Week.... We have pics!!

Haha, so Rose is her nickname, and she is awesome. Really. But Rose is super strong in the gospel..  We were supposed to go over there tonight, but we can´t go without the sisters and the other elders here scheduled a family home evening and the sisters need to go there instead.  

But so here is some really good news. I found good batteries! For 20 reals (pronouned hay-als). So there shall be pics this week!

But so, now let me say a bit about my week. We baptized a lady this Friday. Maria has been feeding the missionaries for 4 years now just never was baptized. But she finally was this week and confirmed Sunday. Her son baptized her, it was pretty awesome especially considering that he is preparing for a mission. It was super awesome. The husband who isn´t a member was there and I think that he had a little change of heart during the baptism, and especially during the closing song which was Careço de Jesus (I Need Thee Every Hour). He was just sitting there thinking, and his wife just got baptized and it was awesome. Just plain awesome. I think Maria will be an awesome Relief Society President, haha. But seriously she would. Her work is to go work in other people´s houses caring for the disabled that live there. That is what she does, it´s pretty cool. But so yea, after 4 years we finally baptized her......AND we have another date for this Saturday. Little Ann, she is 9 years old and her mom is inactive but we are helping her to return and her daughter getting baptized should help. A lot.

So, my new comp. Straight up Brazilian, no english, nothing. Only Portuguese. So this should help a lot with the language, getting down the accent and everything like that. And he´s pretty chill. He was an MMA fighter before the mission. But he´s kinda letting himself go a little. He says so hmself. Here in the mission he has gained 15 kilos. Don´t know how much that is but I think it´s 25 pounds. I think.

But so yea, we are having a pretty good time and we are getting some work done. And that about sums up my week. Baptizing Maria, setting up for Ann, teaching some other people, and teaching an English class. yea, that is always interesting.....But so yea.

 Oh, the package, talking won´t do any good, it´s gone. Long gone. Super lame but yea, it gone.

So tip´of the week. Less actives. Work with them. A lot of missionaries here think `Why work with less actives? They are already baptized and I wanna baptize people.´  Less actives and part member families are the best places too work because they always have references, which is the best form of contacting someone. So work with the less actives and part member families. You will find that once you reactivate them they will be inspired to bring others who aren´t members to the light of the gospel. So yea, just do it. Haha, nike.

But so yea, I´m glad to hear that everyone is doing well. Love you guys! Love you mom!

Me and my old American Companion, Elder Adams.  Cool dude.

So here is me and my new companion with Maria at the baptism.

 Here is my destroyed shoe. Got a pic as soon as I got new batteries and then threw them out. Super trashed....

So here is what the sisters left when we moved back in to our old house (thank goodness).  Nice sisters.....

This is the little cake the sisters left for us for me hitting 11 months.

The Batmobile.... car of the transfer!

Tender Mercies....

This is Elder Link's mom....
I needed to write a little this week about how The Lord is mindful of us all...no matter how small our needs may seem in the grand scheme of things.

I joined a facebook page called Missionary Momma's.  (It's a fun page to be involved in).  I have seen so many pictures of missionaries that moms from the mission they are in, would send through text to the moms.  As I was happy for those moms, I was also very jealous.  I knew that would never happen to me because of where Elder Link is.  It had been so long since I had seen his face....I just prayed to Heavenly Father that all I needed was to see his face.  I literally prayed for just that.
The next day, I get a friend request on facebook from a lady named Rosemary...her Maiden name was Campos and I figured that I had gone to school with her in New Braunfels, Tx.  So I accepted her request and kind of went on with my day.
Then, on Thursday, Rosemary sent me pictures over fb....weird...why would Rosemary from highschool send me pictures???  But, I opened them....And there he was!!!  Instant tears...instant realization that my prayer had been answered.  Simple thing....Tender Mercy.
Rosemary is an angel to me.  I love her for following the prompting to reach out to someone she doesn't know...she probably will never understand the impact this made on me.
Heavenly Father hears me....he hears you...He knows our needs.  I love Him.

