Email - 9/13/10

Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 3:49 PM
Subject: Re: Mid September

Well, without being overly trunky about it, we have officially arrived at my last transfer. Yes, my last six weeks as a full-time missionary. I think I still haven´t really been able to get my head around the concept, that in a few short weeks, all this will come to an end. I mean, this is my life, my world, my work. I don´t know how to do anything but this. Man, and the culture shock I´m gonna pass, huh?

I got my flight plans today. I´ll be going from Goiania to Brasilia, from Brasilia to São Paulo, São Paulo Dallas, and from Dallas, SeaTac. It´s kinda weird to see on paper the end of my mission. But hey, I´ve still got a good six weeks of work ahead of me.

I was transferred to my final area. I will be opening the Vallim de Mello area in Uberaba, Minas Gerais. Funny, huh? My mission is sorta coming full circle. I started in Minas, and went to Aparecida, from Aparecida to Goiania, Goiania to Anapolis, Anapolis Aparecida, Aparecida to Minas. Crazy, huh? Tomorrow I´ll spend the whole day on the bus, since it´s like a 7 hour ride. Fun, huh? I´ll no longer be serving as a Zone Leader, something that comes as a relief (though a bit sad, as I enjoyed my job) but the plus side is that I will, for the fourth time, be training a new missionary. What can I say, when I´m good, I´m good, eh?

I´m sad to leave E. Pimentel´s side. In these past 7 weeks we´ve grown really close one to another, and it´ll be hard to say good-bye. He´s definitely one of my favorite companions to date. Which is hard to say, since I generally like ALL my companions. Our friend, Wislene, is off to the MTC now, too. It was cool to see how someone going to the mission is from the point of view of who´s staying behind. She´ll be an excellent Sister, I´m sure. Heck, the girl managed to seal the deal of a baptism here one time, alone!

I´m excited about opening a new area. I´m going to try and do as Dad´s Trainer did with him, and not let my greenie know that I´m "dying" as the mission slang goes, haha. I don´t think I´ll even tell the members how much time I have. The fun part will be my new Zone. Almost all of them were lead by me at one time or another, and my Zone Leader is none other than my first newbie, E. M. Santos! Funny how these things work out.

What I wouldn´t give to see rain. It hasn´t rained in Goiás since March. Technically we´re in a drought, as it was supposed to have rained already this month. Every day it seems to get hotter. The sun´s so bright that the black pavement turns white. I´m gonna come home blacker than my shoes at this rate, haha.

As for the so very blessed green-beans, I hope the die. Wither and die. We must be able to find something more . . . suitable to the pallat to can, right? I mean, why eat venom, knowing it´s bad for you, when you can eat something healthy? That´s it! Green Beans are against my personal Word of Wisdom.

Hey, sister Lefebvre! It´s been a long time since I´ve heard about her! How´s she doing? And Nicole, that once-upon-a-time terror of my boyhood days? Dude, it must be so weird to see Nicole these days. I mean, I think the last time I saw her I had less than 16 years of age. Wow. Time sure flies, huh? But then again, I´m 22 now, so . . .

(At times it´s hard to know who´s more trunky, me or E. Pimentel. His girlfriend sent him a bunch of pictures this week, and I´ve got to admit, she´s a pretty young woman. I suppose he´s got a reason to be a little distracted with a girl like that back home, hahaha. But hey, it was my choice to not leave a lady waiting for me, and I´m sure that six weeks from now, there´ll be plenty of time to squander my time and attention on women, but at the moment I´ve a debt to pay to the Lord, and a work to finish here, and a ministry to end, so I can´t get too wound up in these "What will I do after?"s)

Oh no, somebody is cooking a meat that smells delicious, and I´ve got a stomach ache and can´t eat. Aww man. Hahaha. Have you ever been hungry and without the slightest desire to eat? That´s me today. Whatcha gonna do, eh?

Well, this is me, saying "I´m alive" and "Only 6 more e-mails home, wahahaha!!!"

Love,

Bryan

(SSSOOOO NOT TRUNKY)