Week 8

It’s another hot day... haha surprise! But the work down here goes on. We have been working a lot with the members down here; Wednesday we did a division so it was just me and a member... AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! haha I asked him how old he was he said 23... I dint believe him I thought he was like 17... maybe 18… turns out he is 23 haha. But anyway it was good; the Lord helped me and provided for me and him; we taught 4 lessons and got some new investigators so it was a good day all in all. Just a bit nerve-racking.

Yesterday we were riding the bus back from lunch and like the buses here have gates so you have to pay and then you pass through the gate. I was getting my money out not holding onto anything and we took this turn really fast, and I flew across the bus and almost fell into the lap of a woman and her baby... she just looked at me and the day went on... Elder Ferreira thought it was so funny ... and it was.

Elder Harding and me (3 weeks ago) at a Catholic Church-very similar to cover of Preach My Gospel

Last night we had a meeting... I don’t know what to call it; it was all the priesthood leaders in the ward and then the priests... I’m not familiar with a meeting like that but anyway it was fun, I was sitting there trying to figure out all the things that were going on... And I felt like I imagine the founding fathers felt when they were writing the Declaration of Independence; in a hot, crowded room, discussing things and not really getting anywhere... but it was only an hour; it ended very abruptly, someone said it has been an hour, every one stopped, said a prayer and left... it was strange... but we did set a date for an activity on the 10^th of March where we are having a Chocolate night... I don’t know what that entails but I am guessing I will get to eat chocolate so I am all for it haha.

Life is good, the work is going on, and many prayers are being answered, so please keep me in them :) LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Love Elder Howe

Video of Elder Howe's House

Week 7-New Companion!

So I got a new companion this week his name is Elder Ferreira. He is from Sao Paulo and funny enough he will also be finishing his mission at the end of the transfer... hah in the mission they call it "killing" when you’re the last companion of someone... I am killing all my companions! haha

So Elder Ferreira is really awesome, and He is a great missionary, I have been blessed with two companions with much experience and both are finishing their missions with as much vigor as possible. It is truly a blessing to learn as much as possible from these Elders; all the things that they have learned in 2 years I'm trying to pick up every day so I won’t have to go through the same learning process. Elder Ferreira is a Boss and I look forward to the next 5 weeks with him. He knows enough English that I can communicate well enough with him. But my Portuguese has defiantly improved in the last week with him. I hope it keeps on getting better!

We celebrated Elder Ferreira’s 21st birthday Saturday by ordering a pizza and it was really good!  AND HUGE... I hope to eat more pizza while down here. The rice is filling but I think it’s giving me acid reflux... haha or maybe I just need to eat less I don’t know…haha. Down here they have good juice; it’s like different flavors because they have different fruits then in the USA.

It has begun to rain; the last transfer we only got caught in the rain like 3 times in those 6 weeks but this past week we have already matched that number so it’s always nice to carry an umbrella; when it rains it pours!

This week is Carnival, like Marti-gras but in Brazil. We have to be in our house at 6pm every night... until Tuesday so it’s been a bummer for trying to work because evening is the best time to find people to teach.

Portuguese is going well, I understand almost all when I read, then listening I understand a little less, and speaking is less than that so I hope in the next 5 weeks to have them all at the same level and be completely fluent and be able to express myself in Portuguese as well as I can in English... I need prayers :) haha

Well that’s about all for this week in Brazil. Love you guys and miss you all!!!

 Man the Hour on these computers is so not an hour!

Elder Cooper (my MTC companion)

Elder Harding, my first in-the-field companion. Gummy Bear War!

Elder Harding

Elder Harding and I out in the field, litterally

Elder Harding and me

NEW COMPANION; Elder Ferreira

My 'area'

Elder Ferreira's 21st Birthday Celebration!

End of the 1st Transfer

HELLO!!!

First the Valentines Day package was AWESOME!!!!  It totally made my month. So…HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE... (Tomorrow)!!!! This week was pretty awesome, it was Elder Harding’s last week so we tried our best to teach more then we have the past 6 weeks.

We have this one really awesome man who went to church with us last Sunday after we picked him up on the road; we were teaching him all week, getting him ready for baptism, he was reading and understanding and changing; I don’t really know how to describe it but every day we would go visit him he seemed cleaner, and happier. He wife even told us that she was seeing changes in him for the better. We were going to baptize him last night but he wants another week to study some more and get better prepared for baptism.

Today is Elder Harding’s last day; he has an interview tonight so we are in "central" (like downtown) for the day and night. Tomorrow morning I will get my new companion then we will head back to our area and get to work. It’s sad that Elder Harding is going home but he has served his 2 years with all his heart, might, mind, and strength; we only get 2 years to go and live every day without regrets.

Sorry no pictures today, I left my cord at the apartment in our area. Next week for sure I’ll have pictures with my companion and a tour of my house and everything! You guys will enjoy it, hahah

I don’t really know what you guys want to know... hahaha. The Ward is really good, they support us and feed us lunch every day (except P-day).  Down here we eat lunch because dinner time is when everyone is in their homes; we are able to teach the most after 4:30 until 9:00.

Random thought: down here they use 24 hour clocks but they still say the time as if they didn’t.... it’s interesting.  Well that is about all I miss you guys and love you all.

Thanks everyone who has sent me a letter they always brighten my week! Thank you!!!

Love

Elder Howe

New postage rates!

Postage rates to Brazil have increased from $0.98 to $1.05 for a letter. See side box for mailing address. 

5th week?

HEY!!! 

This week was really awesome! A bit hot but awesome!! The Portuguese is coming along. When the people talk slow I can almost always understand them; and most the time I don’t have to translate it in my head, it just kind of happens... haha. There is still TON for me to learn but Elder Harding is really good at helping me with the pronunciation and all that jazz. I am almost done with the Livro de Mórmon should just be another week. It’s kind of crazy how much my language skills have I'm proved just by reading the Book of Mormon. Definitely has been a testimony builder for me, I know that book has power! 

I got my camera today!!! Next week I will have pictures to send and you guys will know what it looks like down here hahah. I guess the camera won’t be able to show you how hot it is but just know it’s hot. Today it was 38C which is 100.4F hahah and today is cloudy. (Don’t worry mom I’ve been using sunscreen everyday, but I still have a sick watch tan... and tan from my shirt). Haha last night this little kid he was 4 was just playing with my watch for the whole lesson he loved how it lighted (is that a word?) up and glowed (is that a word?) ehh my brain not the strongest in the language department right now. I always laugh at Elder Harding because he sometimes doesn’t know the English word... but I hope that happens to me here some day soon haha. 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, it was really good, and unlike last month I understood most of it. The testimonies were very simple and strong. We had an investigator (kind of he was just a guy we passed on the street who decided to come with us) and at the end we asked him what he thought, he said... this was great you guys know how to run a meeting. Haha. Its kind of crazy down here; people just go to what ever church they feel like... there are some many churches its crazy, like seriously there is 2 on every block at least!!! On Friday night we are walking home and we walk home past a lot of churches and a lot of times people in the churches will turn and look at us... they feel the spirit we have and it is missing in their meeting and they want it... they stop and turn and look at us, or sometimes people stare at us... maybe we are really good looking but I think they can sense the sprit with us.

I love you all and miss you guys! Please keep me in your prayers, the lord is protecting me and watching out for me. His hand is in this work.

Elder Howe