e-mail from April 12th

Hey family, Everything is okay here in Brazil, my last week was a tough one. A lot of our investigators were not home when we passed by all week so we didn’t teach much. Also I said that we had 4 baptisms set up for last week and they all fell through. Three of them needed permission from their parents to be baptized and they wouldn’t allow it. The other one he is 18 so he doesn’t need authorization but he felt like he wasn’t prepared so he moved it to this week and hopefully it will work out. We also have some other men that we are preparing to be baptized this week and I think that we should have at least one. Some good things that happened this week, one was that on Thursday Elder Daniel (Ashton) from my group in the MTC. He is in my district and we got to do a division together, it was really fun to be companions for a day. Also Elder Daniel and I started teaching English this past week. It was really good. We only had 4 people to teach but I think that we will have more this next week. On Saturday we had lunch at a member’s house in our area that was 35 minutes walking to get there. Then yesterday we had to take the bus to lunch and it was an hour on the bus to this ladies house. I don’t quite know how it is in our area but I did like her house. It was out in the forest in a little city called Reposa. This lady had coconut trees and Mango trees that we got to eat and I really love both of those. There is almost nothing better than walking for a day and then having a really cold Coconut milk to drink. I like my new area it is really nice, kinda tough but good. The people here are friendly and it is a good area. Our apartment is really old we live above another house and there is a little store next door and they sell alcohol so sometimes at night they will have people there drinking and people here in Brazil love to play music really really loud so sometimes we get to have a concert below us when we are trying to sleep but it’s alright. It is only my companion and myself in our apartment. He likes to play soccer and volleyball and other sports but we haven’t been able to do any of that because President put a rule into place for now that on P days its only you and your companion but hopefully we will be able to do stuff with other missionaries soon and play soccer and everything. I don’t really know much about mother’s day yet but I will ask President tomorrow and let you know next week. I think though that I will use Kendra´s card, and yes you are 3 hours behind me. I was sick but it was nothing serious. I am better now. Also last week we got flu vaccines for some flu down here so I am good now in that department. I am taking my vitamins and yes I still have plenty. Some scriptures that I really like and have found about prayer and that have helped some of my investigators are in Alma 37:37. There is another one about family prayer in Alma but I can’t remember exactly where so next week. I also use a lot for our lunch message my mission plaque scripture 2 Nephi 32:18-20. Just the basics after baptism and the promise of eternal life if we do those simple things of feasting on the scriptures, use our Faith, and Endure to the End. I really liked the mission story that you included. It was really cool and it is really sad when someone has that big of a miracle in their life and didn’t even think twice about where it really came from. The fact that it was from members of a different church who have the true power of God. I really liked it dad. Thanks for sharing that. Iit was awesome. As for the question about the sweaters I don’t have any and I probably never will. I won’t buy one or anything so you can tell him not to bring one. I don’t really know what else to say other than I love you all very much and will continue praying for you. Love Your Son Elder Crittenden