K....so pic time....from Rosemary!!

This is Rosemary.....And the Elders

Elder Link and Rosemary's daughter

Elders, Sisters and Rosemary's daughter

Week....

Thanks for the pics....they are pretty good.

So, first thing to talk about is my companion.  Both you and dad talked about doing divisions.  So, there is a story that goes with it.  So we had interviews with President 2 weeks ago....And he heard from someone here in Vilhena that we were doing divisions like crazy before my comp messed up his toe.  Like every day is a division.  So President told the district leader no more because we are losing the companionships that were designated by the President and therefor by the Lord.  Then my companion messed up his toe and we asked for divisions but we were reminded that we had already done so many and I have to take care of my companion because he is my companion.  So no divisions were allowed.  But we did get permission for 1.  So that was a relief. But it was only one...And that was a week ago.  In total we were stuck in house for 2 and a half weeks.  My companion finally got permission to leave on Thursday.  So Thursday and Friday we worked and then Saturday and Sunday were Conference and that is basically all there is time for.

But so you won´t believe my luck.  We show up Saturday for conference and they are trying to set it up as it starts.  Bad idea because we need the translated version. And... they can´t find Portuguese.  So we have 2 options, Spanish or English.  Spanish is closer to Portuguese so they went with Spanish. I spent Saturday morning trying to understand Spanish.  There was only one source so I didn´t even have the option to go to another room and watch in English.  So I sat trying to pick up words I knew or were close and try to piece it together.  It was so hard.  Then Saturday afternoon we missed the last hour because we were teaching some people that walked out because they didn´t want to listen in Spanish, so we went to try to help them. I think we helped but I missed Saturday afternoon, which they finally figured out and got it in Portuguese. Then all I saw of the Priesthood session was The Prophet, because my district leader said that we weren´t approved by the President to stay out.  But eventually, we got allowed and made it to see the prophet and for my comp to say goodbye to people. He got transfered....but I´ll talk about that later. But so then Sunday was the only day I actually got to see conference.  I was way dissapointed.  Everyone who e-mailed me said conference was amazing and I missed so much.  But I think I´m gonna watch a lot of it tomorrow.  I shall now explain.

So my comp, Elder Adams, got transferred and he left Sunday Morning before conference.  What a badger, he missed some good stuff but he will watch it today or tomorrow.  President approved already.  But so my new companion doesn´t come in until tomorrow because we are so far away.  So I am with my district leader until tomorrow morning at 5 in the morning my time.  My new companion hasn´t had the opportunity yet to e-mail his family or the President so while he is e-mailing I shall be watching conference... In english haha.

 But so we did have an investigator at conference, such a miracle since we didn´t really have time to go visit anyone during the week but this family is amazing. 2 daughters already baptized and the other daughter, the mom and the dad are just about ready... we just have to get the mom and the dad married.  That is a big problem here in Brasil.  People don´t get married with paper all the time.  Just say they are married because it costs to get married and no one wants to go through all the processes.  So they just live together. It´s a big problem, but the church actually helps people get married here. Does all the paper work and everything. So hopefully here soon they will be married and then baptized. They are ready, just have to deal with the details now. But so that about sums up my life now.

After e-mailing today I shall go and buy many batteries and take many pictures.  Also my companion Elder Adams took some for me and he should be sending them to me later today, so I shall also send those.  I just haven´t really been able to get out of the house lately to go get them, but now I have time and a comp that can walk, so I shall buy them today.  But so yea, that´s about my week.  Comps toe got better Thursday and we worked for 2 days and then kinda saw conference but I shall see it tomorrow. So that´s about it.

Ah, and that pic dad sent me of Beckett with the chocolate powder, does that remind us of anyone? `Mom, this stuff is good!!!´ Ah the good old days. But also, I shall send a pic next week of my car for this transfer. So this transfer I shall pass 1 year, so that makes me a really cool dude in the mission, a year under my belt. So my car for the transfer is......drumroll please......the Batmobile! I know, so awesome. Everyone is now jealous because here in Brasil I found a hot wheel of the Batmobile.

