Can you find Taylor? He's just peeking out--look on the left.

Bring me my ranch dressing hose!!!!! *clap clap*

Yeah so anyway this last week was good but it seemed very uneventful.....so I’ll try and have a good letter for you this day.....

Ok as of today I have 11 months on the mission!!!!!!! So you know what that means? Next month I will have ONE YEAR!!!!!!!!! and that means I’m halfway home, but then I have to see all of you people again..... rsrsrsrsrs I’m kidding..... I like you guys, but I like Brasil a lot... I don’t want to go.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANTE!!!

Oh yeah this week I was on the bus and I saw a goat walking on the sidewalk and then a sign that said ' Moto taxi 25 horas'

I was actually on the bus a lot.... I did a division with a guy called Elder Antone. He’s pretty cool. Ok I’ll tell you exactly what happened everyday of my week.

Monday—P-day, the best day of the week.... excluding Pizza Day. Played Basketball...and then visited a family in Ribeirão that my comp baptized.

Tuesday—Normal day, Elder Jeppson and Carneiro came because of a meeting of the LZ’s and well they got assigned to our house.

Wednesday—another normal day, but this included a division, and then Elder Hull and Antone, slept our house.

Thursday—District Meeting, and then we just worked normal, then that night we stopped at a restaurant to use the bathroom and then we met an inactive member and he bought us pastels which is like a fried hot pocket of sorts.... they are really good.....

Friday—Normal work day

Saturday—Normal work day, but we did get into a Bible Bash, and yes we won. It was at this kid’s house called Tiago and he invited us over and apparently told his friend that we’d be coming and his friend got a list of questions to ask us and we eventually got him by asking "why did you get those questions?" Did he have an answer? No, he said he was curious. Liar..... Then we invited them to church and then they asked if we’d go to theirs as well and we said ok.

Sunday—Went to church then went to "Church" again. Ok now I will explain what this church really was. It’s called "the Church of Faith." It was pretty much a Rock concert.... Like think of your traditional Garage band church, which has a Guitar, Bass and Drums. It was at the Pastor’s house. We did a lot of singing, think of Traditional Black Gospel Music. We didn’t get too into it, but there were the old ladies in way into it and then some girls dirty dancing in the corner making fun of it.....

Then they announced our names and played the visitor’s song which was to the tune of "if you’re happy and you know it." Then the had some of the oldest ladies I have ever seen take around velvet sacks on sticks to collect the tithing... or the Pastor’s Salary..... and some of it probably goes to the band as well.... We didn’t contribute.... then the Pastor started preachin’ and then it started out kinda calm and then he starts screamin’ at the top of his lungs and then this is when he speaks in "tongues" (think gibberish) and then the Hallelujahs and Glorias got out of hand and then luckily it was time for us to go.....

Then we waited until we got around the corner and then we about died laughing..... it was freaking hilarious.... I can’t believe that people actually get into that....... it’s so sad..

But that was my week and here is my phrase “Choosey mothers choose Jif; Good mothers choose Skippy.”

Sorry if I offended anyone. rsrsrsrsrsrs

So yeah that’s about it..... Have a good week! oh I forgot my fotos so none are here this week... next week yes!

I am Elder Richardson and I end mine epistle, amen

Zoom in to see Elder Duncan and Taylor.
Field of Weeds.


Acai berries.


Hopscotch anyone?

Man, this week was kinda crazy, well hey gente!

My comp is pretty much amazing let me tell you, ok you guys all know that thingy that lots of people do, you know where you put like a penny on your elbow and throw it off and catch it in your hand? You know what I’m talking about right? Good because my comp can do it with 15 coins, a raw egg and a deck of cards without a rubber band. Yes they are separate of course but I want to try it with all of them together.

Well we had Açai this week, it’s some sort of fruit from the north but it’s super good. I think I sent a picture....

Yeah in our area is like the stoner area, we passed by a place and almost got high, man everyone there was smoking weed. We got kinda light headed, but we are ok now.....rsrsrsrsrs. Yeah and we also have a lot of prostitutes in our area or at least girls that are like that, maybe not “official” ones, but they do the same thing, and some were trying to talk to us and stuff, (yes this happens a lot) I think it’s because they know that we won’t do anything.....

We saw a bat, in clear daylight! It was outside of a house that we had lunch with and we looked at it and it flew away and the family was screaming and stuff, it was pretty funny. rsrsrsrsrsrs

Yeah this week was good, we found a guy that is really good, his name is Luis and he went to church with us and everything and we might baptize him, he really wants to know about the Church. He was even waiting outside of his house Sunday morning and was reading in the Book of Mormon when we got there.

