Conference is this week

Oi. Boa tarde. Tudo bem? Que bom. QUE ÒTIMO!Things are going well here too. This week we had ZONE CONFERENCE! Which- as always, was fantastic. Only this one was REALLY really awesome. It was about the atonement of Jesus Christ. The whole zone fasted during the conference so that we would be as spiritually in tune as possible. It was really really cool. The trip was a bit odd though because usually when we go to Montes Claros (it´s a city about 2 ½ .to 3 hours away from here, where the zone leaders work, and where we go for conferences and things of that nature) we would go the night before, sleep over at the sister´s house, then leave the next night. But the sister´s zone there was closed this last transfer, so now there aren´t any sisters in montes claros. Just elders. SO, the zone leader´s slept at the other elders in the area´s house, and we slept at the zone leaders house. But the COOL part was, Elder Almeida has AWESOME music! And so I got to listen to it all, and he´s going to make me a copy. He has this reggae band that is Christian, so they sing all good things, but its straight up reggae! Haha! Oh, I´m definitely getting that one. Elder Almeida is super rad, he likes the cure! Woot! Anyway, it got me thinking, does gwen still have that cd of the girl that sounds like Tori? Remember all that music she showed us a few years back (as in like 5 years back.. weird..)? I wish I had copied all those cd´s. Anyway, I like music. But don´t get me wrong, I have plenty of music to listen to! I just always love music. … anyway.. moving on… ***so here is something that only a select few will appreciate: There is a kid in our branch named Wesley, and the other day it dawned on me: HE is the brasilian version of the LEPRECHAUN from Finian´s rainbow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (no wendee, I don´t have a crush on him.) SO, one of these day´s I´m going to make a video of him so that someday I can show you guys. It´s priceless. He´s a rad kid too. Oh hey, in case anyone DIDN´T know, RICE would be a really good thing to have in food storages. Lots of it. But in water proof containers. Vai lá. OH hey, I just realized I forgot to mention that a while back, like 2 weeks ago or so, I GAVE A TALK IN CHURCH! It was pretty much terrifying, and I´m not sure than anyone understood me.. But it was a good experience. It was about the connection between charity and missionary work. But I really wanted to emphasize that that includes VISITING TEACHING and HOME TEACHING as well! But I ended up talking about that so long that I didn´t ever reach missionary work.. whoops..It was pretty funny, the Branch president kicked my foot to let me know I needed to stop talking.. lol.I´m really REALLY trying to speak Portuguese these days because I realized:If I don´t speak Portuguese here, in brasil- with people who know this language- HOW will I ever have the self control to learn to speak all the other languages that I want to speak???? Among all the other millions of reasons I need to be improving my Portuguese. Don´t get me wrong, I never STOPPED trying to learn, but I just got lazy and speak English with everyone (Sis. Sorenson, Elder Saucedo – we NEVER speak Portuguese!) But this past week I´ve been trying really hard to speak Portuguese with them. They´ve been good to help me with it too. SO. Hopefully I´m progressing. Theoretically I am. This morning I Was reading the bible (I don´t remember where now, somewhere in Isaiah) and I was filled with jooooooooooy as I read the words “den of thieves” **A moment of silence in honor of my love for regina spektor**
Ok, but seriously, this morning as I was reading the scriptures it hit me, as it does almost every day, the MASTER PIECE that is the scriptures. Really, they are a priceless guide in our lives. I´m recognizing on a daily basis how LOST I would be without them, and how lost some people ARE because they don´t know how to find the answer´s they´re looking for. I don´t know how to justly express this thought. The Lord truly does teach line upon line- but if we don´t continually read the scriptures and search them diligently, there is NO way for us to make it to the next line! Learning is a two way thing. He promises to help us understand, but it´s not possible without doing our part.Another thing I learned this week is from a verse I read in D &C, which now I don´t remember in the slightest where it is ( :s that´s helpful huh?) But the Lord was telling someone that in order to protect them from being tempted beyond what they could bear, they need to sell their farm. Imagine having to sell your home, with NO other prospect home in sight- I´m sure it wasn´t easy to see this as a blessing or an act of love on the Lord´s part- but it was! Our eternal salvation is WAY more important than where we are living. It got me thinking about the trials of poverty. Sometimes we pray and pray for prosperity, but I personally haven´t thanked the Lord from protecting me from the dangers of greed and pride that sometimes come with prosperity. Truly the Lord knows us and knows what experiences we need to have to grow and learn.My teacher in the Provo MTC once said “The Lord knows what experiences we need to have so that we can become like Him, and provides opportunities accordingly.”All in all, the Lord is trust worthy. So trust Him. Trust that He´s taking care of us, and so long as we fulfill all OUR responsibilities- we´ll reach our full potential in this life SO THAT we can be eternally free in the next.
