Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Carnival is in Full Swing!

So its another week and been doing good, not productive at all, but I won't argue with that. It does feel weird not geting anything done. Last week we did work like normal and had people that we taught and would have gone to church, but come Sunday it rained all morning and never stopoed. I was soaked the whole day and was fun, but got no one to church because of it and then carnival started Sunday and everyone left and everything has been closed down the past 3 days and still is today. I think they closed more things down during carnival than on Christmas.

The reason we had other missionaries with us is becase they live near the beach where all the partying and bad stuff happens. vSo yeah like I said we´ve gotten zero work done this week so far because of rain and the streets are pratically empty because nothing is open. Yeah having 4 guys with one bathroom stinks, but it's been fun because we just play games and do retarded things. They brought a cushion and we have an extra one so they use those two to sleep on. So carnival they do dress up in all sorts of things and costumes etc...Anyways today I think I will clean my home and then don't think we'll get much done tonight, but think we will go try and visit some less active members.

I think our rainy season is starting to pick up again because it has been raining every night.
K need to go love you and talk to you in a week!
Brian

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Carnival Slows the Work

First of all tchau means goodbye, and is also used the same and spelt the same in german. (I said chow to him, but didn't realize it was just for good-bye. I also spelled it like it sounds...chow)

So that's cool you got the package, I had a feeling the things would break. (He sent some little figurines, that broke a little in the mail, but they can be glued back easily) Yeah all the stuff in it is for you guys, thought you would like it. I thought they were funny, and just loaded a ton of chocolate for you guys as well.

Last night I listened to a Argentine Boca Jrs game (a big soccer team from Argentina that Jeff loves) on the radio and thought about Jeff hehe. Oh yea and send more tapes because I want to send a tape to Jared and maybe other people too. I think Tiago will serve a mission if his girlfriend tells him too, but it will either be marriage in the temple or mission.

Man that sounds like it was an awesome occasion and only happens to a person probably once in their life time. Wish I could have been there to hear and see it, but that's all right. ParĂ¡bens to Robert. (Robert was awarded, Mesa's Man of the Year, last night at a banquet) Yea all these different foods and desserts you're talking about make me go crazy thinking about them. (I mentioned that Robert gave out Krispy Kremes at the banquet, we made sugar cookies for Valentine's, we had Mexican food on Sunday, the Hubers made us Fannie Mae, they also brought Hershey kisses and put all over our house, and we had pizza for dinner Monday. I guess mentioning all those things made him hungry, LOL)

We really have an awesome president and he has been fixing things up her in the mission.

Carnival has started a week early and we have other 2 missionaries who will come and live with use for the next 2 weeks. So we´ll still work, but already some of our investigaters are on vacation and really have only one person we are working with that we can baptize this transfer. We have some others, but their situations are a bit more complicated and will take more time to get them baptized. And with carnival on top of it all it will make it hard. So things are going good and we´ll see what crazy things happen this week. The more crazy stuff happens at the beaches here and that's why we have the missionaries from the areas that live near the beaches coming to live with us. Still people here celebrate it and are having their block parties, is what they call it and they just do stupid stuff.

So anyways need to go, love you all and thanks for everything.
Brian

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

18 Year Old Tiago Finally Got Baptized!

Hi mom.

I don’t know if they do valentines. I haven’t seen anything about it yet, and didn’t realize it was even time for that until I read your email.

Last Friday we baptized Tiago, who is the guy that had to wait until he was 18 to be baptized because of his mom but that went well.We had some really good people to church this week, particularly two people that are what we call elite but we will see if we get their baptism date marked this week and if they accept it. We just had problems finding them at home so well see tonight or tomorrow if their home yet.

This last week was kinda miserable for me too. I was sick for the Thursday-Monday with idk (I don’t know) what but something that a lot of people here have been getting, my throat was sore and had headache with fever and chills and my body was just weak, so it was hard to get work done and I told my companion to forget about visiting anyone on Sunday but one of the members took care of me and gave me some medicine and after taking that Sunday and Monday, I got better. So the members here are awesome and love to take care of us.

Today we had another 3 zone activity at that same place where we have soccer and bbq and games etc...so that was fun and had a good time there. Ok well I’m running out of things to say so I'll stop it here and this week I'll try to get some photos of the baptism sent home. Also I sent the package home to you let me know when you get it and if you are able to open the pictures I have on the cd´s.

K well, Love you all and until next week.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Here's the picture I sent Brian, of Tate eating baleadas

Great Week - 6 Baptisms!

Tell Tate I hate him, the picture of him eating a tortia makes me home sick. (I sent a picture of Tate eating tortillas that have something in them, not sure what, called baleadas. Brian loves tortillas and they don't have them in Brazil. That's why he said what he did. It was pretty funny)

Umm yeah I figured the Cards would choke, but at least it was a close game.

So we baptized that family of Carlos (dad, his real name is long and weird, I think arab), Cristianie (mother), their daughter Gabriela, and we also baptized Oliva the mother of Anderson the boy I baptized 2 transfers ago and we baptized Ruana a little girl whose mother was baptized very long ago. She wanted her daughter to be baptized in the church and she's started going again. This week we will baptize Tiago, the guy that's been going to church over a year and is now 18 and can be baptized and next week. We have marked 4 more of these girls that have been going but I'm not sure anymore. We might have to move another week to help them prepare because the first week they went to church they asked if they could be baptized and then the second week they were a bit timido or moly I don't remember this word in english at the moment. So well see how that goes. Last Sunday we had 9 investigators. Oh and no changes for me, I'm still here with the same comp.

(I asked him when Carnival is) Carnival is the last 2 weeks I think of this month so it will basically be hard to get any work done or get anyone to progress because everyone leaves, drinks, parties, just total wickedness from what I hear. The church takes all the youth and has a week long camping party for them and has another for the single adults also. But luckily we have baptisms marked for the first 2-3 weeks before carnival starts. Carnival is where they play their music and girls dress in almost nothing and guys dress in woman's clothing and everyone drinks and they have huge what they call block party type things. They´ll have one here where I'm at so well get little work done during that time.

So, this last week was good in that we had baptisms and a new transfer and I'm happy to be staying. This is a good area with good members and I am enjoying it. Today me and my comp will go to Bob´s (hamburgers) so I'm excited to go there. I just hope the buses are not on strike again today because they were the past 2 days because they want more money. I eat the same stuff everyday so im not sure which is my favorite (I asked him what his favorite things he ate this week was). I ate a good watermelon yesterday, but what I'll eat today at Bob's will be my favorite.

It's summer and I can feel a little difference in that now I sweat more (24 hours). My garmets are getting that yellow stain mark from sweating a lot, but their ok. I have plenty of shirts dont need more but they get dirty real fast and have stain marks too but still have some I've never used before so I'm good on that. The pants are ok maybe could use another pair for my b-day or something. Yesterday was fun. We had a huge thunder, rainstorm that lasted all day and was fun to work in. It might not be as hot in Arizona but I sweat more and just feel swamped and prefer the dry heat.

Jared is doing great, he said its like 113-120 there in Australia. He's doing good and having fun.

Ok well thats all I can think of for now.
Love ya and until next week.
Brian