Happy Birthday to Me‏

Hey Family,

One more week, and one more P-Day full of rain. I guess life will just have to go on. You guys can all relax, I got the birthday package. I guess the people in the office got so used to sending every letter and package that comes to the mission to Concordia, that they kept doing it. President Dansie told me that he discovered my package last week as he was packing the stuff that was marked to go out west to Chapeco. I’m going to have to have a talk with my friends in the office. This sort of thing can’t be happening to Elder Haws. Speaking of package, thanks everyone. Thanks to the Riggs Family for the dress shirt, the whole world for the candy, and probably dad for the hat and t-shirt. Just a couple questions. How am I supposed to explain the BYU “almost” cowboy hat to anyone? I’m still not 100% that I understand it. I love it, but am without means to explain it. One more thing: WHAT WISE GUY THOUGHT THAT I COULD WEAR A XXL? I tried that shirt and it’s ENORMOUS. I might put it back on another day to take a picture, but in the end I’ll probably give it away to a Brazilian that’s shaped like Dad. Who knows?

Chad is going to Madagascar? Will he be speaking Portuguese? Will he be passing through the Sao Paulo MTC? I’ll definitely have to drop him a letter. Which mission did Brett serve in? Spencer is going to Budapest? Are you kidding me? What language will he speak? How’s Dave doing? Do we have a mission address for him? Derek is already coming home? Josh Tew should be home in July, Josh Orgill in November, and Jake in September.

Our weekend was a little exciting. Now it’s just second nature for things to happen to me that I can’t pass on to family, but that the entire mission ends up finding out about. I realize that this is probably a little annoying, but ask me on Mother’s Day. To help me remember which “almost seriously against the rules” event, use the keywords Imarui, Final Countdown, and Buy-lee. More information right now would result in severe consequences that no one wants to see... unless you want to see me next week.

Just kidding. The work is coming along. Yesterday at church a teenager told us he wants to be baptized. He always comes to church with a group of members, and had never talked to me in the past. Until two weeks ago I thought he was a member. Now we just have to find an opportunity to teach him (he lives in another city) and discuss baptism with his parents. Wish us luck. It’s a little soon to slip the cake in the oven and start filling up the font, but if you don’t have hope you’ll never get your feet wet. Besides that, our best investigator just fell back into a life of drugs, our new investigators have a tendency to disappear, and that comment about going home was really just a joke. Here in about 15 months Mom is going to kill me for that one.

This last week was Interviews with the President and Zone Conference will be March 10 with transfers on March 26. That means that on March 24 you guys might be getting an email talking about where I’m going, but then again, maybe not. I was able to talk to a couple people who know Jenny Crandall. She lived in the Oficinas Ward in the Tubarao Stake. No one has seen her in a while, but they all said good things about her.

About the next package: toss in a couple little bottles of lens cleaner. It doesn’t exist here in Brazil so my companion ends up washing his glasses with hand soap. I think it would be a nice present to leave with him.

Thanks for everything. The weather’s great, the work is coming along, and I’m fine so stop worrying about me.

Living within the rules (most of the time),
Elder Haws(mo)