Mitchell, Week 19, Santarém

Where's the snow?

Holy cow its weird! Its December 16th and I am sweating every day! :P HAHA It's so hot down here. But I am doing great!! So this past week a lot happened! We had a Christmas Conference. We got to watch Invictus. It was film about a rugby team in South Africa! I love it!! But the conference was right on a small river that comes from the Amazon! The place was beautiful!! I love it! I had a great time! So these last 2 weeks left of the year we are focusing on getting people to the white Christmas activity on the 28th of December. I am so excited! This is where we will have all of our zone baptisms in the stake conference. We have 4 almas (souls) that could be baptized on that day! So that's what Elder Teixeira and I are working a lot on. Plus references with members. Holy cow the members here are great!! Love them so much!! Btw, I am still in my 1st city/area.... Santarem, Para &  Area - Tapajos. But I am excited!!! I am sorry all my letters are small and have many grammar errors. I only get like 1 hour to write all my emails and half the time the keyboards aren't the best. Plus,  I have a hard time thinking/speaking English to other elders in my a zone. hahah But the language is coming. I gave like a 10-15 minutes talk yesterday at church with only like 1 hour of notice. But I am sure I am speaking better. There is a member in our ward that is a Portuguese teacher and he speaks English very well too. So I think we are gonna stop by this week at his house during my language study time and see if he can help me out. But let me end this email with my gratefulness of all my wonderful blessings I have in my life. I am so grateful for my family and how my parents raised me and stopped their life to raise 2 kids for like 19 years. plus how my sister is freezing her butt off over there in Ukraine but is doing the EXACT same type of work! THE BEST JOB EVER!!! MISSIONARY!!!!!! But I am also grateful for this gospel in my life and the knowledge I know that this church is true and this church is the same when Jesus Christ lived. I am grateful for you all and remember to count your many blessings and to always have a smile on your face!! :D Plus remember the promise of Elder Ballard. About sharing your testimony to one non-member friend and inviting them to church and letting them partake of the love of our savior! :D I am grateful for my wonderful blessings in my life! Have a great week and remember the importance of this season!!

With love,

Elder McCrea

P.S. Sorry about the grammar errors and all.... tchau (Bye) :))