Ano Novo!

So, new years kind of came and went. It wasn´t too special or very different than Christmas. Wait, just a minute. I forgot to tell you that everyone and their mother (literally) go to hair salons right before Christmas and New Years. All of the women at church have snazzy hair lately because of the holidays. Anyway, back to New Years. It was very similar to Christmas. People went to another person´s house to eat, drink, and be merry all night long. Except this time, all dressed in white. There were various drunk people New Years Eve and Day. Actually, new years day the whole town was pretty much dead. We were walking down the streets, and it was pretty much a ghost town. Things livened up later in the evening as people woke up and went outside.

I have a goal for this week. My goal is to look for the hand of the Lord in my everyday life. At the end of my day, I am going to look back and try to find something that God has done for me during the day and write it in my journal. As for my goal to read the Book of Mormon in Portuguese by the new year, that didn´t work out. I was reading it side by side with the English translation, but eventually I realized that I don´t really need to read it side by side with English. I made it to the beginning of the book of Alma. So, I´ve still got a long way to go, but, I´ve been learning and remembering a lot. It´s been a really neat experience. So, I´m going to finish O Livro De Mórmon before the middle of February. So, if there is anyone that is trying to read with me, you´ve got more time. As it is the beginning of the new year, and as a universal tradition (i think it´s a universal tradition) to make personal goals for the new year. I have another challenge or invitation for you. That is to come unto Christ by receiving and living His teachings. I know that if we truly follow Christ´s example we will be happier and have a more fulfilling life. I know He lives. I know that He loves us, and that He wants us to become more like He is. Happy New Years my friends and family. I love you.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba