"Having a blast!"

Olà minha amada Famìlia e o restante...kkk
Uma brincadeira só, eu amo todo mundo e escreveria pra todos pessoalmente se tivesse o tempo...

How is everybody doing. As i wrote to my mission Presidente the question mark buttton is working pssh...but whatever im doing super!  and a little sad because more than two thirds of my misson is over now...I cant believe how fast time is flying!  Thursday i had to travel to Natal to receive a little Leadership training with President Hall and the Zone leader and district leaders of four different zones. We spent from 8 to 4 o clock learning how to be examples and to improve technical things to improve district meetings. We practiced lessons for more than 3 hours straight! It was fun to practice in front of Presidente Hall and Sister Hall and with the Assistants as our pesquisadores. Also it was super great to see some old buddies of my group! I also saw Elder Morreira who i lived with back in Mossoro when i started my mission and he
is going home this transfer. Just made me think how fast time flies! One thing im learning is to really cherish
the moments with the people you love becuase they dont last very long. We had to travel to Goianinha to help out Rodrigo and Magnolia clear up some Wedding documents. That was a fun trip, i love spending time with recent converts in different enviorments, péople we have become real close with. I got another batch of letters!!! You guys are becoming quite the cyclists. That seemed to be a crazy tuplip field!!! I loved to see those photos! Congrats to Madison for her new job!!! Im really happy for you Madison and that you can be in such an awesome environment! I hope you get my letter soon! Im having a blast here with Elder Cicero and Elder Broad and Elder Franco and with the great young members here! They help us out a lot, intruducing us to new people and helping us do divisions to accompany people on Sunday. Im super excited for the dedication of the temple of Manaus!!! We get to watch it! I recently watched to really touching movies with some pesquisadores that i recommend to you guys. One is Called the 17 miracles and i seriously just was full of such gratitude for what the pioneers sacrificed for the church. Made me think of how much more worth i need to give to the gospel in my life. Also the movie Emma Smith. Both are just truly isnpiring and testimony builders. I love you all and always wishing you the best! Thank Grandma and Grandpa for writing me. I know you say not to write but im going to write you!!! haha

Another great week and lots of pics!!

I seem to have the worst luck uploading photos...grrr Im sorry this week  I dont have to time to report another one of the best weeks of my mission, i hope from the photos you guys can get a sense of the happiness and joy this week brought to us with the Wedding and Baptisms!!! Im super great! I´ll be writing some letters to you today and to Madison and to Grandma and Grandpa and to Morgan! To as many
people as possible! I'm  so very grateful for you guys and for the patience in preparing things for me...I have some other requests if it is not to much to ask...What ever happened to the Caricatures my dad was going to send me???haha ask him that for me plz :P Also there is this girl named Esterfania who fell in love with my Ctr ring...not with me! just to make that clear...I have seen this kind of Rubber Ctr rings from some americans and I know even a rubber ctr ring would make her happy. I know a real steel ring is to much of a hassle...I dont how to get measurements and stuff so a rubber ring would be awesome! Also Thats pretty much it... I promise i will tell all about the wedding and baptisms next week. Also with more details in your letters! Love you lots! Have a great week! Give a hug to my dad for me! I cant believe how much he is going to work! Its like a missionary schedule hehe!
Love elder Andy

Wedding cake for Rodrigo and Magnolia!

Rodrigo and Magnolia and family!

Baptism of Rodrigo, Magnolia and Aquercia !

Aquercia!

Rodrigo and Magnolia!

Anderson's baptism

Daniel's baptism!

Fernanda's baptism

Service project!

Moving day...change!

Turtle shell

Beautiful view of "Baia Formosa" which,

if Google Translate can be trusted, means "Beautiful Bay"

Relaxing after an arduous week!

Canguaretama Square

Youth of Canguaretama!

Andy and Elder Cicero

Andy and Elder Franco

"Cameliao"!

Cows in front of our house!

Crazy taxi ride!

Waiting at the gas station for the bus to go to the

Natal Conference with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland!!!

