Week 14 Letter

May 30, 2011
Hey family!

Happy Memorial Day! I feel lucky, because although I am missing you, I know that I have help from our family on the other side. Yes, I love that movie. I am thinking about when he shoots a bullet through the washer and sticks his finger in the guy´s gun. Man, that just doesn´t fell that long ago, but at the same time, that was a whole different life! Well, I can just imagine Shauna playing the olympics with the kids. hahaha, I guess that it would look unreal. I feel the same way though. People are always asking about my family, and looking at my pics, and I try to explain what you are all like, but I am sure that they just think that I am laying it on thick. The truth is, I have the perfect family, and even those that know us cannot fully comprehend. I can honestly say, and love telling people, that my siblings are my best friends and who I spent my free time with. Anyways, were should I start about the week. We did have a baptism this Sunday. A 20 year old girl named Francielle, who we met a week and 2 days ago. She is great. We committed her to baptism Saturday (yeah, the day before the baptism). Saturday was the highlight of the week. I have never felt the Holy Ghost work through me like the way that it did on Saturday (especially because it was in a different langauge). We taught Fransielle with power! And the lesson before this was interesting as well. We were at the house of Lia and Realson, and they are one of the couples that need to get married. The brother of Realson was there, (Robson), and they got in a big argument. We have been trying to teach Robson, but he has no desire to change. They were arguing about this, and how his drinking habits, and idleness, and unwillingness to do anything is affecting the kids there, and the household, and everything else. We were sitting in the middle of this argument, not saying anything. My companion was trying to teach, but voices just got louder and louder. After about 30 -45 minutes of this, I was looking at my watch, knowing that we had an appointment with Francielle. Elder Wanderley was thinking the same thing, so he called for atention and tried to teach but Robson would not listen, just wanting to argue. Then I was overcome with the spirit. I will try to explain a little bit of what happened next. I called for Robson´s atention, and told him that I was going to teach this principle to him because we are friends, and because I care about him. I read him Matthew 6:24, and asked him to tell me the two people that we can serve. I explained that we can only serve one or the other. Then he started to argue at me, and I demanded his silence and his ears, and told him that we have people who we need to teach who are wanting to change and listen to us, and therefore, we do not have time for him unless he listens. In his surprise, he stopped talking and payed atention. I taught him that he was following Satan because he was refusing to act for himself. I taught him a lot of things that I cannot right for lack of time, but the bottom line is that satan hates him, and want him to be miserable, and is a liar, and will only lead him to captivity, and that we have a loving heavenly father who want´s us to be happy, and return to him, but we need to act. That he is the only person who can choose, and that he needs to do what he knows is right. This whole time, nobody spoke, even my companion. I ended on the note of we are here to help him, and we want the best for him. We then said our goodbyes, and he said good bye in English, his way of saying that we were still friends, and we left him smiling, but really thinking. Afterwards, Elder Wanderely expressed his total and utter surprise and amazement. It was crazy. I left that house completely surprised with myself. It was so crazy, but I knew that i had said the right things, and exactly what he needed to hear. Then we went to Francielles house. Wow, same spirit, but a very different lesson. She was baptized Sunday by Elder Wanderly, and then in sacrament meeting, and did the confirmation (nerve-racking, but the Lord helped me, and it turned out great). It was such an incredibly feeling to confirm someone a member of Christ´s church. It really is his church on the Earth to help us and our families. Wow, it was awesome. Last night we got the call about transfers. Elder Wanderley is leaving to Cuiabá to be a secretary and I am staying here with Elder Melo, who was the senior companion in the other side of the city, although we will be serving in my area. I am really happy that I get to stay here. We have a lot of people to teach. We had a great attendance at church again Sunday with less-active members and investigators. Oh yeah, and at the baptismal service, I played the recorder while Elder Wandereley and Willians sang the children´s hymn, I like to look for rainbows. It was good. Well, how are all of you? I am sure that you are all doing great, as always. I pray for all of you everyday. I am so lucky to have all of you. I found out that I talk in my sleep. Tony, no lies, I do not. This is a new habit from arriving in the mission field. My companion does as well. I think that he does more than I do. I asked him what langauge I speak in while I am sleeping, and he said a mix, some of both. I teach and just converse with people in my sleep. What I did not tell him was that most of the time, my companion that I am teaching with is Tony, and the people that I am talking with are my siblings and parents. It is really weird to dream in Portuguese, especially since this means that all of you are speaking in Portuguese as well. It always catches me off guard, you all explain to me every night that you learned while I was in the MTC. It is weird to think that I have not had a conversation in English (outside of my phone call home) for over a month. Crazy! While, I love all of you! Good luck with everything, and mom, I hope that you feel better. Tell the cousins, uncles, aunts, and others that I said hi. Love you all! Falou!

Ali Happy b-day!! you are old, what happened! I cannot believe that you are wearing makeup and will be going to high school. That is so unreal. I still feel like a 9th grader to be honest, but hey, I will always be a little kid in my heart. So, how was the birthday? I am sure that I will see some pics and read about it on the blog. I just wanted to say happy birthday, and I was thinking of you. You are growing up to be such a great and amazing young lady, becoming less and less young everyday. I love you so much! Tchau!