Week Eighty Nine - "I talked I walked I taught I baptized, the week was good..."

Tom's second to last zone conference in Santarem!

Elders Obidos, Redding, Ramos and Tom!

A crab has Tom's name tag!

Hello My Family!

       Egua do muleque! that pic of terbs and sherm is too cute. I miss my dogs pra caramba now! But pois é. Today is Wednesday, you asked why am I on the comp on a Wednesday. I will tell you why. This Monday we had zone conference in Santarém. Sunday night we got a boat ride there, we arrived at 4 in the morning more or less but just slept until 6 because the boat doesn´t go anywhere after and the taxi was only going to come get us at 6.  So Monday we had our zone conference, which was okay. I thought it was going to be my last already but Papai Scisci says there will be one more in November, so I didn´t have to give my farewell testimony yet. While there in Santarém, I received about a dozen letters from Grandma Win/Winn?Wyn..... forgot how to spell your name Egua que vergonha... But thank you very much for informing me so much about what´s going on at home. I also received a letter from Cindy Neilson. Egua! Rebeca (I think) is already in the 9th grade.... Eeesh Maria! Life passes fast. Thank you very much to the Neilsons for the letter! I also received a letter from my amigão Justin! It was great hearing from him again. Sounds like he passed through some trials in his mission but holy smokes he still cracks me up!  And I received a letter from dad. Thanks for the uplifting words papai! I´m grateful for all the love and support I receive from you and everyone else at home. Sorry I don´t express my love and gratitude as much as I should to all yous at home. Me perdoe, por favor. About the package.... I guess one missionary heard that I said that everyone there could eat what´s in my package (I think he heard wrong) so they decided to open it without asking me if it was true, which annoyed me a little bit... but whatever. Já era. 3 months from now I can enjoy all the the states have. I heard a few missionaries talking in Santarém about how their e-mails also say the same stuff over and over and over. "I talked I walked I taught I baptized, the week was good..." Hey! after this week I will be the oldest missionary in the zone (as in more time in the mission field) and there are only 2 others in the entire mission that have more time than me and my group... Egua do muleque.... EESSH MARIA now I`m nervous!

        But this past week was okay. I talked... I walked.... I taught.... but I didn´t baptize unfortunately. We had 3 people that could´ve been baptized but as the weekend came they all lost the desire.... The enemy works hard against the work of the Lord. But that´s about it for the week. This week is the last one of the transfer. Egua it passes sooo fast!

Q&A

Did you meet with your mission president this past week?  If so, how did it go? Yes I did. It was okay. As usual I don´t remember much of what was said but the feelings are neat there. There was a video of a talk given by President Claudio Costa of the 70 presidency in the Brazil MTC which was really cool. I think he´s one of my favorites of the 70.

Do you still have the same pack that we bought you at Mr. Mac or are you using something else?  I can't tell from your pictures. I use a pack given to me in my second area. I just use the pac from Mr. Mac to carry bigger books when I´m transferred.

Other than Santerem, is there any other place you really want us to see while we are there? I think all other places are accessible from Belém, without having to get a plane or pay 100s of reais. But we don´t need to stay a few days in Santarém Just one day is fine. I just want you guys to see Alter do Chão rapidão (super fast).

Your dad wants to go on a boat up the Amazon - are there places there that you can just go to and purchase a boat ride? I think there are....

Be thinking about anything you want us to bring you when we come - like more casual clothes, shorts, tee shirts, your converse shoes? I am hoping your mission president is ok with you wearing normal clothes when you are with us. Bring my ipod..... and I guess you can bring some clothes and my converse... my old ratty ones por favor! If I can´t use them, whatev!

Did you get your package yet? Any other packages or letters? Already explained.

Pics! A crab got my name tag!

Pic of the zone conference with a stupid camera in front and a pic of my companion, the 2 Elders from the second most distant area of the mission, Obidos, Elder Redding and Elder Ramos and I.

Unfortunately it seems like the pic of the zone conference didn´t get everyone. But that´s all for this week. I love you all, hope you have a great week. Stay safe and maybe I talk to yas agains Monday. Tchau Tchau!

Love Elder R. Williams