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Grant sounds great--I love Wednesdays!

Oi Minha Familia e Amigos!!

So this past week we got 2 more missionaries from provo!!! Yay!! They are cool dudes! And today we got another one!!! :) It´s pretty exciting!! haha. I love p days, reading e mails is just soooo awesome and makes me happy. But also in the mornings each p day is temple day. And that is theeeeeeeee best!! Ah! I love it! So E. Nascimento was extremely happy about hearing that you guys would be willing to send him letters hahaha. :) Like it made his world!! He will get me his address today I think. Yeah!!! I play piano basically every single sunday and tuesday. ( Tuesdays we have devos  [devotionals]). I should send you guys my old schedules!! I´ll see if it will fit in my next letter.. hahah. I´m sending you guys another letter, stuffed in their with a letter for hannah, phil, jess, louie, jared, and you guys. hahah. :P So we shall see!!

So every night I have been reading our search for happiness! I finished it the other night. Very good read. I also try and read every night couple of sections of D&C. Trying to keep up with my studies. :) I read out of the book of mormon and bible during personal study and I study  a chapter or section of a chapter in pmg. Everyday I also read a chapter of the bom (Book of Mormon) in portuguese. And then try and translate it. Bom language is pretty difficult in portuguese :P But It really helps a lot. I try and write words of the day. And figure them out later.

I'm SOOOO glad you guys got my letter!!! I was starting to become really worried... hahah. Hopefully that means all my letters are getting sent out. haha.Okay so yes! I bought the bom and bible in portuguese today. I tried using my debit card again but it didn't work... But I did do my credit card. So check online to see if it is working! :) Thanks :) Man I can´t get enough of the cookies!! I eat one every single p day it´s basically the best thing ever!!!

Okay funny story!! So last p day (oh btw!!! I did get your letter last p day too!!! Thank you SOO Much for the pictures. It is definietly something to look forward to and to remind myself who really matters and to keep you guys in my heart so thanks :)) Anyways so last p day we were exploring trying to find our instructor Viana´s house. Well Viana´s and Martins House. It´s really going to be Martins because he is getting married in a couple of weeks and so Viana has to go haha. They are good friends but wifey comes first :P hahah. Anyways so we went into this building that we thought was their place. But soon realized it wasn´t. We thought it was a prision because of all the bars and stuff. And we were walking all around it and stuff. We then heard some screams and shouts and soon found out that we were creeping on a elementary school!!! hahaha. Was rather funny. :P

So How´s being a high counsler??? And Hey!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU PHIL!!!! :D Super exciting. :) What did you guys do?? So guys, did you send the box already?? Yeah mom I have 4 letters from Brother Minor. :P It´s bascially awesome. Got to catch up ;) hehe.Any new calling yet mom?? And How´s the leg? How´s Diana? Whoa sorry lot of questions hahaha.

I can´t wait to get all the letters from the collins that will be awesome :)P hehe. You guys are funny. That video should be taken down :P ahahha. So I sent a letter to the Christensens!! FYI!!!

Hey Dad! I have decided that I want to run haha. I´m always ahead of everyone during gym, in fact I pass a lot of people and I don´t really waste a lot of energy.. So Yes I will run when I get back!! :)

I love this new system here!! It´s more difficult but!! It´ really really helps!! One of my Brasilian roommates had to go home last week because he needs heart surgery. He won´t come back for 4 months. That´s super scary. I´m praying for him!!! :)

So this is usually the time I send off my emails fyi. So around here I´m known as the person with the really big mouth, monkey feet/ankles, can catch an apple in my mouth, do the matrix, and piano/violin man hahaha. It´s pretty funny.

I´m really wanting to go out into the field now even though i really don´t know the languauge hhaha. But I´m giving 100% of myself and won´t stop until the end!!! I love it. I always am keeping myself positive!! I think about you guys all the time but I dont´let myself dwell on missing you guys. I think about you guys to keep me going. I´m really loving being here and I'm learning all that I can in the gospel and in the language so I can become the best I can be. Btw Dad you are a crazy runner :P I´ll beat that :P hahah. jk. maybe... ;) Well I can´t wait to hear from you guys again!! :) I love you!!

Love, Seu filho,

Elder Grant Shaw Merrill!

Oh hey!! Got a little extra time. Yeah my companion is getting a lot better!! :) He just gets discouraged by the language a lot and then doesn´t want to do anything. But he´s getting better!! I just need to learn Humility and Patience. That´s the biggest thing for me haha. Pride is something I need to make sure doesn´t affect me. It´s not good and we all learn at different paces. Like I see myself as the worst in my district but i probably am not but i just see myself that way :P hahah. No worries though, I´m not discouraged I just get better each day. I try my best everyday 100% or nothing :) I love reading David´s emails!! It gives me encouragement and what I should look forward to :) Tell him I met he´s instructor and that sister Piçanha remembers him!!! haha.

Well, I probably should go now :) Time to go have fun outside!!! And then back to study study study :) Just how I like it. I really do!!! This is an opportunity for me to grow in soooooooo many ways and I will not let it pass. This is my time to grow in so many different ways and bring others unto the gospel! Love you!

Love,

elder Grant Shaw Merrill