The Science of Language Mastery

Week #8

What a week. We had a lot of wonderful experiences and some not so wonderful ones. First, I got to teach a Brazilian family in Portuguese! They speak English very well too, so Elder Yarman can still participate, but I certainly get to do most of the talking. The Pypers are a wonderful member family who told us they had some Brazilian neighbors just move in and because Brother Pyper served his mission in Brazil and Sister Pyper in Chile, they decided they would invite the new neighbors over for dinner. Then they found out I was going to Brazil and thought of the perfect way to introduce us. They told the family (the Britos) that there was a missionary in their ward who could use some practice speaking/teaching in Portuguese and asked if they would mind being guinea pigs. We taught about half of the Restoration and are going back to the Pyper's home tomorrow to finish it. 

According to natives, my Portuguese is very good for only two months of speaking. Mrs. Brito actually starting talking to me in Portuguese without realizing I might not understand everything she said. After I asked her to slow down a bit, she told me that I spoke well enough that she felt comfortable speaking normally. That was my moment of boasting, so I guess I should tie it into the Gospel somehow. The Gift of Tongues is real. I'm taking it as a sign that I'm doing something right by being out here. By the way, if you think Isaiah is tough, try it in a foreign language. I should finish up 1 Nephi tonight and I expect it will take me well over an hour to get through each chapter of 2 Nephi. I'm also at Isaiah in the Old Testament, so I should be an expert at the end of the month.  

Things slowed down a little bit this week. We've had a difficult time keeping any appointments from falling through and haven't spoken to Nina in several days. Her daughter, Rachel, has even started avoiding us. We still see her driving around town, but when she used to wave, now she speeds up and won't look at us. I do have an awesome story about that though.

On Friday, nothing was working. Every appointment and even our backup plans just didn't work out. It was the last hour of the day and the last thing we wanted to do was tract, so we went to a small pond in near Nina's house and took some time to look through our Area Book and pray. After some time of study and even talking to a few people around the pond (no results there), we both felt very strongly that we should try to visit Nina's home. I have very rarely been so sure of something, so we went there and knocked on the door a couple times. There was no answer. A bit confused, we started going back to the car and just as we were walking down the driveway, Rachel pulls around the corner. When she saw us, she actually sped up and did not park. Earlier that day she had said some unrepeatable words to us, so I'm sure she was much less than happy to see us there. For her to come home during those few minutes we were at the door is too much of a coincidence. We don't know what the purpose was yet, but the Lord certainly works in mysterious ways. I'm excited to see what He has in store for Nina's family and what other experiences I'll have for these next two years. 

Today does mark two months of my mission and also Mom's birthday, so it's kind of special. Happy birthday Mom! And happy birthday to Emma tomorrow! I hope you enjoy the temple. It does not feel like two months. I think I already have a good idea of how quickly these next 22 will fly by. Maybe 2 years really isn't all that big a sacrifice after all. 

Thanks for your prayers and support.

See you all in 1.83333 years! 

Elder Dickson

Settling into the Teaching Life

Week #7

Oi qo todo mundo!

This week was pretty difficult. We still have found very few people to teach and have found very many inactive members. The ward here would be much bigger if only the members were active. We spend a lot of time teaching them and encouraging them. A few can offer names of people that need help, but few are willing to accept any for themselves. Sometimes it's frustrating.

More information about Elder Yarman. His first name is Samuel and he loves orchestral music. Sometimes the music seems a little excitable and it certainly isn't Beethoven or Mahler, but still enjoyable. He has moved around a lot but he calls Charlotte, North Carolina home.

A lot has happened this week. I tried tracting for the first time. It didn't go so well, but you can certainly tell the people that would benefit most from the Gospel. A lot of people very kindly state that they have their religion (usually Catholic), aren't interested in any other, and wish us a good day. Others shout that they don't want any and close the door, while others look through the window and hide when they see that we saw them. One woman asked who we were through the door, and we told her we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She opened the door, but as soon as we said that we had a message about Jesus Christ, she rolled her eyes and slammed the door. I don't know what she was expecting before. One guy on that same street came out after we left his house and told us that everybody else was going to do the same thing he did. (Add profanities for a more accurate quote.) He seemed pretty interested in how we were doing for someone who didn't want to listen. It was one of those moments that felt like the devil's fiery shaft didn't really have much power behind it. That, or the Armor of God is just that awesome. Probably both.

Most of our finding is through potential and former investigators. We don't have as much success as we would like with teaching them, but we got a few a couple of days ago that said they're interested.

