#38 HA!

Ha-ha, I enjoyed the photo... even though it's rather difficult to distinguish the faces... I still managed to see a couple. (I sent him the picture from laser tag in Spokane)

Hehe... Maryn should just keep going to see how slow I am now :P (Maryn & Marques asked how fast Carl was at their age, he was pretty fast!)

This week was cool. We (as always) passed by Mariane's house (the investigator that has been seeing the missionaries for four years) and actually got in!

Brief history:

I went there with Elder G plenty of times, and she was having problems with the law of chastity and word of wisdom (still after four years. . .)

Elder G yelled at her a bit... saying things that he really probably shouldn't have. True maybe... but rather uncalled for and not very appropriate to help someone...
She and her. . . unmarried husband, finally decided to stop seeing each other (now they barely even speak to each other, because of the next part)

Then she started drinking like crazy. He was paying for everything in her house (he has a separate house mind you, so that's two houses there, and two children that aren't his)

And we didn't get in for a long time. I think she didn't like E. G much...

But this time yes! Turns out she started working frequently again, and seems waaaaay happier, and much more sober. Then, out of nowhere, she said, "I tried to call you guys last week, but the phone was broken. I want you to start teaching me more frequently so that I can get baptized. So... when could I be baptized?"

That's cool. This coming Sunday then.

So we have been teaching her the lessons (really she has been teaching us...)

Something about four years of missionaries makes her know all the stuff as well as we do. So we just say "what's faith? What’s repentance? Why is baptism important?" easiest lessons ever. And she is much more fun to talk to now that she doesn't hate us.

So she will very probably be baptized this Sunday. We just have to get ahold of the old bishop to baptize her... and fill the evil baptismal pool thingy... I'll get a picture of it this time. It's awful to put together and fill.

And that's our week. Elder C is doing fine now, Elder M is ALREADY going crazy, and none of us want to stay with Elder M for very long... Elder C and Elder M fought about how we would get to lunch yesterday. Elder M won and I went with him. Haha. (Sorry for so many Elder M’s, there are two Elders with last names starting with M in their apartment right now, one he likes and one that is crazy)

With any luck I will be receiving some photos from Elder M soon. So then I'll send them to you.

I'll also be sending a box this week or next. And some letters.

Yes. I realize it's a little late to be sending a box if it takes a long time, but that's when I've got time okay? :P

Important note: The postal service is NOT in strike at the moment (I heard it was), but our inside lady told us that it will probably strike in August.

I would like to reconfirm your address, to make sure I wrote it right, and I would like Dani's address if you can get that please :)

Oh, and I realize it's late also, but I found it out at a rather inconvenient time: Card/board games are allowed. I simply can't have regular playing cards. Popular games in the mission (that I learned about yesterday...) include war (like risk), Uno, and that car game that I forgot the name.

But yeah, those can wait if I'm late.

Dutch babies are amazing... not as good as at home for some reason... but really good anyway! Thanks!

Oh, and if possible, could you get dad to send a pizza recipe... Elder C wants to try.

 And I'm not crazy about Elder C's name; he actually has it spelled three different ways in different places and different documents...

Don't remember which was C, but I think it was an older plaque.

C is actually how it's supposed to be spelled? But according to Portuguese rules, that wouldn't make sense because of how you say the name. . .

And C is on his new tag, and it actually follows Portuguese rules. So I like that one.

I'll be leaving for lunch now. Nalma is making us fish... good luck us, we don't get much fish here (first time in Brasilia for me!)

I'm pretty sure that's everything for today, so

Tchau!

Elder Funnell