No Webcam communication on Christmas.....AGHHHHH

So we´ve been teaching a young man named Juliano the lessons and he´s been progressing pretty well. He said a good closing prayer for one of our lessons that I think showed that his relationship with Heavenly Father was getting better and he understood (at least pretty well) the plan of salvation. Unfortunately he didn´t make it to Church yesterday. I´m still holding out hope for him. He´s one of the only people who seem to want anything to do with our lessons. I´m really getting better with my memorization and use of the scriptures in

practice. I can pull out lots of stories that fit well in lots of different situations. I´m also reading faster (I could do this but I can read faster AND retain now.) in both languages.

Christmas is right on the horizon. I have so much to do that I don´t have to sit in the house waiting for Christmas.  Time is just passing faster than fast. Just imagine, I´ll be able to give you guys a call on Christmas. So because it´ll be Sunday I won´t be able to use a webcam or anything like that because the only way to do that is paying in the internet place by our house.  [WHAT’S HE TALKING ABOUT!!!!  DON’T PEOPLE HAVE WEBCAMS AND INTERNET IN THEIR HOMES??!??!  I WANT TO SEE HIS FACE!  RATS!!!!]

As for decorations...there aren´t any. Occasionally you´ll see a house of the wealthier people with a wreath on the door and I already saw that someone spray painted their trees red and white but you almost couldn´t tell Christmas time from any other time of year here. There

are some decorations in the downtown area. I was at a big Relief Society activity recently with the Elders (We were asked to give talks and then to serve food afterwards) and on the way home we saw a few things all lit up.  They say that normally it´s either turkey or ham on Christmas. It seems like turkey is the bigger deal for Christmas. I´m holding out hope that we´ll have turkey at the members house where we´re going to eat for Christmas.

Weird foods: I ate capybara. It´s like a huge guinea pig. I didn´t know that it was illegal to hunt them when I was eating it. But I liked it.  Turns out that this rodent I ate is the largest living rodent in the world.

So I have to gather up all the pictures from the other Elders and we still have to take more Christmas pictures. I already took pictures of our tree. Other than this one pic, you´ll have to wait.

Dad, I miss our talks, drives and trips to fish and chips. I´m really liking the independence and rewards of being out here. It´s funny because my Mission President is always saying that your Mission is the best preparation for the rest of your life. I´m trying my best to plan and to achieve goals. I know that I was a handful and a prideful person many times. It´s being the Lord’s Fisherman that really has taught me a lot. I´m learning a lot out here but I´m glad you and mom always put up with me and did better than the best to raise me. I still remember when you and I were in the car together and you turned to me and said about our family "It´s forever Son". I knew that that was true and I still know today.

So my hair was getting pretty big at the last big mission picture. I tried cutting my hair the day before but it didn´t work out and I couldn´t cut it the morning of the conference/picture. So yeah I look like a lion. You´ll be pleased to know that my hair is regularly maintained in the standard and that this was just a fluke.                 
Love, Elder Hanson