Elder Garrett Horton: Best for Last

11-25-13

Family,

I'll start off this letter with some random interesting things that happened this week that I want to share. Like for example, I ate a foot of a young woman this last week! It was a tough but still sweet.

I was eating Pudding (as it's called here) or Flan (for those who know what that is. It's DELICIOUSS) To make flan you need milk. Leite de moça which would mean milk of young woman but means condensated milk. And I think one more thing..but it's very delicious and I was eating it and the young woman who made it asked me "da para casar?" Or basically "good enough to marry?" I heard it and thought "...what?!" and then said "Não não, não posso!" (no no, I can't) but then they explained it’s just a saying and not meant to be taken literally. It just means it's good basically. And then I responded "sim, certamente da para casar" "yes, certainly good enough to marry" haha I like brasil.

I don't know if you guys have noticed the trend here. Sometimes to describe something as sweet, the brazileans just add "de moça" or "of a young woman" haha.

The verb for to snore is roncar but the first r has an "h" sound so in English it'd be honcar. We were talking about snoring and I thought it was really funny because of the way the word sounds as if it were a car honking or something. I don't know but I thought i'd share that with you.

Also, you guys remember how with James, we recorded our voices and then sent the recorder to James and he did the same thing and sent it back? I was thinking about doing the same thing. And it'd be a lot easier too, I could just load it up on the computer and send it off! And so I might just buy some machine to do that...we'll see. Maybe I'll use the awesome spy pen to do it! I think it'd be cool for you guys to hear my Portuguese :D

Also, in brazil, instead of typing "haha" like we do in the US, they type "caca"

It’s been raining a lot here which I prefer a lot to the heat but it's a bit annoying because one day we were leaving from lunch and the whole half of my pants from my knees down got completely soaked so that was a bit no fun but I think still preferable to heat.

We met a woman who had never heard of America before. Or Canada or Mexico. And her vocabulary was pretty limited. She wasn't mentally handicapped or anything, she was just really limited in her learning. It was the first time that I had seen that in Brazil and it was the first time Elder Steele had ever seen someone who hadn't heard of America.

Yesterday we went to Jacareí to a meeting where President and Sister Ferrin spoke and it was interesting to hear their Portuguese. Elder Steele said that my Portuguese was already better than that of President Ferrin and he already served a mission in Brazil (a long time ago but didn't use it when he was at home) and he'd also already been in Brazil almost 1.5 years. But it was kinda funny you know how in English we say "let’s go pay a visit" or "they paid a visit." Well President Ferrin said "eles pagaram uma visita"(they paid a visit) but this makes No sense in Portuguese haha still learning. But it was good. The meeting was good. All about missionary work and incentivizing the members.

I'm happy I took WTG150 before the mission because sometimes my English is horrible. Elder Steele and I almost never talk in English. Yesterday I was talking with Sister Ferrin and I was trying to talk English but kept talking Portuguese haha I think it's cool.

Hey mom, do you think you could sign up for me for the Liahona? For 2 years? List the address as the Mission office...you have that address right? It should only be a couple of bucks for 2 years. Maybe 5 or 10.

Elaine is a woman that was definitely prepared by the Lord for us to find. We've been teaching her the lessons and she's accepted to be baptized this Sunday along with her son. She is practically already a member of the church. She's just awesome. We were teaching her and she said that she was feeling something that was hard to describe. Elder Steele spoke up and said "As if you already knew it" And she jumped on that and said "yes that’s it!" It’s so cool how the light of Christ works in people to help them recognize truths and how the Lord prepares His children for us. We didn't find her, it was a member who felt like they should talk with her and then gave us her reference and we've been teaching her together and she came to church yesterday. She's just elect.

I saved the best for last :) Yesterday we baptized Marcelo!! I had the privilege of performing the ordinance. I've already sent the pictures. It was a very cool experience for me. My first baptism of the mission with more to come. I think I've already talked about Marcelo. He was also elect. Just ready to be baptized. Elder Steele said something that I like. He said that "he's happy that he can be a part of this work" and it's true, we're just a part of this work. We couldn't do this without the spirit or without the Lord. We went and visited Marcelo later and I asked him how he felt and he said he felt "leve" or aleviated or light. It's so coool! And he hasn't even received the Gift of the Holy Ghost yet! All the members of the ward were excited too and I'm excited and he's excited and just everyone's excited.

Well that's about all that I wanted to share with you guys. Good thing too because I don't have any more time. And Still I need more time to work on that scripture mastery thing. But I love all of you. The book is blue, the church is true. I know it and I know that God knows it and I cannot deny it. For this is the testimony last of all that we give of Him. That He lives! And he knows each and every one of us and our trials and our afflictions and every single emotion we feel because he felt them in the garden of gethsemane so that he can succor us. Rely on him. For his yoke is light. Alma 37:36-37. I know in whom I have trusted. My Lord hath been my support and hath led me through mine afflictions. I have trusted in the Lord and I will trust in him forever. In the name of Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer, amém

Elder Horton