{June 17, 2010}

Dear Family,

Everything alright on the other side of the world? I´ve been hoping so. Everything here is really good. Oooo, I dont know why I just thought of this but we got the conference Liahona, and ooo it is so good. I really enjoy studying but lots of times I overuse personal study and dont want to do companion study but I´ll work on it. Alright so what funny stories and spiritual experiences can I tell you guys about.

One funny thing is that we are teaching this guy named Tico and he is definitely in a gang. He has a bullet in his calf and he let me touch it. His real name is Francisco Otaliano but his nickname is Tico. So the bullet thing is cool and I cant remember if I already told you this but he had fears about coming to church just because it was on the ``other side of town´´ and he has had some problems there before, but we assured him that if he walked with us he would have no problems with anyone. Also we had been teaching him in this house, and the last time we were there, he took us to his real house which is behind the house we were teaching in, through jungle type terrain where giant pigs/boars are raised, and through a bunch of muck. I am kindof afraid to take my camera and take a picture but I really want to. Mmmmm, what else? The streets of Brazil are being decorated to the max. Here in Fortaleza they are having a contest and which ever street is most decorated gets a TV to watch the world cup on, which is totally not worth all the effort, but whatever. People are painting the streets and most of the streets now have yellow and green plastic string things that are hung above the streets from one house to the other. Its slightly ridiculous because people in the US dont do anything I´m pretty sure.

One cool thing was that one day we were walking down the street and this one guy called us over and talked to us and he made a lot of mistakes in the past but he wants to be baptized to wash those mistakes away. How cool is that. He came to church this last week and so he can be baptized next week if he comes to church and he really wants to be baptized next week.

Mikael and Mikaele came to church. They are brother and sister 11 and 13 respectively. They liked it. I really like them because they are really cool. Mikael, the brother, told me that if I wanted I could ask him to pick people up for church next week, because this past week we picked them up for church. They are super cool. Ooooo also Marcos came to church again. He is the brother of an inactive family. The whole rest of the family was baptized but him and he never came to church before, but we taught him, he came, and he came again, alone this time which shows a lot of strength. He wants to be baptized really bad but he has to get married or separate and his situation is really complicated. He said that when he went to church he forgot all of his troubles and stuff and we told him that he can keep that feeling if he gets baptized and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Another cool thing was that we taught one kid like half a lesson and in the middle he had to go but he said he would come to church if we sent someone to pick him up. So we talked with one of the ward missionaries and he went to pick him up, and they ended up already knowing one another and friends since childhood which is a really great blessing for us. Alan is the name of the ward missionary and Robson is the name of the investigator. So Robson came to church and really liked it so that is really good.

Well tomorrow should be interesting. We will have district meeting, lunch, work for maybe an hour and a half, go back to our house during the soccer game, and stay in our house until 5:30 and then try to work.

Well I know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and he died for us and we can be forgiven through His Atonement and I know that God called Joseph Smith to restore the Gospel and I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I appreciate all of your prayers. Happy Birthday again to Ben and God bless Max and all of you.

Um abraço e beijão,

Elder Willoughby