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TUDU BEM ya'll!

So maybe I'll be speaking portuges with a southern accent. It was great to get to talk to mom and the kids for the few mins between flights. Its been a crazy week and I am really trying to be a good missionary, opening my mouth and being friendly with people. I am great at talking to younger people, its just the adults that are more intimidating, but I will get over that. Its all about trusting in the Lord, right?
I got the letter you sent mom, THANKS EVERYONE!! it really lifted my spirits. Samuel, you'll have to send me a copy of your story you're working on.
We have a senior couple who got here a few weeks before I did, last night they had me and my companions, Sister Gale and Sister Hislop over for dinner. Sister Manning was showing us some family pictures and pulled out a journal she had put together with her 4 generation sheet w/ pictures in it. It turns out, sister Sue Manning is Sue KUNZ Manning. She's from John Kunz IV line. How cool is that?! I found a cousin down here!! She went on a trip with a bunch of other Kunz's in 2003 and said she had met Ashley Kunz, wasnt' that when Grandma went? I am really curious because I was thinking it was indeed and ya'll met each other and didnt even know it! that was a really neat experience, to find that family connection. she told me about going to the temple, there were like 50 kunzs in the prayer circle and It really touched my heart, to think about that prophecy of Maliquas (Malicah) of the hearts of the children turning to their fathers. How important is our missionary work! Not only for the dead, but for the living!!!
We've been meeting with a family, Denise, jud and markus (i have yet to meet 18 yr old markcus) and had neat experience with Denise my first time meeting with her. We had just dropped by to say hi and started talking and she had a question from the bible. That story about Lot's daughters getting him drunk and sleeping with him. It hit her heart because apparently her parents were second cousins and in theis small area, she was made fun of and told she was mentally challenged, and her parents were sinners. Churches wouldnt allow them to come because of it. It was amazing to teach her about the atonement, how it can heal passsed hurts, and brought up how marrying within the family was so common in the bible, to preserve the seed, the lineage. Think of Issac--sending JAcob to find himself a wife within the covenant people. Tonight we are going over to do a stop smoking workshop with her. People here have serious word of wisdom issues. everyone has cancer, but dont seem to see the correlation between tobbacco and drug use with poor health. There are a lot of lost souls here, and a lot of good people too, who just need to let go of the comfort zone of what they know and be willling to listen to the better. It really seems to be polar opposites here, either very religious or so stuck in drugs and poverty no time for God. There are alot of good people here searching for the truth. One woman I met recently, the sisters found about a week ago, says she knows the book of mormon is true and that was before even reading it, but she says "where much is given, much is required" and so wont read it because she doesnt want to have to do more. I love the people here, they are really friendly and love to talk to you, and love to love you.
Well my musical talents are going to be put to use here, thereas nobody really can play piano. I am glad to be able to be used in that capacity, because it makes me happy. I've just started reading the BOM from the begining again, so I've been learning alot about the example of Nephi. I think in the past I have under emphasized just how great of a man Nephi was; I think part of that is, everyone reads the book of nephi before they loose track and start over, so we all know it; so I have in the past tended to skip over reading it. ESTUPIDO!! Nephi is so great!! How many people do you know that will drop everything and just do it? God says jump, he says how high. Clique I know...but I just love how he never doubts. He says a couple of times in the first few chapters, I do not know why I do this, but God has asked me, so I will. and then his example of forgiveness. How many times have Laban and Lemuel tried to kill him, yet he frankly forgives? I was talking about this in companion study and sister Gale said, yeah we never read of Nephi saying, well you want to go back to Jerusalem and be destroyed? Go ahead see you later I am going back to Father Lehi!!" Nephi tells this is what will happen, but you have got to keep going. It shows his love for his irmaos; I related it to how our Pai Celestial loves us. God always gives us a second chance, we are constantly being invited to change, to follow me. God doesnt give up on his children; neither should we.
This week is going to very interesting; my companions have leadership training for four days so I will be going down to Lafayette to work with the sisters there while my companions are away. This training is a little annoyng to our goals and plans for the week!! I did my first legit tracting yesterday, we met a sweet old lady who just cried because she was so glad to see us out sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ (she was a missionary once for her church too) and a younger guy named Charles. Charles isnt a potential investigator at this point, I just wanted to tell you his reaction to us talking to him. He keep shifting his eyes from each of us with a look of total suspicion. kinda like...um.....why are these girls asking me these questions and talking with me? I laughed in my head everytime he looked between the three of us.
Well, I dont know what else to say, so I quess that means I'm done speakn!
Boa Sorte to everyone, always be an example and share what you know!
love always,
Sister Smith