Week Sixty Two - Baptism in Paracuri, Finally!

Carol, Valter, Tom and Bishop Marcio in Paracuri.

Hellooooo Mommy! and whoever else might be reading!

 

What a quick week... WHAT A QUICK TRANSFER! Acabou já!? Egua! Well, our week here went really well. It was easily the best week I´ve had since I arrived here in Paracurí. We did end up having a baptism, finally!!1 FINALLY! Egua! if we didn´t have a baptism I would not be happy. I would´ve passed through Paracurí without doing anything significant! (because I learned about the transfer yesterday, and I´m already heading out to another part of Pará which is super long from here) But this week was good. We taught and baptized Carol, who is the wife of a member here, Valter. I was thinking it would be difficult for her to follow through with her decision to be baptized, because her father is the pastor of the church Assembly of God and they don´t like Mormons much, but she did it, and now she seems completely converted to the church. It doesn´t seem like she has a testimony of the church yet, but she believes Pres. Tom Monson is a prophet of God, so that was good enough for her to be baptized, but she also comprehends the commandments very well, so I think she´ll stay firme e forte in the church.. Egua! I´ve been praying since the second week of the transfer to have at least one baptism while I´m here in Paracurí and eeesh it was difficult. But this baptism was very satisfying. So.... I know that Pai Celestial answers prayers! EEsh! what a fight.

So that´s the first big news. The other big news is that I´m being transferred já... :( Booooo! And I´m going to a city called Santarém, which is about an hour plane ride and a 15 hour boat ride from here, I think. Our neighbor said it can take up to 4 days to get there from here (I think that´s if you don´t get a plane). So I´m going far far away, and I think receiving any letter or package will be very very slow. I think I´ll be spending maybe 2 days in the staff house, here in Belém, before getting the plane, so maybe I´ll get my valentine´s package before going, but if not, I don´t think I´ll get it until a few months from now. But I was hoping to stay at least one more transfer here in Paracurí. Elder Gonzalez was probably my favorite companion that I´ve had so far, and I´m going to miss him. The funny thing is, for him, in his last area his companion was Elder F. Lopes. Elder Gonzalez came to my area, and in this next transfer, Elder F. Lopes will be taking my place here. So he will be companions with Elder F. Lopes 2 times, which is funny. Anyways, the mission is passing fast, and being that my next area is super far away, I´ll probably spend a good amount of time there, maybe, and I think I´ll only have 2 or 3 more areas in my mission (probably 3). AAAgghhh! está acabando!

But anyways.... Q&A
Did you get any packages or letters this past week - if so, who from? Nope, and I´m not expecting any more for a while, but don´t worry I don´t think I need much more letters. I´m very grateful for all the letters and packages and support and love I have already received, but it won´t kill me if I don´t receive any more of that stuff.

Did you get transferred? If you did, where are you now and do you like your companion? Yes, I´m going to Santarém, I don´t know who my companion is yet, I think they forgot to tell me.

Ok, here's a big question for you to think about - do you want Dad and me to come down there and pick you up when your mission is over? We have been talking about it and at first we were thinking it would be really hard to come down there right before Christmas and that maybe you would just want to hurry and get on a plane and come home for Christmas. Then, we started thinking about how cool it would be to see the area you served in and maybe meet some of the people you have gotten to know. We were thinking we could maybe even make it kind of a short trip, like maybe five or six days, total and then we would be home for Christmas, hopefully. I don't think Em could get off work, so it would just be Dad and I and we can't leave Em home for Christmas alone. It's just hard to decide what to do, so we want you to tell us what you are thinking as far as that goes. Don't feel bad if you just want to come home - we can always try to go back in a year or two. But, if you feel strongly about having us come down, then I probably need to start working on Visas and planning. So, that's the big question for this week!..... hrrmmm! That´s a tough one. I´ll be thinking about it this week, especially while I´m on my long trip to Santarém, and I´ll give an answer next week. okay!? okay....

Pics! Our baptism this week. Carol on the left, her husband Valter, who baptized her, me, my companion in the other photo so that you can know what he looks like, and the bishop, Bishop Marcio.

So I guess that´s it. I´ll get some super cool pics while I´m traveling to my new area. Wish me luck and pray for me. I heard that the trips can be a little risky (piranhas!) I love you all. Have a great week. Stay safe, and I´ll talk to yas some more next week.