Among the Gaúchos: 2015!!!

Welcome to São Pedro, Brasil

1/5/15

Another year has come and gone! I can remember arriving in Brasil the beginning of last year like it was yesterday. Crazy how time flies by and I think this year will go by even faster.

This past week was a bit more difficult due to the new year with everyone traveling or had family visiting or drunk... We were invited over New Year's Eve by our investigators Dion (say it like John) and Fran (pic with Dion and I on the floor and Fran and E. A. on the couch). It's the tradition here in Brasil to eat linchilia (spelling? I just sounded it out (a type of bean legume thing)) which they say gives you luck for the New Year and pork because pigs always move forward but not chicken because chickens back away... or something like that, haha. So we had a traditional Brasilian New Year's meal with them (early because we still had to be home by 10:30) and talked about the new year and our families and showing pictures and everything which was good. Then it's another tradition here to set off fireworks at midnight but since São Pedro is small there weren't very many, but of the little there was I got a half way good picture.

New Year's Eve with Dion and Fran

Happy New Year 2015!!!

Any way this week I had various opportunities to ask myself "why am I here?..." and then realize "oh yea that's why" Like walking in the street for 3 hours with all of our plans falling through then out of no where this girl walks up to us and says, " I'm a member from another city you should go visit the people in that house there." Or on another occasion having 4 or 5 people be in their house (we can see them clearly) and not even attend us at the door. Then seeing the tears and light in the eyes of a mother as we explained to her where her son who passed away at birth is and when she will see him again. Experiences like that really make the mission worth it.

Sorry for the short letter but I hope all the pics make up for it! Love you all and have a very happy new year!!!

Elder Pierce