Letter #13

Dear Family,

So, before things get too exciting, let´s just get food out of the way. Had my first piece of unplucked chicken, do no recommend. Also, had Currant juice, which was A1, high class.

Now, what´s so exciting. I witnessed a man, on our hour long bus ride, not able to hold it in. So, he emptied it out. First the thermos filled with coffee #WordOfWisdom, then he filled it back up (for our younger readers, I will abstain from giving a descriptive name to the steamy yellow stuff) and then he emptied it out.

Thankfully, we were in the same row as him and not one of the unlucky ones trying to catch a little breeze through the window. They ended up catching something else. Why was I on a bus for an hour and a half?

Well, for only the first time in Campinas Brazil Mission history (so I´ve been told) an Elder in his first area is being transferred, unsolicited. It´s me. I´m no longer in Amarais, I´m now in Itatiba. Doing what? With who? Good perguntas everyone.

I´m with Elder Orteney, and we´ve been assigned to open a new area, here in the city, and our special assignment, lay the groundworks for a second ward in the city. Sub-Mission accepted

ITATIBA

So, for those of you who aren´t familiar with small Brazilian geography, I will describe.
Take San Francisco, sunny, breezy......Keep the breeze, lose the sun. Done? Now, add hills
Some of you might be saying, it already has hills? Not like these

I don´t think there is a single hill in San Francisco steep enough that you have to transverse back and forth across the streets so that you can make progress. Hills here are often steeper than 45 degrees, which means when it rains, it´s almost impossible to walk up or down the hills safely. Almost. We make do. This picture, features Elder O (from Tanner´s mission I think) is one of said hills? Doesn´t look that steep?

We´re walking up a steep hill, probably close to 45 degrees, with another steeper hill to come. The calves will be looking FIIIINNNNE by the time I leave.

And this brings us to the thought. The hills are rough. Every day, 9:30, we leave the house and walk, all day, until 9:00. For every down hill, there´s two uphill. For every sure step, there is a slip and a slide. For every open door, there is countless unanswered.

And every day, at 9:00, when we go home, we go home to the same place. All those hills, doors, scrapes, soaked clothes, and we´re ending up walking in the same door. Same bed. Same dirt floor

A little depressing, repeating this routine with the same end result every day, a little hard.

But, then I remember everything that happened in those 11 and a half hours. We talked to more than 300 people, we taught families that they can be together for ever, we walked hills that most people can´t imagine. The things we´re doing more than make up for the trials. If it isn't hard, the reward isn't what you need.

Maybe I already shared it, but I'm going do it again,.

Romans 8:18 "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

If every hill, every slide, every man pee-ing freely on the bus, every canceled lunch, every dirty look, every step, if these are sufferings, watch out. Itatiba has a glory, in it´s hills, in it´s people, and hopefully in us.

The hills are ready to be climbed.
Here we go, round two

Love you all, love hearing from you all,

Love Elder Put That Thermos Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me