 But so now for the last is the tip of the week.  As it is transfer week, I shall talk about companions. I have a friend whose name I shall not reveal who is having a hard time with their companion.  So, my zone leader was told to give a training on companions so this is what he told us... Look at your companion, and then just think... Who is a future companion like the mission companion.  Your future spouse.  Haha, missionaries thinking about marriages already haha.  But so we were told to think of our companion like our future spouse. There will be days we get along great, and days where not so much and we wanna fight and yell and sometimes just walk off on them because they are being so stupid.  But we can´t.  We are stuck with them no matter what.  And would you let a little fight or some stupid thing ruin an eternal marriage?  No, no we wouldn´t.  So we can´t let it ruin our companionship in the mission either.  This is practice for later, so we have to cherish the time we have with our comps. Learn from them, whether it be something great they did that you want to do just as well or you learn something you don´t want to do. Either way, learn from them, cause that is why you were put together.  So learn and then better yourself, cause here in the mission, eventually the transfer will come and one of you will leave.  But when your married, that doesn´t exactly happen.  So just think about how you treat your companion because the same will happen with your future spouse.  Pretty good tip huh? Haha, I think so.

But so I´m heading out. Love you guys! Love you mom!!!

Hastening the Work of Salvation!

So, I joined a group on facebook called Missionary Moms.  I introduced myself to the group and put a couple of pictures up of Elder Link.  Then, an admin from the page Hastening the Work of Salvation contacted me and asked if she could use them on the page and a blog.  This is what she came up with.....

I LOVE THEM!!!!

Week ?? Mom's Playing Catch Up!

Week

March 31, 2014

So here we go.  So about the package, I saw dad´s e-mail. (His package is "Lost" in Brazil) That´s so stupid.  That is a very rare occurence, I´m talking very rare.  Everyone gets their package.  I just have terrible luck.  So let us now talk about terrible luck, maybe the missionaries there can read this and maybe feel a bit better.  So Maggie´s ingrown toenail, yea, my comp got that 2 weeks ago.  We went to the hospital and they removed a piece of flesh that was super inflamed, turned out there wasn´t an ingrown toenail.  But then we went to work.... for 1 day.  Then he felt pretty bad about his stupid toe.  We haven´t done anything since.  He has been ordered to bed rest until it is completely healed. And no one can go on splits with us.  We tried so hard.  Calling every day and every night.  We only accomplished one split for 4 hours with the other elders here.  Our frequency at the church went from 90% last week to 56% yesterday.  It was terrible, an exact replica of our work.  We really weren´t able to accomplish anything.  This week has been one of the hardest of my life, literally sitting in house, having the members drop off the food we were supposed to eat at their houses, then sitting and reading more.  It´s been super hard. ...but life is just hard.  So missionaries of Tyler Texas or Bullard or wherever there are missionaries let us do what we do.  We wear the nametag of Jesus Christ, that is the second biggest name on our nametag.  So we are gonna look at the positives.  What did I get done this week.  I got to study.  I learned a ton this past week from the scriptures.  I also got to improve my companionship with my companion.  We are getting along super well and whenever we get back to work we will work better than before.  So I want the elders to know this story.  While I was in Washington, I was first put into an area that hadn´t baptized at all in like a full year or 2.  My comp and I went in, did some work and then in one week lost every single one of our investigators.  All.  We went back to 0.  So we started over.  The end of the second transfer, we had 2 people on date with another 5 in potential.  We just hadn´t had the chance to ask them to be baptized yet. Then the worst thing imaginable happened.  We got swept out.  The next elders came in behind us and baptized 4 in 2 weeks.  Those were people I had worked so hard with and I didn´t get to see them get baptized.  But so I got shipped to an area that again hadn´t baptized in years with an elder I was told was not doing very well and didn´t want to do anything.  But we went out and worked.  The first 2 week were terrible. 0´s down the board in every category.  Maybe 2 `other lessons´ per week.  Then in week 3 miracles happened.  A guy approached us and invited us in to talk to him.  The bishop for the first time in 15 weeks at least liked the missionaries and gave us referrals to go talk to.  Every member took a church tour and said they would invite friends to take it.  Which did happen, I just wasn´t there for it.  I got moved to Brasil. Where I can´t speak the language.  Now I can but when I got here, nothing.  So we have to look on the bright side.  You don´t have any investigators, all are gone and you can´t get referrals from the members.  You guys are servants of the Lord God Omnipotent, He will help us out.  Just keep stepping outside, do some walking, and you will find miracles.  The way is prepared, we just have to find it. So just walk, and you will find the way.  And always see the bright side, at least you guys can leave the house, haha, I´ve been stuck inside for a week now with only 1 day of work in 10 days. So there is always a silver lining.  But so to now answer the last little bit and then sign off. So for dad, my shoes cost about 75 American dollars, and I have already bought new shoes, so I should be good for another little while. Batteries.... I am searching for. I should have plenty in my account right now so I wouldn´t worry about dropping any. I think right now I´m pretty well off, just haven´t had the chance to go try new batteries because I´ve kinda been stuck in house. But my comp is getting better and we will recieve new updates today to see if we can go work or not. So, hopefully we can here pretty soon. Unfortunately no pics but soon, I promise. I will try to get some today since we are already out of the house. Love you guys! Love you a ton mom!
(No pics because he can't find any 'real' batteries.  They like to sell fake ones to missionaries.)