The most exciting thing was by far Nina. We still haven't been able to teach her a lesson, but the Lord has certainly guided us to her. In speaking with her we learned that her largest concern is that her children will have a good set of morals. I know it's not exactly usual missionary material, but I had brought my For the Strength of Youth from home and had almost dumped it at the MTC, but felt like I should hang onto it. Anyway, I had it with me in my bag and gave it to her. We'll see if she's read any of it when we have our first real lesson with her tonight. She is very accepting of the idea of resurrection, and she accepted scriptures out of the Book of Mormon without an issue. She has told us very clearly that she cannot be a Mormon because she likes her tea too much. I guess we'll see about that. She is a little crazy, but always offers us water, orange juice, soda, or anything else she has. She also tells us how perfect her 13-year-old son is. I didn't tell her that my mom beat her to that claim. Moms like to think their kids are best, don't they?

I have pictures today! Hopefully they're not too blurry, Mom.

The sister that photobombed from the side is Sister Jones. She was in the MTC with me and she is now in Colorado Denver North. She'll go to Fortaleza eventually.

Yes, I bought Twinkies. It was the first batch, so I had to buy some. Besides, I haven't had one for years.

That's our salamander friend. I haven't seen him for a few days. Lot's of spiders though.

The Elder is Elder Yarman.

Almost out of time and I still have to finish laundry.

Keep writing. Missionaries like letters/email.

Until next week,

Elder Samuel Dickson

The Beginnings of the Real Work

Week #6

(First week in Colorado.)

Hello everybody,
Sorry about the long silence, but today is my first P-day, so here goes.

I left the MTC Monday morning around 6 AM. I had to get up at 4, so I was very tired. Anyway, about 40 missionaries piled onto a bus and we drove up to the Salt Lake City Airport. From there I flew to the Denver airport and met my mission president and the other 20 missionaries that arrived at the same time. We were the first set of missionaries ever called to the Fort Collins Mission. Exciting, right? Driving to the mission office and doing interviews took all day (they did feed us)and guess what! Monday is P-day, so everybody missed it.
I don't live in an apartment. I live in the basement of a lovely old lady named Sister B. We have two beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a coffee table to study at. It's not the best setup, but it works. We just cleaned it up today, so I'll take pictures and send them next week. (I forgot my SD card converter, so I can't send pictures today). We also have had some strange nocturnal visitors. Elder Yarman likes to sleep with the window open, but near the bottom there is a large whole in the screen. One morning while I was reading, I got up and saw a salamander right where I was about to put my foot. I didn't expect to see an amphibian in Lafayette, Colorado and wondered if someone had let their pet get loose. I held onto it for a few minutes while I waited for Elder Yarman to get out of the shower and he said that was not the first time this particular salamander had paid him a visit. I guess we've made a friend. Pictures coming next week.
My companion's name is Elder Yarman. He is 25, has been out for 6 months, and has been in the area for the last seven weeks.

The work here is sort of slow. They had two baptisms right before I came and that kind of cleaned out the teaching pool. We've been trying to find people, but people here don't really like to talk much. I've already had some doors rather rudely closed in my face and being Colorado, a lot of people seem to like their marijuana. The nickname for the hippie, recycling, counter culture, weed smoking types is Boulderite. I've met some minor ones, but I hear there are many far more liberal in their ways.

In the last couple days we've run into just about every woman in a particular family around Lafayette and, as of Saturday, finally were able to stop by their house(They just moved in). The mother's name is Nina and she has two daughters Rachel and Sarah. Nina immediately told us that she has her own faith about the nature of God and how He interacts with His children. As she elaborated, we realized that she believes almost exactly what we teach. Yesterday we helped her move a few things into her new home and she has invited us to come back. The more we talk to her, the more I've come to realize how much the Lord prepares people to receive the Gospel. She is my first experience with the love I've often heard missionaries express for their investigators.

Most of our teaching at the moment is to less active and part member families. We have stopped by the new converts a few times, but mostly we're trying to get involved with the ward and gain enough trust to get some referrals. Knocking doors is not my favorite.

Church yesterday was fun. The ward is small and the primary is almost nonexistent. There are a few young families, but the majority are empty nesters. The Aaronic Priesthood seems to have no more than five members and the Elders Quorum is spread through all the rest of the ward (we had six elders in quorum meeting). I'm told the neighboring ward has 200 primary children. Sacrament meeting has to be a peaceful experience there.
So far we haven't eaten a single dinner on our own. The Relief Society simply expects us to pass around a dinner calendar each Sunday, so we're fed practically every night. On the nights we don't have something already set up, if we so much as mention eating at home, Sister B. gets on the phone and immediately finds us a meal. (She used to be the Relief Society President)

The first week was long and I hope I get to Brazil soon. I love this area, but this seems to be predominantly a driving mission. I think I would rather walk and talk to more people, but Elder Yarman insists that street contacting is not very effective here. I guess I'll have that experience when my visa comes. Aside from not walking, I have no one to practice Portuguese with. Most of the ward thinks I speak Spanish anyway.

