Oct. 6, 2014
This week was awesome. It passed super fast and I was exhausted and happy at the end of every day. It is interesting because summer is starting but it also rains alot during this time of the year. It is super cool. Rain that cools the day off and the next day is super hot and humid. It keeps you on your toes for sure.
We are teaching some awesome folks. Josué is the man! We found him on a street. We walk a ton. I stopped and asked him for water and in the average amazing Brazilian way, he was stoked to grab three chairs and sit with us and talk over some tereré. He is super jazzed to learn more. The election was Sunday and in Brasil you have to vote. So none of the folks we are teaching made it out, which bummed us out. But I know they´ll make it out this week for sure. It will be awesome. We are teaching the other families that are in some tought situations but really have desires to be good people and do what is right.
One of those families is the family of Régis. They work so much, but are the coolest folks around. He is the guy that is building the super cool house. We helped him rough and trim and I must admit that I love trade work. I feel super comfortable and happy bustin out a construction project. It is a shame that you can make so much more money studying for four years and hustling buisness neh?
Anyways it was awesome working on his house in our Sunday best and then sitting down with the whole fam for family night.
I had one of the most fulfilling experiences of my entire mission on Friday and Saturday of this week. The bispo of our ward is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He doesn´t know how to read very well and his hands are permanantely marked with greese becuase he works as a mechanic. And the man WORKS. I love the guy. Anways we always pass by his house and give him a hard time while he is working. Our ward had planned a temple trip for Sunday. It is a super big sacrifice for a lot of the members because they have to ride the bus to São Paulo and work in the temple for a week straight. We visited bispo thursday and I could tell he was super stressed to finish everything before the temple trip, we finished saying hello and left. We had walked quite a ways down the street when I had a feeling to go back. I turned around and ran back to his place and said we will be here tomorow after lunch in normal clothes to help you out, beleza? We worked our tails off the next day taking a super old fuska (volkswagen beetle) and tractor apart to sand and clean. That night we got home to plan and my comp and I knew we had to show up the next morning to help him out if he was going to make it to the temple. We showed up at 6:30 and worked until 3:00, missing the first session of conference. I have never seen a humbler man in my life. He hugged us nearly crying and said that no one has ever helped him the way we did.
This week I followed the spirit and focused on how I could just help someone have a better day. I loved the talk of the prophet on Sunday. He was like hey, lets be better people and relax. Service is the essence of love. Just work. Do it for the right reasons. It was refreshing.
\\\\\\P day was rad!! this super cool indian in our ward, Salamão, led us to a waterfall in the middle of no where and we made a rad churrasco, drank tereré, played a rad Brazilian card game called truco, played guitar and hiked around the waterfalls. I don´t know why American culture has trouble with simplicity. Here life is so simple. Conversation with strangers is easy and comfortable and there is a light in everyones eyes.
I love my mission. Everyday I thank god for one more day of life and for the blessing that come with it. I love you all so much. God loves us and trusts us. Man is that he might have joy. Have joy!
I love you all to death. I got one more package!!!! thank you so much! It was one for my birthday! Send me peanutbutter. brazilians dig it.
