Dois presidentes e outras aventuras da semana

Olá!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! This week was full of funny stories and service and work as usual! As far as Thanksgiving, we didn't do anything really different since its not a big thing here, we mostly just invited those we talked to to think a bit more about all of the blessings that Heavenly Father gives us. :)
Now for the funny stories (get ready, there are quite a few this week): 

beginning on Monday, we got home from the lanhouse and errands in the center and we were only able to work an hour later because Sister Reis got locked in the bathroom. The doorknob broke on the inside and we could not open the door! We had to call the landlord who had to call a neighbor but we finally got the door opened and had a good laugh :) 

Another funny story: Pedro, a less active member we are reading the Book of Mormon with, was looking through the pictures in the front and he saw the picture of Joseph Smith and said "Hey! He looks like Nicholas Cage!" :)

Also, there's this old taxi driver in Parnaíba who always stops at bus stops and takes people for about the same price as the bus. He always tries to raise the price and he's really funny because any time Sister Reis or I laugh (which is often because we both like laughing) he always squints suspiciously and says (this is really bad grammar) "Tu ta mangando de eu??" (about the equivalent of "You is pocking fun at I?") 

The other day we were waiting at a bus stop and we started talking to an older man. He thought it was the neatest thing that I was American and he looked at my name tag and said "Seester.... Katchy-Patchy..." Just when I'd thought after a year of being in Brazil I had heard all of the varations of "Knapp" :) 

This week we had a dessert contest with Ramo 1 and Ramo 2. Sister Reis and I made a peach mousse which is like the easiest dessert on planet earth. Its two boxes of creme de leite (cream) and a box of leite condensado (sweetened condensed milk) and a packet of juice powder (like Tang) that you just throw in the blender for a few minutes and then in the fridge. While I was hurriedly making the dessert the spoon fell in and kind of caused a small explosion of mousse-ness but I cleaned it up and the mousse turned out great. Enough that lots of people commented how delicious it was and that they wanted the recipe. :) 

Have you heard of the book "The Hound of the Baskervilles"? Its a Sherlock Holmes book about a giant dog of death that the whole town is afraid of. Well I found the dog... It belongs to our branch president and her name is Caboca. Im not afraid of dogs, but Im terrified of this one because she hates all people who are not Presidente Rocha, his wife or their kids. Seroiusly, she runs to the gate barking and jumping with a murderous look in her eyes... Anyway, I think she's finally starting to get used to Sister Reis and I because yesterday I called out "Caboca" and she didnt run trying to kill me. Progress! :) 

Last funny story and also a miracle: we are teaching this really great family: Daniel and Kelma and their two kids. Every time (literally every time) we teach them, some random neighbor wanders into their house and sticks around for like 5 minutes of the lesson and then leaves. Its pretty funny and in a few weeks I think we will have taught every person on that street :) 

We've been able to teach quite a bit this week about faith and its made me think about faith and works. I read a neat scripture yesterday in James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." I quite liked this scripture because true faith is not just saying "I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior". We need to ACT on those feelings of faith and love towards Him. As we keep the commandments and follow His teachings and share our testimonies with others, we truly are being doers also. This strengthens our faith and allows us to receive even more blessings! 

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Knapp