Hey Everyone,

How are you all doing this week? Sorry the email last week wasn´t as long, even though it was still pretty long. We were in a hurry to get over to Káthia´s house to have the Churrasco; it was really, really good by the way! We had a lot of steak and chicken with some nice guaraná! We will do a Churrasco there in the summer, don´t worry. I think I have the technique down; we will have some really good bananas and ice cream that I learned how to make as well.  I promised Elder Glade that we would have a Churrasco. So we´re all ready to go :)

I´m really excited for this week! Elder Bednar is coming on Thursday and he is doing a special conference just with the missionaries in the morning!! It´s going to be amazing! Even though, I bet we are going to have to get up at about 3 or 4 in the morning just to be ready and make sure that we get there on time. Even though we live really close to the center of Rio, you never know what will happen with Rio traffic in the morning. It was really funny when President Lima called us and was telling us the schedule and everything that we have to do to prepare for the Conference; he told us that we need to cut our hair. He´s like, ``I don´t care if you cut it last week, cut it again! If you think that your hair is short already, cut it again!! Get the picture.....cut it again!`` I love President.
This week we had a ton of miracles happen here in our area. We found a lot of awesome people this last week. We had been walking around our entire area, going after less actives, trying to visit them and see if they still live here in the area or if they moved. We climbed up so many stinking hills, but we were able to survive and not die, in spite of the sun that was burning everything pretty much. We found the coolest family every!! Antônio and Rosa, they are the coolest! They were really excited when we went in and talked to them, they aren´t members but they have already heard about the church. The man that lived in the house before them happened to be a bishop and when he moved, he left a box full of Liahonas and the Book of Mormon, smart bishop :) They showed up at church by themselves yesterday and brought their entire family and loved the church!! It was the coolest thing! They look like they are members already and we are going to baptize all of them this week!! FAMILY!!! WHOO!!! Jenifer´s parents also came to church yesterday; it was the first time that her dad came to church! Tainá was giving a talk yesterday, so I think that is why the whole family came to watch; we are working with them still, but they need to get married before they can get baptized.

I love miracles!! I love missionary work!! It is the coolest, I feel so good helping people and seeing them come to church and feel the Spirit! I don´t want this to end! I am so grateful for all of the amazing experiences that I have had on the mission and for all of the other hard experiences that have taught me to depend on my Savior and to have faith in the Atonement! I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Without them, there is no hope or purpose in this life. I am so grateful for the Atonement and for the hope that we have to become clean from the consequences of sin. I love the Book of Mormon. I know without a doubt that it is true! I know that the Spirit testifies that to me every time I read it; I know that I have received an answer that it is true through reading and hearing the words that are written in it. I´m grateful for my testimony. I´m grateful for all of you and for the support, the prayers, and the love that you all have for me. I know that I don´t deserve it, but I am trying my best to be better and to deserve it. I hope that you all have an amazing week! Love you all!

Love, Elder McDonald