Day 2

I have discoverd that the hard day is the day after the child leaves. This is the first day I did not see or hear from my daughter. No text to let me know where she was. No grumpy wake-up. No hug. She spent so much time out of the house it wouldn't seem to make that much difference. But it does. It could also be the 10 second phone call to let us know she had arrived safely. Kermit said she sounded a bit weepy. I hate that.

How Are You Feeling, Mom?

How are you feeling?

This is the question I have been getting almost constantly since Hannah decided to join the US Marine Corps. "How are you feeling?" comes with a lot of meanings and undertones. Some are really concerned for my well-being. Some are curious, maybe not sure how they would react in similar circumstance. Some are trying to reassure themselves. "How are you feeling?" is almost always well-meant.

The truth is I am fine. My daughter is amazing. During her senior year of high school she put a lot of thought into what she would do with herself after graduation. Just about every week there was a new plan. About two weeks before graduation she mentioned that she has talked to a recruiter. That conversation evolved into a strong desire and then a resolve to join the Marines. Through all this I knew (and have always known) that whatever she decided to do, Hannah Monzingo would be fantastic.

This particular path was a small surprise, and then again it was not. We have strived to raise independent, responsible, service-minded human beings. It cannot be a true surprise that once the children grow to adulthood they choose to serve, whether it is in the mission field or in the military.

How am I feeling?

I am proud of her decision to serve. I am confident in her ability to do well. I am joyful with her happiness. My Hannah is dynamic and resilient and intelligent and strong and caring. While we were not tear-free at parting, I cannot feel sad. My baby bird has learned to fly. Now she has the opportunity to soar.

A Little More Gratitude

I think I'm going to have to accept that I'm not going to get to all 30 "days" of gratitude. I found it too late. But I will share a few more before I move on to a different theme.

What place are you most grateful for? 
This one is easy to answer. Home. I am grateful for home. My home is not fancy, the kitchen sink drips, the shower in the back bathroom leaks, the carpet is terrible, the cabinets are cheap and the electrical wiring has issues. With all it's problems, it is home. I am grateful to even have a home. I suppose I would be grateful for any place that my family could gather. That is really what home is. Family.

What talent or skill are you grateful for?
I have several talents. I am most grateful for creativity. I think it is innate in all of us. Sometimes we only appreciate creativity in the arts. That is what is most visible. Creativity helps us to solve problems. Daily. It is as useful in designing a new costume or figuring out how to get kids to all their various activities.

What small thing today are you grateful for? 
I got a short nap after I got the kids off to school. It was glorious.

What knowledge are you grateful for?
I am grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God loves us. Families are forever. We can be like Him.

This is by no means an end to gratitude. We can give thanks every day. I try to live thankfully. Thankfulness leads to the next theme. Light the world. 25 ways to try live like the Savior.

https://youtu.be/P_VRN7hcL_8

A Few More Days of Gratitude

Yesterday was a long, tiring day. I ended up working all day and didn't get home until late. We did get our Christmas tree up. The kids just wanted to get that done. Truthfully, so did I. I love the holiday. I like decorating for Christmas. Every year the challenge is where to put the tree. If I didn't move the furniture around we might have an idea of what to do with that thing. Also, we have a tall tree. It doesn't quite fit where I want. I suppose it . would be wise to find a slightly shorter tree, but we like this one. It's pre-lit. The lights change from white to colorful with the click of a button. We don't have to argue about which lights to put on. We have both. 

Here it is. Not the best picture. If I had bothered to get up out of my chair I might have been able to get a better one. I refer back to the super long yesterday. And my chair has a nasty habit of sucking the life out of all who sit upon it. Just can't move. Despite the bad picture, I love our tree. I love the mismatched, homemade ornaments. I live the strings of red and gold and pearly beads. I love my quilted tree skirt. The ornaments are the best though. They represent family. Almost all of them were crafted by kids or grandparents or me. Those that were not handmade were gifted by loved ones. It is a tree full of love. I am grateful for our family Christmas tree.

Speaking of gratitude, I have a few more to share.

5. What sound are you grateful for today? Laughter. Today and everyday. Especially my children's laughter. It's happiness and hope all bundled together.

