Hey friends! Welcome to New York! It's been waitin’ for me. Specifically Wall Street, that’s right, I have been called as the financial secretary… well one of the 5 that we have. It was also transfer week and the novinhos got here. On top of that we had a Mission Leadership Council and two other missionaries getting her late. It has been crazy. Oh and yes, working in the office means I have Saturday P-Day so don’t worry if you don’t get emails on Mondays haha.

Hey friends! Yours truly is headed to… drum roll please…  the office!! What secretary? I don't know. I do know that my comp is the best person in the whole wide world Elder Allen. I am so so hyped. When I found out I yelled so loud. On top of that there is a chance I learn Spanish now! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Hey friends! Did everyone ever consider that on your mission you might be doing a 1 hour service project of bathing dogs? Yeah, me neither but hey it happens. 

I am back, yet again, just this time with 8 months under my belt. 33% of the way with an unknown return date… pretty exhilarating, I know. This week was super weird, lowkey weirder than the last (which I didn't know was possible). The week consisted of 11 hours of interviews with President, 2 family home evenings, a visit from the senior couple, two member dinners (not normal), bathing dogs (very not normal), and lots and lots of walking (normal). Not a single true, true workday (don't worry we did all we possibly could), not ideal but hey, now it's a new week

Hey friends! I am so sorry this is late. I know a lot of you have been anxious for it, but hey it's here now so don't fret. 

This week was a weird week. I am not gonna lie. Everything was so off all week, work wise and mentally. I am so sorry if this email is not 100% coherent, I promise I tried haha. The good news is that we still had people at church, we still had miracles, and, possibly most importantly, we laughed a lot. I also may or may not have had a crashout or two this week… but what more would you expect?

Hey friends! Guess what I did this week! I went to the hospital! Wait, don't panic, it wasn't for me. I just had to take someone there. 

Goodness gracious it has been a week. Last Monday feels like a transfer ago, Tuesday feels like a month ago, Wednesday was a week ago, Thursday doesn't even exist in my memory, Friday was the great flood followed by miracles, and Saturday and Sunday are one long day of General Conference. If that doesn't give you a summary of how this week felt I don't know how else to help you.

Hey friends! No, I am not talking about basketball. I am talking about something much greater than basketball. Baptism. Yesterday, at 8pm, I baptized Ana Clara. It also just happened to be the 100th baptism in March for the mission. My baptism, that happened during the very last hour of the very last day, was the one that got the mission to 100 and made March the first month since at least 2018 to hit 100 baptisms. A buzzer beater to etch this month in history. Ladies and gentlemen, this is March Madness.

Hey friends! Goodness gracious this week was crazy but so good. Tuesday we traveled to hear an Apostle speak, Wednesday was transfers and my comp left me, Thursday I traveled back to the city to get my son (the missionary I am training), Friday we got him settled in and started to work, Saturday we rounded everyone up for Church, and, last but not least, Sunday came and my son had to speak in Church. All that brings us to another p-day and another debrief. If you want to know how I got 7 people, 14 pieces of luggage, 3 non-portuguese speakers, 5 non-english speakers, and myself through the metro of São Paulo (in the rain too) you better keep reading.

Hey friends! Welcome back! I know you missed me! This was a very eventful week full of surprises. Transfers, a visit from the AP (whoopsies), speaking in church, and, most importantly, baptism. 

First off, to get it out of the way, transfer news! I will be staying in Vista Verde but in a different district which makes me a little sad. The sisters were so fun. I will also be training a new missionary!! I get a son (mission nickname for a missionary you train)! It’s gonna be a fun transfer.

Hey friends! This week was blessed. Those miracles were a sign of God's love for me, for missionaries, for the people here in Vista Verde, everyone but, there is no greater sign of love than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The spiritual thought this week might just change the way you think about the Savior's love for you. We will get there though, first we have to get to the many miracles of this week. So many that I don't think I even got half of them in here but I tried. 

Hey friends! Holy this week flew by, what a blessing. This week was so busy with the most random stuff and side quests, but hey… it happens. From immigration to listening to the Tabernacle Choir, this week had a little bit of everything and not a single normal day. Actually I still don't think a normal day even exists.

Hey friends! Remember when I said I hope that I get to send a more exciting email this week… yeah that is not going to happen. However, I hit 6 months this week!! On that day we got 3 pizzas to celebrate but besides that it has been a very normal week soI don't have too much to talk about. I also waited to write this email until today (p-day morning) so it's going to be short. I'm sorry.

Hey friends! Jesus Christ and P-Day. Those are the two lights at the end of the tunnel. This was a long week with a lot of walking (surprise surprise) and not a lot of finding but hey we made it through.

Hey friends! Okay it's not that in the middle of nowhere; I'm out here quite a ways but it's not like I'm walking 20 miles to the nearest supermarket (although one day I might tell my kids that was the case). It's been (almost) one week serving the Lord out here in Vista Verde, São José dos Campos - SP so let's chat about my initial thoughts

Hey friends! It's transfer week! You know what that means… I got transfer news last night! I'm going to Vista Verde in São José. I'm sure all of you know exactly where that is, it's okay I don't either. All I know is that it's apparently in the middle of nowhere. I'm both excited and not, not really a fan of change but oh well.

Hey friends! Somehow in the shortest weeks I always have the most to talk about. It's storytimeee!

A Flood of Miracles

Okay, do you remember last week? We had a super rough week with just about everything going wrong and then we fasted and out of nowhere Carmen (Eduardo’s mom decided to be baptized). That was one miracle. On Sunday two more happened.

Hey friends! I know you missed my normal Monday update but, don't fret, I am here now. This week was a test and a testimony builder that's for sure. It was a LONG 9 days. There were a lot of flashbacks and longing for home this week but I survived yet again. So what happened this week, let's chat…

Hey friends! First things first. I invite every single one of you to get on your knees and pray. Pray for peace, if not for yourself then pray for peace in the world. There has been a lot of stuff going on in these past few weeks but the thing that triggered this invite was the shooting that happened on January 7th at a Latter-day Saint Chapel. That being said, please pray for the victims' families and strive to be a peacemaker anywhere you are. 

Hey friends! Yes, I come home in 2027. August 2027. Let's not think about how far away that is and talk a little bit about this week, shall we?

I put on my plaque every single day because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I may not be perfect, in this life I never will be, however one day I can be perfected because of Him. He paid the greatest debt that could ever be paid. The least I can do is put on the plaque with his name and serve. I find joy in serving. It might be hard, I definitely mess up, I have rough days, but he is on my side. When I turn to him, he is there. That's the reason that I put on my plaque everyday.

I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Hey friends! This is the most that I have procrastinated an email so far on my mission. It's been an… interesting week. I have ZERO clue what to write about or how to even put this week into words.