Hey everyone,
I hope that all is going well back home. Here it is going HOT! everyday, all day! Ihave had to try and use by backpack less because the black coloring will melt on to my clothes.. mas, tudo bem ai.
Há, thanks for the e-mail Steve..and kenzi-- I always get a good laugh in.
*Hey, (this is for everyone) if you normally just e-mail me, please print some of the e-mails that you send. The ones that you think are most important, or all of them. All of your e-mails are very helpful to me. And I was thinking that it would be good to have some of them one day.
Well, this past week hás been a bit different, but good. I dont know if I told you before, but they took the elders out of the central part of Estância and put Sister missionaries there. There is Sis. Huyett and Sis. De Jesus. They are way funny. It is good to have sisters around tôo, the members love them! Plus they make us food sometimes, which is how we survive.
On Friday it was Sis. Huyett´s Birthday and I guess that in this part of Brasil they have a tradition to throw eggs, flour, water, and a bunch of other stuff on you when its your B-day. Há, so that was fun (i included a picture in this email).
The sisters are awesome.However, they have had some health problems this past week.. It has been good to be here to help them out.
Elder Frank and I have been working alot with a recent convert family that I baptized last transfer. They are such an awesome family. They have been bringing their cousins and neighbors to church with them, and inviting them over for us to teach. It is great to see members that have the desire to share this gospel with their friends and family.
Also, for some reason, this week I have eaten the best meals and worse meals so far –man!
They can really make some good rice, beans, stroganoff, or rice and beans, but wow, they have got some gross stuff here.
First, one day I grabbed a long skinny piece of “chicken” during lunch at a members house. As I took the first bite, I realized that something was up. When I asked what it was, they told me that it was the neck. Yeah not just the meat either, it was the whole deal. I could see the rough chopping job of the knife, and I will say that “neck” really isn't my thing.
The following day I was excited for a good normal lunch..(they usually are all way good)—However, I was in doubt when they threw a huge pot full of various looking pieces of meat in front of me. I threw a bunch on my plate and began...wow!!. I really should have faked sick or something. Blewww... as I was choking it down (which didn´t happen very easily) I was resisting the urge to bust out laughing.. I have no clue why. It all just seemed so funny to me. Well, it was something called “feijoada”- which is basically various parts of a pig diced up and rarely cooked. I would not suggest it. I can still remember taking the first bite of “pé de porco” ---(pig foot) , still seeing a clump of thick hair on the blubbery piece of meat—and just freezing for 10 or so seconds, wondering if I would be able to swallow it. Luckily there was a big cup of Graviola juice that somewhat drowned out the taste and carried it down my throat. I dont want to offend any of the members here, they really put out for us. I dont think that it would work to tell them that I am allergic to the neck of the chicken or pigs foot. Although, I think I just might try if it happens again.
Other than that, it hás been a great week. Elder Frank is a great comp.. (I attached a picture of us to this e-mail). He is very different than my last companion. But he is way cool. He is from Belém- which is alot hotter than here. Haha, he is a little crazy,but way funny. I dont think that I could get mad at him if I wanted to.
I have grown to love Estância, as well as the people here. They are awesome. I am doing very well with the language, it is incredible to see how far I have come with it. I feel very confident, and can get across most any idea that I need to. –its cool. New investigators no longer guess that I am from the US, they usually think that I am from São Paulo or something. I guess between speaking better and all the sun I am getting, I am nearly a Brasilian already!
Well, I hope all is well with everyone.
I hope you are all reading the scriptures and praying everyday. These little things will strengthen your testimonies in a big way. Plus I am halfway across the world teaching this to people, I just want to make sure that my own family and friends are keeping up on their spiritual growth as well.
Thanks for all your support.
se cuida,-elder olson