6. What in nature are you grateful for? The sky. I love a lot of things about nature, but I really appreciate the sky. I had the opportunity to travel with a touring theatre group right after college. I saw many wonderful, amazing places around this country. We spent the first part of our tour on the East coast. When we were returning to Texas for Christmas break, I noticed how big the sky was. I had missed it. I didn't know I would miss seeing the sky. Some people are uncomfortable with how flat and open the land can be here, but I like it.

7. What memory are you grateful for? It would be easiest to say that I am grateful for memories of my family. While that is true, today I am most grateful for memories of my mistakes. Remembering mistakes can motivate me to be better. To do better. I could chose to wallow in the mistakes and beat myself up about how terrible I am and sometimes I do indulge in that impulse. However, it is not always bad. If I know how I messed up before, I can fix it and avoid it in the future.

8. What book are you most grateful for? Reading is my passion. I am a voracious reader. My Goodreads goal this year was 48. That was an easy target for me. With all the books I've read the one that has influenced and shaped my life most is The Book of Mormon. All the good things in my life have happened because of that book. It's all true. Heavenly Father loves us. Jesus is the Christ. Joseph Smith was the prophet. Putting the precepts and principles found in that book to action has done more good for me and for many, many others.

30 Days of Gratitude

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We gathered together the day after traditional Thanksgiving Day. The kids protested a bit. But really, any day is good for gathering family and being grateful. I am especially grateful that all my children were present and that my mother could come and that my bother also was present. I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was busy eating and enjoying people.

Look. Good Food.

And good company.

Saturday was family picture day. We spent time at Kaufman Lakes park. I'm not sure that they actually qualify as lakes. Daniel calls them glorified ponds. There are two bodies of water, whatever title a person wants to give them. They did prove to be a nice location for a photo shoot. I think the kids actually had a good time. Kermit might have even had fun, but he wouldn't dare admit it.

My pics aren't as good as my mom's, but that wasn't really the point.

I saw this on Facebook.

 I wish I had seen it at the beginning of November. I've been so abundantly blessed. I feel that I should express some of what I am grateful for. I like this list because it acknowledges the small and simple things. I'll try to list a few. 

1. What smell are you grateful for today? There are a lot of smells I like, but today I thought first about wood smoke. Wood smoke is a smell of Autumn when temperatures finally drop enough for a fire. It can also mean campfires. I like camping. I like roasted marshmallows and hot dogs that are slightly burnt. 

2. Which technology are you grateful for? The home computer. I've participated in my share of frivolous computer activities but I have also accomplished a great deal of work. It has also afforded me the ability to keep in contact with friends and family that live far away.

3. What color are you grateful for? How am I supposed to pick one? I love colors. The orange, yellow and pinks of a Texas sunset. The green of forest trees and fresh Spring grass. The deep purple of midnight sky and the brilliant blue of a summer day. I don't know how to pick one.

4. What tool are you grateful for? The pocket multi-tool my uncle gave me one year for Christmas. I've had it over 20 years and it is the best.

He's Home

Daniel has been home for about a week and a half now. It has been nice to have all the children at home even if it is for a short space of time.

When he first walked off the plane it was obvious he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm sure it didn't help to have a mass of siblings and one anxious mom mob him. Add to that a long, overnight flight, cooler weather and a bit of culture shock. He handled all very. Lots of patience. He seems to have grown a bit in that regard.

When we finally got home, he toured the house. He looked into every room. Touched things. Commented on a couple of things that had changed since he left. All the while the siblings orbit around him. Every now and then looking or poking at him. I think just to make sure he is really there. The kids were super excited when Daniel started pulling out the treasures he brought from Brazil. The blow dart guns are a hit.

Every now and then we have to remind him to speak English. I love that he speaks Portuguese so very well. Sometimes I just want to listen to him, however we do need to understand what he is saying.

It is obvious how much he loved the people in Brazil. The other missionaries, the church members, the investigators, all of them. The stories have been trickling in and it is plain that the people are dear to him. Maybe I can convince him to share some of them here.

