President Siedschlag must not like me because he sent me on a 15 hour
bus ride to the furthest out part of the mission!!!---Araquaina,
Tocantins!!! No, just kidding--I think.......he likes me??? The
President and his wife were awesome! We ate delicious food---THEIR HOUSE
WAS SOOOO COOL and the training in Teresina was awesome. I gave a big
hug to all of my MTC buddies and my new companion is Elder Rodrigues
from the Northern part of Brasil--were all the cowboys are from!! His
family has several horses but he doesn´t have a crazy cowboy accent or
anything--speaks like a regular Brazilian!! The bus ride was super
fun--we saw a ton of favelas--super small homes--getto living--really
poor---we are soo blessed. We fasted as a companionship along the way
and talked with several people about the GREAT GOSPEL! I´ve already seen
a giant turtle, this crazy armadillo lookin´ animal, a pet parrot,
lizards, etc.--it´s definitely more of the Brazil I pictured here in
Tocantins than in the giant concrete city of São Paulo! This week we
went to church--the branch--about 60 people came!! The priesthood and
the church has been here for about one year. Before that the scriptures
and a few other things were here for a few months and some of the good
saints met together and read and things one with another but for only
having the church for a year these people are amazing. Things are really
pretty getto compared to what you all are used to in the United States
but there is still plenty to go around!! I get eaten ALIVE EVERY NIGHT!!
by the mosquitos here. I have to be really careful with the water and
buy bottled water and filters and all these kinds of things---it sure
takes a while. I am excited to get to work here. We were a bit lost the
first three days--this is our 4th day here!! I bore my testimony in
Portugues for the Branch!! I played the piano for all three meetings of
church--that was like the first thing all of the Brasilians asked---Oh
look an American--HEY DO YOU PLAY THE PIANO!!?? They even had us come
back Sunday night so that I could play three songs for the
choir--preparing Christmas music! My companion knows the
scriptures---super well!! We had a family home evening night last night
with like 4 families and it was awesome--we talked a little bit about
becoming more like the Savior--3 Nephi 27:27 and 12:48. Thanks for all
the cool pictures Amber--I spent so much time ready other e-mails and
looking at pictures that I still haven´t read your e-mail--I will
later---IT WAS AWESOME TO HEAR YOUR VOICE!! I know that you are working
miracles there. OHHHH--I totally forgot---CONGRATULATIONS WILLY AND
JENNY. Okay--so I think that I heard right---Willy is going to North
Carolina speaking Spanish and Jenny to the Dominican Republic speaking
English!!! No, just kidding--I probably switched the languages--but
ya---NC for Willy--right? Or was it another state close to that--what is
the name of the mission again? You both will be awesome missionaries--I
encourage you to do two things---forget about where you´re going, the
language, etc. and know scriptures, know where to find the scriptures
for each lesson in Preach My Gospel and then go and practice teaching
the lessons to your dog, snake, cat, piano, ugly brother, etc.---It
helps a ton--but that´s just my advice.
Well since I read two weeks worth of e-mails I didn´t write as
much--sorry. Things are going good but I really want them to go as great
as possible--keep praying for me and the people here in Araquaina--I
KNOW THAT PRAYER CAN WORK MIRACLES. LOVE YOU ALL!
Oh at the President´s house I had a blast with the AP´s--they are
super cool and I got to play the piano for our testimony meeting with
all of the new missionaries and the President, his wife and AP´s---it
was really fun. Portuguese is awesome and the people of Brazil are super
nice and love to joke around! I´ll talk to you all later.
--Elder Allen
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