It's a Little Chile Down Here...But Kinda Warm in Brazil: Rainy Days and Flooding....

Elder Andrew Schwartz in the local Favela

Dear Family!

Thanks for the awesome letter! I'm happy that you're feeling better, Pops. It's good to hear that you all are happy and staying busy. I'm doing great over here. The weather is still pretty crazy. Hot during the morning and rainstorms in the afternoon. Elder Watt and I actually got stuck in a home after teaching a lesson because the favela started to flood up to waist deep water and there was no way to get out. The house we were teaching in actually started to get some water in it, but we were able to help out and do what we could to get the water out. That's an experience I'll never forget!

Well, this past week was pretty good. We weren't able to teach some of our investigators because they are traveling, but hopefully this next week everything will turn back to normal. We are working with a lot of good people, but it's just still really hard to get people to church. I don't know if I written about Luana and Kleber before, but they are a couple with two little boys that have been taught for awhile. They are an awesome family, but they're just a little hesitant about baptism because they had been baptized in another church that they ended up not liking very much, so they want to know the church really well before they make a commitment. They have a lot of good questions and share their doubts, but it's been really hard getting them to church. Finally, this past Sunday they came and they loved it, and now we have a Family Home Evening marked (set up) at a member's house tonight. It was awesome to see them there and we're excited to continue working them. This week we started teaching a woman named Raquel. She lives in the favela with 6 kids and her husband is in prison. She is really humble and she really liked the things we were teaching her. It was her house that we got stuck in because of the flooding, and we were glad to be able to give a hand to help keep the water out. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go to church but we're going to do everything possible to help her get to church this next Sunday. This week we had our normal district meetings and we got our whole zone together to make a good ol' american breakfast with bacon, pancakes, french toast, and eggs. It was amazing! Our zone is so awesome!

Well sorry that this letter is a little short but I still have to write President Tanner, but I promise next week's will be longer. BUT I have pictures this week, so at least that's something, right? I just want all of you to know that I love you, and I know that this work is the Lord's work.

Until next week!

Elder Schwartz