So it´s weird to think it´s already been 3 months. I mean clearly, still have 21 more, but it´s eerie how fast that went. The big thing lately has been for the members to make fun of my accent. I had to talk a lot more last week than normal because we had a change in the missions. Instead of having a bunch of zone conferences, we have leadership training. The training included trainers, so my trainer went off to some meetings and I got to enjoy a 4 day division with Elder Machado. Ohhh Elder Machado. It´s was honestly really enjoyable, but the poor kid eats sooo much and we had no food in our house. I even bought him marmitex one day, which is like a take out of seriously POUNDS of hot food for only R$6.00. He downed it in like 5 minutes and was looking for more. The issue was that we have next to no money in our area because it´s a little bit bigger than normal and we have to use our money for transport. Soo, elder machado went a little hungry. At one point after a good long day he was was cutting up our last apple and putting it into a glass of the last of our milk, and then microwaving it. And so I asked him if that was a real kind of food here in brasil and he said yeah, but in a really psychotic laugh. So I explained that I didn´t know and he flipped. Apparently it wasn´t a real food and he was making it out of desperation.

As sad as that might sound to people, I laughed my head off. Like, what the heck. Get over it dude. I just let him eat all my food and all my comp´s food after that and now we have literally nothing. but today was money day so we´re good for at least transport for another 2 weeks. I´ll probably just eat a lot of carrots and fruit and tomatoes.

But the other funny part about this to me was that he spoke no english. I´m lucky we only speak portuguese in our companionship, because if not that week would have been tough. I had to do everything because it was my area. But I was blessed and everything worked out fine. My tongue stepped it up a notch I think because everyone more or less understood me....? Piece of cake. haha...?

But anywho, today is pioneer day, and in my world that means activity at the stake center closest to the mission home. Everyone was playing games and such and we organized dodgeball. The funny part about that is we were just using overfilled volleyballs made of leather. So Pioneer day basically meant, rootbeer floats, and hitting the slower missionaries in the face with a really hard leather ball. Needless to say it was a good celebration of our pioneer heritage. I felt the spirit of liberation.

what elseee... oh. Got 6 more letters again this week. This week it was aunt cherie and Gma bringing in the big haul. Thanks for that, It´s great to read words that have a familiar voice behind them, and for that matter words in english. If I get some time I´ll write back this week, but if not it´ll have to wait a few weeks. Our Chapel was closed this week to be remodled and so we have to work out a few things...

and to respond to a question posed by aunt cherie, yes the people here have beautiful voices. They chose to sing a poor wayfairing man of grief with out a piano the other day and that was a treat. It sounded like some unearthly chant of animals on their last leg before death. but it´s all good. I think I read somewhere that all songs are a prayer to God, so maybe it doesn´t need to sound super pretty...? Either that or they just aren´t very good at singing. But I love them. The singing makes me smile, because they love to sing loud and often.

Latin America, it is what it is, and it´s not going to change. I think that volkswagen is still manufacturing the fusca and the bus in latin america. I´m almost certain, because they have they new volkswagen symbol. There will always be a crappy car putting smoke into the air, or a dog running around behind you on 3 legs, or some dude burning his trash and giving you a thumbs up on the side of the road with a huge smile. But that is why it´s cool here. I could do without all the poverty and poop smell everywhere, but I´m sure the people could do without that too. It´s not like they don´t know better. They watch T.V. They know that they are poor. But no one cares. Generally people are happy. The thumbs up is seriously growing on me. They are always willing to talk to you, or make you a cake, or tell you your german and not brasilian. Obviously not everyone is just bursting with joy, but they are noticable happier than america. They have their priorities in their families were it should be. The kids here get so many dirty kisses all the time from every relative that they have. It´s a beautiful thing that I want to stick to me when i leave. But hey I gotta go get some stuff done. Untill next time, I love you guys.