I'm trying to think of a clever way to finish this. Not feeling very successful right now. I'll just end by saying that it is good to have the boy home.

The Last Week

What??!!! No pictures this week! In consolation, we will get to see him in person next week. Can you believe it? I'm a little excited. Here is what will probably be the last email:

Well. So. Going straight off this next week is now officially my last week in field. And honestly the part that sucks is really well, I'm heading into Belém Thursday cause there's stuff that they have me do over there and so I won't even have a full work week. I'm not the biggest fan of the whole thing but there isn't really much that I can do about it. But I trust that my companion is going to be able to take care of everything as we do have a few baptisms scheduled for this weekend. The people are really excited. It's some youth, Nairon & Rebeca that are awesome. They have this huge desire to do the right and have noticed the changes they have made in their own lives because of the gospel and what they've learned so far. And much of it without us even doing much other than teaching the main disscussions. They themselves have made the changes and seen the difference. But I will be honest I'm gonnna miss these people quite a lot. I've come to love all of them and this place more than I imagined. But, time doesn't really stop. But Being honest. I'm probably not gonna even bother with sending out any emails next week. Cause, yeah pointless. Just an FYI. LOVE YOU GUYSS!!!!!! See ya next week!!

The Middle of the World

This is the week I decided it wasn't too soon to ask what he wanted to eat when he came home. After he understood what I was asking, he decided to reply with a lot of Portuguese. I'm not sure if he really thinks I'll understand without the help of Google translate or if he just doesn't realize what he's doing. I've included our delicious exchange as well as his weekly email.

Me: So, I know you are busy but maybe you can take a moment to think about what you want to eat when you get home. 

Daniel: Like, what do you mean what I want to eat? Cause like, well you've already got the plane ticket so I'll be there around 9ish I think so I would honestly love breakfast like, biscuits or some breakfast burritos or something like that. I imagine that we don't have a pressure cooker at home então se for almoçar, que tem que fazer então vai ficar sem feijão. Também não sei fazer feijão então bora ver. Más I'm gonna need something to do a very well eaten lunch Cause I'm totally gonna be starving cause my body does not adjust to dinner being the big meal in such a short time. and then well, or tacos or sandwiches would be a nice end to the day.

Me: Alright silly boy. I mean do you have requests for meals in the first few days you will be back. Say, for example, there was something in particular that you have missed. You might be saying to yourself "The food in Brazil is great, but I sure miss my Mom's chicken and dumplings." or spaghetti. or whatever.

Daniel: I didn't even think of chicken and dumplings but that is an amazing idea. Like seriously mom. Make whatever and I'll be happy. But like, tacos, chili, chicken and dumplings, REAL PIZZA, Alfredo, stir fry, honestly these and more that I don't even remember. Although the whole pizza thing is a must at some point. 

Me: No. I don't have a pressure cooker, but I am quite capable of making beans. If you want beans. We can definitely do pizza.

Daniel: No. It's like, the way. Cause americans don't do beans like I'm thinking. So that's not gonna work out. I think. I don't know. Cause it ain't just beans it's Almoço. tem que fazer o almoço, tipo. um bife acebolado. ou um frango assado na panela. Más se for tem que tirar o pitiu do frango. E...vai ser complicado más eu dou um jeito. Que o arroz é fácil. Más o feijão é mais complicado, com a panela de pressão é tipo, uma hora pra fazer. sem vai demorar até o pó, e também sai diferente. então bora ver o que que vou almoçar. 

Apparently, one of us is going to have to learn to cook beans the Brazilian way. Here's the regular email:

Well, so this whole time that I've been here in Macapá there's the whole equator line. Well this week I had like 2 seconds and got to take a picture with the monument for said line. But other than that the week was nice. We had our zone conference with the mission president and the assistants which was awesome. We talked quite a bit about the restoration which I absolutely love. And they had me give an exit testimony which wasn't as bad as the first one so I'm good. We had some people come to church this week which was great to tell the truth. Some people for the first time and they absolutely loved it. Like, I love those moments when the people come to church with that whole expectation of finding something great and they find that it's actually more than they were expecting. SO we're going forward. Love y'all

.

