34 weeks, transferred

Hey there everybody! 

Another week has passed and i continue to realize how fast the mission is going by. In 6 months it will be November, and in like a year and 3 or 4 months I'll be finishing up my mission. CRAZY! I'm having way too much fun in the sun to even imagine being home. 

One thing I think you all need to be grateful for is internet and a good computer. Every week that we're down here, we have to pay for our internet and you really have to pray to get a good computer. Right now, this keyboard really sucks, so sorry if I don't write too much, it's really hard to type.

So, adventures of Elder Sanderson: I got transferred. What else is new? And it was an emergency transfer, so we have transfers again next week, and I might get transferred again then too. The good news about this one though, is that I got to stay in the same area! I count it as a transfer though because I have a new companion (Elder Housley) and a new city added to my old one. Elder Housley was in the new city before, and I was in Pimenta Bueno (my city), so when we're in his city (Rolim de Moura), he's the boss, but in my city, I'm the boss. Which is hard, because I only had 8 days in that city anyways haha. I don't like the new city as much as Pimenta Bueno, but it's starting to grow on me. We just have to walk a lot farther and don't usually have shade. It's hard here too, because the people we are teaching just don't seem that excited about the Gospel. 

I'm excited to Skype too! We are going to use a member's house, which will be nice, and we'll be able to use the webcam. I make no promises as to how well it will work, but anything is better than nothing right? 

It was a lot of fun being on that last special assignment! Being comp with an AP is hard, but we had fun, and I got to hang out with President a lot more last week. We were in the car with him for about 6 hours on Tuesday and just got to talk about whatever. Mostly, Elder Johansen was talking about deep doctrine, so I couldn't really understand, but Sister Klein made sure to talk to me and bring me into the conversations which was nice! We ate lunch at a really nice restaurant and President paid for us and then some! We were living the good life haha because we ate a ton of food and then he bought us ice cream and candy haha. The restaurant was cowboy themed because that's a big part of the culture in this part of the mission, and they had a couple pictures of Clint Eastwood on the wall haha. 

I found out yesterday, that Pimenta Bueno has had the Church in it's city for only 2 months now, I've been there for a month of that. It's so weird to think about how new the Church is! Most people don't have a clue who we are, but every once in a while, someody will ask, "Vocês são os Mórmons?" (You guys are the Mormons?) and we always answer that we're with the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Not too much else happening, I have a few pics for you guys, but not too many. Three things I need from you though mom:

1. Pin number (make up a code for it before you send it)

2. Change my profile picture on FB. I saw it yesterday at the member's house who we are going to Skype from. He added me as a friend and that's how I saw the pic lol.

3. Change my security settings on there. He was able to look at all of my old profile pics and one of them is me in an ROTC uniform at BYU, don't need people seeing that here. He's a cop, so no worries with him, but the others I don't need seeing that.

Thanks! Have a great week and I'll send some pictures as usual!

Love, 

Elder Sanderson  

Part of our later conversation:

Elder S:

I think I'm gonna train this tranfer to come, I'll find out on Sunday, maybe before we talk. I don't know for sure, but the time is definitely getting close for me to train I think

Me:

That will be exciting and interesting.  I assume you will be training someone newer than you and neither of you will speak fantastic Portuguese :) I am praying for you and know you will have the gift of tongues when you need it most.  Sis Martin shared a quote with me this week.  "There is nothing more powerful than the prayers of a righteous mother." Bam. I have superpowers!  I always knew it!  :) 

Elder S:

Haha of course they'll be newer than me, that's what training is haha. The missionary will be straight out of the MTC (i hope a brazilian) and my job would be to show him how to be a missionary for his first 12 weeks in the field! I really hope he's a brazilian haha

Me: 

We'll pray for that.  

----no pics this week becuase the computer wasn't working well.  He said there wasn't anything too important.  Guess we'll find out next week.  :)