I have resent the pictures from last week, and it is taking forever! I have loaded them in their original size. Last week I was in a hurry and shrunk them down without looking at how much it would shrink them. The best option is to keep them as is. The taller one with me on a balcony in the red stadium, is my comp, Elder Araúju. I hope you enjoy all the photos now that you can actually see them!
Well baskets full of new investigators is a stretch, but we are working on meeting more people. But Vitor is answering the door again and Mateus is coming back into town tomorrow morning hopefully. The youth English classes are going great! At every adult class it has been pouring outside and so nobody leaves their house to come. But the youth class is awesome! They are all learning pretty fast and we are going to start practicing a hymn in English for the talent show that we have arranged for the community.
This is all going to be kind of scatter brained...sorry!
Transfers are tomorrow and my comp and I will be staying put right here! My Portuguese is coming along really well! The people can’t believe that this is my first area, blessings for sure. Saturday we had Mãos que ajudam, which means hands that help. It is a church service program that they have once a year on the same day all over Brazil . It was way awesome! The whole Stake came to a school near our house and we made it look brand new. My specialty was the windows. The members said it was all over the news. It is great press for the church. But then again ¨there is no such thing as bad press for the church”. We are working on getting more family nights with the members. This will help a lot and when the members have friends over it is golden! We have some dinner, snacks, games, and a lesson. The members love it but no one can love it as much as us! The last one we had was at Irmã Lela´s house. It was great, and we got to take home some food! Everything was perfect, except her dog with new pups almost got me...twice. Welcome to Brazil .
Like I said earlier, we are setting up a party at the church the last Friday of every month! This first one is a talent show and we are teaching our English class to sing in English. Our first students are saying the opening and closing prayers in English too! They are actually as good as me now...this is not something to be proud of. I had to stop and think about ten times during my prayer. English is hard!
President Swenson, my mission president, is coming to our ward the 21st to talk on missionary work and help the ward get more animated, not just the youth. Friday night we had the baptismal service of Danieli, the daughter of our lider da obra. It was great! Except she is deathly afraid of water and was not baptized that night...it is being rescheduled and she is working on the whole water thing. But there was cake! ha. Irmão Pedro, lider da obra, is an awesome guy. He actually served his mission here...2 years ago. But he moved back for work and married here. He is really excited and animated with the work, and all around a great guy. He is looking out for us and going to help to set up some great programs. And a schedule for members to divide? leave? with us. I don’t know what word you would use there. Those are what we use. He has a avocado tree and is always giving us them. One day I will show Brazil that you eat avocado with salt...not sugar! ha but sugar is good too. The other day we had straight up avocado with sugar, right out of the peel. Another member who looks out for us pretty well is irmão biehl. This guy is the man. He did the churrasco with us the past Sunday and this week we had a fondue. I don’t know how I am not rolling down the streets. And why I am still hungry all the time!
We visited Ponto Grosso again this week so Elder Arauju could do a baptismal interview. The members were having a party and it was so great to see all of them again! Their Branch is so strong and every one is friends! One of the sisters down there is making me a scarf of Gremio. She said that it should be done soon. We have received as many references from their branch as from our ward!
Vitor- Ele is accepting us again, but he is not taking things very seriously. We are afraid we are going to have to leave him in a little bit if things don’t change. But we are continually trying to show him that we are serious. He knows he should be searching for these things, but still doesn’t feel the need or urgency.
Mateus- He is still traveling but should be coming back tomorrow morning! Woo! We know that he brought his book of Mormon with him and he has told us that he feels different when he reads and prays. He says he has received an answer that this is the true church and is stopping with the coffee...woo! His family is warming up to us a lot too. We told his mom about transfers the other day and she was very concerned that we might leave.
Paulo- is a reference that is impossible to get a hold of. We have talked to about every member of his family now. But we are continuing to stop by and working with the member reference.
Our p-days are packed with excitement! Especially when I cut my own hair. I have cut my own hair now about 2 or 3 times...I am pro. At the end of the maos que ajudam project they do free hair cuts, I am going to help next year. Today we went to Irmã Marcia´s house and she taught us how to make feijão! Real brazilian feijão! We had a pretty huge lunch and are thoroughly stuffed...like everyday. I feel like I’m getting fat, but I’m moving down on my belt! I don’t know how it is possible but don’t worry mom, I will fatten up :)
Bentz´s farewell! This is the last time I can do this so, cião Bentzy boo. Ha! It sounds like the farewell went great. I can’t wait to get his talk in the mail. It is exciting to see so many of us from the ward out in the field. Your next Torrin! But brush up on your Spanish, I hear the Mesa temple missionaries use it a lot. Or possibly sign language??? I did meet a few of them in the MTC.
I’m glad Adam did so well on the boards! Hopefully he will be able to rest a little now, but I doubt it, he is always on the run! He deserves a p-day. What rotation is he going to start with? I hope he got my letter in the mail, I sent it at the CTM. But I know he is super busy. Just want to make sure it arrived.
Sounds like Sunday night was a regular party for you all! And I heard Miley spilled the beans on the new little one! But just to set the record straight, I knew first...not technically, because the letter was still being handled over the ocean...but I am taking the spot of first to know :). I showed my comp and a few others the picture of my ¨2 month old nephew/niece¨ hah.
Thank you so much for everything! I love you all and loved the package from Brandon and Alyssa! As you can see with my awesome picture... Brandon will know what I’m saying here.
I know that things are going to pick up here, things are changing and we are being the changed. Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. I am praying for you too.
Love, Elder Bradley J. Dawson
P.S. I can’t think of anything else for you to send me. Maybe some candies. My lider da obra wants a bop it, ha. They are 100 reis here. Maybe something that would be fun for family night activities with members and investigators!
P.S.S. I am just waiting for pictures to load. It has been raining here like crazy! It is strange to think that you can go days at a time without seeing the sun. But the other night it was super foggy and you could see it in the air. We were walking home, down a cobblestone street and it looked just like a movie, pretty cool! Are you guys thinking about getting any more pets? Or is Lucy the last? After seeing some of the people here with 8 dogs, you can handle some more!
P.S.S.S. I love you 3! The small family :) the others too, but they are not apart of the small family. Don’t do too much partying without me. A kid at seminary was telling me about the end of Harry Potter. By the way, they have the pirated version here on the streets
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