I am in love with peanuts. I eat a small bag of them everyday.
Oh hey, mom will you text danny (or if he reads the blog, which would be cool in general, then he can just read this) and tell him I said happy birthday yesterday.Unless I remembered entirely wrong and his birthday wasn´t yesterday at all.. then you can just skip the happy birthday and tell him hi.. and thanks for the awesome letters/package..
WHICH REMINDS ME:This is VERY important.
VERY.
Is everyone paying attention???
*********ImPoRtaNtE!!!*******************
I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed need need needEveryone´s birthdays. Principally the DUTCHERS. I never remembered their birthdays when I WORKED there, there is NO way for me to remember their birthdays here!!! So I need a list! But also just so I don´t get mixed up or so caught up I forget, I´d really love to have everyone elses bday´s too. So here´s a list of who I need:

MomRussPapiJennRandyChelseyMichaelMarinBlakeChristinaIvanWendeeAlexRobbieMatthewKailaJaxonThe entire Dutcher familyThe entire Rush family(including Wendy & Dave and their kids.)The entire Liebing family(Including Rachel & Chris, and obviously Marie & Brian)Mark JohnsonAshley WaltonDanny WilkinsCheo Chavarria (cause goodness know´s I´ve never been good at remember your birthday.. sorry pal.. not because I don´t care though! o.O)Jake MaciasMargaret HuntingtonHalei LudlowBecca I-can´t-spell-your-last-name-sorry-hoetger(?)
In reality I´d love tons more, but I´ll leave it at this for now.Now this list DOESN´T mean that I´ve forgotten your birthday, just that I don´t WANT to. (besides cheo, I really have no idea why I can´t ever remember your birthday.. it was june right? Like the 6th? …. You´re super. )
Anyway, so yeah. That´s that. This is normally where I´d attach pictures, but this computer hates me in almost every aspect, so it´s refusing to read my card. Woot! Next week.Hey mom! Thanks for the FHE idea´s! It´s always a treat to get mail in general, but it was nice that it was useful, had a picture, AND a letter! WOO! This week´s best letter award definitely goes to you mom!! Anyway, there are about 10-15 ladies that come to RS depending on the week. If it´s a really good week, 20. They DON´T have a copy machine, but they have a printer. But anyway, the RS is run by the presidency, and they´re pretty good, but the missionaries teach the Sunday school class, and we organize a ward activity about once a week. I love this branch though, there are a lot of really cool people here. In general Janaúba is the hip-happenin´place! Haha. No but seriously. It´s cool here.Anyway, just a reminder that you can send letters to either the mission address or my “saudades” address, but the mission address letters I won´t get for about 4 weeks. But Christmas stuff has to be sent by oct. 15, and marked “chistmas” .Its likely though that after this transfer I´ll stay here for ANOTHER transfer, so yeah. Write me saudade style.
OH, so here´s something I want everyone to enjoy Thoroughly:
..:*¨+GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!+¨*:..Being that we´re at the end of the world, we have to wait for Montes Claros to record it, and then at some point bring it up here. SO- we have to wait a while before we get to watch it I personally am totally bummed. Conference is my FAVORITE event of the year. Bah. Also, they don´t sell reeses pieces here, so I´m not sure how to play conference bingo this year… well that and I don´t have the conference bingo papers.. but still, the reeses pieces were always the important part anyway.But seriously, I´m really sad that we have to wait, and STRESSED OUT OF MY MIND because we aren´t ALLOWED (call me crazy, but I have a hard time with this one) to watch the Saturday session without an investigator. AaaaaaAAah! But that´s motive to work really hard to get at least SOMEONE to the Saturday session. But still. STressfull. Especially since I don´t know WHEN we´ll have it up here. Probably 2 weeks from now. Give or take.Anyway, so soak it in everyone. REeaaLLy soak it in. Do NOT take it for granted this year. It´s SO easy to do, but FIGHT it!!! Go on a hike up the canyon and listen to the Saturday session with the whole family together, k?? Or do something that will help you to recognize how precious it is- and to help you remember it! Make it the event it is! Anyway. I love you all. I´m grateful to be here and to be a missionary. I love brasil!!!!Someone please take pictures of fall for me. pleeeeeeeeeeEEeaaaseEee. (that includes you PA people, don´t be selfish with that beauty over there. Ooo. Go visit boston…)KLOVEYOUBYE!