The shirt that gets burned in honor of Hump Day!

Eita-Pega!!!

Caraca, Guys this week was NUTS!!! I’m telling you man, I lost 3 days in my area, it was nuts but I still managed to get some good lessons and baptized someone. Starting this week our Presidente lowered our number of contacts we need to do in a week from 160 to 135 but then added 25 doors we need to knock on. I like that, I like knocking doors. It actually helps getting into people’s houses and people can’t lie about the address. You are standing right in front of their house!!!!

Anyway, this last Monday we played some futebol, but I think I already told you that, then on Tuesday we went to Ribeirão Preto, it was weird going back. My comp had a doctor’s appointment because his hair is falling out. I think it’s because of stress. Another missionary says he can’t accept that he has "Male Pattern Baldness." I like that idea.

Then Wednesday I went on a division with Elder Holmes (companion from MTC). That was fun, we talked about old times and went to another city called Ibaté. Then on Thursday finally I got to work normally. Then on Friday it was my comp’s birthday, so we just visited members to get food and cake and stuff, Passos (past companion) came over to do and interview that day too, so I got to hang out with Passos too, and then we all ate Cuzcuz, which was actually really good. We ate it with scrambled eggs. I actually loved it.

Then on Saturday we did another division, I did this one with Elder Bentley, who is from Chicago. He is way cool, and actually knows about SKA!!!!!!!!!!!! and if you know me, you’ll know how important that is to me!

Then on Sunday we baptized a girl by the name of Claudia Fabiana Medeiros Ramos da Silva. Huge name huh? Well she is a daughter of a recent convert and was now ready for baptism. She had already heard it all before and now she wanted to get baptized. She is 20 and has 2 kids and is unmarried. She is really quiet but from the little that I know her she was excited to get baptized. She told my comp last transfer that when she was ready she’d tell us, so she did. We’ve been working hard this week and it has been raining a lot.

Last night Passos and his comp Elder Botello came over and slept the night with us because they needed to wash their clothes because they don’t have a washing machine or something. and at almost 3 in the morning I was asleep and Passos from the other room called my cell phone (yes another thing I have for being senior, the phone) to tell me that we had a giant rat in our house. I thought we was just joking with me but then I saw his shadow on the wall looking for something, then he turned on the light and yelled, guys we have a giant rat in the house, look for it so it doesn’t eat you! Passos was awake washing his clothes and apparently saw a rat and then called me, and went on a rat hunt..... never found it, we guess that he bailed out of an open window probably where he came in from in the first place.

SO yeah that’s what happened this week, it was pretty good, it was very fast and it seemed as if I ran through it all but all in all it was good.

Let’s see how this week is. It’ll be good, I hope. I want to apologize now to everyone who I haven’t written back to recently, it’s because of the deficiency of letter writing and lack of money. So I’m sorry, I’ll try and do better, but it does help if you send me a letter first. Then it gives me some sort of motivation to write and I also know what to say....rsrsrsrsrs

I am Elder Richardson, senior, one of 10 missionaries in São Carlos - SP Brasil and I end mine epistle, amen

Can you see him?

Elder Thumbs Up, Magda and Taylor

Magda's children

More thumbs

Hey you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, this week was crazy here in São Carlos. We had stuff to do and then we worked normal too. It was kinda hard, it’s my first week as senior, so I have to call all the shots.... My comp is a little crazy and I hardly understand him, He is from the Northeast and they speak super fast and don’t pronounce their words right. And then his accent doesn’t help in any way..... He’s still pretty green and a little too eccentric... I think I gotta calm him down. It was a pretty good week though.

Man can you guys believe that I have been here for a year now? ONE YEAR. I don’t think you understand......ONE YEAR. The point is this: I’m halfway done, I’m halfway home, and next year this time, we’ll all be chillin’ in the snow. But then, I don’t want it to be over..... I don’t want to go home...... I love it too much out here.

I had like 3 different members ask me this week if I have ever ridden in an old car before. They all think that all Americans have new cars..... I thought it was pretty funny.

It’s raining right now, and that sucks, I don’t want to go out in the rain, it sucks to do contacts because Brasilians have a fear of the rain.

São Carlos is a good city, I like it here. For me this last transfer was like, bring it on, one more, what else do you got for me?!?!?!?! Oh yeah this transfer will only be 5 weeks so it will be a little shorter..... usually they are 6 weeks..... just so you know.....

Man I can’t think of much more to say to you about this week..... Oh we played soccer today, I actually scored a goal! Yeah you all know how un-athletic I am..... but yeah I did a decent job as goleiro and I scored, so yeah. It was pretty fun.

Anyway, I hope everything is good for you. See you in a year.

I am Elder Richardson, senior, and I end mine epistle, amen

one of the avenida in Ribeirão Preto

Train

Iolanda and us, baptism!

Me climbing

Me and Duncan

Fountain

Me and Duncan

A Brasilian street

A new Book of Mormon and a 1963 version!

Statue of Jesus Cristo

‘Sup fools,

What do?

Throw it down.

Well, it’s transfer day, yet again, and yes I got transferred, I kinda knew that would happen..... Oh well, it was fun with Duncan while it lasted. Duncan stayed in Ribeirão, and I went off to São Carlos!

I’ve heard this city is good. I’ve only passed by here by bus. I’m now the senior, so what does that mean? Everything is now my fault and I have a lot of responsibility. But it’ll be good.

