Oi!
Well, it´s that week again! Transfers week! Tonight I´ll be
knowing if I will go or stay. Either way I´ll be excited. Man, we have really
been having a lot of success this past 3 months. Thinking back on it, it´s
amazing to see how the Lord has blessed us. I think the hardest thing is to
remember to keep going strong and remembering the little things. Pride is a
very evil tool that Satan uses to try and justify why you should slack off in
times of success. We can´t change our rythme. We must keep going strong and
keeping the rules and really showing thanks to the Lord. Or we will just fall
into the trap that happens so many times in the book or mormon. something that
I´m grateful for with all this successs is that almost all the people that we
have baptized here are firm! That´s what makes me truely happy :) Dulce and her
family are afasted a little. But her son (Anderson) that was involved with
drugs is now asking and wanting help so for sure, they are coming back to
church. Other than that the rest of the people are firm.
Sadly, Nair (who was baptized last week) has gone back to
cigarrettes. So we had to postpone the confirmation and continue to help her. I
really hope she will give it her all so that she can be confirmed with the rest
of her family and become a member of the church. Her and her family were really
elects. Man, I love them so much :) It´s amazing how you grow a love for people
so fast! You get to know someone and in 2 weeks they are your family. That´s
what makes me not want to leave my areas. Because i have families in each of my
areas. I receieved a letter from the family I baptized in jacareí the other day
and that was one of the best things ever. I love them so much :)
This week we baptized the other member of Nair´s family that
didn´t get baptized because she was afraid and Hirma. The story of Hirma is
amazing. When we got here, she was the first baptism we marked! Why did it take
so long then? Well, she was getting married on December 8th. So that´s why but
her story doesn´t even start with us. It starts 4 years ago!!! She has been
going to church for four years and now is getting baptized (because she had to
get married). Not only that she wouldn´t miss a sunday. If she did, she called
and made sure someone knew why. She´s been paying tithing almost these entire 4
years. It was a very emoctional baptism.
Bascially things are going very well. I read one of the
e-mails that Phil sent me and it´s been the topic of my mind these past weeks.
Remember the little things and that they are important too. I´ve been really
trying to remember that. Because you can get into the life of a missionary and
forget to do certain things. But we can´t forget. I decided that I want these
last 7 months of my mission to be the absoulte best part of my mission!
If I stay here I think I know where I would skype you guys.
But since I won´t know until tonight lets wait and find out! :)
I will know if I recieved any packages tomorrow! :) and
someone told me that there was an envolpe big waiting for me. should be from
you guys then! :) woot!
don´t worry mom, I´m definitely Brasilian now ;) Or I like
to imagine i am :P I do feel like I´m turning Gaucho (that bascially means the
brasilians that live in David´s neighborhood! speaking I had a dream with him
the other day) because of one of my room companions. He´s an awesome guy and
I´m speaking more and more like him. Because in the south, it has it´s own
culture and almost language :P it´s funny but awesome :) Tri awesome :P haha.
Mom, I´ll always be your G man! :P haha. And it´ll be great
to see you on the 25th of this month!
That´s a crazy story dad! I hope he´s all good! but your
story, I have to say, while reading I laughed :P I liked how you step it up
too. it was dark, there were cars shining their lights in my eyes, I looked at
my watch :P haha. It´s like me when I crashed the car: there was ice on the
road, there was fog, it was a curve, I looked down for a split second. :P
hahaha all to make us feel better ;) just kidding :P haha. But all in all I hope
you´re good because i´ll be running when I get home :P haha. I´ve tried
to eat healthy on this mission but man it´s impossible. So let´s try it at home
instead. But If I was transfered, that´s one thing I will certainly miss here,
the food! The members here make the best food and never forget almoço! :P Ah
soo good! :D
But anyways, I´ve got to go! I Love you guys! Until next
week!
com amor,
Élder Grant Shaw Merrill!
