Week Five - “I've never seen a Gringo before”

 My dear dear friends,

I had to say some goodbyes this week as I left the Missionary Training Center for the Mission field. Couldn't be more grateful for my district, my companion Elder Bohman, and especially our teachers.

That being said, I am masterfully unprepared for the mission field, at least where language is concerned. I can tell when people are asking questions like “what's your name?” and “where are you from?”, but otherwise I look to my new companion, Elder Batista, for help. I do also know how to pray, and that's pretty much all I contribute to lessons, so I pray a lot. Simple and sincere prayers out loud in Portuguese, and even more sincere prayers in my heart (sometimes in Portuguese).

But I am grateful for the members here in São Luís, and my companion. They are definitely understanding of my lack of understanding. And while they get a good laugh out of it sometimes, I do too. 

The word of the week is definitely gringo, because that's what I am, and is usually one of the first things people point out when we're talking with them. I think they are wondering what I'm doing here, especially when I don't really speak Portuguese. But I don't wonder. I know why I'm here. I'm here because I've prayed, and come to know that this church is The Church of Jesus Christ, that I am supposed to be serving a mission, and that the Lord saw fit that I serve it here in Brazil. And I am grateful He had a place for me to go, and a work for me to do.

Elder Pinkney