Week #5 - Oi Todo Mundo!

It´s been another great week packed with learning Portuguese and more about the gospel just like you would all expect. Therefore I don´t have a lot to say. In general, this week was pretty uneventful besides for P-day last week after emailing and getting yelled at for going too hard in volleyball. But there is no way to resist swinging away at a perfect set or over pass ha ha!  Last P-day I was able to get acai! It was not as good as Nekter, but still very delightful after a week of CTM food. The CTM food has actually only gotten better since I've been here though, so that´s a plus. 

It has become a lot easier to speak my thoughts in Portuguese this week. On Saturday I was on splits with a Brazilian companion and we were teaching the Evangelho of Jesus Cristo. When I started speaking I felt a wave of the Spirit come over me and the Portuguese started flowing. It was an incredible experience.j I know when I´m in the field I will be relying heavily on the Gift of Tongues. I finished 1 Nephi in Portuguese and didn´t understand a whole lot but now I'm in 2 Nephi and am able to understand almost all of it.

My testimony of our Savior continues to grow by leaps and bounds. I´m so humbled and thankful for the opportunity to wear His name for 2 years. I´m so excited for General Conference and I hope everyone has the chance to watch it. What a blessing it is to have living prophets. 

Sorry I don´t have much to say. Thank you all for the support and prayers! Til´next week!

Love Elder Scheer

L

WEEK #4 - Downtown Sau Palo!

Oi!

It has definitely been a great week. Best for first, as they say in Fort Worth, TX. We got to go to Downtown São Paulo to proselyte and it was very hype. So much better than sitting in the CTM. I was really nervous and I was thinking that there´s no way I´ll be able to have conversations with these people. I´m delighted to say that I was wrong! Talking to the Brasilian people was an incredible experience. Many of them are open to learning more about Christ, but at the same time there were many who were not interested. A ton of people just say that they´re Catholic.   If you want to check out where I was, pit Pãolista Avenue into google maps (you may have to type Avenia Pãolista).

On Sunday we watched a devotional that was broadcast from the Provo MTC. I was slightly disappointed Elder Mann didn´t get any TV time, but oh well. Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke to us. He shared some wise words about how it is a privilege to be serving and how important it is to be obedient. This talk helped improve my district´s attitude. We´ve started waking up happier and taking things more seriously and I can feel the Spirit even stronger.

There´s a tradition that the American missionaries have here where a few districts are invited to the room of the district leaving for the field and we sing the Star Spangled Banner and God Be With You Til We Meet Again. It was actually quite a spiritual experience. 

One of the guys in that district is going to UCLA for volleyball after his mission, so that´s way sick. I finally got to talk about legitimate volleyball with someone. He said it´s the first time in a while that they´re letting someone go on a mission.

A daily struggle here are the sewer flys haha! They inhabit the drains of showers and sinks and will just chill on the walls while you shower. But I have to say they have been more aggressive lately and will come at me while I shower. It´s an intense battle!

Shout out to Michael for getting his mission call to Mexico Culiacan! That will be so dope.

That´s all for this week! Thank you all for the prayers and emails. I miss and love you all!

-Elder Scheer

In a letter from Jacob to Mom, he expounded a bit on the Downtown Sau Paulo experience:

"On Saturday we got to go Downtown to hand out Book of Mormons!  It was way fun, also easier than I thought it would be.  My Portuguese is pretty good!  Mostly with church stuff, but that's all that matters, LOL.  We got 6 Book of Mormons per companionship.  Elder S. struggles alot with Portuguese, so I gave out all 6, and then I took one from another companionship and gave that one out too.  I was so nervous at first, but then I enjoyed it! 

I have started waking up at 5:40 to work out with Elder M. and Elder G.  They are both from Salt Lake City, but not in my district, they came 2 weeks before me. Elder M's personality is pretty similar to Steven D's.

I'm still enjoying the CTM, but it's getting kind of boring, ha ha! I'm really excited to get out into the field."

