February 2, 2010
Yes I would say that time goes by really quick. I now have 9 months in the mission. I really cannot believe it. I feel like I just left yesterday. The great thing is that I am speaking the language a lot better. It feels great to be able to talk with just about anyone in the street. I am really loving each minute of it. I am also loving the chance that I have to teach the gospel with the people here in Brazil. It has been a little hard the last transfer. We had a lot of Baptisms fall through. That was hard to see someone going so strong for so long and then giving up or having the mom or dad not let them be baptized. I really love this church so much.
Yea I bet it surprised you all a lot when I decided to chose the Saints and not the Colts. I love the Colts so much I really would just love to see a new team win it you know?
Today we climbed a 2400 foot mountain. That was not good in the heat. It was so hard and just strait up. For the first time I felt like I was in Brazil. Going through all the trees. The forest here is a little thicker than in Idaho and with a few different spiders etc.. It was way cool. When we got to the top we took some really sweet photos. So it is about 90 degrees today with about 80 or 90 percent humidity. That is pretty hard to work in. The week was really hot. That was not very good. I am really burning alive but not as bad as my comp. I am already kinda used to it. I would love to have some snow here. It would be such a blessing.Also my shoes are already starting to break about. The bottoms are pretty destroyed but I will get them fixed here in Brazil I think. We will see how much it is.

I am doing great. My new comp is pretty cool. Yea my week was pretty different. It is really different having a new missionary. I would have to say that training is not as easy as I thought it would be. I am just glad that my companion is pretty great. He is learning really quickly. The only thing that is bad is that he is really going through some hard times. We like most of the same things. I think here in a little while he will speak very well. Also I just hope that I can help him out with a few problems that he is passing through. I know that the Lord is always waiting to help us in anything. No matter if it be homesickness or other things. I really hope he can understand that. He is from Washington and is burning alive here in the hot weather. He will get used to it here pretty soon. Well that is all for now. Elder ParkinsonP.s. also thanks for the good looks it is funny to walk in the street with the girls here in Brazil. haha.