Week 2 in Araguaina!!

We need to have 85-100 people in church every week to build a new church--the place that we are meeting in now is an old meat shop and is pretty old and dirty and not very condusive to the Spirit BUT---the Spirit is still there and it is still the same church--the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SAINTS!! This week was a bit disheartening because we had a LOUSY 49 people show up to church--well really it´s a blessing to have even 49 but it was just a bit frustrating because last week we had close to 70 and also 7 of our 8 investigators that planned on coming to church said--Oh I´ll just go next week--when we showed up at their door---LAME. Follow through with your commitments people.

FUNNIES!!: This week we had a zone meeting in Imperatriz--about three and a half hours by bus--whenever we go to Imperatriz we wake up at 1 am and hurry of to the bus station to make it to Imperatriz by 7:00!! Last time on our trip back from Imperatriz we released that Elder Santos---he´s our awesome District Leader--had bought tickets for 11 am instead of 11 pm so we slept at the bus station on the dirty concrete floor---we were laughing forever and it was a great time---we lost more than half a day that we could have been studying and teaching in Araquaina but I thought that it was awesome that we all just laughed it off and ate the crackers and cheese and slept there at the Rodovíaria. The second time we came back from Imperatriz we rode in a van where they jammed 19 people inside--it was the sweatiest and one of the most uncomfortable rides of my life but IT WAS A BLAST AT THE SAME TIME--seriously it was fun--we practiced English and Portuguese and ya---I love Brazil---everyone here is just like--WHATEVES---they throw their garbage wherever, there isn´t a single straight or smooth street--but it´s awesome. The people of Brazil here in Araquaina are usually very kind and the drunk people like talking with us too!! This one drunk guy thought that my blue eyes and blonde hair were pretty cool and so I pretended to rip my eye out and asked him if he wanted to trade--he thought that was pretty funny--we left them with a pamphlet--you can share the gospel with everyone--JUST PICTURE THEM IN WHITE CLOTHES, HAIR CUT, SOBER, ETC. but at the same time teach the elect before the swine! 

STUDY TIME!!: This week I have been reading in 2 Néfi only in Portuguese and I have been amazed at how much I´ve been able to UNDERSTAND---the gift of tongues is a great gift from God---I definitely don´t have even close to the same social and testifying skills in Portuguese as I do in English but I think that being grateful for what I´ve already been given will help my abilities to speak improve more--I can´t wait to speak this language fluently!! The Book of Mormon truly is a book of God--reading the words of Isaías in a different language also has helped me to understand Isaiah better--study time this week was great---REMEMBER TO START AND FINISH YOUR STUDY TIME WITH A PRAYER--AND USE A PEN AND PENCIL!! 

 

I loved the tithing stories of everyone, the humility, the smarts and the ukulele stories with cousins and all. I hope your foot gets better mom. Playing the piano every Sunday is fun! 

Love you all lots. I tried to get these blasted pictures to download again but nothing happened--I´ll try harder next time. Tuesday--is Christmas and I think that I will skype you all around 11 am or noon---YOUR TIME--BUT we will see!!

Well, gotta go. Love you all, thanks for your example and prayers I will keep praying for you and for our entire family as well--keep strengthing those around you that need more faith in Christ. He lives. 

Tchau!