This week is the last of my second transfer here in Itapetininga, and I'll
find out tonight if I'll be staying or if I'll be transferred somewhere
else.
This week was both easy and difficult. Difficult in that I found out that
my mom has cancer, but easy in that I felt immensely comforted and uplifted. I
found it easy to work hard when I was tired because I suddenly had a real reason
not to be here. But as much as I wanted to be back home helping my family, I
know that this is where I need to be right now; this is where I am doing the
most good. In D&C section 100 it says (I'm paraphrasing because I only know
it in portuguese) (this is Christ speaking to Joseph Smith when he was away from
his family and worried about them) "You families are well, they can be found in
my hands" I know that this promise applies to me and that my family is in the
care of the Lord.
This weekend, Vanessa and Kelly accepted baptisimal dates and they went to
church!
A note about the culture of Brazil: There are tons of holidays. And if a
holiday happens to fall within a day or two of another, then it turns into an
extended holiday. And if a holiday happens to fall on a weekend, and therefore
not giving extra days off work, the weeked turns into a 3 or 4 day weekend. It's
been one of the weekends where last week was memorial day, and tomorrow is the
day Itapetininga was founded, so it's just been one big holiday. I'm not
complaining though, Holidays mean that we get churrasco (Brazilian BBQ that
rivals my dad's tritip) and everyone is at home with their families.
Unfortunately, that also means that most everyone is drunk too. Again, I'm not
complaining, because when people are drunk, they always recognize us as servants
of God and they are happy to give us their address and set up an appointment to
return! So holidays are a blessing!
I love it here and I know that this is exactly where I need to be right
now. I love that am I able to be an instrument in the hands of God in serving
His children here.
Ate mais!
Elder Carr
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