12.31.13

Hello,

You have no idea how badly i want to be there playing 10 games of soccer a day!!!! One reason is because i got transferred finally to a place called Artigas. It’s gorgeous, borders Brazil (i went there today and had a delicious, cheap meal with people talking to me in Portuguese thinking i can understand them), and every day here it is 126 degrees...I thought I was going to die last night. I slept for about 2 hours and sweated the other 6. My new companion is from Mexico so i am glad i have a Latin companion to improve my PORTUGUESE and Spanish. We're in a branch, not a ward, so there aren't that many people that go to church… but at the same time, supposedly, we're getting a bunch of baptisms and raising the numbers during Sacrament Meeting every week.

So last Friday I woke up and was freaking out about the baptism we were going to have (this was when i was in Cerro) because the stupid font wouldn't fill up, and we spent the whole day in the church doing companion weekly planning. By the time the baptism came around, at 6pm, Hna. Porto (who we spent Christmas Eve with and who is my favorite Hna.)  came up to me with a cake and was like, “where do you want me to put this?” We were baptizing her husband, so i said, “you really brought a cake to your husband's baptism?” Then Elder Bedke was like, “OH YEAH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!” I completely forgot that it was my birthday because I was too busy being mad at the font the entire day. Well we baptized Jorge then went with him to the temple the next day and it was one of the most spiritual parts of my mission. Hna. cried in the baptism and at the temple and kept thanking us the whole time. She lost her first husband to cancer when she was inactive and said that she had been praying ever since to have the priesthood in her home. She realized that Jorge was her answer to her prayers and knew that he would be the one that she would be sealed to for eternity. It’s just super cool when you help people make those life and afterlife decisions.

Hey i didn't get any pictures from you guys...what the heck. But i am still thankful for the ties and the treats!!! Well I’ll be here close to Brazil where soccer jerseys are 5 bucks, its hot as H and the people here are rich and beautiful. Talk to you next week. Feliz Ano Novo! (Feliz Año Nuevo...Happy NewYears) Portuguese that was(:

E' McRae