Was that all really in a week?

12/03/2008

Hey Everyone (hopfully that last email made you smile)
 
CAUTION:  When walking in Brasil beware of all the low hanging clothes lines, 

this is no joke, The will, WILL, destroy you.  nuff said...
 
  This week has been packed full of activities, i don´t even know where to 

start.  Ok thats a lie i do.  I wanna start right were i left off.  Actually 

more like left out, last week i forgot to tell you i saw a dead person and 

almost got caught in an explosion.  Both of which are over exagerations but 

at the time i was a bit lost.  The first was a the result of not knowing 

portuguese and suddenly finding my self at an open casket wake (is that the 

proper term?) There was the bishop wearing a black tie, my companion in all 

black and me...in bright orange, awesome.  This time i can actually explain 

the explostion as i watched E Guerra through something in mine and E Whitehead´s 

direction, running away from what i recognized as a wick i didn´t even think to 

cover my ears.  Mistake, grant it this thing was not as loud as the firecracker 

Mr Micheal once set off on new years but my ears were ring for the next few 

hours and Whitehead swears he felt the shockwave.
  Micah i recieved your card this week.  Interesting you told me how i wrote 

the wring Zip code on your card and gave me your correct address in the cards. 

Then upon comparison of the Zip you gave me and what you put on the envolope i 

come to find out those are different too.  No wonder i´m having such a problem, 

choose a zip code my friend!  Luckly i am knowledged in the ways of MO zip 

codes and happen to now dispite the Rolla Address the envelope zip code truely 

belongs to your home address.  Tricky my friend, very tricky.
  Another James Bond came out and i didn´t even see that coming but apparently 

everyone is seeing it without me acording to my mail this week, come on now, 

can´t you guys hold out for 2 years?
  I recieved Birthday gifts from the Fam and Em this week.  Everyone (including 

those as USU) will be happy to know they made it into the photo album Em made. 

And mom that is nearly, no it is the coolest cooking pan i have ever seen. 

I´m glad brownies and other baked goods qualify as missionary supplies. 

Everyone appriciated that as well last night.
  In search of a good workout this week i resorted to a technic not commonly 

used or taught by many called the Lookin the MIrror Chair Lift (in the 

standing position).  This inspired workout is brought to you by yours truely 

BRAD HEITMEYER!
  Every weekend there is a gaint pool party (EVERY WEEKEND ALL WEEKEND) 

literally accross our dirt road and so então i halfta pass it about 2 million 

times a days and catch a glimps of gorgeous clear blue water foaming at the 

top of an excellent splash from someone exicuting the perfect cannon ball.....tear

  This week me and my companion magically would run into a lady who will not 

stop talking to us about...i don´t even know.  Everyday we will be talking to 

someone on the street and without missing a beat she will just interupt my 

companion midsentnce.  He´s got pretty good at over riding it though by 

distracting her with.... ME.  She has baked good that i guess she sells everyday 

and so while he talks to people she would explain to me how i´ve never tried 

bread because i´m from EUA and then give me constant free samples.  One day 

she had some kind of cocunut sugar stuff that was actually pretty good.  Its 

funny because in the CTM the told us not to eat off the streets and this past 

week Sis Beynon (our mission presidents wife) told us thats the only place we 

should buy certain things cause its so much cheaper.  True its hard to beat 3 

abacaxi for a 1 real, in american terms thats 3 pinnaples for what...45 cents? 

umm aka awesome? answer: yes
  Tranistioning on to more spiritual topics (i bet you parents though ti would 

never get there) i absolutely love seeing ward members on the street.  Maybe 

this isn´t that big a deal but i can´t imagine being a missionary in STL and 

seeing as many people i know a day just riding they bike or walking and always 

spotting us first.  Its great to be able to say a quick hello and remind them 

to invite their friends to futébol.
  This week i was thinking about how cool it is that no matter where you go the 

church is the same in organistation, doctrine, ordanences (true).  I guess this 

was brought to mind by the array of churches here that are open everynight no 

more than a door away from eachother all trying to drowned the others out when 

alot of them belong to the same sect.  Confusing.
  Regardless the natal video we have is excellent.  Whats it called in the 

states. i have no idea?  Its Mundo Feliz here which i know could translate to 

a Happy World, but is that really the title?  Anywayz everyone shuld get a 

hold of a copy to watch with your family.
  I finally got to teach my first true lesson this week, which after a few 

weeks away from the CTM had grown noticeably rusty.  Luckly my companion is 

amazing and of course could pick up right were i left off (meaning ran out of 

portuguese words) and expound upon what i said.  He does this excellent thing 

when we teach about prophets where he has the person put theír fist under his 

had have them try and follow his around without perdiction which is hard. 

