I think its best if we both stay

 (Elder Mackrory)

Boa tarde pessoal! Tudo bem?

This week gets a high five. Really great week. Let's get going. I saw 10 fuscas this week for a total of 526. This week was transfers, I'll let you know what happened. But we gotta start from the beginning.

On pday we went to the Cachoeiras, or as I like to call them “água quedas”. We went with the Elders from Piabetá because the waterfalls are in their area. It was nice to see Élder Owen before he got transferred. It was a lot of fun. It started out with a hike, so I decided to go full Brazilian and wear flip-flops. Worked out great actually. No problems. I did however burn the tops of my feet. Then we went to a really cheap açaí place where 1 litre is R$15. So naturally everyone got a litre. I didn't finish it and took it home instead and ate it throughout the week. When we got home I made my favorite South African desert, Milk Tart. It's really easy so I'll be making it a lot more. When I finished making it, Élder Sousa Silva said that it's a Brazilian desert. So that's nice.

On Tuesday I had a division with Élder Rojas, who was transferred here when I got here. After a good day of work, we hit the supermarket for a drink. Holy moly I'd never been in a supermarket this big. Last week I said the same thing but this was on a different level. Normally the supermarkets are about the size of your average Albertson’s or Aldi’s. This was a full on Costco. When I got back with Élder Kjar, we went to the Birthday party of Juarez, one of our investigators. He's awesome. The only one that shows up to English class and actually studies. He loves to learn, especially about the Gospel. I smell a baptism.

On Wednesday we got transfer news, aaaaaand: I'm staying! And so is Élder Kjar! He's the first companion with whom I've spent more than 6 weeks. It's gonna be great. But transfer news was insane. Of the 80 or so companionships in the mission, only 6 stayed together. The entire mission just got turned upside down. Actually, Élder Patterson and Élder Sousa Silva stayed together too! Our house feels like we're halfway through a 13 week transfer. Usually during transfer week, numbers (lessons, new people, lessons with members etc.) are really low because 3 days are spent either packing bags, traveling, or saying goodbye to members. Elder Kjar and I don't have to worry about that, so we decided right then and there to win district council. Not that that is our motivation, but our numbers are gonna be insane.

Thursday we had Sandra with us and we went around contacting people that we visited on that one fateful Thursday and it was great. João, who went to church and then had tons of doubts, received us well and he considered coming to church again and accepting the lessons. Later that night we did not have our English class because no one came (Juarez had a genuine excuse). We just did our weekly planning instead.

Friday was pretty unremarkable, just lessons walking. Saturday we visited Iraci who has a baptismal date. We talked about the covenant she's planning to make and she actually was really excited. She also remembered her baptismal date which is rare. Really excited for her. We also visited Maria and she had questions about the plan of salvation. We haven't taught her about the plan of salvation. She just has good questions and is reading and retaining the Book of Mormon.

On Sunday, we had lunch with a member of the Bishopric and his family. Last time we were there they asked about American lunches. I told them that sandwiches were pretty standard and that bread in general was bigger. So they took that to mean that bread is one of the main courses. It's not exactly true, but I won't complain about bread. It's was really good and the Brother made lots of dad jokes that don't translate well into English, so I'll just let you guys imagine how funny they were. We then went out to a section of our area (safe area) where there weren't a lot of people on our records. We did some street contacting that was really successful. We even met an inactive member who does not have a Bible, so we are coming back sometime this week to give her one that we have in the house. We sent her a picture of the Bible and she CHANGED IT TO BE HER PROFILE PIC. So somebody is excited about the Bible. She also speaks really formally and with correct grammar which is refreshing and rare.

That's it everyone, hope y’all are recovering well from daylight savings. Tough life.

SummaRio:

10 fuscas, 526 total

We went to the waterfalls for pday and I did the hike in flip flops

On Tuesday I went on a division with Élder Rojas and went to a humongous supermarket. Absolutely huge.

Élder Kjar and I are both staying in this area for another 6 weeks! More than 90% of the mission changed, and we stayed. Pretty wild.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were filled with lessons and good progress.

On Sunday we had bread for lunch and found someone who does not have a Bible (I didn't know that was allowed in Brasil).

Tender mercy: on Sunday it was really hot. No wind, high humidity, and sun. Awful. I did not want to work. But I put my head down and got to work and then after that I didn't notice the heat, and we had cloud cover for most of the time. It was also a tender mercy that almost every house we visited offered us water. This actually happens quite often. I'm not very good at wording things like this to sound powerful, but when it is 100° and 100% humidity and you don't think it's a problem, the Lord is with you.

