Day 32

Took a tour bus through the Sao Paulo countryside, about 1.5 hours each way to and from the Campinas temple (SP Temple is closed).

It's a strange sight: the wide highways snake across literal jungle, as if someone just dropped them in. There are rest stops and towns along the way, but there are also a lot of abandoned(?) shacks and cinderblock structures in random and probably inconvenient spots within the tropical canopy. We woke up at 5:30 today but I stayed awake during the drive just for the view. For most of the way, the highway is inset in valleys. In every direction is a storybook landscape that stretches for miles. It's a welcome and surreal change from the inner city.

I forgot to take my camera this p-day...

Real characters at the MTC. Ours is apparently the only in the world to do "divisions", or companion exchanges between different language-speakers while still in the MTC. The divisions last an hour for 2 lessons (we teach other missionaries and are taught by other missionaries, all in Portuguese), and also include lunch.

Here's my brasilian companion this week:

Brasilians are generally small, maybe an average of 5ft 3-4in. Elder T from northern Brasil is well over 6 feet, physically imposing with a boxer's build. Also happens to be one of the nicest people I've met while here, which is saying something when most everyone within the walls of the MTC are unironically helpful and enthusiastic.

The locals often go on a mission later than 18 or 19 years, and so this elder is 25, already holds a law degree, and has serious plans for afterwards. Similar story for lots of others here.

In his case, after these 2 years, he'll be getting his green card through the US Navy, and specifically says he plans to be a Navy SEAL. I haven't found anyone surprised by this, he's the type of personality that can do whatever he wants.

Talked a lot about Brasil itself. He, like many others, loves the north, despite the crime and what he called "civil war" (the military is always fighting whoever in several northern cities). For missionaries there, apparently, the police are just as much reason not to wear watches (for example) as the common street thieves.

I was interested by the way he answered a question about the police and military.

Police: "very corrupt"

Military: "bad"

In Portuguese it's harder for me to understand context, but the word "mau" means both "bad" or "evil", for example. He actually meant the military is even worse. The entire scale of trust starts at a different level.

Many of the locals have given everything to be here at the MTC. Some who choose to go a few years later than usual do so because they've been saving up money with all of their time. I've heard about disownings and so forth.

These trials seem to make strong missionaries and members. At the MTC, there are more missionaries from, and/or going to northern Brasil than anywhere else. Across 5 weeks so far, the only other person going to Santa Maria is Sister Stapley from my district.

According to the brasilians, the general rule is that the farther south in Brazil, the less worries (at least in terms of crime/etc.) There are other issues in the South.

"Snakes" and "Scorpions"

Brasilian men and women who target missionaries for marriage. The whole scenario is well ingrained in the minds of all of the brasilians. When they find that someone is headed for the south, a lot of them just start laughing at first for a bit.

"Boa sorte!"

I'll have more time to write when in the field (very soon).

-Elder Hopkinson

 smith.hopkinson@myldsmail.net