Week

March 24, 2014

So I have some kinda bad news.  My package did not arrive.  So it´s probably another 6 weeks until my next opportunity to get it if I stay here in Vilhena.  Which I probably will.  But so here is what I think you should do. Look up the package number that they gave you, And send it to me as well so I can check it.  What happened to my companion is the government held his package.  No reason, just stored it in a building.  And they charge you to store it there.  And if no one picks it up they send it back.  It´s super rare but it happened to my comp so the numbers and look it up.  It could happen.  I hope not but it could.  And it can get expensive, like an extra 100 bucks expensive if you leave it sitting there.  So I saw the money that dad put it and I´m super grateful cause I need it.  Broke through those new shoes I bought like 3 months ago.  They´re gone.  Já era.  Have to buy new ones today.  Totally lame.  Don´t know how but yea,  I´m needing new ones like today.  So I know you don´t want to send shoes but I could really use some american shoes.  And my comp got some like black ecco hiking boots, and they are awesome and will definately last a year.  So I´m thinking if I could get some of those, that would last me the rest of the mission.  I know it would be expensive cause the safest way is one at a time but it could be worth it in the long run.  It´s that or buy shoes every 3 months,  Which I really don´t want to do.  But so that´s my news, I was at conference this week and no package.
So here is what happens.  We never travel to Manaus except transfers or if you are a zone leader, but even rarely for them.  So we travel 6 hours to a city called Jí-Paraná.  There are 3 or 4 companionships there And that is our entire zone.  But then sometimes we have a combined zone conference with Porto Velho, which is 12 hours away by bus.  I think there is another 6 or 8 companionships there.  Oh and Porto velho is basically underwater right now. It´s been raining so much that the river broke the thingies that keep it in (forgot what they are called).  Flooded most of the city.  Pretty sad, but no one has died so that´s pretty good.  And the houses of the missionaries are in good areas so nothing has been lost yet. But it´s still raning a ton without the chance of stopping until like the end of April.  That´s when the rainy season is supposed to end.  So yea, the missionaries there are just doing releaf efforts right now.... And baptizing while doing it. Probably can baptize in the road with the amount of water there.  But yea, those are the two zones here in this area. This area being the entire state of Rondônia.  But I guess that´s just how it goes. But so now to answer dad´s e-mail. So there are 2 other companionships here in Vilhena, my district leader and his comp and then the Sisters.  So we aren´t entirely secluded, and we all travel together so we usually have something to do on the bus.  Talk or just go to sleep (usually sleep).  But we follow the same schedule as everyone else. We wake up at 6:30 and do exercises, then get ready for the day.  8 starts personal study,  9 starts comp study, and 10 starts language study to keep working on the language.  Because we are living with 2 other elders while we find a house for the sisters, our language study has turned into teaching them english while my comp and I try to learn some Spanish.  Basically Português is down, just got to get rid of my accent and that just comes with time.  So now we are learning some spanish.  It´s pretty awesome. I´m gonna come home knowing 3 languages, and I´m just gonna learn more when I get home.  I´ve got some big goals now.  I wanna know English, Português, Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German, and a little bit of Arabic and possibly throw some Greek in there too.  I think that would be awesome.  But back to my schedule.  So then at 12 we have lunch and then we work until 9.  A pretty typical day of the missionary.  Teachin and learnin and stuff haha.
And so yes mom I am happy.  I´m doing pretty well, enjoying my time here and I´m learning a lot.  So I wanna tell this story of what happened this week and then I´m gonna stop writing, I´ve written a ton.  And unfortunately no pics.  I´m gonna find a way to get some for you for next week, I promise.

