Q&A: I have been called to serve in the Brazil Fortaleza Mission. Does anyone have any pointers?
Sep.26, 2011 in
Fortaleza
Question by funky_lady: I have been called to serve in the Brazil Fortaleza Mission. Does anyone have any pointers?
I’m a girl who will be serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I leave for the MTC in Sao Paulo in July. I was just wondering about what the weather will be like, if I should bring some sweaters with me. Also if there are somethings that anyone can think of that I should for sure bring besides the normal thing of clothes and such. Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by Taking a Dump On Your Faith
don’t do it
Give your answer to this question below!
September 26th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
remember that their culture is not a bad thing. people only get angry when you tell them that their life is a lie. you should learn about their culture before you preach to them.
September 26th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
I’m not LDS but still wish you the best. Any knowledge of Jesus is better than none so I am proud of you.
Pray lots and ignore the Atheists, Satan is just using them to discourage you..
I can’t give thumbs up cause of level 1 but the guy above me has good advice also..
September 26th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
You are seriously putting yourself in danger. God cannot protect you from the atrocities that go on in Brazil. You are a walking target my dear. You are seriously putting yourself in danger. I’d rethink that. You sound young…. think of the whole life you have ahead of you.
September 26th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
It’s interesting how all of South America is full of Catholic Christians, yet you Protestants feel the need to convert people. I come from Poland and am amazed that there are Baptist missionaries there. LOLOLOL! EVERYONE THERE IS CATHOLIC! LOLOLOL!
September 26th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
i dont really know but all i can say is way to go by serving a mission! it will be hard but so worth it! WAY TO GO!!!! i would just say for you to research it on like google and such
September 26th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Congratulations. Serve with honour.
I do believe that you are in for a pleasant surprise. Fortaleza is on the NE Coast of Brazil and enjoys decent weather all year round. Take along a sweater so that other emissaries can laugh at the greenie, but I doubt that you will need it for anything but dressing up.
Find all you need to know here:
http://www.brazil-travel-guide.com/Brazil-Weather.html
For more detailed information on what you will need, contact the mission office or the MTC either of which will have all the information requisite for your mission stay.
Vaya con Dios, Hermana
QUILL
September 27th, 2011 at 12:10 am
try to find the mission website.
September 27th, 2011 at 12:34 am
God Bless you in your calling!
http://www.ebelo.com/
Edit: Looks like—- Venus—- below has everything you might need to know! Experience is a great teacher!
Proud Vet
September 27th, 2011 at 1:33 am
Congratulations and best wishes! Check around the web – I wouldn’t be surprised if the mission has a website where you can get more info and even ask your questions. It’s also appropriate for you to contact your mission president and ask his advice and counsel
September 27th, 2011 at 1:54 am
BU YEAH!
I served in Goiania, in Central Brazil. I had a few comps from Fortaleza. Trust me, they are the most awesome people in the world. You’re gonna love it done there. It was perhaps the 2nd best time of my life (just got married, so I got a new first
)
This July will actually be my 3 year mark, back from my mission. Wow, time flies!
What else should you bring…
Hmmm..
I would think you should take some cool LDS stuff that you can’t get much of down in Brasil–that you can give to the saints down there. There are some pretty cool LDS stuff you can get–little trinkets and such. I liked to give oil vials and ties to the guys I baptized, sort of hints to wear a white shirt to church and to have them work towards the Melchizedek Priesthood.
As far as stuff that you’ll need, just make sure you got the best pair of shoes ever. I walked right through mine–but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I could.
You’ll love it. The MTC (we call it the CTM) rocks. The language is CHIQUE (awesome)
I’m jealous. I’m sorry, and I’m ranting. You’ll be great. Don’t give ear to these naysayers. Just commit to be obedient, commit to give the whole time to the Lord and commit to waste some serious Elder trash.
I know a few people in Fortaleza and one of them works in the mission presidency. (He’s one of the counselors) Say “Hi” from Elder Gigante and I’ll bet he’ll freak out. His son was my “son” (trainee) from the mission. Most awesome person I met.
Here’s something for you to practice..
Eu sei que a igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos U’ltimos Dias e’ verdadeira.
(It won’t let me put accents on here, shucks)
It means, I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.
You’ll be great.
EDIT: In response to one answer you got, most of the people you’ll talk to will probably be evangelicals. They are the most visible people there. Most of the Catholics are the kind that go to weddings and baptisms and that’s about it. The JW’s have a pretty good presence too.
