vc pode abrir a porRrta?

Okay so we finished teaching our class in Birigui today, and the councelor of the stake president and his wife brought us back to our hotel. They are such a nice family, sometimes when people are in leadership postitions here I have found that they can put up a wall between themselves and the people they are leading. This is not the case of this man, he is so kind and willing to do everything he can for the people he is over, even for 2 women in their 20's....he was defenetly a good example of christlike leadership. And his wife is as sweet as ever, such a patient mom with her kids, and she even gave us some dolce de leite e dolce de chocolate.....basically homemade carmel and fudge.Our students practicing how to present themselves with the "30 secong comercial activity"

After we got home we chilled and ate stroganoff for dinner, its sooo good...one of the many recepies i want to take with me back to the US. Then we went in search of the gym here at the hotel....the only thing is that it was POURING rain, I mean really really pouring and there was thunder and lightning....we found the gym, but it was closed. So we walked back to the hotel laughing at the fact that we were absolutely soaked. When we got back to the lobby there were all these guests here for a wedding and here we are comming in looking like drowned rats, a total juxtaposition. Then we got into our pj's and now I am writing here.

I'm really glad that I have been down here, giving service to people. I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, far from it actually but I feel like I have had the oppertunity to grow so much here and face fears, like speaking in public, speaking in portuguese, meeting massive numbers of new people at once, living in a foreign country and realizing that most of the time no one understands me or my culture, where im coming from. It has been really good for me to get out of my little place in life and see more of the world, become a more well rounded person, and gain some more life experince.

I feel kind of like Sabrina, you know that movie from the early nintees with harrison ford....she goes away to paris and finds out who she really is while she is away. I feel like I have done the same thing here. I have seen miracles happen here, people get jobs when they thought it wasnt possible, and listened at times to my own mouth speaking portuguese in front of lots of people so well they couldnt believe I was an american. Granted not everyone gets a job here, and i defenetly have my share of mistakes with the language still, but its been nice to truly see that the Lord helps us in big and small ways in our lives, and gives us all what we need when we need it.Our class in a "funny" photo...I decided to give thumbs up, and as you can see it was a popular choice.

I am excited to be home in California in a couple weeks, and to see my friends and family and get back to life in provo. I have enjoyed my time here but I glad to be going back to being near my brother and sisters, going to Sonic on thursdays for "happy hour", going to the movies in scrubs with Tisha, having Hillary randomly come over to my apartment,Sunday dinners with Quent and Kimberlee, laughing with the lambs about lots of things, going to the temple early in the morning when its all quiet with new snow on the ground, going to BYU games, playing the piano, having a decent kitchen to cook in,and brown sugar that tastes like brown sugar hahaha, and so many other things. I'm excited to turn 21 in less than a month and see what the next year of life holds for me.

For sure I will enjoy the week to come in Campo Grande and the week after that in curitiba teaching my last workshop...but I'm pretty much ready to come home. Well thats enough contemplation for now, I'm going to try and scrounge up a movie to watch with Camila, and maybe order a hot fudge sunday from room service...MmMmMm. I hope everyone had a nice saturday and have a great sunday tomorrow!