Oi!

Oi!

Woah! I had no idea telling everyone that I had 1 bad day would cause so much havoc on the home-front. It makes me feel good to know how much I am loved, but I think I came off the wrong way. Yeah the first day sucked but it really did get better; and this week was really good too.

SO much happened this week. Only have time for a bit though. Like I said it was a good week. So there is this new chapel (did I tell you this?) that opened in the Center of São Paulo and in Brazil they do these Open Houses for each new chapel that is opened which pretty much means wasting the time of the missionaries in the surrounding area. So on Thursday we went there to do some contacts in front of the church and tried to get people to come in and see the chapel and go through this little tour that we actually ended up conducting in the end. The chapel is way nice though and I love being there it just takes an hour on a hot, crowded bus to get there. Anyway, so my companion and I were doing contacts in the street when this crazy dude that was probably 55 or 60 came up to us and started talking to us. I don't think he could swallow correctly because his saliva just gathered at the corners of his mouth. My journal entry:

"...this one crazy guy came up to us and I didn't understand much but I got some, and also later learned, that he had had 23 brain surgeries, saw and conversed with God and is really angry the he has not been able to do it again, and that he had had a really bad day because he ran out of Viagra. Oh and I thought he was going to hit me with his cain in the balls the whole time we were talking to him so I was covering them with my hands the whole time. Needless to say we were both 'contacted out' after that intriguing conversation (about 15 min), so we went inside and guided people around the church."

Yeah it was hilarious. L. Sousa and I laughed forever about it.

So I think I am losing weight. L. Sousa, Martinatto, and Chaves (the 3 Brazis I live with. Chaves is the ZL. Only Martinatto really speaks English and it's not much) say that I look like I have lost at least 5 kilos (11 pounds). I may have gained it all back in the past 3 days because I have eaten tons though. I had moved up 2 belt holes but now I am back to just 1 up. I'll update you all on the happenings of my body in later emails as well.

Oh L. Sousa and I had been walking for like 3 hours and not really found anyone to teach so we took a little break and sat in this "park" and watched some little hooligans play some soccer. When all of the sudden this homeless lady with a bunch of cardboard and newspaper walks up to a spot about 20 feet to our left (in the park still) and sets it down and then precedes to light it on fire. Then she walked across the street to a location that was undisclosed to us and brings another armful of paper products and added it to the fire. She continued to do this until she had a full-blown bonfire going. It was massive. She poked at it a little with a stick and then after about 3 minutes she just left and didn't return. Now it was like 93 degrees outside at the time so obviously it was not for warmth. We still do not understand but we walked by that spot yesterday and there is this massive black spot among the green grass and the wall next to it is black too. So confusing.

On Saturday we grabbed a juice at this tiny little café. Oh, side note, EVERYONE drinks juice with pretty much every meal here. Juice and guaraná (that drink that you were telling me about Dad, yeah it is delicious). Very rarely is water ordered at a restaurant. And there is only bottled water because it's not to safe to drink it from the tap, funny though because that's all I drink back at the house here. Oh well. Anyway, so we were leaving the café when this older guy came up to us, smoking and very very close to being drunk, and started talking to us. I was with 3 people who spoke Portuguese well so I just let them talk when all of the sudden he turned to me and said (and I actually understood) "You are the most handsome of the 4 of the missionaries there. So I said thank you and then we shook hands and he held on to my one hand with his two for like 35 seconds while looking in my eyes. It was extremely scary, yet oddly flattering.

I am always tired. I never remember my head hitting the pillow at night and I swear I had just closed my eyes when my alarm goes off. That part of the mission sucks. SO much walking and no time to rest your body. Oh well, it will be that way for another 22 months so I better get used to it.

The language is extremely difficult and I was laughed at yet again yesterday, but I can see that is starting to come so that makes me happy. It is coming very very slowly though but the American missionaries tell me to give it 2 more months and I will be fine. E. Martinatto said this morning after I had talked to him for a min that it was getting tons better. Hooray for the dumb American!

Today was P-day so we went to the Chapel with our zone and played soccer in the court that most every chapel in São Paulo has. Pretty much just a basketball court outside but it works good for soccer. I swear every Brazi is born being able to play soccer. I wasn't that bad but I definitely was not as pretty at playing as they are. It's crazy. Anyway that was fun then we just got done eating at a nice "Tucano´s" style restaurant which was delicious.

Thank you everyone for the emails and I am sorry my last letter came off so bad. I really do love it here and I am getting used to everything. The house is actually pretty nice and I usually can get the idea of what people are saying to me. I am grateful for all of you prayers and I miss all of you. Love you, talk to you next week. Oh, and letters are very much appreciated. Depending on when we have Zone Conf., Interviews, or Transfers it can take anywhere from 1 1/2 - 5 weeks for a letter to get to me so if I don't answer back quickly pleas be patient. See ya suckers!

-Elder Brent Parsons