Maggots, rice, and strogonauf

Well this is for you Elder Sorenson and inspired by Elder Lowder...definitely had maggots in my nice clean and new house this past week. I definitely pulled a "Hey, why is our rice moving Elder Sousa (aka only Brazilian in our house and knows all things Brazilian)?" He was like...my child. Those are maggots! woot woot. You better know I boiled a pot of water and threw it on those maggots and flushed them down the sink and disinfected our kitchen and basically threw up four times in my mouth. I literally see maggots now when I eat rice. 

     This past week was a hot, humid, and amazing time. I definitely had a year's worth of mission experiences in one week.

     A sad experience happened this week on New Year's Day...We were at the bank getting some money money cash cash to throw basically the biggest missionary party that night WHEN I heard this big crash and people arguing. I didn't really think much of it until it registered in my brain and I went outside to see what happened. Apparently, (you´d know if you were here) that some crazy Brazilian driver hit this lady on a motorcycle and it wasn't too pretty. She was convulsing, had blood flowing from her head, and her neck wasn't exactly straight. I wanted so bad to help but she already had a group of people around her yelling things in Portuguese and trying to help her. But to add in my faith, I pulled off to the side and was able to offer a prayer for her. Wow. That was a tough way to start off the New Year.

     But my ward is getting really excited for the upcoming conference. It was amazing to see how people who have read and studied the Book of Mormon 100 times versus 1 time, they all are so interested to read that book again to see if it's "hiding" anything and what the prophet is wanting of us by asking everyone to study the First Vision and Book of Mormon to prepare. It's just such a great thing. 

     Not too much to report this week other than I am so humbled and grateful every day for the merciful Father in Heaven we have!!! I love being a missionary!!!

Love you all. Read you scriptures. Figure out the language of the Spirit to you.

Elder Gardanier

When Steve and I visited Huntington Beach in November, we met a darling employee at Havaianas who was from Brazil. Of course we needed to buy a pair of these flip flops. She told us to tell Daniel to go buy some in Brazil because they are so much cheaper there. He found the store!