Eh, Nothing Exciting This Week... <---- Okay thats a lie

Well, the mission has been split. Elder Villalba, my last companion stayed in Ômega and Boatan, but is now a District Leader! Yay! Elder Couto, the one before Elder Villalba, is at home now in his beloved Santos. :) Elder Southworth has gone to the Fortaleza East (Leste) Mission, as well as the companionship that lived in the same house as us, Elder Bott and Elder Silva. (Elder Bott is from Utah, Elder Silva is from Santos, São Paulo)

As for me, I have been moved, but Im still in the original Brazil Fortaleza Mission! A ward/area called Palmares, (Pahl-MAH-dees) in the Stake Bom Jardim. (Bohng xah-JEENG, Good Garden. That x is the same sound of the S in "vision") So Mom and Dad, you can go ahead and send the package, I didnt move missions. :D I actually was kind of hoping to stay.

Everybody buckle up, I got a doozie for you guys here. So, Im a couple days shy of 10 months, Im sitting there in the chapel with everyone at the transfer meeting. The Assistants are reading off the new District Leaders, Zone Leaders, etc. Im sitting there listening, and suddenly EU VIREI TREINADOR! Im going to be training a new missionary!!!

I was listening to the names being read off as trainers. Elder so-and-so, (stands up, sits down) Elder so-and-so, (same thing) Elder Wille (?) (O.O) Me? ME? Yep. Just over nine months, and Im going to have a son. Ironic, huh? (A 'son' is the missionary you train, and you are his 'dad') I could not believe it at first, Im going to be a trainer.

So trainers are missionaries that are good enough in the field to be entrusted with a new Elder straight from the MTC. The way you teach, act, or even talk will influence his mission from the start. Its a heavy responsibility, and Im actually a bit nervous. But, I know that whatever happens, it will be a fantastic experience, I will learn a lot, and I have what I need to do this. The Lord shapes the back that bears the load, and I believe that is what will happen with me. I would appreciate very much a few prayers on my behalf. :)

The new missionaries are arriving tomorrow, and they dont tell us specifics. I dont know if I will be training a Brazilian or American or if there will even be Americans in this group. (I was the only one when I arrived) Sorry for lack of details, but all I know is that Im training.

Okay, now that thats all over and done, Sarah I specifically remembered you during the exact time you were graduating. :) Including the 3 hour difference from here to there. :) Parabéns for completing High School, you made it! :)

Now for Facebook. Could you accept Fernando Nogueira, Tiago Mesquita, Manu Moraes, Matthew Clay, and Bekah Anderson?

 Thanks! Manu is Manoela from last letter. :)

And Dad, thanks for the pictures! Its great to see everyone alive and well!

Im sorry you had to cancel the trip to the lake, that is a huge bummer! Next time youll just have to make up for it. :) I get a little trunky when I think too much about watersports, or when members bring up some photos of me wakeboarding on facebook. (I think my security is a little loose, if they can see that)

Mom, they have a few fast food places here. McDonalds is one Ive seen, and they even have Burger King! Ive heard of a Pizza Hut here, and a surprising one is Domino's Pizza. They also have an Arab style fast food place called Habib's (Ha-beebees) that sells mini-flat-bread-pizza-type things but with just meat and onions. Cheese too, if you ask for it. The only thing with the American fast food is that it is really expensive. Habibs is less so, Ive only had it twice and only at a members house. There is no See's Candy here, infelizmente. :'(

This is all the exciting news I have. We cleaned the house after arriving, and ate fried chicken patties (like a "flippin' enormous" chicken nugget) with pizza sauce and cheese on giant rolls. I dont think we will get to watch a movie this week, but I will tell you about the movie last week. We watched the new Disney Wreck-it Ralph. I LOVED that movie, it was so well made! Humor, romance, action, everything! I highly recommend it, but not so much in Portuguese cause the little girl is really hard to understand.

Em fim, thanks for everyone who is reading my blog. :P hahaha, but really, thanks all you guys, youre all wonderful and I miss everyone! Stay strong, the end is near. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that He lives, He loves us, and He gave His life for us. He would do it over again for any one of us, if need be. Nobody is too lost or strayed too far to feel His love.

~Elder Wille

P.S. I heard about a tornado that destroyed most of Oklahoma City, or something to that effect. Whats the latest news on that?

