#61- 13 hour bus ride...

Well, today I'm going to have to be VERY brief... I'm in Brasilia, and it's 1.50 per 12 minutes... So I'll be here only shortly. Sorry I'm early too, I had to follow other elders to get here. Quite the adventure in the Rodoviaria... I'd love to explain, but I'll have to try to remember next week.

So, for my Christmas present, I got EXACTLY what I didn't want. Like, it's spooky how exactly it was. Get back to that in a sec. (He loves The Recanto and had hoped to stay there for Christmas)

The week went really well, besides Elder A being a little off this week. We baptized and confirmed little Edson, so all is good there. We also said bye to a lot of people, and I have quite a few addresses (because we didn't know transfers until 10 last night...)

So we finally got (at 10) who was being transferred, and only one of us left, the rest stayed. President didn't even pass out WHERE we could be going or with WHO until today. AT transfers. Do not like it this way... but whatever. I'm not dead yet.

Yeah... I think I might have to hide in my room alone when I get home to get re-used to gaming... But that's okay, I'll win after a week or two anyway :P (Marques enjoyed having Blake home for the weekend and now they are both planning on beating Carl at various Nintendo games when he comes home)

Our Thanksgiving was great. We ended up ditching the baked chicken and just got chicken nuggets (strangely, the best nuggets I've ever had. . .) So we ate on Thursday, although we ate when you were all thinking about getting out of bed :P

I'll send some pictures next week, it was quite the feast. Cheesecake was done on just a cookie sheet. Ended up being very ugly, but VERY GOOD!!!! Same thing with cookies... Everyone complains about their ugliness until they eat them. We have the entire ward addicted. Yay.

The billion emails isn't a problem, just a little terrifying at first glance. I'll take another look in a sec. (I sent him pictures)

Well, I guess it's time for you to learn transfers too... 

Obviously either me or Elder Hallinan was transferred, otherwise I wouldn't be in Brasilia.

I actually still don't know my companion... I think his name starts with a P

I am NOT training, which I rather wanted to do.

I am also NOT staying in Recanto... I really wanted to stay there. . .

So.

Remember how I said it was more or less exactly what I didn't want?... Well yeah, I'm catching a bus at 5 to go to....

dumdumdumdumdumdumdumdumdum......

Tocantins.

13 hours of bus.

woo.

I'm actually not TOO bothered. Besides the fact that it's really far away, I'll be missing the Christmas conference, and I won't see a lot of people before the end of their missions... it's not too bad.

For today, I'm running around with Elder S (don't know if I already told you), he's the only person on the mission that I met before the mission. He has 10 months right now, and we shared a couple of chem and bio classes at U of I.

But yeah, he too is going to Tocantins, so we are sticking around in Brasilia together for the day.

There is a VERY long voyage coming up for us... wish us luck and sleep. Especially sleep.

If the bus is calm, I'll write a bunch today. If the bus isn't calm... which it won't be. Not a chance.

Good thing is, my area is VERY well spoken of, and Elder J was even telling some CRAZY stories about there this past week. Sounds VERY neat. But I think what he did was against the rules... we'll see. City name is Miracema.

Anyway, all is well, I'm kinda excited to go to Tocantins (at least it's the least hot part of the year there...) It should be interesting. Sounds beautiful there too. And yes, pictures will happen if that's the case.

But, I'll be leaving it at that. Tchau tchau pra todas!

Elder Funnell

#60 - Great conference and pics

Yeah, still wondering about those ones. . . (It looks like the last letters that M&M sent got lost) But whatever, I at least sent Blake a birthday 'almost' letter (was rather short, time being rushed)

And, I got yet one more letter from Dani.  . . which is great. . . But I think the other ones got lost somehow... bleh

It's really cool that you guys went out with the missionaries, at least for one lesson! When you have really cool people to teach, it is simply the best feeling in the world. Currently we have a few of those, one of which has a great friendship developing with Yuri! Now HE gets excited to go there, and sometimes he asks US when we are going :P

Twinkies aren't my favorite... I preferred the cupcakes... What sad. But I do accept some :) Oh, and I was thinking about the last box you sent, the Altoids were a VERY good idea. Thank you MUCHLY.

Transfers... will be very lame... First of all, president HAS made it clear that NO ONE (not even the assistants) will know the transfers until they happen. We won't even learn where we are going. We will get a phone call Sunday night with a simple "Você está sendo transferido. Vai à capela de Asa Norte 8:00 horas. Boa noite."

Not cool. I DO (unfortunately) understand why... but it's not fun anyway.

Did I mention that we will need to have our reserve fund (of R$100) completely ready in case it happens that we are going to Tocantins?

Not cool.

