Happy Halloween

This week was a lot better. We taught a ton but not too many people were interested. The frequency at Sacrament Meeting shot up plus 20. The bishop gave us the credit even though we didn't do too much. We have a ton of investigators that are really close to being baptized. Two of them want to and are ready to but they are under 18 years of age. Their parents don't like the Church and won't let them get baptized. This month of October is about to end. Our Zone finished the month with 5 baptisms and in September, 22 were baptized. So, from last month to this one the Zone fell a lot. But we had transfers which always slows everything down and also General Conference. All the companionships are finding people and preparing them for the month of November.

Elder Carneiro is my first comp from the south of Brazil. There are also 5 other Brazilians from the south in this Zone. All of them talk about how the south is way better than the rest of Brazil. I don't know how long ago but the state Rio Grande do Sul tried to break off from Brazil to become its own country. There was a civil war and everything. In the end, Rio Grande do Sul lost and it's still part of Brazil. All the Brazilians from the south still consider Rio Grande do Sul another country.

Today we're going to play basketball!!! I can't wait. I know that we really won't play good, solid, organized ball but just the thought of a basketball in my hands makes me happy. I've be "working out" with Elder Carneiro in the mornings and nights. He has little weights that we use. I just recently got passed that stage of the sore muscles and now I feel way healthier. I'm trying to get thicker while Elder Carneiro's trying to get thinner. I'm tall and skinny and he's short and fat; the perfect couple.

There's a lady named Dora here who got baptized about 4 months ago. She was baptized by the Elder who just left and then I took his spot. Dora hasn't gone to church these last 2 weeks because this Elder got transferred. She's not "in love" with this Elder but she calls him her son. She literally thinks she's his mom. The Elder who left stayed here for 6 months. Everyone here loves him. I hate taking the spot of an Elder that everyone loved. It happened to me in Arapongas but the members there are awesome so they accepted me really well. But here it's not the same yet. I'll just have to get to know the members more.

The Church is really old here in Marilia. The Brazil Londrina Mission used to be the Brazil Marilia Mission. There used to be 2 strong stakes here but then a phat story about some bad things that went on and a ton of the members became inactive. Now there is only 1 stake and the mission moved to Londrina. There are a lot of old members who served missions. It's cool to talk to them and compare the old mission days to modern missions.

Well, I think that's all for today. Happy Halloween. I think I'll dress up as a missionary and knock on doors to celebrate. I bet I'll knock on more doors than you!!!

Elder Carter