Elder Garrett Horton: Ice Cream

12-9-13

And so last week we got the cheap açaí and this week I got the cheap paçoca which is Very good especially with açaí and it's really enhanced our açaí experience.

I think you'll notice that I already used about 40 dollars of the fun money I have. I used it to buy a fan for which I received reimbursement and so I have the money in cash now but I'm curious if there were any additional fees. If not, maybe I'll just do that instead of taking money out of the ATM. That way there’s not the ATM fee. Could you look on the card and see what you find? Thanks :)

We were sitting waiting for the bus and a man walked by selling sorvete (ice cream) (there’s a lot of people who do that especially in the summer) And there was another man waiting with us. He got some ice cream for himself and then offered ice cream for us and we declined politely but he didn't accept our refusal and bought us ice cream anyways. This kind of thing happens in Brazil with a fair amount of frequency. It's not that the people are rich or anything, it's just that they're super friendly and willing to give of their own substance. Sometimes it's really annoying because I know that that person hardly has enough for themselves and they're giving us food. But usually it's just really awesome. Oh and it was sorvete com sabor de quejo. Or ice cream with the flavor of cheese haha so that was interesting. But still gostoso because it was hot.

I'm also happy to say that chivalry isn't dead quite yet. Yesterday or the day before I saw a young man who was carrying a full bouquet of flowers! And about 3 weeks ago I saw the same things and it made me happy and smile.

In priesthood meeting, I was asked to read a paragraph in Portuguese. When I was done, the man in front of me said that I had the accent of a paulista or someone from São Paulo. That made me happy haha. On the same note, it seems that a lot of people believe that I'm living proof of the gift of tongues. Which also makes me happy but also a little like embarrassed or something like that..like I don't know I don't feel all that special. Like I don't want to be put on the pedestal.

There was an Elder that served in this area 4 years ago that's visiting the area recently! He came to church yesterday and that was interesting. He brought his sister with him too and she didn't speak a Lick of Portuguese haha I perceived this and I tried to talk English with her. The key word there being "tried" because it was very hard to talk English. When I did manage to speak English, it was very unnatural and I felt very awkward and after a few words I'd revert to Portuguese without thinking and then have to think about English again. It was a very weird experience for me but very very cool! I liked it. Another cool fact is that recently we've been working with the teaching records from the area book and I looked through all the records and picked out about 20 that looked promising. Of those 20, 2 were taught by the same missionary who's visiting now! So we're going to ask him if he'd still like to baptize these people and see if we can work with him. I think that'd be awesome haha.

Marcelo will receive the priesthood this next week! He's really excited to receive it. Another missionary said that it doesn't matter the quantity of people you baptize but the quality. This really is true and Marcelo really will be a great member of the church, missionary, father, leader, and everything else. Lot's of lives will be touched by him for the better and I'm happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of his baptism and his coming unto the true restored church of Christ.

Something interesting I was reading. I was reading in the bible. Acts 16. Paul and Silas were traveling and preaching and they did something that the leaders of the city didn't like and they were commanded to be beaten. It says

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25 ¶And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

When they had just been beaten and had many stripes laid upon them, I'm sure that all that most of us would want to do would be to just sit there and be depressed and whine and cry. But instead of this, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises unto God! And as a result, they were freed and as were the rest of the prisoners and they had the chance to invite all of them to come unto Christ through baptism. Really this is an awesome story. To receive the good things in life, sometimes we have to suffer trials and afflictions but if we have a good attitude and always remember our God, then we will grow from our trials and we will perform the work and glory of the Lord. To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Starting with ourselves, then our families, then our friends, then the whole world.

I would like to invite each of you who reads this letter to do something. I know we all have trials and a lot of things in life our hard. But I'd like to invite you to seek to do the will of the Lord in all things and when trials come, sing praises to God, say a prayer, and be happy because those trials will serve for our benefit and God knows what He's doing even if we don't. And so if we just trust in Him. Everything will be okay. There's a lot more that could be said about this story but I'll let you discern what that is.

Lots and lots of love for all of you. Never forget that God loves you and knows you better than you know yourself. Never forget that I want to see All of you in the celestial kingdom one day so do what you have to do to make sure you get there!

Elder Horton