Spiritual thought: A brother in our ward talked about Faith in Sacrament meeting. He likened faith to a canoe in a lake. Having hope for better times and knowing that Christ is our savior is one oar. But with just this, what is rowing going to do? You will just go in circles. As soon as you act on that faith, as soon as you do something to demonstrate that faith, you add a second oar. Now you're getting somewhere. Now that you know this analogy, you have one oar, but what are you going to do about getting that second oar? How do you use works to make your faith real?

Tchau Tchau valeu!

Elder Mackrory

Fotos:

1. Super crazy sick bike we found

2. TAKIS CAME TO BRASIL

3. Flowers

4. Super crazy sick spider I found

5. Street pigs

6. Tub of açaí

7. Look at my calf- I mean the waterfall

8. Waterfall with the boys

9. Waterfall

Escape this town for a little while

 (Elder Mackrory)

Bom dia meus fechamentos!

This week has easily been the fastest week of the mission so far. I'm pretty sure I went to bed on Wednesday and woke up on Saturday. But, it's been quite a good week as far as VW bugs go! I saw 15 this week, bringing the total to 516.

On pday, we did something very cool. Saracuruna has nothing fun to do. There's some stairs that are blue and that's about it. I've seen the stairs and they don't look like much more than blue stairs. So we went with some members, and left the mission boundaries for a bit (don't worry president said it's chill) and then came back and visited Sugarloaf mountain, Copacabana, and we were gonna go see Cristo, but the cloud cover was so bad there was no visibility and so it wouldn't be worth it. I did get to see a statue of Ayrton Senna, the greatest racing driver of all time.

Tuesday and Wednesday there wasn't a whole lot that was special. Lessons, contacts, sports night, açaí, the usual. I did however find a Vasco da Gama (they're my favorite team from Rio) jersey for R$25. Steal.

On Thursday we were going about our usual visits and some kids stopped us in the street. They wanted to show us their drawings. I told them I liked to draw too and showed them a picture of my “WindForce 1” shoe drawing. Then they all demanded that I draw it again. So I drew them a 30 second version. Then they all wanted their own. I can't say no to kids. So I drew up like 6 shoes. I thought they were pretty bad, but the kids were blown away. All the while Élder Kjar teaches one or two of them to make a paper airplane.

On Friday we had mission tour. Unfortunately it doesn't mean we tour every area in the mission and have fun. It means one of the area presidency comes and gives a devotional for two days. On Thursday, we were on zoom while the other half of the mission was in person. On Friday it was the other way around. Elder Koch, who spoke, actually gave a talk in this last general conference. We got to the chapel early for the devotional, and so Élder Kjar and I decided to go to the supermarket across the street just to look around. It's absolutely huge. There was a lady stocking the shelves wearing a Takis t-shirt. So I asked her where the Takis were. She said they don't have them, but they are coming to Brasil soon. Miracle. The Lord is gracious. His tender mercies are upon all the children of men.

On Saturday we had a lesson pretty cool. On Friday we had training on promising blessings as we're supposed to. This was something that neither of my trainers did, and so I had never tried it. In this lesson, I did it. It was really powerful. We also had a Ward activity where we shared a cool game to demonstrate the Plan of Salvation. For the activity, we bought a few varieties of cookies to have for those in paradise. One variety was really cheap so I didn't think much of it. Upon trying it, I found it is pretty much shortbread. So we're going back for those. Perhaps make a shortbread crust and then some pie.

Sunday was pretty cool. On our way to a lesson after church, we found a street market that sold every fruit you've ever heard of and some more. For really good prices. Too bad it's the sabbath.

I didn't have a lot of time to write today, we got a banger of a pday today. I'll write and include the pictures next week.

SummaRio:

516 fuscas total, 15 this week

We went to Sugarloaf mountain, Copacabana, and almost Christ the Redeemer. Was lit.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty uneventful but I got a sick jersey for dirt cheap

I drew like 6 shoes for some kids in the street while my companion taught them paper airplanes

TAKIS ARE COMING TO BRASIL

Saturday I learned to promise blessings and found shortbread cookies. A good day.

Found a sick street market with the best prices on the day when I shouldn't buy anything

Spiritual Thought: when writing this email, the number 516 (see paragraph 1) seemed familiar to me. I said, that's a scripture reference somewhere. So then I looked and remembered Matthew 5:16. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” Christ said that we are the light of the world. The good works we do bring spiritual light to those around us and give hope and joy in Christ and in our Heavenly Father. I invite each of you to let your light shine this week by giving smiles, holding the door, giving thanks, and saying kind words. Light the world.

