2-08-2010 Letter Home

Hey there everybody!

Well, well, what an interesting week. The mission is awesome, guys. I don't think I'll spend too long on the last seven days, just a short summary. We were in Pacatuba a bunch, preparing the investigators Elder S. Costa left behind for baptism. Met a really great family there. On Wednesday I received a Christmas card from Cody and Randy and their fam- thanks so much, guys! That was awesome! Thanks for all the pictures and everything. Mail is precious awesome here. I also received a package from Aunt Karen! So awesome of her! She sent me a bunch of letters, a cool talk, some new socks and a few treats. Thanks so much Aunt Karen! I know you expressed distress that it was late but whatev, its a dry spell right now and I loved it!

We have been teaching a lot this week in a part of Maracanau called "A Colonia" or "The Colony", which is an interesting place. I think its a kind of government-created area for those without homes or jobs, I don't know the specifics, but its filled with narrow cobblestone roads, small brick houses, animals such as goats and chickens running everywhere, seems a lot like a 'rural favella', made me feel like I was in a very exotic place just by the conditions the people lived in there. It's weird though, you enter these worn-down brick houses with their itty-bitty disorderly front yard, and inside its nice, orderly, clean, hammocks and sofas here and there... no wallpaper and I'm sure the roof doesn't hold up when it rains a lot, but they have some downright comfortable interior living space, including big TVs, DVD-players, just really cozy and nice. Maybe that's not the best example for all of the homes there, but its just an interesting contrast to leave a run-down, third-worldish neighborhood in one instant and enter a clean, warm living room and teach a humble happy little family. Wish I could take pictures... but I don't really think bringing cameras into this area would be a good idea.

I've started to read out loud in the Book of Mormon in Portuguese for an hour every morning. I should have started that sooner, but my study time does feel a lot more well-spent when I do this. Thanks Connor for the suggestion!

A few days ago Elder Gallagher and Elder Costa, who had been living in our house, moved to Novo Oriente, a different neighborhood in Maracanau, and my old district. The mission had bought them a new house since we complained so much last transfer about the old Novo Oriente house there. But, we arrived there to help move furniture and such, and what did we find? The new house that had been bought was entirely filled with rubble. I guess it hadn't been entirely finished. With the walls painted and everything, the only problem was the floor, and so, reluctantly, we took to the task of bagging up all of the rubble and moving it down the stairs, one big heavy bag at a time, to the street. Four hours of hard work commenced, I got dusty and dirty from head to toe, but by lunch-time the floorspace of the new house was ready for Elder Gallagher and Elder Costa to move in their things. I feel pretty proud of helping clean the place, because before we put our shoulders to the wheel, it was a disaster zone and now I'm sure it'll serve missionaries for the next few years rather nicely.

This last Friday someone called Elder Matias while we were walking. Get this, and this is crazy... it was Elder S. Costa!!! We couldn't believe it! He returned home to Sao Paulo, had a few days with his family, long talks, whatever, I don't know half of the story, but he decided to return to the Mission! His family paid for his flight back to Fortaleza and President Batt immediately shipped him back to Pacatuba! Oh man, we were so excited, the whole zone had a party... without Elder S. Costa at the time, because he was stuck in a trio while President was deciding on a companion for him, but the point is that Elder S. Costa is back! It really is a miracle and it has lifted our spirits a lot. The mission really needs someone like him. Of course, Elder Matias and I could only laugh when we connected the dots and realized that the people we had been working with this week would be baptized by Elder S. Costa now. Ah well, its not about us getting numbers, its about bringing people to Jesus Christ and their exaltation. It is a little slap-your-forehead worthy though because we've been working with Elder S. Costa's former investigators the whole week, getting to know them and all, and now that Pacatuba has missionaries we can't see them, ya know?

Baptizing on the mission is important, it really is, not for its own sake or numbers... but when you baptize someone you've taught and seen their life change, it assures you, lifts you up, that you are part of the Lord's work, its the most easily observable 'fruit' of your labors. Elder Matias and I have been missing that part of mission life for quite a few weeks and it makes us feel like we need to do more, be more than we are being. Ah well, I'm grateful for being here in a part of the world where the work is going so strong. I'm sure missionaries in Europe or parts of the United States would be complaining right now: "You're feeling bad not baptizing for a transfer? Try an entire year!" Its true, its true, I've just got to keep on working, doing what I am supposed to, and I will be proud of what I've done, and the Lord will be pleased. I am sure of that.

I was on the bus the other day and I accidentally gave the onboard-cashier three reals instead of two, the actual price. He took the whole three. I sat down, thought about it a bit, asked Elder Matias the price, figured out where I went wrong, and bravely stood up and initiated a conversation with the cashier, explaining the situation. He was kind of frustrated with me, especially in a crowded bus zooming through a crowded cobblestone street, but I convinced him that I had given him three reals and he gave me back my change. I sat down feeling like a rockstar. Probably hard to understand, right, why I felt like that, eh? Well, see, my Portuguese is at the point where I can understand a whole conversation... if the TV is off, there isn't loud traffic outside, if people are looking and talking directly to me clearly and not with the fast-talking Cearense-drawl that is the norm here. But here, I essentially initiated a confrontation in a high-stress environment and the Brazilian didn't even look at me oddly. No "Eh?!" "O que?!" or "Tu e americano?!" No awkward looks toward my companion, nothing, we just talked normally. I understood everything, he understood everything. I don't want to brag, but this was the high point in my week. When I got off the bus I wanted to punch the sky, man, it just felt so good! I am so awesomely blessed in the language, and I don't feel comfortable with it yet, but man, I am so glad I am at the point I am, after having learned so much during the last five months. So awesome guys!

That was pretty much my week! We brought our awesome, big family I was talking about to Church this week, five of the ten of them, but Elder Matias and I think that we can still bring some more of the family next time. They enjoyed Church a lot and I hope they are making friends! They are our most
promising investigators right now and we are enjoying them a lot, really good people and we haven't
run into any problems with them during teaching, they seem really accepting of the Gospel.

Hey Mom, that is really cool news about the "year-long ward preparedness plan"! What does that really mean you are going to do? Like, are you going to have an entire plan for the ward if the nation collapses into anarchy? And you have a committee too? I bet the brainstorming session for that will be very fun. Neat stuff! Thank you so much for your kind and motivating words. I am not depressed any more, I kind of went through a rough patch but I think I'm back to my normal, cheerful, enthused self. I hope the rest of the family is doing great, I love you all so much.

I made a short video. Its dimly-lit and most of it is in Portuguese. I basically just sat down in the LANhouse and shot a short two-minutes with my camera saying whatever came to mind. Next time I want to have a more brighter locale, speak a little more English to everybody, and show a bit of the city. Maranguape is the city neighbouring Maracanau, by the way... we are spending our P-Day here with the other missionaries, watching some movies and relaxing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1FPHtSlls

A lot of times I look like I am trying to figure out a word or something, but, seriously, I was just thinking of what to say next, sabe? I think I used ficar instead of guardar during my last sentence, eh, whatever, it was my first take. Hope you like it. More to come.

Love you everybody!
Elder Carpenter