Transfer to Rio Claro

Oi!

I was transferred yesterday. I have left Vinhedo. I miss Vinhedo, Elder Nodal, Elder Bradford, and Elder Clark, but I'll get over it quick.

I'm now in a city called Rio Claro. I'm in the Rio Claro 2nd Ward. My comp is Elder Sant'anna.
He's a Brazilian from Sao Paulo and has 6 months left on the mission, but I am his senior. OOPA! He just hasn't qualified yet, that's all. I think I appreciate this change. I can take things with greater calm and sensibility. I feel like in Vinhedo, I rushed around like a chicken with it's head cut off and didn't get very far.

It's really hot here. REALLY HOT, and really noisy. We live in the downtown area and there are always cars, busses, and trucks passing by. We live in front of a high school, and we live with our zone leaders...again! LOL. Our zone leaders are Elder Martin and Elder Carvalhal. Elder Martin was Elder Clark's comp in the CTM. I bet we have fun together and baptize a lot. Rio Claro has the stigma of being one of the dead zones, but I'll forget all about that and everything will work out.

I'm very happy about my last week in Vinhedo..our numbers were awful, but something really special happened. There was a family in our ward whose newborn daughter died on Sunday morning. I was eating lunch with the bishop that day and we went back to the chapel for the funeral. I played the piano, and after the talk played postlude for nearly 45 minutes. The spirit was very strong and many people commented, but what was most special was one brother that come up to me, hugged me and said, 'You are always around to help with anything Elder Larsen, it's we that are failing you guys.' We had a lot of difficulty in Vinhedo, but with that one sentence, I felt like we had done our part, that we were appreciated and worthy missionaries. That night I played the piano at the stake again for their Christmas fireside. Beside this I have played in over 90% of all the sacrament meetings. My patriarchal blessing and the blessing that Pres. Broderick gave me when I was set apart as a missionary are being fulfilled. The piano is playing a big part in my mission.

There's a family in Vinhedo that has the same crock pot you have and they want some recipes, because they always burn stuff and don't know how to stop. Can you send some recipes. They speak English so don't worry about the language.

I love you and am happy and content. Thanks for everything. I know the church is true.

Elder Christian.