Hello, Good Morning everyone!  It is the 22^nd of July, 2013… 7:00 in the morning. 

I hope everyone is doing okay.  So let me tell you what happened this week. 

This week was pretty interesting.  We had my last Zone Conference on Tuesday.  It was my last zone conference, but the first one with the new president.  I got to bear my last testimony, because every zone conference, the missionaries that are going home, between that one and the next one, they have to give their last testimony.  So, I got to give my last testimony, and that was awesome.  I have been reluctant to do that for a while, but that’s done.  It was cool, I learned a lot from the zone conference.  There was a really cool video that I liked, it was like a church video called, ‘only a stone-cutter’.  I don’t know if you guys watched before, but it’s about a stone-cutter, and how he sacrificed everything to fulfill his calling.  Its really good.  I highly recommend it.  So, that was on Tuesday, then, we got back to our areas, and me and my companion just worked a lot, which is how I want it to be this last transfer.  It was really good, we just worked a lot, we found a lot of cool people.

We found this guy named Cosmo, like Cosmo Kramer, and he’s really, really, cool.  We found him on Wednesday.  And, he already has a response about the Book of Mormon and everything.  And, he came to church on Sunday and he is really, liking church.  And, he already wants to be baptized and everything.  And, I think what really changed it for him, was what he heard whenever he went to church.  And, also during the messages, and like, I don’t know.  He told us that he had gone to lots of churches in the last four months trying to find the one that he wanted to go to.  I don’t know if I told you guys this, but Brazil has a ridiculous number of  churches, all over the place.  So, we shared with him our message and he started feeling like it was the truth.  So, that’s what he says now, ‘I found what I needed to find.’    He’s a really good story.  Cool side notes which are not of that much importance, but are still pretty awesome is that, he has a twin brother.  A look-alike twin brother.  So we are going to start teaching his brother too.  And, they are both going to start going to church together, and we are going to have twins in the ward. 

What else happened this week…  Me and my companion are doing pretty well.   Elder Wade, he’s pretty awesome.  From Indianapolis.  He’s got a year and a half on his mission, and we get a long really well.  He is one of the more dedicated companions that I have had, which is a good thing.  So this week….

I got really tired yesterday.  I have been getting really tired lately, towards the night and stuff.  But, you just got to kind of push through it and it works out okay.   The exercises definitely help.

Not to get trunky, but four weeks till you guys come out here.  I hope everything is going well, I hope everything is getting ready.  Thinking about presents, like mom said for people.  You don’t need to go that crazy, I was just thinking like, a little souvenir to give to some of the people we pass by.  I don’t know, something that they could keep in their house, because Brazilians love little American souvenirs.  And, also, chocolate oranges would be good, and that oven mitt, for that lady… the one I am close to, that I am really good friends with.  And, other than that, just bring American sweets, and we can just give them out to people.  Just because it would be cool. 

So, I hope everything is going well, and the preparations for that.

I am starting a plan for how everything is going to go down for college and everything on P-Days, so that’s going pretty well, too. 

I don’t have that much to say to you this week, I am not going to lie to you.  But, one thing I can tell you, is that, the closer I get to the end, this started two or three months ago, but I try to think as little as possible about finishing the mission, or the fact that its ending soon.  But, whenever someone talks to me about it, or I have to think about it, or I just think about it, I get these feelings, that are good feelings.  They are feelings from the spirit, they could be, like, as of now, I have done what Heavenly Father has wanted me to do for the most part.  So, those are really good feelings that are coming.  So, I just keep working, then I will be able to keep those feelings, then when I am able to finish the mission, I will be able to feel like it really was a good mission in the Lord’s eyes.

I am really excited to see Desmond.  He has probably already grown a lot since he was born and everything.  I am really excited to see him, and to see everyone.

Yeah, people keep asking me what the first thing is that I want to eat when I get to America and stuff like that.  And, I probably just want to go to Chick-fil-a, I am not going to lie to you.  Like Chick-fil-a, and get just like a chicken sandwich, ha ha.  But I don’t need to worry about that I guess, right now. 

I got this email last week- it kind of stinks- but I got this email last week, where, all the missionaries get it, the ones that are ending their mission.  Or, it’s the letter from president, ‘So, you are ending your mission…’  Then, it gives the whole letter, like, how you need to finish the best way possible, and how the savior only turned into our Savior during the last week of his life, or the week of his ministry/life, all that kind of stuff.  So I got that letter, and I also got this itinerary of the last three days.  I wanted to know the flight times, if you guys could give me the flight information of both when you guys get here, and when we go.  In regards to like the hours we are going to go, when you guys are going to get here, just so its all clear in my head.  Just so we can try to plan it out well. 

That’s basically it for this week.  I hope the best for you guys, I hope everything is going well… Pioneer day is coming up.  Remember the pioneers.   I am excited to learn more about them whenever I get home, learn more about our pioneer heritage.  I already know some stories, but, I could totally know more.  Have a great week.  Say hi to Jenny and Abby for me too, I will talk to you guys a little more in the email, then I will talk to you next week.  Bye!