Nov 12, Spike

November 12, 2008 7:29 AM
What’s up ladies and gentlemen? It sounds like everyone is doing great there in the rain! It’s cold and nasty there. Just waiting for the snow huh? All of the men are headed out of town today for Montana. That should be fun for them and a relief for you ladies! Ha. The men have to put food on the table though. I heard that Jon got a new gun and they went and sited it in and stuff. That is awesome. I miss that kind of stuff. I am on an important mission though. It looked like everyone had a blast on Halloween. I saw all of the pictures from the parties and such. Wyatt was Matt Hassleback. That a boy. It was cool to see them all, but sad also that they are all growing up so stinking fast. I don’t even know a couple of the new little guys either. Nuts. There will be some new faces when I get home. Brynne said that Cade is starting to talk, and do stuff. That is nuts to me. All of the pictures that I have he is super tiny. I was rolling around with him on the ground when I was home. Tell them all that I love them and that I am thinking about them. So this week we had transfers. I am in my new area called Laranjeiras. It is in the North Zone of Manaus and is really close to the airport. There are constantly huge fatty jets flying over my stinking head which naturally makes me super Trunkey. The area is a lot better than my other area. There are tons of people and lots of houses. Our area is huge, and reminds me a little of Boa Vista. One thing that is different is that in this area there is tons of Ladeira or hills. You are constantly going up and down up and down. And the hills are not anything small and somewhat steep. They are humongous and if you put snow on them they could be a black diamond on the ski mountain. It is steep to say the less. It is really hard on my knees, especially my left one, but I have to keep pressing on. It is good practice if I was training to climb Mount Everest or something. But besides that it is cool. There are lots of palm trees, about every kind that exist, and mango trees like mad. I love it. The people in the ward seem super awesome too. The ward is actually a ward now. There are 150 people who are attending now. Usually there is a little more, but they have to get a bus to the chapel in another area because the rented house that we are in now is being remolded. Well be ready the middle of January they are thinking. The investigators from what I have seen are super cool. We even had a family home evening at one ladies house last night and she is not even a member. It’s hard for me to tell who is a member and who is not here. They are all so cool and helpful. The other elders say that this area is super hard to baptize, but I will prove them wrong. We have a marriage and 3 baptisms already this week. Kicking butt and taking names. Talking with everyone is the key. I think of it this way. There are elders who are walking around and don’t talk to people and don’t make contacts. What good is it that they are walking around then? There isn’t. You have to be like the fisherman who has his line in the water always. If you don’t then you’re never going to have success. Talk with everyone. The same thing with the members of the church. Talk with your friends. Share the gospel. So the area is cool, and I am doing well. It is fun seeing the new missionaries learning and growing. They know like nothing in Portuguese and are totally relying on you. I love the gospel. I know that it is so true. There is nothing more that I want than to live the gospel, and to follow in the saviors footsteps. I love the scriptures. I know that when we want to talk with our heavenly father we pray, but when we want our heavenly father to talk to us we read the scriptures. They are pure revelation. I love you all. Keep the faith, and know that I am thinking of you all. Espero que vocês têm uma semana chique no bode!Tchau e se cuida gente,Elder gatten