Smile and Wave

 HOLY CRAP SHE'S ACTUALLY IN SALVADOR

This week has been craaazzzyyy, let me tell ya. I'm currently living in an apartment with 5 sisters, and we have 1 phone, so not too much time, but I'll tell you the good stuff - HIGHLIGHTSSSSS

So the church really just decided to throw a curve ball and change it all up over here. 1) new preach my gospel - updated on our literal last day at the ctm, so we've got to learn it all again. 2) the day I arrived in my mission, I learned that it is no longer Salvador south, but now just Salvador. Ill send a pic of the new boundaries, but just know that it changed a lot, like a lot. Which means that the past 4 days have been crazy with missionaries getting reassigned and all. However, this means that the Salvador temple which should be done in about a year will be in my mission which is exciting!!

My area!!! I'm currently serving in Parque da Cidade! Its an area right in the city on the coast and the chapel is right on the beach hehe. It's quite hot, but the ocean breeze is nice and sometimes i get a little dejavue of Newport:)

My 2nd day here we had a baptism. It was for an 11 year old boy named Edi, who has more sass and energy than anyone I've met haha. He sells bracelets on the street to make some money and while we were waiting for his baptism to start, he made me a bracelet. He also made me sit by him during the baptism and bare my testimony in front of all the missionaries. These people love everyone, even if I don't understand anything they're saying.

Smile and wave boys, smile and wave:

I've officially entered into a new stage of the mission. I hardly understand anything anybody is saying. And they keep telling me that Bahia (the state Salvador is in), is like its own country. They have their own slang and accent called bahianese, so yep, apparently i have to learn a 3rd language. I've gotten good at the smile, nod, wave, and then hope my comp takes over bc i genuinely have no idea if people are making fun of me, swearing at me, or wanting a book of Mórmon. 

I stick out like a sore thumb here. I am very white and let's just say everybody else is not and I get many stares. But actually this did lead me to give away my first book of Mormon!! A man we saw in the street saw I was definitely not from Salvador, and after telling him i was from the US, he started talking to us. I handed him a BoM and he had me sign it haha

life is good

love you all

sister maxfield