Itupeva!!!

Oi a gente!

Can I just say how much I love it here! My new area is Itupeva, only about 30 minutes away from Jacare, but i love it here so much! There are 6 missionaries here, 2 sets of sisters and Elder Raudney and I. Elder Raudney is an answer to my prayers! He is from Recife, and is so amazing. He doesn't speak any English, but he sits at my side during language study and helps me the entire time with pronunciation, and reading, and grammar! (My grammar in Portuguese is better than English I think...) haha but he is so amazing! Truly do love him!

So this last week was seriously amazing! Loved it! I started out the week with this scripture, and it has changed me since, (sorry translating from Portuguese I hope its right,) "For I the Lord your God will take the by thy right hand saying, fear not, I will help you", it is so profound, simple and true. He is always there by our side, holding our hand and whispering, fear not, I WILL HELP YOU. We just have to look and feel Him at our side to recognize.

With that in mind, I have it written in my planner where I can continually see it. Well we were out contacting and about to go into a lesson, and I was getting a little worried about what we would teach, and who this person was because at first I thought he was a member till we started. I at first started to panic, but then the spirit brought to my remembrance, Fear not, I will help thee. It all started to come! I was able through the spirit to know exactly what to say in my broken Portuguese and what we needed to do! The Lord loves us, and is with us always. I know it, and I feel it! I'm so grateful that this past year I've had my brother at my side, and this next year I will have him always by my side. I truly am grateful that we can have the Lord speak to us through the Holy Scriptures.

So our area has a statue of Christ like the one in Rio, it is very small, but it is on the mountain and we will visit it soon! But Itupeva is amazing, the members are legit, and it is fun every week we get to teach English...lets just say it is hard! I forgot how to say the word "also"...i'm starting to forget English...its weird when in my dreams I talk to my sisters in Portuguese...they don't speak it at all...but they reply back in Portuguese...no joke Chica and Melba! Its scary...but legit! Haha

Love you all so much,

Gary

 Elder Raudney and Elder Loveless