Monday, December 10, 2012

Monday, November 12, 2012

Hey,
Well today was the official day of transfers. Oddly enough, my companion was transferred and I stayed. Elder Roberts is off to a place called Petropolis, where he began his mission lol. He isn't too happy. It's up in the mountains so it's cold and rains all the time and is very hilly. Personally I'm jealous. He gets to pass the hot summer in the cold weather. I'm still in Madureira. The hot frying pan of Rio. It's seriously one of the hottest places in all of Rio, or at least right next to one of the hottest places called Bangu. And I'll be here for most of December... great lol.

Anyways, I'll answer your questions. I was with Elder Cerda not even one transfer. 4 weeks is all. But he was a tough companion to get along with. Elder Roberts has been an awesome companion, I'll be really sad to see him go tomorrow. This transfer was alright. We got two baptisms. We wanted more but that's how it worked out. Our family, Marcio and Joana have made some good progress this week but they still are too scared to get baptized. It's frustrating cuz they are running from us. Our baptism last week was a girl named Lorena. We met her parents but they are from a different Evangelical church. I need to tell you about some of the beliefs the other churches have here. But they just wanted her to be baptized in a church, they didn't care too much where. And she said she wanted to here, so even better for her you know? We will see if the parents are interested at all, but maybe not because they "already have their own religion" (it's what everybody says here). The address I gave you to look at was actually a different girl who has been coming to church named Bruna, who may want to get baptized. We will try and visit her this week. Haha, the baskets on the poles mom? That is their garbage things here. You stick all the garbage in those baskets and the garbage truck comes down and picks it up. Brazil has alot of political problems and is still considered a "sub developed country" (3rd world) but it's enough to live lol. Yes the houses are closed in because of all the people that rob and plunder here. If you look closely, the tops of all the walls have bits of broken glass and sharp pieces of metal so no one can jump over the walls as well. It's pretty serious here.

Alright, thanks so much for the packages, they are welcomed. I can't believe I did it again.... I always think of something that I need during the week and forget to write it down and I blank when I'm in front of the computer. ah well. Mom do you have a recipe for a devil's food cake? There is a sister in the ward that tried it when I made the package one that bekka sent me and fell in love. She wants a recipe to make lol. Also, you never told me what some of the things were that Obama was saying about Romney and the church! I wanted to know.

Alright, we didn't have a district meeting. The first week of every month is a zone meeting and the zone leaders give a training session. But thanks for the idea, asking about the how does a mission pass fast or slow. I say it to almost every one of my companions and they all agree with me, that that is true lol. And there are some elders in my district who are needing to hear this...

Alright so my new companion is someone named Elder L. Alves, a Brazilian. He seems pretty cool, he is from São Paulo which is the headquarters of the church here in Brazil, so it is possible that he was born into the church. I'll find out but he seems like a cool guy. My zone leader knows him and says he is pretty chill. I guess I'll find out.

Alright, I'll be honest. I think this christmas is gonna be worse than the last one. Just knowing that it is the last one on the mission and the next one will be with you guys, I get a little trunky. But don't worry about me I'll get through it by doing more contacts. lol. And there are lots of members here who are really awesome and love us so they will be sure to hang out with us and invite us to dinner. There was a holiday at the beginning of the month (a brazilian one) and we ate lunch with our bishop, and he invited all his brothers and their families and I just started thinking about our family dinners with all my uncles and aunts and cousins.... anyways I got trunky lol. But it was an awesome lunch, they were all talking about the americans they trained and the stuff they did lol.

I actually have caught up with the scriptures you gave me. The scriptures you gave me I actually have done a study on them before and marked a lot more than just the ones you gave me in the Book of Mormon, examples of God saying he will give us what we ask for. But you gave me some that I hadn't found and I enjoyed studying them. I am gonna start trying to read the bible in portuguese now. It will help a lot with the weird names in this language and vocab and knowing how to quote scriptures and people will understand me lol, cuz right now I'm just translating from english. But I'm in mosiah 23 in the book of mormon. Good stuff.

Alright well I love you guys and hope you have a good week. Oh, and I won't lie it's been difficult lately writing in my journal cuz i talk on the phone for at least 30 min every night, and it's tough enough to just get to bed on time. My zone leaders love to talk, and the other dupla in my zone loves to talk as well. it's tough. But I do try and write. alright I really love you guys! Is thanksgiving this week or next?

Elder Baldwin

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