Gooooooooood morning USA!!!! Happy 4th everyone. I had to be reminded by a Brazilian this morning or else I would´ve forgotten - kinda embarrassing. But I got a good taste of American yesterday when one of our investigators just came back from Disneyland - she gave us a box of Whoppers! 

You´ll be excited for the stuff I´m bringing home for you guys. They give Americans a bigger weight limit for suitcases. I have to start packing this week and leave behind a bunch of stuff. 

We had another great and busy week in the 5th ward. The young woman that went to the English last a couple weeks ago we´ve been teaching. This morning we went over for a quick lesson to follow-up on her prayers and reading. SHE GOT AN ANSWER! We´ve got her marked for the 11th for her baptism. That´d be great to have a baptism on my last weekend as a missionary. We´ve been having a lot of success in this ward, and I believe that´s because of the unity between us 4 and the ward together. Honestly I haven´t seen anything like it in any other ward I´ve spent time in. 

The work in the office is going well. Having to be on top of lawyers and real estate is like pulling teeth sometimes, because we´ve been trying to close a couple apartments that the mission isn´t going to use any longer. I guess I´ll know what to look for when I´m looking for an apartment and have all the i´s dotted and t´s crossed. 

Thursday night we got a call from President, wanting to take us out to lunch the next day. Let me tell ya, we ate GREAT yesterday. He always takes out the missionaries in the office with their companions who are leaving that transfer. We went to Tordilhos, one of the most expensive Brazilian Grills they have here. It´s like Fogo do Chão style - MEAT!!! We had a great talk between the 5 of us there about President´s vision of things and he wanted us to pass that on. One of the things I´ve learned working close with President Del Guerso is how to make something out of what a lot of people imagine to be nothing. That´s how he became a math teacher and then a lawyer. 

I heard the news last night about President Packer. I´m still feeling that urgency that even though we live in the "last days", we sure do have a lot of work and not a whole lot of time. 

I´ll keep praying for Papa that he keeps getting better. He gives me a lot of strength too and I love him and Mama very much.

Have a "bombing" and safe Fourth! Love you all lots

Elder Nissinen