Bananaul!

Oi! A gente está bem?? Essa semana foi legal! Mas está fazendo 100 degrees esses dias, então, estou tendo algumas problemas. MAS! Não GRANDE problemas, sabe, só pequenas.
Basically I use an umbrella everyday, and carry a block of ice (aka my water bottle frozen) in my hand during the hottest hours of the day. They weren´t kidding though when they said Janaúba faz calor.
BUT regardless, I´m SO happy right now. So so happy. The other day I was feeling a little frustrated with some really small obstacles (to be honest it was trying to decide if I wanted to walk with in my heels from using my sandals, or walk with blisters on my ankles from using my shoes. Solution: Sis. Sorenson´s moleskin.. )
I wasn´t SAD, I was just trying to figure out how to make it work so it didn´t get in the way of the work. Anyway, the next day I was reading a story about some missionaries who´s trials were A MILLION times more than my little itty bitty ones!!! AKA:
ALMA and AMULEK! (alma chap. 14!!) And oh my goodness!!! It seriously humbled me so much! I´m SO thankful to be in the mission I´m in, in the area that I´m in, with the people I work with! Having taught people, and seen people accept the message- I can´t even imagine how hard it would be to watch those people be thrown into a fire FOR accepting it!!!!!!!!!! The people here are so amazing, so humble, so giving, so HAPPY! I love it! Even when they don´t want to hear our message they invite us in and feed us. The other night we were doing contacts, and Sis. Sorenson said “Oi! Boa noite, nos somos repre-“ and the guy said “Hi! Come in!” just smiling, a sweet little old guy, just sitting in his driveway. He had no idea what she was going to say, or who she was, but he just welcomed us in! We went back the next day with the Elders (they did a division with us) and he was such a sweet little old guy.
Anyway, point is, I´m extremely grateful for the blessings in my life- and the trials! Because the trials are when we learn the most.
Right now our investigators (that are the most firm) are Leila, Maíra and Welligton. Yesterday Leila and Maíra had their baptismal interviews (woo!) so that´s exciting. I love those s! Leila is 23, and she´s ELECT for sure. She´s so SO sweet. She has 2 adorable little s. We had a birthday party with them. (I´ll throw on some pictures) And Maíra is 16, and she´s in the brasilian equivalent of CAP. But she´s a very deep, very smart . Welligton is 15, and he´s a very happy guy, he´s already been taught by the elders, like 2 years ago, but he went on a vacation the week he was supposed to be baptized, so he never was. THEN he was living with his Dad, and his dad wouldn´t sign the paper to let him get baptized NOW. But then he moved in with his mom, who is all about it- SO! Woop! Its amazing how the Lord works!! I know without a doubt that the Lord very carefully prepared these people to hear His message- and what an amazing privilege to be a part of it!
The other night sis. Sorenson and I Were talking about how the world is in a lot of chaos (it all started with this random guy we contacted who when he was talking to us said something that I´d never thought of before- he said “the whole world is waiting to see who will be elected the next president of the United States.” And I realized its true. Crazy. Be wise when voting ok? Oh, but DO vote!!!! But pray for our leaders too. They need it.) and it was such a relief to know that I´m doing all I can to help DEMINISH the chaos in this world. What a priceless feeling.
Anyway, I just wanted to remind EEEEEEEEEEVERYONE to be working on food storage. I know it´s not always easy to save up food storage, but if there were any sort of a natural disaster, I guarantee it would be harder. SO! Trust in the Lord! *1 nephi 3:7!* He asked us by means of His prophets to have food storage, and that means there is a way for EVERY single person to have it! Vamos lá!
Oh, hey so you know that phrase “ignorance is bliss” I just wanted to make sure EVERYONE is aware, that THAT is false advertising! Observe: D&C 131:6
And then there is that other scripture in D&C that I cant remember now where it is, that says those who gain more knowledge in this life will have a greater advantage in the next life. SO! Use this time, this LIFE to learn as much as you can! The Holy Ghost is the BEST teacher and illuminator there is, so work to be worthy of that enlightenment WHILE doing all YOU can to learn!
Next thought: I just want everyone to think about this: Luke 12:32
****What does this mean to you? How does understanding this effect YOUR life?****

Ok, well one last thought that is completely unrelated to anything religious:
The other day I walked past a store and saw the CUTEST shirt that I wanted to get for Alex for his birthday- but I´m a missionary –aka broke, and without time to buy and send it. SO here´s the link so he can at least see my good intentions (it was on the tag)
http://www.zigzigzaa.com.br/ it’s a shirt that has a map of brasil and Portugal on it and says something about exploring or discovering. Its rad.
K well! I love you all, and miss you all looooooooooooooots and lots!!
**At lunch yesterday Elder Almeira and I were talking about how cool the Cure is.. oh, que saudades!***
Please email more pictures of just any and everything! I´d love to see M&M´s new place.
And MOM!!! Remember when I asked for the pictures of our house –the ones that are on my facebook? It´d be great to get those. 
KLOVE YOUALL! Byeee. Tchão

-tegan and sara are still in my head. it is AWESOME.

Pictures:
-"imagine" in portuguese.. sweet..

-Leila at her daughters birthday party that we threw! L to R:
Cyntia (leila´s cousin), Sandra (in back, she´s a member that came with us), Leila, Aisha (who´s birthday it was! woop! one year!) and Lara (who is five)

-Our service project this week (which I COMPLETELY forgot to mention! oops..) was at the BANANAUL!! We went to a banana jungle- if you will- and with big huge Scifes (sp?) cute off all the branches. and Ate lots of bananas. Then took a bunch home.. ooooh it was amazing. The bananas here are 10x better tasting than the ones there. Sorry pals.

- Elder Saucedo and Elder Barbosa chilling in the banana farmland.

-walking back after. Yay! It was a million degrees I´m pretty sure..

- This is the river that EVERYONE washes their clothes in. If you zoom up you can see a group of ladies washing their clothes. Its pretty surreal. I love this place.