WEEK 6: July 24, 2018

All these missionaries were in the same mission prep class at BYU last semester!

I have arrived in Pòrto Alegre! We arrived yesterday and the plane ride was only like 2 hours. We went to the temple to take pictures and then we went to the mission home! We got to have lunch with our new mission president. His name is President Souza and he is amazing. I LOVE his wife, Sister Souza. She is amazing. She gives awesome hugs and I love her already! I am very very nervous to be here. Then we went to the mission office to get some training and that was super boring and i was very tired. But I did it! I made it through!! THEN WE MET OUR COMPANIONS! My companions name is Sister Lins and she is from Maceio Brazil! SO A NATIVE! I have been praying every day for the last 2 weeks to have a native companion and the Lord Blesses the Faithful (editor note: This is a Becca saying. She is not suggesting those who did not get native companions aren’t faithful.) because I had a 50% chance of not having a native, and I got one! She is amazing. President wants me to teach her English but I don't know how.

My first area is... PORTO ALEGRE! That is right! I am in the city. And my district is the AP´s, Secretaries, and Sister Lins and I. So Sister Lins and I are the only proselyting missionaries in the area. She was excited to find out that I spoke pretty good portuguese already. She was scared I wouldn't know anything. But turns out I do! Our apartment is kinda... how you would expect a south american missionary apartment to look. Kinda a disaster and we use an ironing board as a table. Also one of the "windows" doesn't have glass in it so it is just an open part of the wall, but you know, it'll do.

IT IS SO COLD! Didn't expect it. And it is just going to get colder. I already whipped out the winter clothes the minute I got to my apartment. I am excited to be here. I am kinda really nervous and really scared to begin, but I have faith that it will be okay.

Sister Rosenberg is serving at the opposite end of the mission in Pelotas and that was really sad for us. I will miss her but I am happy to be here. Turns out I actually am going to probably have to learn a little Spanish here because they speak a lot of Portoanhol, which is a combo of Portuguese and Spanish. I am very excited but incredibly nervous. Pray for me!

Love,
Sister Rebecca Hammond

(Sorry.  She didn't send any pictures this week. :( )