Enseada - Week 11

I didn't get to e-mail yesterday because my companion didn't get here until like 6, even though I got here at 2, and I didn't want to leave and go to the LAN House by myself. It was very sad to leave my adopted family...but hey, I scored us lodging whenever we go to Brasil ;) So you guys should be thanking me hahaha. 

Um...our road is João Mariano Ferreira, 285, Apartment 6. I don't know if it'll get it right, but basically we live on top of a market called Saito. So that should be easy to find. Joel helped me see my house before I even got here :) Idk where the chapel is. Or if it even is a chapel. But I'm pretty sure it is.

I ended up leaving the two extra pants behind, as well as 3 shirts that had been moldified. :/ So I'm down to 5 short-sleeves. But I'll make it.

From last week...the coolest thing was on Sunday, Bishop's wife asked me to give the Gospel Principles class instead of her, so I prepared that really quick while I was also at the piano during sacrament meeting, then I gave the lesson (about free agency), which went well, nothing too memorable, since it was a thing of the last minute, and then in the third hour it was the 5th sunday so everyone was together. And Bishop asked me to play a song which I had gotten ready, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief (the one I did in the CTM), and it was pretty awesomely spiritual. It was cool. 

Joel and Magda took me and Elder McCain to the rodoviária in Santos to get our busses to go to our places. They're incredible. It made me feel like I was leaving YOU guys all over again, it was sad. They're just the best. 

I have run out of time though, I only used the LAN for 1 hour today. More next week, sorry about this one!

Enseada - Week 10

The best thing from this last week...teaching Joel's mom, Lurdes, she's really cool. For you to get an idea, she looks EXACTLY the same as Joel. Just with a lady face. It's super funny. She's also in that grandma mode, so she always gives us snacks and stuff. Plus she lives by herself, so she talks...a LOT. But it's okay. She said a prayer in the last lesson, and she said "I will participate (in the church), I want to participate", so that was AWESOME. Me and McCain just did a silent fist-pump during the prayer :) Just kidding, but we did it in our heads I think. I did at least.

Lots of good stuff happened. I dry-cleaned my suits for the first time (56 reais, but worth it) in my entire mission (ick), and it turned out really nice. Also, we had lunch with Angela on Friday and then with Magda on Sunday. It was the bomb. Magda made this awesome pasta with white sauce, oh my. One night, they also made caldo verde for us. Ask Dad if he ever had that.

And also this past week, two of the travelling Elders stayed in our house. That's a new thing that President Cabral invented, all the missionaries who are going home this transfer or the next are basically just travelling around the entire mission, passing in the areas and then just working there for a day, or two, and they just get new references and investigators for the missionaries in that area. So Elder Lucas and Elder Evans stayed with us for like 5 days. They're super cool. So I liked that a lot. It was a good week.

Yes, it's been raining a lot, which is AWESOME. I like just walking around in my capa de chuva [raincoat]. :) It's been great. Oh, the bishop took us to Pizza on Wednesday night. It was good, but it made me miss American pizza. Although, do they have dessert pizzas at like Domino's or whatever? Chocolate pizzas? :D

Something I learned this week. I learned that even when we do things our own way, instead of the Lord's way, we can still have success or happiness for a short period, but in the end the only correct way to do it is the Lord's way. That is the only way that everything will truly work out.

Enseada - Week 9

[On skype] I was kinda laughing at Dad's pronunciation, but mostly it was because it's just so strange to hear him speak Portuguese and actually understand it hahaha.

My vinegar shirts did okay. It didn't get it all out, but they look a bit better. I'll have to scrub them I think.

The only thing really memorable that happened this week was that on Wednesday we had a zone conference, which was cool, and Sister Hammond (the couple missionary) told me that I look like her grandson, so to not be surprised if she treats me like it :D I am TOTALLY fine with that :)

If it's not working... change!

And then on Thursday, we did this English activity, we just went into the classes and talked in English with the kids and answered their questions. They were like 9-10 years old, I think. So their questions weren't super deep, but it was cool anyways :)

A pretty normal week though. We're going to start working with Joel's mom, because she's interested in the messages too. And that's pretty much it! Have a stellar week! :)

Enseada - Week 8 (and Mother's Day!)

We really enjoyed our last skype session with Michael!
Here are some highlights:

• Michael teased Jacob for always wearing the same BYU shirt in all of his photos and videos  (What can he say, it's his favorite shirt - thanks Hopkins family!)
• He told us the story of witnessing an armed carjacking a few blocks from the church at 12:30 in the afternoon.  The victim used Michael's phone to call his family.  Crazy!
• He talked about the baptism of Magda's mom, how they finally figured out how to keep water from leaking out of the font, and how she chose him to baptize her.
• He said their clothes get really moldy from all the humidity and no air conditioning - he was soaking his white shirts in vinegar, but then forgot about them for a couple of days. :)
• He wants to bring us a mold so we can make coxinha here at home.
• He and Jacob decided to be weight-lifting buddies when they're back together.
• He was eating a peanut butter cookie he made from a mix that I mailed three months ago.
• It was so great talking and laughing together, like old times.  The hour went by too fast.
• At the end he said, "See you at the airport!"  

peanut butter cookies

Enseada - Week 7

Enseada Beach with Elder McCain, Isaque, Joel, and Magda

Enseada Beach is pretty close to our house, I guess. They actually took us by car, so it seemed WAY closer, obviously :) I'd never been to this particular spot of the beach though. Occasionally we do walk on the road that's on the beach, just 'cause it's nice to see the ocean. And I may as well, since I'm serving a mission on the beach. :) 

The weather has gotten SO MUCH better. It rained for two days, and then there's been a cold wind since, even if it's sunny. It's super nice, I'm loving it. If it stayed like this for the rest of my mission, I'd be so happy :) Something tells me I shouldn't get my hopes up though... :) 

Their son's name is Isaque. Which is like Isaac. Eezahkey. Kinda like that. I'll pronounce it for y'all on Sunday :D 

Stake conference was cool. The Cabral's gave talks, which was the best part. 

People are kinda dreading the Olympics. I haven't met very many patriotic Brazilians here. That's a huge culture difference actually. Lots of people here are embarassed by the country, especially with what happened during the Cup (not even because they lost, but because of the terrible infrastructure, half-finished stadiums, etc.), so lots of the same things are happening here with the Olympic prep. Basically, problems with the government, which just takes money from the people without actually doing much with it. So...yeah. I miss how patriotic America is. 

Anyways, yeah, Sunday night I'll call you :D I can't wait! #lastskype

PS: I'll keep my weekly news for the Skype session, just in case we run out of stuff to say :)