survived hahaha
how is it going mom and dad? mom you can relax now i didn't drowned in the amazon river or get eaten by an anaconda when i was baptizing on the beaches of Maués. it was a great trip! the eighteen hour boat ride got a little old when it was dark but in the day time i saw all kinds of cool stuff. like kids headed to school in canoes and fresh water dolphins. it was way cool i didn't get too many pictures of the trip because there were some shady guys with their hammocks right next to ours and it wouldn't have been to smart to be wavin my camera around. but i saw some amazing stuff. i don't think i will ever forget the night that i came home on the boat. i watched the moon rise on the amazon river and it was so red and was right in the middle of the river so it gave the water a red glow with the little wakes of the boat rippling off into the distance. it was one of the most beautiful things i have seen in my life. in the city of Maués was awesome too. we baptized 4 people this time. the baptismal font couldn't fill up cuz that part of the city was without water for the day so we headed to the beach on the river. it was a lot of running around haha. we went there about nine at night cuz everyone showed up late. we got there and i was the first to have to head out into the water. the members didn't help my nerves haha they said you have to go in splashing the water with your hands a little to scare the sting rays away. at first i thought they were joking but they were serious haha. i have to admit i was a little nervous. but i didn't get stung or bit by anything so it was all good. we had a really good time there. the members are so cool and love us there. we ate lunch and dinner every night there. i think if i stayed there any longer i would get some meat back on my bones haha. i was hoping i would get transferred there this last transfer but i didn't. i am headed to the East side of Manaus. i will be a zone leader there. they have been having a rough time there this last transfer with a bunch of things so i wasn't too excited about getting transferred there to deal with the problems and the rough areas. and president knew i wasnt gonna be real thrilled about it so he sat me down and explained why he was putting me there. he said that he felt the i needed to go there and try to get the missionaries focused and needed a leader there to help get the zone baptizing again cuz the area i am going to was one of the best baptizing areas in the mission and last transfer they didn't baptize one person. so i am excited it will be a good way to finish my mission. it will be a lot of work but i will be with a good missionary and we will get things going there again. talking about the end of my mission. a member offered his apartment to us in the center of the city if we want to save a little bit of money. it would be a really good location for us too. it is right next to the Amazon Theater tourist point of the city. the member wants to talk to you guys too. he is sending a daughter on the exchange student program next year but is really worried about her going to a non-member family. he is wondering if you and dad would be interested in taking her in next school year. he wants to know what agency Bev and Pete work with too so even if you guys don't think you can he can find someone in panaca or something that is a member and is wanting an exchange student. he was talking to Gildete and she mentioned something about how our family had done the exchange student program before and he figured he would ask you guys. i got a call from him about it but i told him that would be up to you guys. so let me know what you guys think about that and what agency bev and pete are with. about the guitar i don't think you guys will be able to get it here. he said you guys don't need to worry about it. i am going to visit them tonight. haha jessica loves to collect these barbies. so your question about the family. it is mom Gildete, dad Maricio, daughter Jessica, son Pedro, and daughter Priscila. they are way excited for you guys to get here. i was talking with them last night and starting to get everything planned for when you guys get here. you guys better get ready to eat a ton there are tons of families wanting to feed you haha. i think the first thing we will do when you get here is eat lunch with some members haha. dont worry i have let them know that the have to make food that isn't real strong like that stuff i told you with intestines in it haha. you guys will eat a of of fish and bbq. we need to see with president phillips too about when i am gonna get released. if i will have to be released here in brazil or if i will wait till i get back cuz sometimes when the missionaries go to visit a different city other that the mission city they like to release them. i will ask president here and see what he thinks too. i cant believe i am entering in my last transfer! so crazy! but i better run i have to help with these last transfers wooooooooo! the office was good but these transfers kill you in the office haha. i love you guys. and will talk to you next week from my new area.

