Elder Akina's Mission in Brazil: Week 7 Portal Bordon

Hey Mom!!! Ha ha, I'm safe! Sorry, yeah dad was right - - I missed my P-day because of transfers. I didn´t get my box that you sent for me at the mission home, it is here in Brazil but I have to pay 260 reals to get it (130$), and I don't have the money. It's okay I'll figure it out, ha ha I've been sleeping on a matress with no sheet and a pillow with not pillow case on it! Apparently you fill out a form when you send a package to Brazil and when you do, if all the stuff amounts to over 50$ I will have to pay for it. The President said be very general when you list stuff. (Money added to debit card - - go get the box!)

I'm doing great! I got assigned to open a new area, called Portal Bordon, with my companion Elder Fernandez. It's hard work man. When first got here we got home to an empty little 2 bedroom house. All of the stuff came in the next day. The area is sweet, man I love it, you walk a lot! The members that live in the area are so cool too. It's hard starting out in a new area because you don't have that many referrals, so you start from the ground up. Street contacting and knocking doors, I love it!

There are some areas in the mission they're averaging 2 baptisms a week, but I like it better like this, so when your investigators do get baptized you can say I found them. We've been working hard and the people here are super cool, like you say you got a message about Jesus Christ - - they're all for it man.

When you get in someones house the first question is, "you want juice? Let me go make juice!" The first couple of times Id' say, "Oh, no thank you, we're good - - but they don't listen. ha - - ha they will make sure you get juice! We're not allowed to drink the water in this area - - but its kinda like dad in Venezuela when they make it for you, you drink it. I've had diarrhea for like 4 days ha - - ha, just getting used to the food and water and stuff, nothing serious. Here we eat lunch with members, not dinner. We don't even eat dinner, it's crazy how the mission works. Like the other day we worked all day, had like an hour lunch then kept on going! We got home at like 9:45 and I sat down on my bed and was like, dang my leg has been hurting all day, but you don't really notice cuz your always teaching and helping other people.

We have made a ton of contacts and we'll set up an appointment with them, and a lot of people flake it's really annoying! I think I've heard some of the craziest excuses this week then in like my whole life ha - - ha. On Wednesday we had an appointment with a guy who we made contact with on the street, but he didn't live in our area. We still took his address down and we got permission from the zone leader to go and teach him, 1 hour and 15 minute walk. We find his house, he answers, we say - - hey we're the missionaries remember us? He says, yeah hey look guys I'm just not interested anymore, sorry and he closed the door. My companion and I looked at each other, exhaled and we walked 1 hour 15 back, ha - - ha.

I love teaching and testifying in these houses and streets, the people get so excited when you tell them about Jesus. Oh yeah, you don't knock on doors, you clap outside them - - its kinda weird. A lot of the houses don't have doors any ways. There are 2 other missionaries that got sent with us to this new area, so it's divided Portal Bordon A and B. My companion is my trainer, he's from Peru, he's little. He's been out 7 months and he speaks like perfect Portuguese, he's kinda small. We work well together.

The language is coming, people talk super fast I can understand if they slow down, but if they're talking fast I just try to pick out the words I hear and know then draw like a conclusion as to what they're saying. I feel like I can talk way better then I can understand. But it's coming a long.

Hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving, ha - - ha we didn't have one. There's no such thing here, I didn't even realize it was Thanksgiving 'til my companion and I got home and were planning for the next day, I saw the date in my planner. I was like, "Oh, today was Thanksgiving - - ha ha.

But all is well, just teaching and walking, and then more walking, ha- - ha.

I love you guys!!! I'll send pictures in a separate e mail. Tchau