My Last Transfer...Back to Maceio

So my last six weeks! I was surprised that I was transferred to Maceio and of all comps I’m with Elder Lasley who is from Iowa! So wow my first American comp, and I’m practically training him because it’s his second transfer and he doesn’t speak much of the language, but in my opinion he is doing really good. The name of my last area is Tabuleiro and we have someone to baptize this Saturday! So I’m way exhausted still from my 5 hour trip here and the work we did last night.

Today for p-day we went to Benedito Bentes and ate lunch at Simone and Germanos house (the couple that will go with us to Recife) and then we went home. Today I also started cleaning our house and I bought claiming supplies to make it nicer. It was a huge mess and was surprised because it’s also where the assistants live, but we are all cleaning it up now. Tonight we will be having a movie night at the chapel and hope we get lots of investigators there, should be lots of fun.

So this last week was crazy. Elder Fraga and I were looking for a street on a reference we got and we ended up in a kind of far area and instead of finding the street we found a dead body and had lots of people around it looking at him. He had been murdered, shot a few times in the head and blood everywhere, and even the week before that there had been someone stabbed to death in that same area.

To answer a couple of your questions: No I don’t use sunscreen or bug repellent but yes everyone should use sunscreen and I don’t believe I will need repellent. Yes there have been missionaries that get Dengue fever and I have lived in some houses that had the type of mosquitoes that carry it. It’s been luck or protection of the Lord that I haven’t gotten it yet because I do get bites all the time. That is why a fan is good to have.

I will go ahead and ask if you can bring me a long sleeve shirt for the temple and a clean set of garments. Other than that I’m good to go for the temple and home. Also Simone told me that Elder Nye when he came with his family rented a van to take them everywhere with an on-call type of thing. Not sure how to get that set up, but she told me she thinks they got that from the hotel they where staying at. By the way, have you found the hotels that you want to stay at? Here in Maceio and Sergipe and Recife? Simone told me if we are going to stay at the rooms at the temple to call in advance because there could be many people from other parts doing trips to the temple and they could be full. So if we got a van we could fit everyone in it and all go together to the temple and it would be faster and cheaper to go to all my areas.

Ok well I need to go, sorry I sent like 10 pictures that for some reason failed to get to you and I also took more today, but forgot to bring it with me and don’t have the time to send it anyways.

Love you and have a great week.
Brian

I Finally Got Out and Took Some Pictures of My Area

Here is one of our more friendly neighbors.

Taking time out for a bite to eat.
This man and his son use this cart to find work. They take it out and see if people need dirt, or rocks or anything else moved.They let us have a ride.

For P-day Brian visited as many churches the city of Sao Cristavao. This is the 4th oldest city in all of Brazil.

Do you think they will hire us to be bell ringers?

Their baptismal pages.

Brian's description: "Don't even ask me about the beds."

A view from the street Brian lives on.

Our house! We live upstairs and another man lives downstairs. It's a nice big house: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, front space, back space and kitchen. This is my comp, Elder Fraga.

A sad looking dog laying down in the road.

We really do have cobblestone streets here in Eduardo Gomes. The street is being repaired and while it's under construction, you can see the stones they use for the road.

A view of the street from our house.

Monday Starts My Last Transfer...It's Going Toooo Fast!

You made me feel sick after reading the detailed thing about Bro Ellsworth.......it’s a very sad thing to happen. (He was kicked in the mouth by a horse. It broke his jaw in several places, almost cut his lip off, split the roof of his mouth, lost several teeth and basically crushed the bone that hold the top teeth in place. He has his mouth wired shut for 4 weeks and a plate in place for 6. He was our stake patriarch.)

Well it’s been an ok week, our baptism didn’t go to church :( I’m looking forward to hopefully a change that will help me in the work next transfer which starts on Monday!

Sunday we split up with the elders quorum and did splits and visited inactive members and then yesterday and Monday I visited another ten people and was able to find some that want to come back and also found some new people to teach so we will see how it goes. The sad part is that we had planned on getting lots of the inactive members and investigators to tonight’s weekly activity and just today it was cancelled so now I have to go and let them all know that it won’t happen and that will be a big pain and waste of my time, but nothing I can do about it.

My shoes are fine and will probably use them when I get home. The rain stopped for a bit, but is supposed to come back again. The city Sao Cristovão flooded over and is part of my area and the members here donated and took clothes and food, etc to help.

So for p-day I’ve taken many pictures and went to São Cristovão which is the 4th oldest city in Brazil and so we went to the Christ statue that’s there and some of the churches. I will try and send as many pictures as I can. It was lots of fun and had lots of sun.

Yeah that too bad that they don’t want to serve a mission, (talking about some boys he knows)they won’t have another chance to do it. Was funny because when I was interviewed Pres. Bradshaw told me to be careful driving and with the law etc....and what happened, not sure if you remember, but I got a speeding ticket a few weeks before leaving to Brazil, but luckily wasn’t too bad. It made me remember to be more careful.

Well I can’t believe it, like I told my sister; Craig will be on his first transfer and I’ll be on my last! It is going toooo fast. K well I need to get started on the pictures, take care and love you all.

Brian

It's Been Raining Like Crazy!

Well it’s been a good week. It has rained a ton this last week and has stopped a little, but goes on and off. I haven’t really seen the sun for about a week and still has yet to show its face. But I’m enjoying it and it makes the work a lot more fun. I think it rained hard for 3 days straight without stopping and was probably the most I’ve seen yet in my life.

We met some good people this week and marked 2 baptisms! So let’s see if we can get something going here....I feel like almost all the work is on my shoulders and I’m trying to help my comp do some of it, but it’s just not happening the way it should, but if we baptize I’ll just be happy.

I talked to President Beynon and I think he wants me to stay here another transfer and maybe with the same comp :( So there goes my idea of finishing it with my buddy in Maceio, but its all right and just one more transfer and plan on finishing it good and strong and baptizing.

I haven’t been taking pictures because I don’t like to walk around with a camera and I haven’t taken the time to go out and take pictures.

Oh yes we did eat rice mixed with hot dog last night and today for lunch, it’s is easy and cheap to make.

I love you and thanks for the pictures and prayers and everything.
Brian

Conference Was Awesome!

Well it’s been another week! Conference was awesome and just don’t get enough of it. Just about all of the apostles talked about the importance of the family and parents teaching children etc....not exactly what a missionary gets excited to hear, but something the world really needs and I believe our family does a pretty good job with the things that were talked about. It was funny the prophet was talking about the aid the church gave to all the foreign countries and out of nowhere he says Arizona? What happened in Arizona?

The rainy season is getting started, but will be bigger when you guys get here. We’ve been teaching lots of people, but no one really firm or strong or ready for baptism.

We did nothing today for p-day and haven’t had anything special happen recently. The family we are teaching isn’t progressing good and we won't be wasting much more time with them, but I know someday they’ll accept the gospel.

So the only big thing we did was watch conference and I got to go visit a family in my last ward and ate lunch with them and dinner two days in a row, was fun and good food.

Today we made rice with hot dog for lunch and it will probably be our dinner too. Tonight we will visit some people and go to an activity at the church which I will imagine will have few people there.

Thanks for the pictures, they were funny and tell Gemma I’ll carry here when I get home. (Gemma broke her foot and has her cast off now, but still will not walk. She loves being carried).

Say hi to the Huber’s too and everyone else at the ward.

Loves n kisses Brian