Tender Mercy: after the mission tour, everyone was in the church gymnasium chatting and finishing up lunch. I was pretty spent socially so I decided to go play the piano in the chapel instead of making small talk. I didn't realize how much I just needed a half hour of playing and softly singing hymns. Literally all my stress from people, learning Portuguese, people were teaching, and everything else just left. The only thing I felt was the presence of the Holy Ghost and the pure joy the truths of the Gospel bring. Just peace.

Fotos:

1. Vasco gang

2. Pão de Açúcar

3. Copacabana

4. Senna, the greatest racing driver of all time

5. Major road work in our area

6. Also Copacabana, but this time it's a selfie

7. Another beach idk

8. Açaí with Élder Kjar

Shiny toy with a price, you know I brought it

 (Elder Mackrory)

Bom dia todos!

Excited to get my email out early this week because we're very busy today.

It's been an incredibly productive week. So many miracles and craziness! It's not so crazy as far as vw bugs, though. I did, however, see a modern one that was lowered with some really low profile tires. That was interesting. I saw 8 this week, bringing the total to 501! Halfway to double that number!

Anyway, last Pday we went to the chapel and played ping pong, hung around and got açaí. Pretty simple. I'm liking pdays this transfer. That night, for our three hours of work, we planned, filmed, and edited an epic video about the Gathering of Israel with a mission impossible theme. Because of that, we have a sticky note of each of the tribes of Israel on it gathered on our wall (don't worry, we separated Levi). Unfortunately, the video file is too large to fit on an email.

Tuesday, we tried to have some lessons, but it was pouring rain. We did, however, meet with some references and were able to give them each a copy of the Book of Mormon. We also found a really bad 2L knockoff sprite for R$2.99 ($0.60). Cheapest one yet.

Wednesday was also really rainy. There were also crazy thunderstorms. There was almost no delay between the lightning and the thunder, and you could feel it. But actually, there was a brilliant miracle! We had a lesson with Sheila, whom we have been trying to meet since last transfer. She works weird hours at the hospital, so we've been patient. Anyway, the moment she admitted us into her house was the moment the hardest rain I've ever seen started. Drops the size of m&ms and coming down hard. The same moment we stepped into the house. We introduced her to the Book of Mormon, and she was excited to read it! She said she likes to have resources to increase her Bible understanding, and so she is loving the Book of Mormon. Then, the moment the closing prayer finished, the rain stopped, and we walked to our next appointment completely dry.

Also, my mom let me know that my tax return dropped on my personal card. You know that that means… so we went to the store to buy lunch and I finally got it. An 11 inch decorative knife that says “BRASIL” on the blade. It's the sickest thing of all time.

Thursday, we stopped at a restaurant and got something called “Caldo de Cana”. It's a juice that comes straight from sugar cane so you know it's delicious. They literally feed raw sugar cane into a heavy-duty juicer and juice comes out the other end. Gives woodchipper vibes. It's a yellow juice that tastes like a spoonful of sugar. Amazing. There is a hint of stick flavor though. So basically imagine what a sugar stick would taste like and that's what it is. We also had a super awesome lesson with Iraci and she and her cousin were asking good questions (about baptism 👀). We also stopped by Dayane's house and shared a little bit about the Atonement with her. She said she is exited for the next visit (foreshadowing).

On Friday, we visited a neighborhood I've never been in before. We saw a new band of kids in the street playing cricket. They used empty 2L bottles as the wicket. So we played with them for a bit and shared about prayer. Then we went on our way. Shorty thereafter, we saw an open bag of some random cash surrounded by some people talking quietly. That means that they are having a garage sale where they sell special spices that you can't find at the store. Hope I don't need to explain more. That also means that a water gun fight could break out at any second. Usually I'd be down for a water gun fight, but the water they use is actually metal. So we won't be going back there unless we have a lesson.

 

On Saturday we went to go visit some people in another neighborhood. This neighborhood we had been in a few times and it was chill. It looked dangerous at first, but we saw some kids having a soccer camp and the people in the street were very acceptant of us and we very kind. So we thought nothing of going in. It still looks kinda dangerous, so I decided to put my phone in my bag and carry my Bible in my hand. As we turned the corner there's like six guys having another garage sale with water guns. We just keep walking and ignored them because that's how you avoid being sprayed. But then one of them (who had a very nice supersoaker in his hand) shouted to us and said “Are you guys gringos?” (At this moment I'm thinking it's already over and we're going to be very wet). I said “Somos, sim!” (You absolutely idiot, what were you thinking saying yes). But then I said “were here to preach the gospel to people who need hope!” And then the guy said “oh that's chill” and let us in. There's only one way in and out of that neighborhood so we had to come back out that way. So we said a prayer and when we got back to the security checkpoint all the supersoakers were put away and the garage sale had ended. The guys were all drinking root beer derived from above-ground ingredients. We were able to leave safely and decide never to go back.

