Wednesday, February 22, 2012

So not a whole  lot happened here this last week. Carnaval was going on. No I didn´t get any pictures. In our area it was mostly just big groups of people filling the streets near bars with lots of loud music and drunk people dancing and junk. Pretty lame. And I guess on Saturday it was just Gay and drunk people in the streets near our apartment. Good thing I was sick that day and didn´t go outside. Oh yeah I was sick that day. So I slept for most of it. Things have been pretty lifeless here in the streets. Not many people out. It´s like a sickness epidemic is happening or something. Weird. Or zombie apocalypse. Seemed like it sometimes with only a few old people in the streets stumbling around drunk. Kind of funny but kind of scary too. Anyways, thats pretty much it here. Havent been able to do much work because we have had to be in early and our area is a decent distance away. And because people are just not available.......but anyways, thats all until next week!
Spencer

Sorry this is late getting posted! Been busy with baby all week!

Spencer's New Nephew: Chance Amari Merton
Born: Feb 16, 2012

Monday, February 13, 2012

So this week was a bit difficult. But we found a super legit girl who is actually really interrested in the church and not just us. So we taught her twice this week. But sadly her father would not allow her to go to church. So we were dissappointed yesterday. But we´re going to figure something out and hopefully work with the dad or something. Should be good. Also we had a crazy lady show up to church. One who is a chain smoker. We´ve tried to teach her and help her bu she doesn´t think smoking is that bad or that she should quit. She´s been smoking for 30 years and she´s like 50 something. It´s messed up. It´s blows my mind that she could think that she doesn´t need to quit. 4 packs a day..........thats alot of money......daily. That alone is a good enough reason to quit. But anyways, Carnaval starts tommorrow and goes throughout the week. So that will be interesting. We don´t know what our rules are going to be with that. Or rather if we have to stay inside all day or if we just go home early. Still have to find out from our zone leaders. But yeah thats it for now. Wish I could send pics but these computers here at this LAN house are lame. Capybaras are huge.......and legit. I want to send a picture so bad. Well it´ll have to wait. Well until next week. 

Elder Bender  

Monday, February 6, 2012

So this week was interesting and full of craziness. So first off Juiz De Fora is super green, people have more money and it´s like the united states almost, well super markets are alot faster, food is cheaper here, bus is cheaper, the air is much cleaner, and it´s not as hot as Rio. So, it´s kind of like being in Oregon during the summer. Which is crazy. Oh and I have already seen capybaras and monkies. So there´s that too. Also there are tons of hills. The bus ride out here was crazy. We rode through this mountain and we were on the edge of these cliffs several times that looked out over these huge valleys fills with hills full of trees and stuff it was way cool. This area is awesome. It´s way more calm than Rio. I don´t have to worry about getting robbed here. Only in the favela but even there is pretty calm. Another interesting thing I have seen here are termite hills. There are alot more white people here which is also more like Oregon. It´s weird. This city is almost like a cross between Portland and Salem. It´s cool. But, the work here is much different. People here are very comfortable in their lives and aren´t interested in changing or doing anything different. So......as I said it´s a bit difficult. But it´s good. My companion is from Dallas................Oregon. Small world huh? Anyways, he also amazingly knows a bunch of people that I know. Which is really funny and also crazy that we never met before the mission. Anyways, I´m excited to work here, carnaval is coming up, so thats going to be weird. Not sure whats going to happen with that but I hope all goes well and we don´t encounter naked people or crazy amounts of drunk people. So like I said, going to be weird. But, thats about it for this week. Until next week!

Elder Bender

Arial View of Juiz De Fora

Monday, January 30, 2012

So this last week was kind of difficult because I was sick with pneumonia last weekend. But mostly because we were unable to keep in contact with the people we were teaching. And so they made other plans for the weekend and during the week and it was super hard to contact them during the week. So, things were kind of slow. Not too much to do and having to find new people, which is always a bit difficult. But we found some and have been teaching some nice people. Unfortunately transfers were posted online today on the mission website and I got transferred. So I will not be able to see our investigators progress. I will be going to Juiz de Fora which is in Minas Gerais.......Most of you don´t know this but it´s kind of rural and I think has lots of hills. So that should be fun. And it´s supposedly a difficult area. But with hard work and dilligence and also faith we can do miracles. So I´m going to it with that attitude. Going to have a long bus ride tomorrow.......I´m not too excited about that. Should be interesting. But, should be a fun transfer. Anyways, looking forward to meeting new amazing people. Until next week!

Elder Bender