"It's a Happening!!"

10 points to whoever can guess where the title comes from. It's from a movie, yes.
I don't really have a good picture to go with the title, but I thought maybe the hodgepodge of pictures deserves a title like that.
Below is Passion fruit mousse. Super good!!

 This is the view from the apartment of a couple of friends from the Catholic University here in Salvador (UCSAL).

 Angus and I played some soccer. I scored a goal!! It was pretty much a lucky break, but it was still cool. Everyone was so surprised and the other team was kind of mad that an unskilled American could even score a goal. I mean Brazilians are soccer geniuses, right? They are the only country to qualify for every world cup, so they do have a storied tradition.

 I was in the library this week and I saw a girl reading this book. It was fun to think back to days of yore when I first read the Hobbit. I remember Linda Lee reading the book and I saw the cover. It was Bilbo with his small elven sword hiding from Golum. I think it wasn't long after that that I picked up the book and read it. I wonder what this girl is thinking as she reads through on her first time, and in English to boot.

 They did some serious tree trimming here near our house. They had some really big lifts and they had closed off the street. It was cool to watch.

 Some more sunsets. Cool story, Salvador is one of the only places on the east coast where you can see the sun setting over the water.... because normally it will set over land, but the bay here is big enough that you can see the sun setting on the water.

 Some cool trees by a museum here.

 So I went to go do a research interview with Graziela Pimenta. I am partners with her and her twin brother Gabriel. We are trying to set up interviews and do them together. So we went into a nearby favela (which is like a shanty town or a squatter colony). The Brazilian government never really opened up the land to settlement like the US government did. The land has always primarily been owned in large plots by plantation owners or by people who received land grants, etc. Similar to Mexico and much of Latin America. That did create some problems once the slaves were freed in 1888. They weren't really given a place to go. So even today there is a tradition and a culture of settling on unused land that isn't theirs and just building houses. The favelas are super labyrinths. They have lots of side streets and ins and outs. Easy to get lost and easy to hide. This is a picture of a favela through a gap in this wall.

 This view is from Gabriel and Graziela's apartment! Below in the black is Gabriel. Like I said, he and his sister are students at UCSAL. On Saturday I went to do an interview with them and I ended up staying the afternoon at their apartment. One thing about Brazilians is that they love to talk. They can talk the day and night away. We talked about school, about interviews, about buses, and about the church! I told them about the word of wisdom, the restoration, the priesthood, etc. It was a good conversation and they seemed interested. They were very respectful and also shared some of their beliefs and traditions growing up Catholic. Gabriel only wears black. Haha. He showed me his closet. All black with some gray.  I was just waiting for a grumbly voice to say, "I only work in black or very dark gray." I hope to be able to share more with them this week, and invite them to listen to the missionaries. Yesterday at church some of the students invited their host family to come to church with them, so we had two investigators at church! It was totally rad.

I am really loving Brazil. I am learning a ton here. Interestingly, much of what I have been learning is personal and more spiritual than cultural. I have realized that I have a deep-seated tendency to consider myself "better" than others. Either because I am smart, or strong, or spiritual, I think of myself as better because I think I have "more". I believe the praise that other people give me, and I tend to even praise myself sometimes. It is just so subtle. I think to myself, "I could take that guy. I'm stronger than him." or "I should help that girl, she doesn't have as deep of a testimony as me." or even "The Savior is better than everyone, so he can help all of us." On the other side I might think things like "They are out of my league." or "I don't really want to be friends with someone who is so rich."

It isn't that helping others is bad, but I recognize that in helping others or interacting with them, I tend to do a lot of comparing too.
How can I share what I have with others who lack without thinking that they are less?

To quote the words of Jacob, " And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerningp ride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him becuse ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?
Do you not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever. " (Jacob 2:20-21)

It isn't just having more; it isn't just actively being mean to others.
Do we let our feelings prevent us from connecting on a deep level with those around us?
Do we see everyone as a child of Heavenly Father? Our brothers and sisters?

I have realized that I have a long way to go, but I'll be working on it, and I hope to be able to see everyone with the potential they have and the heritage they carry instead of comparing myself to them.