Hey Mom!!!! and Dad and Everyone Else!!

Im just going to make one big email cause I have a lot to say.  

So you asked about me coming home....I am going home together with a Brasillian Assistent Elder Maciel, so he has the inside info on Everything.  When I was doing a division with him about 4 months ago, he let it slip when we were going home.  Da-da-da-dummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............................The 8th of October!!!!  I leave the 8th at night and get home in the morning on Maddies birthday! That will be pretty special.  The crazy thing is that this transfer right now, I will get my *trunky call* where they ask me what airport Im returning home to and buy my plane ticket :O  Scary right?

The good news is transfers happened today, and I am staying here in Mutuá with Elder Richmond!  We´re probably the coolest pair of American LZs known to Rio, but we´re really humble about it. We have been working really well together and have been having all sorts of adventures.

Ill start off with the most important one.  So do you remember Vanessa?  She was baptized yesterday!  It was definitely the best planned baptism that we´ve ever had.  We even made her a cool baptismal program (just like the US has!).  The meeting was super spiritual.  Her boyfriend Michel was the one who introduced her to the church, and after a lot of searching and praying she decided that it was right to be baptized.  As Michel gave the message before the baptism, she couldnt help but cry.  She will be confirmed here in two weeks because we have stake conference this week.  It was really funny- she was joking around about being a Sister missionary, and apparently got really squirmy and told her that he thinks its best only when they are old and married. hahaha.  I dont think he wants to get dear Johnned hahaha.

We also had a lot of miracles that happened during church yesterday. Everything just seemed to come together, and we had eight people visiting!  They all loved it.  Fast and testimony meeting was great and a few of the pesquisadores were moved to tears along with the members.  I love this ward! 

Saturday we got to see Mateus Martins open up his mission call.  He is going to Teresina, Brasil. -  It may be the only place in Brasil that is hotter than Rio.  It´s ok though, because he is wanting to lose some weight haha.  He asked me to give the message before he opened up his call in front of everyone, and after a bit of thought I was able to tell him how I was feeling when i was in his spot, and I read Alma 26:12 (the scripture on my plac).  This ward has the most spiritual young men that I have ever seen-  it is amazing to see how that can change the atmosphere of a ward.

Oh PS before I forget- Im totally serious about the corndog recipe.  ive already talked to the relief society president about it, and she is wanting to make a corn dog making activity haha.  So any type of easy and fun food recipes that you can send my way, Ill be grateful. (cookies, corndogs, etc)

Today we went to a place called Costão in Itacoatiara.  It is a huge granite rock that you can follow a little trail to and climb up on.  A member took us to it, and we got some really cool pics.  We even saw some little monkeys that were jumping from one tree to another.  While we were up on the rock, we were sitting and resting a little bit, and then we got up, and decided to take one last photo together before we left.  We just didnt have anyone to take it for us.  From the middle of the trees came an old man- that we never saw come up- that took our picture for us.  We stood there looking at it and then we looked up and he was gone.  Im pretty sure that he was one of the three nephites sent to take the pic for us...........

The work continues as normal.  We are really having to take care of where we walk here now.  As they are cleaning up the city of Rio, the crime seems to be pushed to where we are working.  I never feel like I am in any danger.  One of the members reminded us that it is all of the prayers that the whole world offers up for the safety and protection of the missionaries.  Im definitely really grateful for them right now.  

I love you guys!  See yah next week.

Elder Stinnett

                                                                 Vanessas batismo!!!

                                                             Costão at Itacoatiara!!!