This week I partook of my first New Year’s Day in Brazil. I ended up staying at the Zone Leader’s house for the night which was cool because they have a “barbacue.” I feel the quotations neccesary because -in my book- a sawed-in-half oil drum really doesn’t count as a grill. Needless to say, the 5 kilograms of steak that we cooked that night were truly horrible.

This week was Christmas!! Christmas down here is a little different. Christmas day itself is nothing special down here because everyone opens their presents on Christmas Eve at 12 am. All the kids stay up and there’s fire works and all that jazz.

This week we met with the president of our area, Elder Costas. It was strange when I first met him becuase I recoginized him from General Conference. He’s spoken there a few times actually. He’s currently the most senior member of the Quorum of the Seventy so if he becomes an Apostle sometime I wouldnt be surprised.

This week my companion and I baptised 4 brothers and gave all of them the holy ghost as well. The two oldest also so recieved the preisthood. and they´re all super good friends with all the members in the ward alread so I´m sure they´re gonna stay active. The Oldest wants to serve a mission as well!

Hello,

This week was fun / interesting / made-me-rage-a-few-times. Because someone stole my razor from in the CTM, and because I was having problems with my church issued money card, as of wednesday last week I had not purchased a high quality replacement. Because I decided to be thrifty and settle for the cheapest razor I could find at the store near my house, I ended up with thousands of cuts on my jaw from the crap BIC razor I bought for one R$. I literally snapped the razor in half afterwards and actually threw it into the trash can… moral of the story: Buy good razors. Also here in brazil they have these Ice-cream-man-esque companies that drive around the city playing music so that if you are in dire need of propane tanks or water you can simply buy it on your doorstep instead of going to the store. I mention this because very near to our house we have an incredibly overzealous salesman who loves to drive by our house at 4 am in the morning playing his song trying to sell us propane.

Many of our investigators live in an apartment complex close to our house so we spend much of our time in that complex. One of the people who lives in those apartments likes to go from doorstep to doorstep in Sao Bernardo and dig through your trash on garbage day to remove anything recyclable you might be trying to throw away. He places all of the recyclable goods he finds in a huge cart that he pushes around. I have no idea where him or his recyclables go.

Every Bus here in Brazil drives like the night bus from Harry Potter. This week during a particularly foggy night we were walking around the city and one of the night busses stopped next to us. The driver opened the door, hailed us and told us that he was a member of the church and that he wanted us to teach his friend (who was on the bus with him) the first discussion. So while he drove through the ultra thick fog we taught the restoration to the man while the eerie yellow-orange light of the road lamps barely allowed us to see. It was a strange lesson.

While I was buying my razor at walmart, (literally the only place that had the kind I needed) George Michael´s Careless whispers (THE saxaphone song) met my ears from the walmart overhead speakers. After that like 5 of my favoirte songs came on those speakers. I now officially love walmart almost as much as I love target.

This Upcoming week were going to have 4 baptisms!! Its a family and after the parents are married were going to have 2 more! finally my work here seems to be paying off. Also this week I went on splits twice and the missionaries that I spent the day with taught me a lot.

Also this week while I was studying upstairs the washing machine began to overflow because there was a problem with the water drain. I ran down and solved the problem but the damage was done… there was water all over the floor of my downstairs. Of course right then the Metcalfs called (the senior couple in our ward and told us that in 10 minutes they would be at our doorstep to examine our apratment. but it was all good becuase the were super understanding about the whole thing.

Anyway this week was good, fun and fullfilling and I wish  you all a happy wonderful day wherever it is that you live.

Elder Westenhaver

I left the Brazil MTC on the 20th and when I left i got to my new area i learned that my email day was Mondays so i had to wait a little longer. But i finished up things at the MTC and finished up my classes and training. I said my goodbyes to some wonderful people that I’ve met these past 6 weeks, like my companion, Elder J.

And of course India too.

I left the MTC tuesday morning the 20th at 7:00 and we went to the misson home where we met our new misson president. The misson pres and his wife are our new parents for the next 2 years so its nice to have someone watching over you and someone that can help you; Their names are Pres Broadbent and Sis Broadbent! Theyre awesome people! When we arrived at the misson home they came up to us and hugged us righ away and said they were so happy to see us. We then spent a couple hours with them socializing and getting to know one another. After that we went to the church building near by to get our new companion/trainer. My companion for the next 12 weeks is Elder D.! He is from Fortaleza Brazil and has been on his misson for a year and 3 months. He has a lot of experience and has already taught me a lot! He knows zero english but we can communicate what we need to say with one another portuguese.

