Here are some recent photos from Caninde, Fortaleza.

20 January 2014

We had our first two baptisms in Canindé this week!  I* and I** are wonderful women and the first two members of the Church here.  What a miracle!

I* is the investigator of Elder A and Elder T.  I interview their investigators for baptism and Elder A interviews ours.  So, this past Friday, I had the opportunity to do my first baptismal interview.  I was scared to death because of the language, and prayed and prayed that it would go smoothly.  What a blessing!  We were able to understand each other and she recounted to me a beautiful conversion story, with the biggest, brightest smile I have ever seen.  Then, she honored me by asking if I would perform the baptism.  This was such a humbling experience for which I am so grateful (although I must have repeated the prayer and her name about a thousand times the night before to make sure Iwouldn’t mess up the Portuguese.)

I** is the investigator that Elder G and I have been teaching.  Wow, what an example of courage, strength and power…her conversion is a testimony to me that it is the Spirit that teaches, not us.  When Saturday arrived, it actually rained (does not happen often).  As the baptism approached, the clouds cleared and a beautiful, quenching vista of the water-deprived Canindé came into view…it was so amazing.  We had contacted the richest person in Canindé (and the only swimming pool owner), who agreed to let us use his pool as a font.  Moments before the baptism, I** and her mom were in deep conversation with Elder A and Brother W, and I** was crying.  Evidently, I**’s mother had just received a phone call from their pastor who said that if I** was baptized, he would excommunicate their entire family.  I** did not want to hurt her family and her mom, who is not friendly to our church, did not want to hurt her daughter.  Finally, her mom gave her blessing, and I** was baptized.  I** is a beacon of courage who I will always remember.

The spoken language remains very, very difficult for me.  I am understanding gospel-related words and phrases, but I’m lost when it comes to normal, everyday speaking.  Please keep me in your prayers.

13 January 2014

This past week has been fantastic and Elder G and I have had some great experiences.  We’re taking the language one step at a time…it is SO hard to understand the people here because they don’t speak Portuguese…they speakCearean (Portuguese slang.)  Half the words they use are not even in the dictionary.  And, most people are pretty set in their ways and have no desire to learn new truths or change.  How grateful I am to know that we have the ability to progress because of Christ, if we simply follow Him.  My hope and prayer is that the people here can open their hearts to the truth.

There is hope!  Our investigator is getting baptized!  She came to Family Home Evening last Monday and asked how soon she could be baptized.  We were shocked because we were not even sure she had understood our lessons (because our Portuguese is so bad!)  She explained that her answer had come over the past few days in many different ways and, when she comes to church, it “just  feels right.”  She will be going against her family’s wishes and her Pastor, but she is a strong, young woman and is experiencing a great conversion.  I have learned a good lesson…the gift of tongues is not the ability to speak, but the ability to be understood as the Spirit teaches.

Please keep sending your letters…I cherish each one and look so forward to Wednesdays when I can travel to Fortaleza to get them.  (We’ve figured that it takes at least 3 weeks for a letter to reach Fortaleza from the States.)

It is so hot!  Oh my goodness, it does not even feel like Christmas.  It is about 90 degrees each day.  I am not in Fortaleza!  I was put in a rural part of the mission, which I wanted, and it is called Canindé.  It is so, so poor.  But what has really been the struggle, which I am still baffled about is that Elder Garcia, my trainee from New York is still my companion.  We get along great, but do you know what that means?  Neither of us speaks Portuguese!!!  And, Canindé is a new area, which has never had missionaries. There is only one member here!  I am so lost!!!  I get home at night and just want to cry.  We street contact in the sun all day...we walk about 12 to 14 miles each day.  It is funny, everyone here thinks we are evangelicals...they have never heard of the church.  In terms of the work...super, super hard.  The people here are very open but they do not understand us.  I cannot tell you how many times this past week that it has taken Elder Garcia and me something like twenty minutes to carry on a conversation, which the equivalent in English would take two minutes.  Not only can they not understand us, we cannot understand them.  Canindé is notorious for being the most "slangy fast" Portuguese in Brazil.

About my apartment…  Well, the first three days we did not have electricity or running water.  Now we have both but the water that comes out of the shower is lake water and is pitch yellow.  So gross...you can smell the rotting flesh which has been brewing in it as it comes out the spout.  It is quite the experience.  I am so, so grateful for America.  I am happy I am here, though.  I know the language will come.  People just laugh at us when we speak because we are so bad!   Everyone here thinks I am German.  They ask me to speak German to them...

The church is brand new here.  They literally have never seen us before.  Everyone here is of the Catholic culture and we have to go to the slums of the city to have people listen to us.  But, we teach a lot because everyone is very hospitable.  They all wonder why people in white shirts and ties are here because they have never seen us before (rather they ask why we are wearing pants in the heat!)  It is so hot here and so poor that most people do not even wear clothes besides short shorts and torn up shirts.

There are famished dogs and cats everywhere.  There is this one pack of dogs which roams the city.  The dogs are super afraid of humans here.  And, there are frogs everywhere...so many "sapos."  The other day, while walking, I counted hundreds of frogs flattened by the millions of motorcycles which are here.  So, if I have a message to share with you this week, it would be this: be grateful for what you have!

