Another Week has Come and Gone!

Once again, it's that time!

So this week was a good week. We had a specialized training to help implement this new curriculam that we have going on and it was very good. President Dias is amazing with trainings. I always feel uplifted and edified! We had a great little snippet on obedience that was very eye-opening and deep! The training is definitely helping. I'm starting to notice the change that is happening in our work and how it's improving.

The ward I work in is really cool! The sister of the ward that organizes our lunches is so good to us! We've been eating very well! These past two weeks however, I've had the opportunity to eat more fish than I have in my entire life! The first one wasn't too bad, and I ate it no problem. I didn't love it however. But, the last few have been so good! The name of the fish is Tambaqui and it's an Amazonian fish with teeth! TEETH! I'm glad I didn't have to do the fishing! Anyway, it tasted like chicken! I've eaten it a few times already. The only thing about fish is the bones. It's a little obnoxious having to pick out little bones and stuff. But it's quite delicious so that makes up for it.

There's a time during the year called B-R-O BRO which is the hottest time of the year in Teresina and the Northeast of Brazil. The hottest months of the year end in BRO in Portuguese so that's why it's called B-R-O BRO. Anyway, it's not uncommon to reach 47 degrees celsius which is who knows what in fahrenheit. I'll leave the mathamatics up to you! I'm preparing myself with sunscreen bathes in the morning. I'd rather not look like a beet for the rest of my life. That would be entirely undelicious. Beets don't taste good. But anyway, I'm excited for the future.

This morning, Elder Loureiro and I were prepping our day by drinking some Coke and eating Bombas (a type of pastery/meat thing here in Brazil) and I took pictures but I forgot the little card reader! I remembered my camera with the memory card and the cable! But not the card reader. Phooey! Well I guess this is just my way of leaving a cliffhanger! Hahahaha! Stay tuned until next week!

Love you all!
Scott

Hey y'all!

So this was a good week. Elder Loureiro and I have been trying to help more people come to church and mark more dates for baptism. And this week we definitely improved! There were 9 people at church! To be honest, we were helping two families come to church, and then we get there at there were 4 other people! It was really excited to see one of the families come. I'll be honest, I was a little afraid they weren't going to come, but they did! They're so great, they want to be more happy, and they want to have more unity.

It was interesting, at first the wife didn't want to come to church, she just wanted her husband to go and her son to go. Her husband has drinking problems, but he's been working really hard. But still the wife didn't want to go. Sunday rolls around and we go to walk with them to church and she answers the door. Elder Loureiro starts to talk with her and invites her to come too, but she was a little resistant. But he followed the spirit and promised her blessings! When she heard those blessing, she really stopped and thought about it. I could see her do it. And lo and behold, the entire family came!

It was so cool! I'm so happy for them and the change that they're making. I know that they're going to be so much happier with the gospel in their lives.

So transfers rolled around. Things are staying the same! It's going to be a really good next few months here! There used to be 6 missionaries living in the same house, but one finished his mission, and the other two were transfered out. So now there's just us 4: Elder Loureiro, Elder Epperson, Elder Thomé, and I. It's going to be so much fun living with them! I'm so happy!

So anyway, I tried to attach pictures, but some of the computers at this place don't have god USB ports, and it just so happens that I lucked out and got stuck with one of the few.

Until next week then!

Love,
Elder Rackham

Always Forgotten!

Good afternoon!

So I've discovered that my history of being forgotten has still continued into Brazil! We have a newsletter type thing here in our mission and when the new missionaries come in or when missionaries finish their mission, they have their pictures in the newsletter, but me, being in the weird situation I was with going to the field a few weeks early because of the visa situation, I was never put into the newsletter! I found that a little funny :)

Teresina decided to have it's birthday today. Everything was closed. I mean EVERYTHING was closed. Even the partner company to Walmart. I thought that it would have been open on a holiday, because we all know that Walmart has no mercy when it comes to holidays and their employees! But no! Even Bom Preço was closed! It was so difficult finding a place to email. Just a little frustrating. But that's okay!

Things are going good here in Teresina. I'm definitely getting a handle on the area, the bus system, and the ward I'm in. Elder Loureiro and I are trying new things everyday to try and better ourselves as missionaries. It's hard sometimes, but it's very rewarding. I'm glad for the situation i'm in right now, even if it can be a bit tough. But that's how we learn best!

Anyway, it's not as long as I hoped, but I'm running short on time!

I love you all!
Elder Rackham

Some Big Changes are Going Down!

Hello all!

So some big changes have gone down. Basically the following has
changed: We used to have an interview with the mission president,
every 6 weeks. Now it's being changed to once every trimester. We
have zone conferences now every 3 months as well. Every month, we
have 4 days of intensive training for 8 hours and we practice in
proselyting for the rest of the day. We're doing this to help prepare
the mission field for when the MTCs switch over to a new curriculum.
Basically it focuses heavily on teaching techniques to help improve
our lessons. I'm really excited, because this is something I'vealways tried to improve, but it's a little harder when I try to do it
myself. I like to have steps and guidelines that show me what it is I
need to do. I'm just weird like that I guess.