We also had a lesson with Dayane. Before this, we kinda have been sharing short scripture thoughts with her from the bible and then going on our way. She was always excited to see us, and it was clear she was yearning for more. So we said “we'd like to share a scripture with you about Jesus Christ”. Then we shared 2 Nephi 25:26 with her (she had never heard about The Book of Mormon). And she really liked it. So we began explaining where the scripture came from. She's getting more excited by the second and so am I. We show her 3 Nephi 11 to her and she just starts reading. And she reads the whole page to us out loud. This is not what we planned but it’s working out. I tried to cut in a few times to say “let's switch off reading verses” but she just ignored me and kept reading. Eventually, she found a stopping point and looked up just awestruck. “Gente! Muito forte!”. She loved it! We finished the message by reading Moroni 10:4-5 and invited her to read some more. We shared our testimonies and promised her joy and the presence of the Holy Spirit as she read and ended with a prayer. We parted ways, and looking back about a 100 meters later, she's got her face deep in the book. Boom.

On Sunday we went to church and it was great. Unfortunately none of the people who we’re teaching came, but it actually allowed me to focus more on the sacrament and what it allows me to be, rather than explaining it to others. We also finally got a Ward Mission Leader called! We haven't had one this entire transfer and so it's been very difficult to work with members. Now, we will be able to have a lot more work with members. If you guys remember, we went for a day with a member Sandra and taught a bunch of lessons. Each one of these people was new to our list, and each one of them is still on our list of interested people and people we are teaching. Maria, João, Manoel, Dayane, Vitória, and others. Working with members is incredible, and works better than you think.

Summario:

8 vw beetles this week, 501 total

Played ping pong on pday, later made an epic mission impossible themed video about the Gathering of Israel.

Found super cheap knockoff sprite that wasn't very good.

Wednesday we had a lesson with Sheila and she was really excited about the Book of Mormon. When we stepped into the house, the rain started, and when we left, the rain stopped.

I bought a humongous Brasil knife. Gotta love tax returns.

I tried this awesome sugar cane juice called Caldo de Cana. Tasted like a sugary stick. Makes sense since it is made from crushed sugar canes.

Friday we saw some suspicious activity at a spice trading convention. At least I think they were selling spices. Won't be going back there without a planned lesson.

Saturday we went to another neighborhood and saw another spice trading get-together. This time the party host had a special supersoaker for deciding who can be in the party and who won't ever attend a party again. So he asked us if we're gringos and I told him “yes we're here to teach the Bible.” He said “oh that's chill” and allowed us to go into the neighborhood without having a water fight. Won't be going back there even with a planned lesson.

On Sunday they called a ward mission leader! This is super helpful because he knows the members and can help us work with them. Working with members is amazing, because the people are more inclined to listen to a normal Brazilian than just two Americans.

Tender mercy (miracle):

Usually I keep my phone in my pocket. Our area only gets crazy dangerous at night (sometimes during the day in some parts) and so usually there's no problem having my phone out. Upon entering the neighborhood from Saturday, I had the thought to put the phone in my bag and carry the Bible in my hand. Upon being questioned with a special supersoaker, having no visible phone and a Bible in hand I'm sure was half the reason we didn't get sprayed. The other half must have been angels working on these people because I saw way more than I should have. So the miracle is that I'm still alive.

Spiritual thought:

John 1:1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

João 1:1

1 No princípio era o Verbo, e o Verbo estava com Deus, e o Verbo era Deus

“Word” translated into Portuguese is “palavra”. In the Bible, the word “verbo” (verb) is used instead of “palavra”. This is because the gospel, which is the Word, is an action. The gospel is not just knowing the things that Christ taught, but acting and applying the teachings. Thus we know that if any man will do his will, they shall know of the Doctrine. I think the Gospel according to John is objectively the best one.

Tchau Tchau do missionário mais maneiro do mundo,

Elder Mackrory

1. My big knife (banana for scale) (yes I did just buy the smallest banana I could find) (no that doesn't mean the knife is small, the blade is 11")

2. Chamberpotted plants

3. Mountains reminding me of home

4. The spider they call the "X Spider" for good reason

5. Selfieception

6. Unforgivable decor.

7. 3 week old puppy fitting in my shirt pocket

8. Our lovely area☠️

So I hit 18 months

 (Elder Putnam)

These past few weeks have been more busy. We are meeting with someone named Kaspars. He reads the Bible once a year but doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. Crazy how that works. Anyways. He has some really weird takes on life and everything. Like he won't read verses out of another person's scriptures. And he won't read or sing out loud. But he came to church for the second time in a row. We'll have to see how it all pans out.

