I´ll be transfered!

Oi!

So this week was pretty good. We worked with Diogo and he was baptized on saturday and confirmed on sunday. It was awesome :) He´s an awesome kid and has wonderful faith already. We are working with his parents but not a whole lot of progress there. A daughter in law of a member went to church this past week. We have already taught her a couple of times but she hadn´t been progressing. Now that she´s gone to church I really hope she starts to progress more.

Yes I´m still with my american companion (kind of). His name is Elder Olson. I say kind of well because today will be my last day with him. Tomorrow is transfers and well President wrote me today saying I will be going to Caraguatatuba as a leader of zone. Caraguá is in the same zone. So I´ll be in the same zone and over my companion now. I really hope that I can do my best as a leader of zone. Probably I´ll be one until the end of my mission. Taking into the fact that I have 4 more transferes to do. There is be entering in way more missionaries than there will exit from the mission which means not a single area will be closed and  a lot opened. I´m super happy for that, that´ll be awesome :)

dad you reminded of something. The importance of home teaching. Soooo essencial! It´s hard to find an area here where it´s done, but it must be done. That makes part of how people stay strong in the church. people need that support. Especially because the missionaries cannot be there always. There needs to be an intergration and a support system for these people. If not, they will just fall away! Unforetunetly that has happened a lot in this area.

Well, carnival is coming up and I´m starting to tell. Every night has fireworks and this are slowly getting more rouwdly. I have a feeling being on the beach during carnival is going to hinder the mission work a little. Probably we will have to go to our homes more early. But I´m not sure I´ll guess we´ll see. I´ll be companions by the way with an elder Santos. He´s pretty cool :)

Hey dad, I made a goal. I want to go on a marathon about a year after my mission. Do you think I could do that? Or sooner? or longer?

Hey say hi to the Immenschuhs for me! :) I love them! They are an awesome family :) 

Seems like I´ll be going home to a bunch of new stuff huh? That´s cool! But I don´t think I´ll be going home :P I´ll just stay here doing this work forever :P

Cool thing! Almost forgot! My second companion came and visited me :D haha. elder Diniz! He lives in Brasilia and terminated his mission a year ago with me! Well, he was visiting some places here in the mission and passed by to say hi :) Love that guy. Really good to see him and reminded me of the family we baptized in my first area. I´m so glad that I have families that I´ve baptized in each of my areas. As far as I know, they are all active too :) :) Greatest happiness in my life. I truely love this people so much. Sônia, João Paulo, Augusto, Eliane, Evandro, Rafaela, Carlos, Isabel, Dulce and her kids, Nair and her family, and here Maria José and Antônio. They are all just wonderful and I´m thankful for the internet and technolgy that we have so I always can keep in contact! :) :) :) 

Well, I´ve got to go! I love you guys!

ps. I´ll still be on the beach in my new area, so it´s still paradise :P

com amor,

Élder Grant Shaw Merrill!