The date for Elder Monzingo's return is rapidly approaching. Sometimes it feels so close and at other times it is still forever. We each have our own way of counting the time. Hannah has it down to the hours and minutes. I like the way Elizabeth said it yesterday: Four emails. I guess today that is 3 emails away. Today's post will include this week's email and last week's. They were both short. And NO pictures. Dagnabit. Short is not necessarily bad. He is busy. That is good. Here is the latest and almost latest:



The Prophets (Oct 9)

So this week was interesting cause there was a guy that wants to say that he's a prophet. That's always a fun conversation. But at the same time it's from things like this that you really know that people don't understand the real role of a prophet. Heck, I don't think I know what a prophet was or is or does just that they exist. But Amos 3:7 is simple enough to tell us that the Lord tells stuff to his prophets and 1 Nephi 1:18 shows us even more how this pattern works and the Lord first talks with the Prophets who then speak to the people. And really he shows us the will of the Lord. There are some people who say prophets don't exist or that they're a thing of the past but then again according to the scriptures if God acts in the world he tells his Prophets. So really they are important people. Not everyone can be a Prophet. Bu t when there is a prophet I know that following him we'll all be a OK. And he'll show us the way always. Love y'all


Oct. 16

Well...This week a funny thing happened. First off last transfer my companion and I taught this young man and invited him to be baptized. He accepted and then even though we've passed quite a bit by his house he's never there. And well, he showed up at the church Saturday for his baptism. He's definitely got the desire. Now we just need to run into him to teach him. But that's awesome that when people want something they go after it. So we kinda need to show the same desire when we follow the gospel. We had the conference this last week and we received some teaching that we should definitely use and apply in our own lives. That's what the prophet expects of us. But we got interviews with the mission president today and the zone conference tomorrow so I gotta dash. Love y'all


Update. Got some pics from mission president's wife.

English Conference

Latest news from Elder Monzingo. 

So this general conference was different. Cause I watched it in English. There was this newby that is in his...2nd week in field and he wanted to and so it ended up being me, him, and a sister from the Philippines(who is more comfortable in English). But honestly it was rather strange. Like, I'm not used to English, and then there was that British guy that, being totally honest, I was absolutely in love with his accent, like, I didn't pay attention to half as much of his talk as I should have because of how awesome it was and trying to imitate and whatnot. Sorry.

But I loved the testimonies we received there of the Book of Mormon and such. That was awesome to see and hear all of this and the general admonition for us to listen to and obey the words of the prophet with exactness and immediately. Also, I don't know if it was intentional. But I loved that part when President Nelson "The King and I" I laughed a little bit.

 But in other news I have a new companion! Elder Gonçalves. He's from the south of Brasil. And he is super excited. I think that it'll be pretty cool working with him for the rest of this last transfer. So we're excited to see how everything turns out. 

Also VIREI AVÔ!!! TIPO, MEU FILHO TEVE FILHO E TÁ TREINANDO E TENHO NETO!!!!! Então aí é a foto da família. Más então Amo vocês povo!!!! SE divertam!!!! Não MORRAM!!!!!! Qual quer coisa me manda um email aí e tá de boa!!

(Elder Kunzel, who was trained by Elder Monzingo, is now training a brand new missionary)

The Last 6 Weeks

November 8th!!! Our boy comes home November 8th. I might be excited. He is still working hard. So proud of him.

So today is the start of what is to be my last transfer. Which is weird. But my companion got shipped off to Belém. So, Tuesday, the new guy is coming in and we'll see how he is. I don't really know him too well. 

But this week we had the baptisms of Dinaelson and Camila. They are both awesome. They've both had their individual journeys to get where they are and Camila is a big example to me of someone that has found the gospel and goes after what her testimony tells her to. She's living with her parents and her Mom does not support her in all this in any way whatsoever. And well, she's thrown away Books of Mormon and pamphlets and Camila keeps going. It tears her apart that her mom doesn't support her but she knows what she feels about the gospel and has resolved that she will keep going no matter what. But it's still somewhat sad all of this. But we are honestly really happy with her and all that she is doing and working towards. But if y'all could throw her in your prayers and such that would honestly be great. She's gonna need all the help that she can get.

