Week 11

Oí folks! 

So things here in Guará are going well. Well... well considering my Portuguese is still a bit rough. But, I am understanding people better and better everyday. One of the women in our ward flew to SLC and got back a couple day. She said it was cold, but that the snow was beautiful and she got to go to City Creek Mall which she was pretty excited for. It sounds like things are pretty cold there. I hope you all are all enjoying the winter and warm houses and blankets. I like all of those things! Here it is still raining. I guess the rainy season lasts till April ish and then begins the 6 ish months of the dry season. So I should enjoy cooler weather for now. It really is quite rainy though! Okay, time for a couple stories- 

1. We always ask members and investigators if we can help them do anything- like work around the house or whatever. 90 percent of the time people turn us down and say oh no worries. We are supposed to have service hours so its a little rough when no one accepts our help, but we were visiting an investigator and her husband wasnt home for the appointment we had yet so she asked us to help her do laundry. She seriously had a bed full of laundry... a whole ton. We ironed all of it. I dont even know how to iron that well, but I am pretty sure none of the clothing items we ironed needed to be ironed. It took quite a while too. Writing this out this story doesnt sound that funny. But it is... I promise. More about laundry. Another woman we had a lunch appt. with had us help her. She had S. Victorio make juice and had me fold laundry that was on the line. All the laundry were underwear and such. In summary... I am not all together too comfortable with doing the laundry of other people. 

2. We went and visited some references of the ward missionaries. Two of the ladies that we visited were very talkative. VERY VERY talkative. Even if I couldnt speak any Potuguese I dont think they would have even noticed. That is how much they talk. Anyway, one of the women while we were at her house, she was very animated and enthusiastic about gospel and and the end of our lesson she asked if she could say the closing prayer. We said yes and she stood up and started saying this really loud preachy kind of prayer. I had my head bowed so I couldnt see what was going on but all of the sunday she put her hands on my head and started blessing me. I was a bit strange. She said nice things, but I was too stunned for words. This is by far the longest prayer I have ever experienced. Ever. ha ha ha 

3. So we went and visited the bishop and his wife. After we decided we would stop by and see the bishops mom who lives in a little house just in front of theirs. We knocked and she asked who it was ... We called out and identified ourselves and she opened the door... butt-naked. She had not one single item of clothing on! Oh my lanta. That was...I dont even know what to say about that. But its funny now I guess! 

4. Running into the Elders. So we are the only missionaries in Guará 2, but there are two sets of elders in Guará 1 the city proximal to us. We were finding an investigator in an appartment complex. We paged up and her mom said she wasnt home but that we could come up. I started to walk in the door and someone called out my name behind me and it was a set of elders in our district,  Elder Amon and Elder Bell! That was exciting. They were going to the exact same apartment to help move some furniture for a man living in their area. It was pretty exciting to see them and we helpe them move a bed and desk down 4 flights of stairs. My district here is pretty awesome. They are all really nice. We have 3 americans and 2 brazilians and 1 bolivian. 

5. Last night we had our first baptism in Guará. Elder Tippetts and Elder B. Gomes had been teaching this woman Adriana. It was really cool to go to a legitimate baptism here in Brasil. The ward mission leader asked me to lead the music. I did--- but I am terrible at everything musical. I think people just automatically assume I know how to play the piano and lead music and such...but I definitely cant. Elder Bell and Tippetts were laughing the whole time I was leading because they knew I had no idea what I was doing. But, its all good! 

Other than this things are going well in the mission. I walk a lot. It rains a lot. And the people in Brasil are awesome! Love you guys, dont forget to stay in touch! 

Sister Hoopes