Oi everyone!
Wow, 10 months on the mission. This week I have been thinking a lot about my mission. My goodness, how I have grown! I don´t even remember what I was like before the mission, along with other things like a how a comfy couch feels, a warm shower, good pizza, internet, stylish clothes… the list goes on. But now I only have 8 months left and so much to do. Before, everyone always said ´O, you are new on the mission… so much time left!` , but now I have a companion with less time here and now everyone says to me `Wow! You´re practically home!`. Ugh! It´s so weird! But I am enjoying my mission and realizing that it passes so fast and I still have so much to do!
This week the sun practically killed me. (When doesn´t it?) I know I have been complaining my entire mission about the heat, and I´m sorry, but it´s SO HOT here!! How do people live in a place like this? Ha ha. I just laugh everyday when they say `How do you guys stand walking in the sun all day? That must be difficult!` It is! This week the skin on my legs started peeling from the dryness and the strength of the sun. Even with sunscreen and lotion your body just can´t handle the strength of the sun. It´s horrible! I think I will come home like a shriveled raisin!
The other day it started to rain a lot. We had been talking to our new neighbor about how it is so nice that bugs don’t enter into our new apartment like our old house. But we spoke too soon, because that night we had two huge cockroaches that entered into our room. We started screaming and our neighbor ran in to kill them for us. Ha ha! She said that she saw them walking by her window, so she shut her window. But when she heard us scream she knew exactly what had happened. Think about nasty bugs that never die! You can beat on them with a sandal for an hour and they are still moving and alive. It´s horrible. But o well! What can I do?
Yesterday when we woke up for church it was pouring cats and dogs. As we were walking to church the rain started to stop, but something (that I think is much worse) happens here. This is the WEIRDEST THING! There are always tons of ants here in this part of Brazil. When it rains, they magically grow wings and fly. It´s crazy! These ants grow little fragile wings and start flying to save themselves from the rain. When the rain stops, they lose their wings and become normal again. (Why can´t this happen with humans? That would be so cool!) But it is horrible when you are walking outside, because there are TONS of ants flying around, and crazily because they haven´t gotten used to flying. Ugh, I think it is gross, but really interesting.
We have a new rule in our mission that we need to teach Men and families. This week (hopefully) we will baptize a young man and his brother. Pray that everything goes well!
I love you all and have a wonderful week! Write letters and keep me in your prayers. Love you!
Happy Valentine’s Day! (I almost forgot!)
Love, Sister Gordon