Transfer news comes out this week. I bet I'm gone. Off to Rīga we go!

 - Elders Putniņš

And it smells like me, you can't get rid of it

 (Elder Mackrory)

Bom dia todos!

An eventful week! Excited to get into it. This week we only saw 9 (493) fuscas unfortunately. Remember the good old days? When a bad week saw 25? Oh well. I work harder here. That's what matters.

Last Pday we did nothing. Carnaval continues. It was nice. We did go to the store though. This week was full carnival and so we needed to be home at 7 every day. Because of this inspired mandate, I have only seen glimpses of carnival. That's a good thing. Carnaval is a big drunk fest with a lot of love. We won't get into it.

Tuesday we taught some lessons and went with Kauan to play ping pong with some of the young adults and youth in the ward. Here in Brasil, the chapel is used for activities other than sacrament meeting. Not in an irrelevant way, but because it is the only big room suitable for activities. So it was fun to bump to Taylor Swift (they let me choose some of the music) and play ping pong. Afterwards we had an awesome lesson with Kauan. He is starting to feel ready for baptism. I appreciate all of your prayers. They are working.

Wednesday, we had lunch outside of our ward boundaries with a member in our ward (what?). Basically next door they sold flip flops. Generally flip flops are R$40 or if you know where to look, R$30. I got some nice ones for less than 10. So yeah. We also had an awesome lesson with Maria and she gave us Guaravita (my favorite).

OK. Pera aí. Guaravita. Let me explain. It's a brand of Guaraná juice that is dirt cheap. It's only in Rio. My first trainer Elder Nascimento introduced me to it. On Pday I found Guaravita brand Guaraná concentrate. So naturally I've been drinking all the guaravita I want. So much that I've given it the nickname “guaravida”.

Thursday, we visited João who came to church and he had a lot of doubts. We were able to explain and disperse the confusion. I was cooking in Portuguese. I also bought a new umbrella that is pretty big. We stopped at a bakery because it smelled really good and they had fresh bread for 40 centavos a piece. So yeah. We're coming back.

Friday, we had another lesson with Kauan and played a really fun version of tic tac toe. We also had lessons with Luciene, Mara, Andrea, and Naniga. Not really a lot of fun things are happening, just lessons. Which is fun for me but less fun to write about. Good problem to have.

Saturday, our toilet got clogged. We tried to use the plunger but the rubber was hard and stiff. So we went out to buy a new plunger and came back just in time to leave for lunch. So we had to leave it clogged. When we came back at 7, the house smelled like death. Worse than death. Spiritual death. So we closed doors and opened windows and connected fans. We contacted the mission secretary of houses to send a guy. Then he sent us a youtube hack video which didn't work. The premise worked, but we couldn't get it to work with the things we had in the house. It was up to me. I went to war. New plunger, shirt as a mask, trash bag and nylon glove combo against an unseen mass and a deathly stench. I took the new plunger (which wasn't a whole lot better than the old one) and gave it a few goes. Nothing. Not even slow draining. I was about to give up, but then I had the idea that the reason the plunger didn't work is because I didn't get a good seal around the exit. So I slowly lowered the plunger into the opaque swamp like a shuttle docking at the International Space Station. After securing the plunger, I gave it one good go. It worked! The toilet flushed. And I flushed it again to make sure. A wonderful finish to a terrible situation.

Sunday was cool. I got to use the restroom and go to church. We had Kauan there and some brilliant messages. We sang the first hymn a capella because the pianist was out of town. So I got up and decided to sight read the sacrament, intermediate, and closing hymns. Worked out just fine, and I'm so grateful that I didn't practice as much as I should have at home. Let me explain. When you get practice assignments from private teachers, you're expected to practice. And by the next lesson, have mastered those assignments. Problem was, I didn't do a whole lot of practice unless I really liked the song. So I got good at sight reading. Making it look like I practiced without practicing. So, mom, I'm sorry for not practicing, but in Brasil, where more than 2 days notice is absurd, it is serving me well.

Well that's it this week! Hope everyone is doing fine and has working toilets!

