...because the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly...
This week we broke 40 degrees celsius!!! Google that and you will see.... THAT'S HOT!!
So this week was a pretty good week but I figure that I say that in every letter. But seriously, you all need to understand that they all really are good weeks. I am feeling the love of my Savior and the desire to continue to serve him. I am just loving my mission and having a great time. Something that I love is that people tell me that I am always smiling. I feel good when people say that because it is a personal goal for me to smile. Here, it is not really customary to smile. In their photos as a family, they are always serious, with big old frowns to prove that their family is amazing! Well I am not a fan and I want more people to smile. Sometimes I see someone on the side of the street who looks pretty down and I just throw them a big smile. I hope every time, that my smile helps them out in some way. I hope that they feel the love of God in my smile. Manaus is a hard place to live. Modern conveniences are here but only for the wealthy and most aren't wealthy. I do not really need to go into anymore detail on that. But really, I feel that a smile does really make a big difference. At least for me it does and I hope for you. So to all of you, this is my digital smile, personally sent just for you. :)
Side note: I love pancakes!! Every time I make them I just think about all those p-cakes I ate at home without truly knowing of the true value of them. Syrup is great! Chocolate milk to top it all off. Man, it is good stuff. Enjoy your breakfasts!!! They are worth every bite!
This week my ward did Açaí Night!!!!! We had 4 investigators there and I was so excited. We played running charades and then I gave a lesson on faith to everyone. It went really well. I drank a ton of açaí juice and had a fun time making up the lists of things that they had to mimic in the game. Quite interesting to see how a Brazilian mimics the film TITANIC. HAHAHA!! Also the president called me and told me that I cannot call the activity P-Night. But whatev's. We will find a new really good name.
So as you may already know soccer is a big deal in Brazil. I like a team here called Palmeiras. Why? Because their jersey is really green! Anyways, their rival team is Corinthians and this team won the club south american championship. That sucked for me. What is worse is that 2 of the missionaries in my house like Corinthians and rubbed it all up in my face this week. This rivalry comes close to Yankee/Red Sox in the US. There, that was my random soccer side-note of the week. I hope you enjoyed. ;)
So we have been teaching an amazing couple Tamie and Everton. Tamie is super interested and had a date to be baptized last week. She went to all the activities and has been reading the Book of Mormon and everything. Everton has been asking really good questions and making progress as well. Well there was a tragedy. Tamie did not go to church! She would not answer her phone! We were very worried so we hiked it up to her house and found that she was not home. But her mom was though and she told us how Tamie came home really excited on Saturday and decided to check out the Mormon.orgwebsite. Then she somehow ended up finding really anti-mormon websites out there and she became really really scared, left the house, and was not returning any ones calls. Man, I am still just so.... I don't know, I just do not feel good about that. I really want to talk to her and she whats up. Please, do not go looking for things of such a nature. One who looks for crap, will most definitely find it. One who looks for the Lord will find him, IN HOLY PLACES. Please remain firm in holy places!
Side-note: it sucks living with an american, because today we started talking about music and we remembered Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight". Sappy terrible lyrics that just tear out missionary hearts. Look it up! Haha!
Today we went to play soccer with the young men again and it was awesome. I took out the baseball gloves and taught a few of them to throw a ball and catch. It is SO FUNNY because they have absolutely no point of reference. Seriously it is so foreign for them to "throw" a ball instead of kick it. So they were all over the place. Surprisingly, they were not scared of getting hit well, at least until they did get hit because it does really hurt. Definitely an eye opening experience to see the difference in culture. I really do love baseball. Way more fun! But soccer comes in a close third (turkey bowl is second).
I gave in and bought an english Quad......... or for all you non- mormon folk that would mean scriptures. I had been studying just in portuguese but it is just not the same as your own language. So I grabbed Jesus the Christ (GREAT BOOK) and I am studying about Christ using all the references I can find in that book and in the topical guide. I have learned SOOOO much. I found a very good passage of scripture that just hit me in my heart.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou astir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of clove, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
This really just hit me and I encourage you all to give an extra effort to studying the Savior through Sacred Scripture.
I hope that Roman is doing well and I cannot wait to hear from him. I will be sending a special package to him in the mission field. Haha. It will be interesting to track his mission whilst I am a missionary and after.
Eu vos amo,
Elder Asa Laws
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