Então, Que uma Semana!

Haha well it has been one heck of a week! The language is coming ever slowly but nonetheless surely! I am making progress which is comforting;) It is difficult for me because I am coming from speaking the majority of the lesson to only being able to share bits and pieces of lessons here... super humbling. It is weird to hit my year mark this thursday... kinda crazy to me because it has not felt like a year.. time just flies. Haha we have been working like crazy. On tuesday we found 11 new investigators and had 6 investigators attend church. We are struggling getting our investigators to commit to baptism but we are working fervently to help them.

Elder Schoen loves the scriptures! Even in Portuguese.

"A Brasil delicacy," says Elder Schoen

I´ll be honest this is super hard coming from one mission to another that is completely different. I didn't think it would be as hard as it has been. But I can honestly say that I have grown so much closer to my Savior and I can testify of the comforting power the atonement has. Working here in Brasil is taking everything I have and by the time we return home at nights i am exhausted- physically mentally emotionally spiritually! Haha i am feeling the effects of hard work all throughout my legs;) Brasil is beautiful! the people are awesome and the language is.... fun;) I am working on bettering my studies here because I have been a little distracted so i will hopefully have a good week of studying. I am sending a letter to yall this week so look for it in the future. As I come up on the year mark and subsequently hump day mark I look back as well as ahead and see such awesome experiences that I have had and will continue to have! thank you all for the love support and prayers! I have definitely needed them! Have an awesome week!

Estou no campo finalmente!

Haha so i wont write in portuguese partly because it will probably be a little wrong and take me forever but the good news is is that the language is coming along quite nicely!

I made it to Brasil!

Haha i live with my companion and two other elders. my companion is from cape verde (islands of the cost of Africa) and the other two are native brasileiros então it truly is baptism by immersion with the language! But none the less it is sweet!!!

My companion and me

I love being here! My companion is sweet! He doesnt speak a lick of english and so i am teaching him english and he is teaching me portuguese;)

Our apartment over looks our entire area. My new area is Trujillo em Sorocaba.

view from our apartment

My ward is huge and we meet in the stake center which as you can see in the picture is set up on a hill so everyone can see!

I spy with my little eye...our church!

Better view of our church

Haha everything is different here! everything! for example church starts with priesthood and relief society and then sunday school and then sacrament meeting. the parking for the church is underground and the church building is protected by a huge gate! The people here are soo friendly! We can talk to anyone and they all are sooo nice.

Sao Paulo Brazil temple

so much graffiti

Well like you all know all i eat here is rice and beans for every single meal;) but luckily they always have a meat with it! and i love rice and beans! as you can tell by all the exclamation points I absolutely love it here! Haha I have soo many stories already that i will share when i return... Haha so i found out that the transfer that will most likely be my last happens in august.... dang haha i didnt even get to celebrate my hump day!! oh well!! I will hit the ground walking (because we literally walk everywhere...) seriously our area is probably the equivalent of walking Keller ever day!! its huge haha i will let you know when i am in need of new shoes which will probably be soon;) Maybe some dr. martins in honor of courntey:) But everthing is awesome here! I love my mission president i love my companion and i love being here in brasil! these next couple of weeks/ months will be difficult but they are soooo worth it!! cant wait to be speaking with ease!

My companion and me again.

The Bro is in BRAZIL!

My parents got an e-mail from Dallas' mission president this week...it included the  following info.

"Thank you for sharing your son with the Brazil São Paulo North Mission. We love him already and feel so grateful to be serving with him at this sacred time when the Lord is hastening the Work of Salvation."

Sincerely,

Presidente Timothy and Sister Linsey Farnes

BRASIL!!!!!!!!!!

Woahhhhh.... craziness!!! Haha it is funny emailiing right now because in like 4 days i will be off again and back out into the mission field to meet my new trainer again! haha I dont even know how to describe this last week! super fun and super weird to be back in the MTC! and the biggest question i am sure you are all wondering is how is the language going! And honestly i am doing way better than what i imagined! honestly i can understand probably 60 to 80 percent of the language depending on who is talking. Speaking is the hard part but with the practice we have everyday teaching in the language i am improving dramatically! I only have 40 minutes to email today because of the CTM so i will give you a better run down when i am in the field but know that i am super happy to be here and am loving every moment of this! I LOVE Everything about Brasil!!!