August 9, 2010

Hola from Brazil! That´s right, I´ve now been to 3 different countries on my mission! Rivera is right on the border, lots of people speaking Portuguese! My area is called La Pedrera! We actually have a branch with about 40 members that we share with another companionship. Our barrios are La Raca, Mandubi, and La Virgencita! It´s all definitely been a big change for me and I´m actually really really tired. First of all our area is more of the country, changed from the buisy city to the country, we´ve crossed streams, walked through fields, the other day we almost got run over by a bunch of cows! But it´s really nice, a lot more quiet and peaceful. Other changes, I´m living in a four elder house now, two of which are Latinos and one gringo who actually has a change less than me, so we´ve been getting our Spanish practice in :) I´m actually extremely grateful for the help I´ve receieved from above with the language, I feel I kind of just jumped a level, since I´ve gotten to Rivera I´ve been understanding almost everything, and I can speak a lot better, it´s what I prayed for before hand and no doubt God has answered my prayers and blessed me with the language, I can have conversations with my comp and understand him and everything, it´s awesome! I actually had to call Sister Heaton and the mission doctor for him because they don´t speak much Spanish, and I had to translate for him... ya, pretty fun! :) I really am extremely grateful though. It´s also a little bit of a challenge... I´m usually the only one who gets up on time and does the workouts and stuff.... but I´m trying to get them up, slowly but surely. I´ve actually added the New Testament to my reading! I´m In Alma 45 in English and Alma 7 in Spanish, and now I´m also in Mathew 10 in the New testament, also reading all the JST´s, I just can´t get enough, I love it all!!! But I am really really tired, it´s been really cold up here the last week and I freeze at night, had to leave my extra blanket at the other house, so I wake up a lot! but it´s slowly getting a little warmer, so I think I´ll be ok. It´s a fun area though and the members are all really cool so far. I had a little girl teach me some dance moves the other day.. pretty sweet :) not gonna lie.
Anyhow, I´m glad you liked the card! and I´m glad all the letters have made it. I´m glad to hear the business is staying busy, that´s really good. I do love all of King Benjamin´s stuff, really blunt and strait forward. And I´m reading about Moroni right now, awesome! and only 25! And you´ll have to let me know how meeting the Judd family goes. Ask them who their favorite superhero is!
The big group of Elders is my zone in cerro! I don´t really know what the building is, but it´s really cool! Tongue soup isn´t bad. We do have little heater things but we don´t have them turned on that often because it costs us money, we´d wrather eat :) I really like the jersey, and I actually don´t remember what the black thing is... anyways, I have more pics, but I don´t have my cord with me today so I´ll send some next week!
Oh, also, there´s an Elder Bates out here that we´re related to through Levi Ward Hancock and also Mosiah Hancock! Small world, he says hi!
Anyhow, I think that´s good for now, I´m probably forgetting some stuff, a lot has happened this last week! and I´m tired, but it´s all good, we did have 5 investigators in the church yesterday though so I´m pretty happy! :) anyhow, keep me updated with everything, I love the photos you send and hearing how everything´s going! Love ya tons!!! Que pasen bien!