Crazy Week

97721 steps or 58.63 km. So this week, I got 8 letters, which was pretty great. I rather enjoyed it. However, one of them was dated from the 3rd of November. I honestly don't know how letters can be so held back. Also, we had a member go teaching with us 3 different days this week, so that was pretty great. During one lesson with a less active, the phone just started exploding. The secretaries were asking which airport that I wanted to arrive home at (trunkiness ensued). Then, the president called, telling me he had a package for me in Campina Grande, but in a different chapel and that I should come get it, but we couldn't go, so we had to find someone else to grab it for us. It finally all worked out in the end. So, I got my birthday package, which was quite nice. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to open it though. Church was really good this past week. Someone shared a story of a small cow who wanted to eat wheat (which would kill it), so she threw rocks at it until it ran away from the wheat but then she came back and the cow had eaten so much that it was too late. And how sometimes, we need to accept the spiritual rocks to help us to avoid killing ourselves spiritually.

Overall, it was a pretty good week.

Love you all!

-Elder Michael Carlson

[We asked Michael a couple of questions in a separate email and these are his answers]

[What are your three favorite things about Brazil so far?]

First: I like that there are people who are open to listen to what we have to say (a lot more than in the US). Second: They have a lot of crazy fruits that I like but that I've never heard about before. Third: If you ever wanted a tan, Brazil is the place.

[What did you do (or are you doing) for P-Day this week?]

We buy stuff in the center and we make our food. Then usually we laze around until we leave to go teaching. Today, I'm going to try and take to stains off my shirts - if I'm lucky.

Half a Week but Quite Busy

100466 steps or 60.27 km. So, despite being just half a week, we had quite a few things to do. First off, I experienced my first thunderstorm here in Brazil. It just kind of happened. I was unaware that they had them here. Then we went to a rodeo (my companion is a straight up cowboy), where we watched people on horses grabbing cow tails and using the tails to roll them to the ground. It was pretty intense. Then, right afterward, we helped someone with a move-in. I carried lots of heavy things. Then, the next day, we (the four misisonaries) cleaned the entire big church that 3 wards meet in, completely alone. It was a lot of work. I'm still a little sore from it. Then, the next day, I got a package from home with s'mores ingredients, so we had a s'mores party. The 2 non-americans in my house were like, "we have no idea why we're eating this crazy creation, but it's delicious!" It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed it. Then, on Sunday, we went to church. It was good. I was pretty lost the entire time. I had no idea who was who, but the classes were good.Well, that's about the summary of my half-week.

Love you all, until the next!

-Elder Michael Carlson

[In a separate email, Michael told us that the four missionaries in his current area live in an apartment above a construction/grocery store. We're not sure what a contraction/grocery store is but we'll ask him that next week.]

Transfers Come Once Again

103751 steps, 62.25 km. So, this past week was pretty crazy. It was kinda normal until Monday. At 7:30 PM, we found out that us 4 missionaries would leave Catolé and that 4 sisters would take our place. Tuesday morning, I went to the doctor to get my ingrown toenail taken care of (all better without any major surgery like last time). So, after that, we were getting ready to leave Wednesday morning (when normal transfers take place). Then, at noon, the assistants called to let us know that the sisters would be arriving Tuesday at 8 PM and we had to be out of the house, completely gone before then. So, we had to cancel all the appointments for Tuesday in order to pack and clean the house before they arrived. Then we realized, "Where will we go?" So we had to take all of our bags and go to another area's apartment. So, that night it was 10 missionaries in an apartment with only 5 beds. So, I slept on the floor and did not sleep well. It was just great. And so, Elder Cardoso was transferred to João Pessoa and I was transferred to Liberdade (the other zone of Campina Grande). I'm companions with Elder Hubbard (from Oregon), who is going to go home at the end of this transfer. Also living with us is Elder Beserra, from Brazil and Elder Vasques, from Peru. I'm already completely unpacked but ready to sleep.

Have a great week all y'alls!

-Elder Michael Carlson

Another Week!

89327 steps or 53.59 km. Once again, I am left with not much time to write this email. Sorry everyone... But this week was pretty great. Nothing really happened for Carnaval because everyone had left town to go to the beach. Campina Grande was pretty dead for the first half of the week. Also, we didn't have water from Friday until Monday evening. There was a switch for the water that someone had turned off. So after climbing up on the roof and doing some ridiculous things to satisfy our water needs, we discovered this switch right in front of our house. Super easy to turn on but it had been buried in dirt. We had a water party when it came back. Also, we had a very convincing and logical lesson with someone but they just said, "Wow, that makes sense and I don't agree with everything in my church but I'm never gonna change churches." It made me sad.

For another week,

-Elder Michael Carlson

Merry Presidents Day!

102397 steps, 61.43 km. We had a pretty good week. I took my first bucket shower. I was just there and I put on soap, then all of a sudden, there wasn't any water coming out. So I had to call for my companion to get some water from outside in a bucket. It was quite the interesting experience. We also had a mission conference. One thing that I learned was that in the church, we gain our salvation, but it is only through the works in the temple that we gain our exaltation. It was pretty interesting. Sorry, I don't have much time today. Love you all and thanks for the support!

-Elder Michael Carlson

Interviews and a Very Full Saturday

105756 steps, 63.45 km. So, this past week, we had interviews with the president, where I learned some interesting things. It was my companion's birthday yesterday. Fortunately, we avoided being egged (a popular Brazilian custom for birthdays) and had a huge lunch of tacos at the stake president's house. Saturday was a pretty crazy day this past week. We had appointments every hour of the day. We were almost running from one thing to another. We taught a bunch of great lessons and we had a couple people in church (which we haven't had in quite a long time). We had a full, rewarding week and now I shall rest much today. We played volleyball this morning with some members of the ward, which was fun. I lost the first game but it was a close loss. Then the second game, my team won 15-3, which was gratifying. But then I didn't play anymore because I hurt my toe this past week. OH! Something that I forgot. We also had a service project on Saturday. We took the roof tiles off a house, cleaned the tiles, replaced the woodwork of the roof and then put the tiles back on. It was heavy, dirty work but we got it done in the end. It was nice to be able to help someone like that.

Until next week,

-Elder Michael Carlson

A Week of Cutting

90477 steps, 54.28 km. This week was full of two kinds of cutting. The first (and funner) was cutting down some banana trees. I was able to use my lumberjacking skills, with the aid of a giant machete to help one of the ward members. It was quite fun and I felt very manly afterward. The second (and a lot sadder) was cutting the people who wouldn't progress or who didn't want to. We had to cut a lot of the people we were teaching because they wouldn't do anything. It's always a sad thing to have to do that but like a tree pruned grows better, I'm hoping that our area will grow and flower soon. We did have some good lessons with some good people but I have yet to see many fruits of these lessons. This week was a lot of walking. And sorry Mom, but I haven't been taking a lot of pictures. It's hard to bring my camera. I don't want to get robbed. I'll try harder this week though.

Love y'all!

-Elder Michael Carlson