Feliz Ano Novo Familia!

Pictures coming...

I forgot my little dinglehopper to connect my camera to the computer! I had some fun ones this week! (mostly cuz I dressed up like a ninja on new years. haha)

Minha Familia!

Feliz Ano Novo, Familia! I feel as if I could fall asleep now and sleep till the next new year! haha really though, this week was good. :) The new year was crrrazy here! It´s about how Aaron described it on the Christmas chat. I don´t know what fireworks they had going on here, but it definitely sounded more like missels and ... WWII outside. haha people really love lighting things off here! It was an adventure for sure. On New Years Day we were out teaching someone and saw the COOLEST thing! Someone came walking down the road with an accordian, right? That was cool. But they went into this room... building thing... it was like a restaurant of sorts. Just where a bunch of people can gather and everyone can see inside. Anyways, they went to this place and started playing and pretty soon tons of people from around the neighborhood started running to gather here with their own instruments! Pretty soon a whole band had gathered and we had SUCH happy music to accompany our lesson! haha It was a lot like German polka music and it made me so happy! The people we were teaching said that it´s an old "gauch" tradition and happens whenever someone in the community has a birthday or on holidays and such. I was pretty happy to have gotten to witness that! How fun! They weren´t practiced or anything... just heard the music and came to join right in!

Our companionship :) She´s the best.

The Portuguese speakers decided to be crazy,
and the Americans were ninjas! haha I don´t know why...
we just decided to dress up for once. Sister missionary ninja.

American ninjas on new years eve

This week also, Sister Furtado and Sister Loss went on splits with some sisters in another area. That meant that Sister Shumacher (the brand new American in the house - has 3 weeks in Brazil and fresh from the MTC) and I were together for 24 hours to teach and ... be missionaries in Portuguese! With not even two months of combined experience in Brazil. haha we were TERRIFIED. But we had so much fun! It was a good way to see what we´re actually capable of and it was a good way to force us to break out of our shy shells. We taught a lot, and people actually understood what I was saying! haha We sure had help that day.

Yesterday, Marcio and Vilson showed up to church in white shirts (Marcio was in a suit and tie) and Andressa and Sonia were in dresses! Marcio passed the sacrament and Sister Furtado and I almost cried. haha I made them stand in front of the church and took a family picture of them because it was just so happy! I love that family!

It was a good week. We had some rain which was SO refreshing! I forgot how much I love the rain. But I´m trying to enjoy the sun while it lasts. :) I hope you are all keeping warm and healthy and happy! I love you all so much!! Have a wonderful week!!

Drea

PS. 

bahh I forgot something I´ve been meaning to tell you!

Portuguese. Sister Furtado´s accent is rubbing off on me! haha The Portuguese (from Portugal) speak all their s´s with a "shhh" sound. This week during one of our lessons I said "pedimoshhh" and in ENGLISH I said "Shomebody is over there" and "While I was at the MTShee" bahahah ahhh it´s ridiculous! She laughs SO hard every time. Also, this week I got asked if I was from Australia. AND Ukraine. How strange. Apparently my accent is REALLY confused. haha

Anyways. That´s all.