"Papa Squid"

Wow! I don´t even know where to start with this week.... but usually a good place to start is the beginning so I will give that a try. After P-Day last week we packed up and headed in to Maceió again so we could have District Meeting, It was awesome. I don´t think I have ever learned so much from a DM but I loved it. We talked about the importance of making contacts and how there are people who are in our areas looking for us, we aren´t just looking for them. It kinda changed my mind on contacts because I had been a little frustrated with them lately, but now things are going great.
   

After the meeting we went on exchanges. I stayed in Macieó and Shokes and the DL went back to good ol´ Viçosa. I had a great time in Maceió and the elder I worked with is awesome. His name is Elder Soares and he is Brazilian and is in my group. He is so funny and we just had a blasty blast together. I forgot how much I like working in Maceió but then at the same time... I don´t miss it at all. Get this, we were coming out of a house we had been in to find out that the street we were on was pretty much in the middle of a rebellion. No joke. So it turns out the police here found a drug dealer and his "woman" selling and they had to use some brute force to get them to cooperate which is logical. But the people of the street did not like it at all and ended up rebelling against the cops and lighting stuff on fire and throwing it into the street..... SO WILD!! And this isn´t just some little street in the city, it is one of the busiest. This place is so wild I love it! We ended up getting out of there safely, don´t worry but I just had to tell you guys that story. I have plenty of others but I think I will leave them ti´ll I get home :p
  
After getting back here in Viçosa, the ZL´s came out to make divisions with us and helped us out in the area a little bit. Miracles happen. I was lucky enough to work with my favorite elder here, Elder Guth, and we had an amazing time. He leaves the mission at the end of this transfer, and I am a firm believer that near the end of your mission you just become a super hero. It was so rad to teach with him, he taught so well and the people were so open to him. I have no idea how he did it, but I want to learn. Shokes and the other ZL also did some great work too. All in all we ended up marking like 8 baptisms and 13 new investigators just in that one night. It was so sweet and I learned a lot of things I want to start applying in my own teaching skills. Pretty much though..... Elder Guth is just rad.
  
The other big thing that happened this week is.... Shokes is getting transferred! The thing is though transfers aren´t until the first of April so most likely it means he will be training which will be so awesome for him. He really is such a solid missionary and though we had our differences, I really enjoyed my time with him. I really learned tons from him and I give him a lot of credit for teaching me Portuguese because he absolutely refused to speak English with me. It was such a blessing. So I have no idea what is going to happen with me but for some reason I have the feeling I might be training as well.... I have no idea why I have that feeling though cause I am nowhere near ready to train some noob. It is a lot more then just knowing the language really well, it is knowing missionary life, and the ins and outs of the mission as well. But who knows. We will find out tomorrow what the Lord has in store for me, either way I am pumped. We are going into Maceió again tonight and are going to spend the night at the AP's house. Should be a great time.
  
That wraps everything up here though pretty much. Please be sure to tell Grandma happy birthday from me and that I miss her tons :) Sounds like you had a good time up in good ol´ Idaho. My comp just about died when I told him you were there. If you remember he is from Chubbuck like right next to Pocatello. Also, thank you both Mom and Dad for your awesome e-mails this week. They were both very powerful and had a lot I needed to hear. Oh! I almost forgot! We had someone come to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So dope! She is a past gator who was literally in the baptismal water but she has a phobia so she didn´t actually get baptized but we kept working and praying with her and she is ready to try again this Saturday! Ah so pumped! 
   
I love you all and hope you have a solid week!
   
Elder Squid Deal