January 7, 2013

Did you forget me already? I know I have almost been gone 6 months, but I am just about dying of shock right now that I got to the computer today and didn't have a single e-mail waiting for me. I hope everything is okay because I know you wouldn't forget to write me without a really good reason. First the amount of letters I got began to diminish this last week and now the e-mails too? This is definitely not how I want to start 2013. Since I am trying to develop attributes of Christ I will write you an e-mail anyways because now I know how horrible it feels to be left in the dark for a week. Seriously, I hope there wasn't a big emergency in the family or something. (She did get one email from her parents)

This week I learned how to make cuscuz. I think dad would really like it. Sister Matos makes it in the morning usually and eats it as hot cereal with milk and sugar. We also bought a watermelon this week and ate the whole thing by ourselves. We are trying to eat more fruit and healthy foods instead of the fried snacks we always buy on the side of the road. 

New Year's Eve was uneventful. We went to a BBQ at Clariza's house and then went home at 9 and did our normal planning and went to bed. THEN at midnight due to the noise outside we woke up, looked out the window, saw a couple fireworks, wished each other happy new year and went back to bed. Super lame. I woke up several times during the night because our neighbors were partying all night long. I'm not kidding when I say ALL night. The next morning we woke up and their BBQ had turned into a breakfast BBQ and the music never stopped. We started running in the mornings this week. It is good... sort of. I don't mind running, but then when we are walking in the hot sun in the afternoon and my body is already tired I feel like I am going to die. I forget by the next morning and we go run again though. Oh the sacrifices I make to keep my companion happy. Haha. No Siste Matos is not a difficult companion at all. I love her. I want to be a missionary like her. She is so diligent. Seriously, she just works and works and works and never complains and always looks for ways to improve and things to be happy about. We are working way well together, she is a blessing. I am learning how to be really happy as a missionary. I wasn't unhappy before, but now I am finally learning how to be happy 100% of the time. Even when sad things happen, I can be happy and hopeful. It is good. I am becoming a better person. 

Our ward is loving missionary work now too. The members are our best friends, everyone wants to teach with us. It is so much more fun to be a missionary when the members help and are willing to go to lessons with us. Yesterday in testimony meeting a few of the members who worked with us this week bore their testimonies about what sweet spirits we have and what a pleasure it was to be in our presence. It was probably the best moment of my mission so far, top 5 at least. I was sitting in the congregation just crying tears of joy. Several different people have told me that I have a "doce espirito" (sweet spirit). What an answer to my prayers, finally I am getting some positive feedback from people and I think I am beginning to be able to really express myself in Portuguese. Interesting though that multiple people used this same expression. I think I am more gentle with my words when I speak in Portuguese. Speaking of Portuguese, my accent has turned into the ward joke. Well only when I use the word "tão" to compliment something. It's a word to add emphasis, for example you are "tão bom" would be like you are "so great" and now a bunch of members joke around and say that everything is "tão bom" when they talk to me. It is funny. I am just grateful that I am finally learning how to joke around in Portuguese so people don't tell me I am serious anymore. 

Well that is about it for this week.  Thanks. Love you. Bye