Letter #11

Sorry I have not kept up with the posting but I will make it a resolution this year.  So let's catch up.  I will post them in order dates will be on top.

11/28/11

Dear family,
Sorry not telling where I was serving. I am serving in Vandeza Grande, I believe. It is a city near Cuiaba. It is basically a swamp/bog and there is trash everywhere lol. It is basically the redneck area of Brasil and everyone here technically doesn´t speak correctly, thus why I have been confused sometimes when they speak.  P days are on Mondays and I am required to write to my family everyday, so I will be able to send letters once a week. I don´t know how they do the phone call thing and I will be sure to ask.  This week was pretty tough. A lot of our new investigators are not progressing and Eduardo and Leanne are not keeping all their commitments. They are planed to be married and baptized in 3 weeks, so we are hoping they will try a little harder and hopefully come to church the next couple of weeks.  We had two investigators actually come to church. They said they liked it and it was good. they also said they would read and pray. So hopefully we may have some progress there.  My head hurts everyday but sometime it feels like I am understanding more every day. I have a goal to learn 15 new words everyday and then read the LDM as well as practice speaking and understanding the lessons. Some days I feel really nervous but as soon as I start working I am just fine. God blesses me everyday and I try my best to speak and help the people. I not going to lie I miss home a lot but when I working I able to forget myself and just let the Holy Ghost do its job. Today I think I am giving a lesson in the Gospel Principles book. It is for family night for Eduardo´s family. So I going to be praying a lot today like everyday.  I have learned that the Book of Mormon is priceless to me and I love reading the scriptures, which I always have but I have gained a greater understanding of their power in my life. I have also come to understand that I need pray as well as I want to pray every moment I can. Its like wanting water everyday cause its so hot. Speaking of hot, I guess it gets pretty hot in dec to march/April so I guess this is nothing but its not too bad so far, it more like it sucks to be sticky and you feel like you are slowly baking, unlike AZ where you are roasting away. Well I love you all and pray that all you guys are being blessed and having a great time.
Elder Richard Scott Searle