*Insert generic email title here*

"...Well hey there fam. How's everyone doing? Do you have snow yet? Its raining and actually cool here, which is a welcome change from the baking hot heat we have usually. Okay, its not really that hot compared with Arizona but it when you're climbing gigantic hills and out in the sun for hours on end it gets pretty dang toasty. Okay most exciting news of the week is I MAILED YOUR CHRISTMAS PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I'm pretty flipping excited about it. The lady said it could get there in 10 days but I kinda doubt it and I think it'll get there in a little bit more time than she said. Still, I hope it gets there in time for Christmas. Like I said, I'm pretty stoked about it...Speaking of packages, I got a package from BoB this week. It was amazing. She most definitely gets the sender of the week award..."

"...This week has been way better than the last few weeks. (In reference to his companion)We're working a lot better in unison and we're having success. We have baptism scheduled for this Sunday and we're really excited about it. His name's F. He is the boyfriend of a member of the ward and he's been to church like 8 times and is really excited to be baptized. Its great to see all the hard work pay off and to see someone genuinely excited about baptism..."

"...Satan is always trying to counter-attack, though, and he's found a new way to make my life aggravating: bugs. It appears there's some kind of bug down here that I'm allergic to and when it bites me I swell up like a balloon. I got bit on my pinky finger and it swelled up to about the size of my ring finger. Another time I got bit it was swollen and irritated from the base of my pinky to my wrist... annoying... But yeah, the work goes ever on and on..."

"...But yeah to be honest nothing too exciting happened this week. Lots of work, lots of sun. Speaking of sun, my hair keeps getting lighter and lighter. Like I showed my pictures to a member family and they asked if I had dyed my hair black for the wedding. That's when I realized I'm a very light brown now. Who knows, maybe I'll be blond by the end of my mission lol. But yeah, I'm doing good. I had an interesting experience last night, I kinda just stopped and realized that I despite all the hard work and frustrations and setbacks, I really am having an amazing time and I really do love being here on the mission. I really do have a testimony of the Gospel and how it blesses lives. I love Brasil and I love being here. I love you all, I pray for you all and hope you all are doing great..."

  Dallin and Elder Loyola at the start of the transfer 

November 3rd update

"...Life down here is going well. Its stinking summer here and its really blooming hot. I'm sunburned again... On the bright side I'm also gloriously tan and the pounds are practically melting off me as well...which made me a very happy missionary. I guess these hills are actually good for something. Yesterday was Dia dos Mortos (Day of the Dead) and everyone was out partying and drinking in the streets, it made missionary work lots of fun. They have lots of holidays down here..."

"...Life down here keeps going, I can't believe that its already November. This whole being on the other side of the world thing is really confusing me. Christmas during the summer... weird... just weird... I think that the most exciting thing that happened this week is I learned how to harvest bananas. One of the members in the ward gave us a call and asked us if we could help haul some sewing machines from his garage up to his house at the top of the hill. Well, turns out they were those 20-year-old cast iron type sewing machines that weigh a ton (actually like 50-60 pounds), and guess who got to haul them up to the top? That's right, the gringo. I felt manly after it and I did the haka at the top of the hill to demonstrate my manly powers. But anyways... after that Helverton (o membro) told us he would let us harvest bananas in the lot next to the house. I was excited to learn and to climb a tree, but turns out that they do it a little differently here. He handed me a kitchen knife and pointed to the tree and told me to go for it. Yep, to harvest bananas they cut down the whole tree. And so I cut down the tree. With a kitchen knife. It was pretty sweet..."

"... I love you all, pray for you all, and hope you all are doing great. Prayers, packages, cookies, taco seasoning, prayers, and love are always appreciated..."

Extra "Conversation" With the Boy

When Dallin sent out his email last week, I happened to be online too. So I sent him a quick email and we got to "chat" back and forth until it was time for him to get off the computer. Here is a bit of our mini conversation:

C: Hey Bubba are you still online?

D: Yuppers, for about another 15-20 minutes

C: Sweet! So what's up!? How are you? Is today your PDay? Whatcha gonna do today?

D: Well right now I'm not feeling too great, I've been fighting getting sick since Saturday. I think we're just going to write letters and chill in the apartment this p-day. Sounds boring, I know but its nice to just relax and chill for a while.

C: Sick? Yucky! Is it more like a cold or a stomach flu? Take care of you! And I think an easy P day sounds nice and relaxing- you deserve it! Have you gotten my last few letters? Did you get your package yet?

D: I think its a sinus infection. I have gotten your last few letters- thanks for them I appreciate it. Packages take like 2-3 months to get here so I'm not expecting it for quite a while.

C: Oh sorry Bubba- get better okay? Oh really, no package yet? They take that long to get there? Well good thing I sent it a month and a half early!  So are you having a good time in Brazil? Do you really like it?

D: Yeah I really do like it here. Some things are really similar and others are really different, but I really do like it here. Its beautiful here and the people are wonderful 

C: That is so cool Bubba- I wish we were there with you to see everything that you see and be everywhere that you are... but you can just show us pictures I suppose! Do they have Halloween in Brazil? Or is it more like the Day of the Dead? 

D: They have it, but nobody really does anything for it. Its kinda sad actually. But they are having the elections on that day (I think its kind of fitting)

C: Lol talk about random timing! Do they have Thanksgiving in Brazil? Or any other big holidays that are coming up other than Christmas? 

D: They have lots of feriados- basically days off of work but no, no big holidays soon.

5 Months and Then Some

"Can anyone believe it is almost November? Its nuts, it seems like yesterday it was June and I was sitting in the MTC- man how time flies. I don't know if anyone is keeping track, but tomorrow I will be hitting 5 months, and then during the month of November I will hit both 6 months and 20 years. This is kinda freaky how fast things are going..."

"...we went to Wal Mart because it was close and off the street and safer (being out on a Brazilian street past curfew is a little scary). While we were there I found 2 marvelous things: HAGEN DAAZ (or however you spell it... the ice cream) and Tortillas!!!!!! Yeah, that made waiting a little bit better (American ice cream is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than brazilian)..."

"...We also marked a baptism for next week. His name is Fabiano, he's already gone to church like 6 or 7 times and his girlfriend is a member- he's very excited to be baptized and he's ready..."

"...I know that I am going through a bit of a difficult time right now but its all worth it because this really is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its an honor to be serving in the mission field sharing the Gospel with other children of God. I love you all and pray for you. I really apreciate recieveing letters from you all and its always great to hear from you. Hope you all have a great week and I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Eu amo vocês..."