The Silmaril Of Eärendil

Whattup Irons,

It's been another interesting and challenging week. I hit a couple times this week where I just kind of... spoke and understood portuguese. It was nuts. Also had several times this week where I felt like a total idiot who couldn't understand anything. Also, my patience for some things is starting to run out. So, I've got my work cut out for me for sure. But it's good. My sister Alia started reading Cradle this week (possibly one of the proudest moments of my life) and one of the things Cradle teaches very well is that intense struggle begets growth- or, in other words, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, I'm not dead, so I'm looking forward to getting a lot stronger.

Anyways- let's talk about animals.

By Fire and Water

Ok I felt bad putting the animal segment before the baptism segment so Imma do that one first. We had a baptism this week for my boy Igor! I love Igor. He's awesome, and the baptism was a very joyful occasion. My only problem was that they had a bunch of good food there but I was fasting at the time so I couldn't eat anything :( But I felt the spirit strongly. Also, we got a change over in the bishopric on Sunday so one of the last things the bishop did was confirm Igor which was cool. I'm excited to work with the new bishop and councilors.

Ok now let's actually talk about animals.

Cats and Dogs (Not the rain though)

I want to clarify before I say this that I have never in my life had even the slightest impulse to hurt an animal. Well, except for fish. After what happened in Alaska, I could watch those little bug-eyed clowns get gutted all day. But every other animal? Precious little creations of god. Especially dogs: I'm definitely a dog > cat supremacy kinda guy.

Until I got here.

The dogs in this freaking city are actual demons. There are two constant noises in Sao Paulo: somebody is always playing music super loud and there are always dogs barking. Also, most of them are aggressive and either bark at us or flat out run at us and try to eat us like a 6 year old eats a pixy stick. And the cats are like the exact opposite: they're super sweet and nice. I think it's because living on the streets has humbled them. But yeah I really hate the wild dogs. Also when they're not barking or attacking us they're usually breeding in a large group which is frankly not something I needed to witness. Normally I just give them the old 'priesthood fireball' and it sends 'em running but the next time one of those foamy mouth buggers comes barreling and barking towards me I swear I'm going to kick its idolatrous little mug right to the Telestial Kingdom where it belongs.

"Rebellions are built on Hope"

I'm going to go back to the whole "growth and struggle" thing. I don't want it to sound like I'm complaining; though I could always stand to be more grateful, I really am extremely grateful for this opportunity I have to experience trials. I had a great talk with our Mission President's wife while waiting for an interview, and she encouraged me to journal and related to me an experience of one of her daughter's missions: every transfer after her training, her daughter would go back and read her journal of her training to remind herself how far she'd come. A scripture has also stuck out to me this week, Ether 12:4: "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." So I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't suck sometimes and it isn't really hard. But sometimes I catch a glimpse of how great this is going to be, and I know it will all be worth it.

Alrighty folks that's all I've got for now but Imma just end the 'spiritual thought' segment with this quote from Lord of the Rings because I'm a giant freaking nerd and I can't help myself.

"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach. His song in the Tower had been defiance rather than hope; for then he was thinking of himself. Now, for a moment, his own fate, and even his master’s, ceased to trouble him."

God is good,

Elder Ebbert