So here is the story. So my comp and I are walking down the street and this man stops us and says his family is in need and doesn´t have food. Unfortunately we don´t have anything on us so we can´t really help.  We pass by a few days later and clap our hands (that´s the same as knocking on the door here) and his wife comes and says they are still in need.  They literally have no food.  So we go to our branch president, Presidente Rui (pronounced Presidench Hooey), and tell him what´s happening with this family.  Without hesitation or question he has me hold up a bag and starts loading in food.  80 reals (40 dollars) worth of food and asks where they live.  We drive to their house and drop off the food then Presidente Rui invites them to church.  Presidente Rui and I pass by there Sunday to see if they will go and give them a ride.  The entire family and a friend are sitting outside waiting for us.  It was so awesome to see that they remembered and that they were honestly willing to go.  It was super cool and we will start really teaching them this week.  We were waiting to see if they would go to church and now we know it is honest and sincere and they are ready to recieve the good word.  So I would like to invite everyone to act like Presidente Rui. When someone is in need, without hesitation or question, it is our job to help.  And everyone is in need.  Everyone needs the gospel and it is our job to help them see the light.  So that is my tip of the week.  Help everyone, don´t question, just do it.  And they will see the light.  So that is all I have for this week, remember to look up the number. Love you all! Love you mom!

Week

March 17, 2014

But so let´s see.   Let me tell you about my week.  It was pretty normal honestly.  We decided to all work in one of the 3 areas for a day then the next move to a new one.  So we spent 2 days out of our area working in others.  The plan was good but it didn´t quite work like my district leader planned.  So I don´t think we are gonna do it again.  And we didn´t get to baptize this week.  Had one lined up, but she got sick Saturday night of course and couldn´t make it to church.  It was a big badger.  But this next week I´m pretty sure will be better. But in better news, I have gone on divisions with another elder to teach this one investigator and he finally got baptized this week.  After 1 year of being taught, he finally got baptized.  I was super happy for him.  It was pretty cool.  But for his baptism he only wanted specific people there.  It wasn´t open for anyone to come.  Only those like 4 people invited.  And then the missionaries.  It was pretty cool either way.  But so yea, that about sums up my week.  Sorry I don´t have that much, it was a pretty average week this week.  Oh, I am trraveling this week.   I will be on a bus for 6 hours there and 6 hours back.  And I will get my package!  So then I will be able to send pics! But until then I don´t have pics yet....But I will next week, promise.  So sorry about the short e-mail but it´s all I´ve got to report right now.  So I will be sure to watch myself about soccer and everything.  Hope everything goes well with the house. Love you all a bunch! Love you mom!

Week

March 10, 2014

That´s really cool that Jessica reported this week.  So we haven´t had a conference yet so there hasn´t been a chance to even see if I have gotten any packages. So unfortunately we are just gonna have to wait a little more, so please stop worrying that you haven´t seen my face.  It´s all still here, as pretty as ever. Maybe a little red cause I got sunburned this week but that´s about it. 

