Missionary Monday on Tuesday - Week 6 in Noronha

Buddy was baptized!! WHOOO!!! I freakin love Marshall! I can't remember how much I told you about Buddy, but him getting baptized is like the greatest thing ever. He married a member and has been talking with the missionaries for more than half a year. He went to church every week and was already keeping all the commandments. The only thing keeping him from being baptized was that he didn't believe in God. Ha ha. By the time I left he believed in God but not Jesus. The funny thing is that a few weeks before I left we were just walking with him talking about stuff and we basically said "Why don't you just get baptized, man? You are basically a Mormon already." and he said, "Yeah, I know. I just don't believe in your Jesus. But how about the 12th of December. If I don't get baptized before the 12th of December I will do it then. I don't know why the 12th, it just seems like a good day to be baptized." And we said sweet, we will hold you to that. When I left he was kind of digressing though so I was kind of bummed, but then a few weeks ago I got an email from Elder Finlayson that said Buddy is doing great and will be baptized this Wednesday. The 12th ha ha. WHOOO!!!

Update on Felipe and his mom: Him and his mom were having an arguement about him getting baptized and she said fine, I will open up the Bible to a random verse and that will be our answer. Ha. I don't know what verse it was, but I guess it basically said that Felipe needs to be baptized. So everything was good, but then I guess the next day Felipe said a curse word and now she won't let him get baptized anymore. So we are back to square one with him.

One day this week at lunch the members gave us these candies that are kind of like starbursts, which was cool, but I picked up one and before I stuck it in my mouth I noticed that there were like ten little ants crawling all over it. So I put it back on the table because there wasn't a trash can in the room. Then when we were leaving I saw that there was only the empty wrapper left. ha ha. 

Thanks so much for the christmas package! It was perfect. You guys might already know, but if you mark the package as worth more than 50 bucks I'll have to pay a crazy high tax on it. I'm not going to say you should lie, because I am a representative of Jesus Christ, but... don't make me pay taxes.  

In church this Sunday Bishop called me up out of no where to bare my testimony. I was content with how it went. I think they understood me. I find myself zoning out when we are at peoples house's and then realizing that I was understanding the conversation without thinking about it. I still have to really focus to understand people, but its improving. It's just a confidence thing. Confidence in yourself and in the Holy Ghost that is.

Almost every Brazilian I go on splits with asks me if I've ever been to General Conference at the conference center. Ha. I only remember going to the conference center once, and I am pretty sure it wasn't for conference. They are pretty bummed to hear that I've never been. I guess that is one of the things I had taken for granted.

It has pretty much been a non stop party here for a few days. You would think that might be cool, but the way Brazilians party is with tobacco, alcohol, and REALLY LOUD noises. Music 24/7 as loud as their speakers will allow, fireworks that sound like bombs, and they have been cutting off the mufflers to their motorcycles and parading around the city reving the engine until it backfires. I am two seconds away from throwing rocks at the motorcyclers. I wouldn't mind the music either if it was half way decent. Look up Brazilian "funky" music and you can get a taste of what the favelas of Brasil sound like. After two nights of not sleeping to well because of the noise I remembered about the ear plugs I scored in the MTC. Now I'm back to sweet dreams.

I couldn't email yesterday because the mission had their Christmas party. I was pretty bitter they made us waste our pday with that. I love this mission, but there are a few things that they do that really get my goat. We had to wake up early to get there on time and it took 3 hours of traveling by bus and train roundtrip. Then all they did was this lame program, that was basically a mix between a primary program and a talent show. Then we sang songs, had lunch, and recieved the packages that they have been hoarding all month. Those types of get togethers aren't my thing in general, but it was pday!

I found out yesterday that elder Alonzo's first name is Esteban ha ha! 

Alright, I think thats all I have. I'll skype you tomorrow, Merry Christmas!

Elder Beck