April 17 - New Comp New Me (Not Really)

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope that Easter weekend treated you all well, and that you all had a good time remembering the Savior and his resurrection. I had a pretty good time here. I've got a new companion, I'll tell you more in a bit, and my zone is having a ton of success here in Jundiaí. I'm really enjoying my time here. I'm glad to hear that my family is still ballers, but you didn't send me any pics of the Tusken Raider costume, so I got sad. Also, will the CRV return to my ownership when I get back home, or will I have to buy a bike? 

I received a new companion this week, and his name is Elder Azcárate. He's from Argentina, so I have yet to repeat an origin on my companion. I have had companions from Cabo Verde, Goias, Chile, Rio Grande do Sul, Portugal, Bahia, Alagoas, Fortaleza, Georgia, Pernambuco, and now from Argentina. I've lived with people from all over Brazil and the world. Cool stuff! Elder Azcárate likes making pizza, rearranging the furniture, writing stuff down, and EFY music. I hate the EFY music, but in the rest, he's a cool guy. He's also a professional photographer, and he cuts hair. I'm also learning Spanish. 

How do the Brazilians celebrate Easter?

This week was Easter, and, as almost all the other holidays, Easter is pretty lackluster here in Brazil. They just don't have the commercialization that makes things awesome in the United States. Here they celebrate Easter by eating chocolate eggs that are EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE and going to mass. And when I say expensive, I'm talking 20 bucks and up, converted. They are really really pricey. Some of them you can actually buy in 3 rounds on the credit card. There aren't any cool egg hunts, and nobody paints anything either. So it's a hard life. To celebrate, my comp and I made a chocolate pizza. It was pretty sweet. I have pictures, but it's really hard to send them here in Jundiaí, so I'll have to wait. 

How are your suitcases holding up?

My suitcases are still doing pretty well. They're a little small for all the crap I have to lug around, but they aren't broken, like all of the other missionaries. 

Do they have Walmart or any other recognizable store in Brazil?

Walmart does exist here, but it´s really rare, and I haven´t seen one since the MTC. It's also one of the most expensive places to shop here, weirdly enough. The only other places you would recognize are McDonald's and Burger King. And they really aren't the same here. They are really pricey, and on a missionary budget it's hard to spend a lot. 

As one member said to us this week "We Mormons remember the Savior and His resurrection every single week when we take the sacrament, but it's good to have a day off and get to eat chocolate". That's the Easter thought I'd like to leave with you. We remember Jesus Christ every week, and this is but one more chance to think of him. I love you guys. Have a great week!

One more chance to offer all I have!

Elder Murray