So one of our baptisms did come through this week, a little 8 year old child of a less active family.  His name is Elber.  He is so small.  Like he walked into the water and was already almost under, the water came up to his chest.  It was kinda funny.  But him and his brother have been walking by themselves the past few weeks for over a mile to get to church, so I think he was kind of excited to get baptized.  He was pretty happy.  And now his family is starting to come back so that is pretty sweet.  But that is about the summary of this past week. Getting everything set up and confirmed for the baptism and trying to find more but all of those falling through.  So just the one baptism this week.

And I would send pics from my comp but they take forever to load and I have kinda been waiting a while. I will try to send them next week. And then hopefully I will have had a conference and recieved my package by that point.  So I will send all that have passed and then I will be sure to take some new ones just for you.  

SO just to clarify right now I am not in a ward, I am in a branch.  And it is doing pretty well.  We had 80 people in sacrament meeting so that was pretty good.  We need 20 more and then we can start talking about a ward.  But so that is basically it.  We found 2 new families so hopefully this week we will teach them and they will prove to be pretty cool and receptive. Unfortunately though the 2 new families is countered by 3 investigators not wanting any more.  Pretty sad when someone drops you but they have their agency so there is nothing I can do to force them to accept.  Just keep working and hope in time they will open up more. 

So I hope everyone enjoys their spring break of coldness and the time off from school!  I don´t really get anything like that so enjoy it for me too.  Be sure to encourage Caden to participate in the mission prep.  It will help a lot. That´s about all I have this week guys. So here is something in Portuguese.  See if you can figure it out. I love you guys. Love you mom!!!

 

Então, se você sabe que essas coisas são verdadeiras, você vai seguir o exemplo de nosso Salvador Jesus Cristo, e seja batizado pelo uma pessoa que têm a autoridade para realizar essas coisas? Por que nos sabemos que essas coisas são verdadeiras, e que A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias é a igreja de Jesus Cristo aqui na terra e que nos temos a autoridade para fazer seu batismo. Is that good?

(So if you know these things are true, you will follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, and be baptized by a person having the authority to do these things? Why do we know that these things are true, and that The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is the church of Jesus Christ here on earth and that we have the authority to make his baptism.)

Manaus...Week 13!

Big Things Happening!!!

Well, so, I got transferred.... To a place not even in the same state as Manaus. I am currently in a town called Vilhena. And don´t ask me what state it is in because I have no idea. All I know is that I am southwest of manaus, in the middle of nowhere. Find a city called Porto Velho and then go even more south. So here is my transfer story. Get the call Sunday afternoon at 2 o clock. They tell me I will need to be at the office at 5. The same day. I got transfered on a Sunday. Craziest thing ever. So, got a ride from a member to the office, got my passport, and then headed off to the airport with 5 other missionaries. Got on the plane at 8:30. Landed at 9:30 and then went to the house of some missionaries there in Porto Velho. Stayed there until 2 AM. Then caught a bus to my area that I was on for 13 hours!!!!! We left at 2 in the morning and pulled in to my area at 3:40 or something like that! It was so long! And here is the best part. So there were 2 other elders on the bus with me, but they were going to another area. So they got off after 4 or 5 hours. And they said, just chill on the bus till I get to my area. And if I miss my area, here are some numbers to call. Good luck! So yea, I sat on a bus for 13 hours and most of the time I didn´t even know if I was heading towards my area. Luckily I made a friend on the bus who lives in this area so he was able to help me out. The bus ride is so long that we even stopped for a 30 minute lunch break. And I ate with the guy that was helping me. It was pretty sweet cause it was all Portuguese. And only after 3 months. So I´m feeling pretty good about myself, even if I am exhausted. 

