Oi Gentes

I finally feel like I’m getting settled into the city and the mission work. 

My attempt at homemade cookies

We had family night with a family who haven’t been to church in a while, and we talked laughed and I tried to make cookies. But here’s the deal. I don’t have measuring cups and all the measurements are in metric system and also in Portuguese! All the ingredients are different and we don’t have a whole lot of cooking supplies like a spatula or a cookie tray. So even with all of these obstacles the cookies turned out pretty well!

This week we had divisões, which is when we trade companions with the zone leaders and learn about how to work and teach and plan better. Our zone is pretty big, and to get to the city of Lafiete (zone headquarters) we had to take a 6 hour bus ride so all Tuesday and Thursday we were either waiting in a bus station or on a bus. 

Jesus Christ statue in Lafiete

But the day in between I learned so much about how to be a better missionary. I was companions for the day with Elder Ksesck and he has 1 ano e 11 months in the mission. So he’s pretty much a pro by now. We taught a lot and met a lot of people and did a lot of contacting but it was such a good day. Thursday was Brazilian independence day and the streets were full of music and street venders and people.

I haven’t been as smiley or as talkative or making jokes all the time like I used to be. I’m more quiet these day and it’s been hard. But today I discovered the notes that you all wrote for me in the cover of the little hymn book. You all talked about the person I am and the attributes that I have that make me a good missionary. I really needed that and you words and your love reached 6000 miles all the way to brazil and was just what I needed to hear.