Thriving in new area....

How are you. Sorry today im not going to be able to give a big report on my week, I promise ill describe everything next week and i will try my best to in the phone call or skype in 2 weeks!!! I was wondering if you guys could do me a huge favor and send me a cd of the band Evanescence...Madison will know who im talking about. Here there is a boy i know who is obsessed with this band and an original cd of them would make him go crazy. He is an unactive member who we are trying to reactivate. We baptized a young boy named Anderson yesterday. He is great guy and we will try to teach his family now. We have two families we are working with who  are super specail to us and i forgot to mention that last pday we arranged a marriage. we filled out the papers and we are planned to do a marriage and a baptism of a family on the 17th!!! Things are going super here. I have never been so worried about so many people and thinking about them in my life but ive never been happier... I think about you guys a lot haha and how much i hope you guys will see a difference in me, how much i will try to help out at home on my return, i have so much to tell you guys...Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was everything i imagned he would be how it would be to be in the presence of an apostle of Christ. I felt something different shaking his hand...Until next week!! love your son Elder Andy

First couple weeks in Canguaretama...Elder Holland on the way!! Great Pics!

OBA!!!! Hello everybody!

Hows it going? Im doing fabulous! haha Gosh i always have this problem...where to begin...Can i just tell you that I love little old fashioned towns...theres just a cool vibe about having a main street with eveything that you need and a big park where everybody hangs out to just to have a little chit chat. Here in Canguaretama i found out that the church here is only about three years old!!! As in the first missionaries that came here was only three years ago! Its awesome to be in a place where the church is just starting
to grow its roots...here church is of need of strong active members...OUr branch presidente told us that the future here is with the youngens...We are working here mainly in the center of town as its real close to the chapel which makes it easier for us to bring people to church. OUr area is huge and i still havent left from the center of Canguaretama. There is a whole other city in our area called Goianinha where the other dupla is working! They are in charge of the group that is meeting there...which as in the baptisms we have planned for over there may turn into a branch shortly! Well im super happy to be here working with an awesome companion who is from the same group of G. Oliveira! Elde Cicero is always animated and excited to work, he has a gift in small talk with people, im learning tons with him...Im also super excited because something unbelievable is going to happen tom!!! Im going to have a training with an apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland himself!!! We are going to travel to Natal for a special training with him only for Missionaries!!! Im dying here...its going to be something else! Well to answer quickly your questions about Mothers Day...I would prefer skype, I would love to see you guys! :) But whatever is more convieniente for you guys...Here the internet seems to be good miracously...Lets plan on the monday after Mothers day if thats good with you guys? ILL fill you guys in with more details in the coming weeks. Glad to hear the weather is sunny over there...you dont even have to ask if it is here...haha Well love you guys para carumba! haha Have a splendid week! Plz pray for us three baptisms we have planned this week...José a young man and Anderson another young boy and Kessia a young lady....Muito AMor! Abraço, Elder M. HOwell

PS. Hope you guys enjoy the photos!!!

Chapel of the Garden Paulistano in Campina Grande

Campina Grande Zone

10 Fingers = 10 Months

(as in 10 months left in their missions!)

X All!  Elder Clawson!

Dinner with Alexandre and Fam!

An Easter dinner with Sister Fatima and Family!

With Ivy, Larissa and Iraildo!!

A White Easter!

Alexandre's family and Karina up on the left!

Alexandre's family!

Me, Alexandre, Neves embracing Maria de Lourdes (their granddaughter),

Arthur and Diogennys (their granddaughter's boyfriend) and Elder G. Oliveira! 

One cozy ride to Canguaretama!!!

We managed to fit all our luggage and us three

missionaries into a little taxi...

The home of Canguaretama!

Elder Franco with the hat...Elder Broad with the flute...

my companion Elder Cicero! Like Spiderman!

Brother Joseph and I.

My "X's" Leader...

(mission leader maybe?  Andy writes all these captions in Portugues :))

GIANT EGG!!