Letter #26

Dearest of Families, Fondest of Friends,

As you may have guessed by the mysterious picture of yours truly with another ominous fellow and the president suspiciously holding a bag of Quaker oat cookies. . . I was transferred by emergency from Tupã. (At this point you should be holding a hand in shock over your mouth. Egads!)

It was indeed a dark and stormy night in Tupã, the 15th of January 2013, and all seemed right in the night. We began the ward counsel meeting, for which I had purchased chocolate, and made wonderful oh so beautiful reports of progress when we got a call from the assistants. They asked to speak to Elder Schenewark (there´s only one in all the world, or so I hear) and gave the dreaded news, AT 8;30 at night! Crikey! So, we gave quick "cioaos" and headed to pack my bags. I payed an exorbitant amount of money for my companion's bag to have room to pack everything and spent a fitful night in shock. 

Bus left 6:00 the next morning on the other side of the city. We rendezvoused in Marilia where the switch was made between companions and I headed on my way to the new city of Agudos, Brasil. That´s the very sparky notes version. Indeed, I cannot relate the hundredth part of my journeys this week, all by bus of course.

My new companion is Elder Dias Batista, of Sorocaba, Brasil. He´s the district leader, likes to work, eat, and baptize. All wonderful traits in a missionary companion. Agudos is smaller than Tupã, almost as scorching but not quite. There´s lots more trees and it sits in a bowl shaped valley/depression. It is comparatively much more hilly. We are the only missionaries here, which makes the house wonderfully tranquil during night and study time. Our landlord is a retired man who lives next door and makes the most wonderful, albeit expensive, sculptures out of wood. Requested a chess set, but in classic Brasil fashion was rejected because it "was too much work." I´ll keep looking.

Prospects? Baptisms. Challenges? Putting this sweet little branch on the map by making it a ward. Hard to effect this type of change in the short time we have but you have to try: ) Packages? none yet.

All letters may be sent to the mission office in Londrina. Got your Christmas card and the Merritts, the Valdez´(the night I left Tupã: ), the Whitcombs and I think that´s it.

Last night our neighbors treated us to a churrasco/Brasilian bbq, very good, not very healthy. The surprise I had commissioned for Porter in Tupã is presumably caputz so everyone will just have to wait longer for Birthday surprises. . .But they will come: )

In other news, I spent a day with Elder Simmons in the town of Lançois Paulista, a city in our district (we have 3, one pair in each) and it was great fun. We also painted our room green and white, a service project for Sister Tavares. Looks marvelous, and I´ll send pictures of the finished product soon.

Thought? I´m all about truth  (see the last several CES devotionals). This gem, from Elder Kimball: "We must recognize that secular knowledge alone can never save a soul nor open the celestial kingdom to anyone." and further that "opinion alone has no power in the matter of an absolute truth." In a world so filled with information and curiosities let us first seek out the truth that saves, the gospel of Jesus Christ, let us bring it to our neighbors and to our friends. Let us cling to it in our times of trouble and doubt. It is beautiful! It never fails and it never changes." I love you all. From the forested forests of Agudos, whose dubious motto translates to "Where Jesus Reigns."

LOVE,

Elder Schenewark

p.s. stopped raining: ) in more ways than one.