Brazil!

Wow.

Too be honest, I really don't know what to tell you. Except that this keyboard is really difficult. Brazil is so... different. So interesting. And also so great! The people here are really friendly and helpful. Their accent also is super difficult... I talked with a lot of missionaries from São Paulo and could understand them fine, but the locals are MUCH more difficult. But I'm learning so much every day! Every day it gets a little easier. And we talk to people all the time... I think Sister Mimbela and I had 102 contacts this week! Woot woot!

Oh, Sister Mimbela is my "Mãe"--or my trainer. She's from Lima, Peru! A member told me last night that I'm starting to get a hispanic accent... She's fantastic, super helpful and super pacient. So I am really blessed. Really blessed. She's been helping me a lot to get past all the culture shock.

So right now I'm serving in Cabanagem, an area of Belém. Too be perfectly honest it's really the slums... Culture shock, I tell you. But I love it here! It's really hot. Really hot. I sweat all the time. Some days this week were really difficult to stay positive and keep the homesickness away... but then, at the end of the day, I know that every thing was worth it. Our ward is also super cool! They all want to be involved in missionary work!

Oh!!! BIG NEWS!! We had a baptism on Saturday. :D His name is Yarlei--he's ten years old and AWESOME. Other missionaries did most of the teaching, so when we arrived we just had to teach him some of the commandments. His baptism was so special! On Sunday in the MTC, I fasted for a miracle... not a miracle in my own life, but to see a miracle happen in some one else's. I felt like this was the answer. I loved seeing the huge smile on his face. Also, pretty neat, Brasil Belém is the "Missão de Milagres." Pretty coincidental.

Any how, this week was crazy... there are so many little things I'd love to tell you all if I had more time... unfortunately I don't! But bathrooms here are very different, the food is also very different (but great!), and being an American here is.. an experience. But I love missionary work!

Love you all so much!

Sister Dickerson

"Be strong, and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest." -Joshua 1:9 (My motto nowadays) :)