Walking in White Fields: Olá os amigos!

So my week has been crazy as normal. My feet and all are having fun now and I'm probably the first missionary to be authorized to wear tennis-shoes normally for a few weeks. [He has had a rash of some type on his feet and hand for a few weeks, for which he is getting some treatment]. As promised, my camera is fixed and I'm back to taking photos.

So, today we're in the middle of a transfer and my friend and district leader is getting transferred to another part of the mission. (Hope you're ready Élder Crabb!) And with the end of this transfer, ends the endlessly fun phone calls that begin with "fala faca cega!" Which means dull knife here ... or something to the effect of that. I'm going to miss the banter in the district here.

FUN STORIES, WOO HOO!! So we got a reference from Germano, and in one week that reference turned into a baptism for next sexta-feira (Friday). It's really fun teaching her because she already knows the answers when we ask them. (I personally think she is cheating and reading the Pegar Meu Evangelho [“Preach My Gospel” book] her aunt has in the house.) But she is really ready for baptism, and I'll probably be doing the confirmation for that.

My bet with my Companion (Élder R. Lima) is kind of fun, but I think he's going to win in a day or two. I agreed with him that every time I conjugate or say the word "usar" [use] with a mistake I have to count, and if I get to seven, I have to buy him a milkshake. Yep, that happened. I'm currently at six.

Isalino, another story, is a great member. His wife and kids are recent converts, but he was less active for a long time after his mission. Now he's giving us a lot of references! We have now 2 ready people that we're teaching and one more probably tonight that are because he's inviting them to "Noite familiar" (family home evening). We are really excited for this. But as usual my companion makes the jokes: If all members of the church were as Isalino, the devil would have no power over the hearts of men.

That's my piece for the week! Tchau! Élder A. Smith

Side Note: We asked Joel why he was signing his name last week and this week as “Elder A. Smith.” This is his response: So, besides the fact that my first name here is "Élder", I actually did get a Troca de Plaqueta (switched name tag). My name is now literally that: Élder A. Smith. I found out why too, we have two other Smith's in the mission and in order to prevent confusion for the president, we have different names in the mission. But, for your enjoyment, everyone always asks because my name is A. Smith, and always they think it is very cool that the name of my father is George Albert Smith [the name of one of the latter-day saint prophets]. Brazilians …