Email 10/27/09

From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:23 AM

Well, my first week has come and gone, and let´s just go with the positives, huh? I am learning a lot more about what it means to serve others, and to think creatively, and I´m adjusting quickly to my new area.

Elder Rosin, my new companion is very nice. He, like Elderes Felippe and Elder M. Santos, is from Southern Brazil, in his case, the Curitiba area. He and I met a few months back in Aparecida de Goiania, when I was companions with Elder Deivison.
We arrived in Anápolis by Onibus, so yeah about an hour and a half. It´s close enough that the Staff missionaries even paid us a visit today. Which means that President and Sister could pass by any hour. (Though at the moment Pres. Tobias is in São Paulo, at a conference for Mission Presidents.)

Today the english is coming along a little better, though I don´t know why. I almost never see Americans during the day, and I almost never speak English, save when I´m helping Elder Rosin with the language. I can think more fluently in portuguese than english, I think, though grammatically, I´m still better in english than portuguese, because, while portuguese language structure is simple, it´s rules are still beyond me, especially accents. I know I´ve been blessed with a gift, despite the many, many wackos around here who vehemently proclaim that The Gift of Tongues is a puddle of gibberish. There´s no other explanation for my ability to speak more or less fluently with people who grew on the other side of the world from me. As for those who don´t learn, in part I would say that yes, it is lack of motivation. Look at Elder Richard G. Scott. He speaks more languages than I have fingers. Elder Felippe speaks English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. When you dedicate yourself, you succeed.

So you saw the pictures of me with specs, huh? Ugly, ain´t I? I look sometimes at the pictures my friends have sent from when I was young and compare to the recent shots I´ve taken and, well, I have to admit, I look waaay older now. And funny. We have a big mirror in our bathroom, so I take a look sometimes before bed, and I have a huge difference between the tan on my arms and my pale, pale belly.

But you can tell Colin that he´s the one who looks like Matt.

As for the phone cards, I´ll look around, but half my area doesn´t have paved roads, so I don´t know if I´ll find such advanced technology around here.

Oh, and the shirt size for me these days is 16.5, but I think I´m actually thinner. I´m going to look and see if I don´t fit a 15 around these parts. And you can keep sending toothbrushes. Razors and toothbrushes are a robbery here, so I accept all you send.

You made Pão de Queijo? Really? I thought it was impossible for lack of a special flour made from mandioca. Oh man, I haven´t eaten since breakfast and you´re talking about feijoada. HUNGER.

To Dad:
I should probably be consolled. Monday I have Leader Meetings, and Saturday I am responsible for Interviews for Baptismal Candidates. A whole lot of new stuff to learn. But I needn´t worry much about Sun-bathers. Outside of the fact that we have some excellent rules about where not to be which help avoid the rampant porn, no poorly dressed women catch the eye here. Why? Well, for starters, half the churches here teach women they can NEVER remove any hair from their bodies. (1 Cor. 11) and then again, even the unreligious have legs hairier than mine. My companions all swear this is just a Goias´thing, but I like to pull their chains and say it´s what all Brazillian girls do outside of Rio. Haha.

Send an oi to Elder Nielson for me, but let him know serving in California is for Fubecas, heck, any mission that has a temple near to it is to easy. But let him know I said hi. Tell Elder Van Duyn I said hi, too, but that Portuguese remains greater than Spanish. Also, Peru, in Portuguese, means Turkey. If you have the chance, send a hi to the rest of the Elderes in our stake, and also to Elder Shumate.

It´s good to know that the Quorums are worried about retention up there, but down here we haven´t exactly got quorums. Jardim Curitiba was a big ward because we had a High Priest Group and an Elder´s Quorum. I´m not even sure we have a High Priest in the Jardim São Paulo Branch.

Well, we´re having a division this week, which will be between us and the Zone Leaders. I´ll be working with Elder K. Williams, who, if I´m not mistaken, is younger than I am by a couple months, though, in mission law, he´s older than I am, because he has 1 transfer more than I do in the field, and he´s already been an AP and everything. Not that´that´s super important, but I intend to use well the opportunity to learn more.

I have to go now, I think my hour´s up, and I need to pay the computo-man, so away I go, until next time.

Send my love to everyone, say hi to Grampa for me, and hug the dog for me, too.
Love, Bryan.