Letter #9

Dear Family,

First, I've had this quote going through my head all week, I'll explain it later, just a teaser....
Love, it's what makes a Subaru a Subaru.

Oh baby, this week was highlighted by one simple event, so pure. I'd like to dedicate it to all my high school, college, and mission friends who made fun of what I called this....

To all those who corrected me, calling it a "roundabout," a wagonwheel, or a "rotunda," let me introduce to you the Portuguese name for this - -rotaria-.

WOW, that´s really similar to what Elder Schenewark calls them, he must be right because, hey, his name for them, rotary, is interlingual. Just saying

Now, missionary stuffffs that happened - interesting facts I never knew:

-If a cockroach is on its back and you step on it, it makes a pop like a firecracker

- There are seats reserved for the obese on buses in Brazil. If an obese person gets on the bus, you will be asked to move (not me personally but..)

- A rather interesting sausage can be made by grinding and stuffing a casing with cow tongue and hot peppers (5.4/10)

AND, my sometimes weekly shoutout to Elder Clifford.....For those of you who don´t know, Elder Clifford sleeps with both of his eyes halfway open. This week, during lunch with the lady with the floppy arm, she fell asleep at the table, sitting up. Turns out she sleeps with one eye completely closed and one eye COMPLETELY open. Very creepy. Anyways, much love to Elder Clifford

So, service. This same lady asked us to take apart a bed she needs put into storage. The tool she hands me, an awl. Not sure if she thought it was a screwdriver, but it was definitely not made for removing screws. Thus, this is what I used to dis-assemble this bed:
A key
An awl
A butter knife
Toenail clippers (recently used)
Various assorted Brazilian coinage
Icy Hot spray on relief
and, a fidget spinner*

All were used, all of the ones with an astrisk were used by my companion. After trying for two minutes, he deemed it impossible, and played with a fidget spinner for the next two hours. Well, I got that bed apart, yes sir. I had blood dripping on my pants from the cuts on my hands and tears rolling down my face from the icy hot in said cuts. But that bed is no longer together. I can do hard things
yuh

Another story, we were walking in the streets and this plane buzzed over our heads, I kid you not probably 100 feet off the ground TOPS. A little scary. Then he takes off into a steep climb, until he´s literally vertical, way up there. Then he, on my honor, cuts his engine and just lets gravity take its effect. Then, he straightened out, glided for a sec, and restarted his engine. What a baller. He was doing loops and spins and all sorts of crazy stuff after that but yeah, WOW. And then, I was staring at the plane and was like, hey I recognize that plane. It looks like a Spitfire? The man was straight up flying crazy in a genuine Spitfire, IF I`M THINKING OF THE RIGHT PLANE, correct me if I´m not, but, he had the green camoflauge, the one propeller, and the kicker, the red and blue circles on the wings. I don´t know how or where he got it but just to reiterate, this man was putting on an airshow in a WWII era single seat fighter plane, for me and my companion.

Also, just a casual picture of Campinas for those wondering what it looks like. This is the view from the temple.

And last weird thing, it was just a week of weird, the update on the floppy arm/dog kicker marriage. He got her a present. It's a palm tree, I think, in a toilet bowl. Honestly, very impressed by the thought and the aesthetic qualities it has.

And now, to explain the quote.
I have no idea why it popped into my head but it did. And, as I was thinking about the quote, the events in Las Vegas (recieved courtesy of Caractacus Merritt last Monday morning), and various events of this week, I just had the thought: Love is what makes a missionary a missionary. Every here asks me if I´m homesick, and honestly I´m not. I miss my family, yes, but not to a homesick level. I think what helps that a lot is the fact that almost all my friends are on missions too. If I were to go home, I would see family yes, but not my friends. Then I found this scripture in Doctrine and Coventant Section 121, verses 7-9:

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

I love that, especially the last verse: thy friends do stand by thee and they shall hail thee again. As a missionary, you have to make sacrifices. I´m giving up two years of my life, with my family, with everything I've known, to be here in Brazil. That´s a big thing that sometimes I think I overlook. But, thinking about this really puts things into perspective. There is a reason that I am making this sacrifice, and that my friends are as well. That reason is love. It´s a hard thing that we´re doing, but we're doing it out of love. Love for our families, love for this gospel, love for these people. And I do find myself loving them more and more each day, through the struggles, through the toilet paperless days, through the spitting, and even through pounds upon pounds of rice and beans. Every day, being out here becomes a little easier, not because I don´t miss my family, not because the language is coming easier, none of those things. It´s still hard. It´s easier because I´m finding love where I didn´t have it before. And this is a blessing. I'm so thankful for the family and friends holding down the fort back home, and also for the examples that other friends are, serving in Japan, Hong Kong, the US, the Philippines, wherever. You all give me strength each day. And thank you for that.

I love you all, I´m thinking of you,

Love,

Elder Inspector Gadget