Now the news that I know everybody has been eagerly waiting for and visiting the blog every hour to hear. I have officially been transferred. I am now in Guapira, Jacana. I found out late Monday night and got here on Wednesday morning. So it has officially been about 6 days here in Guapira. It is in the actual city of Sao Paulo, so I have finally made it to the actual city. Its on the outskirts of the city but I'm still here haha. I left the extreme heat of Soracaba, to come to the monstrous hills of Guapira. Holy Smokes. I might die here in a few weeks. The other day we climbed the staircase to heaven. I have never seen a staircase like it in my life. I'll try and send a picture of it next week. I almost had a heart attack when I got to the top. I thought the staircase at BYU was bad but wow. Nothing compares with this one. The steps are all different sizes in both directions, it was nuts. But basically our entire area is just made up of hills, I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my life. I will definately leave this area a lot skinnier when the time comes. The ward is awesome and I'm really loving the area, besides the hills. We have some really good investigators and the work is going really well. I am super excited to be here.
Oh and for my companion. Well basically I got everything that I was hoping and praying for this transfer. I asked to go to Sao Paulo, I'm here. I asked for a Brasilian companion, I got him. And I asked for a difficult area and I got it with the hills haha. But my new companion is Elder Vieira, and he is awesome! He's from Recife, and he is in his last transfer right now so no matter what next transfer I will also have a new companion. But he is a super awesome Elder and I'm learning a ton from him already. And its awesome not to have the English temptation anymore now its just straight Portuguese. But unlike what I was thinking there isn't less talking, we talk just as much as me and Elder Williams if not more but now its only Portuguese. Its really helping me improve a lot more. Although he has told me many times that I'm doing really well with the language and that I almost don't have an accent! Score! Oh and as for the crazy part for me and him. We have the same name. James, and in Portuguese its Tiago. We have the same birthday. We both want 5 kids, and neither of us drink soda. And there is other stuff too that we are finding out all the time. Its kind of freaky. I almost don't want to tell him any more stuff about me because he'll just have the same thing. He said earlier today that we better watch out or we're going to marry the same girl haha.
But everything is going really well, I'm super excited for these next 6 weeks with Elder Vieira and we're working like beasts. The ward is awesome, the food is good, the area is good, and there are hills so I'll be skinny. What more could I ask for? haha.
Last thing before I forget, the last 2 transfers before me had Americans being trained here and unfortunately both went home early, so now every lunch the members ask me if I'm actually going to stay. Its kind of sad to hear but I always just tell them yes I'm here to stay don't worry. I can't imagine going home from the mission, it is too much of a priviledge to be here and the oppurtunity of a lifetime to learn the things I'm learning and to gain the testimony that I'm gaining. I love this work too much to ever think about going home early. After 2 years here it will be really tough to leave Brasil. I love putting on my name tag every morning and reading "Elder Gleason.... A legreja de Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Ultimos Dias"... Nothing better in the morning than to be able to read that every day when I walk out the door. I am a representative of Jesus Christ, I am preaching the one and only true church on the earth today. What a blessing in my life.
Eu Te Amo!
Elder Gleason
P.S. Moroni 9:9 and Ether 11:8
P.P.S. Letter are starting to go into a slump, pick it up my friends :D
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