We had a great Thanksgiving week out here in Marietta. I hope you all had a wonderful week as well and gave lots of thanks.
But yes, we had a traditional American dinner on Thanksgiving. Some of the larger families of the branch have been here in the states for a while, so they have definitely 'Americanized' a bit or they are families with a Brazilian mother or father married to an American. We ate turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and a huge amount of pie. We ate so much, it was amazing. It was also a great opportunity to share our thoughts on gratitude with the members of the branch. I have felt my heart fill with gratitude, not just now but over the course of my missionary experience, for all of the wonderful people who cross my path. The mission will do that to you.
We have occasional English class lessons with people and our soccer night has been as successful as ever. We have been cranking out some videos lately on gratitude and life being like a soccer game and a live video of us making a Brazilian dessert. Not always easy to create content that the Brazilians love, but we are working on it.
We went to church at the Branch on Sunday. Attendance has been very strong -- about 50 people every week which is really great. The meetings are entirely in Portuguese and one member sits in the front and translates into small headphones that the English speaking members use. We are just doing sacrament meetings for now, but we do have other Sunday meetings over Zoom.
Gratitude, I have found, is one of the most consistent and most powerful forms of self satisfaction. One can rest satisfied counting their blessings, but you can never be content when you're counting your problems. I am grateful for each one of you, for Georgia, for great food, for this beautiful world, and all of the amazing people I have met. Continue finding that light and magnifying it in your heart.
Love,
Elder Perry
Love,
Elder Perry
