Thanks for the emails!

Greetings!

I thank all those who answered my plea and emailed me this week. It was actually way cool. My unknown fans Mr. Curt Lytle and Connor emailed me this week and said they have been following my blog for a while.

Curt Lytle has a son that just barely got onto the mission in Goiania, Brazil. He told me that his son has been struggling with the language and it reminded me of the ever so frustrating first months that I had here and how frustrating it was with the language. It gets better Curt! Let him know that. 6 months and he will be a pro.

I can't even remember what it feels like NOT to understand what the people are saying to me. Tell him that even though it doesn't seem like it right now, he is truly lucky for getting a Brazilian as a first companion and living with 2 other Brazilians. That is exactly what happened to me and it was the best thing that could have happened to help me with the language.

The other person who emailed me, Connor, has been following my blog ever since he got his call to Porto Alegre North, Brazil. I already gave him some tips in another email, but thanks for the email Connor. He is going to be heading to the CTM (actually was my first area) next week.

It was cool to see that me trying every week to inform people about what's going on here in my life actually have helped others.

Anyway, this week was really good. A lady named Viviani stopped us on the street and said her daughter, Lariça, who is a friend of Afonsinho's sister (kid we just baptized) is wanting to come to our church because she saw us going to Afonsinho's house a bunch. So then I said "Well, we would love to have her come to church, but we would like you to come too!" She said she would then I asked "Could we pass by your house and leave a message with you and the rest of your family?" She said yeah so then I pulled out my planner to find a day...then I noticed that we didn't have much to do that night so I was like "Could we come by...tonight?" She said "Oh sure! I would love it!" So we went by there.

It was awesome...and hilarious! She is a single mom with 4 kids and the oldest one is Lariça who is 11. The next is 6 years old (boy) , then 3 (boy), then 1 (girl). And they are all CRAZY. We gave the first lesson and while I was teaching I had to teach them with the 3 year old on my shoulders playing around with my hair because he climbed up on the couch and jumped down on top of me haha.

It's awesome though and the kids LOVE us. We arrive and they all come screaming out of the house to greet us. Then when we go to say the closing prayer they start climbing over us and yelling so we can't say the prayer. It's great though and I am truly happy when I am there with them. It's even better because both Viviani, the mom, and Lariça accepted baptism dates and are progressing like crazy. Viviani loves the Book of Mormon. Last night we went there and made a goal chart with Viviani to stop smoking by next week. She is smoking a pack a day but really wants to quit. We have really high hopes.

On Monday I did a division with Elder Puggina. It is impossible to describe him but he is just a bit "off". Anyway, we were sitting at the bus stop after district meeting to catch a bus back to my area when all of the sudden somebody yelled directly in my ear really loud. I jumped and looked over and there was a drunk there who started asking me for money. I told him no. Then he asked me if I was American then just to play around with him I told him no and said I was "Gaucho" (somebody from the southern state of Brazil - Rio Grande do Sul).

He then said that was good and we continued talking but a little ways through the convo I made a mistake in Portuguese...and I knew I did. He looked at me and said in his drunken voice "wait a second *hiccup*...you are American! And I am part of the police *hiccup* and you are under arrest! Show me your identification!" I was like "no...how about YOU show me your identification first."

Then my poor little friend Puggina was getting all scared and burst out "He was just joking! He is American! Sorry sir! Here are my documents!" and then Puggina panicky went fumbling around to pull out his documents from his pocket until I had to slap him and tell him that the guy was obviously a drunk and wasn't part of the police. Haha. Then he relaxed a little bit and we left the drunk (after the drunk actually hit me really hard on the back because I wouldn't give him any money) and caught the bus. It was hilarious...you kinda just had to be there and you have to know this Puggina kid.

Anyway, the work is going well here and I am happy. Thanks for all the support I have from home...love ya'll!

-Elder Parsons