Hump Day

Hi.

First off mom, there's no such thing as too much Portuguese.

This week was very interesting, it was the New Year so everyone was drinking, singing, and dancing with much rudeness.  T´was a bit difficult to teach people but we got over it.  New Years was basically a normal day except I used the horn and noisemakers you sent me to make all manner of loud and obnoxious sounds.

Speaking of loud and obnoxious sounds, we were out walking the streets the other day when this guy, who looked a lot like Santa Claus passed us on the road.  He looked at us and, in what appeared to be a witch like cackle, yelled "Smitchy! Smitchy! Josephey Smitchy!!!" (that's how people here pronounce the name Joseph Smith) and laughed his way on yonder.

We also taught a lesson to some guy who believes in Espiritismo (Spiritualism).  He gave a very good case for reincarnation using the Bible to point out that John the Baptist was indeed Elijah reincarnated and that Jesus Christ wasn't resurrected but was in fact reincarnated.  It was a pretty interesting discussion and he gave a really argument.

I also tried Tererê yesterday too.  It's a lot like Chimarrão (a drink) but it's cold and you put juice in the herbs, it's really good.

This week I also had my Hump Day, which was a day of mixed feelings.  I felt good that I made it half way, but that means I only have another half of my mission left.  I don't know it was just weird; I'm planning on celebrating it though today with pizza!!!!

So the worst lesson of the week was yesterday.  We went to go teach this lady and I really had to use a lot of patience.  She was super old and I'm pretty sure not a lot was going on in her head.  She didn't understand what I was saying, she didn't understand what my companion was saying, and she just barely understood what the member we brought with us was saying.  We had a discussion that went a little like this.

ME:    "Do you have the desire to follow Jesus Christ?"

LADY:    "I've never seen him."

ME:    "No, do you want to follow him."

LADY:    "I think it's going to be pretty hard to see Jesus."

COMPANION:    "Sister, do you want to be closer to Jesus Chris?t"

LADY:    "Well how am I supposed to see him?"

The member explains what we're trying to tell her for five minutes.  We then explain to her why it's important to follow Jesus Christ.  She agrees with everything.

ME:    "So sister, will you follow Jesus Christ?"

LADY:    "I still don't understand how I'm supposed to see Jesus when he's in heaven."

I then just started laughing to myself in a mixture of ridiculousness and inner soulful pain.

The BEST lesson of the week was something entirely different.  We are teaching this couple and we need to get them married.  It's been a bit of a complicated process and in short, if they get married, it's going to be super expensive for them.  We were on divisions that day so the Zone Leader and I went to teach him.  We taught a lesson in a storm of dropping scriptures, powerful testimony, and the promise of blessings.  The spirit was UNDENIABLY STRONG, and in the end they agreed that it would be better to count on the blessings of God, instead of material wealth. Oh it was an epic lesson.  Our investigator wasn't too happy because he hasn't received his dowry yet, but I think he'll get over it.

This Sunday was the Sunday of powerful testimonies.  Everyone who got up to speak bared a super powerful testimony.  In the end our recent convert Marina got up and bared her testimony of how she has seen the hand of God in her life, the blessings of this gospel, and how she desires to see all of her adult children baptized.

Needless to say I was a very happy missionary in that moment.

Well it was a really good week, I'm going to get eat Brazilian pizza now, so until next week Family and Friends!

-Elder Johnson

This is the Grota in my area. 

This is Aldebaran, which is a really nice condominium neighborhood in my area.