Londrina Calling

It´s pretty nice here in Londrina. There´s a big difference in climate, especially when I think about my time in Campo Grande. It actually gets pretty chilly at night, and I actually slept in my sweatpants and hoodie. During the day it´s perfect, and I don´t think that I´ve sweated at all this week. Here´s hoping that the nice weather continues, as I´m loving the cold.

I don´t know exactly how many missionaries are in the city, but there´s quite a few. There´s actually two Zones of missionaries, whereas all other cities only have 1 Zone, so I imagine that there are quite a few missionaries here. I´m in the Zone "Tiradentes", which if you translate it sounds like it´d be “pull teeth” or “take out teeth” or something. My area is in the Northern (I think it´s northern, based on the map in our house) of the city, about a 20 min. car ride from the mission office. Our area is pretty small, which is good because it´s easier to take care of.

My comp. is Elder Cruz, from Rio Grande do Sul, that´s in the South. It´s the first time that I´ve actually met my comp. before the person became my comp. He was in Bauru when I first came into the mission, so he remembers when I couldn´t say anything in Portuguese. He´s a really good guy, and a music lover as well, so we have a good time discussing music a lot. A member lent him a guitar, so I´m learning a couple of Brazilian tunes right now. Good times.

Yep, I got my birthday package. The Zone Leaders wanted to open it as my bus from Adamantina to Londrina arrived about 4 hours late. They wanted to eat my chocolate as punishment, but fortunately my chocolate wasn´t harmed. That Plan of Salvation thingy is cool, thanks as well. I gave Elder C. a shirt, but it´s quite big on him as he´s quite a bit shorter than me, ha. I think that he´ll just use it for sleeping.

Also, this is the first time in my whole mission that I actually know people in my Zone. Elder H., my comp. from the MTC (He´s from Las Vegas, but moved to Panguitich, so as much as he wants to make fun of Utahn's, he is one now, ha ha) is my district leader here, so we get to talk a bunch. Also, Elder Harrison, (from Orem. He knows Elder Monterosa as well) who was my DL in Campo Grande is one of the Zone Leaders as well.

The ward here is quite small, about 60 or 70 members. We learned yesterday from the Stake Pres. that there´s about 400 inactive members, so we´ve got a good bunch of less-active and part-member families to work with. The chapel was built on a dirt road about 15 yrs. Ago with the hope and thought that the area would develop. Well, the area did develop…all except the area around the chapel, which continues to be one of the only buildings on the whole street. There´s a piano here, so I get to get back to practicing. One of the young women is already the pianist, so I´m doing backup duty for now.

Welp, I think that´s about it from me. We´re off the Center to mess around there. It´s been a little while since I´ve been in a big city, so we´re gonna do something today. Exactly what, I dunno.

Cheers for now!

-Elder =w= Heperi