Oh yeah, I’m sorry I think it was last week but maybe this week, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHANTEL JENSEN!!!!!! I don’t remember what day it was..... sorry....rsrsrsrsrs

So yeah that is about it. We are working pretty good, I like it here and my comp is good.

I am Elder Richardson, comp of Elder Duncan, Keymaster, and I end mine epistle, amen.

Cardboard man in the street.

Railroad tracks.

Taylor said he's here crying because they can't drink Coke. Bummer.

He just liked the rainbow--I like the rest; what it shows of Brazil and its people.

I have been chosen, farewell my friends, I’m going on to a better place.

Well, this last week was nuts, let me tell you about it. First off, I got left at the Rodoviaria because when I went to do email everyone left and apparently forgot about me. Then I waited forever for my comp, he had like a 7 hour bus ride to get here. So I just hung out at the office with Elder Walker and Elder Campbell. Then finally my comp came and his name is Elder Duncan! He is from Centerville. He is way cool, we got to our area at like 6:30 at night then we started to unpack then we went to meet a lady who is like the ‘mom’ of our area here. My area is called Avelino Palma, and it’s in Ribeirão Preto. It’s pretty cool here, it’s really small, but I like it.

The last Elders didn’t leave much for us here, so we started with nothing really, and we did a pretty good job of starting with nothing to what we have now. We found out about a couple people the other guys were teaching but didn’t tell us and they may be able to be baptized here pretty quick. Then we just worked and got rained on a lot this week, but not as bad as it was in São João da Boa Vista.

Oh I found out something, if a Brasilian has food and you don’t and you stop to talk to them they will offer some to you. I have never seen anyone actually accept, I think it’s just polite and you say no.

Oh me and Duncan have decided that there are sometimes that you have contacts of lessons and stuff that you are just doing to get a number so that your leaders don’t yell at you and you don’t hate them and they don’t hate you. They are called, “Look Lady contacts” and that means like when you talk to someone and try to get and address of someone and they are like “Well I don’t know...” you say “Look lady, I don’t want to really visit you, I just need your address and I’ll write it down and cross it off, we won’t pass there” and she is like, “Well, I..” “Look Lady, I won’t pass by your house just tell me a street name and a number.” And it is pretty funny because sometimes you really want to do that but you’ll start to laugh if you do. It’s pretty funny. I like it a lot here.

Oh yeah I now have a camera!!!!! FINALLY, I KNOW RIGHT?!?!?!?!? So I’ll be sending pictures again.

So that was pretty much my week, it was pretty good, just getting to know the area and members and everything, I think it’s going to be a pretty good transfer, but we are almost certain that one of us will leave at the end. But hey let’s make the best of it.

I am Elder Richardson, Comp of Elder Duncan, Missionaries in Avelino Palma, Ribeirão Preto, and I end mine epistle, amen.

P.S. Taylor said his stolen bag was found and probably has all its contents. I assume that means he doesn't have it yet. But that's nice!

New Years, Transfers and getting robbed.... yep that’s what I have to say, life of a missionary. We got robbed on the first hour of the year, and we woke up with the cops in our house. crazy, my comp was listening to music from our neighbors and left the door unlocked, I was sleeping. Then my comp fell asleep and a dude walked in and took my bag and my comp’s camera and the phone. So I lost my jump drive(empty) my bag and all my pictures from my album (pictures of friends and family). So If you guys could send me pictures, that would be great. But whatever, we are safe and that’s what really matters.

Then these last 2 weeks we couldn’t get much done because of the holidays, no one was home and it rained pra freakin’ caramba! This letter will be short, but I got transferred to Ribeirão Preto, and my comp is Elder Duncan—I finally got an American!!

Everything will be great, and if I have any health problems I’m already here..... and I’ll probably get to see Presidente a lot, but I don’t know.... so I gotta be good....rsrsrsrsrsrs (laughter)—I’m good, but still, you never know. rsrsrsrsr. São João was good. But now I’m gone, it was sad, we had some good friends there, but hey that’s life. Hopefully I can go back one day, I’d come back to Brasil, I love it here. Everything is going good. I’m happy, I hope you are too!

Oh I want to say Happy Birthday Emily Landon!

I hope your new years was better than mine. I was in a whole other year than you, for 5 hours. rsrsrsrsrs I’ll let you guys know how my week is, next week as always. I hope you are all happy, because I am.

Remember who you are, and who we are, remember your friends, and your family, never forget, even if you think it will be better for them. Especially Missionaries, we don’t lose focus that easy, or for very long, or at least I don’t and many other guys I know. Remember us in your prayers and letters.

I love you all, Happy New Year! I am Elder Richardson, One of Many Elders in Ribeirão Preto, rockin’ the house, and I end mine epistle, amen.