Dear Bispo Valentine,
That's how you'd say Bishop Valentine in Portuguese!
also, your name in Portuguese is "Estavão" which is just ridiculous. Mine is "Spencer."
Haha this one time a whole year ago (crazy!) here in Porto, me and Elder Johnson talked to a Jehovah´s Witness in potential (like an investigator) and he asked us our names (since that's what they ask about God) but he wanted the "portuguese translation." So E. Johnson said "alexandre" (Alexander) and I said "Spencer" because there isn't a translation! Basically, names only translate if they are biblical, which mine is not (to my knowledge), so this guy threw a fit because I wouldn't translate my name for him. It was pretty funny!
Mom's name, Linda, means "beautiful" in portuguese! That's neat, right?
Wow, that's a big list of grateful things for Spencer! How bout one of my own:
- I'm so grateful that I can eat pastries and croissants every day whenever I want!
- I'm so grateful that American milk doesn't make me want to throw up
- I'm so grateful that my consecrated mind recites Portuguese scriptures when I sleep (according to E. Karthigeyan)
- I'm so grateful that Dad hurt his knee so that I could show him who's the real man around town by carrying him
- I'm so grateful that I have had a year and a few months to train my week stomach to face up to the horror of an eater that is my sister
- I'm so grateful that it rains day in and day out in Portugal so that I can appreciate the weather in Utah more
- I'm so grateful that my comps get switched often enough that no one has tried to kill Elder Valentine for singing hymns all day every day
- I'm so grateful that I'm attractive, even when it attracts the gay men of Portugal (which are unfortunately not few in number)
But I sent a real one to mom, for things I am really grateful for! That last one has a couple stories that I'll tell you after the mission...
This is Spencer's reply to my crazy Thanksgiving email:
Haha when you talked about the indian who brought McDonald's I was confused and almost thought McDonalds was really old until I read the rest of the paragraph. That sounds like an awesome trip! So how is your whole work thing going? I still don't know what changed to make you travel so much!
You know, the office is kind of stressful sometimes, but I really am doing great. I love every opportunity I have to teach and I love seeing people change. And the office is a way I can help all of the missionaries in my mission focus on their work and not on the temporal stuff! And I talk to President probably more than 99% of the other missionaries in the mission, so it really is a blessing. I really am so grateful for a family who supports me and loves me and is glad I am serving a mission!
I really liked your Bishop's letter to the members. You're such a good Bishop! You really are a blessing for a whole lot of people.
Okay gotta make like a baby and "head out!" I hope you got that one, it's funny. :) Love you dad! I loved hearing about your trip stuff and the Thanksgiving stuff and your Bishop stuff. I love stuff!
Love, Elder Valentine!
No comments:
Post a Comment