Suave na nave!

Oi todas as pessoas! This week has been a mix of emotions. 

The Portuguese is slowly coming and the food is starting to just be the same thing except for the occasional good surprise. The subject is actually a phrase that our teacher told us which means  “cool on the airplane” but it is so much fun to say that we keep saying it.

Also, the temples are always so much fun to go to. Also, it is also a lot of fun to go around the city but we started seeing the same stuff so we are going to try to change it up.

 Also, I have been in Brazil a month! I don’t know how the time has flown by so fast. 

So time for some sad news. One of my companions had to go home to have foot surgery because he dislocated his foot while stepping wrong on the track (there was a drop from the track to the grass) and he has a stage 3 sprain which means that almost all his tendons in his foot are torn.  He will have to be home for about 3 months but by the sounds of it he will be straight out once he can. If everyone could just keep him in your prayers that would be spectacular.

So I will talk to all later. Tchau!

Love,

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

The Street Artist

So this week has been great! I first went out after emailing last week and got a Flamengo (a soccer team in Río) jersey, got a free cookie and I showed some people a food place that is amazing.

We also gained Sister Davila and an Elder Carlson who is my new companion with Elder Deal! (Not sure if I emailed about him last week but he is from Nebraska so that is cool.)

We have exercise time during the day and we are constantly playing volei (volleyball) and everyone is killing it. It is a lot of fun especially since Elder Carlson does a handshake whenever something good happens so we kind of do it a lot. 

We then did some proseletismo [proselyting] in the biggest street in São Paulo which was really interesting. We were handing out Book of Mormons to just random people and it was hard! There were a lot that didn’t want the book but we did hand out three. The first guy was a security guard who basically just asked us to hand him a Book of Mormon. The second guy was a minister for some Christian church and thanked us for the book so hopefully he reads it haha. And finally the last guy was the street artist. He was just painting these really small paintings and we just walked up and tried to speak Portuguese and he tried back and then said that he was actually was better at English so we then talked in English for about 30 minutes about the church and he seemed really interested and he said he would read it so there is hope! The coolest part though was that he was from Georgia, which is the country right by Russia which I thought was awesome. 

We have been doing splits and teaching each other which has helped with the Portuguese. Also, the devotionals are the best here, especially when we get the MTC exclusive videos. 

One final thing, I have the best district and can’t believe that I will be leaving for the field in 3 weeks! Thanks for all your support! Talk to you all soon!

Love,

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

A Great and Sad Week

So this week has been pretty great and sad. 

We had a bunch of our Brazilian elders (quick side story...we were all showing pictures and when they all saw my dad, they said he looked EXACTLY like Bruce Willis) were leaving for the mission field this week and these elders that came last Tuesday were saying that they were really going to miss them after this week and I chimed in, “That's nothing, I have known them for two weeks!” which as soon I have said I realized how stupid that sounded but while in the CTM, it doesn’t feel that short! It feels like I have known all these people for years but it has only been a few weeks so I can’t wait to get to meet people out in the field. 

So P day is also awesome, I went to the temple, then we went out and got some candy, cookies, and this thing that is basically fried dough with chicken inside. IT IS AMAZING. I am getting like three when I go out today. And I have been able to go to the São Paulo and the Campinas temples and it was such an amazing experience. I am so happy I am so close to two temples while in the CTM. 

Also, there have been this new batch of missionaries and I am back in a trio! Elder Carlson is awesome and I can’t wait to get to work with him. Well I can’t really think of much else to talk about so I’ll talk to you all next week!

Love,

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

I asked Joseph where his new companion was from and this was his response:  

He’s from Nebraska. He just reminds me of Harrison Scoville, like same sense of humor and he is a hard worker.

Oi! Howsyourdog?

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

This week has been GREAT!

So we first showed up to the CTM Tuesday, and that day I wasn't feeling that well. [Mom note:  When he left us here at John Wayne, he had lost his voice and had a cold.]  I did all of the activities but I still didn't feel well so I asked for a blessing and I really felt like God is watching over me and called me to be here. So after that, we went to a devotional given by Elder Holland and it was honestly amazing. I am super grateful for the opportunities to have devotionals here. 

I also met all the Brazilians on my floor that day and they are super welcoming! I have been hanging out with them every day and they have been awesome. The food has been good as well, we have had all different kinds of food and it is a blessing. We also have time to go have exercise and my district always goes to play volleyball which is a bunch of fun. 

The hallway in our dorm is always busy with people and I have made plenty of friends there. We all hang out and trade a few things, I gave a Brazilian a US dollar bill (which they seem to be fascinated over) and then I got some Reis in return (the currency is called a Real but the plural is reis). 

Portuguese is coming along. It was really difficult at first but it is slowly getting better so that is a blessing. The reason that title is there is because since we are learning, sometimes people don't understand what you are saying. I walked up to one of the sisters in my district and said, "Oi (hey), ajuda" (I was paraphrasing to say do you need any help?) but what she heard was "Oi Hows your dog?" So yeah, we have come a ways since then. 

We also have this investigator that we go teach (his name is Alexis) and the first day I KNEW NOTHING. I understood maybe ten words he said but by yesterday I was able so respond (slowly and disconnected) to him without even looking at my notes so I already see some improvement. 

I loved the São Paulo temple today and how pretty it was inside and I can't wait to go back next P day.

          

This first week has been amazing. I know Christ lives and that he loves us and if you want to know more just email me because I only have 45 minutes to write so sorry if this is short. 

Talk to you all next week!

Love,

Elder Joseph A. Kupferer

He has arrived in Sao Paulo

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

I have made it safe to the CTM with nine other missionaries. The plane ride went fine. I feel fine at the moment just really anxious at the moment, just like the first day at school, but hopefully that will slowly subside as the day goes on. It will be interesting to eat lunch haha.

Other than feeling anxious, all is good, the area around is cool and we can apparently leave the building on P-days! So that will be good. Just wanted to send this email letting you know I made it. Love you guys.

Love,

Elder Kupferer

Pres. Paulo R. Grahl and Sister Zuleika M. Grahl with their newest arrivals

And away he goes.....February 27, 2017

Walking through John Wayne Airport