Letter #20

Dearest Family,

Boy is it good to say Howdy! This week was a good week. Baptism-less but wonderful. We found a lot of families and some long lost sheep. I spent sacrament meeting explaining the church to an Indian muleque (kid) and playing tic tac toe with him. He´s the best, like a far cousin of Sawyer and Miller : ) But he´s only 7, so we can´t baptize him just his older brother. I was warmed by his example though when we arrived at his house to pick everyone up and only he leaped out of bed and said, "Wait just a minute, I´m coming!" It was the best! The purity of little children and their Christlike attitudes and recognition of all that is good is humbling. Remember that you have to be like them to enter in the Kingdom of God. Plus, if Gabe is reading this, this kid loves checkers, chama damas here ; )

Well, I was pondering over what kinds of weird things I've eaten and realized it was more than I thought so I´ll try to make a little list: oxtail, wild chicken (and eggs), a variety of fruits and vegetables that I will only begin to name-- jabuticaba (think grape inside of paintball, can´t eat the outside or as Elder Sander reminds us, "You won´t be able to poop for four days."), acerola (looks like a mini cherry pumpkin and has three times the amount of vitamin c than in one orange), caju ( the fruit of a cashew nut, that numbs your mouth when you bite into it and can bleach clothes), goiaba (you can eat the whole thing), jambo (tastes like roses), jurubeba (very sour but apparently very, very voodoo magic good for you. . .), guarana (in everything else), açai (delicious), mandioca (a tree that is fried, cooked and tastes like very dense potatoes or french fries, the kind that are hard to swallow, dense). . .the list goes on. I´ll share more as we venture into the jungle: ) 

As far as transfers I won´t know until next week, Monday. Boy, oh boy, oh boy did I get packages this week. First the Bach´s blessed package arrived Monday on my doorstep as we were leaving to proselyte at the end of p-day, needless to say p-day continued that night. Thank you so much for everything. My companion said it best, "This missionary´s just loved." And I agree with all my heart. The water purifier with the bottle works splendidly and I love it. The chocolate is superb, the bread I expect to bake this week or next along with my waiting cake. (Actually I´m going to bake the cake and I think share it with the sister who receives our packages as her birthday is Wednesday: ) AND then, if I wasn't already stoked for the next two years, on Friday or Thursday a second package arrived and I was like what!? for me? YES! Thank you Duncan family ; ) My journal writing is coming along quite nicely and it is an eternal gift to myself and my family that you are facilitating. Plus, my companion loves, adores, eats at all hours, Werther´s Caramels ; ) Tomorrow we head to the Christmas conference for the entire state of São Paulo in Marilía for the day which I will report on next week. Still missing the p-day with the president. . . 

Elder Serrano is the man da man. He can pull a kick flip in a suit and is a fantastic guy. He always smiles and is positive, he works hard and I fully plan on hitting the slopes with him when we get home: )

Well, I´ll leave it a little short this week. Porter, looking sharp in blue in quiz bowl. Miller, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I didn't get my very special card in the mail until this week, but it's very special so be excited! I love you all.

LOVE,

Tanner

p.s.- We caught a lizard, at long long last! but we let him go ; ) His name is Kaueke.