Well..........Im in Osório, a little beach town some 20 km off the coast!  it has about 60,000 inhabitants, about half of that of the city of Erechim.  We are working in 4 here, so we split the city, I get the west half with my new companion, Elder R. Santos, from ABC São Paulo.  His accent is less thick than my former 2 companions, and so I am learning to speak better Portuguese.  Also, I have started studying Spanish again, and I can now pray in Spanish :) yay.   Something interesting- We have been designated to take care of the city Santo Antônio de Patrúlha. There is a group out there that Sister Bradley and Sister Marques (two of my very good friends) started when they were here.  We are the first elders to pass here in quite some time, beforehand it was just sisters. This week President Wright will council with the leadership here in Osório and decide if he will open a branch out in Santo Antônio.  If so, I will be transferred to live out there, seeing as how it is quite annoying to commute every day (it takes about 45 minutes each direction, and costs about 5$ each bus ride) If we don't get transferred, and we have to continue living here in Osório and commute, it will be a very long weight-loss transfer, as was the last 3.... just to say, Ive lost 20 lbs since arriving in the field.  I was at 180, im down to 160.  woot.  :/  Im not losing fat....just muscle, Tanner, yes, your arms are probable bigger than mine now. 30 minutes of pushups and situps every morning doesn't do a whole lot for muscle building :( oh well, the Lord will bless after the mission right? :D  It's funny because the sisters before us were complaining to me that they were gaining weight, they weren't accustomed to eating a huge meal every day or something... the kid next to me in the Lan House just did a search for games killing dinosaurs. hahahahahahahaha, sorry. okay.  Well, unfortunately, the sisters didn't make any Progress Reports to say who are the investigators progressing, with the most potential, which ward members are helping with them etc...so its been a cold start here, especially in Santo Antônio, which means tons of contacts on the road and knocking doors, which is probably my least favorite thing to do in the entire world. Its dreadful. Truly an almost waste of time.  Much more effective to do contacts, and converse with people on the road.  I love teaching, if I can get into a house, its the best feeling ever. I just remembered that mother asked if I am still the senior companion...Yes, by 1 day.  I arrived in the CTM on August 1, He arrived August 2.  

Recent events- I lost my wallet, so I am without identity and money. :/ luckily they keep the passports in the mission office, so its secure.  The Financial secretary will put my money on my companions card.

- Our branch president bore testimony about the power of fasting, using the example of his cat, who was ran over by a car. (I chuckled) The cat did a 3 day fast, and was cured.  He bore testimony that the cat knew the power of fasting, and that he now has a firmer testimony.  yeah.  um, when we heard this, we just kind of looked at each other, (the elders) and just chuckled and said, Oh president..... (in the kind loving manner, he's an old japanese man)  funny, my last bishop was from Nigeria, my Branch president now is from Japan.  Fun stuff.

Brandon Blake, you asked about recipes, so here it goes....

-We've been eating a lot of hotdogs lately....Brazilian style of course, take the hotdog sausage, chop it into bits, mix it with garlic, a bit of oil, onion, corn, and salt. and a cup of tomato sauce, in a pot on the stove.  When its all nice and hot, and mixed, serve on rolls (hard crust) with crushed potatoe chips. Very good.

-We also are going to make lunch today- poor mans Strogonoff, rice, done. 

cook chicken chuncks, like normal, in a pan on the stove with a bit of oil, garlic, and onions, salt and parsly. mix in 2 cans of tomato paste, and 1 can of milk cream.  Very good over rice with potato chips crushed above.

one of the sisters, I don't know which, I have my speculations that it was Sister Bradley or Sister Matchiaco, but I don't know, left a piece of home-made apple pie in the fridge.  yeah, that lasted about 2 seconds. Its been a LONG time....anyways, mmmmmm foood.....

mother, would you mind sending me a recipe for Pecan pie? (we have a family in our branch that has a pecan tree (very rare and expensive here :D) :)

anyways, the best of wishes to all yall,

yes, taco means stick as in hockey, or pool, or lacrosse.

Manter teu taco no gelo.
Elder Eliason