WEEK #3 - I Have Never Done Anything More Right!

What could be better than using a Holland quote for my subject?  Yesterday we heard a devotional given by him a while ago. Best talk I've ever heard. Probably because I am feeling the Spirit more than ever and it applied directly to my life and the incredible significance of my calling as a missionary. He talked about our purpose which is to invite others to come unto Christ. In order to invite others, we have to be following Him 100% or else it would be hypocritical. We cant invite others to be cleansed through the Atonement if we are not.

After emailing last week we got to go walk around outside for an hour. It was cool to walk the streets of Brasil for the first time. It seems kinda ghetto coming from Summerlin but that´s just how it is here.  We got some snacks for the week and other necessities. After I email I´m going to get a churro because they are celestial.

Sundays are probably the best. We get to be spiritually rejuvenated for the week and take a 2 hour nap. I cherish that nap.

The Portuguese has definitely picked up this week. Yesterday American missionaries went on splits with Brazilian missionaries and that helped a lot. My Brazilian comp is super cool too. I´m beginning to be able to teach with the Spirit without reading straight off my notebook which is nice. I can better answer questions and speak according to promptings during lessons. The Gift of Tongues is very real.

Something funny that happened this week was Elder S.started our District prayer with Somos Pai Celestial which means We are Heavenly Father. It´s not even that funny, but we all started cracking up hahaha. Our room is on the seventh floor and we are not allowed to take the elevator, so by the time I leave the CTM my glutes will be pretty toned haha. I got the idea to sing Newsies from Elder Hoogland´s letter last week so Elder D and I sing it all the time. That´s pretty much it for this week! Thank you for all the support. Te amo!

Elder Scheer

WEEK #2 - BRASIL IS AWESOME!

Hello Everyone!

Brasil is awesome! I actually don't really know yet but from what I've seen of Sao Paulo, it seems pretty cool.  Living in the CTM is like living in an aquarium because it still feels like we are just living in American with a bunch of Brasileiros.

When we got here, everyone was telling us how terrible and hard the first week is but I actually enjoyed it.  The first few days were super slow but the rest have flown by.  Sitting in a class for 9 hours a day is pretty boring, but I have an awesome District (group of missionaries) and I like learning Portuguese so it's not that bad.  We are always laughing together about movie quotes or something, which is awesome.  Paying attention during Spanish has definitely payed off, but it is still super hard to talk to Brazilians.  I can carry a conversation better with Spanish speaking Elders, but I can feel the Portuguese improving quickly.  I know the Lord is helping me learn this language because he wants all of His children to hear the Gospel.

The food here is either hit or miss.  They always serve rice and beans though and they are super good.  Also, the guarana (Brazilian soda) is sooo good!  I look forward to physical activity every day. We either play volleyball or basketball and I have a few hoopers in my district.

Yesterday we got to hear from Neil A. Anderson and his wife!! That was an awesome experience.  His witness of Jesus Christ is incredibly powerful.  I really liked what Sister Anderson had to say.  She talked about the Holy Ghost and how privileged we are to have a member of the Godhead with us constantly.  She asked why anyone would take for granted this special gift. No movie, music etc is better than the Spirit of the Lord and the blessing it brings to our lives.

Today we got to go the Sao Paulo Temple.  It was super cool and nice to get out of spiritual prison...ha ha!

Everyone here at the CTM is awesome. I have met so many incredible people with such strong testimonies.  My companion is Elder S. and he is from Colorado.  We don't have much in common but we get along really well.  I realte super well with the other guys in my District so I feel at home.

Anyway, I don't have much time to email so I will try to reply to everyone. Also I can't email pics from the CTM (sad face).  I miss and love you all!  Have a great week!

Happy early anniversary to my parents!! I hope you guys have a great day!

Jacob also added in an email to me that the blessings of being set apart as a missionary for the Lord are so real and he hasn't been homesick and doesn't miss his phone. :)