Week 55

Hey family,

It was a crazy week here.  My companion was sick the beginning of the week we had zone conference Thursday and then I got sick that night.  All in all we didn´t get too much done this week.  We had a interesting experience in church this week though.  Our investigator there has some problem.  I´m not sure what but he takes medicine to be semi normal.  Anyways at church he began to hit on the young women.  I was like hey you can´t do this in church.  He replied I´m Bahiano...which just means he´s from Bahia the state.  My companion was like it doesn´t make any difference what state you´re from.  The sad thing is that his comment pretty much explains the morals here...or the lack there of.  Then he ran into the Primary and sat down.  We were like can we watch the primary and the sister said we could.  Man it was an interesting Sunday.  I was so embarressed.  I had to apologize to the girls.  Oh well...its a experience to write in the journal. 

This week the weather was nice....cool almost cold all week.  Its been raining a lot.  It feels like fall...i´m just sad that it will leave and turn on not cold.  Haha. 

You are right Dad...i do need to appreciate how little I have to worry about right now.  This is only a time to learn things for my future that will help.  I know they will...I wish it wasn´t so stressful but we don´t get what we always want. 

There were a lot of good talks this conference!  I enjoyed listening to them.  I want to go back and listen to them in English...we will see if that will happen here on the mission or not.  But I learned a lot from the conference.

Well I love and miss you all,

Love,

Garrett

Week 54

Hey Family!

This week went really fast for me.  We had a family night/birthday party for one of the families in the ward.  We bought 2 kilos or cake mix! Haha it turned out really well.  It was a fun night.  

Brasil likes their protests.  All of the banks and the post office have been on strike for a month or more.  Its annoying because i want to send a letter but it wont go anywhere if I send it.  My companion said that this happens a lot here.  One of the members didn´t have school for two months because of a strike!  I´m glad we don´t have to worry about those kind of problems.  If they have a strike the fix it fast most of the time.  

To answer your questions mom...my companion is from São Paulo the state...I think the city is São josé dos campos.  And a dupla is two missionaries.  I guess its not a word...i´m forgetting english.  I had a dream last night that I was home and everyone was talking in Portuguese.  It was really strange because everyone was talking with voices of people I know here.  I guess this means that i´m learning portuguese finally.  Haha.  It finally feels like that i´m getting it down.  Each day i have fewer problems...and more problems writing in english ;p.

Well good luck in your game dad.  You´ll have to score a hat trick to prove the sticks are good!  Haha....I think my companion is getting annoyed with me because everyday I say oooo...i want to play hockey!  Haha...i miss it a lot.  I need to get into shape again because I will die trying to play.  I think that i´m getting fatter but the other day at lunch the sister said that everytime she sees me i´m getting skinnier.  So at least the other people think i´m skinner still.

Well I love and miss you all.  I hope its a good week!

Love,

Garrett   

Week 53

Hi Family,

This week went by really fast.  I had a division with the zone leaders this week and for the first time it was actually a good experience.  He helped a lot.  Most of the time divisions are just annoying and nothing is learned.  Finally we are starting to revive the area.  We have a few investigators right now that are progressing.  It is nice to work with people that want to learn more.  Our problem now is the President in the branch.  He is trying to split our dupla from the other dupla.  There is such a divide in the branch.  The members against the President....the sad thing is the President is in the wrong most of the time.  It really makes things difficult here.  I´m just hoping that things will get better.  But the positive is the members are good.

This week wasn´t too bad for heat.  It was overcast all week.  I´ve always had problems with the heat in the summer.  My body just doesn´t like it.  I will just watch and see if I continue to have problems or not.  

I love you all,

Garrett

Week 52

Hey Family,

This week was good and bad.  Stressful...i think i´ll take your advice Dad and Chill a little because I will die early at this rate...haha, well i´m not that bad.  Conference was a hassle this week.  The President of the branch rented equipment to watch the session but it wasn´t set up right.  My comp and I ran around all saturday morning trying to get it to work but no one could help us.  We ended up watching it in a members home.  But saturday night at 8:00 the zone leaders called and said we had to go to Porto a town a hour away to watch the priesthood session.  I told them that we wouldn´t go because we didn´t have enough time to get our stuff and find a bus.  If we went we would get there at the earliest 9:30 but most likely 10.  They didn´t like that...and told me that president said it was mandatory.  After the call my comp called president and he was like do whatever you want if you just want to download it off the internet later thats fine. The zone leaders always try to pull `president said this´.  Its really annoying and I have no patience for the leaders here.  They don´t plan anything out.  But in the end it worked out.

Friday I fell sick with a little fever...and other symptoms.  It wasn´t fun.  I think that i had heat stroke or a minor case because thursday was really hot and I woke up weak and feeling bad.  My system has always been bad in the heat.  Hopefully it will adjust or maybe i´ll go into the office where its cooler...but i´m not sure if I want to go to the office and always deal with missionaries.  Oh well whatever the Lord wants will happen.

This week we found 2 really good investigators.  That was a blessing.  Finally we have a couple people that are solid.  Its frustrating here because everyone is soft.  They will let you share a message but they really don´t want to listen to you.  I would like it if they just said they aren´t interested...but oh well.

Well I love and miss you all.  Sounds like things are going well.

Love,

Garrett