Well, this week has been a trip!  It seemed like so many funny things happened all in a row-either that or we have just been finding joy in the small things because if we didn't we'd go insane.... either one :D 

 

One of the fake investigators we have been teaching just made a huge step in progress.  We gave him a pamphlet one night and the next morning we visited him and he was just overjoyed.  He told us that he knew it was true and that he wanted to make the steps to be baptized.  Even though he is fake, I'm not going to share the details, but it was extraordinary how happy I was that a fake investigator was willing to show the faith to commit to something so important.  I'm so excited to see what it feels like when it's a real pesquisador out in the field! 

 

When you're in the classroom for 14 hours a day, it's pretty easy to get down on yourself or feel discouraged for all of the little things you see you can't do while losing sight of all you can do.  I made up a few phrases I've adopted as kindof a motto I'm pretty proud of. (I don't have time to put the accents on, sorry)

 

Nao posso dizer todo                I can't say all,

mas eu vou tentar                     but I will try

Nao estou todo                         I am not all

mas eu vou tornar-se                but I will become

Nao esta facil,                           It is not easy

mas esta vai ser melhor           but it will be better

Nao posso agora,                    I cannot now,

mas eu tenho fe.                      but I have faith.

 

 

(It sounds so much cooler in Portuguese) :D

 

Well, I'll give you a couple of stories in the last bit of time I have left.

 

Today at the temple, I was renting my pants, and you have to say your size in Portuguese and then they convert it to centimeters.  I told them what I was, but something got lost in translation because I ended up with a waist size a a few inches too big.  We were running late for the session, so there wasn't time to exchange them!!  Yup, guess who was left waddling through the temple so his pants wouldn't fall down?  This elder.

 

Like I said, we have to find joy in the small things.  Most of the time, you just don't ask what the food is.  For some reason, there were some grape sized onions that were sitting on a tray.  So, naturally, Elder Haws (an elder in my district) and I grabbed a few to see what they were all about.  Turns out they were pickled and taste like barf.  We didn't want to waste them, so we hollowed out a roll pushed them in.  Couldn't even tell the difference!  The roll was placed back in the basket and not thirty seconds later a new missionary picked it up.  Oh man, he took one bite and I don't think he'll ever trust that bread basket again.

 

Well, bugs flying into our room at night the size of small birds (seriously.  I have pictures to prove it)  that is pretty much it for the story of my life.  I wish I could say more and share all my stories, but I'm out of time.  The church is true, the Book of Mormon is amazing, and I love you all.

 

Ate mais,

Elder Stinnett