Barrios in the US

10-21-13

Dear family,

Dad told me of the ants in the car story! Crazy!

Eh...don't know the movie Gravity...that okay I can’t watch it anyways. I'll watch a lot of movies when I return!

What kind of things did you coordinate with the sisters to do? This is pretty cool because we do the same kinds of things :)

Good you gave blood! I wish I could do the same!

It's cool how when your kids are serving missions the cars seem to just magically fix themselves haha que legal.

The obedience quote is from an apostle but it's still a great quote and very very true!

Tell Jonathan and Shelem to keep up the awesome missionary work! I'm thankful to them for the missionaries!

It's been bem calor aqui lately. Pretty hot here lately.

Did someone tag me in some photos also? That family we visited last week, I helped them find me on facebook and that way they could tag me in pictures they had taken.

That's cool about Fabio! He spoke with me this week saying he'd received the email. I'd be interested in being bcc'd on that convo :D One, just cuz I'm curious and 2 because I want to see how good google translator did.

Yes we write the mission president each week.

 

Thanks for the thoughts about not labeling yourself.  I know that in another 10 or 15 years, this age will seem YOUNG not OLD!!  It’s just that right now, I’m older than I’ve ever been (and now I’m even older….remember that song??)  I don’t want to diminish my effectiveness, so I won’t think of myself as old!!

Yeah I remember that song haha I remember you didn’t like it.

Here is the planner from BYUi - $4.99.  We can get you some for sure!  Do you think I should get some now in case they don’t have them in stock when you get home?

Yes I want it!!!! Buy at least....like...2 that should allow me to at least slowly wean off if necessary.

Gma Smith says you don’t look like you’re gaining weight.  How are your pants fitting??  I’m glad you like the food.  I remember Jonathan saying that the members just kept putting food on his plate even when he said he was full.  Do they do that there?

Yeah my pants are fitting fine! I washed them today and I'm dry cleaning meu terno. My suit coat and pants. Only 20 reais or a bit less than 10 bucks.

As for the food, they encourage but generally don't force. Sometimes the sisters will say "what elder you didn’t like my food?" To which I'd respond something like "No the food was amazing! I've just already eaten 2 full plates and if I eat more I'm afraid I'll explode" They usually laugh at that. And then give me dessert. Haha which is always good. I never leave lunch hungry. That’s for sure.

I like your quote, "If you're faithful and life sucks, be happy because you're about to have some good success."  I put it as your status on FB along with some photos.  James responded with, “In other words, it’s all downhill from here!”

Thats cool! thanks! I like James' comment haha

My companion wants you to add him to my email group, he said he'd be interested in receiving my letters as well just to see my perspective on things, pode ser? Can it be?

I'm debating working with an excel sheet on my p-days that would be bem legal, tipo, it would link to mapquest and show All the points of All the contacts and investigators and members and every reference that I would want :) I'm always happy to be thinking about things like this. I don't know if I'll ever have Time to do this though...so we'll see.

We walked in a neighborhood yesterday that reminded me a lot of bairros in the US! It had trees and a wideish paved street and each house was fairly unique and individual. Of course each house also had a portão or gate and often times electric fences but that’s beside the point!

We see medics tending to a motorcycle accident as we were passing in onibus, that was interesting

Sunday was very corrido. Busy. It appeared to me that everyone wanted to talk with us and we had an investigator there which was awesome! But we gave 3 blessings and guided our investigator to where he needed to go and talked with the members and it was busy but good.

We had interviews with the mission president last week! That was good, he gave me some training and while the interview was only supposed to last about 15 minutes we spent about 20 talking about his family and his son in particular. Way cool guy it would seem, sold Cutco too and is in sales right now and doing amazing.

If I have more time I'll probably write a bit more a bit later, I still have 33 minutes but also have to write President Ferrin still.

I’m assuming bairros is neighborhoods??  Is that kind of thing rare in what you’ve seen so far in Brazil?  It’s amazing how different countries are well, so different!! 

Bairros is neighborhoods, I just didn’t want to type all that out again haha its fun being bilingual. And yes that kind of thing is pretty rare.

Do all the missionaries have cell phones?

Every companionship has a cellphone

How far do you have to walk to get groceries?

I have to walk maybe a tenth of a mile or so, maybe a bit more, to get groceries. Well...depends, we have another store right next to our casa but they don’t have a Lot of stuff.

A note we got this week.  It says in English:

Elders

I feel a lot of gratitude for y'all being in our area.

The Lord knew how much this area was needing y'all. It's been a long time since I've seen missionaries so spiritual, my family is excited to help y'all

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Sister Ofelia - 10/20/13

Bem legal :) Gosto  muito. Sinto especial.

Pretty cool :) I like it a lot. I feel special.

Elder Horton