21 October 2013 - Estancia, Brazil

Yay! More adventures from Brazil! Elder Frogley had an incredible week, including some baptisms, meeting a wonderful example of a strong family, and even managed to spell "too" correctly, which is especially miraculous considering it was typed immediately after the word "two." Amazing.

Anyway, Dad wrote to Elder Frogley about telomeres, which is something Dad is learning about in his continuing self-education. Apparently telomeres are a part of our chromosomes. As we age, we lose them and eventually die. So, theoretically, if we can replenish, rejuvenate telomere production, we can extend life. Or something like that.

Telomeres sound amazing! I want to study them! I was reading your description like an adventure book. Im pround to say that I understood it all! So they are used up as we grow and as we are involved in stressfull situations, but does that mean that they take part in the healing process? How can living a crazy life destroy things that are involved in building your phisical charictaristics? Ill have to look into this stuff when I get back. But anyway! Life sounds awesome there! Mom told me that the gov is going down hill, like normal. Maybe ill just stay in Brazil, haha. But Lets get to my week! Sorry, no pics this week :( The computer that Im using is garbage.

So this week weve been focusing on accompanieing our baptisims that we had Saturday. Clarisa and Rodrigo. Rodrigo is hard to visit everyday because we have to ride a bus to visit him, and we dont have money to do that everyday, but weve been calling his Mom and talking to him that way. We got to visit him finally on Friday to do his interview. His Mom was excited and he was excited and it was a great experience. He passed his interview with flying colors. Hes a smart kid. Clarisa was a little more complicated. We went to do her interview after Rodrigo on Friday, but she had gone to her cousins house. Her family arent members, so its a little hard for her to remember her appointments (I had to think of that word for a while, almost forgot it in English). Her Grandma told us shed be home saturday too, so we made the appointment to visit saturday morning. we went by her house saturday morning (the day of the baptisim) to do her interview, but she had gone to the market with her Mom. Her grandma and the members who are her neighbors said that she was still very excited to be baptised and was inviting her family and friends. So we told the members to make sure she got there on time to the baptisim, and we would do the interview right before the baptisim. After that we passed by her family, and they all planned on going to the baptisim. You remember them? Andrea. Carla, and Carlini? They want to be baptised too. But they were all very excited for Clarisa to make this step in her life. We went to that baptisim at 6 pm to meet Clarisa, and she thankfully came with the members we sent. We got the interview done and had everything ready for the baptisim. We had our two, and the other missionaries had two too. So we had 4 baptisims saturday! Lots of white. It was cool to see.

Rodrigo went to church the next day, but Clarisas Mom went to the hospital, and the whole family went with her. That bumbed us out cause they had a baptisim marked for this week. Now we have to bump it back, and i probably wont be here because of transfers. Im a little bumbed.

The other family were working with didnt go to church too, because they had a TON of people at their house on Sunday, so they didnt have time. but we went and visited them Yesterday night for dinner and they made comitments to pray and read. Theyre amazing people and the Mom LOVES us. Shes like the sweetest lady every. Everytime we go there she pulls some kinda food out of nowhere and makes us eat it. The couple and the kids are just about the happiest family ive met here in Brazil. Theyre home is already like a church home. Its great to see. THeir only problem is keeping the appointments. The kids read and pray but the parents are forgetfull. Theyll be baptised but itll take time. Again, sad because I have to leave. But that about it for me. OH! We did this huge division with all the Men in the Branch yesterday. We visited all the less active members and cleaned up our brach directory. It was great. Even Jose Lito went! remember him! The Man I baptised a while ago!? He did a devision with me, and it was great to see his testimony as he taught people about the gospel and testified to the less actives. cool stuff. Anyway, Love ya Family! Dad, could you send me Jessicas Email please? Thanks. Love yall! 

PS when yall come visit Brazil in a year, I dont know if youll want to stay in my mission. Its the most gheto poor area in all of Brazil. 

Love ya! 

Elder Frogley