This is a really LONG story and lots of things happened that I don't have time to write, but this is the gist of what happened. So last P-day after I slept for a large period of time, Sousa and I went out to some appointments and to check out some references. It was about 8:00 and we had just got done with checking out a reference that was unfortunately not home when we turned back to the street, preparing ourselves to figure out something else to do.
We were about to start walking when this 24 or so year old stopped, looked at us both and said "You are Brazilian (pointing to Sousa) and...you are American (pointing at me)." We both said yes then he slowly walked up to me. He stopped close to me and said "so I have a question for you, American", (at that point I knew this was not going to be good) "what do you think about your country making the Amazon International Territory?" I was extremely surprised at the question, first of all why he was asking me, and second that I actually understood! That was cool. Big words.
Anyway, so I said to him "uh...I don't know a lot about the subject so I don't really have an opinion". So he began to ask a lot of questions and talk a lot about how the USA is stupid for doing that. He kept asking me over and over the same question and I just said that I didn't care about that right now because I am a missionary and that's my only focus right now (probably not exactly true...but it was good to say that to him).
Anyway, so after a while he started getting a little hostile. He said "you know that all Americans are the worst people in the world right?" I said "OK look, it's fine if you hate our government and our president, you can say all that to me, but when you start talking about MY people like that, a people that YOU don't even know" (he had told me that I was the first American he had ever talked to) "that's when you need to stop."
Well, he obviously didn't and he started talking about the Amazon...and Africa and how Americans are horrible because they have money and Africa doesn't. It was useless gibberish that I didn't want to hear, nor did I have time for. So I said "look, I am a missionary and I don't really care about that stuff right now. So you can have your opinion, that's totally fine but I don't really want to talk about this right now with you." Then he said "you Americans are all the same. You all are the worst people in the whole world."
At that Sousa jumped in (he hadn't said a word the whole time and was just watching us two talk) and said "look, just leave. We both don't want to hear anything that you want to say so just leave. You don't know what you are talking about." He didn't leave then I said "you really think Americans are the worst people in the world while you also say this is the first time you have ever talked to one in your life?!" So he said "Yep, they are all worse then trash!" At that Sousa jumped in and grabbed both my arms to make sure I didn't punch the guy (I wasn't going to, but I definitely was really mad and had stepped forward a couple paces toward the guy. It was really funny because when I stepped forward the guy got really scared haha).
I yelled at the guy that he didn't know anything then he told us to "never come back to his area because the people here don't have sympathy for people like you (me)!" We have been back there almost every night since haha. Anyway, I am sure a lot of that didn't make sense but it was actually pretty tense, even Sousa said he was extremely offended at the words the guy was saying and he isn't even American.
Oh this week I saw the coolest dog of my entire life at a member's house, a dog Ryan would kill several children for. Not even kidding, biggest dog I have ever seen in my life by far. I will attach photos.
So Sousa is having a rough time with his knee. It had been hurting a lot but it was OK until the other day (actually was one of the funnier things I have ever seen) he stepped on a piece of cardboard in the street while writing something in his planner and completely slipped and fell on his back, pen and planner flying and all. It was hilarious. But after that his knee hasn't been quite the same. I will explain the consequences of this in what I like to call a "typical missionary paragraph" where I will use too many exclamation points, strange words, and capitalize words unnecessarily:
I CAN'T believe it!! Sousa's knee is hurting SO bad! I really feel unbelievably bad for him, I just wish I could help him with the pain!! It's REALLY hard for him to stay focused on the work, which is so HARD sometimes!! He sometimes just doesn't even want to move so we often don't work very hard throughout the day!?! I don't know what to do!!! I don't have the language skills (YET, I hope!! haha!) to be the leader of our companionship so I NEED him to want to work or we won't be able to get much done!!! Sometimes I feel like I am just dragging him around the city haha! (Just like Joseph did with Mary on the donkey through Bethlehem!! Haha! The imagery!) So yeah, not sure what to do about the situation but hopefully some wisemen and shepards show up to help us out, right?!!! SORRY, I couldn't help myself but to throw that little biblical comparison in there!!! Hahaha!!!! I LOVE MY COMPANION!!
Anyway, hopefully you could read through the lines on that paragraph about the situation I have here...not sure what to do about it. Suggestions?
We have ordered pizza three times since last p-day. I don't think I will be losing much more this transfer...even though the pizza is slightly horrible, it's easy, pretty cheap, and after a while it actually starts tasting good despite the horribly thin crust.
Yesterday we met this lady in one of the two favelas (slums) in our area and she was baptized 20 years ago. We got to talking to her and asked her to come back to church. She started crying and said she knew God had put us there that day for a reason then asked us to pray for her, so we did right then and there. Was a really cool experience.
I forgot to say that we haven't had a refrigerator in our house for the past 2 weeks...and it looks like we aren't going to have one for another two. It is ridiculous. Martinatto was trying to scrape some of the ice out from the freezer with a knife and slipped and cut a cord and smoke started fuming out and it was just a big mess. So that is kind of ridiculous and frustrating.
Anyway, no more time. I'll attach a photo of the freakin' sweet dog, my desk (not sure why, just took a photo of it this morning and thought you might want to see), and my name tag. Hooray! Love you guys, thanks for all the emails again. I am still kind of living from p-day to p-day right now and it's great to receive all of your emails each week and hear about what's going on. Later!
-Elder Brent Parsons
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