#22

So let’s see if I can make sense of this.

I asked- Do you need anything for colder weather- as they are headed in to winter- Cold Weather attire? HHAHAHAHAHA! NO! I'm perfectly fine there. Thanks though.

We have a few more people that knew Carl when he taught at the Y and really liked him.- I'm glad to hear that I advertised well :) It's always nice to hear that you teach well. I haven't heard that a whole lot here, with the exception of this week actually. We always put a disclaimer at the end of a lesson if the investigators don't have many questions "We know that we aren't the best teachers, and our Portuguese is slightly horrible, so if you have any doubts or questions, by all means, ask!"

We usually get a couple laughs out of that, considering Elder G is a giant goof.

At any rate, this week was pretty good: we got the standard again, we taught a bunch of lessons, and our fighter girl will be interviewed on Wednesday to be baptized on Sunday. And she asked me to baptize.

...

That's cool and all... But have you ever seen a Brasilian name?..there's like six. Oh boy.

Should be really cool though. Hope everything goes according to plan :)

The more I learn about Carnaval, the more I realize that it really is a holiday for (for lack of a more accurate term) losers. Not wonderful sounding. I'm sure in the old big cities there are parades that are cool, but in general the holiday is... not great.

We went home at 8 on Friday, 6 Saturday and yesterday, and six today and tomorrow as well. (Some areas in the mission go home at 8 normally, but we don't). Saturday and Sunday were study days, and today and tomorrow are cleaning days. So we have to clean our very-new-very-nice-quite-clean-house. Win.

Also, since today is P-day, we don't teach. P-day until six, and cleaning after six. So it's kinda like a giant p-day. Let's see if I like it or not.

We can't use backpacks (or so I heard) because they make you look wealthier. Same deal with rings. I didn't like that. Yet for whatever reason watches are fine… Whatever. I just follow sometimes, cause I think some of these rules are from the previous president, but I can't tell.

He is trying to write grandparents, siblings etc, but said that he hasn’t received many responses. I did write them. I hope/expect they got it by now? But no, no response. I'll be keeping an eye out for everything, but since we don't have district meetings at the office anymore we don't get stuff quite as quick. Start of transfers too, and with a new district leader. Basically everything will be messed up for a bit.

Another missionary mom sent a picture with Carl in it, I was curious who it was- sounds like it’s the person that is going with them to teach now! Baptism. Probably was Luan, their investigator. He is really cool, and we are teaching him now that they left. He has been helping us with our new investigators as well. Great guy.

Next week Brazil goes back an hour, so he will be an hour closer- hopefully will help with what time I get emails…J No idea when or how time changes. So. Can't help there.

Oh, address. I think it's (gave street address). Not sure about that. This time though, it's our house, no more sharing. It's nice. Really nice. I can draw a picture of where it is with relative ease, because I've done that a few times already, but I'm not 100% sure about the address. 85% In one day I have five months. And favorite thing I learned... Dunno.

I can't tell heads or tails out of what I learned and what I knew.

Everything just mushes together. I did notice that I was reading Portuguese nearly fluently yesterday,that was cool. (Book of Mormon doesn't have very standard words) But really I don't know. It's kinda like teaching swimming, you get instruction that shapes and organizes the information you already know. I just finished the book of Mosiah in Portguese, and I can actually understand what I read now. That's cool.

But yeah... I'll try to think about that and get back to you later.

Umm.... I think that's everything. Except for the lunch I just ate. We had a sister that wanted to feed us today (normally we eat alone), but she insisted and it was absolutely awesome! Meat and stuff was good, whatever, but dessert was AMAZING. Homemade fruit salad. Wow. So simple but sooooooooo good. And creme ice cream! Never tired that before (the two together I mean) I don't think I've ever wanted to eat more fruit so badly. Too bad the lunch was good too. I was stuffed by dessert :(

And THAT is the end of my short novel for the week. So, I hope everyone has a good week and stuff!

Tchau!

Elder Funnell

--Also, you can tell marques that he can get up at six thirty like me

:) good practice

Asked when he will get letters and packages as the zone leaders no longer live with them- Letters should be every week, but we will get them no earlier than Tuesday most likely (we used to cheat because either the LZs or the APs went to the office on Mondays). And yes, of course I'll get a picture, and of course I'll figure out the name… just a little intimidating.

They started achieving their goals last week after not being able to hit them.- What changed? Honestly, I got tired of not having member lessons. So when I was senior I worked to death to get to know some more members. Elder G had a huge part fo that of course, but I was the one that initially insisted that we get it. So this week we did too. Wasn't too hard this time since we have Luan to come with us. But yeah, next up, GOLD STANDARD! But maybe not this week due to Carnaval. We'll see.

Lesson two or three? Like investigators? We have tons of investigators. That's not the problem. The problem is getting people that are 1. interested. 2. Married (or willing to marry) 3. Don't work on Sundays 4. Are actually willing to read, pray and go to church 5.

Can get over fear of change (and usually) 6. aren't catholic...

#21

So this last week I was Mr.Senior... and Elder G made it very clear that I was to make just about every decision that existed during the week (even though when I was junior I helped him with everything). We had a good 'companionship' before, and this week it was definitely Mr. Senior time. Oh well. It was actually a pretty good week.

