As you can see we have everything! Two bathrooms, a room to sleep, a room to
eat, a room to study, a laundry room, and a great and spacious hall to….I’m not
quite sure WHAT it’s for, but it’s big.
When I got here it was lacking many things, namely food, but now it’s a
comfortable abode for missionaries.
This area is quite a bit
different from Bairro Novo. There are a
lot of hills, and the houses are a bit more spread out. The roads here are about ¼ paved, ¾ dirt, so that’s
kind of cool. I feel more like I’m in a
foreign country. I also feel like the
people here are quite a bit richer. At
least all of their houses seem bigger and nicer.
The ward is a huge help here. Just so you know, in like January, President
Cordon closed this area, because the ward wasn’t helping. So he took away the missionaries. But when the missionaries left, the ward kind
of woke up, and started working. Members
like Cezar, Jefferson, Josman, e Ozair went on visits, and taught friends and acquaintances
about the Gospel. They even had some
people get baptized! So, in June President
Cordon put Elder Croskrey and Elder Woodruff there. The ward kept helping, too, and since I’ve
been here they’re been incredibly involved.
In particular is Ozair. He and
his wife have 21 kids!!! (Most are
adopted) They currently have six kids on
missions. And the others go on visits
with us a few times every week. They really
are an amazing family. Ozair is also
pretty well off financially and when we have a progressing investigator that
needs to get married to be baptized, he pays the price legally for the
marriage, which is pretty expensive here in Brasil. It’s about $100 per person! Wow, Ozair is my hero, that’s how I want to
be when I’m older.
The people here seem a bit
more receptive here. The problem with
Bairro Novo was that there were so many dang churches!! Every corner had a different one. Here there are a lot of churches, but not as
many as Bairro Novo. Bairro Novo was
just burnt over!!
You guys were talking about
the weird phone booth’s here in Brasil, so for my strange things in Brasil….
“orelhao” (pronounced
o-rail-yaon) which basically means “Big Ear”.
They really aren’t phone booths at all.
If it’s noisy, or there’s traffic passing you can’t really hear. And I included a dog attacking in the
picture, because I know how much mom liked it when I talked about the dogs in
Brazil. The orelhao are unique and
different and one could make the mistake in thinking they were made to serve
the public, but they are, in fact, designed specifically to rob missionaries. You have to buy these “oi cards” to use them,
and an oi card costs 6 reais (about 3 dollars).
This card is good for 40 minutes to a fixed line, or 7 minutes – yes - 7 to a cell phone. Elder Woodruff and I must go through three oi
cards every week. It’s a teal! This money I could be spending on Brownies!!
I’ve been having some
really special experiences here lately, and I think I’m starting to understand
better how the spirit speaks to me and works through others. I’ve also been seeing how important it is to
absolutely love the people you’re serving.
I’ll be sure to tell you guys more about these experiences as they
continue progressing, but just know that the Lord has been guiding us a ton
here.
I want to know how all of
you are doing?
How was Autumn’s
birthday? How was your senior
sunrise? Does Autumn already know some
songs on the banjo?
Mom, how is your calling
going? How are you liking the ward, now
that a year has passed? How’s the
neighbor lady?
Dad, how’s the
Bishopric? How’s the ward? Are you liking your calling more? How’s the genealogy coming? PS, I wrote Grandpa Twitchell a letter….
Tell me all the
news!! I hope you all keep going strong,
and keep reading the scriptures and praying.
Well I’ve got to run, but
I love you all a ton, and think of you often!
Love Elder Twitchell
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