Reed's first week in Paradise

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006
Well I am finally here. I´m sorry I didn´t send a letter last week
but I didn´t have a chance to use the internet. I flew out of Sao Paulo
at 8:00 in the morning so I had to be at the front desk with all my
stuff and the other guys going to Joao pessoa at 5:30 in the morning so I
had to get up at about 4:45 and you all know how much I like getting up
early. So we flew out, me and 6 other guys. Luckily we had a brasilian
with us so that we didn´t get lost. I was sitting in the airport and
the guy would come over the speaker and say something in Portuguese and I
had no idea what he was saying, and then he would repeat it in English
and I still had no idea what he was saying. That was kinda the first
time that I realized that from then on it was all Portuguese and that I
better learn it and learn it fast.
So we flew out of Sao Paulo to Brasilia which was a 1 1\2 hour
flight. We had about a 45 minute layover and then flew to Joao Pessoa which
took about 2 1\2 hrs. We were all just wondering what it would be like.
When we were getting close to Joao Pessoa it started to get more green
the closer we got and then I finally could see the city and the ocean.
It was a pretty cool site. So we landed were walking toward the airport
we could see our mission President and his wife waving at us. So we got
our bags and went to meet them. We didn´t get much of a chance to talk
at the airport but we just packed up our stuff in a van and headed for
the mission office. We then had some cake and they told us abut the
mission and some of the stuff that we needed to know about the mission.
They went over rules and other stuff like that too. We had interviews
with Presidente Geschwandtner. After that we went to their house for
dinner and it was just amazing. It was the best meal I had had in 2 months.
after dinner we had a little testimony meeting where all the new guys
bore their testimony in Portuguese and that was really good. So by this
time it was about 8:30 and we were all wondering when we would find out
where we were going to be sent the next day. Finally Presidente
Geschwandtner pulled out the envelopes that had all the info in them. So he
started reading them and finally he got to mine. He read (in Portuguese)
Elder Crosby, your new zone will be Caico, your new area will be Sousa,
and your trainor will be Elder Matos. At the time this all meant
nothing to me and I just wanted to find a map. He then talked to us a little
bit more and then we took pictures and I thing they ar sending some of
those to you. The whole time I was just wondering, "where the heck is
Sousa?" So finally we got to talk to some of the missionaries that had
been there for a while and they explained that Sousa is the furthest
area away from Joao Pessoa. It was also the hottest part of the misison
and almost never rained there but they said it had the best ice cream,
the best salgados, and had a lot of Baptisms.
So that night we stayed in a hotel, right on the beach. The next
morning we got our stuff and headed to the bus station but they told me
that I was going to wait because my companion was actually in joao
Pessoa for some training. So Everyone else left and I went to the Misisonary
office with the older missionaries. I sat ther until noon, just reading
the letters I got (14!!!) and opening the packages (2!!! One from Kari
and one from Katelyn) so that was pretty exciting. Finally I got to
meet Elder Matos. He´s a Brazilian and knows about 20 words in english so
Its pretty interesting but I will havew to learn Portugues that much
faster. And then we went to lunch. We went to a place like Tucanos where
they bring the meet out on the swords and that was great. While we were
eating it started to rain and it was just perfect. So at about 3:00 we
went to catch our bus to Sousa but we ended upmissing it and having to
wait untill 5:00 that night to catch the bus. I was just glad Elder
Matos was there because I would have been so lost with out him. We finally
got on the bus and headed to Sousa. 7 1\2 hours later, at 12:30
Thursday morning we arrived at our Apartment. that first night was pretty bad,
both me and Elder Matos had the runs (I think from the lunch) . It
wasn´t a pleasent experience. So the next day we got up and went out on the
town. Sousa is a little town with about 40,000? people in the middile
of nowhere. It is in the easter part of Paraiba if you want to look at a
map.
Things are good here. We live with another companionship and the
living isn´t too bad. It is really hot here and so I average about 2
showers a day and sometimes three. The apartment isn´t too bad. We have all
that you need. The people here are extrordanarily nice. It´s amazing
how open they are and everyone will invite you in to their house and
offer you water or something to drink. We are teaching about 10 people
right now and 2 are getting baptized onWednesday and another one maybe
Sunday. At church yesturday we had I think 105 people so that was pretty
impressive. we had 6 of our investigators show up to church. I still have
no idea what people are saying here because the dialect here is a lot
different. It would be like learning english and the going to one of the
southern statees like alabama and trying to understand them. The first
couple of days I didn´t understand anything but I am beginning to be
able to pick out words and Phrases now. Elder Matos is a great companion
and has taught me alot. President Geschwandtner came here on Sunday
becuase we just got married misisonary couple to be the new branch
President because the old one got excommunicated I think.
Anyway, things are good and I love it here even though it is really
really hot. I love being able to actually go around and teach the
lessons to people with real problems and real desires. Every lesson Elder
Matos lets me teach a part of it and I am trying to learn how to teach
mor effectively and be able to explain things in Portuguese. The food
here is good. It´s kind of different because at home the big meal is
dinner, but here it is lunch. We always go to a members house for lunch and
Sometimes that is the only meal we eat all day unless we make something
for breakfast. We never take time for dinner but teach lessons. Some
times we stop and get a little bite on the run at night but usually we
don´t eat until we get back to the apartment at 9 or 9:30. I eat so much
at lunch I don´t even notice though. Well I can´t beleive that I am
actually in the field. I didn´t even tell you about my last week in the
CTM or when Elder Uchtdorf spoke to us but I don´t have time. I love you
all. I know that Christ lives and that we are sons and daughters of
God. I know that God knows us each personally and will help us if we ask
him, even if it´s just a little thing. I know that this church is true
and that it brings happiness and hope to our lives. I know that only
through the Atonement of Jesus Christis the Plan of Salvation possible. I
know that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and that he overcame both
physical and spiritual death. I know that he lives today and that only
through Him can we be saved. I want you all to know that I love you all
and aprreciate all that you have done and still do for me. I challenge
you all to share the gospel with someone. Pick a date that you want to
have someone go to church with you and then pray about it and TALK WITH
EVERYONE. just open your mouth. I know that If you have the faith that
you will be able to find someone to share the gospel with. If everyone
would do this in the church just think how much faster the church would
grow. Misisonary work is 10x more effective when they have a friend
there when they are taught the lessons. I know it will bless their lives
and your lives. I hope you all have a good week.

Your son and brother,
Elder Crosby