Time is flying by...

Well it sounds like things are super busy in the Firl home. As for here in Brazil and this week, nothing super amazing happened. We have been working a lot. And I can't believe it's December already! The time is just flying by.

This week, Geralda and her family went to church. That was super awesome. That was probably the highlight of the week. We have had a really hard time with getting people to go to church. I feel as if asking people for baptism is easy. Teach with the spirit and bang! They are touched and accept baptism. haha and then they don't go to church. It's frustrating. We teach about Sundays and the importance of going to church. haha for example. We have 14 people that we have asked and accepted for baptism. But only have 5 are progressing because the others don't go to church. haha I never thought by asking people for baptism would be easier than getting people to church. I thought you guys might get a good laugh out of that. haha but this week we found a family of 4! Heck yeah! We taught the first lesson, they accepted baptism. It was an awesome lesson. The moms husband died. We explain about families, probably one of my favorite things, and well she almost cried. it was sweet! We will teach them again this week :) We are super excited. They are set for baptism on Christmas Eve! haha talk about a super awesome day to have a baptism! Well that's about it for this week! I hope all is well. Keep up the good work with basketball mom, I know winters are a living nightmare, pesadelo, for yeah. haha

QUESTIONS:
1. Eric wanted to know if you got our letters we mailed to you?
I did get the letters :) let me tell yeah, I was so happy to get them :)

2. What are some Christmas traditions that Brazilians have for Christmas?
Well it's the same here as it is there. Just less lights and less Christmas trees. haha I'm pretty much clueless on this kind of stuff. haha its one of those things that ill find out when I get there.

3. What are some things they do different there for Christmas than we do here in America?
Well they have little Christmas trees. They can't cut down trees here and it's really expensive to buy a tree. They have a lot of Christmas lights that flash. They are called pisca pisca (in translation its blink blink), the verb is piscar, which is to blink. I thought you might find that interesting.

4. How are things working with your new companion?
Things are fantastic!!! We are getting a lot of work done here! He is helping me with my Portuguese and I'm helping him with English. haha we have pretty funny conversations at night. He always teases me that I'll marry a Brazilian. (haha not going to happen.) But we talk about soccer, where is used to play what we want to do with our lives. He is awesome, he sacrificed a lot to serve a mission.

5. What kind of things have you done on your P-Day?
I like to sleep and write letters and I don't know, walk around in the shops.

6. How is Cleane? What an incredible experience!
She is fantastic! Our compromisso with her fell through, because she is now working. It's way hard to get a hold of her. We asked her this week for baptism, but she couldn't go to church this week, so the baptism fell through. For sure were going to re-ask her for baptism and set another date.

7. What about Geralda? Have you taught her family too? How about Mayara, and Ingrid?
Geralda, Mayara, and Ingrid are great! They came to church this week. and let me tell ya, this week was probably the best sacrament meeting I've had in a really long time. So glad they were there. Here is what they said. "I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life. I absolutely love church!" Nossa, it was awesome! ` Geralda shared an awesome experience with us, about us. She couldn't believe that she found us. Because we made the contact in the center of the town, she was getting a hot dog. And well, we talked with her and she was like... I don't know why, but I'm not hungry anymore. Crazy! Because she went into town just to get a bite to eat. SHE lives way in the middle of no where. With the time she spent in town it was a miracle we made the contact with her.

8. Did you and Elder Viana teach her?
Yes we did teach her. haha it was legit.

9. How is Audrei and Luciana?
They aren't really progressing anymore. So we had to cut them off. (not teach them anymore) Love them to death, but we are here to find those that really want to be taught.

10. Have you stopped by to see the son of the American?
We have. he is still being stubborn. He has his free agency. We have done all we can do.

11. How is Rento?
He is good. Talk about impossible to contact. He is not drinking and fulfilling the Law of Chasity. So that's excellent. He didn't go to church this week :/ and his baptism is this Sunday. So he kinda has to go this Sunday. We will see what will happen. He is good though.

12. What about Valeria and Victoria? Are they still reading?
Impossible to contact also. I think they fell off the face of the earth. We have called stopped by and everything. Sad story. I think they are trying to avoid us.

13. What kinds of fruit have you tried since you have been there?
I don't remember the name of all the fruits, but I've been addicted to mango. SO good! And the condensed milk is probably the best thing in the world! haha not a fruit, but I'm going to bring a lot of it to the states. You guys have to try it.

14. Did you get my Christmas package? Was it opened? Did you get everything?
I haven't. Although, I haven't checked either. I don't know when we will be going to the mission office. But I'll let you know when I get it. Oh no worries! it's all good!

15. We have a ton of questions for Elder Viana!! We will save those for the next letter!
Haha sounds good. You can ask me questions about it. I'm pretty sure I will be able to answer it. haha

16. Phone call on Christmas…do you have any idea on how we are going to do that? Do I need to get a calling card? Or are we skypeing?
haha it's still up in the air. BUT, I want to do skype. I need to ask Cleane if I can use her computer to skype, since she has a webcam. But I still need to ask. But I'm pretty sure it will be skype. ta bom?

com amor, Elder Firl