It's not feeling at all like Christmas

It`s almost Christmas but it doesn`t feel like Christmas. For a few factors. One it`s hotter than heck. Two I can`t lesson to Christmas music to get into the spirit and three I won`t be with my family. But I will be with my best friend, my companion. And we will call home and we are going to eat with a really good family so I am a little excited. Things are picking up a bit here in our area. We have a few investigators that are progressing well. Carol and Rita. They are two people super different but both of them are really really cool. We love teaching them it is really cool. And of course to see the Temple everyday is so awesome. A few days the Elders called and said that I got a package. But they didn`t say who it was from. I was hoping it was from my Aunt Candi because I have been waiting a long time for a package from her. But it wasn`t from her it was from a Sister who served in this mission. We did a division one day together and became best friends. She sent me a huge package full of junk food. And my companion got a package as well it was so cool. We were pumped. Today was awesome. All of the Sister came over it was a surprise and we made a lunch and all talked. Our house is perfect for large gatherings. One sister made the food and it was bomb. And I made brownies a few days before. It is so good to be with my girls on Pday. Then afterwards we went to Elder and Sister Andrew who are parents of my old Young Womens leader and they are serving a mission here in Brasil and guess what they live five minutes from our house. They are so sweet. They invited us over for cookies and juice. It was so fun to talk with them. They are so sweet. She made beautiful Christmas cookies that looked like home and it was fun to talk with them because they were mission Presidents so it was fun to hear about what happen in there mission.  We had this funny/ not so funny experience the other day. We went to recent coverts house to talk to her and leave a little message on faith. But what happen, her crazy grandfather walked in and totally runied our lesson and the spirit for that matter. Our recent convert is Bianca and she is 15 and she is still a little cold with us because it was the Elders who taught and baptized her so she is a little weird with us still but we are working and praying hard to become friends with her. So we were talking about faith and her grandfather was like I don`t pay tithing. We were like oh no. And then he went on and on. And if you don`t know Brasilians they have hot blood just like Mexicans and my beloved companion is one of them that has very hot blood. And I know when she gets mad. So the old man was like ya I don`t pay tithing because Peter paid tithing and died and Jesus Christ didn`t come to this world to die for our sins. My companion was like no, your wrong. Old man. No I have read one part of the Bible so I know everything. And those that know me well I will laugh in awkward situations. Don`t worry with these crazy missionary experiences I have gotten better but I was like oh no! S.O got him to calm down. Then we started back on faith. But what happen. He was like do you know why your black? S.O grabbed no really she slapped my thigh because we were sitting together. She was like oh no we are not talking about that. We are not here to talk with you. And he went on with this crazy and I mean crazy story to as why I am black. S.O was fuming. She hit me three more times. And raised her voice. It could have been worse but because we Bianca was there and we are trying to make a friendship with her so we settled down. S.O. was like no your wrong. He was like be quiet with my power I will kill you. We both laughed. We were like go ahead you can`t do anything with your "power" we are servants of the Lord and quite frankly you have nothing on us. He shut up real quick. We sang a song and said a prayer and left. It was intense. But it was a good moment as well. To feel that kind of fire in your belly to stand up for what you believe in. At that moment it was tithing. It was so cool. What It comes down is no matter what stand up for what you believe in. Never backdown others will see your faith and devotion to what you beleive in and will question to as where you found the surety that what you believe in is true. At all times in all things in all places. Boa Natal gente. He really is the reason for the season.

Pictures For your Enjoyment

me my companion and sister Andreia at the bank of sao paulo. Isn`t that view awesome?

me and mel another members  Mel kid she loves to dance to Aribian music which is really popular here

  a grandchild of a member her name is Ana.  Isn`t that picture pretty

That is BBQ in street. They shave off the meat and put it on french bread. Super good and super cheap

we went to the ever famous and popular 25 de marco which is this popular street in Sao Paulo that has everything cheap it was rad.

Rich People are Funny

This week has has it`s up and downs. Really it was more in the downs but what can you do? The good thing is is that I still love my companion. She is my new BBF for those that are wondering I have made a new meaning. We are all familar with BFF well BBF is Brasilain Best Friend. I just love her. This area is really hard. Well hold on it`s not really the area that`s hard, becasue that isn`t fair to the area. It`s the missionaries. Not saying that we suck. We are just lost. We have to learn how to work here. We just want to teach. It is so hard to feel like a missionary when your not teaching. Or teaching but no one is down for commitments, ya it`s real cute when people do that. Everyone works here and has no time for anyone, barely enough time to talk with us for five minutes. It is hard on the heart. You can`t help but get down. Luckily my companion is my BBF and when everything around is falling I can have faith and hope with her, that girl is my rock. I am blessed because I have already passed through times when it all hits the fan and on top of that you have a really bad companion. But that is in the past and I hope it stays in the past. So let`s talk about rich people really fast. They are funny. Even the food they eat is different. We had pizza the other day for dinner with this family. And what was on the pizza? No it wasn`t pepporini and chesse. It was tuna. And not the starkist tuna but the fat piece of tuna that is way way yummy. We were like wow. And the other day we were eating lunch and the irma was like who is giving the lunch message. With every lunch it is our duty to leave a powerful lunch message with the members for them to be strong. Anyway my companion was like I will. The irma was like dang I want you to give it Sister White because I want to hear it in english. I was like we can do that. I was a little nervous but I gave this simple but powerful message about the love and mercy of our Jesus Christ and that he loves us all no matter our color or weight or if we are dumb or smart. And I showed her a picture that I carry in my scriptrues of Jesus Christ holding a little black boy by Liz Lemon Swindle. And I explained that this factor is very important to me because I am adopted and my mom is white and the irma started crying. She started to explain to us that two of her children are adopted and that they aren`t prospering in the gospel and she is happy to see that it all worked out for me. Then I said that my companion is adopted too she started crying even more. It was a really cool powerful moment. The spirit was really strong. Every area I pass through there is always a person that reminds me of someone from my family. So our ward mission leader is exactly like my Uncle Kenney. It is so funny and warm. I feel like I am at home. Then there is this new Sister and she is American. And she has a voice exactly like my cousin Angela it is so funny and talks just like her, her manner and what not. I love it. I can always find a piece of home in 5,000 miles away from home.