SummaRio:

493 fuscas

Pday was at home because of carnival

 Tuesday we played ping pong with Kauan in the Chapel

Got some 2-dollar flip-flops

Guaravita is amazing

We bought some fresh bread for 8 cents a piece

All we do now is teach lessons

Our toilet got clogged and so I had to fix it

I played the piano in church

Tender Mercy: We were walking to a lesson and this drunk lady called to us. We started talking and she said we are very beautiful and that the work we do is good. Normal Stuff. Then she started saying weird stuff I didn't understand. Then a dude pulled up out of nowhere asking us “how goes the work?” Could not tell if he was a member or not. But eventually he started correcting the lady and saying things like “no no, these boys are men of God” and the lady started getting more mad until the dude said something and she shut up and went to go sit down again. We left and the dude rode his bike with us for a bit and we talked about how she was crazy and that the work is going well. It was clear she was getting violent, and if he hadn't been there, I think our lack of comprehension would have caused her to become violent towards us. Truly the Lord places people in our lives to protect those on His errand.

Spiritual thought:

Sunday night, I was thinking about what to write in my journal for the day. Usually I write something I learned from the day. But I couldn't remember anything that I had learned. Then it came to me. I didn't learn anything because I wasn't looking for things to learn from! I only looked in retrospect for something to just have been there! But that's not how learning works! We have to look and try to learn.

“Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark” 2 Nephi 32:4

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” Matthew 7:7

Photos:

1. Going to war

2. Selfie with Kauan

3. Teaching John 6:48 with 8 cent loaves to some kids that think we're celebrities

4. Ping pong with Kauan (he looks good in white, don't you think?)

5. T. SWIZZLE na capela?

6. My team do Brasil (GIGANTE)

7. Points this week:

-Daily point (Ponto Diário)

-Street dogs (by companionship, Cachorros da Rua)

-Pratas Lavadas (doing your dishes)

-Referências das Escrituras (in normal conversation)

-Two litre bottles filled

Baby let the games begin

 (Elder Mackrory)

Bom dia gente!

Merry Cheifsmas! I'm so happy for Taylor's boyfriend. Anyway, it's been a fast week. But also Tuesday was an eternity ago. Lots of craziness. Unfortunately, we only saw 12 fuscas, bringing the total up to 484.

Other general news: Carnaval has started. It's a festival that starts on the 10th and ends on the 19th. But it's different here in Rio because Rio is the party city. Here, it starts on the 9th and goes until whenever people decide to stop partying. So who knows. Our mission rules have us returning home by 7pm dur8ng Carnaval, but allow us to return home earlier if our areas are crazy. For us, our area is pretty chill, but there are some hints of early festivities that may become crazier as we get deeper into Carnaval.

Anyway, last Pday was pretty chill, we went to the mall and hung out at home. Ideal. Elder Kjar did something super cool and said, “I want points for that” so we made a points system to gratify that. We made a few categories such as “Earth Coolness Points” for doing something cool, “Seinfeld Points” for saying something funny or cool, “Ponto Diário” given to the first person out of bed, “Referências de Taylor Swift” for making a Taylor Swift reference without being caught, and “2” for filling an empty 2 litre bottle with filtered water and putting it in the fridge. Just dumb thing to have fun. Results at the end. Elder Sousa Silva makes Taylor Swift references in Portuguese, so it's difficult to catch when he says "it will make an ugly scar" rather than "it will leave a nasty scar" so that's why he won that category.

Tuesday was zone council, so we took a 45 minute uber to the chapel, made it on time, and nobody was there. So we finally got in 15 minutes later, and it turned out the sisters were inside ignoring us. Makes sense. Sometimes, I would rather not hang out with Elders. But I was in desperate need of air conditioning. When we got back, we had a good lesson with Thiago and Luciene about the Book of Mormon. This time, it did not rain after the lesson, and we went and got açaí.

Wednesday was our interviews with the Mission President. Thankfully, he came to our chapel, so we didn't have to travel far (haha, Elder Owen). There were some delays during the interviews that allowed Elder Kjar and I to go and buy a new fan for our house. I would have mentioned that my fan passed away during the night sometime last week, but there were more important things happening. This new fan is incredible. We went from 4 fans in the room being comfortable to 3 fans in the room being unbearably hot to 2 fans in the room being quite nice. We had a sports night that night and got to throw around a football for a while (senti saudades dessa). Afterwards , we got Açaí to celebrate 6 months on the mission. Crazy

On Thursday, we had a big service project doing yard work. That lasted about 4 hours in the sun. But we got to take home about 15 coconuts in the end so… worth it. Also, because service is really fulfilling. It ended up making about 3 and a half litres of coco water. The work took us out, though, so we weren't able to go out to our area.

