Sons of Concordia‏

Hey Family,

John Beck is starting Sunday? BABY! Make sure to record that game and set it aside for me. I want to see it in around 18 months. The IF Tigers are going to the State Championship? What the heck? I remember getting letters a couple months back that said we were horrible and didn't have a chance at winning any game. We beat Highland in the Minidome? Was dad smoking something when he wrote me that email yesterday? How did you guys manage to buy a car? I appreciate the comment about the Vanity Plates and me driving it to BYU, but how did we buy a car?

Just to clear up the deal about mailing addresses:

Packages from now until February MUST be sent to:

Elder Michael Kent Haws
Rua Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42 Centro
CEP 88015-220
Florianópolis- SC Brasil

Because the Pouch to Brazil died last week, ALL LETTERS MUST BE SENT TO the address with "Caixa ###" in it. I think its Caixa 391 but I can't remember off the top of my head and I don't have it with me. After the Christmas rush (meaning once March comes around) Packages can be sent to either address. Just don’t ever put anything in the pouch again if you want it to get to me.

Life is crazy. I cannot believe this transfer is nearly over. It seems like we're only two weeks into it, but we'll be finding out about transfers in a little over a week and a half. I hope to stay in Concordia over Christmas and get transferred the 3rd of January. The problem is that I am with an American companion right now. It seems unlikely that we would stay together for multiple transfers; especially considering Elder Bateman up in Pato Branco also got an American senior companion this transfer. Right now there are only 4 Brazilians in our Zone with 10 Americans (2 Americans are couple missionaries serving in Chapeco). As far as Christmas is concerned, they want us to start figuring out how we are going to do the call. We can't make a phone call home the week before to confirm plans so we have to start early. The problem is that I don't know where I will be for Christmas, but I will in 2 weeks. At that time I will be able to figure out when and where to have the call. As for right now we just need to decide who is calling who. If I call you guys I will have to buy a card here. President Dansie said that in the past parents tried to mail phone cards to the missionaries here, but American cards won't work here. What ever you guys decide will work out for me. The rule is the same: 30-40 minutes for the phone call.

Yesterday was a wretched day. I love traveling to and from Zone Conference, in the sense that it is the only real opportunity the Western Missionaries get to see anyone. Elder Wright tells me that the missionaries back in Florianopolis get together on P-Days and sometimes they will bring 2 or three zones together for P-day, since everyone is within an hour of each other. My Zone Leaders are in another city two and a half hours away by bus. The rest of our district (the Sisters in Xanxere) is also two and a half hours away. As such, we only see one another quickly at interviews with the President, and Zone Conference, and briefly for Baptismal Interviews. I loved getting to see by western buddies and even got a picture taken with the last 3 junior companions that served in Concordia. They were all trained here too. Two of them are currently training and the other trained around the time I got to the field. Elder Wright was jealous so we let him into the 2nd picture. But anyway, the day was horrible because I was on a bus for a total of 16 hours yesterday. Midnight to 8AM. 4PM to Midnight. The idea of a bus had to of come from a short person. There is no way for me to get comfortable on a bus. Usually the trip home is great because I get a stack of letters to read but this time the Dansie's left the letters for the Chapeco Zone in Floripa. I guess I'll just get an enormous stack and a package the next time I see the President.

As always, there are a couple things that crossed my mind that could be sent to me: Peanut Butter, Body Wash of any brand (they don't appear to sell it in Brazil), a little comb (we tried to but one before I left but all we could find was big ones. It seems that if I want to by a comb here I have to buy a big pack of assorted combs), Ties are always welcome (I might be burning one next week to celebrate 6 months---May 16 - November 16)

The sun is hot, the hills are steep, the search continues, and I'm doing fine so stop worrying about me.

Dreaming of a White Christmas,

Elder Haws(mo)