Letter 4/8/13

This week was sweet. I was running around quite a bit with the transfers....I actually didn't end up getting my companion until Wednesday morning. All of the trainers and new missionaries met at the Recife chapel while President Lanius interviewed everyone. After about 3 hours, we were assigned our companions. Of the 25 elders that were assigned to train, I'm the only one that has more than a year of mission experience. It's not common for an Elder to train at the end of his mission. My new companion is Elder Santana from Santo André, São Paulo. He's 24 years old and a great guy. He's really humble and has a strong testimony. He spent a part of his life inactive in the church, but is back to make things right. He has an incredibly strong desire to serve a mission. He's a little bit innocent, if you know what I mean...kind of like Adam and Eve after they were kicked out of the Garden....he knows how to do a lot of things, but it seems like he wants to try an be submissive and learn as much as he can from me. It's different for me....I'm used to companions who come "pre-configured" with their own customs and habits....Elder Santana is a completely blank slate....it should be fun to work with him and pass all of the experience and knowledge that I've acquired these last 2 years.

We managed to hitch a ride from a member in my old ward, Jardim São Paulo. I will miss that ward a lot. There are some very special people that I met there....I really learned to love the members and converts that I knew there....I will have lasting friendships with these people without a doubt. The church is a bit different here in Vitória. There are two small branches with about 60 active members in each. We live with another companionship, Elder Morrey from Washington, and Elder Medeiros from Rio Grande do Sul. I already knew both of them, seeing that I already served in their zone. Our house is amazing....everything is super new and shiny.....Brazilians love ceramic tiling....and now I do too. We have an awesome setup here. The city is interesting too....there's a lot of dirt streets here (unpaved) with mansions on the side....kind of funny....poor infrastructure, rich people. This is the wealthiest area I've ever served in. The "interior" as they call it here, or inland area, is notorious for having receptive people. Everyone will talk with you, fewer will assume a commitment. It's real hot and dusty during the day, but at night there's a little cold breeze that comes through the city that is awesome!

The work has been good here. Elder Santana and I are getting along great. With time, I'm starting to see him break through his shell and getting to teach these people with real boldness and authority. I was blown away by the first lesson that we taught here....he challenged the lady to baptism like a pro....I thought he was teasing me by saying that he didn't know how to teach. It's funny, because he hardly speaks any English, but I'm trying to teach him a few things....it's harder than you guys think to remember English now.

The work progress was pretty slow here. We don't really know our way around the area and spent a lot of time getting to know the neighborhood and the members. I'm hopeful that this next week will be a lot smoother and more productive.

In other news, thinking that I had my foot out the door as a mission leader, I was called as District Leader. When I told my mission  President that I had a desire to train, I never thought that I would end up being the district leader of 4 areas that are all in training....3 Elders have less that 2 weeks in the field, 3 have 2-4 months, 1 has 8 months, and then there's me, the dinosaur of the district. I'm gonna train alright. It should be a good experience for me....it looks like the Lord wants me develop a little more patience before I'm through here. This week should be a fun one!
Until next time,

-Elder McKinley