06/17/09 Email

Ai muito bem. Obrigado pelo artigos de anîmo!

Hey very good, thanks for the articles of encouragement. Things here are good. They are better. We only had 67 in our ward these past 2 weeks so thats a little hard. When my companion first got here, they had 90-100 every week. And before that, this guy told me they had 120. We have 60 families in our ward with only about 25 active or so. We've got some work to do here.

This week has been pretty much the same as the others. We had our last lessons with Douglas. I hope he doesn't fall away after because he is the only 18 yr old in our ward. We need to find some more but they are in their own little world, you probably know what I mean. His Baptism is this Saturday and the bishop's daughter's Baptism is this Friday. So it's a good week for us. Our bishop is getting more involved with us and is going to go on splits with us every Thursday afternoon. This should be a great help to go and talk to the inactives. Our bishop is young and he´s funny. But he has been super busy with work and family but now he cleared some time for us. Should be good.

We have Zone Conference next Thursday. My companion has leadership meeting this Friday so I will have splits probably with Elder Arroyo. But I will see him Thursday and I will ask him if his mom said anything about it. That's way cool though. (I 'met' Elder Arroyo's mom online through a message board for Missionary Moms and he was Justin's companion in the CTM - rm) I found out from him in the CTM that I emailed him and he didn't email me back before the ctm. We had to fight it out :) lol

Elder Rodrigues and I had talks last week and can you guess what we talked about? Missionary work but I threw in the perspective of being prepared lol. Thanks mom for the great info. And he talked about obedience. It was good because a member from our stake membership was there to back us up. People complimented me on my talk so I guess my Portuguese is getting better.

Sometimes I just start day dreaming in English and then I forget I'm in Brasil until someone starts talking to me in Portuguese lol. And then it takes me a little bit to answer because my mind's thinking totally in another language lol. Its funny.

As for the box. Hmm. Yeah can you send a sweater and sweat pants. ITS FREEZING!!! Here when you are in the sun you burn and then you get in the shade and you freeze. Its so two faced here lol. Umm IDK what else really. I already have to much other stuff that I don't really use. But people were saying like Ritz(cheese) :) My fav. Ask Jeannette. LOL. When I was in SD I would eat one box a day lol. crazy biz. Um. Smileys from Wal Mart. Crystal Light packet things (Thanks Derek) umm. more pictures :) And that's all she wrote I believe for now. I will write down a list for Christmas so I can be sure of what I really miss :) When you send it, just say its books and put a picture of Jesus on there. People are loco.

But anyway. So we received a whole bunch of stuff in the CTM the day that we left and I finally had time to look at it and what not. There was a poem in there that Coach Farley had us read before every game. And how good is it now. But its called ¨The Man in the Glass¨

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say

For it isn´t your father, your mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass;
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

Some people may think you a straight-shootin´chum
And think you´re a wonderful guy;
But the man in the glass says your only a bum
If you can´t look him straight in the eye.

He´s the fellow to please, nevermind all the rest;
For he´s with you clear to the end.
And you´ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass;
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you´ve cheated the man in the glass.
-Dale Wimbrow

How true is this in our lives? I guess take some time to think about it and I will comment next week. All the things that you send back I receive. So you can just reply and comment and I will be sure to get back to you if I have your address or write a little something in these for you. Well thanks for everything.
Have a wonderful week.

Elder Mitchell