Hey Family!
This keyboard is horrible! ITs driving me crazy! But Ill do my best to get out what I can! MAybe I shoud just buy my own and carry it around.
This week wss good! I LOVE this area. It is so open! It is completely flat, and the tall buildings are spread apart, and you can see for miles! That is something that was not true about the other to areas, not even close. For the first time in a while I don't feel closterphobic ;). Okay, it wasn't that bad.
The beach is also amazing, super great to see that much space, it just goes on forever! The Atlanic Ocean is gorgeous. However, it does look lot like the pacific. Quite similiar bodies of water.
It is a bit hot here. Its winter here, and I am just really grateful I'm not in here in summer! but it isn't too bad at all. I really kind like the weather!
So this week we had to rest a bit. Elder Finlinson is officially free from dangee fever, however you spell that! So did I waste my time sitting around? of course not! I mastered the rubiks cube and did some sweet puzzles and read a bit too! Too bad J didn't make that juggling suggestion earlier, I would have picked that up! We have also listened to vast amout of classical, and church music!
The ward here is super receptive, super friendly! They love missionaries, a ton. They loved the Lzs who left a ton more though, so we got our work cut out! The biggest problem in this area is marriage. No one is married. We have a load of people that could be baptized, want to be, just missing marrige. But its kinda complicated here, still gotta find out more info on that. Also, our ward, and especially the neighboring branch, is mostly women. The young womens president has got to be the most important calling here, cause I swear that the ward is 50% young women!
Thats not entirely true, but there are a ton here. And they are scary. There is a big need for snake repellant here, haha.
But luckily, the Elders Quorum is really strong in the ward, and the ward itself is really strong. So we got some great friends already, families that relly take care of us!
Weve got some characters too. Big Red. Big Red is not his real name, but I don't remember his name. We call him that cause he loves red. His car, his hair is dyed racing-red, his church shoes are red, his socks, his glasses! I have seen him three times, both in and out of church and he is always wearing red shirts as well! No clue why. He's an odd one though. But we love him. I think I'm gonna ask him about it this week.
Crazy eyes. Also not his real name. But he is a really cool guy, who is really insane. He sat next to me at church and talked endlessly. About everything! So I went along with it. (We were in the way back because the chapel was packed! and he wasn't makn too much noise). He compared suit quality, and doctrine, greek, portuguese, english, and who knows what else! He is just big kid, a really loved talking to him. Although the bishopric warned me not to let investigators sit next to him. He has such a good heart, but is absolutely in his own lil world. We have a lot in common :). He is named Crazy Eyes because he randomly sits up stright, wide-eyed to look at the speaker. or the fan. or the lights. And he refuses to tell me his name!
But anyways, when we showed up here, the lovely zls left nothing in the area book. Nothing! So we started from scratch, and knocked doors a ton, when Elder Finlinson was all healthy again. They finally gave us some names and stuff yesterday, so we will go find em and see what we can do!
But Elder Finlinson is way tight. We already have so many inside joks, its not even funny. Im really glad he was sick, we got the chance to really get to know each other really well, right at the start. It is the greatest blessing to be workin with a friend. I am pumped about this transfer!
Well, Elder M Russel Ballard is coming to the mission this week! But I don't get to see him. Our area was excluded from this party cause its so expensive to get us all up in Sao Paulo. But I'm sure that our zone conference will be sweet anyways!
Well, I love you all, very much! Ran out of time again. This keyboard really cripled me today. But Congrats Mom on the award! I love you! My mom rocks! I am really proud, and absolutely agree that you should be included in that group!
W, you asked for twenty cookies! Excellent choice! J,you rock Write me an email boy! A! I love you! S, thanks again for th great letter! Sorry I didn't get back to ya, but I love hearing from you! You'll be first next week! :)
Love you all!
-Elder Jake
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Note to his dad:
Hey Pops!
I was going to send you a sweet voice recording of me speaking Portuguese,but this email doesnt hold that kind of video file, or so I'm told. So I am sorry!
But I am working very hard. Just like you would do if you were here again! President Richardson seems to really like me, he has told me, as well as my leaders in the mission, and in the stake I served in, and others, that he thinks I am an "exceptional missionary". This has much more to do about you and mom, and all the other people who have helped me in my life, than it does me. I owe it all to you guys, and your great example that I will ever be correndo atras!
Eu estou muito animado sobre meu novo companeiro, e minha area nov, mas vou flar mais sobre isso na carta para a familia!
Voce ouvio algum coisa sobre Harvey Unga? saindo os Cougars? Espero que nao!
Voce serviu qual anos? E porque eu nunca vi uma foto de sua missao? quero ver se voce tem!
Parabems on sua discourso na igreja! Estou feliz voce usou meu testemunhos! sei que foi muito bom, seus discoursos sempre sao!
E bem legal que J e um diacono! Queria estar la! Mas, tudo bem, estou feliz por ele!
Mas, tenho que escrver a famili, te amo!
-Elder Jake!
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