But really the only reason it's not cool is because I-DUN-WANNA-GO! This is an AMAZING area. To be honest, if I were to live in Brasilia, I would be picking the Recanto. I love the city, the people, and the members, really just everything. Except the sun. . . But that's not Recanto's fault. I REALLY want to stay here for Christmas (never to mention the two couples that will be married soonish...) but, unhappily, it's not super likely. I have 3 transfers here (4 is not impossible, but three is normal). Elder Hallinan has 2 transfers here. Elder Amado and Elder Chaves both have 1 transfer each. . . I'm toast. I really really really really hope not though. I'd be perfectly fine sticking around for one more.

Besides, I think this way:

16 transfers

3 in Paranoa

3 in Sobradinho

3 in some other place

3 in some other place

leaving FOUR for Recanto :)

Maybe just wishful thinking. . .

I think our thanksgiving might be on Saturday due to the possibility of yummy chicken. We'll see. I have most everything thought out though; I think we have space and time to manage it in one night. Just have to get a pan for cornbread (our house is lame, being probably the only house in the mission without a pan. . .) Also, any ideas for the cheesecake thing other than a pie plate? I think that will be hard to find.

It really does go extremely fast... But it's great if you are actually working. The 'remedy' that most slacker missionaries find to 'trunkiness' or boredom is slacking off and not working... Problem is that this 'remedy' just makes it go by slower, without ANY of the benefits that come with real work. But it's their choice neh?

This week we met, taught, and would have baptized the nephew of a member here. Easiest baptism ever really. But due to the temple trip this week, it didn't work out (leaving me irritated... "run missionary run! teach him everything NOW!" followed by "neh... not this week...")

Grumble.

But he will be baptized this Saturday, which I prefer completely (and I had recommended BEFORE the whole 'baptize-in-one-week-thing')

This week we taught LOTS of people, many of which have some possible future going on in there. I'm excited to be able to work with so many wonderful investigators. This should be a fun week.

Did I mention a possible lunch feast on Saturday after the baptism? heh heh, I'm liking this idea.

This week we also had a special conference with the president. It's the first one we've done with the ENTIRE mission just to talk with president. Usually that's just for a general authority. But this conference was WAAAAAAAAAAAY cooler than any that I've seen in about 5 months (the last bigish meeting with president) I simply can't get over the fact of how cool it was, I even said it so many times that all the other missionaries I'm sure are annoyed.

Sister started off talking about honesty. Very cool. Very well done talk. I think I like even better the fact that she isn't a "speaker". She is simply a mission president's wife that just so happens to put together AMAZING talks.

President talked about some new rules and such including:

We all have phones back

This whole thing with transfers

Two secretaries being removed from the office (changing a few details for us)

and Contacts no longer being required at gunpoint. We are now asked to do 'conversations', without any guideline or limit of how many

in other words... the whole purpose to contacts.

He read some stuff in Alma five (which, when he said the words "Alma cinco" EVERYONE in the chapel became VERY quiet). It was also extremely well put and truly awesome.

He talked about some interesting info:

Each mission has a number of 'seats' for missionaries (including the ones in the MTC) our mission has 180 (explaining why our mission doesn't always have exactly 180)

Our mission has, inside these 180, 18 seats reserved specifically for sisters.

Our mission has a 3.1-3.3 missionary to unit (ward, branch) ratio

And our mission is not likely to change at all from the new age limits... Unless they decide to change mission boundaries sometime.

PMG (Preach My Gospel) was reviewed once again and stated to be 'practically perfect' (which it is) and it will be used as the example for ALL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. This includes all Sunday school and everything that is taught anywhere. They will no longer be "week 23 Prayer", but will be more like our missionary lessons, being significantly more free and open, letting us do what we want. Professors will be asked to use the internet and other resources more often.

It all sounds SUPER awesome.

But more than anything in the conference that was cool, the best part is simply President. He talks in a way that I can't describe. Whenever he opens his mouth, pure love, respect, knowledge, and understanding comes out of it. He simply must be the most Christ-Like person that I've been able to hear/see face to face giving a talk. I can honestly say that his example and influence in my life will be VERY close to number three on the list of people I know.

But I think that's about it for the week. It was very rushed and crazy and fun and spiritual and wow. And I think we've got at least one more of those coming. I'm excited for lots of stuff this week, including thanksgiving (I actually have one this year!), baptism, and some really fun sounding new investigators we'll meet tomorrow.

So I'll leave it at that. I think that's all I have to say. I certainly said a lot :P

So a great week for everyone!

Tchau!

Elder Funnell

Pictures-
Missionaries playing Uno instead of playing soccer
2 of their investigators
2 more investigators ;)  They say their names are Bruno and Rafael
Cleison's baptism
Friends from the other side of the Recanto
 

Chapel in the Recanto