Letter #29

To All My Beloved Family,

No packages and no letters and no clean dishes. But this week was a good one. To top it off, we will celebrate my companion's birthday by traveling to Bauru again to have a birthday lunch at a classy "churrrasco (BBQ)." Details to follow next week. I will make note however that this guy adores BBQ because if you´ll remember we traveled to Bauru two weeks ago for him to buy one, and last week had a BBQ with our district and this week again. There are moments I say enough but the guy´s pretty easy with most things so I´ll let the BBQ obsession go. Just to let you know though, the letter count has fallen exceedingly to the braised lamb, and roasted cutlet count. I´m sure it will rise again soon, in the mean time I hope the several I sent made it there.

This week our baptism fell through. He´s going to work on a few things first. Friday however, he and his brother went to the stake's camp-out for carnival and are enjoying their time there. My companion traveled Sunday to the camp-out where we had another prospect for baptism and he had to conduct an interview. I stayed behind in Agudos with Elder Simmons and together we raised an army of children to attend church.

All of the parents were working and so we called up the local member with a VW bus and filled it to the brim. As one five year old member commented, "Mom, we had like a million people in the primary today!" Yes, yes we did. And it's not that they can be baptized, but it's something else for them to be a part of a world apart from their broken homes where every word is yelled and threatens physical harm. I've seen recently the wonderful changes that can come into a family when the children enter into the church. The rest of the family begins to change and soon they are unrecognizable from the family you first met. The ennobling power of the gospel is sown from the hearts of little children, as was taught by Christ.

The cockroaches continue a crusade and we've resorted to a plastic lid to hold down the critters who unknowingly get you mid-shampoo-rinse. Seems to be working.

  

We continue our reading of the Book of Mormon and it's wonderful. I´m reading in different languages and in each I notice a different thing which makes learning in the scriptures wonderfully, linguistically, spiritually enriching. 

A heads up for any future package sent, I´d like some walnuts and honey, or anything wholesomely natural that shouts quiet New England farm. You know best. Oh, and send more pictures : )

And a thought. I love these words from Ammon: "Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name."

We have many, many reasons to rejoice. Most of all for our families and the perfect plan of our Lord. For he has all knowledge and all understanding and we can trust in His guidance  and that of his servants to lead us back to him. I just love you all so much, and especially today. Shall we not go on together in so great a cause?  Yes. Though today the great cause is going to be churrasco, and we shall go on, and on and on and on. . .

Tanner