Email 1/26/09

Email received January 26, 2009
3rd area: Mossoro
5th companion: Elder Kittler

MUDANÇAS E NOVIDADES.....

yes, a few changes have taken place around here. but first for a little recap of the week... késio wasn't able to be baptized this past week but will be this weekend. we found a good family to teach that is gonna come to church this sunday so that will be good. the other day when i opened up my drawer to grab a pair of socks, the hugest frog i have ever seen jumped out. i don't know how all this wildlife gets into our house, if its not frogs its big lizards or spiders. i have yet to find a snake inside the house but there are plenty out back. i made pancakes with mom´s recipe of syrup that she sent and it was amazing. also i learned how to make pipoca doce this week, which is the brazilian version of kettle corn its quite tasty.

as for interviews, i sat down with presidente fernandes and he explained how he knew that i have been more of a babysitter than a companion this past transfer, and that he was actually on the verge of sending elder kittler home soon, but he has seen a great improvement in him. i found out that during e. kittler´s interview, the pres said to him, "so what do you think of elder sherwood?" and kittler responded, "well i used to hate americans... but i LOVE that guy!" so pres is happy and so are the rest of us cuz e. kittler has improved a ton and he continues to do so. but that´s where the changes i spoke of come into play....
last night we got a phone call informing us that we were getting new companions, and that the two others would be coming to live with us, or divide into another house. elder kittler was going crazy on the phone saying that he wanted to continue to live with me, so it turned out all 4 of us are gonna be living here now, and that e. kittler and his new comp would continue to work in the area, and my new comp and i would be taking care of the neighbor area, urick graff, which is about 30 min walk away. but there´s more.... not only am i getting a new companion, but i am gonna be training. his name is elder osborne and he is either from utah or AZ and he arrives on wednesday. the thing about novinhos (up there in the states you call them greenies) is that they arrive the day of the mission conference, which is wed. so me, kittler, and his new comp will stick together until conference where i will bring back elder osborne and teach him everything and show him how to survive in a 3rd world country. they told me he doesn't speak a word of portuguese still so it should be interesting. so after all this and the turn-around i´ve seen with e. kittler, i have learned the same lesson the cardinals have learned---with a little hard work and faith, anything is possible.

also i talked in church again, this time at last minutes notice- i guess me and mom both. speaking of mom, i got those videos mom sent me of christmas and they made me so happy. the kids are so funny and i still am in shock that Roxy is a little girl now. i hardly recognize her!

have a good week everybody.

-elder sherwood