Another week, Sept 3, 2014

Well, we've been in Brazil a week already.  Time keeps flying by.  Our apartment is getting set up and we're supposed to get internet today, but everyone else thinks it's a long shot.  The other couple in the office have been waiting over three months and still don't have it.  We had our first mission conference yesterday - it get's split into the north of the mission (the state of Matto Grosso) and the south of the mission (the state of Matto Grosso Sul [south]).  So the mission president is down south today doing a repeat.  Elder Campos, the area rep, was one of the speakers, along with his wife and it was a very good meeting.  I understood it all (95 - 99%), and mom understood quite a bit.  Mom was in charge of the English test sign ups, which had been lagging in the mission.  She and I made a sweet poster and sign up, which got about 20+ missionaries to sign up - which was awesome!  Then, perhaps because we were thinking that was too cool for school, the sheet was lost when cleanup was done! :(  Bad news.  We're still hoping it shows up sometime soon as we won't be able to recreate it...
Last night we went to our first Churrascaria here.  It was very good, although we didn't need all the extra meat.  It cost us about $16 each for the all-you-can-eat feast.  When I was here forty years ago, it was only about half that - which means inflation hasn't been all that bad here :).

Here we are at the churrascaria - I can't explain why my plate is full of meat and Mom's isn't!

 Church on Sunday was great.  There were two youth speakers and one high council speaker, all of which were excellent speakers and very enjoyable.  Then we went to Gospel Essentials, and it was also well taught.  Mom had to read a section in the lesson, and everyone gave her a thumbs up for reading so well in Portuguese!  She is really awesome, she went up to many of the sisters at church and talked with them in Portuguese, and they loved it.

This is the chapel of the ward where we meet.  It's pretty nice.

Oh, we also went to two baptisms on Saturday.  Right before the first one, the bishop came to us and asked me to speak and mom to give the prayer.  So, I gave the baptismal talk with 5 minutes notice!  Mom was a little nervous, but did great.  At the second baptism, she went over and talked with a woman there for about 15 minutes.  After the meeting, the lady came over to me and said "Sua esposa e bem bacana!" - which means, "Your wife is really cool!"  Mom was a little irritated with me for not "saving her" and leaving her with the lady that whole time, but I think she knows it was for the best (maaaaybe).  She really is awesome and everyone loves her.

Cuiaba - View from across the street from the office where we work.

I met Elder Wright at the mission conference - his brother taught me once at the senior language training center in Provo when we went up.  I promised him then that I would give his brother a big hug (abraco) for him when I saw him in Brazil.  So, Elder Wright thought it was a little odd, but when I explained who I was, he hugged me again and said thanks so much!  His brother had told him about me, but he had forgotten since it was months ago. :)  It was pretty cool.
Love to all, the church is true!
Dad