On Friday we got out to the working field at about 10:30 to visit some friends. Unfortunately, that's when the sun is at its hottest. So we got sunburned. We ate lunch at the chapel with food that was dropped off there for us. We went to the supermercado to pick up some soda, and I found a kilogram mango and a 2 litre of Guaraná for nearly nothing (3.99). We ate lunch and found that it was the first day of Carnaval and so probably best to head home earlier than mandated. Had some lessons over the phone and got a little bit of what it's like to be a covid missionary.

Saturday was awesome. We started out by teaching Thiago and Luciene again, and Thiago said “I don't know the Book of Mormon. I believe it's true, but I'm going to find out for myself.” Straight outta the answer Book. There's not an answer book, but if there was that, that'd be in it. We then headed over to Maria and expected a short message and said goodbye. Previously, she had been just kinda listening and not really participating. This time, we caught her watering flowers, and she saw us and immediately went to go grab chairs to hear our message. She made good questions and comments. And by that time Carnaval was starting and we had to go home. But it was a good day.

Sunday was not too hot and so I wore my jacket, and it confused everyone. We had one of our friends show up that we definitely did not think was coming. It was awesome, and a brother in the ward immediately took him in and made friends. Love it when members do that (hint hint help the missionaries). Chill afternoon and a really helpful devotional about sharing the restoration story. We have a lot of friends that would really benefit from that.

Super awesome week, I’ll let you know the progress of Caraval next week when I know more (from what I've heard, it's best I stay ignorant)

SummaRio:

Congrats, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend on the Superbowl! 484 fuscas.

Carnaval started! Here in Rio, it starts earlier than the rest of Brasil and goes longer. Should be fun 🙃.

Me made a points system for doing things around the house, winner gets wafer snacks courtesy of the losers.

Tuesday, we had an awesome lesson on the Book of Mormon with Thiago

Wednesday, we bought a new fan that's about as powerful as 3 average fans. Good buy. Also, it was 6 months exactly on the mission.

Did about 4-5 hours of manual labor for 15 coconuts and lunch and blessings. Win.

Friday was the start of Carnaval, and so we decided it was best to just go home instead of waiting for the danger to arrive. Got a sweet deal on soda and mangos.

We had some great progress with a lot of our friends on Saturday, when we definitely had too much to do. Surely the Lord was with us.

I wore a jacket to church because it was only 80°. Everyone was confused. Also, we had a miracle with João (John), who came to church when he did not think he would be able to.

Tender Mercy: There are too many to choose from. But on Thursday, on the way home with my soda and mango, we had several people ask for soda (it was like 100°) and so we happily gave. I really like this brand of soda, and so initially, I was begrudgingly giving my soda away, but as the people kept coming up to us, I was more and more eager to give. The feeling of giving someone what they need and seeing them relieved was greater than any glass of ice cold Guaraná would have given me.

Spiritual Thought: After lunch, we played a game for our message. Our district leader (visiting from another area) challenged us to ask him a question, and he would answer with the Book of Mormon. We asked questions about who would win the upcoming Brazilian soccer games and whatnot. And then he pulled the answer:

1 Nephi 11:17

And I said unto him: I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

Hilarious, right? But the principle is simple. Who needs to worry about the things of the world, the uncertainty or stress of the world, when you know that God loves you and wants the best for you? If you don't know that great truth yet, I testify to you that He does love you, He does want the best for you, and He wants to hear you pray!

Photos:

1. Points (if Elder Sousa Silva would stop referencing Taylor Swift in Portuguese, that'd be nice)

2. The sun

3. Misprint Book of Mormon

4. Também

5. Sick bike

6. Surprise selfie

7. Ayrton Senna Daycare

You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain

(Elder Mackrory)

Boa noite todos!

It's been a weird week of ups and downs, and it actually felt a little long. Perhaps because of the lack of fuscas. I only saw 14 this week, bringing us to 472. 

On Pday last week, we went and played soccer with mini goals and a mini court. It was pretty cool, and I scored one off of my shoulder, flying over two defenders. That one is definitely going on my lifetime highlight reel. Then we went to the shopping mall and got some awesome Rodízio pizza. 

On Tuesday we had a really cool lesson with our buddy Kauan. More on him later. He has been reading the Book of Mormon pretty consistently and loves to meet with us. We had not, as of yet, taught him the Restoration story and how the Book of Mormon came forth. Testifying of Joseph Smith and the first vision and all had me close to tears, and Kauan said he felt the spirit, too. 