Then he has them both grasp a pen and they are both better able to move as 

one, just as a church is better directed by a prophet recieve guidance from 

the Lord.  Pretty excellent.
  Apparently in Brasil you can mix nearly anything with water and it will give 

you concrete.  Doesn´t matter if its sand, gravel, dirt, anything.  Very 

intruging and makes me laugh everytime but as i was thinking about it, in 

true missionary style, i started to think about how it doesn´t matter who 

we are as long as we go to the well (i wish i new a scriptue for that, where 

is it that talks about Mary and Christ at the well. help)  we can recieve 

that everlast water that will as a result strengthen our faith in Chirt 

just a concrete becomes solid (Helaman 5:12) Drawing everything into a an 

even bigger inalidgy (spell check?) everyone shares a wall here in Brzil 

and so as you strengthen your house you in turn help others by strengthening 

foundation.  All very neat and something i would have said in the talk they 

started to ask me to give sunday, until the saw my comp and promptly walked 

over and asked him instead.  Even so Alma 32 is incredible as alot of us 

know and may potentially be the best discourse on faith ever.  I am marveled 

to find that i pick up something new each time i read it.
  Speaking of Sunday, me and my comp split with ward missionaries to bring 

those we had contacted to church.  I was dissapionted when no one i had been 

assigned was home and appropriatly slowly walked back to church...in the 

rain, which i actaully enjoy quite a bit.  (except theres no lighting or 

thunder ever in Maceió, whats up with that?)  I was excited to hear my 

companion speak in church, and was looking forward to that but unfortunately 

i never got the opportunity.  Infact i didn´t even get to see if he was able 

to bring anyone to church.  You see as soon as i got back to the church Elder 

Kartchner came over and asked if i would leave with him to go attend to one 

of the sick sister missionaries so that his comp could stay with their ward 

and same with my comp.  Well hello, of course i would.
  So we caught a bus and met with the sister missionaries and had a fun time 

playing find the open pharmacy.  Thats another thing i love about Brasil, 

almost all the stores are closed on sunday, its not even like that in UT. 

Then i was privilaged enough to assist in giving my first blessing in 

portuguese.  I did the anionting and Kartch sealed it.  I´m am so grateful 

for the preisthood and the power we have to administer to the sick or 

afflicted in need.  Speaking of which everyone keep Elder Geurra in their 

prayer, last night while we were sleeping over at their house he woke up and 

told Kartch his heart hurt enough that he though it would be best they go to 

the Hospital.  Survey says....he had a small heart attack.  He´s stable 

though and ok from what we know, the doctors just want to keep him in the 

hospital for a little bit to see thaht everything continues normally.
  Well apparently we were able to bring people to church one sunday my 

companion later told me in Interviews the next day.  Let me just say our 

Mission President is awesome, of course.  And his wife is equally great. 

We made smoothies and had a blast while he interviewed each of us Monday. 

Then i did a division (which is pretty much a split with another missionary) 

the rest of the day.  I work with elder Youngberg, from our district, and 

while we we´re out talking with his ward mission leader and other members, 

my companion was busy having one of our families COMMIT TO BAPTISMO!!! I 

was outraged and overlyexcited all at once, which would have nearly caused 

me to explode except luckly translating everything in my head was slow enough 

that it didn´t all sink in at once.  I latter commented on it all in broken 

portugues with my companion which he though was pretty funny.  The next day 

my comp kept asking if i had 50 reais, which was really starting to bug me 

caus ei though he was just making sure i was bugdeting better than last month. 

Well i knew we were going to visit the family we were gunna baptism sometime 

that night, but first we for some reason went down town, which i had no qualms 

with.  A gladly sat in an air conditioned building while my conpanion did, 

well i had no idea what he was doing.  Later on that night after excidingly 

shaking the familys hand i sat down and watched my compaion pull documents 

out of his breifcase (looking very official)  I kinda disregarded the whole 

thing as the family started pushing juice and bread my direction in large 

quantities.  About the time they asked if i like watermelon (which i had 

to say yes to, tho i also told them it was by no means nessicary and i 

didn´t need any) and then watched them cut a watermelon like i would an 

apple into forths and hand me a slice, i started to wonder what my companion 

was so wrapped up into and talkin to them about with these papers. I new all 

the words at the top of the letter head except for one which i thought i r

ecognized from something my companion had said earlier that day and decided 

to wip out my dictionary. As i flipped the pages my eyes finally landed upon 

the word...Marrige.  This time it all hit me at once and i thought i would 

about fall out of my chair.  These people were getting married so they could 

be baptismed, WOAH awesome.  In brasil many people don´t have the money to 

become legaly married so they just kinda accept that they are and move in 

together.  
  Later on that night Kartchner was rolling on the floor as he ran into the 

apartment yelling i don´t even fully know whats going on but this work is 

awesome and i think i´m paying for a marrige!  BAPTISMO!  Later Kartchner 

got the other facts told me how therse people had spoken with a few other 

missionaries in the past but hadn´t been interested until now.  Funny it 

was only by happenstance we ran into them on the street, actually i know 

for a fact it was more than just an accident.
  Well seeing as how nothing can really top that, that pretty much wraps up 

my week, i´m shocked so much work could fit into a week and i´m and convinced 

it wouldn´t if it wern´t for the fact that i´m on a mission.  As my portuguese 

gets better everyday i am more and more excited to share this gospil with all 

those who will listen.  I can´t wait to write and again and hear from each of 

you as well
 
Until Next Time
Elder Neuberger