Hey Family,

Wow things have been crazy here.  Brazil sure isn´t California.  Right now its stressful because i don´t understand anything.  Yesterday we had one good thing happen to us.  We had this lesson and I actually said some stuff and invited him to be baptised.  They have been teaching him for a while here and he´s had answers that the church is true many times before but he hasn´t wanted to commit.  But he said this time that he felt something that he has never felt when I asked him and that he´ll tell us tomorrow if he will be baptised or not.  I have a really good feeling that he will be.  Its crazy how the spirit works.  I think I experienced a little of the power of the gift of tongues because he understood me when I bore my testimony or at least he felt the spirit because he was crying a little.  The spirit is awesome.  I just need to rely on it more. I´m so used to being able to just talk to anyone and everyone if I want to but now I don´t understand 95% of what they are saying to me.  Oh well...it will come some day.  I guess its normal.  Oh one other good thing happened yesterday the Mission President called and wished me a happy birthday.  That was really nice and appreciated.  But other than that yesterday was horrible.  All but the one lesson we had fell through.  It seemed like it was going to be a really good day but didn´t end that way.  And Brasil isn´t doing good things to me right now.  I have 3 blisters so it hurts to walk, this rash on my legs that is huge and burns and i´ve had the runs for the last 3 days.  I hope that things start to get better in those area´s. But from what i´ve heard these are all pretty normal things to happen.  Haha and state side missionaries think they have it hard.  Oh well. 
So P-day is on Wednesdays here.

My companion is way chill.  He is the only reason right now that im still alive.  I like him a lot and we get along really well.  He played hockey as well!  So we have a lot in common.  We are going to try and find the ice rink in the mall here and go skating.  I´m so stoked for that. 

I´m in Salvador.  Or really close to it.  They call them Bahio´s here which are basically suberbs.  Well its practically a flavela.  Its way ghetto but it has really made me realize the simple things that we as Americans take for grantite.  Like mirrors.  Who thought that a mirror was a luxery but they are really small and not very good here.  The members are really nice and I like them a lot but I wish I just could understand them more.  The mission here will be so much better once that day happens...when I can understand.  It was good to see Elder Ricker here. He was in my district in the MTC.  I really like that kid. 

Conference was great.  I love priesthood session the most.  It was really good.  You´ll have to look that session up there was a lot of great talks.  But overall it was awesome.  I´ve got a lot of really good notes.

Well I´m still alive and there is another week ahead.  Thanks for the letters.  I needed a boost.  Its nice here but I hard because I don´t understand anything.

Love,
Elder Parsons