Week of Oct. 25th

oooooooooopa
the baptism went good this last week. we were a little worried at first cause he didnt show up for a while but then he finally walked in. he tried to get his parents to come but it didnt work out. i almost fell bringing him up out of the water! i think he was half expecting me to carry him up out of the font or something! so as i was lifting him out my feet slipped on the bottom and i just about was baptized myself. it was funny and everyone laughed.
elder barrus´s cousin came to brazil for a little vacation and we were able to spend all day with him today. it was fun. we went clear out to the center of curitiba and checked out all the shops and what not. his cousin was amazed at how everything was run here. we ate at a churrasceria for lunch which is a place that they have huge slabs of meat on sticks and they walk around and cut off pieces for you. it was definately the best food ive had since i got here!
so this will probably be my last week with elder barrus. the transfer ends this next week. im thinking i might get a brazilian comp next. it would be cool. help my portuguese out a lot. as long as he likes to work. there are a lot of slacking elders, i just hope i dont get with one. it has been great with elder barrus. we have had some fun times. he reached his year and six mark last saturday.
so tommorow we have a conference with Elder Neil L. Anderson, in the presidency of the seventy. it should be really good.
i think that it would be pretty cool if ty got the ring. he would never wear it but it would still be cool. i havent been wearing the ring to much. i still have it but it kinda makes my finger sweat and i already sweat enough. i have to peel my sweaty, nasty socks off everynight. i did buy a cheap watch here, its pretty cool looking though. i accidentally broke the pocket watch.
Arien, congrats on your graduation coming up! that is sweet! all the hard work is gonna pay off.
im so glad that brady got his call. thats cool that he will still be going to honduras. the mission is a great place to be.
i think i can give the thanksgiving feast a try. i make mashed potatoes just about once a week here so im gonna step up and try to cook some good meat or something. the gravy is a hard thing to come by here.
thats the news for this week.
i love u guys. have a good week!
Elder Coats

Laranha: October 22nd, 2008

The mission life continues here for me here in Brazil. Everything is going good and I'm getting good and accustomed to just about everything.....(i still haven't figured out why beans and rice- always, always, always) Brazilians love their beans and rice! No i like them and now it seems weird if i dont eat them everyday.
I'm finally gaining a little weight and i weigh the most i've ever weighed right now! I'm trying to do exercises everyday but mostly i just do pushups with my perfect pushup deals that i got for my b-day.
We have a baptism marked for this Saturday so I'm hoping that it well go well, this guy, Gentil is bem legal! 23 years old and he really wants the gospel in his life. Vai ser bom!
We had the mission olympics today and they went really good. it was cool to meet up with all the missionaries in Curitiba. All the guys that were in the mtc with me were there so we got to talk about whatever. I know that i will be sore tomorrow from playing basketball and volleyball but it was worth it.
I also got the envelope that u sent with all the goods. thanks mom! the guy in the ward is going to love the coins!
Crazy Jud broke his hand huh? what happened, just from crashing or did he land wrong or what? but im glad that the surgery went good and everything. can he still work? Did Ty get his tonsils removed? its good to hear that he is still liking WS.
If Grandma ends up getting some "jazzy" new glasses make sure to send me a pic. I knew that when u said u were going to Logan, u would with no doubt go to the Golden Corral. (Ariens Favorite place.) Aunt Stephs house sounds like its going to be really nice! That's awesome that it is getting the finishing touches already.
I was glad to hear that Grandma Coats is doing good and that they got all the cancer removed with out radiation.
Those pictures that i sent were with our ward mission leader. Sutil, He is way good to us and way funny.
I'm glad that ty liked the bday card also.
I love u guys and i miss u guys but the mission is a great place to be. im learning so much and my testimony is getting stronger each day. im so thankful for this gospel in my life, and im happy to share it with the people here in Brazil.
love you.
Elder Coats

Calor de Mais! October 15, 2008

hey mom

sorry about the e-mail last week, i sent one and everything but it didnt get to u huh? i wonder what happened...
any ways this week went by really good and fast! the only thing now is that it is gettting really hot here now and the humidity is crazy. we wake up ready to get out of bed because it is so hot. im getting used to it and in a way i kinda like it so its working out good.
i cant believe that it has already snowed there. i love in when it gets to be october usually because the temperature is just about right at that time but it sounds like an early winter back home.
thats too bad that ty got so sick and missed all of home coming week. what did he have? it must have been pretty bad for him to miss a whole week of school.
im sure that arien is going to get along great with those younger kids and a challenge is always good. she is up to it!
so now that jud is reaching the next stage in drug court do the rules get a little more relaxed now. like curfew and all that? i got his letter this week. it was good to hear from him.
we had an old investigator come to church this last week by himself and he had a whole new outlook on things. we actually dropped him because he wasn't progressing at all but now that he wants the gospel in his life we are working on getting him baptized. he told us that as he walked in to the church he felt something different, something really good and he even bore his testimony. i think will get him baptized before to long.
we have the mission olympics this next p- day so that should be fun. futebol, volé e basquet.
the language is still slowly but surely moving forward. i will get it some day.
well thats all the news for me here in sunny brasil for this week. have a good week!
i love u guys!
Elder Coats

October 8th, 2008

No E-Mail was received this week.

Curitiba Temple 10-01-08

We got to go through the Curitiba temple today!! it was so BEAUTIFUL! its really a unique looking temple and muito líndo. the session went great and after words i was able to do like a hundred and 50 confirmations for the dead. the temple staff was low so they just instructed us on how to do it and we went to work. i was really glad that we could help out. the temple is such a good place to go and find peace and feel the spirit.
i was glad that u said that u got the pictures and the letters. i was gonna ask u if it had made it home yet cause i sent it a while ago. (i do have a charger for the batteries just no batteries).
that garden sounds like it really did good this year. dad will do what ever he can to be able to eat fresh stuff all year.
i wish that the weather was the same here as it is there. i know that im going to deny saying this later, but i want it to get summer time here! we have been getting a lot of rain and today it really came down for most of the day. when it rains here it really rains!
so tys collar bone really was broken then huh. how long did he go with it broken? did the doc put him in that same thing that i had to wear when i broke mine? how did his home coming dance go? tell him i said boa sorte with his tonsils.
if jud trys the backflip this week make sure to get it on film. i want to see that for sure. im so glad that he is doing good with everything. i pray that he will continue to have the mindset that being sober is the best way to go. he knows that.
arien might not have to worry about getting pucked on in third grade but i guess we will see. i hope she does....
im excited for this weekend for the big general conference. i know that it is gonna mean so much more for me on the mish. i wish i would have paid more attention to them when i was home but its gonna be a good one this week end.
tell kris to keep working hard and have faith. tell the kids that i said hi and to kameryn, happy birthday here in a week or so.
also ty. his is this week. tell him happy birthday.
mom i love you and im so thankful for all the support that you give me. have a good week.
até a semana que vem.
Elder Coats