Letter #18

First, Happy Birthday Miller, go buy yourself something with your money and imagine me having the ability (or money) to buy it for you. Big 11

An adventurous, tiring week to say the least, but here we are. Food first, this one was a whole new Brazilian experience.

Tuesday- Chitlins (I won´t explain what those are for the younger peoples)
"Elder, have you ever had chitlins before?" "You know what, I have actually, lemme tell you a story...."

Thursday- Goat tongue
"Elder, have you ever had tongue before?" "I have, but never goat tongue. (Elder Orteney) "Aiii sim, who´s tongue was it?" "It was a cow´s tongue, Elder. EO- "Mhhmmm"

Saw a motorcyle accident, not pretty, no one died but lots of blood, and two very broken legs. At least he was wearing a helmet.

Helped a family move. They weren´t packed at all when we got there. Whatevs, lets throw everything in a box, stick in in the truck. Good work. Oh wait, your new neighborhood has a gate that is too short for the truck, and your house is 5/4ths of a mile inside the gate. Let´s unload the truck and carry everything to the house. Oh no, how are we gonna get the couch and sofa there, they´re so heavy?
Hey, look at Elder Schenewark, he looks like he´d be able to get them there. I mean I can try if you want, why don´t we just ask one of the members with a truck with a bed? No, you can do it. Okay, Elder Orteney, let´s go. The whole neighborhood was watching and clapping as we shuffled our way down the sidewalk. And they all offered us water on our way back. Except the family we moved.
What up service?

Also, on the way to the new house, we rode with the owner, in his car. Cat, screeching the whole way in the back, in it´s carrier. Wow, what´s that smell? I look at Elder Orteney, he´s looking right back at me. I´m thinking, gracious Elder, you been eating the same things as me??  Windows down. Why isn't the cat screeching anymore. Open up the trunk. He was dead. And dying made his intestines just free themselves of every liquid and solid he had every consumed. Maybe, that´s what killed him actually. It seems like I experience a lot of cats dying. BUT, lemme take a moment to once again reaffirm my stand. THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN A CAT FOR A PET, IS A CHIHUAHUA. NEITHER OF THEM DO ANYTHING USEFUL OR DESIREABLE, BUT AT LEAST THE CAT DOESN´T BARK ALL THE TIME.

The theme of this week is LESSONS. I taught some and learned some. First, I´ve been trying to learn how to lose graciously. Which means, sometimes I let people win in stuff they wouldn´t win in. Practice. Then, sometimes, they like to get not so gracious about it. Mhmm

Played chess against my companion. I could jump a couple pieces in my day (@Xelot get wrecked). My companion asked me if I played, yeah, I used to. Play against this dude. Play, I win. Now play against me without your queen and a castle. Play, obviously I lose, but, will say, it was close. Not so tough without your queen huh? I bet I could take you with all your pieces. Play again, with my queen.
Five moves. Didn´t even have to say anything, just stand up and let the next person play

Played pool with a brother in our ward, last P-day. If I can handle myself with a chess piece, you better believe I know how to brandish a cue. We played, he started talking trash, "Welcome to Brazil, this is how we play, bet you never seen a player like me in the states." Okay, let´s play again? "You wanna lose again?" I made eight balls in. Two turns. He made zero. Wanna play again, uhhuh, thought not.

So maybe the losing graciously is a work in progress, but they learned some lessons. And so did I. One, I´m still really good at pool. Mostly that

But also, I learned other lessons, spiritual lessons. Which I won´t include. But I will say, go learn yourself a lesson or two. You´ll be glad you did and it´ll help you be happier and a better person. Spiritual lessons at least.

Just be glad you won´t be meeting me at a pool table for a while at least. YUH

Love you all, keep growing, keep working. Staying in Itatiba (oh yeah, I didn´t get transfered),



Elder Tigger Pulled the Trigger on the Trash Shoot