Hello

Hi people. Still here in Passo Fundo.

Sooo it was the first week without Lynn. I'm not going to lie i was starting to get pretty annoyed with Lynn, but i am already missing that guy. Life without him is VERY different. My new comp´s name is Elder W. Silva, and I am killing him. For you people that have never served a mission that means he is on his last transfer. This is not fun... He is cool, he has a strong testimony, he´s just not one of those go-get-it missionaries. This has made me grow up REALLY FAST. I am now the one talking on the cell phone, planning our day, dragging him around, and unfortunately, doing all the teaching. Yesterday was a little better and today i think i will say something like hey, i cant be the only one talking... But honestly life is good still. Marchetti is still here, which is a huge help, i like my companion and am not sick of the area (yet) and the work continues to press forward. A little bit slower... but it continues.

In some sad news I would like to report that i have single-handedly witnessed the destruction of the Gilmar and Selete family. It has been so interesting (in a sad way) to watch people who catch a glimmer of the gospel, and improve, and then lose it, and fall apart. I spent Saturday night trying to divide fight between every member of the family. Including a very ugly scene where Vitoria told her dad if you hit me you´ll be sorry... Which only made him madder. It makes me so sad, they are so miserable. We taught about King Benjamin begging his people to keep the commandments, with the PROMISE that if they do they will prosper in every aspect, spiritually and materially. That family needs the gospel so desperately, unfortunately drugs, alcohol, and screaming at each other fills up too much of their time. Keep them in your prayers.

This week has been the week of CARNAVÁL. Yikes. If you want to see iniquity come to Brasil in the beginning of March. It is disgusting, and i am in a place right now where Carnavál is very weak. But here in Brasil they do a thing called Accompamento. Where all of the youth basically go on a camping trip thingy. From what the Brasilians here say it can be very powerful and a testimony builder. So we spent a lot of the week trying to get some of our youthful investigators to go. We got three of them! So that was good, but missed on our main target. A 14 year old named Barbara, who told us she wanted to be baptized, but now is trying to avoid us at all costs. I know her dad is very anti-mormon... Go figure. her grandmother hates me with a passion, cause we tried to visit her 3 nights in a row. On the last she spent a good 5 minutes yelling at me. I think I´ll go back again tonight, just to pay Grandma a visit... good times.

Speaking of grandma´s... here they like to yell at their grandchildren. If i haven´t voice it before, I like my grandma. A lot. And she looks like she´s 50.

Lastly, My Sunday...was a little annoying, So like half the ward was at this Accompamento right? And pretty much.. No one planned ANYTHING. So i was already a little bugged when were 20 minutes late and still hadn't started, but then when we finally did start.. No one had a lesson. So I let the Elders quorum Pres fidget for about 5 minutes before It got really uncomfortable, and then finally offered to teach. I felt a little bad, cause i was in a bad mood.. and i burned some people a little. No one was participating, and I was a little harsh. It didn't help my frustration when they asked me to teach Gospel Principles next, or when they said they didn't have anything ready for the sacrament, and if I could take care of that... Needless to say I walked out of church that day slightly annoyed. But its all good cause i´m on the Lord´s time not mine. Good thing.

Mostly I love this gospel. A mission is easily the hardest thing I´ve ever done but I feel myself growing each and every day. I love my family and friends so very much, and I want to thank anyone who is reading this right now cause you probably made a real impact in my life. Peace people.
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Elder Alex Allred
Terra de Gaúcho Tchê

Caixa Postal 13008

91010-971 Porto Alegre-RS

Brasil