Week 19

Dear Family:

This last week has been awesome. Yesterday we had a baptism of this little boy, Ryan, and he is so awesome. Me and Elder Teixeira finished out the transfer with 4 baptisms which is good. President Tanner called this morning and congratulated us and promoted Elder Teixeira to financial secretary. That means I will be getting a new companion and means that I will be at transfers tomorrow. And that means I will get to see ELDER TAGGGGGGGG. Fetch - I'm so excited! Ha. Like y'all have no idea. Elder Tagg is like the most hilarious kid on this planet. Ha ha.

But anyways, when I first got here to Sao Paulo and it was raining and lightening and everything, I took out my camera and I started to record. But now I realize that was stupid of me because it rains every single day, like non-stop. It gets super annoying. So I'm trying to send the rain to Blanding, ha ha. But one bad thing is my shoes are broken (yes, again), and they just let so much water in. And I didn't get a rain coat or an umbrella before I came so I just get soaked, ha ha. But, it puts a little action into my life. Ha ha.

So there are so many people that I have just grown so close with here on the mission that are already going home tomorrow. Listening to them talk about going home and stuff was making me so dang homesick, and I was just thinking about home all of the time. But I've been reading the New Testament a lot and I was in Lucas capitlo 9 (Luke chapter 9) the other day and verse 62 just pounded on me (And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God). Like seriously. Once I read that I was just like that was exactly for me, and I've started working so I can't look back.

Then Elder Garrett told me this quote, and it's a super amazing one. He said, "You have your whole life to look forward to going on a mission, you have the rest of your life to look back on your mission. But, you only have two years to serve your mission." Isn't that just the truth? Like holy cow. When he told me that, it just hit me and just thinking that there has already been over 4 months that have passed. It feels like just yesterday that y'all were dropping me off at the MTC. Like that's crazy! I just need to dedicate all I have these next 19 months to the Lord and then when I look back, I'll be able to say that I have no regrets - and it will be AWESOME!

But fetch, it's so hard to get people to church because our church is like a 20 minute bus ride from our area and a bus costs 3 reais. When people don't have much money, it's hard to get people there. But yesterday, we woke up early to walk about 45 minutes to one of our investigators houses to try and get her to church. And she wasn't even there. So we were kinda bummed and just got onto the bus and went to church. But when we got there, we ended up having 8 investigators show up all by themselves. And on top of that, we had a baptism after church and they all got to see it and they were all excited. So this next transfer is going to be awesome. We're going to have some good baptisms :)!

But anyways, this week has been good. There are a bunch of pictures of Sao Paulo because we went there on p-day and went to Vinte-Cinco de Marco (big shopping district near the heart of Sao Paulo with vendors crowded on the streets) and it was fetching awesome. That building that I took a picture of that has the flag on the top is the tallest building in South America, so that was pretty awesome!! But anyways, I hope y'all have a good week! Love y'all!!

Tchou,
Elder Blake

Ryan's Baptism

 The turkey's mom made for Thanksgiving.

My awesome shoes - thanks for the shoe goo mom!

Sao Paulo

 

Elder Garrett

Elder Iorg

My District

 

Soaking wet!

Blue and Gold - through and through!

Little brother's birthday (Kolar turns 11)!

Te Amo Buddy, Para Bens (I love you, buddy, for real!)

He definitely made up for not sending pictures last week! And I think all of the Elders must do some "tie swapping," because I don't think I have seen him in any of the ties we sent him with! Ha ha.