4 Maio 2009

First ,thanks for the birthday wishes!!! My comp made me breakfast this morning and a sign that said "Parabéns! Feliz Aniversario! 22...Brasil, 23...Brasil, 24...Europe, asia, the world, who knows?! 100...Mundo espíritual!" (spirit world) She´s awesome =] I also think its funny they say "congratulations!" for your birthday, like "congrats for not dying! congrats on being born!" Love those quicky culture tidbits.

To make my birthday more fun, our water ceased to function, so we´re using our drinking water until further notice.

Dad, to answer your bazillion questions: we get a monthly allowence of R$220 for food and stuff,and other money for transportation. Yes, I can use my own card if I need to. We´re really not out in the sticks at all. Caruaru is a big city/town, there are two branches and two areas. The Elders have the other area. It also has some of the best shopping i´ve ever seen. Lindsay, you would love it here. It´s also one of the safest areas. We got here by a van the church rented, since so many people come out to this area. We have a laundry room in our little apartment--just a washer and a bunch of lines for drying clothes. We have a little gas stove for cooking and a fridge and a table and a sink and a little study area and two bedrooms, one we sleep in, and the other that my stuff is in, so we both have our own bathrooms. It´s awesome.Showers here are so funny. It´s an electric shower head that heats up the water as it goes through it. Not safe, but there arent any other kinds. Oh well. Today I took a shower by filling up a bowl with water and using a towel.

The language is coming along just fine. I was surprised the other day to realize how much I understand after just two weeks. The accent up here is way different, so it takes some getting used to. It´s like someone learning English in Britian and then going to Alabama.

I´ve become good friends with two girls in the other ward, Renata e Rafaela. They are HILARIOUS and love the sisters and speak SUPER fast but love to talk to me. Honestly, it´s helped more than anything. But wow, I love them. Í´ll try and get a picture with them for next week.

Some other fun things!
-Brasilians are tone deaf, seriously. But I love it because even though they don´t know the notes they sing loud and they sing with their whole hearts.
-Buses here are like riding Star Tours at Disneyland. I love it.
-Bugs... everywhere... crawling on me. Uncle Shawn said I´ll get used to it... ugh.
-I swear there are more pregnant women here than Provo.
-Sidewalks here are the most dangerous thing. Rule #1 in Brasil is never look up from the ground, because the moment you do, you´ll fall flat on your face. I´ve had a couple close calls.
-We have some churches here that remind me of southern baptists, with the preacher yelling and stuff. so funny.
-Smart thing of the week: I spilled laundry detergent in my brand new box of cereal. Sigh.

We had my first baptism on Saturday! Mercia. She is SOLID. It was so cool. Her sisters were supposed to be baptised with her, but they´re having fear. They believe and have a testimony, but are having trouble showing their faith through their action. One important thing I´ve learned is that if you know something or believe something, it´s useless unless you DO something with it. If you know the church is true but act like it isn´t, that knowledge isnt going to save you.

We have a few other progressing investigators. We have two families who are solid also, but they have to get married. Huge problem here in Brasil. It´s expensinve to get married, so people just live together their whole lives. We´ve also taught some good people, but we´ll see where that goes. We had one guy commited to baptism, but then he didnt come to church, so we have to wait.

Satan tries SO hard to discourge you, its ridículo. Also, at the moment when you´re explaining the first visão or starting a lesson or bearing your testimony or commiting someone, at that moment a huge bus drives by and its noisey, or the phone rings or babies start crying. Stupid satan. But we have God on our side, and I know that if I work hard, it will pay off. God isnt going to waste time or recources (aka, me!)

Thanks everyone for keeping me updated on life!!!! I love hearing about the things you´re doing and its good to know people are doing well. I´m so glad Riley is doing better--let him know I´ve been fasting and praying for him this whole time!!! And Shawn, thanks for the email with the pictures. I was laughing out loud =]

Com todo meu amor,~Sis Wilkinson