Samambaia - Week 16

[From his letter to me]

Hmm...things to teach Jake before he goes on his mission...I think that it's important to know how to sew, that's a good skill to have. As far as spiritual stuff...he should be getting good study habits I think. With Preach My Gospel, for sure, and also with the scriptures. Also, PIANO! :) It appears that I am now the official ward pianist of Samambaia. Well, not official, obviously, but yeah. We're doing more choir stuff too, they found a Portuguese version of If You Could Hie to Kolob, which is pretty slick. But yeah, that's pretty much it. Studying helps a lot. Also, if he could accompany the missionaries every now and then (I don't know how it works in CA), or just getting good at doing home teaching, that would help a ton I'm sure.

Let me see, something that happened this week...I think it was pretty normal this week. Stuff is going along as far as teaching people goes. We have this one lady, Ilsa, who is super old but super cool. She's from Paraguay, and speaks the Guarani or whatever language from the Indians. Also, we're teaching Tamires, who is super cool. She's 21 I think, has a 2 year old daughter, and she is really interested. The only problem is she works at the market every Sunday, so that'll be tough. Other than that, it's been normal. Also, putting together the wardrobe took up a while :) [The furniture] ended up just being two little end tables, and a GINORMOUS wardrobe, which me and Elder Medrano spent an entire day setting up, it was so big and complicated. I have pictures, dunno if I'll have time to send. But yeah, it was a blessing :) Everything is so much more organized.

 

I can't think of anything else super exciting that happened. We didn't do anything for my 13-month mark (AGH, it's crazy). I think today we're going to Subway for lunch, which seems to have become a tradition for P-day. Since it's close, actually in our area for once. But...yeah, that's pretty much it. Anyways. I feel like a lot of my stories are going to have to wait until I can read my journal to you guys, haha. Cause I just don't remember the stuff when I sit here to write. But that's okay, right? :) Thanks Mom! I love you so much! Have a great week!


[From his letter to Dayne: part-way through he switches to Portuguese]

We found out who our new mission president will be, Carlos S. Obata. I don't know what he looks like though. It's crazy that the Cabrals' time is running out...and not too long from now I'll have a new mission president. AGH, what is going on?! Time is going by super fast. I'll try to keep you guys better updated, I haven't been doing a very good job on that. Unfortunately, our time in the LAN House got cut to 90 minutes, so I'm not sure how well I'll be able to do that... :/ But I'll do my best. One other perk of being a leader...we had a reunião do conselho da missão hoje, e Presidente falou sobre muitas coisas que o Quórum dos Doze passaram para eles ontem, e aí também a gente vai ter um treinamento mundial da Primeira Presidência e dos Doze no dia 20 de janeira, vai ser bem legal :) Para todos os missionários do mundo, vai ser uma transmissão de satellite. E depois, (foi na casa do Presidente) a filha deles fez pretty legit American hamburgers, with maionese e tudo mais. Muito gostoso. É sempre muito legal estar com Presidente e Sister Cabral. Eles realmente são nossos pais aqui :) Não que vocês deixaram de ser meus pais, só que eles estão um pouquinho mais perto :) Anyways, assim foi a minha semana. Eu decidi que é mais fácil escrever em português, porque inglês só ficava me atrapalhando, então vocês vão ter muita prática de agora em diante :) Mas, você não tem que responder em português se não quiser, não tem problema. Eu acho inglês melhor na verdade, mas agora já era para mim :) Nem quero saber como vai ser quando eu voltar, se já tá assim com um ano só. Rapaz...mas é isso aí :) Love you Dad! Have a great week!

[Here's the quick translation...]

... we had a meeting of the Board of mission today, and spoke about a lot of things that the quorum of the twelve to them yesterday, and there too we have a global training of the first presidency and the twelve on day 20 of janeira, is going to be pretty cool:) To all the missionaries in the world, will be a satellite transmission. And then, (it was in the President's House) their daughter did pretty legit American hamburgers, with Mayo and everything. Very yummy. It's always very nice to be with President and Sister Cabral. They really are our parents here:) Not that you are no longer my parents, except they are a little closer:) Anyways, that was my week. I decided it's easier to write in Portuguese, because English just kept getting in the way, then you're going to have a lot of practice from now on:) But, you don't have to answer in Portuguese if not, no problem. I think better English in fact, but now it's gone for me:) I don't even want to know how it will be when I get back, if it's like that with a year. Boy ... but that's it:)

Legit American hamburgers