Californian in Brazil

Oi family,

That’s sweet Katie is going to Thailand! Doesn’t our ward have missionary in Bangkok already? One of the Clark boys? I can’t believe Ian leaves in about a week! I’m so stoked, he is going to be culture shocked that’s for sure. At least I was in Sao Paulo for 6 weeks and got to walk around outside on p-days. I can’t imagine jumping right into the field in a different country! It’s going to be sick!!! I love the Arabian horse story you mentioned Renee. The video the church has is pretty good. I’m sure you watched it. That’s awesome about all the new missions being created. Especially in Brazil!

Snow/Skiing/anything cold sounds wonderful right now. Time is flying by. I think Joe is going to graduate before my next transfer. I hope I’m in Ponte at least until Mother’s day. I believe we get to Skype home that day. I can’t wait! Ponte Dos Carvalhos= Shanty town. That’s probably the best way to describe it. I love it because the streets here are usually filled with people (more than other surrounding mission areas). But, life is good in the Recife Mission. My area has its own ward and we (my companion and I) are only responsible for this ward. Some missionaries have two wards, but for the most part there are enough missionaries for each of the wards. My comp and I go to ward council meetings and they are pretty sweet. The members help us out a lot with investigators and planning stuff. I have a bunch of favorite members! We visit at night sometimes around 8 o’clock at Rogerio's house. His mom is a hardcore Catholic but loves us missionaries. Every time we come over she cooks us food, we never ask, she just always does. So sometimes, when we are hungry after a very long days work we head over to Roger’s house and talk with him and his mom. Another person I really like is Arthur. He is a recent convert, 15 years old and he is all swagged out. haha he let us cut his hair. 

Transfers go like this...I guess. The zone leader talks with the President and whoever is training goes down to the mission office and has a little conference and then President walks in the room, talks for a while and then tells everyone who is companions or who is training who. It’s pretty cool. Then the trainer and the new missionary catch a bus or train to their area. If you’re not a trainer, you just find out where your new area is and your companion and yourself take a bus or train to that area. People dig Americans here. hahaha and they often guess that I am an American because I’m so white. There’s a ton of black people here as well, which is cool. A bunch of people usually little kids or teenagers ask me to speak English for them. They always get a kick out of it and laugh. When I tell them I’m from California it probably makes their day that they met a Californian- especially a surfista. The people here are so humble and love the United States because most people in America are rich compared to here, that’s for sure. It definitely is a truly humbling experience everyday and I try to keep my pride way way way down. People are way shocked when they find out why I’m on a mission- living here for 2 years and not on the beach in San Diego. I tell them its because I know the gospel is true and I love brazil/ I love being here. Except for the dang mosquitoes! They can burn in the inferno.

So, funny story. One day (Wednesday) my comp and I were contacting in the park about 2-3 blocks from our house. We were talking with some skateboarder friends that skate around in the park. There were about 10 of them they are all really cool and really nice. We got a new investigator and his first name is Kennedy, (that’s the funny part). He seems really interested in the church. I gave him a Book of Mormon but he told us he doesn’t read much and doesn’t enjoy it. We told him he could read a few verses. It was about 8 o’clock at night and all of a sudden we heard gunfire from the street right next to the park and saw a car drive off super fast (drive-by). We were about 150 yards away. And the whole park of about 300 people started running away and fleeing the premises. People started returning and walking up to the area that the gun fired. We all thought someone got shot and was dead on the street because of the huge crowd that accumulated around the scene. Turns out the car that drove by had shot another car, luckily the people in the car weren’t shot and no one was hurt. Just another day in Ponte Dos Carvalhos.

com amor,

Elder Kennedy

Renee- The photo you sent of Ian, Elder Rice, Elder Meiling and Sister Calder in the MTC is awesome! Del Mar Stake represent! I’m stoked you and Joe are moving back to San Diego in a month! Crazy! Good luck Joe!!!!

Dad- Thanks for sending a mosquito net. No worries about shipping time. I’m surviving just fine. Can’t wait to attempt a ski jump in your backyard when I get back. That is sweet you are going to Joe's graduation. I will send some thoughts and impressions about Recife. I didnt know you were writing a song, ill send some material right away. Good Luck!

P.S. I like everyone's questions! If you guys have any more questions feel free, i know im horrible at explaining/answering them.