Just love them all–you’ll be great!
September 27th, 2011 at 2:07 am
It really depends on the climate, though from what I know of Brazil, isn’t a large chunk of it fairly humid and warm? I served as a sister missionary in a very warm area myself, and I learned a few things the hard way.
First, if it’s as warm in Brazil as I believe, you’re going to want a few things that aren’t on your list.
–Handkerchiefs, and lots of them! I can’t count the number of times when my companions and I went tracting and someone would stop us and ask if it’d been raining or if we’d fallen in a lake or something. Sweat is not attractive, especially on women who have to keep up appearances. Buy more of these than you’re required to bring.
–Pantyhose is also an issue for girls. You’ll need a few pairs of full hose for meetings, but unless your mission president specifically orders the sisters to wear full hose at all times, you’ll want to avoid that. Wearing hose in major heat and while you’re sweating can actually cause a very painful rash to form on your legs (which makes shaving a whole lotta fun). Knee-highs are infinitely preferable, though if you’re in an area where you have to ride a bike, you’ll want to avoid those, as well. I found that it wasn’t really possible to wear a long skirt on a bike since it always caught on the wheels, but if you’re wearing a shorter skirt, people will see the thigh-highs when you ride. That’s obviously tacky. Instead, buy MANY pairs of footies–the hose that only covers your feet. You can find them at Wal-Mart. The thicker ones will last longer, though since no hose is really all that strong, you’ll go through them fairly quickly.
–Sensible shoes. This should be obvious, but don’t bother with anything that doesn’t have a heel or that has any gaps in the toe area at all. They’ll only cause pain. I found that Mary-Janes were best, since the sole is insanely thick and will last most of your mission. You’ll probably need to buy them online, however, since they’re ugly as sin and most stores don’t carry them. Nursing shoes will also work, but try to get them in black since that color will match everything. Also, break them in BEFORE you go! No matter how often you wear them in the MTC, it won’t be enough. Trust me.
–Hair ties! If it’s hot, you won’t want to leave your hair loose. Also, since girls have to keep their hair at least semi-respectable and this is hard to do in the field, you might want to think of how you’re going to keep your hair tied up. I used a bunch of hair clips, but I had companions who just used a ton of hairspray. Whatever you decide, make sure you stock up.
–Try to purchase shirts that are wrinkle-free and don’t have to be ironed. I know ironing only takes a few minutes, but time is precious.
–A good rain jacket! I’m not a big fan of the missionary mall in Utah, but they do have a rain jacket that can fit in your pocket. You’ll want one like that.
–You’ll also want to buy the missionary backpack at the MTC. I didn’t, and I always regretted it, because finding a bag that had so many pockets was always a problem. I ended up just buying these really big bags and then wearing them across my chest so the weight wouldn’t hurt my shoulders. That was okay, but the dressier shirts don’t really have thick material, and the straps on the bags actually wore out the fronts a little too quickly.
–Electric adapter. You may or may not have electricity, but American hairdryers do not work in other countries. You can buy an adapter kit at pretty much any electronic store, including Wal-Mart and the missionary mall in Utah.
–A really, really good water bottle! The missionary backpack has one built in, but most of the missionaries I’ve known have carried an extra water bottle anyway. Try to get one with a strap, because you might not always have a place to carry it.
–Lotion, bug spray, and hand sanitizer. You will need them. Oh, and if you typically use facial moisturizer, get one with sunscreen.
–You should also bring one or two sweaters. Warm places often get cold in the winter, and you’ll want them then.
I hope this list helps, and congratulations. Mission work is exhausting, but it’s also a blast. You’ll meet some incredible people and have some incredible experiences…after all, there’s a reason why most missionaries have to be dragged back home, kicking and screaming!
Oh, and one last tip: start studying the lessons from Preach My Gospel now. Most of the time spent at the MTC will be on learning to teach, not learning the lessons themselves. If you’re at least familiar with the lessons, you’ll have a much easier time of it.
Congrats again!
September 27th, 2011 at 2:18 am
I served in Recife, which is close. It’s really warm. Wear comfy shoes, you will do a lot of walking. I had a new comp who brought shoes with some heels. Don’t even bring them. Make-up and hair? It’s too humid. It will melt off your face. Cotton clothes are the best. Nice t-shirts (not like the logo kind, like the dressy kind) and skirts are the best.
Have fun and work hard. You will have the time of your life!!!