After we received our new companions we had orientation where we learned all the rules and expectations in the sao paulo sul misson. There are 11 million people in our mission. After orientation, Elder D. and I took our bags (one of which broke I might add. hashtag dont buy magellan) and got on a crammed autobus to head to our new home. Here’s our kitchen:

Our area is in the city of São Bernardo. The area is almost entirely favelas (slums) and there are a ton of hills.

Our schelude is as follows…we wake up at 630..workout and eat breakfast and get dressed by 8..at 8 we study for an hour..9 is companion study..and 10-11 is language study. We then eat lunch at a members house around 12 and then the rest of the day is appointments and proslyting. I’d like to pause for a momoent and once again talk about the food here. Every day we are fed lunch by a member. Sometimes thats a blessing and sometimes thats a curse. Of course, naturally, everyone here is an amazing cook. The curse lies with the fact that its rude here to eat only one or two servings. Ive been told that I must eat at least 3. Which can be difficult when the hostess is the one deciding your serving size each time. One of the wealthier couples who ive had the great oportunity to eat dinner and lunch with here took us to a buffet and the buffet had sushi!! I ate probably 150 dollars worth of sushi and chicken hearts. Turns out chicken hearts are pretty good. The buffet was like one of those Brazilian places where the people walk around with giant skewers and trays of different meats and stuff and give it to you whenever you want. Also here every meal they serve beans, rice and often eggplant (which has the texture of uncooked octopus).

The people here in Brazil are awesome! They are so friendly and willing to listen to our messgae we have to share. But I also get a lot of weird looks..called a lot of interesting names..people like to yell at the white kid..especially if your a giant compared to them..and I’ve even had people run up to me and take pics of me so thats always an intersting expereince…weird people lol.

My second day here, this guy brought me and my companion into a house to pray with him and his friends because their friend had been killed by her drunk husband during an argument the previous night. I walked inside the little stone-walled apartment and realized that we were in the house where she had gotten killed.There was a pool of blood and over-turned furniture in the room where she had gotten her head smashed by her boyfriend with a bicicle handlebar the night before. I just sat there and waited for my companion to teach the plan of salvation and say the prayer for that one.

I think were gonna have a baptism for this upoming week and maybe two; the people in question need to learn some more lessons this week but maria and juliano seem really interested in the church. Its hard here but I feel like I am doing well! Thanks to you all and love ya.

Sincerely Elder West

We received this letter from York’s Mission President:

Dear Family of Elder Westenhaver,

Elder Westenhaver has arrived safely in the São Paulo South Mission. I have had an opportunity to visit with him in a personal interview, and I am inspired by his missionary efforts thus far and know that he will make a great contribution to the work of the Lord here. We are so pleased to have him! Sister Broadbent and I love him already, and we appreciate his desire and preparation to serve the Lord. It will be a wonderful experience for us to work with him in this great missionary effort as the Lord hastens His work here in Brazil and throughout the world. We know that our Heavenly Father will bless him, as he is obedient and diligent.

Thank you for your willingness to share him with the people he is serving here in Brazil. May you feel peace and joy in his service.

I have attached two pictures: One of Elder Westenhaver with my wife and me and another with his new companion.

With our love,

President and Sister Broadbent

This is my last week in the MTC; and likely my last time to speak English for the better part of two years. Dispite all of the grammar I´ve drilled and the vocab I´ve memorized, I cant help but feel largely unprepared to enter the field. Earlier this week my district received a new elder named Elder F. On the night of his arrival our district hosted a 16 person double elimination arm wrestling tournament. I was about to start the semi finals when the senior missionaries shut us down. We’re just trying to exercise and stay healthy! Haha.

Although I´m apprehensive to leave the MTC, I believe that I´ve learned all I can here.

I´m doing great. Wish me luck!! Love you guys!

Elder Westenhaver

PS: Facci made up a cool quote and I though I should tell you guys it: Goals are not limits.

Here’s a picture from the American-stye cookie shop across from the MTC where York has been staying. I don’t know who this girl is but there’s York in the background. So far these are the only pics I’ve gotten from him.

Hi everyone,

A lot of interesting things occured this past week so I´ve decided that a chronological account of these events is the best option to cover all of the goings on here in Brazil. First I´d like to point out that the “days-of-the-week” system in brazil is extraordinarily cunfusing; attempting to recall the events of a specific day is virtually impossible. Now I know what you´re thinking, “Why can´t Elder Westenhaver just use his daily journal entries to spark his momories?” well… forgive me for answering a question with a question: but, have you ever tried to read my laughably inscrutable hand writing? For those of you who havent, imagine an Aztec codex writed by a blinnd 4 year old riding a gallaping horse. Now turn what your imagining upside down and look at it cross-eyed. Thats probably what my hand writing would look like to you.