November 12, 2012

It's been a pretty phenomenal week. PHENOMENAL. It's been pretty amazing for me to be a part of the missionary work, because it's already been SO rewarding. Two days ago we had SEVEN baptisms in our branch, SEVEN. And Elder Marques and I are working to get TWO more baptized tomorrow, and EIGHT more baptized in the next little bit, the dates are set. I am amazed at how much the Lord is blessing us with success, and I personally am not doing a whole lot to merit the success, it's all coming from the Man upstairs.  It's also been a very tough week mentally, with lots of challenges with dealing with other people, dealing with contention, and learning how to forget about myself and going to work. The forgetting yourself part is the hardest, I think. But moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day as I'm trying to put myself aside and worry only about other people, and worry about doing what the Lord needs, it's just incredible how much more space that's been giving Lord to bless. THIS IS A COOL THING GOING ON OUT HERE! You can't beat it! It's a tough thing to do, but so far, it's been absolutely rewarding in multiple ways.

And I'm starting to kind of love Brasil, a lot. There are so many WAY cool things about it, and the people here. Personally, I just think they do some things better out here. For one, the weather here in Lagarto is ALWAYS hot, never gets CLOSE to being cold. So I believe that means YEAR-ROUND BEACH TRIPS, which I would LOVE to do one day. One day... ALSO, the most common vehicles here are actually motorcycles, and they're SWEET. And I want one. I want I want I want I want I want one so bad. They're not the normal Orange-county Choppers, Sport bikes, or Cruisers they have in the states, they're AWESOME light-weight bikes that are built for zipping through tight Brazilian streets. So yeah, I'm not really sure how that's gonna work with the whole not having money after the mission thing, but I'll make do. I mean, these days, there are TONS of ways to get what you want, and fast. And sometimes, free, too. I'm really leaning towards the trying to get it for free thing, because I'm gonna have to buy a car, too, which will cost. This one guy in the states once told me that there's this way sweet place you can go to get a free motorcycle, and you barely have to do anything for it. I think you have to do something special to get it, like eat a banana in under 35 seconds, or impress a girl with how long you can hold your breath......well I'm actually not really sure. Actually, I think he either said, "You gotta run around the city and squeal some curses, generally at old people or women," or, "You gotta run around the city and steal some purses, generally old people or women." It wasn't really clear, the man actually only had two teeth. But either way, I think you get the motorcycle, and you don't have to pay. I liked that man!

Lastly, I think it's important to warn you about one thing specifically about Brasil, from an experience I almost had this week. Elder Marques and I traveled out of town to Aracaju this week, and ended up staying long enough to eat lunch and then make our way back to the bus station to leave. Upon our arrival at the bus station, I realized that I needed to make good use of a restroom. Only, some restrooms in big cities differ here from those in the States, especially in places like bus stations. So Elder Marques and I arrived in front of the bathrooms, and he looked at the bathrooms, then looked at me, and said, "Looks like you'll have to pay to use the bathroom here, do you have money?" "UHHH UMMM WHAT??" was my immediate thought. I had money, so I wasn't worried about the bathroom chauffer there putting his hand up to me and saying, "Sorry, but we don't let your kind pee here, you destitute poor scum." I was a little bit worried, though, about a hypothetical day in the future, you know, when I might REALLY have to use the bathroom and NOT happen to have any change on me of any sort. Because then I would get rejected by the chauffer, have to walk out into the street, and finding myself losing bodily control, lose all my dignity in front of the general public. Also, it's illegal to pee in public here (they're more dignified than that, they have public restrooms you can PAY to use!). So turns out, if you DON'T pay to pee, what happens? YOU GET JAIL. You get JAIL because you couldn't afford to pay the man at the bathroom door, and then desperately fail to locate a free pee station, and then pee in public. So, then someone calls the police on you, and you're just too wet and weighed down to make a clean escape (here the word clean applies literally and figuratively), and you get tackled by the pee police, and YOU GET JAIL. I, for one, consider this UNCONSTITUTIONAL. NOT cool. Pay to pee or get jail is a violation of the amendment that says, "We the people, believe that all men have the right to peaceably asseble, especially in places of worship, in places of press, and places of bladderary releif." Okay, enough said. Always carry money. ALWAYS. You never know when you might have to pay to pee, talk, breathe, or maybe even EAT! Who knows what's next?

Hey, I love you all so so much, be good, alright? And remember, always carry some pocket change!

LOVELOVELOVE

Elder Reneer