trainee, yelling ´´Yes! Yes!! That´s my son!!´´ Hahaha, it was funnier than words can describe because of his semi-Brazilian accent as he yelled that. It gave me a good laugh. Elder Graça also received a new companion as well. His name is Elder Varela, who´s also from Cape Verde as well. They´re good company to have around the house. Although, sometimes I get annoyed with their laziness. Today, Elder Costa e Silva and I were cleaning the house. He mopped the floors and I cleaned dishes and the bathroom and they didn´t do anything. I heard some familiar music blasting from Graça and Varela´s room and I walk in and Graça´s in a garment bottom, with his hands behind his head, elbows extended, listening to the Lazy Song by Bruno Mars, not even understanding the lyrics. Oh, the irony.. But in all honesty, I love these guys. Occasionally during our personal study, we have conversations about Jesus in the New Testament or some of the dumb objections that people have about our beliefs or stuff like that.

This week, I took upon myself more or less the role of Senior Companion because I had to show Elder Costa e Silva our area and had to be the one to make plans and to know which busses to take. It was definitely interesting and I enjoyed it. Part of me is excited to when I´m the one that has to train somebody too. But yeah, as far as lessons go and stuff, we´ve been a bit low in teaching people lately but we talked about it during our inventory and we made some plans on improvement. It´s been good introducing him to everybody though, because he gets along real well with the people.

It was a sad day when I had to part ways with Elder Rivera. He´s in a different part of the mission called ´´Camaçari´´ or something like that. Not very far at all. But yeah, we said goodbye to each other in the house, and for sure we´re going to keep in touch after the mission and meet up again in the States. Guy was my best friend these past 2 transfers. I didn´t think I would be super sad parting ways with him, but the first two days, I was missing all the jokes and laughs and fun times we had. Definitely blessed to have that guy as my Trainer.

I don´t think there´s a whole lot more to talk about. Last P-day, we spent the majority of our time with Christine and Zeak and saying good bye to people with Elder Rivera and this week, I think we´re going to go biking again but this time with Zeak. It´ll be exciting. With Elder Costa e Silva, my speed at speaking Portuguese has improved a LOAD. I can only imagine how it´ll be like at the end of the transfer. I already understand almost everything the other two Elders say (when they´re not speaking Creole), so lately, I´ve been super happy with the language and I´m loving my companion.

That´s all for this week! Love you guys!

-Élder Logan Skinner