I need some mail to prove my residency so I can get a long-term library card. I know the address I write from is the mission office address, but they forward it to me, I promise. Also, do not try to send packages through any service other than the U.S. Postal Service. UPS, FedEx, or any other method can't be forwarded for free and I probably won't get it for a month.

To my family, tell me about Vermont. Oh! That reminds me. Elder Yarman lived in Vermont and went to the Newport Branch from about 1997-2000. He said is dad was in the branch presidency. Maybe somebody remembers him.

Well, the library computer is about to kick me off. I have other stuff to do anyway. I still haven't even unpacked everything yet.

I love you all,

Elder Samuel Dickson

The New Assignment

Elder Dickson has been reassigned! 

I just opened my reassignment a few minutes ago. I'm going to the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. No idea what language, but I leave from the MTC on Monday at 9:15 AM. Eu estou muito animado! Also, here are some pictures. The guy who looks like Tyler Bott is one of our teachers holding a picture Sister Edwards drew of him. Sorry I don't have more pictures to email, but I'll have plenty in the next two years.

Allons-y!

Elder Dickson

"Elementary, My Dear"---Teaching The Law of Chastity

MTC Week #5 

This is Elder Dickson's last full week in the MTC. Where will he go next?

Oi! Tudo Bem?  

Last week was interesting. My district got to welcome the new missionaries and will be doing the same thing again tomorrow. We have also lost one of our professors to a family vacation and have been able to hear many different versions of Portuguese (Portugal Portuguese sounds kind of funny). 

 No more than one week left at the MTC. We're expecting our reassignments as early as Wednesday and could leave Thursday. We're expecting them, but another district that was supposed to leave this week didn't get reassignments and have been redistributed through the other Portuguese speaking districts. Hopefully that won't happen to us too. It's just a little exciting to leave the MTC and get out to teach people that don't know the answers already.  

This week we'll be going out around Provo for our in field orientation and hosting the new missionaries again. Seeing them makes me think about how little time I've actually been here and how much I've learned in such a short time. I remember getting out of the car and somebody who I thought new how everything worked welcomed me and very quickly guided me through dropping off bags, gathered all my language materials, and dropped me in a classroom with ten other overwhelmed people and a teacher who launched right into Portuguese grammar. That was easily the longest half day of my life.  

Two or three days after that, we're expected to teach an investigator in Portuguese every day for the rest of our time at the MTC. These lessons normally go very slowly as we struggle to put sentences together and think of coherent responses to the investigator's questions. ( No memorized charts, Dad). Just yesterday, we had to teach the Law of Chastity for the first time. Imagine how uncomfortable it can be to tell an adult how to live his love life and then try to do it in a language you can hardly understand, let alone speak. That was a rough lesson. Oh, well. Tudo bem.  

I got a great bit of news a few days ago from a certain Moldovan friend who got baptized sometime in the last few weeks. Not trying to be mean to anybody, but hearing about a friend's baptism while in the MTC could very easily be the best news it is possible to receive. Thanks, Natalia!  

I know everybody at home wants to hear more from me, but questions do help me know what to say. It's very easy to gloss over each day without questions to help me look for specific experiences. Also, letters from my sisters would help me have stuff to respond to . . . (that means you, Lauren).  

Grandpa,  

Obrigato por sua mensagem. Eu amo comer frango e legumes. Eu terei muitas oportunidades comer as comidas estranhas. Com sorte, eu não vou tornar-se doente tão muito. Também, Dear Elder, não gosta de letras especial e os mostra como "?".  É muito difícil entender as palavras. E-mail é melhor para escrevendo em Português.  

I've also received a great deal of goodies in the mail. One of our teachers actually commented that he had never seen a district get so many boxes of cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, etc. We have to share just to finish the amount of sugar we get. Angela, your brownies and last box of cookies were very popular and Sister Openshaw really liked the cookies from Grandma Kent.  

That Portuguese section took a lot of time and I still have to send pictures because I forgot my camera. I'll send some later today. For now, farewell, Hurrah for Israel, and any other movies lines you can think of.  

Love,  

Elder Dickson

Sam didn't end up sending any pictures, so here's a precious picture of The Elder and his mother.