Back to Concordia safe and sound without too much trouble. As we left for the bus station Sunday night we were privileged to walk the 15 minutes in a rain storm. As the bus left town it looked like it might end up flooding again. As cool as that would have been, I wish we could have been there. Once we got to Chapeco nearly three hours later it was a pleasant 30 minute walk in pouring rain before arriving at the Elders’ apartment. 2 hours of sitting, waiting, and swapping stories with the Zone before the biggest disappointment of the trip surfaced. We had a bus with about half as many seats as last time that didn’t have a DVD player. We were more than welcome to watch movies, if anybody had brought a VHS tape. Needless to say, this was one LONG trip with no movies. But no worries, the trip seemed longer but that just provided more opportunity to talk with my brethren.
The Conference at first seemed to be a bust. All the Elders that I had talked to at the conference 6 weeks ago had gotten transferred to other parts of the country. On the bright side, our Zone is still intact for the time being. We have a ridiculously young zone. With the exception of the Zone Leaders and the married couple working in Chapeco, every senior companion is a trainer, and all the juniors are either in their first or second transfer. Another shining bright spot was the chance to talk with Elders Melo, Beraldo, and Gonsalves. These three are the last Elders to start their missions in Concordia. If the three of us are still around here in 6 weeks I’ll make sure to take a picture of us together. It was awesome to talk with these Elders about the area, about members, and about the lunches that the members always prepare. I got sent back to Concordia with about 20 hugs I have to distribute throughout the city. Speaking of hugs, after the Conference I pulled the Assistants to the President to give hugs to the other 4 Elders who came with Elder Bateman and me to the mission. Tomorrow they will all be at the Florianopolis Zone Conference together. After Elder Pinheiro made notes of all their names I reminded him that because I’m so much taller than him, he and the other Assistant (Elder Flores) would have to work together to give hugs that would imitate the one’s my arms would give. Everybody got a chuckle out of that.
The real highlight of Zone Conference is the chance to talk to my brothers. After 2 months in the MTC and using every Zone get together as an excuse to swap stories and good scriptures, Elder Bateman has become as much my brother as anybody in Idaho or Utah cheering on my Cougars. I still love Wo, Moose, and the Penguin Artist (congrats on asking someone to homecoming!) but I’m in the process of adding a couple more brothers to my life. While at the Zone Conference I also got the chance to swap experiences with Elder Pereira. He is serving an hour and a half from Concordia in a city named Joacaba. He was the district leader of the Brazilians in the MTC who arrived with us. During the travel from Sao Paulo to Floripa we talked a lot. Since then every chance we get we sit down and swap some Portuguese. The kid is a freaking stud. We talked to Sister Dansie and got permission to take a picture together. We then took another with Elder Bateman between us. It’s going to be toughed if transfers break the three of us up. Fortunately, when you’re serving the Lord you’ve got the Spirit with you. And when you’ve got the Spirit you remember the friends you’re separated from and make plenty more to fill the temporary void.
Other news: Micael’ s baptism is going to be delayed again. Our teenager friend decided to change his baptism from September 22 to October 6 so while you guys are watching Conference I’ll be doing some good-old-fashioned splashing. No word yet on what Conference I will see, but we’ll have to go all the way to Chapeco if we want to see it. Tell the Young’s and the Abercrombie’s thanks for me. I got their letters and will soon be sending responses but the mail will take a while to be delivered. Thanks for everything in the package, especially the Peanut Butter and the tie. The Idaho book will be fun to show off. I only received the one package, but I was still able to show everyone the 20 letters I received. Thanks everyone. If you don’t know what to send me here are a couple ideas: TIES, POSTCARDS or BOOK MARKS, or OTHER SMALL CHEAP MEMORABILIA WITH THE IDAHO FALLS TEMPLE ON IT. The Abercrombies sent me two bookmarks with the Temple on them and it occurred to me that they could be a great parting gift to friends and companions to remember the big guy from Idaho that is always talking about the potatoes.
I am going to send a letter off to the house on 4th street, but its not going to be for the Haws family. I want to get a letter to the Trombones in the BYU marching band but have no way to get one there myself. If anybody could stop by and take that letter to BYU I would be forever grateful. They should practice in the Marriott Center Parking Lot Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 4:30 to 6PM. If anybody could deliver it to any trombone in the band either there or after a game, I will praise your name for some duration of time significantly longer than day but probably not more than a week.
The work is great, the Conference was grand, and I’m fine so stop worrying about me.
Shedding Tears of Joy While Eating Peanut Butter,
Elder Hawsmo
(If anybody wants to send more peanut butter, you’re more than welcome. I make no guarantees for how many days a jar will last.)
(If Mom or Dad want to get a picture developed just let me know and I’ll resend a full size file so it looks better.)
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