12 Dec 2010 - Alvorada Area (Mom)

Transfers were today but I stayed and a new Elder came...Elder Oliveira Santos. He is from São Paulo, I like him so far. I was glad of the change because my other companion was lazy and made it much more difficult to follow the rules..mostly concerning the morning hours. He is a DL so I will be traveling on the weekends to do interviews and stuff, but it should be good.

[Mom broke the news that she didn't use the photo Jeffrey sent for our Christmas card. Each of the kids was supposed to provide a photo with them and one of the digits of 2010. Below you'll see Jeffrey's contribution for the number 0.] That picture was awesome, I can't believe you didn't use it. You take away my creative art :) I could use some brisket maybe you should send some down here :) I had to save money these last few weeks so I was eating bread and eggs for awhile. Somehow I'm still fat, so I will have to work on that. My new companion walks 2352 mph so that should help.

I didn't get the Christmas package yet but I should get it tomorrow, but these mailman here are thirsty for american goods. They charged me an arm and a leg to send Evan some catholic saints... punks. My pants are ok, but they are changing colors from the sun I guess, but they are still good. Shoes are still good, ties are ok. I don't have very many so most of them are from other Elders, since they trade when they leave. I will have to start giving up the ones I like. Elder Ferreira took the tie that you liked :)

12 Dec 2010 - Alvorada Area (Dad)

I can't keep up my English grammar and Portuguese, so I will ramble in English.

[Dad reported the latest on BYU sports.] At least some team is doing well in BYU ;) I figured out that my last companion (Transfers today so I have a new one) was a secret Brazilian Utes fan....disgusting. He had a pillow case and a shirt of the Utes. It was like Provo MTC all over again when my roommate was a WR for the Utes...who knew they served missions :) [Response to a comment Dad made about not having served in a resort town like Fortaleza.] Oh and I'm not serving in a resort town, they are poor as dirt, and the dirt is terrible here, very cheap. Fortaleza, and the state of Ceará has the most deaths than any other state due to murders. However, I have never seen any action like that. I saw a few kids with guns trafficking drugs. They have a drug lord here that is only 15 years old that hangs out around a part of town we go to often.

[Questions about how the Christmas phone call will work.] Pay phones aren't pay phones. You have to have a card to use them. So you buy a card and stick it in and use it. So I would just buy a card/cards and use them until they ended. I have heard this, or using the church phone because you would use a card too and the church is a little apostate here ;) or a member's phone/cell phone. Who knows. I don't.

[Told him of Isaac Hadley, Andrew Munguia, and Chris Colby returning from their missions.] They will be jealous of me that I am still on my mission, I have no need to be jealous of them coming home :)

[Told him of a new elder serving in our ward who received his patriarchal blessing from Grandpa.] That's cool that he met Grandpa. A few things happened this last Sunday. 2 Seventies came to split my stake into 2...duh. They spoke during stake conference and then 4 general authorities had recorded something for 4 stake that were splitting in Brazil. 2 in Fortaleza (my old stake and my new one) Belém, and Rio. They talked about tithing and temples a lot, something that doesn't really pertain to me as a missionary since I can't pay tithing and I have no temple here :) Just kidding, nonetheless it was good to hear from my old pals Dieter F Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen. The church is growing rapidly here in Fortaleza, hence it is one of the best missions in the world. literally.