23 April 2012

write me!

so i dont really know how to use the keyboard here so this email is going to have a lot of grammar issues. i know, it bugs me too. haha but what can ya do? so on monday i hopped on a plane to detroit then from there i hopped on another plane, had a good nap on the plane that night and then arrived in sau paulo the next morning. let me just say, it is SO hot in that airport.  and it was so crazy to hear everyone speaking portuguese at one million miles an hour. i flew from detriot to sau paulo with a missionary from the mtc. when we arrived in sau paulo there was a lady there to help us get to our next flight to vitoria. we went through customs and all that jazz and it was no biggie at all. we hopped on the flight to vitoria and oh man, i was so excited. it is SO beautiful and green here! i love it! when we got to the airport two missionaries took us in a van to the mission home. more like mission apartment. the mission president and his wife live in an apartment building right on the coast. the view is beautiful! we had the most delicious lunch with fresh fruit and meat and of course rice and beans. i have had rice and beans every day since i got here. good thing i love it so much. one funny thing, in the sau paulo airport i saw a white red headed brazilian. i thought it was funny. haha anyways. i love it here. it is definitely a huge change from wisconsin and the united states in general but i love it. we walk so much i feel like a pioneer. you know the primary song, they walked and walked and walked and... yeah. you get it. we walk a lot. it will be good though. i can already feel my leg muscles growing. oh and did i mention how hot it is? haha mom, the shoes are great, i love the crocs cause they dont give me blisters. i had about 5 blisters in the first two days. haha but its fine cause i love it. also, i got to meet that sister whose blog i was reading when i first got my call. she went home the day i got here but i got to meet her! so we teach a ton. all day every day. i mostly just bear my testimony at the end and do my best to follow the conversation. its crazy because i can understand more and more every day. thanks so much for all the prayers. they really are helping me. so just like i was waiting for my visa, they were waiting for me here. when i met the mission president and his wife they were like 'oh sister zeller, finally, we have all been wondering, when will sister zeller arrive?" she said it was kind of a joke in the mission. "where is sister zeller" my companions name is sister dias and yes she is brazilian. we live with two other sisters and one of them is american. sister dias was alone for the whole last transfer waiting for me. she didn~t have a companion. weird huh? so she loved me the minute i got here. haha she is so great though. we have a fun time trying to communicate. its pretty funny. she helps me with portuguese and i help her with english. my portuguese is coming along...... slowly. i said a prayer for lunch with members one day and after i finished their 4 year old said "i didn't understand, was she speaking english or something" hahaha so apparently my portuguese needs some work. but i haven~t even been here a week yet so i think i am okay for now. kids are funny. and the kids here are so darn cute! the food here is great! i love it so much. they also drink juice ALL the time. its a little bit hard because i love water so much. the water in this area isn't even bad. oh yeah, i will tell you about my area. so i am in gloria. it is kind of in the city. it is great and i love it. we talk to people on the street (well, sister dias talks to them while i nod my head and act like i understand) and they are so receptive... most of the time. haha the drivers here are crazy! i saw someone on a motorcycle get hit by a car yesterday. he was fine but it scared me so bad. mom, i got your dear elder that you sent the day i arrived here and caudle thank you for the birthday present!  it was so great. and i got those two letters from jimmy. they were awesome and i read them in the airport. thanks jim. keep em comin. the other night we were walking down the street and this lady comes up and starts talking and talking to us about america and she keeps kissing my hands and saying how someday she will go to america and how she has visions about it.  so ALL of the girls here want to serve missions. it is the coolest thing. they come with us to lessons and are so excited to serve. pretty much all the girls here have served or want to. how awesome is that? pretty darn. anyways, i will definitely get a bit skinnier here because we don't eat dinner really. haha my first day i was so hungry but i am getting used to it. we met this family the other night and gave them a book of mormon and asked them to read and pray. they were so receptive. we went back and the wife said she read and she loved it. we are going back tonight. i am so excited. they have the cutest little kids. yesterday was my first sunday in portuguese! i actually understood a lot of it because i can understand churchy words. the gospel is the same everywhere and it is so cool. the people here do the hug and kiss on the cheek thing and it is the BESHT! i love it. the people here just have so much love for everyone. i love it. i love being here. i love learning portuguese. it is definitely a challenge but i think because i had to wait so long i just love everything. even the hard things. which is good. Elder Cook is coming to speak to us on wednesday! its going to be awesome! i hope you all have a great week! I know that there is no way i could do this without my Savior right beside me. i know He has helped me so much and will continue to help me. i am so grateful for His sacrifice. the church is true. tchau!

sister zeller or "seester zellair" that is how they say my name. haha

stef, parabens and i am sure your wedding will be great! i love you!