oh

My Wonderful Family,

Woo another week in the books. You can go ahead and accept those
friend requests that people sent me. I don´t have a problem with it.
Except the one from that lisa person... okay I´m kidding :) I am super
duper excited to talk to you all in 16 days! I´m still not completely
sure whether I´ll be in Alcãntara or a different area since we have
transfers next week, so I won´t give you a skype address until the
week of Christmas. How is your skype username spelled?  
I´m almost positive some problem will happen, since I haven´t used like 
any technology since vietnam, but I´ll try my best to resolve anything 
that could occur.

So, I received not one, not two, but 3 packages this
week!!!!!!!!!!:)!!!!!! Two from the fam and one from Grandma Pannone
with presents from her, The Atkinsons, and Uncle Tom and Aunt Pam. One
of those packages from the fam was sent way back in September? Either
way I was so happy to receive them, and I vowed not to open them until
Christmas!!!!.... But then I realized that I  might get transferred to
a new area on the 18th, and along with my lugguage and Backpack, I
figured that dragging along two more boxes would be a little bit
frustrating, especially since we travel by bus from area to area......
So I caved :( BUT Elder Leite recorded me opening the presents from
you all and I sent my SD Card with All of my photos and Videos taken
since the MTC, so Christmas should be a little bit more fun for yáll
at home. I really really loved everything you sent me and it made me
feel like I was at home with the family... minus the super sweaty and
slightly miserable heat, but you´ll just have to see the video once
the SD Card gets there.

Last Monday, as a district, we went to an area called Maricá, where
our district leader is serving, and we had lots of fun there. We ate
at an investigators house there, we were able to share with them a
great lesson (with 8 missionaries) and after we visited the coast. The
weather was a little bit chilly and pretty cloudy, so luckily, there
was no one else there too. We took some cool photos there that I´ll
have to add. An emergency transfer happened this week, which added
another companionship in our district, and now Elder Deiffenbach (my
companion from the MTC) Is in my district!

One thing I´ve really enjoyed this transfer is living with 3 other
brazillians, At times it´s kindof difficult not being able to speak
any english throughout the entire day (I only have a chance to think
in english when I write in my journel, or write this letter), but it
has really helped me to learn and understand Portuguese better. The
three elders in our apartment (Elder Leite, Elder Pinheiro, and Elder
F. Silva) have a total of 10 years combined as members of the church.
They were all baptized as teenagers, and I thought it was kindof crazy
how I´m the youngest of them all, but been a member of the church for
longer than all 3 of them combined. It´s really special being with
Elders who didn´t have the foundation as a child, but decided to join
the church because they found out it was true for themselves.

We´ve been teaching more Families, doing more contacts, and by the
look of it, the work here is starting to progress even more! After the
baptisms that Elder Leite and I had a few weeks ago, we were having a
hard time finding new investigators to teach, but we´re doing a lot
better now and keeping busy.

I love you all!!! I was so happy to hear from you not only from the
email, but the wonderful gifts that were sent in the Christmas
PAckages.

Love,
Elder Braun