Week Nineteen - Maybe First Haircut...

Tom's view of Sao Paulo from his room at the MTC

Tom and the new MTC President and his wife.

Tom and Elder Pray at the MTC.

Tom and Elder Pray (and some unknown elder) at the MTC.

HI!              
Holy Moly! I forgot to wish Dad a happy birthday last week. Sorry Dad, I hope you had a good birthday and enjoyed it, even though I wasn´t there...This past week was pretty good. My companion, Elder Reis, and I had a lot of laughs. Still no baptisms but things are slowly getting better. We should have one next week, and yesterday we had a meeting with the bishop and some other leaders of the ward, and they discussed how they could help us. So, things should get a lot better hear pretty soon. Unfortunately, my companion will most likely be transferred next week and I will stay here, so he won´t exactly get to see the "fruit" of his labors, as the scriptures say. My companion also said that he is not going to talk as much, trying to get me to talk more. He started this past week and there were a few awkward moments as I tried to think of stuff to say. We´re teaching one recent convert who has a hard time getting into reading and praying, and she also says she doesn´t like some of the members of the church... and that my companion is annoying. So I ask her "why do you not like anyone? You don´t like my companion, you don´t like so-and-so..." and she said "who  told you that?" Guess what I said in response... "I can hear I am not...(thought for a second)... blind..." Hah, ooohhh learning a language is difficult. Anyways, pretty good week.
              I´m sending more photos home. The first one is the view out the second room I stayed in, at the MTC. Big improvement, I say. The second is a picture with my second MTC president and his wife. He was cool. He made fireworks for a living, not the little stuff, but the kind of stuff Disney Land buys and what they use at concerts and special 4th of july events. He is my second MTC president, I have a picture of my first and I am not sure if I sent it home, so let me know if not. The next picture is of me and a cool guy, Elder Pray, and he is... wait... whats that... Gosh dangit darn sister missionary photo-bombing my picture! I think I have a better picture of me and Elder Pray. Um momento, por favor. Ahah! found it. That´s better... haha, okay, anyways, Elder Pray wasn´t in my district, he was in the other one that arrived at the same time, but he was super cool, super nice, always offered help, and he´s from Las Vegas... that must be difficult for a Mormon.
                 Okay! My response to your e-mail! Thanks for the support while I try new food. For the first time, yesterday, I was asked what I liked to eat, and I was too lazy to explain, so I just said anything... that might´ve been a mistake though. I hope I don´t regret that. Some of the music here is okay. They have a lot of Portuguese covers of English songs. But there's one type of music here that just annoys the crap out of me, and I think its the most popular. Theres no singing, its just a high pitched, annoying rhythm and every few seconds some annoying guy just yells something annoying. That ain´t music! Its just annoying!
             Mom! why´d you ruin the surprise of my birthday present?! My birthday will suck this year! thanks a lot, sheesh! (j/k) Anyways, I´m not sure if they watch sesame street down here. They do have a show with a bunch of puppets here, but they are just about the ugliest puppets I´ve ever seen. And they´ve also got a show called Chaves which is a pretty ugly show, too, if you ask me. Anyways, thanks for the sesame street stickers.
         Thanks for the pics of Toby! I like the first one a lot, it looks like he´s got a big head and a tiny body. And in the second one, it looks like he is contemplating something. Be careful around him, he may try to exact his revenge on you Em...
          But it sounds like this past week was a little sad. I hope this next week won´t be as bad. But good to hear about all the good stuff, and that the Jazz are probably going to the playoffs, even though they probably won´t get far. Its better than last year at least. And wow did this basketball season end fast, i´m still thinking of the last one. Hopefully the next one comes and goes fast.
         Q&A
1)Are you still with the same three missionaries in your apartment?  Have any of them gotten a transfer or do they know if they will get a transfer? When I first arrived, there was one other Norte Americano in the house, but he was transferred so right not there is just me and three Brasileiros.

2)Any packages this past week? (Sorry, but I always have to ask that!) NO!

3)Did you find some better apples last week? YES!

4)Are you getting used to all of the walking?  Are your shoes comfortable or do you get any blisters on your feet? It is getting easier, but the sides of my big toes are swollen, next to the nail. The last day of the MTC, they warned us about ingrown toenails. I´ve been worried about that ever since... They should´ve just said nothing about it. Anyways I think I am okay.

5) I would love it if you could send us a more recent picture of you since you have been in Belem - I want to see how long your hair is and how tan you are! I think you can wait... hardyharharhar...

6)What's keeping you from getting a haircut?  Doesn't your companion get his hair cut?  Are you worried about the language and being able to tell them what you want? I will probably get one today. I know the word for trim, so I will probably just say that a couple times until they get it to where I want it...

Okay, that's it for today. I love you all and miss you, can´t wait to see whats up de novo (again). Have a good week.
            
                  Love, Elder Williams

Week Eighteen - Banana Peels and Adele!

Sao Paulo

The gang in training.

The boys in Brazil!

Bom Dia, Tudo Mundo! 

