More importantly, a day is coming up which is even more important than all these combined: my sister Lynsey’s birthday, on the 31st of December! Hooray! Little hooligan will be 18 years old, and holy smokes I must've been in the sun too long this week: 18 years old?!?!
(****ok, we've corrrected him twice on this, maybe he has been in the sun too long or he is
getting a good laugh out of pretending she will be 18 --- she turned 17!****)
Lyns, you’re growing up fast. All of us are. Hope you have a good Birthday! I love you love you love you! My little adult sister… Nossa, that is muito estranho. But awesome. You’ll be joining us in the field before too long now… :) Live it up!
Man, I don’t know where to start with how this last week has gone. Brendon’s week sounded awesome, what with the huge campout and parties and all. Mine was a bit more low key. Also we’re heading off to go bowling with the rest of the Zone too, so it will be a short letter this week :(.
Anyway, it still managed to be a good Christmas. For a couple of reasons: - Elder Duarte and I have been playing a continuous loop of Christmas music whenever we’ve been home. – We’ve been doing language practice using Christmas hymns. – We sang Christmas carols twice on the bus, which was scary at first but after was very fun. – My mom sent me a package with 12 smaller packages, for each day for twelve days before Christmas. It was awesome! I have a bunch of photos of me unwrapping all of them. What was cooler was all the messages and scriptures and rhymes that came with the presents. Loved it! I also really liked seeing my family’s handwriting on the envelopes (Read after opening the presents!) It was a package packed with love that kept our spirits up for the nights leading up to Christmas.
(Unwrapping all of the gifts from home for Duarte and I)
I was stuffed to the brim, and then they brought out 4 huge drums of icecream and toppings. After the feast we relaxed and watched a DVD of a bunch of 80’s MTV videos that Ryani, one of their daughters, had gotten for Christmas. Good idea for a present! If I could I would’ve given that present to my mom and dad. They would dig it.
Then we shuffled off to the chapel, where Elder Duarte called his family while I listened to the Christmas Devotional. It was broadcast here in Portuguese and I couldn’t quite get all of it, so I downloaded it to my iPod in English and it conveniently ended right when my turn to talk to my family arrived!
The call was indescribable. My family lives! I loved every second, and I couldn’t believe how fast the seconds went. It was so great to be in the same room with my family, even thousands of miles apart. It felt just like normal, to talk to them. Instead of making me sad or homesick, I now just feel happy and content. My family isn’t super far away, or inaccessible, they’re a phone call away. Even though I am not allowed to call them as often as I’d like, it’s just knowing that they’re there that is comforting. I love my family so much. Our call together was better than any other present I could’ve gotten.
The next day, we had a baptism! Bruno, 12 years old, whose teacher introduced him to the Book of Mormon. He is reading every day and finally felt ready to be baptized. I sat next to him at Church my second day here in Rio Grande do Sol. It’s been a long road, but it finally paid off, and Bruno entered the waters of baptism on the 26th of December. I had the privilege of baptizing him, and Elder Duarte laid his hands on his head the next day in Sacrament Meeting to give him the gift of the Holy Ghost and confirm him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What a great day :) .
We hope his mother, Christina, joins him soon in the coming weeks.
Right after the baptism we had a joint youth activity at the chapel, where, in the heat of the day, hundreds of water balloons were prepared, and a watery feud continued soon after. Hotdogs and cold guarana sealed a very fun and memorable Brazilian Christmas church activity.
And now, Elder Duarte and I are working to get back up to speed and ready to work hard for the rest of the transfer. It’s going to be difficult, especially in the heat, but we are committed.
Of course, to work hard you have to play hard too right? We’re off to bowling now!
Love you guys! Christmas was awesome because of all of you!
Mom, loved the photos! Thank you so much again for the awesome Christmas! Lyns, happy birthday! Love the painting! Kait, I love you sis! Have fun with all the cousins! Dad, I love you buddy! Keep on truckin!
Brendon, I love you man! We’re going to visit that zombie camp after the mission during our All-Brasil Motorcycle Tour! We could make a podcast or something while we do it. Maybe even a zombie/Brazilian/church themed podcast. Getting ideas? Oh yeah. Oh, here’s an idea: store all of mom’s photos on your iTouch, so you don’t have to print them! It’s very nice! I think there’s also a way to store text files too, so we can keep our letters on our iTouches also! I’ll let you know if I figure out how to do it! Okay, keep up the good work bro!
Grandma, thanks for the letter! Glad you had a good Christmas! I love you!
All other family: Hope the holidays have been awesome, and you’ve been able to feel the true spirit of Christmas. There are many more holidays to come! Live it up!
Love love love!
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