And Cool exciting news.  We totally saw this car catch fire. Like, the whole engine was burning! It was awesome. This couple was trying to start their car that had stopped in front of the light and when we went to help the smoke started to come out of the engine. We all backed away and well, just a few minutes later the whole thing went up in smoke. Somewhat regrettably it didn't explode. Like, we were totally psyched. thinking that it would. But, well, the fire people got there unusually quickly. And, well, it was controlled. But it would've been really cool. (Yes, yes I know, "AAAHHHHHHH!!!1 SUPER DANGEROUS!!!! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING YOUNG MAN!!!!!! GET OVER HERE SO I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT AN EXPLOSION IS!!!!!!!◄This is probably mom's reaction)

But New experiences in store for this week new stuff let see what's waiting. AMO VOCÊS!!!!! TCHAAAUUUUU

The Weekly Newsletter

I don't hate Mondays. How could I when it is the day we hear from Elder Monzingo. He did ask about our dog, Annie. One of his previous companions got news that the family dog had died. A month or two after the fact. Our Little Ann is just fine. A little grayer and a little slower than she used to be, but fine. I promised that I would let him know if anything happened. He said not to worry. There is not too much time before he is home anyway. We still haven't heard the details on exactly what time and day he will be arriving. That is driving me to distraction. I just really, really, really want to know. In the meantime, let us enjoy the weekly update from Brazil.


So Yesterday we had lunch with a member family that is visiting from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately I don't have pictures. But they have family that lives here. Actually well, Brother Ricardo is from here. But they have these 2 boys, 9 & 6, Which were rather excited about being able to REALLY talk to someone that wasn't their parents, cause like, they speak Portuguese, but not really that well. And they were super talkative, they honestly reminded me a lot of Jacob. It was kinda funny though, cause I looked at my companion who was just looking super lost. But it was also funny cause my English was not at all totally right. And I kept wanting to speak more Portuguese than English. I'd start talking in Portuguese and then had to remind myself to speak English. SO yeah. 

But the week was rather good. we actually ended up being pretty busy. We are preparing some awesome people for baptism for this week. There is this one man Denaelson. He is awesome. We were able to visit him yesterday and during the week we hadn't gotten to because neither one of our schedules were working out, He gave a rather powerful testimony of repentance and how both he and his desires have changed. We were rather impressed. He had been having some problems more recently with alcohol abuse and we weren't expecting that much change seeing as how we hadn't been able to follow him up and help him make those changes. That just goes to show that when people want to they really can and will go after repentance. 

I'm also sending off some pictures I got just now that happened a while ago, One was the community marriage we went to and then the baptism we had the  next day, as well as the ice cream we bought later on (FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN MINT ICE CREAM HERE AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!) then on a p-day we did with some other companionships in the zone we went to a bridge thing and I'm skinny enough to fit through the bars one the safety thing above the river(guess which river) And on a rock there, welll....I just think that the picture is funny. Like this other one from my last area. Love y'all.

Finally!!

Pictures! He sent pictures this week! I love seeing that face. I have no idea what the pictures are about but maybe next week he'll provide a little bit more explanation. This will be another 2-for-1 blog entry. Last week's email was a day later than usual and that just really messed with my rhythm. Anyway, enjoy!


ZONE CONFERENCE

Well, I'm kinda late. Like, a whole day late. We actually had interviews with the President Sunday and yesterday was our zone conference and we spent the rest of the day on splits working. But it was really cool. I really enjoyed the chance we had to be with our leaders and to work with and learn from them. It's been pretty busy in the end because of that. But in the end this week has been going good. We ha a trip to Belém at the beginning sol it ws really really rushed. But that's somewhat normal. We're usually pretty busy around here. It's been a lot of work but we are teaching quite a few families. Which is going great. They're really looking to progress and learn more about the gospel and whatnot. So honestly not too much new stuff. I'd throw some pictures to y'all but my camera is out of power and so because of that I haven't been taking pictures. But I love y'all 


