Pelotas

Hey there everybody! Wow, I am finally in Rio Grande do Sul, and excited about it! I flew out of São Paulo last Tuesday. There were eleven of us going to Porto Alegre South. Ten North Americans and one Brasileiro. We were all grateful to have him as we navigated the São Paulo airport. I finally met my Mission president and his wife, they are fantastic! We didn't waste much time which I was pleased about. Had a little bit of training, ate, I met my trainer (Elder Gramosa, more about him in a minute) and then we were off on a three hour bus ride to the city of Pelotas where I am assigned. So yes my companion is a native, and so are the other two Elders in my apartment, which I am excited about, I am sure that will help with the language a lot. Elder Gramosa is on his last two transfers in the mission so he is finishing and I am just starting. Trainers and their trainee´s are always together for two transfers so I will be his last companion. He is from Salvador and is a great missionary, I will try to send some pictures next week. My area in Pelotas is called the Simões Lopes Norte. When I was asking Elder Gramosa about it he described it like this ´well there is a rich side of town, and a poor side. We are on the poor side´. Ha, that is 100% fine by me.
I really am not sure what to say. It was good week, we worked hard and tried to find people to teach as well as following up on people that had been taught before I got here. If anybody had told me I would be cold in Brazil a few months ago I might have laughed at them, but it IS cold. I won't say the temperature because you will probably laugh at me, but humidity and the wind are not your friend in the winter. Plus there is no such thing here as central heating, or insulation. I sleep with several blankets and sweats. I can't imagine what it must be like at night for a few of the people we teach. Some houses here are little more than some bricks, scrap wood, and a sheet of tin for a roof. It is pretty hard to see, but people are happy.
I have also already made my first cultural blunder, it took maybe six hours. I said thank you. That might sound weird. I will explain. Here there is a drink called Chimarrão, It is basically mate and hot water. When somebody hands it to you, it is impolite to say thank you, simply take it, drink until it rumbles, and pass it back.
Sorry, I feel like this email is pretty scattered and probably not what was expected for my first week in the field, but my mind is pretty scattered. I can only remember being so exhausted at the end of the day when I was working in Chiloquin, I get home. We plan for tomorrow, I write in my journal, pray, and then in the blink of an eye six thirty is here. I am still adjusting from MTC life.
One adjustment is that there are no Americans, so English is almost completely useless except for to mess with some of the kids that follow us around at times. Elder Gramosa does speak English fairly well, enough to help me out if needed, but not too much. Even investigators are really impressed with my language for only having been here for ten weeks, and they ask if I studied before. So I do alright expressing myself, I just cannot follow a conversation to save my life. After I introduce myself, Elder Gramosa often says. He speaks really well, you will be able to understand him, but speak slowly for him. One of my favorite phrases already is: Mais devegar por favor. (Krista, or anyone else, if you have a translation please leave it in the comments...all I got is more blank please.)I know I will get it eventually, but it is hard to be patient and just focus really hard. It is easy when people are talking and I don't know what is going on just to zone out. I have to work at focusing and trying to get what I can and then I ask Elder Gramosa about it later.
The work is going well, we try to talk to everyone, and I am praying that we can find a new family to teach. I read "Our Heritage" yesterday and the day before. Yesterday when it was cold and raining and we were walking around, I thought of the Pioneers crossing the plains in the winter of places like Nebraska, I didn't feel so cold after that. I actually like it, people were more inclined to listen to us because we showed that our message is important enough to bundle up walk across town to share.
Well, until next week. I am glad to hear about everyone's comings and goings throughout the week. It seems like there was a lot with Mom and Shaun in Utah, Nick staying in New York, Tom leaves in a few days for Mexico. And I would like to hear how Austria is For Keith Natalie and Ezzie. I hope you are all well. I love you all, take care


Elder David F. Morgan
(Side note, there is already an Elder Morgan here, so I need to choose between Elder F. Morgan, would sound like efee morgan, or Elder Fredrick, what do you think?