September 2, 2008 Curitiba, Brazil

Opa, Tudo bom? Eu estou mutio bom. Eu teve uma ótima
semana...translation...Hello, everything good? I am very good. I had an awesome
week.
So I´ve got all your emails but not enough time to read them all. I didn´t
get to email last week because I was meeting with the mission presdent to go
home. I was done with being here and ready to go home. I had my mind all set
that I would be home a week ago. But My mission president is awesome and gave me
some wonderful advise. He shared a few scriptures with me and it helped me out
so much. I also read in the ensign about president Hinkley when he was a
missionary. He wrote a letter to his father saying that he was done with being
there and he was wasting his time and his fathers money. Well his father wrote
back only saying, "...Forget yourself and go to work..." When I read this it hit
me with alot of power. I thought wow even a prophet of the Lord had a hard time
at first on his mission. I just need to be more patient and rely more on the
Lord for help.
Então, since I didn´t write last week I get to explaine the last two weeks.
last week was really fun, We taught alot of people and there were three houses
that I remember feeling the spirit so strong. The lessons were awesome and I
could see the people and the belief in their eyes. The sad thing is that when we
return the people either didn´t read a chapter in the book of mormon or that
they didn´t pray about our message. Well the people are so closed that we
rarely get to come back to teach them a second lesson. Its so hard to see people
believe and know its true but don´t want to hear any more of the message.
 Then we have a few people we teach and they do everything we ask them
except come to church on sunday. Well one of the things people have to do
inorder to be baptised is attend church. I don´t know what to do or how to
better help this people other than pray.
  This week has had its deffinate excitements. Theres one thng that I look
forward to everyday and that is lunch. Lunch here is the main time to eat. Many people don´t have dinner but eat alot for lunch.
So I have found my limit to eating. Everyday, except P-day, we have members that
will cook for us. We live off of rice, beans, some patsa, and alot of meat. I
have come to really like rice and beans. Well we have this member that cooks
alot, probably enough for 5-6 peopple. She kept saying "come mais Elder, Come
mais." Which means "Eat more" Well I ate and ate till I was full. Little did I
know she also had desert for us. Well I was already stuffed but it is rude to
leave food so I ate it. We shared our message and I felt so sick the whole time.
We got up to leave and I wlaked outside and immidiatly threw it all up. It was
gross. The sister felt bad and thought it was her cooking because apparently
this wasn´t the first time it had happened.
 I haven´t had anything too weird to eat yet other than chicken liver.
Which I decided wasn´t good at all. The other thing I Like alot are the pizzas
here. They have dessert pizzas that are chocolate com banana, or morango (strawberry). It sounds weird but
tastes really good.
 The thing that the kids love to do here more than play soccer is to fly
kits. There are a few kids maybe only 6 or 7 that have kits out so far and so
high that it looks like a little speck in the sky.
  I think the coolest thing about brasil is the bus system. They have some
busses that are attached and are as long as three busses. And so many people get
on them. They cram in 100 or so people and its so tight that you can´t even
move. Its exciting to be in a new place. ]
 Well it is time to go I will write more next week and have some more
exciting stories. I still can´t understand my companion or what he is trying to
tell me. Even when he speaks in english because he speaks so fast. But I keep
looking at the possaitves and keep a better out look. I love you all and thank
you all for your support.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston