The Fastest Week Yet! -Justinopolis, Brazil

wow! this week went by so fast! i've gone from writing in my journal every night thinking the day went by fast to thinking when i write this weekly email that the week went by fast! it's awesome! so, i had an outline written up like i do every week so i can remember everything i wanted to say but i think i forgot it at the apartment so i will do my best to try to remember everything!

this week, once again, was a week of firsts... the first time washing clothes by hand (that one was interesting but i would say positive) and it was the first week making cookies and pancakes brazilian style... they dont have a lot of key ingredients here so we have to substitute a lot but my comp and i are both extremely thankful for the recipes you sent me mom! so thank you so much!

anyway it's been an intense week! we got to go into the office once for interviews which is awesome because i got mail!!!! i love mail - it's amazing! anyway thank you to all that wrote and i look forward to writing you all back when i find time!

so about justinopolis...i've told you about the scenery and now you have pictures to match it, but also, dad wanted an address. we are on avenida denise cristina da rocha 2555 a. from what i know, it is the only apartment building on the street and it is a couple miles out of justinopolis. it will be close to bairro sonia (the favela) and bairro botafogo. anyway, see if that helps you find it.

so this week has been awesome! we are still keeping way busy! we had two baptisms on sunday and i actually got to do the baptizing which was way sweet!!! his name is wanderson... and then like another 12 names... the name was almost as long as the ordinance prayer! haha. but it was a very cool moment to use my white clothes somewhere besides the temple.

this week i ate some weird stuff. number one weird thing that i ate with not much liking was chicken feet! =( definitely not the best! but i still continue to eat whatever gets put on the stove at the members house.

you also said you wanted to know a little bit more about the church here... as far as in justinopolis the church is very very new. we pretty much are starting the work here. which is really cool but also frustrating. i think i told you about the van we have every week to take to church with the investigators... our chapel is in venda nova which is a really pretty chapel and right across the street from a soccer club and field... imagine that in brazil! anyway, every thing is tile... the walls and the floor through the whole thing. it's very new. its really pretty! i'll try to get a picture this week for you to imagine it. the members here are all very nice... we don't get much help from the members of the ward in venda nova cause it's a good half hour away but the members in justinopolis are very very nice to help us! we have one member who goes with us every single day to work and for the whole time! he lives off pensions from the gov. so he has plenty of time but he is so nice to have. there are about 60 members in justinpolis and most, if not all, have been baptized in the last 6 months. very very new area so it didn't surprise me that blake didn't know it well. we wear our suits to church here... talk about blazing blazing hot! but we do it because the lord wants it that way and he provides a way for us to accomplish it! 1 ne 3:7...

my portuguese is coming along... i can fully understand people for the most part i just still struggle with responding but it will come! i've already made quite a few friends here... wanderson, who i baptized, and his sister ana paula, who was baptized last week are good friends and that whole favela just loves us! we teach them english sometimes so every time we leave they all hold up a peace sign and say peace! it's awesome! the little kids here are my peronal favorite! every time we walk by they shake our hands and talk to us and ask for american gum now! =) thanks mom! they love it! and they all ask about my camelback - why i have a tube into my backpack. it's funny to see their faces with such a simple design of a backpack and how amazed they get! i love it! and the camelback was genious in itself for the mish! perfect for the work!

so, cool stories for the week... one in particular. her name is eliane. she is about 35 and her whole family has been baptized but her because she is so addicted to coffee. well, she told us that she would give us her final answer on wednesday night and well... we weren't expecting much and thought about not even going because she had given us about 25 final answers already... anyway we get there and we leave a short spiritual message and then ask the question of the moment... how's the coffee situation and she told us almost in tears... my family is more important than anything and i want to be baptized. i will stop drinking coffee. she did! she quit cold turkey just like that! it's so amazing to see the change in her family. they instantly, the next day, were so much happier...incredibly happier. it was so awesome to see the change the gospel has in their family.

wanderson was awesome too... he didn't struggle tho, he just held on to the little testimony he had and let it grow and he is so strong for a 13 year old. i couldn't have done that at 13. now we are working on getting his parents married so they can complete the family. we are close... pretty much just waiting on papers to go through. those are the two biggest issues people have here is the coffee and also the not being married but living together and having a family for sometimes 30 years. it's kinda hard to tell them to change but i found a scripture during study that gave me awesome courage... moroni 8:16... with perfect love we have no need to fear the smallest things! love really does solve everything!

anyway, it's been an awesome and fast week! this weekend is conference and yes i do get to watch and yes i will watch it live and even better... i will be watching it in english! how sweet is that! another scripture for you to ponder this weekend during conference. Jacob 4:6.... grow from the words of a prophet. i took conference for granted so much. very few people in this world will take the opportunity this weekend to listen to the words of a true living prophet! the closest man to god on this earth! it is such a blessing and so taken for granted so i'll be excited to hear what you guys think of it! and dad, definitely wear that orange tie so i can see it! that would be awesome!

anyway...im sure that there was so much more i wanted to say but next week i will be sure to bring my outline! i've made a new quote for you all tho.... especially you cassi - i think you like these quotes... the only way to find out what is truly possible is to do the impossible!... anything is possible! we continue to push ourselves as a companionship here and we use our family and friends as motivation. i continue to work hard because i know when heavenly father see's us working for his cause then the things we pray for and the things we hope for will be more likely to happen! so i will continue to work hard so that when i get back my friends will be that much sweeter and awesome and my family will be even more amazing (hard to imagine) than you are now! you guys are so amazing! i love you all so incredibly much! you are all in my prayers and i think of you often! mothers day is coming up!! =) stay strong everyone and just continue to try a little bit harder to be a little bit better every day! i love you all so much! have an awesome week! we are more than a tenth of the way done!!