First week in the Field- Sent July 4

Ola family!!! How are you??? I've read your emails and you all sound like you are doing good. Keep up the good news.
Hmm...I'm not going to lie, the first few days all I wanted to do was cry, and go home. But now all I want to do is stay and work! I love the people here. I cannot understand a thing anybody says, but the people are patient with me and they work with me. We have one family that is investigating, well actually just the parents. They are not married, and my first day we went to see them they said they didn't know why they would get married. But we taught them the 3rd lesson, and stressed the importance of keeping the commandments. At the end of the lesson they said they would consider it. Not exactly they yes we wanted, but there is more of a desire there. The mom, Lu, actually came to church with us yesterday, but the dad, Zildo, said he had other commitments.
Across the street from them lives a little boy, Juan, but pronounced hu-ah-n. He is 11, and such a doll. The first time I saw him, he just sat on his doorstep and looked at us with his big brown eyes and watched us. A day later we went by his house, and he was just sitting there again eating a grapefruit. We taught him, and his older brother, Ramon, the first lesson. His eyes were huge with interest the whole time. We gave him a Livro De Mormon and a pamphlet. The next day, Saturday, we went by his house to see if they read. His mom was in the "living room" with some friends getting drunk. We talked to Juan on the door step and he was eager to learn. Dad, I know you said to baptize families, but his mom has no interest whatsoever, and he wants to be baptized. We'll see what happens. Juan came to church with us on Sunday, and loved every minute of it. I can't explain how much he loves learning about the gospel.
The people here are super nice. Like I said, they are patient with me. In church every single member came up to me and taught me a new word in portuguese, and when I say something wrong they politely correct me. Lu and Zildo just smile when I make a mistake, and then later make jokes about it. It is amazing how much you start to love someone in such a short amount of time. Juan just listens to me make mistakes, and because he is in tune with the spirit he understands everything. That is one thing I have learned. I don't know any portuguese, but the Holy Ghost takes my message to the people. If they are in tune with the spirit, then I can say anything and they understand.
Now time for my trainer...drum roll...yep she is Brazilian! Haha, I love her, she is so cute. Her name is Sister Moraes, and she is from Santa Catarina (don't know how that is spelled). She speaks enough english to help me, but other than that she speaks only portuguese. She also has two and a half months left of the mission, so it is likely we'll stay companions till she leaves. Why is that you ask? Because we are opening an area for sisters. There were elders in our area before, but now they want sisters there because sisters are the best, and they are baptizing like crazy there. It is called Mussurunga (again spelling is horrible). Where Lu, Zildo, and Juan lived is nicknamed the Honey Hole. In one month there were 10 people baptized on that road. The whole place is pretty much a Honey Hole. We'll be walking down a street when all of a sudden my comp will stop and knock on a fence and do a contact. Afterwards she'll say, "I like that house!"
Well time is up and I have to go. I love you all, and I hope you are all safe and sound. Yes I can email friends, and family.
Love you!!!!
Sister Rounds

MTC is over-Sent June 22

This is my last week here!!! Crazy right? I think it is, and I don't know if I am ready for that or not! Hmm...so I forgot to tell everybody that this past week I got to go to the busiest intersection in Sao Paulo. It is called the MASP, there we contacted some people. We didn't get too many people to take a Book of Mormons, but that is okay, at least they had the opportunity. There is a cool little story that I wanted to tell you about it though. My comp and I went to a little side park where lots of benches were. We contacted one young man and he took the book with interest, (at least that is what we think, we don't speak portugues...). After giving the book we felt awkward to contact other people in that area so we left. As we left I had a strong impression to go contact a guy, but sadly fear took over and I didn't take that opportunity. About 10 minutes later we decided to go back to the little park place, the guy that I had the impression to talk to was still there, and he was reading a book. I told my comp to come with me to contact him. After we did the whole we are missionaries spill, he got a huge smile on his face. He lifted up the book that he was so intent upon reading. It was a pass-along Book of Mormon. Another group of elders contacted him. He was reading 3 Nephi 11, and he liked what he had read so far. We have no idea if the guy contacted other missionaries or not, but I hope so. Just goes to show that I should listen to the spirit...he's always right, and i'm wrong. When will I learn? Yeah, know how they say elders like to make the newbies say something that means something totally different? Yeah that has happened to me. Because we were supposed to sit with brazilians at meals, I made some friends with some of them. I asked them what coconut is, and they said coco, I repeated it back, and they started laughing their heads off. Then because they were laughing so loud other brazilians came and started laughing at me too. I couldn't figure out why. They would ask what my dessert tasted like, and I would say coco. (stress the last o). Anyways, my friend finally informed me that it was actually coco(with the accent on the first 0). Turns out they taught me that my dessert tasted like poopoo...I'm just glad that I learned now what it was and not later. So you all sang and did a musical number for Jake's thing right? How did it go? I ended up doing one too. I couldn't let you out do me, so I played my violin, and sang in a cinquet...(5 people group). Yeah, the singing didn't go very well, but I feel like the other song was good. There were three of us, and since I was the worst out of all the violinists I played the melody the whole time, while they went on and did some great variation. But it sounded amazing!! I have the music, so we might have to try it when I get home. I also played Tuesday for the devotional, yeah that one didn't go so well, I didn't have any time to practice. Today was my last time at the temple for the next 16 months. I can't wait to go again. I love you all! I hope you are all safe and sound. Don't be sad this next week! I know this gospel is true, and what Jake and I are doing is the thing we are supposed to be doing at this time! Love you, Sister Rounds

Week 6

Sent by Jenna on June 15

So I still only have 30 minutes to write. So I'm going to be quick, and this keyboard is weird, so don't judge my grammar or spelling. :) Brazil is so different from what I thought it would be! It is crazy cold here!!! Yes I said cold, I honestly was not expecting the cold! Mornings are really cold, then afternoons are on the too warm side! And there is next to no humidity! But apparently Salvador is hot and humid, so I'll enjoy the cold while I can. Because I have so little time to write, I probably won't be reading your emails till after I write, so if you have questions I probably won't answer them. So the CTM here is different form Provo too! It is one smallish building, and that is all you are ever in. But on p-days I get to go roam the streets! That was fun! I did that today! I also got to go to the Sao Paulo temple! That was beautiful and full of fun surprises...mostly I didn't know what they were saying, even though most of it was in english! Right now I have mixed emotions. I love it here in Brazil, but I'm not really liking the CTM, because it is so different, classes are different, and the teachers teach in a totally different way! Hmm...I have more to say, but I don't really know what to say or how to say it. I guess the main point is I am in culture shock!! It is fun though. We are encouraged to interact with the Brazilians everyday, I thought my portuguese was coming along nicely until they started talking to me...yeah turns out I know nothing! It is fun though, I have a Brazilian roommate! So I talk to her everynight, that helps a lot! She knows no english besides what I have taught her, so I am forced to speak in portuguese. I love it! Hmm...yeah I know this is short but I have a lot of emails to read...I'll try to respond to those. I love you! And I miss you! Hope you are all well! Well family, you get one huge paragraph and no more...one because I can't enter down, and twop because I want to read your emails. Love you all! I love this gospel and I know it is true!!! I'm so glad I have your support! Love you, Sister Rounds