So anyway, My new comp is Elder Espínola, and he is in his 2nd Transfer, so I’m going to be helping him learn a lot. Elder Holmes, Passos and Malaquias are all here with me in São Carlos.

Ok so this last week was crazy being the last one of the transfer, and we worked but man it was hard. We went and saw a bunch of touristy things in the Center and took some pictures. I hope you like them.

Then we got a phone call that said that a girl could be baptized, she is living with her sister and she is from the south and her sister is a member but her parents aren’t, and her parents wouldn’t let her get baptized, then they did! SO we went to her house on Friday and taught her everything and got her interviewed and well she got baptized on Sunday. Her Name is Iolanda. She is 15 and has been going to church for like ever. I got to be the witness, that was something I’ve never done before.

Oh this last week I kicked a bird....into FLIGHT!!!!!! It was like dying or something so we kinda kicked at it and I kicked it into flight....

Ok I got a new one this week, some kids asked us if we were bus drivers... I’ve never heard that, I’ve heard police, CIA, FBI, Government guys but not bus drivers, only in the Rodoviaria.....
Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLIN!!!!!!

and Happy Valentine’s day! ours isn’t until like July or June or something.....

anywho, here’s a quote!

Dad, Dad, Dad, we did something bad!

Did you wreck the car?
No
Did you raise the dead?
Yes
But the car’s ok?
Yes
Ok then.

Hahahaah

Have fun, I love you all!

I am Elder Richardson, Senior, Missionary in São Carlos, Comp of Elder Espínola, Carrier of a Phone, and I end Mine Epistle, amen.

Ok well hi.

Ok I have some announcements to make!

1. Transfers are next week, so you guys may not hear from me next week.

2. We (missionaries) may go back to the 'Stone Age' meaning that if people are using Facebook, Orkut, or MSN then we will not be using Email anymore and we will just be writing letters like our parents and for some of us our brothers and sisters.

That’s about it.

Ok I wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!!!!!! and everyone else I know who’s birthday is in February. I don’t remember all of them and so I don’t want you guys to get mad at me.

Ok this last week on

Segunda - Went to the Mercadão in the center and got some cool stuff. I will send pictures and then we visited a guy that Elder Duncan ( yes my comp) baptized and he took us to a Rodízio de Pizza, yes that means all you can eat PIZZA!!!!! They even had Ice Cream Pizza! Betcha didn’t know that even existed!

Terça - District Meeting like normal, Normal work day.

Quarta - Conference

Quinta - Division

Sexta - Normal work day, but it sucked.

Sábado - Finally a good day, but nothing of real significance happened.

Domingo - Church and that was about it.

Ok my week was fairly uneventful, but I’ll tell you some stuff that I wrote down in my planner to tell you guys.

I ate bamboo at lunch, we saw a pig in the road, we ate raisin ice cream (yes with and old lady), I laughed so hard that Guaraná came out my nose. We always see random bird cages on the street and stuff, people like carry them around.... all the kids here can pop a wheelie on their bikes and ride down the street, some people do it on their motorcycles.

That’s about it, my week was good, but fairly uneventful, Conference was good, we got to see some friends and hear from our Presidente. That’s always good.

Well ok then, Transfers are next week for those of you that already forgot.

I hope you guys are having a good week.

I am Elder Richardson, and I end mine epistle, amen

I forgot to put on the scripture Taylor requested--so here it is.

Jeremiah 1:6-8

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

How weird is this? Our tortoise, Lightning, disappeared a few months ago. Now we know where he went.

A churro with dulce de leche! Well, I don't know how it's spelled in Portuguese.



Well, Howdy do there, how are you all doing?

I’m doing great, this last week was crazy.... ok well I’ll tell you guys about it here then. One time My comp, Elder Duncan, tried to do a contact and I watched him do it and then the guy just didn’t say a word or even make a sound for that matter and like sidestepped Duncan, and then Duncan continued to call after him and he completely ignored us..... it was crazy.

Then we saw a super old and short cowboy dude that just stays at a bar all the time and he was completely frozen in the middle of the sidewalk!!!! He stayed there for like 5 minutes!!!!!!

We also met a guy that broke both his feet so he needs to crawl everywhere, but when we saw him we thought he didn’t have any legs..... it was creepy....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN LARSON!

So ok here is a recap of our week here in Avelino Palma, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil

Monday (Segunda) - P-day, we played soccer and that was about it.
Tuesday (Terça) - Normal Work day
Wednesday (Quarta) - Normal work day, at night we had PIE NIGHT!!!!
Thursday (Quinta) - We did a Division, boring and we knocked on doors all freaking day, so super work day.
Friday (Sexta) - we went to another city called Jardinópolis, it sucked because the reason we went (some people) couldn’t talk to us and didn’t want to.
Saturday (Sábado) - Chill day, but normal
Sunday (Domingo) - Church, then Normal.

That was about it. We didn’t have a lot of Rice and Beans this last week. Oh yeah we met an albino black kid, his whole family is black, but he is white. it’s pretty funny. He is a total dork and tried to get in a bible bash with us. We think he is a super nerd and he does stay on the Internet all the time and so we are almost sure he plays Warcraft.

So yeah that’s about it, I got some pictures for you guys, I hope you enjoy!

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

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