hey mom and dad
this week i wont get to write you. i get on a boat in an hour headed for Maués again. i will get there tomorrow afternoon. i just wanted to let you guys know thats why you will only get this little email from me this week. we had a really good week! the family we were working with was batized it was an amazing and tiring experience! i love you guy and will talk to you next week

hey mom and dad
wow another week gone by! i cant hardly believe it! i am just about to my last transfer. it is gonna go by way fast. i head back to Maués on monday for another week i am way excite about that! them i will be transferred to somewhere. President said The Lord is gonna be real good to me too so im not really sure what that means haha. i am thinking he is gonna put me as the new main traveling assistant to go to all these little towns that have never had missionaries there before but we will see here in a few weeks. that's good that you guys got your rooms reserved at the hotel it is really nice that. i had a member call me this week and said if we wanted to we could stay in an apartment they have in the center of the city if we wanted but it will be good at the hotel too. my companion is headed home here in 15 days so he is real trunkey but we are still working hard. we had a real break through with that family that i told you about. the dad went to the priesthood session of conference and watched with tears in his eyes. he loved it. we are gonna do everything we can to get them baptised this week. they are ready and needing it so bad so that Christ can take this big burden off their backs. they are gonna get there i know it. i really liked conference. it is really nice to get two days out of the office feeling the spirit so strong listening to men called of God to bring his messages to us. every time conference comes around on the mission i realized how much i took for granted having a living prophet on the earth today. today was a good day. we finally had a p-day haha. we went and had a bbq with the second counselor of the bishopric and played some fun games. i have some important news though i have officially served a mission now........ i have be bit by a dog hahahaha. i was running after a ball in this game we were playing and i guess the dog liked white meat and gave it a taste haha. but don't worry mom i will not get rabies he just got my pants haha. these pants were warriors too they lived through the fire and through 22 months of mission but lost to the mouth of a dog haha. but he was just wantin to play too. it was a lot of fun there but i am beat!!! i talked to my Brazilian family yesterday they are way excited for you guys to get here. i think Gildete wants us to hide her in our suitcase and bring her back with us haha she wants to visit the states so bad haha. he husband has already been there a bunch of time with his work and she thinks it about time for her to get to go haha. they are gonna help out a lot though. because on the monday before we head out to belo horizonte from four to eight at night i will have to be at presidents house for the last interviews and dinner. president usually invited the families to participate to but if that doesn't work out you guys can stay with Gildete and the family. it will be a pretty busy couple of days seeing everyone but they will be good. hey I'm gonna send you the information of the doll that jessica asked if you can grab and what are you guys thinking about the guitar? if there is no way don't worry about it but he would be really grateful if there was a way so just get back to me as soon as you can so we can have time to get it bought and on its way there if you guys can do it.
i love you guys and am very thankful for your support. i am very thankful for the card from aunt Valinda i can feel the great love she has for me through that little piece of paper ever week and it touched my heart to get one from aunt Bonnie in her own handwriting. give them both a great big hug for me and tell them i love them. Give Grandma a special hug for me and let her know there are prayers going out of the Amazon for her. i love you two mom and dad.

hey mom and dad
I'm back!!!! it was amazing in Maués! i didn't want to leave there. we got on the plane early this morning and headed back for manaus. the little city had that small town feel to it. we worked our butts off there! i came back just about as dark as i was when i came to the office. the people there are amazing! they are very loving and very simple. we had three people to baptize but the day of the baptism they decided that they want to wait and be baptized with the rest of their family. we found two families that are wanting to be baptized but need to get married first. it is gonna be so great when they get their papers all done. the branch there is way excited. we taught almost all of the people with a member there with us. it was a great experience for my and gave me a really good feeling to be out in the field again! i loved the people of the branch too. the branch president is so awesome! he took us out to a restaurant for lunch and we ate fresh fish from there. he is so funny he is a simple man and loves everyone in Maués. he is one of those kind of guys that you cant ever imagine him mad haha. the trip there was really cool too. we went in an airplane that only holds ten people. i could only take 20 lbs with me so we each took about 15 pounds of church supplies and 5 pounds of clothes haha. lets just say my white shirts were pretty by the time i got back to manaus haha. i will probably get to go back there here in a week or so cuz i had to find a house for the missionaries for when they get back out there. i had to bring three different choices to president with all the information and he made his choice which one he wants and said i will probably go back there to close the deal before the transfers come. i will be happy if i do haha. but it was a great experience for me it was exactly what i was needing to keep me excited out here. but i have to run we have a family homevening to go to tonight. i will talk to you guys next week. i love you