So I forgot to mention last week (because I knew no details until two days before) that we moved houses. Due to a list of reasons we had to get out of the old house, and we have a new one now. The old one was really big, and one of the nicest in the mission. The new one is a bit smaller, but absolutely beautiful (in perspective). Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, much bigger kitchen, and a normal front "lawn" (patio).

We can lounge about inside our gate and look outside now. Kinda cool.

And yes, pictures will eventually come. I just need to get around to actually sending them...

Transfers don't actually happen until tomorrow this time, but we always hear them on Sunday night. We however, because of the move, learned on Friday night (perk to living with APs). They are as follows:

Elder N will stay here as the senior AP now (he was junior) Elder C is going to be a regular junior to a missionary that had some problems with cell phones apparently. Should be interesting.

Elders S and L will be transferred together to an area that is having trouble; closing their current area (so only four missionaries in Paranoá) we will stay. Neat.

I forgot to mention that Elder N has almost a full year in Paranoá... Apparently his calling was Brasil, Brasilia, Paranoá (not literally, but wow) AND, Elder C is on his last transfer now. :( He is so cool; don't really want him to leave.

So, this week, besides the move, was fairly simple. I was Senior, so I planned just about everything, and it just so happened to be our best week yet... Not because of me though, just very coincidental. For example, we have these different standards to try to get, and we always miss the lower one by barely, but this week we got it for the first time. That was a cause for happiness.

Our fighter lady is actually one of our most progressive investigators.

Her mom is a less active member, and usually helps us during the lessons. The amazing part is that she is a very dramatic, loud, etc.,etc. person, but when we start a lesson she is silent and very attentive. She has some of the best questions I've ever heard too, my favorite though was, "so I understand that baptism is a promise to keep the commandments, and I know that you are teaching something else at the moment, but can you please tell me just WHEN I get to learn about the commandments?" Never heard that before. She is excited to learn the commandments. Cool I guess.

At any rate, she is preparing for baptism on the 26th :)

The end of the week is the start of Carnival. I'm sure some parts of it are cool, but from what I hear, it is a VERY bad place to be, particularly in Brasilia, particularly for missionaries. I think we will have a curfew of 6 at night for that week. I've also been told to tell you that the emailing time might not be standard next week. Might be another day, another time, dunno. I'll shoot for the normal time, but if we are locked in our house, it won't happen :P

I'll keep an eye out for boxes and stuff, and no I don't really know what would be nice to have. If you keep doing what you have been (by asking just before sending something), I'll ask for anything I need at the time.

Have time to sightsee?... Like what? Every night that we go down to the 7 we get the best view in Paranoá. There really is not a whole lot to sightsee here though. On occasion we will get permission to go other places on P-days, but not yet really. We just went that one time to take Elder G to the teeth people, so I got to see Brasilia.

Really modern looking for some strange reason... :P I'm glad that Maryn has a new friend, and that they are having a nice time cleaning. For us, cleaning is a "fun break"

Anyway, I don't know what else is hiding in my head, so I'll end it there for now. I will be sticking around though, I'll just write my letter to the president first.

Tchau!

Elder Funnell

#20

So, one of our investigators is a... I don't know the proper word for it, but a fighter. She does all of that crazy fighting stuff with guys that look like they could rip you in half with their pinkies. And she is kinda scary too. I can't quite tell who she reminds me of, but she is also VERY dramatic and kinda bubbly. Odd combination of traits, I know. She is the daughter of a very less active member that we had to stop visiting a month ago, but we got back in yesterday! Now it's a double effort to get them both to church. Ha.

One rather funny event was when, right before bed last night, I told Elder Startup that a girl kissed me yesterday. Amazing reaction. Look on his face was perfect. I then proceeded to explain five minutes later that it was in fact only my hand, but all the same, the sentence fits.

Random fact: we had 174 people at church yesterday. That's a rather busy day, but still gives you an idea of our ward size.

That cake mix DOES in fact sound good (because everything does), and so does peanut butter, maple syrup and real chocolate syrup. Chocolate sauce here is slightly horrible.

So yeah, good luck for us this week! We kinda need it... Mr. Senior in particular :P

Tchau!

Elder Funnell

About the pictures-Thanks to Elder George... temos fotos!

Don't know if you can tell in the first, but I am holding on to the very tip of my pen. That is what the road-rivers are like. That was only the start of the storm though, so it's only deep on the sides of the street. About a month ago. I think.

Description on lady they are teaching- Haha. I figured you would see it the way I did.

She was actually that fighter lady. She said once that she is 18... but it’s hard to tell considering she is SUPER dramatic and is incapable of speaking about herself. Like her name for instance... we still don't know it. Because she insists on being called by her last name, which of course, is "lion" in Portuguese... Spectacular.

Sounds like they have a couple interesting families that they are teaching right now… let’s hope they are able to find some more this week! He is acting as senior companion right now- which is part of his training and said it would be much easier to figure out their schedule if they had more people to work with.  Sounds to me like he is learning that this is work! J