Hey there!

Well, yesterday was transfers and well, I was transfered. I am now in Campinas!!!! The big city. I got here yesterday and I like my companion a lot. He is a really awesome, loving, patient, and hard working guy. He is from Washington state. He went to BYU at the same time as I did, he just lived on the other side of campus. One of my friends was his home teaching companion. His name in Elder Rowley. We are both excited to be working together and I just know that this transfer is going to be filled with tons of learning and great experiences.
My area is called Progresso. It´s portuguse for ´´Progress´´, but I think that goes with out saying.
It was sad to say goodbye to Elder Luciano, we had such a good time and we learned so much together. On Fast Sunday we both bore our testimonies about true friends and the great experiences we had together. We both shed a few tears and It was a very special experience.
I learned a great lesson about the power of the fast this week. Usually when we fast here, I drink a bunch of water and eat quite a bit before we start because we walk so much and it gets extremely hot. Yet, on Saturday we ate only a little bit and I drank barely any water. Then as we arrived at a members home they were all starting their fast, and they invited us to join their prayer and so we started our fast then. The next day was extremely hot. I thought for sure that it would miserable walking to get people to go to church with us, yet as I walked I felt full. It was a strange sensation that words can not explain. It was as if the Spitit of the Lord was my food and that it brought me strength instead of protein. I learned a new lesson about fasting and it´s power and purpose.
Also, when I left the Botucatu Zone I had to say goodbye to a few other friends. Elder Long and Elder Russo. It was strange saying goodbye to Elder Russo because this is his last transfer and then he will go home. It is sad because he lives in Brazil and I don´t have the surety that I will ever see him again. But, we promised eachother that we would meet again before the spirit world. He is a great Elder and I´m gunna miss him.
I threw in some photos of our tastey brazilian bbq from last week. It was so good. The members name is Junior, we wqas baptized about a month ago. He made this garlig cremey cheese like dip that we ate with pepper extract, we is so good. We just sat, and they brought plates of meat to us as we played Uno.
Then we played a good game of soccer and I realized that my companion is an amazing soccer player. He turned down an eight year proffesional contract to play soccer to go on a mission. He showed us all up. But, I tracked him with my american whit. As I was going to kick it for a penalty goal, I did a pump fake with my foot and then kicked to the otherside for a goal. We all laughed. A group of teenage girls gathered on a hill behind us and were laughing at us americans because of they way we played soccer, it was humbling and a work out.
We have the baptismal photo here of William.
Sister Rosineia sent us a text message that said ´´Come to my house, my friend wants to be baptized´´
This man had wanted to leave the world of drugs so badly. He tried and tried, but the same friends always came around and got him to start again. Finally, he just decided to leave the city an get away. His mother was friends with Sister Rosineia and told her of his situation. She opened her home to him, helped him get a job, and taught him the gospel. He was so happy to change and have a new beggining. I know that through Christ all can live again, be they dead spiritually or physically. That was the weekly miracle. It is amazing what happens when we serve people as Christ would serve them, yet we made a covenant to do that when we were baptized so we should do a better job of ´´Always remember Him and keep His commandments which he hath given them´´.
I will miss Jaú a lot, I learned and changed so much there, but I am ready and happy to b here in Campinas with Elder Rowley.

I love you all, but I love Natalie the most!

Love,
Elder Stephen Mathias Nothum