Elder England: I'm Leaving - Going To A Place Called Rio Branco

This Santa isn't latino but he's short enough to fit in!

Hey fam!!!

I loved the emails this week! Keep em coming. I don't really want to write the other essay right now, but I'll get that done and send it next week. I'm not sure if I'll have a lot of time today, because I have to pack... oh yeah that's right I'M LEAVING!!!

I'm going to a place called Rio Branco. It is way up near Brazil, I actually think it is on the border. I'm sooooo excited! It's going to be like a million degrees up there, but I don't care.

Although I'm super stoked to go, I'm really sad that I have to leave Lomas. This past week was full of miracles but also some let downs. Blanca had her interview for her baptism on Monday, but didn't end up passing. It was quite difficult for her to remember all that we had taught her. So she did not end up getting baptised, but we explained the situation to her really well and told her that we were going to help her prepare herself a little more. However, the next time we passed by she said that she was really sad. Also like you were saying dad, her daughter left this last week as well. It was overall kind of a rough week for Blanca. But she is now living in her new house with a lady that is watching over her and she seems to be doing a lot better. I am really sad that I'm not going to be able to teach her anymore, I really love Blancita! I think that Elder Brown thinks I have a crush on her or something just because I say that I love her so much after the lessons.

Another reason that I am extremely sad to leave is because Carlos is going to be baptised on Saturday, and I'll be so far away that I'm not going to be able to go to the baptism. I've felt tempted to complain about not being able to baptize for 4 months here in Lomas, and then the week I leave we have a super awesome baptism. But It has really helped me realize that we don't do this for ourselves, we do it for them. I know that Carlos` life is going to change big time, actually it already has... I can see it. We are going to be going to mutual with all the young men tonight and I'll take some pics of Carlos to send next week. He is a stud. Also we have been talking to him about sharing the gospel with his family. I am positive that his mom and siblings will get baptised after him.

Okay the random wooden thing... here is the story. Elder Brown and I were walking down the street and we saw this thing and we were like what the heck is this thing. Elder Brown suggested it was a contraption to kill animals, like they would kill them and then lift them up and cut the meat and such. On the other hand, and I don't know where this came from, I thought it was to be used for ribbon climbing. Nevertheless, like two days later we were walking near there and Elder Brown with a shocked look on his face said, ¨What the heck you were right¨ so then I looked over and there were like fifty little girls climbing ribbons, actually a lot of them were hanging upside down by there ankles. So Kenna you're kind of right about hanging people, but I think dad was the closest. I did like the guess of the first church in Uruguay, that was good.

Something funny: To come to email each week or go buy groceries or pretty much go anywhere we take buses. In the mornings, the buses are usually very full, which implies that personal space does not exist. For example, in the isle there are always two rows of people standing both facing different directions. Luckily I'm tall enough that usually my bum is at a different level than the person behind me. But somehow there is always a tall and slightly overweight person standing right behind me. I always just think in my head, ¨This is so awkward!¨ Elder Brown and I were laughing saying that when you buy your ticket you should have to sign something because we have definetly felt violated on the buses.

I love you all more than you will ever know! Have a great week.

Elder England