And I´m sorry but I haven´t had time to take pictures. I literally stepped off the bus, got my bags, dropped them off in an apartment of some elders (which I´m gonna have to move again because it isn´t even our apartment, so more travel. Yay!), then walked here because the other 3 elders have been waiting for me so they could email their families. So nothing this week, but next week, I promise. 

But so let me now do a recap of the rest of the week. We had another baptism! A little 10 year old girl named Lilian. She is the younger sister of a recent convert, so hopefully she will stay strong. But so yea, then some teaching and some meetings and I´m super tired so I´m gonna go ahead and end this email cause I 

can´t stop thinking about sleep. 

So my tip of the week is make sure you get enough sleep. There is a reason there is a rule about going to bed at 10:30, and that is so your body is able to function during the day and you are not drop dead tired, because you have a work to do and it requires you to be at your best. So get some sleep, like I am going to here shortly. Love you mom!!!!!

Oh and I got my packages! And then rapidly packed them into my suitcase and checked them into the airport not even 1 hour after opening. Perfect timing? I think so!!! Haha

(Mom)  What an adventure

(Elder Link)  Oh trust me, I know!

(Mom)  Really excited for you though.....how cool...and scary...and cool. Ya doing o.k.?

(Elder Link) Yea, I'm fine.

  (So we looked it up and it's kind of like an island....He is about 50-75 miles from the border of Bolivia.  Vilhena is a city of about 70,000 people in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by jungle.)

So here is my rigging. There was water leaking from our roof for some reason and no way to stop it. So I just taped a bag to the ceiling to catch the water...Because it was directly over my bed....Dripping on me. Totally lame. But my rigging saves the day.  

This is my new favorite fruit. The mango. Just rip it open and eat right off the tree. Awesomeness. 

And it has taken over 30 minutes to load these photos....

So here is a member being crazy with his child. Pretty cool though and the kid loves it.

 But so here we have the girl who was baptized, Lilian, and then me and some other missionaries waiting in the airport on Sunday night

So this is all I got. More next week. Promise.

Manaus....Week 12!

So, this week was super good as far as teaching and finding goes. A huge amount. More than 75 lessons and more than 25 new investigators. Pretty boss. So yea, we are doing really well. 

But so there is an announcement I have to make. So next week is transfers and they are differente here because of how big the mission is. So if I go to a far away área I will be on a plane all of Monday. So I would probably be taking my pday Tuesday. I don't know how it works here, but thats what I have been told. So I guess we will see what happens. Ive been in the same área for 2 and a half transfers so I'll probably get transferred soon. But who knows, could end up staying, don't really know.

 But so, I bought new shoes. When I got my money, there was 177 dollars, which is 300 reals, more or less. And the shoes were 160 reals. So yea, kinda needed that money. Thanks everyone who contributed. 

But so if you guys get a dog, please get a big one. I like big dogs, little ones are kinda annoying. But I guess you guys pick and I don't really have a choice because I'm halfway across the world. 

But so lets see, lets finish telling about this week. So had another baptism, his name is Eric. Didn't get a picture because I still didn't have battery. But I was finally able to buy some today so I will have some pics next week. It'll be pretty sweet but you will have to wait until next week. Sorry. But so lets talk about the baptism a bit, it was super cool but kinda wierd. So we had him on date to be baptized saturday with the baptisimal interview earlier on saturday. But on Friday was an activity and he was there and our zone leaders were there, and did the interview on Friday. Then they said why not just do the baptism now, so we paused the activity and baptized him right then and there. So yea, that about sums up my week, super good but I feel like we rushed some things but there is always next week. 

Only problem, super tired, as Always haha. Love you guys, have fun with the new dog. Stay cool everyone. Tip of the week is going to have to be keep working no matter what. No matter if you are about to drop, or you are dissapointed in something, or if you get ´dear johned´ you have to keep working. Working will distract you from all your problems, so literally lose yourself in the work. Don't lose your personality, just your problems. Work with everything you are and all the strength you have so when you come home and finish planning, you collapse. That's when you know you did some good working that day. 

Allright, so until next week. Love you Family. Love you mom! Sorry this is a little short....