Hello, hello!! :) How are you all doing?? :) Mark wrote me today!! It was good to hear from him!! I am writing you all letters right now :) and will send them off this week!! So this week Sister Twitchell and Sister Galarza had a baptism of a young mom, so yesterday we went to that!! Also, Sister Daniele and I had 3 people at church! :) We are teaching a woman, Atilani, she is 26 and she has never been active in a church or known much about religion but is interested in learning and already has a baptismal date marked for March 9th :) She is very sweet and  a bit shy! Her Mom is sick and she has been super worried about her! Many people these past 2 weeks have been very emotional in our lessons so it has been an amazing opportunity to share the gospel with them and let them know that the trials we have now will strengthen us for later and that during these difficult times we need to put our Faith in the Lord and move steadfast with hope that things will work out as they need to! I have learned so much already on my mission and I still have much more time to keep learning :)

Oh so crazy stuff will be happening this week! So here in Brazil they have a Holiday called Carnaval, other countries celebrate this as well. But it lasts for 4 days and 4 nights non stop! Here in Paracuru is where everyone comes to party because here they have the beach and a strip!! All of the members say it is nuts and the roads are full of people doing crazy things... you can only imagine and that no one sleeps and they have music blaring all day, all night! So we thought  for sure we would go to Fortaleza and work there for 4 days with other Sisters because everyone was like y'all won't stay here it's too crazy... so the news is we are staying hahaha! This shall be quite the crazy adventure!! President wants us to stay because we will still have church on Sunday so it's important that we will be here! We have rules that we can only leave if we have marked appointments with people andn we have to return to our houe each night at 6. He said if things are too crazy to just stay in the house and not leave and to use our heads! Everyone says people are drunk throwing water balloons and flour on anyone that passes so I am sure I will be taking some pictures at the end of each day lol! I think we will only be working 3 hours each day... if that. 15 thousand people are expected to show up here in Paracuru!! I feel like it's going to be like Bourbon Street the night of Mardi Gras but for 4 days straight! People are selling masks and beads like they do for Mardi Gras.

Well besides the craziness, it has been so awesome to see our recent converts grow in the gospel. Matheus and our other youth have started seminary and are very active in the church! President Eduardo is always talking about the comments Matheus has on FB about the Book of Mormon and then when we ask them, "so we will see you on Sunday at church? and they always respond why would I not be there"... aww it's the best feeling when you see people taking on callings, duties and responsibilities with honor and doing it happily!! The people here are truly awesome and I feel so blessed to be here!! We have our crazy, difficult moments here in Paracuru but the good memories make up for it all! :) Well I have no time left but I love and miss you all!! I will let you know how Carnaval goes next Monday!! Have an amazing week! :)

Muito amor,

Sister Mattei :)