How is it possible that so much happens in one week?

Dearest family,

So some weeks pass fast because not much happens. And some weeks pass fast because it's crazy how many things come up and have to be resolved. This week was one of the latter. Here are some highlights:

We got new furniture! As you can see from the pics, it caused quite the party in our house.... here in Brazil they would say "que bagunsa!" The new beds are DIVINE. Elder Ambriz is particularly happy, since his bed was broken in the first place haha. I'll send pics next week of the clean apartment

This week we were able to participate in the baptisms of 2 awesome youth, Rodrigo and Bethania. The gospel is amazing, and I try to think about "what would happen to those people if we had decided to keep our mouths closed, and not invite them to bring something more into their lives...?" Because their futures are so bright, and there's a light of hope in them now that wasn't there before they learned the purpose of our existence. It's cool.

We keep finding lots and lots of people, but it seems like everyone either smokes or needs to get married... NO ONE IN BRAZIL IS MARRIED, like what is the big problem? There was a couple that said they were still getting to know each other, and when we asked how long they'd been together they answered, "24 years." Satan is really sneaky in how he works, because he usuallydoesn't say to openly defy God, but to just put off doing the right things. Most people's excuse is "no, I will go to church when I feel the time is right...." But what they don't realize is that all Satan has to do to get us off the right path is to get us to do NOTHING. So everyone reading this go out TODAY and do something good; watch an uplifting Mormon Message, serve a lonely friend, go do your home teaching/visiting teaching, tell someone you love them and then follow up your words with your actions. Don't give into the temptation that you'll do it tomorrow, because chances are you won't. Use every moment as "what good can I do right now, right here, in these circumstances." I need to remind myself every day of this very thing, but I know that we really have such potential within us, and God wants life to me more than a bunch of "it might've been" moments.

Last night one of the APs called and said we'll be getting a new companion and be a trio this week, and after that he didn't know what'd happen... I hope I can finish training Elder Ambriz, it's so fun to be with him. We don't always agree, but we can resolve the conflicts when they come up. And that's part of what I love. We'll see what happens, should be fun!

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Merrill

Our super clean apartment!  ....We got new a new wardrobe, stove, fridge, washing machine, and beds, and our apartment didn't exactly have space for the new and old things....

Our wonderful study atmosphere!

Wading through a river

Meeting with our Ward Mission Leader by candle because the power went out

Cool fruit from the Amazon with a name I don't remember the name of... but it was good

We finally ate the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that Aunt Kristi and Uncle Mike sent..... the vomit flavor almost made us vomit. We have it all on video.

Cool service project for one of our investigators... we helped him paint part of his house. It's the biggest house in Brazil I've seen yet. It has 3 stories!

 

Visitor in our apartment

We had the awesome chance yesterday to have the baptism of the friend of a member, Rodrigo, and also of Alecsander (our recent-convert)'s sister, Bethania! It was wonderful!