One of our district goals is to read the Book of Mormon before we leave. It's about 10 pages a day. I just started Mosiah and had an incredible discussion with this kid in my district who is basically an history buff. I know all the stories and names in the Book of Mormon just from growing up in the church but when I was reading it I was a little confused and he filled me in about the historical aspect. I had no idea that the Jaredites traveled eastward like, 1400 years before Nephi, right after the tower of babel incident. How come you never told me that?? And I never knew about the Mulekites in the land of Zarahemla. I always that it was just Nephi and everything started there. There were three separate civilizations. I had no idea. I also had always pictured Nephi and his family traveling westward across the Atlantic and landing near Central America. Apparently they traveled east across the Pacific. Dunno how I missed that one.
My companion and I blessed the sacrament on Sunday, which was interesting. Not only have I not done it in like 2 years, I've never done it in Portuguese. Our meetings are in English but all the prayers are in Portuguese. I did the bread and it went fine, but I forgot to turn the card over so when he went to do the water, since its Portuguese and we don't really think about what we're saying, he just started reading and didn't stop till about halfway through when he hit the word pão (bread), then he froze. Oops.
On Friday our district gets to go proselyting for the first of 3 times. They drop us off near this subway/bus station and just let us go for about 3 1/2 hours. We have our "street contact" in Portuguese pretty much ready to go, the only problem is that the people that we talk to might talk back. That's when we get into trouble. So next week's correspondence should be a lot more interesting than this one.
The president of the São Paulo North Mission came and spoke at our Sunday devotional, and I think it was the best devotional yet. He talked about our shoes and everywhere they would take us and all the things that we would do in them. That sounds kind of silly now that I read it, but it was really quite good. I don't have my notes with me so I cannot expound any more, I'm afraid.
I got a letter from Jason at the Provo MTC and he talked all about how they get to see general authorities all the time and how awesome it is. I was pretty jealous, I'll admit. We're getting lessons from the clerk of the branch down the street and he gets to see M. Russel Ballard. Awesome.
I've been playing basketball 3 times a week with my district. Somehow, I actually manage to enjoy it. My companion was like the Josh Jones of Bountiful High (in UT) so playing with him is intimidating, but I'm usually on his team so we win. Always. At least, I think we do. Keeping score is against the rules because it breeds contention. So I guess I just assume that we always win. I have gotten better than I was in 8th grade.
I think my English is getting worse.
love,
Elder Sisco