THIS WEEK

Well our week was interesting. P-day we went to a Fortaleza de São José. which was pretty cool. It's a big place although after a while there isn't much to do. One of those tourist attractions right, right. But because we had the whole zone conference thingy mabubber Monday and p-day Tuesday literally everything was a bit later than it should have been in the week. So we were running around for much of the week Almost as though in a wild goose chase. But things are going good. We have quite a lot of people that really have an honest interest(albeit their own various problems). But the good part is that they go after what they want. And they understand that we are here to help them get on the right track. John 10:3-4 talks about how the shepherd both knows and is known by his sheep. In the same way that the sheep recognize their shepherd the Lord prepares people so that when they run into us they are ready and recognize what role we play and that we want the best for each one of them. So it's always good to be able to find these people. And they really do understand and trust our purpose. Love you guys. talk to you later

UPDATE. Daniel sent this explanation of the pics:

Me getting here. us at the fort. Us after finding the miracle of a super nintendo. And me finally finding descent ramen. Cause all the other brands are not quite as good. and well. in the end the good one is the origional. 

Two Short Emails

The last 2 emails from the boy have been short. Really short. And no pictures. I barely got an answer to the lovely and not-too-long-but-longer-than-he-wrote emails I sent him. This is actually good. He's busy. I'm certain he will remain busy. He is currently serving as a Zone Leader. I didn't actually know what that entailed, so I asked my husband. The super short and sweet explanation is they train and help support the missionaries in their zone/area. I think there is more to it. If you want to know more,  there is probably a missionary close by that can provide further detail. 

Here are the past two weeks worth of news:


THE VERDICT ON THE HEAT

Welll, the heat honestly didn't move too much. Actually if anything I'd say it's slightly cooler, cause, like, well, there's a lot of wind in the city. SO in the end it's all good with stuff in general. But this week we started out baptizing a family. I wish I had had more time to be able to really see their progress, but as it is it's all going good. This family is awesome. But my new companion is Elder Amon. Which is cool because the translation would be Elder Ammon. That's kinda funny at times. But he's really cool. And is a really hard worker. So I have absolutely loved that. And it's good cause we have a rather decent sized area and so that means we have quite a bit to work hard. Oh. And I ate mint ice cream for the first time in forever. THis week. ICECREAMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


MY WEEK IS HOT

Alright. It's really hot. Like, the sun is that kinda sun that they talk about with blistering heat and scorching winds and well. The scorching winds not so much. But it's all going good. Rather rarely but every now and again we get this flash rains that come and go in about 2 seconds. But my companion and I are doing well. Actually we have this trip to Belém here in a bit so today is all rather short. But i love all of y'all. hope that everything is going good. 

MACAPARAÍSO!!!!!!!!

I was contacted this week via Facebook by another new friend from Brazil. His name is Mauro. We determined that I speak no Portuguese and he speaks no English but we both speak a little bit of Spanish. Turns out he is the brother of someone Daniel baptized. Daniel is in a new area. He is getting closer to come home time. This will probably be his last area. Here is the latest from him:


So. I, well, sorta kinda got transferred. I'm headed off to Macapá in the state of Amapá. It just so happens to be my luck that it is at the equator.

  
This is inside the city. This is the eye thing that marks the line of the equator. 

So. I said it was gonna be hot in my mission. I think that I may or may not have underestimated said heat. But, then again I won't know until I get there now will I? 

But the last week in Castanheira was awesome. It ended up that there were some complications and, well, those who were to be baptized this week will be another week. But I hope to receive notice of it all. We worked probably the hardest that we had this last week. So I was happy with it all. But honestly I'm with so little time and so much to do. So whatever y'all need shoot an email in my direction. Love y'all!!

Shovel Jockey The Return

Years ago my husband had the idea to start a poop scooping company. It was a great idea. He called it Shovel Jockey. People liked the service. What I didn't know when he started the business was that I would be the main scooper of the puppy poo. I would load the kids up and we would go around the metroplex and clean people's yards. Glad to see those skills are being put to good use.

