Jau

Wow!!! What a wonderful adventure! So much has happened. First, I'll share the sad news...we took the family of Jackaline to the temple and it was such a wonderful experience, but the next day they said they didn´t want us to return and share more messages with them. They are so caught up in the things of the world, of cigars and alcohol (sorry my english is horrible)that they are not ready nor do they want to feel guilty. Respectfully we left, but I felt horrible, like I didn´t do all that I could. My comp didn't agree with me, but I keep the peace by silently reciting the timeless words of the movie, Night in the Museum, "Who´s evolved?". These two words helped again, the next night, when my comp told me that I shouldn´t be listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's CD of Celebrate America...um, yeah right.

So, Monday came and I find out I WAS TRANSFERRED!!! HALLELUJAH!!! HARK, THE ANGELS SING!!!!! YEAH, FESTA!!! Tuesday morning arrived and I was at the bus station in Campinas. I got to have a chat with Elder Corbitt (he's training a Brazillian!!!) and Elder Rasmussen (he´s doing great) as well as Sister Monterio (she is opening an area and training an American, wow!) and consoling one of the other sisters because of how the transfer went. Sister Poast has been promoted to Senior and is in my new zone! So, I am now companions to Sister Carvalho (who is from Manuas, no joke! Are Eric and I destined to know all the same people?!) and am in the Zion of the mission, the Zona Botacatu (Boo-ta-cat-too)! I couldn't be happier with this arrangement!

My city is Jau (you pronounce it Ja-U, think like Jane talks in Disney's Tarzan movie). We have the great opportunity to have a park near our house, a river (dirty- but who cares) filled with lovely turtles, and a central market with all the cheep clothes you could want! I'll be buying some new shirts soon, (it´s really really hot). There are two elders working on the other side of the city! YEAH!!!!!!! WOOOOTT!!! Yes, I am totally happy! (Jau is known as the national capital of women's shoes. Could this be heaven?!) We are almost on the western edge of our mission. we're about 150 miles from the mission home.
The river running through Jau.

Now the grand adventure...how we got to Jau. So, here´s what happened. We (Me, Sister Poast, our two companions, the zone leader and a new elder) left Campinas at 11:30 am on a bus for Paricicaba. We arrived at 1. We got some lunch and got on another bus for a 3 hour bus ride. We even left our mission boundaries for 1 hour (into the Sao Paulo Norte mission) before arriving in Botacatu around 6. We walked for a while with our suit cases (Mom you´d be proud, I have the smallest suitcases of any of the ELDERS or SISTERS) and stopped at the house of missionary number one...the house was horrible. So, we had three hours and did contacts and encountered a GOLDEN CONTACT, we gave her name to the Elders. They visited her later that night and she accepted the invitation to be baptised. After that we walked to missionary #2 house (much much better) and ordered Pizza Frita (baked pizza) with chicken and bacon. Oh, it was like the chicken thing (chicken bake)you buy at Costco but so so so much better! Then Sister Poast, me and our companions stayed up talking until 1 (normal- for sisters that need to catch up after months apart!) and then went to sleep. We woke up at 6am and left at 6:30 for the bus station, the other elders met up with us again. Our bus left at 8 am and after two hours we arrived in Jau! We dropped off our suitcases in my PERFECT APARTMENT, and are now here in the internet house with our Elders. We'll be grabbing some lunch because all 4 of us are starving and then we'll get to rest for a few hours... three buses for a long amount of time is not very good for my head or for my stomach!

I am so excited to work. I am ready to roll up my sleeves. As long as we actually work, I will be happy. I feel like I didn´t do my very best in Nova Veneza but now I have a blank slate and I'm going to work and work and work. My comp, from what I have heard, is good and so here we go...work work work.

In the Book of Mormon, I´m to the wars with Moroni, Lehi and Teancum. Wow, they broke all of the rules but the did it because they had the right reasons. They worked and they worked and truly they're all examples to follow! Be brave and be full of courage and always do your best. Every day you learn something new, and every day you have the opportunity to show what things you are most grateful for. I love all of you guys and hope all is well.

Shan