Week #20 Brazil

Ola Minha Família!  Esta semana foi chato demais!  (This week was really annoying!) haha it's alright though. First it was transfer week which is always super hectic for everyone especially when you receive 2 new missionaries in an area. Me and Elder Reed spent a lot of time helping the new companionship get oriented and train them on where everything is in the city and where all the members homes were that they had for lunch and stuff. What a pain but we got it all sorted out now and this week Elder Reed and I should be able to go out and WORK, WORK, WORK!  We had to spend a lot of time in the house this week waiting for people to show up with stuff. First we had to bum at the house cause we were waiting on our new fridge to arrive they said they would come at a certain time but they didn't show, so we left to go work and we came back and called the people and they said they would be their right away so we end up waiting for another hour and they finally show, ha then the next day our washing machine broke down so we had to call some people to fix that and then the same thing happened where we had to bum in the house waiting for them to come and drop it off, then the next day we had to go shopping because our new missionaries had nothing and we had nothing as well cause we had to throw away all of our stuff in our old fridge that we gave to the missionaries that had to move to the new house of theirs. So We didn't have food so we all went shopping and we ended up with a lot of food between the four of us. Here in Brazil they have a thing where they will deliver your groceries to your house for free because hardly anyone has cars here just bikes and motorcycles. So we did that and they said they would be about 3 hours getting it to our house. They were a little slow and it ended up being 24 hours till they actually got all of our stuff to us. Kind of a pain this week it was frustrating for everyone. Just felt like one of those weeks where we are worthless bum missionaries but we cant really do anything about it. I hope we don't have anymore problems cause I want to go out and spread to message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Well enough of the Reclamando( Complaining) The two missionaries we received our some cool dudes. Elder Combs and Elder Duehring. Both Americans from California and both only have two transfers left on the mission. They will finish their missions out here in Cáceres. They are both really good missionaries and we get along really well with them. They are only working with the less actives in the Branch here which I learned yesterday had 630 members on the records. They sure have their work cut out for them. So yes not a whole ton to write this week. We had a good day at church yesterday had 4 of our investigators their. And we finally got one of them to go to church that we had found about a month ago, I really have gained a greater appreciation for church and the Sacrament since I have been here on my mission. What a miracle the expiação (atonement) is in our lives and I'm so grateful that we can remember our baptismal covenants and renew them every week. That's something that I think too many of us including me take for granted. Yesterday also we had a great lunch that was a first for me. We ate piranha! It was pretty dang good, we just had a big piranha fish fry. Tasted lick chicken and was all white meat. Its a little strange cause they just gut the fish and throw the rest in. So your eating this fish with these big eyes and sharp teeth that look back at you. Lots of bones though it was kind of a pain having to pick through all of those. All be honest there is alot more crazy/drunk people here in brazil that just hang out in the street. There is the ones that we are already familiar with that usually has something to say to us when we pass him. I included a picture of me and a random dog the we named Nephi. Cause we were hanging out on a street curb waiting for this drunk that always gives us a hard time to leave our street. He was outside everyone house asking for money so that he could go buy beer and we were waiting for him to leave so that he wouldn't know where we live. This dog had been following us around for miles. Don't worry he was chill and I washed my hand well afterwards. Usually a few times a week we have drunk people yell things at us like Elders! Your church only has robbers and some that say very loudly oh no the Americans! My companion usually replies no  we are Germans! Its kinda funny. We have random old drunk dudes want their picture taken with us and then afterwards High five all their buddies for getting their picture with american Mormon missionaries. I guess last week when we went to that class to talk about our counrty alot of people took pictures of us and now there is many pictures of Americans on their facebook. For most of them it was the first time they had ever seen Americans in real life. But life is good here. No luck with Kelly we dropped by her house Saturday and she said she was planning on just going to church with her mom. So for now we are going to drop her, but We will check up on here every so often, we haven't given up hope yet. But I'm excited to talk to you guys on Sunday via skype it should be a good experience! I made an account her at the Lan house but I still have to set it up more on the lap top that we will be using, I will do that during this week and add mom and send you guys a confirmation email on the time and stuff. I'm not quite sure how we are going to do it since we only have 1 computer for me and Elder Reed and we are both looking at  the same times to do skyping. But for now plan on doing it at about 5 o clock your time and 7 o'clock my time. We will confirm it with you during the week. Also I found out that the card grandma sent me is in Carthage and so my companion from their was transferred but he was going to try and get it forwarded to me or back home to Grandma. Also the desk in the picture of me in my green shirt is not mine, its elder laws. I will take a picture of my desk for you guys some time. But I think thats about it for  this week. We went running the other morning and my legs are super sore now. I didn't realize how long its been since I had last ran. But its been almost 5 months on the mission now. Its sure gone by so quick. I hope everyone is well at home and I love you all. I hope I have more interesting stuff to tell you in my letter next week. But I love you guys and thanks for everything. Talk to you soon!

-Elder Kennington

Cochroach at the President Rebers Home, first Day in Brazil

                                     A friendly Pooch that followed Skyler around for miles