On Wednesday, we had a cool experience. It was a hot day walking to our lesson. We taught our other friend about the Book of Mormon and read 3 Nephi 11 with her. This is the friend who we found who had been taught by sisters anciently. Anyway, by the time the lesson ended, it was pouring. It was pouring harder than I have ever seen it pour in my life. The roads were rivers, and waterfalls cascaded off of rooftops. The backside of water truly is beautiful. But it was a little less beautiful when you forgot your umbrella and you're soaking wet. Anyway, we stopped under a patio for some quick shelter. It was the patio of a barbershop, and there were two dudes in there. They invited us in while we waited for the other Elders to call an uber for us (our app wasn't working). We started talking the usual: we're missionaries, we teach people the gospel, yep we're Americans how did you know, no we didn't know Portuguese before the mission, we'll stay here for two years, yes really two years, we're 19 years old, yes that's very young. You know, the usual. The barber also recounted to us that he is also a pastor in his church. He finished the haircut on the other dude and he told us to get a ride with his friend (the guy getting a haircut) to the chapel since that's on the way for him. He assured us that he's a good friend and a fellow brother of the Word. People take religion very seriously here and so at this point he was basically swearing on his life that we could trust his friend. So we got a ride. And it was kinda a miracle that we we're able to get back to where we needed to go without being extremely soaked or delayed. 

Thursday was a little more chill, less planned lessons and more street contacting, which I love. We met with a lady whose house was a jungle of potted plants above my head. She was super nice, and we talked about the importance of caring for God's creations. There were a lot of butterflies.

Friday, we had a lesson with Kauan and made some logistics for his baptism. It was a good lesson, and he showed he is ready to make the baptismal covenants. 

 

On Saturday, we scheduled his baptismal interview. He showed up early and told us he didn't feel ready to be baptized. He wanted to know more of the gospel and really feel ready to be baptized. We told him we'll work with him to grow his knowledge. It's great that he understands the importance of baptism, but he needs help to understand the nature of baptism. He is ready to keep the covenants. He is ready. His learning would grow so much faster with the gift of the Holy Ghost. So this email I'm asking for prayers for Kauan. Prayers for Elder Kjar and I to express to Kauan the nature of baptism. I see in Kauan a devoted member, valiant missionary, loyal husband, and loving father. Your prayers in faith would be much appreciated.

Sunday, while feeling down about the canceled baptism (perhaps a little hangry too if ya know ), I decided to bear my testimony as usual for sacrament meeting. After I sat down, our other friend Juarez got up to bear his testimony. Guys, this is his fourth time in church ever. I almost lost it. Good pickup. We are working with him to move his baptism date up. He's basically already a member. 

That's it this week! Keep Kauan in your prayers! Love y’all!

SummaRio: 

472 fuscas

On Pday, we played football on a mini field with mini goals and I scored a goal that is definitely going on my lifetime highlight reel.

On Tuesday we had a sick lesson with Kauan. Super spiritual. Love that guy.

It was hot on Wednesday, until we finished our lesson. Then it rained like nothing I've ever seen. We sought shelter at a nearby barbershop, where the barber/pastor got us a free ride to the chapel. 

On Thursday we found and taught an older lady who has more potted plants than I have cousins (if ykyk) 

On Friday we taught Kauan again and helped him to come to the conclusion that he was ready and prepared for baptism. 

Saturday he came to us and said he didn't feel ready and would feel better if we remarked it for later. 

Sunday, feeling bummed about Kauan, our other friend got up and bore his testimony and brightened my day. 

Tender mercy: 

We were teaching one of our friends Maria in the street and it was really hot. We finished our little thought and went on our way. She then called us back and gave us each a Guaravita (my favorite Guaraná drink (only in Rio)). It was such a kinda gesture and kinda made my day. 

Spiritual thought: 

The Law of Moses was revealed to the people in its entirety in the Books of Moses. The next book in the Bible is Joshua. Although the law had already been given, the people of the Lord still needed a prophet to guide them through the trials of the day. In the same way, we still needed inspired direction from Prophets and apostles today, even though the fullness of gospel was left by Jesus Christ almost 2000 years ago. I invite you to read this speech by Russell M. Nelson, our living prophet today, and pray about the truthfulness of the message and to receive a witness of President Nelson's divine calling. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/51nelson?lang=eng

Photos: 

1. Elder Kjar feeding a tortoise

2. Butterfly

3. Pancakes (obrigado pela receita, Schmuhl)

4. If Formula 1 teamed with BMW Motorsport

5. Pday gave me distinct sunburn lines from each of my bracelets and my watch

6. Beautiful Saracuruna

7. Family night

8. Me and the boys (missing Elder Patterson) (Kauan in the blue)

9. Brownies and Ice creeeeeam

10. My comp managed to find the photo he took of our gourmet donuts from transfers