Short email and a bunch of pics...

After a couple days in the new area....

Hey!!!

Glad you guys are safe and sound at home now! Im loving it here in Ducks! Its super hot but ive been through worse! sorry this computer i grabbed was really bad....I uploaded

a bunch of photos!!! I love you guys. Have a great week!  Elder Andy

Andy turns 21!

Elder Arne and Me!

New Area!

We received this email last week on Thursday after a long transfer day.

Ola todo mundo! 

Hey everybody! I finally arrived in my new area called ``Patos`` or ``Ducks``. Yes i was 

transefered from Canguaretama sadly...It never hurt so much to leave an area...I 

had a great birthday and i thank all you guys for the birthday wishes and i epecially 

thank the youth of Canguaretama for making it extra special...I have pictures but unfortunatly i will only be able to show them this coming monday...its going to be a real 

short one to ya guys today becuase we arrived a little late here in Patos...so get this...

Wednesday morning  i left from Canguaretama at 700 in the morning for Natal to grab my bus to Caicó (the closest biggest city to grab another bus to arrive in Patos) When i arrived in Natal around 830 i found out that i had to wait for my travel buddy Elder Christianson that was transfered from Joao ´pessoa until around 1000ish...When he arrived we bought our tickets for ciacó for the 1200 bus ride....I spent the whole morning at the bus station...Luckily I saw my ´´son´´ elder G. Oliveira! It was so good to see him and remember the good times we had in Campina Grande...He was transfered to Mossoro from Joao Pessoa...Unfortunalty i did not see Elder Pereira or Jefferson my good ol buddy from Mossoro that will leave for his mission Oct. 21 i believe!!! I still dont know where he is going??? He had called me the other week it was so great to talk to him a little and tell him how happy i am for him...from Natal to Caicó its a 5 hour drive...You guys can check out the distante on Google if you want...When we arrived in Caicó around 500 nobody was waiting for us so we kind of freaked out becuase neither of us had a cell phone...we ended up trying to call the assintants of the president by a payphone to get in touch with our zone leaders but nothing went through...luckily after waiting for like 20 min our LZ´s showed up out of nowhere....Then they told me i would spend the night with them becuase all the busses to Patos had already gone...So i had a great night with the zone leaders and i had a great little district meeting with my new district of patos. Im in charge of just one other companionship...We are in charge of just one ward here Patos Ward....We arrived here this afternoon around 100ish...and that about how it went in summary...My new companion is Elder Anre who has 5 months in the mission! My second Amercan companion! He is from Oregon!!! More on everything this coming monday!!! Love you Guys! Have a great end of the weeek!!! Love Elder M. Howell

Still thriving, but apparently losing his English!!

Oi!!!! Minha amada família e  meus queridos amigos!

First i want to say that im the luckiest missionary in the world to have a Mom like Dana and to have a sister like Madison and to have such a thougtful sister like Morgan (who thought of me way out there in Africa!) I recieved 12 letters last week and a package that will be excruciantingly hard to wait for to open on the 18th!!! i havnt opened it yet i swear!  I cant tell you how much they mean to me...thank you Morgan for the awesome necklace...I dont know what it is but i think it looks like a cat and that goes with my name here...Elder Meow...I never really explained well to you guys that everyone says my name real funny so it sounds like everyone is saying ``Meow`` when they call me! Its pretty funny...ANYWAYS Thank you so much for the letters...Expect a letter coming at ya morgan and to all that have written to me...The highlight of this week was yesterday as Elder Kutomi and I were invited to talk to the group in Goianinha that is about a twenty minute half an hour drive from Canguaretama. It was one of the most humbling and spiritual meetings i have experienced in my life. The group unites in a small public school and we had only two meetings as there are not enough people to have the normal sunday school class...I just want to say that blessing the sacrament and giving a talk in this small humble classroom was one of the most spirtual experiences of my life that i will never forget...seeing the faith of these people that have truly sacriced to be there really humbled me and made me feel so ungrateful for the church in my life. It has always been so easy for me to just get in the car and arrive in a beuatiful church building but like that back home i never truly valorized it...Here people from a place called Sitio Miranda which is about a hour drive from the school and is located way out in the farmlands from Goaninha so its not exactly paved smooth roads...These people pay for a small little van to arrive to unite in this school to hear the gospel and partake of the sacrament....For about 5 months i have been here but i have not had the opportunity to meet these people until yesterday...I thank the Lord for the opportuniy we had to meet them and to give a talk there and here in Canguaretama. I felt like one the first members of the church in one the very first meetings...I know i felt the spirit so strongly due to the faith of these people....Im so grateful for the opportuity to meet such faithful people through this amazing gospel. I know that this Church is true and Im so grateful to be a missionary even though it is so tough to be away from family....I love you all and be grateful a valorize what you have...Until wed of next week! Transfers are on thier way....I think im next unfortunalty....I have grown to love Canguaretama so much.... Abraçao, Elder M. Howell

One of Andy's baptisms heading on a mission!

HEY GUYS!!!

How are you? IM SUPER!!!! First of all i would like to wish my older sister Morgan a very happy belated birthday!!! Happy Birthday Morgan! You are like officially an adult now!!! CRAZY! I hope your birthday on sat was super!  I am super happy right now becuase i found out just the greatest news...You guys know Jefferson? He is a curto prazo ("short term" serving for a little while) right now!!! in joão pessoa serving with Elder Daniels a missionary from my group! He is due to leave for his mission in October! I dont know where is going yet but i just cant believe he is going to be leavin so soon...There are no words to describe my happiness and excitement for him and how much i thank the Lord for being an influence in his life...I admire his courage a lot...Only one year as a member and his will go out who knows where to invite people to come unto Christ....Besides this one of my baptisms named Aquecia, she is going to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead on the 8th in Sept...She is way nervous and excited and i have been trying to help her understand what she is going to be doing....I feel like Amon right now when he and the sons of Mosiah had just baptized thousands...I thank the Lord with all my heart for the blessings these two people are recieving and the blessings they will be in other people lives...I cant believe Elder Walton...now Jeff is home...He knows what i mean...there is no greater joy than seeing someone learn to love and progress in the Gospel...I seem to have no luck with computers, this one crashed two times tryin to write to you guys...Im so sorry that i have not written much lately...Elder Kutomi is one of the most calm and serene companions that i have had and i just love working with him, he is Japonese! His father is japonese and his grandparents were japonese immigrants from world war 2...HIs is born and raised here in Brasil so he pratically is brasileiro but does he does not act brasileiro..He is not loud and rabuncious...This past week didnt go as well as we had planned but we learn to keep our heads high depite our failures. ON the brightside we are preparing a man named Wellington to be batized on th 7th in sept!!! I love you guys a ton and give Jeff a big hug for me when you see him...

Com Grande Amor, ELder m .Howell