January 6, 2009

Dear Family:

It's been a great week. We had interviews with the president, and it always makes me happy to talk to someone so wise that can set me straight. My companion and I have never had problems or anything, but it seems like this week we're even better friends and even better companions. We met a lot of neat families and everybody promised to go to church on Sunday, but Sunday dawned with an incredible downpour. And when you have to walk to church in the rain with your children... you don't. So all of our new families are not yet progressing. But give us one sunny Sunday and we should have lots of families there!

We met a really neat family this past week--Vanessa and Fábio. They have a little baby girl. It's incredible how people open up to strange girls that invite them to church. People trust the missionaries. People who are searching for God and truth feel comfortable sharing their lives with us and asking for help. Fábio was really excited to meet us. He told us during our first visit that he had just made a new year's resolution to stop smoking and drinking. He said he learned to drink and smoke with his dad when he was quite young. They spent every weekend in the bar with the guys. But he realized just over the New Year that all of those friendships are false and what really matters is his family. And he wants to be a great dad and an example for his daughter. He's really searching for something more. I'm excited to help him and his family.

Cleide is now really progressing, too! She's still reading the Book of Mormon and accepted a baptism date for this Sunday! She and Luiz are doing way better as a couple. I don't know if I've already said this, but Luiz has become a better husband and father since his baptism, and that's really helping Cleide warm up toward the church. Luiz is helping out more and home and is more present. Luiz told me this week that he has a problem with an American Phantom that torments him into washing the dishes and cleaning around the house. I am that American Phantom. I don't know if you guys are getting the irony here. I, Whitney Amber Todd, pre-mission not known as a clean-freak, am the phantom that is inspiring/tormenting another to help around the house.

I'm also doing really well on my new years resolution to write in my journal every day... something I haven't been at all good at up to now.

Gotta go! Love you!

Whitney