We Made a Missionary

Dear Family and Friends,

Esta semana was really sunny (in addition to the usual hot and humid weather in which I've grown accustomed). For the first time in almost a year, I think my nose got burned a little bit. Even with the sun, the trails in our area remain pretty muddy, which is making it difficult to get around quickly because one wrong step could cause you to slide down the hill and into a pit of water full of anacondas or jacaré (alligator).

The past week we had been making plans to explore Jardim Botânico with a guide, but of course, they decided to shut down the trails during Carnival. We were, however, allowed to walk around on the concrete and visit the little garden, which was nice. Unfortunately, it was a two mile walk there and back only to find out the trails were closed. My zone also played futebol again today from 6 a.m.-7:45 a.m., which was a lot of fun. The mission has restricted sports to just P-days, so the rest of the week our workouts are limited to the house or running.

Elder Hodges and I are having quite an interesting experience right now where a man (who is married to a member) has been taught over the course of a decade but refuses to be baptized because he is afraid he will afastar (fall away). It's a rough situation, but we have started to turn him into a missionary and he is giving us references and teaching these people as if he were a solid member. Other than that, we marked two more baptisms for the 28th, which are not super solid because we still have to get them married. In Amazonas, it seems like marriage isn't something that takes priority or holds much importance.

Our district has been renamed due to some huge changes in the way the mission functions...it is now Canaranas. As for an update on food, I tried liver this past week, which was horrible. As you chew it, it turns into a nasty, dry paste in your mouth. Yuck!

Até mais,
Elder Taylor Mackay