How´s it going? Good? that´s good. I´m doing pretty good too. This past week was reeeeeally long. This past month was, too but thats okay because it´s over now and the third month in the mission field has just begun! Yahoo, Wahah! It´s ah´me, Mario!.... okay, what now? Hrmmmm. I´m kinda stumped right now, not a lot to say... We found some new people to teach, finally. And we had a little more help from a member, Mery, who said she wants to help us out more, and started asking about who we visit and when and if she can come with to help, so that's really cool. We had lunch at a members house who has a little girl about 9 years old or so, and she wanted to sing to us "someone like you" by Adele... haha that was funny. She could get some of the words but most of them she just mumbled and you couldn´t understand her. All the members here are really nice and helpful (not so much in the missionary work), and they´re all fun to talk to, even though I don´t have a lot to say... yet...maybe some day I will. And that was my week. Pretty cool, huh? you jealous? I would be too. Also, a member here offered to let me use his computer to skype on mothers day, so I think I will try that if I stay here for the next transfer, which I probably will. So do whatever you need to do to prepare the computador for skyping. And now, my reply... to your e-mail. Thanks for the info on apples, that should help a lot. But you better hope I don´t buy mushy apples again and you´re not wrong. If you are, expect a looooong complaint. :) 

My current mish prez is pretty cool. When I had my first interview with him, I told him I played the bass guitar, he said he did too, and then he searched for about 10 minutes to find a DVD of Victor Whooton, a super good bass player that can slap´da bass like a maniac. But I don´t know him enough to say more about him, just that he´s cool. 

Pictures today: another of Sao Paulo, one with my district and Irmao Mauricio (he was one of our instructors and he´s really cool) with Elder Fox making just about the goofiest face ever, another with my district and Mauricio, and my eyes are closed... darn it. And one more of just me and Mauricio. Mauricio was really funny. One day he made the sound of a rooster, I don´t remember why, and on the day before he left, my district wouldn´t let him leave without making the noise again, but he was too embarrassed to do it. So he leaves and like five minutes later he pokes his head through the door and asks "do you want a frog?... riiiibbiit." Haha, ah good times in the MTC. And about the money I still have, I need about 27 more dollors, I only have 113 now. sorry... I guess I forgot how to count. HEY! Don´t get mad at me it was an accident, sheesh. So... yeah 27 more dollars, por favor. Okay, so enjoy the birthdays and weddings without me while I enjoy mine. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA MARTA! I know it won´t be the same with out your oldest grandson but try to enjoy it anyways! :) hehehe, *snicker**snicker**snicker* And all the other news is great too, yada,yada,yada, thats great, can´t focus on it now I need to work. 

1)Any packages this week? I know that I have one coming down and so does Aunt Lisa and Grandma Marta just mailed your birthday package last week. no packages this last week. maybe I will get one tomorrow. 

2)Got your address of your apartment for me yet? Hah! no, addresses here are so confusing. I have a picture of a map with a black dot on it that is mais ou menos (more or less) where our house is. I will send it to you soon. 

3)What kind of food do you eat at member's houses - I was surprised you were served lasagna! I eat rice, beans, spaghetti noodles and some sort of meat, every meal. This past week I think I was served a cooked banana peel... I think... they said it was the casta da banana (cast of the banana? i have no idea) but that was weird. 

4)Have you heard from Justin or Taylor? I sent Taylor's mom your address a while ago because she said Taylor wanted to write to you. Hope they are both well and I think of them, often. No letters from Justin or Taylor yet. I did receive one from Elder Peterson though. He was in my district in the MTC and he was really cool. If possible, get david to ask Ian Schoen for the mission address of his brother, Lucas Schoen. I know you weren´t friends with him, and he might´ve switched schools... so if possible... get it please. 

5)Were the fish crackers I sent you all broken or did they mostly survive the trip? I didn't put any in my last package because I started thinking maybe they would all get broken. Let me know how they came through and if they were OK, I'll put some in the next package. Fish crackers were good. send more please. Mmmmm fishy fishy fishy. 

Okay, thats all for this week. Have a good one. I love you and miss you all and will talk to you again next week! 2 months without a hair cut, going for three! Wish me luck! 

Love Elder Williams

Sunshine Award!

 I was awarded the Sunshine Award by my daughter, Emilee, who is an inspirational blogger and an inspirational person in my life!  As a recipient of the award, I have to answer the following questions and give the award to some other bloggers.

1. Favorite color:  To look at purple, to wear, black!

2. Favorite animal: Sherm and Toby

3. Favorite number:  10 (David's baseball #)

4. Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Tea - any kind - iced, hot, black, green.......

5. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook

6. My Passion: Being with my kids and doing what makes them happy!

7. Getting or Giving:  giving

8. Favorite Pattern:  Circles or dots

9. Favorite day of the week: Friday night/Saturday morning

10. Favorite flower:  Gerber Daisy in bright colors!

11. Celebrity role model:  President Obama - he is truly intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally.  He is above the riff-raff that inundates politics today.  He's a good dad and puts his family first.  He's also a very cool guy!

I would like to bestow the Sunshine Award to the following bloggers:

Emilee Paints - my incredibly talented, smart, funny daughter who inspired me to be a blogger myself!  Her artwork is absolutely amazing and I am so lucky to be her mama!

Joan Watkins, a dear friend and neighbor who shared her son's mission experiences and her life on her blog and inspired me to do the same!

Eli of It Just Gets Stranger because he is one of the best satirical writers I have ever read and he makes me laugh my head off!

And Lisa Foster, a friend and neighbor who reviews restaurants, recipes, books and patterns and who is incredibly talented and creative.  I so much enjoy reading her posts!