Letter #30

First, BACK TO THE FAVELA, get some. It's been a while since I've been robbed, but now we back and ready to give up all the coins that i sometimes have.

Also, happy birthday Sawyer, hopefully you'll realize that some things just aren't possible (beating me in basketball, making yourself grow more...).

New area: Campo Limpo
New Companion: Elder Ramos (Rio de Janeiro)
Time that the ward hasn't had a baptism: 5 months

Also, they have a Serie B team in the town, Red Bull FC which is pretty tight.

So, in the favelas, everyone rides bikes. Which means the people who know how to fix bikes charge a little high. Which means I became a celebrity in one of the favelas, "The African (not sure how that one started) who fixes your bikes for free." Just give me some electrical tape and maybe scissors and we can get anything to hold together until the end of the street.
I've been told by numerous people I should think about opening up a bike shop here, so now I have my life career figured out, that's exciting.

We were walking through the supermarket, because our lunch got canceled (apparently the members here haven't had the greatest experiences with elders) and there's three girls talking about "what they want in a man." They're talking, blah blah blah. One of them looks at me and says, I want a man who hits his head on the Easter Eggs (they hang these giant chocolate eggs from the ceiling, more or less my height). So, I'm turning around, leaving, very awkward, when BAM
No, I didn't hit an egg, that would've been the worst.
This kid, about 14 years old, comes strinting down the corridor, jumps, and clocks himself with one of the eggs. He lands, I kid you not, sliding on his knees.
Looks up at the girl.
Waits a sec (for dramatic effect or because he was concussed I'm not sure)
"Oh, you want a man who does that......"
I died, I literally was crying, so were the other three people in the store.
Brazil. am I right

Last thing, because i have to save some stuff right? and also, we're going to the hospital soon.
WHY?Better question, why does it always happen to me?

We're walking, Elder Ramos slows down, half way up this huge staircase, says, My stomach hurts, sits down, passes out, wakes up while I'm calling a member, getting a ride. Oh, you'll meet us at the TOP of the stairs? yeah, sure, we'll just skip right up.

BTWs, we're talking HUGE stairs. Shaolin monk temple up the mountain type stairs.
So, we hit the whole routine again, scoop him up, take off UP the stairs, etc etc etc.

THEN, during the car ride (with this dope dude named gregory, just a chill chill guy) ramos starts vomiting up blood. How did we know it was blood?

The first barrage pegged the backseat motorcyclist wearing the white pants. Or they were white.
Me and Gregory were almost laughing really hard, beacuse he's a funny guy, likes to laugh, think Wesly Snipes Expendables 3 before he takes off the beard, also huge, like 250 lbs, BUT very serious situation so we only had the eye contact in the rear view mirror silent laugh together.

But, it's all good now, it was a hernia, they pushed it back in place, so we're gonna have to take it slow this next week until he probably leaves to have the surgery, but it all worked out. A night spent in the hospital is a good nap on the train ride back.

OH YEAH, WE HAVE TRAINS TO GET TO THE NEXT TOWN, BUT NOBODY WANTED TO TAKE THEM, BUT I DO TRAINS SO NOW WE'RE TAKING THEM AND IT'S GREAT.

And during this train ride, I was thinking a little, of the girl in the white pants.
Must be rough to have those stains that probably will make the pants unwearable. Red on white don't come out easy (especially blood, I can testify of that, sorry all my white clothes ever).
And it was the perfect atonement metaphor.

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The atonement of Christ makes it possible for us to have that white, unspotted cleanliness again in our lives. Because of His sacrifice, we can receive a remission of our sins. And that is, without the doubt, the greatest gift we have ever been given. And it works, 100% of the time. But only when we use it. And that is the real mission that we're on down here, as missionaries. Everybody we meet is in need of this atonement. And there is no greater joy than helping and seeing someone accept this gift.

Love you, until next time on 'Unbelievable Adventures of the African Elder,'




Elder American Chopper