So these 4 days of training start tomorrow and go to Friday. Luckily
I'm in Teresina now, so I don't have to travel anywhere. Other Elders
have to travel from all the different areas and stay here in Teresina
for 4 days.

We had a pretty good week. We're helping a member with his addiction
to alcohol and cigarretes. I'm really excited to help him. It's been
going really good so far. He really wants to change, but he's just
heavily in this addiction. He's tried to quit before. But I hope as
we apply the Atonement to his efforts and help him avoid the triggers
and such he'll be able to overcome this addiction. Helping him really
makes me want to be a therapist. I've been thinking about it in the
past, but this is just steering me toward it even more.

So I sent 3 pictures today. The first one is Elder Manning on the
left, Elder Banks after him, ME in the awesome Rome soccer team shirt
(GO ITALY!), and Elder Santos! Elder Manning has a million and a half
soccer team shirts so we had fun taking pictures of them. The other
two are from Parnaíba. It's this place called Porto das Barcas. Ask
David what it means, because apparently he can understand Portuguese
but I remain in doubt ;) just kidding! It's where all the boats camein and docked. So they mantained it and it looks really cool at
night. I had fun taking pictures of it!

Anyway, I'll let you know how the training went!

Love you all!

Elder Rackham

Hello Ya'all!

So I'm here in Teresina and I've forgotten how hot it is here! At
least in Parnaiba we had some wind! But here it's just hot all day.
It's been an interesting week, trying to figure out what's going on in
our area. Elder Loureiro and I arrived here together, so we are both
completely new to the area. We got a map, and a list of the members,
so that should help us, but the first few days were interesting to say
the least. We're going to have a lot of fun though and we're going to
work hard to make a difference.

I'm learning so many things now! One of my biggest weaknesses has
always been organization but I've decided to make it become one of my
strengths. Like it says in Ether 12:27 as I humble myself, the Lord
will bless me and help it become a strength.

Unfortunately I ran out of time again. So many things to do! I'm
learning how to manage my time better, so hopefully next week will be
a bit longer!

Until next week!

Love,
Elder Rackham

Whoa, I did not expect that!

Hello everyone!

So I'm running a little short on time, but basically some big changes
went down. Ones that I did not expect at all! I was so sure I was
going to stay in Parnaíba! But we got a call this morning and I'm
being transferred to Teresina. I'll be serving in Ala Teresina
(Teresina Ward). My companion will be a brazilian, Elder Loreiro. He
was serving in Imperatriz before. I've only talked to him a few times
but I'm excited.

I'm really sad to leave. I really grew very close with the other
Elders in our house, Elder Banks, Elder Manning, and Elder Santos.
They've helped me so much. I was really liking Parnaíba too. But hey
this is part of what the mission is. Now I have another great
opportunity to continue the work in Teresina. But I'm not going to
lie, it's going to be hard without this lovely wind that Parnaíba has.
Teresina is hotter and I'll be lucky to get any wind.

So anyway, I hope everyone is well and healthy! I'll let you know how
my first week went next monday! Until then!

Love you all!
Elder Rackham

Another Week!

Dear Everyone!

I've probably mentioned it before but here in Brazil lunch is the
biggest meal of the day. Not dinner. And us missionaries always have
lunch with the members, every day except Monday since that's our
P-Day. But this week, we only ate lunch with the members twice,
because the other days fell through. I learned one thing from all
this: it's not a good thing to eat half a pan of brownies as lunch and
think nothing will happen.

I guess I should elaborate. Thursday our lunch fell through. I
didn't have a lot of food left. But I wasn't worried because the next
day we would be getting a bi-monthly allowance. And brownies sounded
really good at the time. Luckily my mom sent me a recipe and believe
it or not, Brazil has everything I need to make it! So luckily I had
all the ingredients on hand. I make it quick and easy like because
I've become quite the pro at making brownies from scratch if I say so
myself. And then I cut up half the brownies put them on a plate and
eat them! It was delicious to say the least. I can't deny that. And
I was totally fine until around... 4 PM that day. Then I was just
plain nauseous for the rest of the day. That's when I learned my
lesson. Don't do it, it's a trap!

It's been a frustrating week getting our investigators to church. We
have some really good investigators that are so great, but the time
comes to go to church and things start going downhill. We have these
two boys who are just so awesome, but this week we couldn't get them
to come to church. We're going to have to try different things I
guess.

So the pictures I've attached are long overdue. They're of Elder
Harmon, my trainer and first companion. I guess I had two first
companions actually, because there's a picture with Elder Cook! So
Elder Harmon is the one in most of the photos. The one with the third
missionary is Elder Cook. Elder Harmon finished his mission while I
was his companion. Elder Cook is about 8 months into his mission. So
he's out there still being awesome!

Well apparently this computer is choosing now to be obnoxious. There
may or may not be a picture of Elder Cook with Elder Harmon and I.
And there may or may not be a picture of Timon, my first area. It may
or may not be a picture of our street. And all that dust you may or
may not see, yeah that's a theme in Timon. It's everywhere. Not fun
to clean uor white shirts. But anyway, there are definitely pictures
of Elder Harmon and I!

I hope all is well with everyone, until next week!

Love,
Elder Rackham