First week

Monday, September 2, 2013

Hey everybody!!

This week has been so much fun.  I am in an area called Embu das Artes.  It means Mountain of the Artes, or mountain art, or art mountain, most probably the first. But it lives up to it's name. So many hills and stairs and always going up.

Embu das Artes

 It's not too cold at night and the house has blankets for everybody so I don't need to buy one.  This week we had two meetings at the stake center which is in the suburbs but compared to here it is the city.  We took a bus for an hour and a train for 15-20.  Then we walked another 15.  Our area is the second largest in the mission.  In order to get to another neighborhood we take the bus.  The food here is amazing.  The first meal I had was spaghetti, rice, beans, salad, meat and soda.  Then last night we walked for 40 min to the bishop's house to eat my first Brazilian bbq.  Was amazing.  The bishop cooked three steaks per person, also there was rice, salad, chocolate cake, sausages, coke.  And yes, I ate all three steaks.  So amazing.  We also had a baptism yesterday!  We were going to have two, but they weren't able to get to the chapel because we only have one chapel here. It's two stories with the chapel upstairs, and they have to take the bus because they live in the other neighborhood.  But they don't have a lot of money so its really hard for them to come so we didn't have 3, just 1. But this last week we contacted a husband and wife and came back three days later and they told us that they already stopped drinking.  Then they came to church and asked if they could come back again this next week. We already have a baptism date of the 28th for them, they have to get married first though.  A lot of people don't get married here because you have to give money, dowry, or something like that so a lot of people have to get married first.  Got my haircut today, and it was really scary because I already have no idea what they are saying because I only know gospel words. The guy comes in with a glass of something alcoholic and I thought he was a manager or something, then they motion for me to go over to a chair and he walks up and cuts my hair.  He did a good job though.  They use actual razors for part of it so I was a bit nervous during that.  A dog bit my pants, so now I need to go sew that up, didn't bit me though so don't worry.  We have washing machines, but not dryers so we hang everything up.  It's very rural here.  Will send some pics maybe next week of a house with a farm and huge pigs.  So fun though.  The flavelas have some great people.  Attaching some photos of the house and the outside view from the door.

First mission apartment

 The area that I am in is one of the more touristy areas. Yesterday they had a big market where people brought items to sell.  Apparently it happens every week. Wish it happened on p-day. They have people that dress up like statues and they look so realistic, like made of wood or something.  Then when you put some coins in a cup they move, it's so cool.  The language is coming along great.  I am beginning to understand people really well and am starting to speak better.  So cool here.  Wish y'all were here to see it.  Hope all is well.

-Elder Anderson