This Week Flew! (20-5-13)

Hello Family and Friends!

Another week, gone. Its all going by so fast! So let me tell you what went on during this blur of time.

First, there was the transfer meeting on Thursday that killed our sleeping habits for the rest of the week. We found out that Brazil Fortaleza Mission will be divided into 3 missions! First, the southern area of our mission, Juazeiro do Norte, will be annexed by the existing Brazil Natal Mission. It is possible that I will not finish my mission in a Fortaleza area. Second, Brazil Fortaleza Leste is a very small mission that was created, from about the middle of the area at the top to the eastern edge. For a better picture, imagine Utah as a square, then cut the piece out of it. Thats about what the Leste mission will be, roughly. The rest will stay regular Brazil Fortaleza Mission.

Second, we baptized Jefferson! Hes the younger brother of Natan, and son of Silene and José Maria. (Zemaria) He is 14, and Elder Villalba baptized him. :) This computer doesnt read my card. :( No pictures yet. D:

Thirdly, we found a family to teach when a little girl asked us to come teach them. We talked with the father, and he accepted. We marked a day, and taught the Restoration, and invited them to be baptized. We got a big surprise, the parents were already baptized! Earlier we had asked if they had known other missionaries, and the dad said yes, but it was a long time ago. No mention that he was already a memeber. But its all cool, reactivation is just as important for them, and it leads to other baptisms, like the kids.

Dad, I think that creating that blog was an excellent idea, thank you! One question, whats next after the garden? The front under the windows?

I miss being home, but its only a few times during the week. Just have to enjoy whats going on around me, work, and I will be done in no time! :)

Sarah, congratulations on your graduation! I marked in my planejamento what time it is at, so I will be able to think especially of you even if Im not there! :D

Those shoes are pretty sweet! How tall exactly are they?

Mom and Dad, I have a small favor for you. Could you log onto my facebook and add/accept as a friend Manoela, Elder Couto (Gustavo Alcover Couto e Silva) and the people you remember from Caucaia? Thanks!

Well, thats about all of the exciting news. I found a few new snakes here. I think I have 4 or 5 now. Pete should enjoy hearing about that. :) They also have scorpions, which are guys that are after missionaries, and not just the Sisters... >.>

~Elder Wille

P.S. For those who havent heard a lot of the mission terms, snakes are girls who like to flirt and talk with the Elders. They dont have to be non-members, there are a few member snakes.

P-Day of 6-5-13 (Pictures!)

Another week gone, but we have the joyous news of Mikaels baptism!!! And he chose me to be the baptizer! :D Due to problems then and now, I have to send those pictures next week of me in a macacão. I have pictures this week though!!! :D

Well, this week was really pretty normal. We confirmed Silene and a lad named Victor. He's fifteen, and was baptized last August. Getting him to church was like pulling hens teeth, cause he has a class in Maracanaú on Saturday, for which he has to ride 3 busses. Its dangerous at night, so he doesnt like to travel then, and his ward meets at 8:30 in the morning. But we finally got him to church and confirmed!

Manoels family only needs his last son to be baptized, and then they can count down one year to the temple! Im so super excited for them! I will probably still be on the mission when they actually go, but itll be the Recife Temple, and I cant attend. D':

An interesting story! Yesterday was fast Sunday, and the way it works here is you eat lunch on Saturday and lunch on Sunday, 24 hours. We had just broken our fast with the only thing we had, water and juice. Then we went to eat lunch at a members house named Fabio, but we got the wrong house of another member. He went with us to the correct house. We knocked on the door, and Fabio said "Oh sorry Elders, I didnt prepare lunch for you" "Thats okay, we'll eat anything" "Oh, but I dont have anything. Heres some money, (R$15, barely anything, and definitely not enough to end a fast) could you go buy yourselves something to eat?" I said "ah, okay, thanks..." but my mind was thinking "Are you serious? Money to buy lunch on a Sunday?" I REALLY didnt want to end a fast by breaking the sabbath unless it was an emergency. Luckily, that guy that took us to the right house? He gave us a good lunch of Macarrão Nada, or Spaghetti with meat and corn and stuff.

I cant really think of anything else that happened this week, it was really just normal. Until next week, when I will actually talk to you guys! In a bit of Portuguese! :) Até mais.

~Elder Wille