I don't have a ton of time to write today but I will write as much as I can. We're having a churrasco [barbecue] with the missionaries in our zone to celebrate Fourth of July (although it was last week).
So to answer your questions - I'd have to get out a map but I think we walk 8 or so miles a day. About P's family, they are all already members except for his dad. He isn't interested in taking the lessons. Right now we are also teaching two of P's cousins and they agreed to be baptized in two weeks!
KKKKK (kah kah kah kah kah - how brasilians write laugher, like our 'lol' or 'hahaha') and also my companion didn't cut my hair [referring to the picture he sent last week]. I'm fairly sure there is a missionary rule against that. [Actually there is no rule against that -AJ] No, we went over to a local salão de cabeleleiro [salon hairdresser] and I got my haircut there.
So we had a second orientation on Monday with the new Mission President, Presidente Perroti (pe-HOE-chee). It was all the same stuff we learned in the first orientation, but now that we can understand a little Portuguese it was easier. Presidente Perroti is pretty cool. Unfortunately, we had to leave in a hurry after the orientation so I didn't get a picture with him and his wife (Our 4 hour trip between Campinas and Botucatu only has two departure times each direction per day).
Thank you for sending that article about keeping our mind in the middle. Sometimes I use the fact that I'm new as an excuse for myself to slouch back and let my companion take charge in everything. But if I push myself even farther I know God will bless me and help me become the missionary I need to be - Going back to that whole faith thing. Uchtdorf is awesome!!
I want to talk about some of our investigators real quick, since I haven't really done that very much. J and S. An unmarried couple that was passed to us when we arrived in the area. They have already been taught all the lessons. When we arrived, S was smoking 15 cigarettes per day. We talked about the Word of Wisdom one visit and set a goal for her to slowly cut out cigarettes. J at that time did not smoke but drank socially. He agreed to give up drinking. Things were fine until about our fourth visit (about 3 weeks ago). I won't go into all the details but during our visit with S who was already in an emotional state, J stumbles in, drunk as can be, and S is in tears. They share some bitter words with us - and at this point I'm just frozen, I have no idea what to do. Elder Hill manages to very boldly, yet in a manner inspired by the Spirit, basically call them to repentance and promise blessings. I bear my testimony and we have a prayer and then leave. Two days later we were walking in the area and I suggest to Elder Hill that we stop by their house. He made a comment like "I really don't want to" but we decided to go anyway. When we arrive S is full of smiles. That night after we left from our intense visit with them, she decided to give up smoking for good. Till today she has not picked up a cigarette. The same can't be said for J, he still drinks (ironically, worse than before we started to visit him). But it is truly a miracle that S was able to stop smoking cold turkey.
[Near the end of my mission I found out that she got married to J and was baptized! -AJ]
Declaring repentance is one of the most difficult things to do on the mission - but can you count how many times the prophets and disciples declare repentance in the scriptures? I have a testimony from this experience that declaring repentance has its blessings, however hard it may be.
OK, tchau! Eu amo vocês!! Elder Bradford
PS: The picture I included is of the closest thing to Oreos they have here. We made dirt (crushed Oreos and chocolate pudding) last night. Oh foi bom demais! [it was really good]