I really do love it here.  I have never been as stressed, though.  The language is so, so, so, so...HARD!    Mom, I am sorry, but I know longer take spiders out of the house anymore.  I wake up each morning and part of the morning routine is to grab my shoes and kill the spiders that are the size of my hands.  These things are huge!  So big!  They could probably take on a small pitbull and win.

2 Nephi 28:30 has become one of my favorite scriptures...line upon line...precept upon precept…

Feliz Natal.

Elder Larkin

Elder Larkin and Elder Helvey from the MTC 

The town of Caninde where Elder Larkin is serving.

It is so dry in Canindé.  In this picture it was raining.  It has not rained here in three years.  Pretty awesome that the day the church came into the city for the first time with missionaries was when it rained for three consecutive days for the first time in years.

Elder Larkin received his visa for Brazil and left the New York, NY mission on Monday December 16! He was very excited to start his mission in Brazil but will miss all of the missionaries, friends and wonderful people he met in New York!

Elder Larkin's new address is:
Elder David M. Larkin
Missao Brasil Fortaleza
Av. Santos Dumont 1789
Sala 1612
Aldeota
Fortaleza-CE 60150-160
Brasil

Here are some pictures Elder Larkin sent to us from his time in New York.

We will keep you updated on Elder Larkin's adventures in Brazil. Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin carving with Elder Henriques, Elder Johnson and Elder Picoli.

 My experience in New Rochelle has been a challenge.  My Portuguese is coming a little bit, but it is tough.  People here speak English, and if they do speak Portuguese, they still want to practice their English.  It is super tough.  I've decided to just start memorizing my Portuguese Preach My Gospel because until I can be immersed in the language, there is no way I can carry on a full conversation (I can carry one on in Gospel terms, though, which is good!)

            My ward is both Spanish and Portuguese.  Only five Portuguese members.  They are really awesome!  They feed us so much Brazilian food!  I am so fat!  Elder Heraldo took us to Catalana, a Brazilian buffet, for lunch and stuffed us.  There are these things called Cozinhas that are to die for!  You'll have to try them sometime! 

             We have been working with a family in the ward that has many problems, mostly caused by alcohol abuse.  This experience has brought me to my knees multiple times this past week to repent and strive to be better in serving those around me.  In the words of Hermano Rodriguez in the ward, which he told me last night at dinner, "If you want to be happy in life, be a Mormon."  He is from Guatemala and is one of the nicest, most humble individuals I have ever met.  Agency is given to all--we must choose how we utilize it.  I've come to realize that my agency has consequences that are both foreseeable and unforeseeable.  It has definitely made me more cautious this past week in all that I do and say.  

            One of the most exciting things this week was that the whole mission was cleared to use Facebook and online proselyting!  Even me, as a visa-waiter!  So, as of today we can start video chatting, facebooking, etc. with anyone in the world who wants to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This even includes friends and family that are less-active or not members--with the eventual goal of connecting them with the local missionaries in their area. After a meeting with Elder L. Tom Perry,   President Morgan told us that the internet is the greatest and last tool to be used to spread the gospel before the coming of the Savior.  Pretty powerful to think about it.  It made me ponder the invention of the internet a lot: there is so much filth on the internet...but there must be opposition in all things.  If this truly is the greatest tool for spreading the gospel in the last days--to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people (including China!)--then it only makes sense that opposition to an ever growing missionary work would increase.  It is such a miracle that all people throughout the world will be able to gain access to the gospel, no matter where they live.  It should be exciting--once I go to Brazil I won't be able to use it until 2015 but it will be some good practice the next few weeks, months, or years that I may be in New York. 

Cumpra o fe', com amor,

Elder Larkin

Hermana Calle's house

Making a cake for Hermana Calle's birthday. Elder Larkin's sister has taught him well :)

9/28/13

Transfer week!  Elder Poulsen and I thought for sure that we were staying together.  Unfortunately, we are not.  I’m pretty bummed because I’m going to miss the Bronx so much!  I’m going Portuguese!  I’m going upstate to the Brazilian communities.  But, we go to a Spanish ward:  I’m going to be so confused!

10/2/13

I am in New Rochelle, Westchester County!   I am in the Portuguese program now.  Esta louco!  I don’t remember Portuguese at all!  It is awesome, though, my three companions are Portuguese-speaking.  We live in a high-rise (25^thfloor)-it is like a five star hotel compared to the Bronx.  We are only speaking Portuguese-which is a struggle but I am learning so much.  We drive a car…my new area is the whole zone, as we go to where there are Portuguese speakers.

I get to use Facebook now to teach the gospel.  I am allowed to speak, chat and skype with anyone that is investigating or wanting to learn more about the gospel.  So sorry that doesn’t include members of the church, but it is still pretty neat.  The eventual goal is to connect friends and associates with the missionaries in their local areas.  So, don’t get weirded out when you see that I’m on Facebook…it will be a short-lived opportunity because once I get to Brazil, I will no longer be able to use it.  The New York NY North Mission is one of the few that has this privilege.  It should be exciting.

Elder Larkin's new area.

Elder Larkin and Elder Poulsen

Elder Larkin and Elder Leung

Elder Larkin and Elder Taylor