I am currently watching the Christmas Devotional, because we might see it in Português this next Sunday, but it really just isn’t the same! So I will just watch it now!

Well, it has been a frustrating week... well, more like disappointing. We spent hours working with a young 14 year old boy just to have it all basically thrown back at us. We spent so much time with him. He said right to us that he had received an answer from God... but he said he doesn’t want to do anything about it. He was interviewed by one of the mission’s best missionaries. He was interviewed by one of the Assistants. We did everything imaginable, but he literally wants to throw his answer away. It was rather difficult.

We do have 4 baptisms planned for this week so we are planning to work our tails off this week to make them happen.

Let’s see one major accomplishment this past week. Our secretary received a phone call from São Paulo saying we needed to get all our baptism records entered. We had over 100 to do, so he entered as many as he could but then, being the secretary, had to do other things. So he asked me to enter the records. So starting at 4 I entered fichas as fast as I could. I finished all the fichas we had for the week at 6:30. I felt accomplished. In joking, yet with some seriousness, he asked if I would like to be a secretary. I don’t know if anything will every come of it in my mission, but I remember thinking in the CTM that I would enjoy being the secretary at some point. So who knows what may come of it!

Elder Roza and I were asked the other day if we were from Rio. As you may or may not know there has been an actual war going on in Rio, the drug lords against the government.

Apparently the drug lords have been running to other cities and stuff. This man asked if we were or at least worked for the drug lords!? He asked us if we would sell him some guns. It was rather odd. The other Elders were asked the other day, or something was said about how we are spies. There are some very odd things that are said about us.

Let me tell ya. There are some crazy things that happen here. The other Elders had a baptism this past Saturday, but the guy getting baptized was late.  When he arrived he apologized and explained that he had to wait even longer than normal for the bus because the bus he was waiting to use so he could be on time, didn’t stop because it was being assaulted. Basically they robbed the bus!!! I know that’s most likely one of those things you don’t tell your mother, but it is what happens sometimes.

We had a zone P-Day today. I just watched movies because I can’t play soccer. I want to, but my knees are more important to me!  I want to be able to use them after my mission. My mission has already taken a big enough toll on them so I am just guarding them. Today we watched the Best Two Years, UP, and that movie about the boy who’s an inventor and goes to the future and is chased by the T-Rex. I can’t remember the name…

We should be having a P-Day at the beach or something coming up soon so that should be fun!!!

It is rather odd being so near to Christmas because it really does not feel like it here. It is strange to see palm trees wrapped with lights, to sweat during December and to see tiny Christmas trees in all the houses. It is just very different, obviously. Haha

I am still having troubles sleeping. Last night was the second worse night of my mission. I woke up at 4:15 and fell back asleep at 4:30. Then I woke up again at 5:00 and haven’t slept since. I just lay there in bed and wait for the sun to come up then I sit and read whatever I placed near my bed the night before. I just plan for it now and keep either my English or Português scriptures nearby!

  

Logan... you better either start writing letters, sending emails, using mission ties, or something. Seriously...

This is a very good talk by President Eyring. I like it a lot!

This week I have felt I have ever so much to learn about everything. There are those who know much, much more than I. I have a lot to study, a lot to learn, a lot to practice and improve, but eventually I will figure it all out. Learn what I desire. Someday…

Well, my time is about up. I love you all dearly and wish you all the best of weeks. Until next week… Love you all!!!