AHHH!! Batata no Banheiro!!!!!

Oi Minha Querida Familia!!

How is everyone?! Things are good here! It´s been a good week. We have worked SO hard and have also had SO much fun! 

This week was really special. We had the baptisms of Jimmy and Erica! They are so wonderful. Jimmy is 13 and Erica is 9. Their mom is getting ready to be baptized too, and hopefully their dad will continue meeting with us as well. It was a very simple baptism, but the spirit was so strong. These kids knew so much already without ever having been taught. It´s pretty amazing. We´re lucky missionaries to get to work with their family! (and I´m lucky to finally have names I can pronouce! haha)

One day this week, my companion went on a transfer to Santa Cruz and I stayed in our area with Sister Alves. We actually had to cover both areas... long story... and it was really tough. Sister Alves doesn´t speak much English so we struggled communicating a lot. It made me grateful for President Wright putting me with both a native Portuguese speaker and a reeally good English speaker. haha It was a hard day and I was EXHAUSTED by the end, but I think Grandma was probably there helping me with my acting skills. We did Charades a lot that day. haha Also that day, it was POURING rain. So I didn´t put on sunscreen. Bad idea. I got so burned! haha It was actually kind of embarrassing cuz everywhere we went people were like "woah." And now I know the words for "You are very red!" in Portuguese haha Ooops. I will never forget sunscreen again!

Picture of my crazy sunburn

 

This story is actually from last week, but I forgot to tell it, and it´s a little too good to pass up. haha! Anyway, we were teaching someone new and I didn´t understand a single word of what was happening. I thought it was going fairly well tho - I´ve gotten pretty good at reading expressions. haha! It all went well (I thought) and we said the closing prayer and stood up. Suddenly, the man started bawling. His wife came over to him and she was crying too. I had NO idea what was happening. Then, he got really serious and pointed his finger at us - and ran into another room. I was looking at my companion like "umm... translation?" But she didn´t say anything. Then, the man came back - walking towards us... with a sword! He pulled it out from the sling and I nearly started running. For a split second I thought we were in trouble. But then I remembered this isn´t the 1800´s and... if he was gonna threaten us it wouldn´t be with a sword. Also, my companion didn´t seem to mind it. So I stayed. It´s fine. Turns out... he dreamed he was the captain of a French Army and in it he saw this sword... which he was awarded with later in life after being in the real army? I´m not really sure... it was all very confusing, but my companion got a really good laugh after she heard my side of the story! haha ooooh language barriers...

This is our neighbors kitty. He is so cute!!!!! There are
two of them and they look exactly the same

Also, I had a really good Portuguese mess up this week!! Ready? So, I freaked out one day because a saw a HUGE cockroach. Seriously, biggest cockroach I´ve ever seen. Sister Alves taught me the word for cockroach. Which is "Barata." A few minutes later I was trying to wash my face. I looked up into the mirror and saw this HUGE cockroach was now in the bathroom with me - staring at me. I screamed and yelled "AHHH!! Batata no Banheiro!!!!!" And came out of the bathroom yelling "Batata!!!" Everyone nearly died laughing. Turns out I yelled "Potatoe in the bathroom!!!!!!" And ran thru the house screaming "Potatoe!!!" hahahah no wonder they didn´t do anything! haha good times...

Allergies to the
 mosquitoes here. 

I have so many of those huge bites it´s gross

Things were good this week. We work hard, and we´ve sure felt the blessings of hard labor. My companion and I are always laughing. I love it so much! Sister Furtado has taught me so much and I´m grateful to have her. She´s a powerhouse missionary and an amazing friend. I´m grateful she keeps me laughing. (:

Our first weeks pizza party!!

Well, I hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings this week! We don´t really have thanksgiving here, but I want you all to know how grateful I am for you. I have the best family in the world and I am so grateful for each of you and for all you´ve done for me. I am so grateful to know that we get to be together forever! That is the happiest thought there is. I love you all so much!!

Sister Drea