Humble Humpdays

  What is going on everyone, yet another week has passed down here in the 'Zil (sorry Elder Jarvis), and all around it was a pretty dang good week! Thanksgiving was a great day, and now it's December and there's that sweet Christmas charm in the air. I spent the last couple of days shoveling snow from the front of our house and- JUST kidding, you guys I'm just playing it doesn't get cold here. I think some people don't even know how to spell the word cold. I'm pretty confident the only thing that'll be white about my Christmas this year is my skin color in relation to everyone else's. Anyways though, festivities aside, let's get into the highlights of the week!


     Portuguese is coming the heck along. I've started leading some discussions which is spicy awesome, even though they're not the most complex. I gotta give a shoutout to Elder McLane for being a beast Spiritual Wingman. To my knowledge, regular wingmen are supposed to hype you up so that you look good in front of a special someone. However, he's a SPIRITUAL wingman, cause while I'm teaching he'll toss me opportunities to flourish and to teach better. I'll be struggling looking for somewhere to go next and then he'll bridge the gaps between my points so that I don't look quite as novice. It's very appreciated because the special someone I'm trying to look good for is just the entire population of Brazil. 

      Each day here is super good and has a ton to teach me. This Wednesday and the last specifically have been overarching lessons of humility. For whatever reason, consistently on Wednesdays I get humbled big time, so for this reason I have decided to rename Wednesdays "Humble Humpdays." But this Humble Humpday was going real good; teaching, walking, learning, y'know all the classic missionary activites, when suddenly boom, mid-lesson I get splashed with an ice cold glass of "I don't understand what your companions saying all that much." Heartbreaking you guys. We in the speaking community hate to hear this. And then in another lesson, while we were introducing ourselves, Elder McLane was talking to a woman and she looked at me and asked him "Oh does the other one not talk." I was like listen I was patiently waiting my turn to speak alright (I didn't say this but I sure thought it). Here I am, showing what being polite looks like and then I get ridiculed for being an apparent mute. It quickly became apparent to me that the only pie I'd be having for Thanksgiving was humble pie. Naw I'm just kidding, I share these things cause they're funny but in all seriousness I appreciate the heck when I get told areas I could improve. For all the times someone makes an offhand comment about me or my Portuguese, there's equally just as much compliments given to me, and I for sure want to give merit to those as well. I think that the people here are insanely kind, generous, and this Thanksgiving I genuinely had so so much to be grateful for in all moments of the day and this whole week. 

      Speaking of Gratitude, man am I grateful for the scriptures. In my personal study of The Book of Mormon right now, I'm reading one of the strongest areas there is, 3 Nephi. While I'm writing this, I'm on chapter 13, which is only 2 chapters into when Jesus appears in the Americas, but there's already so much good stuff. The chapters with Jesus Christ speaking are jam packed full of insanely good wisdom and profound scripture. I know that for me, reading these chapters and reminding myself what the things are the savior directly invites us to start and stop doing has been a super big blessing to me. Some of the things he directly invites all to do in these chapters are to be peaceful, to be meek, humble and repent with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The savior invites all to forgive one another, to trust Heavenly Father and his Plan for us, and he invites all to come unto him.

      In this season of The Savior's birth, I invite all those interested in growing their relationship with their savior to read these chapters. 3 Nephi 12 & 13. Give time to grow your relationship with the Savior, act on the advice he's already given to us, and you're sure to see improvements in your amount of genuine joy and the strength you feel in your day to day! 

    Anyways everybody. It's been a real fun time writing the heck out of this email but it's looking like it could be time to bid adeau. I want to give a special shoutout to my feet and my brain for always carrying me, I don't know exactly where I'd be without them but certaintly nowhere, and I want to give thanks to all of you reading this. In this season of gratitude you better bet your bottom dollar I'm grateful for each one of my friends and my family, which is you. Thank you. Until next time everybody, have a great Christmas season and eat a Chick-fil-A peppermint milkshake for me! 

1. Someone videotaping during a lunch caught me candid giving the Megamind stare 
2. Got a haircut👶
3. Dr Elder McLane at your service 
4. Dr Elder Hillstead (the superior and more handsome of the two) at your service 
5. The turkeys from Free Birds were successful, I ate pizza instead of Turkey for Thanksgiving 
6. The long and winding road 








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