Jau

Hey,

So, Christmas has come to town! Trees and lights and so many cool things! And there are so many nativities, Mom, I´m searching for the perfect one. I´m in heaven. And yes, this is the shoe capital...everyone works in shoes, and they are PERFECT!!!!! So beautiful and so cheap, I will probably buy some, sigh! And we have green everywhere, it´s like 'SOMEWHERE THAT`S GREEN'...after 4 transfers, I am now near TREES!

And on the note of Christmas could you please send me the words to 'I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS'? My companion loves that song and we´re going to translate it into Portuguese! If you want to email me other words to hymns that would be great, too.

So much has happened. First, Dad, could you please tell President Johnson that his blessings are totally accurate...I don´t know if you remember, but he said something along the lines about me having sick companions. Every one of my companions has had to go to the hospital. Sister Carvalho is no exception...she got a kidney stone Thursday, and we stayed in the house until Monday. She´s better now, she didn´t need the laser procedure but I spent a bit of money on medication for her. She's paid me back. We do not have an oven so we´ve been eating out, last night I had the most amazing burger that I've eaten in the past six months, oh it was perfect.

And so now, onto the work! We have a baptism marked for this Saturday, he is golden. He visited church Sunday and told me that he wanted to be baptised. If all goes well, he'll be baptised Saturday! It feels so long since I´ve had a baptism. As well, we started teaching his neighbor who the missionaries visited 5 years ago. She has a 'Finding Faith in Christ' VIDEO! Not a DVD, I nearly started laughing, wow have times changed. A ton of people here are catholic, but are willing to let us talk to them. I don´t know what else will happen, but work work work.

This Thursday we are having an activity of cake and ice cream...yeah!

Sister Carvalho and I have been working hard, it is wonderful! We´re trying to get more than 30 lessons this week and are striving to do our best, but also to still have fun and laugh...oh the work is wonderful. We´ve been talking about the places we will travel. When I get home I want to go back to Europe, to India and Thailand, to China and to- well... just book me a flight and I´ll go. Oh, and conference in October...everyone is going to be there!

I´m in the book of Mormon right now, just finished Helaman and have just read about the birth of our Savior, about the great and wonderful sign of light, of how there was no darkness...and that is what the Gospel is for us. Because of our Savior, we are able to have light in our lives. No matter what difficulties we have in our lives, no matter how sad, how hard things get, we have the light of the Savior and we can follow Him, and He will lead us back to our Father in Heaven. As Joseph Smith wrote, a voice of gladness, a voice of good tidings both for the living and for the dead. As I serve my mission, I see how merciful God is with each and every one of us. We all mess up, a ton, but He is always there with a hand if we will just accept it.

Anyway, I love you guys. Family, send me photos of my little elf sister and of you guys in Disneyland. Mom, I expect photos of Creche! Love you all, and thanks Tracy and Treyonna for the words of encouragement!

Sister Stapley