Week...3?

Well this week has been full of interesting things, I think. I actually brought my journal with me into the computer lab, so hopefully I'll actually be able to remember some stuff. 

We went to the Sao Paulo temple today, so we just got back and had lunch and now we're e-mailing. It felt like home, which was nice, and it didn't even take up too much of our p-day. We had to have headphones to get English, but they had a script for us to read, which was much easier. I got pictures of outside, but inside it looks pretty similar to Phoenix I guess? (Lots of dark wood, just not the agave motif everywhere. More vines.) Oh, and they have a distribution center by the temple, so I got a mini Pregar Meu Evangelho which I'm super stoked for, and a mini Hino book, which is also cool. I used my card for the first time, I haven't really seen anywhere else to use it (or trusted the people there to use it). 

 São Paulo Temple, with Elder Greener (CTM companion)

So I guess it's 2015 now. The night of New Year's was pretty interesting, it was a little more difficult to sleep than usual on account of the fireworks. 

And I can confirm that that Tide To Go pen does work, I managed to get a little grape juice on one of my shirts and it got it off easy. I also got blue pen on two of my shirts, it got the pen out of one of them but not quite out of the other yet, so I'll have to keep working on that. I'm only coughing now, so I feel pretty much better as far as sickness goes. 

And in other news, I've almost got the Brazilian snap-thing down, just not 100% and it's not very loud :) But it's progress. Also, is there any way you guys can send pickles and chips and salsa? For some reason, I've been craving those like crazy this week :) One meal, they had thinly sliced cucumbers as one of the options, so I got a big bowlful and poured vinegar and salt on them, which worked pretty well, but it's not the same. We're going to go shopping this afternoon, so I'll see what I can find anyways. Don't actually try to send those :) Apparently the grocery store has a tube of 10-12 oreos for like 2 reais, which is definitely going to have to happen.

My piano performance for the MTC Conference went really well, I only made the normal amount of mistakes and a few people complimented me on it; I also got a note from the President's wife thanking me for sharing my talent, so that was pretty cool. I think my district is relieved that I don't have to practice piano so much, I feel like it was kinda bothering them haha. Testimony meeting with just our zone was really cool. Most of the district bearing their testimonies in Portuguese or English, it was really neat. And there's lots of spiritual activities.

And I found out this week that one of the elders in our zone, Elder Summers, was born in Cottonwood Hospital too! So that's muito legal. And the other zone is getting ready to leave next week, so somehow it happened that some of the sisters were looking through the wallet pictures you sent with me, and they said that you, Mom, look like a model :) And you're not allowed to cut that out of the blog, that has to go on there. They said that Dad looked young too, just not quite a model :)

The CTM is really empty, all the native Brazilians left on Tuesday (including our cool roommate) and not really many people have come in. Maybe four? So I think we'll probably get more today, but it's weird. In one week, we'll be top dogs here...which is insane. But legal also haha. We have lots of fun, Elder Chastain is super funny. So there's lots to laugh about.

My favorite thing about being on a mission is probably learning the language, I just love thinking that three weeks ago I had no idea what anything meant and now I can teach 4 lessons to investigators in one day, and I can survive on streets and stuff. I just really like learning the language, probably since it comes more easily to me. Or it comes more easily because I really like learning language, not sure which one.

All the missionary-type work is going really well, I memorized the Missionary purpose, the baptismal invitation, and the 1st vision last week, plus our lessons are starting to get a bit less note-based, mostly because I'm sick of writing them out. So we just prepare a little bit and then wing it. Which is okay, because we're up to 3-4 lessons a day now. And we're going proselyting on Friday, out to a bus station or something. Which should be fun. 

And thank you for the packages from Mr. Cheney's, I haven't picked it up yet but I'm excited :) Also, can you guys check and see if my Xbox music subscription is cancelled? I feel like it isn't, so I guess I forgot to do that haha. Whoops. And did Jake ever hear back from McDonald's??

It'll be one more week before you know it, it's going by really fast. For me anyways, not sure about for you. Love you guys!