Those of you who understand will probably find this funny. At least I hope so. But we had this service project that was essentially mowing a lawn and stuff and well, seeing as how they have 2 dogs we all mutually decided that it would be better if the weed wacker wasn't throwing a bunch of poop at everyone and so, well, Shovel Jockey was reborn. Just thought that it would be kinda funny. But the week went rather well in general I was pretty happy with it all. We are pretty excited because this week we should have a baptism of these 2 kids in a family we're working with. And they are super super super excited with church. SO They are doing great. But this week is also the transfer so it's a big question of what's gonna happen. But We'll find out on Sunday. Love Y'all

The Verdict on Monkey

The world is a strange, wonderful place. Here is the latest from Elder Monzingo:

So. I am Super Super Super Super Super Excited and happy and proud to finally say..... I ATE MONKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like maybe I'm just a little over the top about this But I am way  happy. Like, Seriously. But That's not all I ate. Following are pictures of the Armadillo, Paca (I don't know what it is in English or if it has an English translation) And last but not least Monkey. Plus a cookie cake thing that I made. But the week was great. MONKEY! 

We still got this family that's coming to church that are absolutely loving it. They are really very excited TO be coming to church and are loving it. They need help to get there and back home generally so it's a good thing that our members are all willing to help them out. So I am rather happy with it all. 

Also that picture of me and Elder Chagas is actually a picture of Extreme and Invisible.(Look very closely at the name tags.) I love you guys. Hope that this week is amazing

So, all this monkey business got me curious. I sent him this question: Missionaries are coming over here to eat tomorrow. I asked if they had any requests or if they were just tired of anything. And then I started thinking, what do missionaries in Brazil get tired of? Is there something you get fed a lot?

NOt necessarily. Cause. Well, it's pretty much the same thing every day. Like, always beans, rice, sometimes noodles and some salady thing, with some kinda meat. either beef or chicken or fish although chicken is the most common and fish is the least. Although I like, Love fish. But every now and then there's something different like, lasagna But even with lasagna there's always that good ol' beans and rice. And here in Pará there's always farinha. and yeah

If anybody has any questions for that boy in Brazil, I will happily send them and post the answers on future blog posts!

BTW: according to Google, Paca is a large rodent found in Central and South America.

My Disappointment With Monkeys

No pictures this week. 😒 And what the heck is this obsession with monkeys? Short and sweet note from Elder Monzingo:


So. Well, this week. Or rather, yesterday. It was all good, all set up. I was gonna actually eat monkey instead of that lie they fed me in the motherland of Óbidos (Que freaking Saudades de lá). but said Brother who shot said monkey on a hunting trip returned just a bit later than was expected and so did not have time to prepare said monkey before Lunch yesterday. So tonight I should be eating monkey. Or something else. Who knows what. But the rest of the week this week was great. We had 6 people visiting church yesterday. And there's this family of 4 that is really super excited. They all loved it and want to come back and are all ready to ask a few questions about church when we go back to their house. And that's including the 9 & 11 year old. They have questions. Super excited for them. Honestly think that they are going to progress quite a lot. And I am super excited for them. BUT for the most part that's it. Excited for monkey, and just need to keep on going. l Love you guys. Talk to y'all later

A Month O Birthdays

Lots of July birthdays in our family: a niece, a nephew, Mother-in-law, Joseph and myself. I may be missing one. Yesterday we gathered together at Grandma's house to celebrate. As always, it was wonderful. Family is one of my favorite. Daniel managed to send me a birthday message. If I was a little more tech savvy I'm sure I could figure out how to share the video (It's on Facebook.) In any case I have a few pictures, too.

Seriously. I have yet to figure out why it's such a big deal to eat that black fruit and then smile. But I do get a LOT of pictures of that very thing.

Here is the latest email from Daniel (sans explanation of the black smile):


MY WEEK

SO Mom's birthday was this week. And I was rather lucky because on said day of said birthday we had our lunch with this one sister who is friends on Facebook. And so It all worked out excellent. But this week there isn't really tooo much that has happened. But we have some investigators that have an established wedding date which is awesome and they are really super excited. We also got these really cool new pamphlets to be able to easier teach the 5th missionary lesson. Which are awesome. They are really well made and we is excited. Honestly that's it. Back to work! Love y'all