The best present I got was when I opened my email and saw 35 letters!

Today has already been a great birthday! Instead of a cake, we ate bread, and instead of a candle, we used a Q-tip dipped in cologne. It worked well! I filmed the celebration! Elders J Barker, Parraguez, and Florentino sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Portuguese! The Zone Leaders called and gave me a birthday messaged and promised to buy me ice cream (you all are my witnesses). We´ll probably buy pizza tonight! But the best present I got was when I opened my email and saw 35 letters. I´m so thankful for all those who wrote me! The World Cup is over. I hope no one saw the humiliating loss for Brasil. 7 to 1! It was so crazy! People were screaming and cussing and gnashing their teeth. We were watching The Testaments when Brasil lost. Outside of our apartment, looked exactly like 3 Nephi 8. The world was ending! The next morning, Elder J Barker and I were scared to death to walk to District Meeting. We just need one drunk guy to yell "Alemães!" ("Germans!"), and ja era! But we survived! I´m a little disappointed. It would be so cool to be in Brasil when Brasil won the World Cup. But at least it won´t be super crazy. Not that the Cup has ended, missionary work can return to normal. It interfered a lot with following up on our investigators. Many baptisms fell through because we weren´t able to follow up on account of a game. Yesterday, we had a miracle: two boys showed up at church. They have already been frequenting for some time in an other ward, and want to be baptized. We´re going to start teaching them today. If their parents give permission, we´ll baptize them this Saturday. Magda had to work last Saturday, so we´ll mark their wedding this coming Saturday. I really hope I´ll be here to see the wedding. Whatever happens, I´ll ask President Dalton for permission to see their baptism. Juvinal and Magda also weren´t at church yesterday. We´re praying that it´s just because of the World Cup final, and nothing more. Keep them in your prayers! They want so badly to be sealed! I´m very excited for them. Also, keep President and Sister Dalton and their family in your prayers! This is their third week in the field and they are still a little nervous (but they are doing awesome!) Sister Dalton was robbed last friday! Just imagine: your second week in Brasil, you don´t speak Portuguese, and you get robbed. It must have been horrible. But she is so sweet: she was only worried that missionaries would try to call her while her cellphone was robbed. Sorry that this week´s letter is a little short! I love this work! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He loves us and through Him, we can all be saved through obedience and life-long perseverance in His gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. In our mission, we are focusing using the powers of Heaven, receiving help from the other side of the veil. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real, and that my ancestors and descendents, and those of my investagators are fighting at my side. I love you all so much!