Hello familia!
Glad to hear that the trip went well! In a way I'm glad I didn't have to sit in the car for 1700 miles but I sure do wish I could have been there with ya'll and seen all the sites! This week was another week, just slowly but surely getting better at speaking Portuguese and teaching lessons. Me and my companion are still getting along dandy, he's still awesome.
So remember how I brought that peanut butter. Well the other day I sold it to a Brazilian for 40Rs which is like 20 bucks haha I'm making money haha, I didn't really want to sell it but apparently they love it here. The Sao Paulo temple is closed for the next two weeks so we have the opportunity to go to the Capeneze temple... I think that's how it's spelled. It's an hour away and a weee bit smaller. So me and a few other elders offered to go through a session in Portuguese! It was way cool and I was able to understand quite a bit of it! SUPER COOL. The view from the temple is way cool cause it's on the top of this hill that overlooks the city. On the way to the temple we kinda left the city and drove on a highway that kind of reminded me of highway 18 going to northbend, with trees on either side and kinda curvey. Then out of nowhere there was this entire hillside of like squater houses, huts, little shacks, it's crazy the difference in social rank here. There are super rich people who have private helicopters, which constantly fly overhead and then there are people that live on the streets.
My goal this week is to be more outgoing, like annoyingly outgoing haha something that I've noticed about myself is that I'm quiet at first but can easily become good friends with almost anyone. So this week I'm going to try and talk to as many people I can, in Portuguese, just ask them whatever question I can, cause that's what I want to be able to do out in the field. Talk to Everyone!
Our last two weeks we get to go out in the middle of Sao Paulo and proselyte, just see how many book of Mormons you can pass out. They literally drop us off at a town square throw a couple books at us and say don't come back unless you give them to someone ha-ha I'm super pumped for that and so is my companiaro.
We were able to baptize our first two investigators from our two instructors and we were able to start teaching another investigator and holy cow what an improvement! Like we started teaching the second day we were here in Portuguese and let's just say we did not cover all the bases haha BUT this time we are actually making sense and are actually teaching stuff... that isn't very descriptive but I'm out of time. It's just really nice to see the improvement in both our teaching and our Portuguese. And we're barely over halfway! (not that I'm counting down or anything), I just can't wait to go to my actual mission and be with the people.
Today our p day is being cut short because a member of the 70 is coming to speak to us, I forgot his name. I'll tell ya next week. Remind me haha.
The other day I took 40lbs and did two laps of lunges around the track.... I seriously don't know why because I'm on the 6th floor and my legs are DEAD.
Oh Sarah, got your letter! Thanks a bunch and yes I replied.
I'm singing this acapella song called "prayer to the children", you should listen to it and picture me singing bass cause we sound just as good as the people that recorded the song haha.
Hey! This Sunday was Father's Day here in Brazil! Happy Fathers Day dad from your son in Brazil! I love you so much, I am so thankful for everything you've taught me, all the patience that you've had with me and the support and love you have shown me, I want to be just like you. Every day I think of you and thank God that I was blessed to be your son. I miss you and Love you So much.
Love you all!
Elder Ralph
