Letter #40

Dear Family,

Thank you for being there for me! I look back on this week and the thought that comes to mind is, "Glad that one is behind me!" I have officially reached 101 days in Agudos and am set to break my record for staying in an area this week. I think that this has brought an emotional sense of fatigue, not that I've stayed in an area longer than what is usual but I'm not as yet accustomed to staying in an area that long. It's like a stretching of capacity feeling, and in a time when some things really seem to go all wrong, it really stretches. Luckily, divinely even, I have a companion that makes it all right. We are really working hard, have the most people I've ever had in the mission to teach and I expect that the fruits are ripening for an upcoming harvest. Plus, what could be better to recharge my batteries than an upcoming hour with my family. I am so thankful for the Lord's timing. I am thankful too for the letters and package, oh so wonderful package from my Aunt Janeen, that got here this week. It too was quite literally a godsend. Thank you.

We had many things planned this week but many if not most fell through, our family home evening, our baptisms, and a few of our marked appointments. The good news is that we have remarked all of the above and are in go mode for this week, with a family home evening tonight (we make pancakes), and lessons marked with members and families throughout the week. We are teaching about 3 families which is unusual and also three brothers who are great. They remind me of home, they all like sports (soccer, ping pong) and are excitedly pouring through the scriptures and praying to know what they are reading is true. We also had a new investigator go to church Sunday with us which is always the best as sometimes it seems like the hardest thing for people to do here.

Sunday was special too as it was stake conference in the entire mission and it was a different experience than conference in the states. We received a live broadcast from Salt Lake, with talks by Bishop and Sister Stevenson, Elder Stanley G. Ellis and Elder Scott. Elder Ellis and Scott spoke directly in Portuguese, and Elder Ellis mentioned that he had passed through Bauru, Marilia, and Prudente as a missionary. I've got two of the three, which is cool. Elder Scott spoke powerfully (if not a little in Spanish) on prayer. He mentioned that on his mission, he liked to wait until his companion was asleep, so that he could pray aloud. I do too, and it's always a good feeling to come to the same conclusion independently as an apostle of the Lord. I look forward and cherish my moment of sacred prayer each night, when I can speak to my Heavenly Father. He would feel sad as well if he didn't get an email from me daily I´m sure.


By the way, for anyone watching the X-games, yup they're in my mission right now. Tune in and get an HD view of where I serve.

Funny/Not funny story of the week:

Last night almost on our way home we stopped by to teach our investigator who had gone to church earlier that day. He was seated outside, so we sat down by him on a raised concrete step. The street is only semi-lit in a truly Brazilian scene of uneven asphalt and mortared houses teetering on each other. It is hodgepodge, which means that things live in the empty spaces left by bad construction and neglect. Things like the giant, hand-sized, venom-dripping leviathan that CRAWLED ON MY BACK LAST NIGHT WITHOUT ME KNOWING IT!!! Not that I'm scared of spiders but, I stood up to tell a fish tale (literally, he likes to fish - the fish are scary here too) and there it was. Talk about the chilly willies. I think that is the worst case I've ever had! I stayed in the streetlights, on my feet from then on, and was uneasy going to sleep, with dreams of Brazilian wandering spiders dancing in my head. Yup. Also, occasionally millipedes, fat and many-legged fall from the ceiling of our house. . .

A very brief thought from yesterday's conference: Elder Scott said, "To ask with faith means to ask with confidence." When we know that our will and lives are in harmony are in accordance with God's will, we can confidently correctly ask and will be given. Second, "The most important principle of prayer is gratitude."

I'm thankful for you, and make sure to include that daily in my prayers. Love to you, and sweet dreams void of spiders,

"This one goes out to the one[s] I love, (R.E.M.)."
Love,

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