Sept 7, 2015 - 2 weeks, 2 baptisms

Hello everyone! Thank you all for the birthday wishes!! I love all of you so much!!
This week has been hot. Just checked the weather forecast; only gonna get hotter. I´m thoroughly convinced this is the most physically challenging mission in the world. Only the strong serve in Missao Brazil Manaus. No joke. I´ve heard people occasionally go home early just from the heat alone.
I fasted for the first time here in Brazil. It was rough. The previous mission president asked missionaries to please still drink little bits during fasts. But President Castro says that isn´t real fasting and said no water. Which is fair, but super hard. Here we fast from lunch to lunch. During church on Sunday, I had no energy. It was bad. And as soon as I drank water, and lots of it, it was like turning on the sweat faucet. My body didn´t absorb it, it just poured right out. Lame. Haha I learned that fasting super hard here. But my companion said every time they fast, the blessings are blatently obvious. The hardest it is, the more you are blessed.
We had a good week. Another baptism yesterday!! This was of an 8 year old, T......... Elder Marques baptized him. His mom also attended church and the baptism, and will hopefully be baptized soon too!
Totally forgot last week. I am in Manaus, in the area Cidade do Leste. I have no idea what part of Manaus, but that´s the name of the branch I´m in. 

My companion is Elder Marques de Souza. He is awesome. We are living in a small house right now. Well, small for me, but honestly really big for just two people here. It´s... a house. Let´s just say we are looking for a new place to live right now because Elder Marques thinks the water has made him sick since the day he got here, 5 months ago. I have been feeling good for the most part, but yeah, that´s the situation.
This week we had some sweet experiences. Like every week, I guess. We are seriously blessed for our physical suffering, no doubt. We often leave blessings on homes for our lunch messages with families. We ask people "If Christ were here, what would you ask of him?" and then as representatives of the Savior, one of us prayers and specifically asks for those things for each person. The Spirit is always strong. The Sister who fed us Saturday bore her testimony on Sunday and said she literally felt and saw Christ in us. I have learned a whole lot about my role as a true representative of Jesus Christ here.
I would encourage all of you to study Preach My Gospel. Mom, Dad, Tyler, Cierra, Jennica, Addison, Cinnamon. Everyone. I read a talk today that encouraged everyone to study it, and I know why. That book is amazing. Study it, use it in FHE, do lots of things with it. That is my advice and my request for all of you. As a birthday present :)
I love all of you! Thanks for the birthday wishes! You are amazing!! Keep up the prayers, and I´ll keep praying for you!
Elder Baldridge

September 14 - third week in Manaus

Hello everyone! This week has been super hot. It was about 110 degrees farenheit yesterday. It was awesome. Love it. Sometimes we just have to stop and rest for awhile. I feel like I am always gross. But, it´s all good because I love this mission and the people in it.

This week I also got to experience some things that you think of when you first think of a mission in Manaus Brazil - the "jungle mission". We had lunch with a member that we had to take a bus, walk, and then a small boat to get to. Her kids picked us up in the boat. They live basically in the jungle. It was wild.

Also, yesterday we saw a big old lizzard in the middle of the road. With the tail, it was probably 4 feet long or so.  Just small reminders that the literal jungle is never too far away.

This week was good. I definitely feel the Spirit a lot here. It´s awesome. We have opportunities to teach more than I did in Oregon, so I have more opportunities to bear testimony. But my studies are also better, I see answers to my prayers. It´s way awesome.

For example, two times when Heavenly Father answered my prayer almost immediately. One, we were having a spiritual lesson when the neighbor started blasting music. I said a mental prayer that the music would stop so that everyone could focus on the Spirit. Not immediately, but about a minute and a half later, poof, no more music. The same night, in the middle of another lesson, I all the sudden had to use the bathroom really bad. Here in Brazil, and especially Manaus, you never know when it´s going to hit you.  I once again asked for immediate help, and this time immediately, poof, gone. It was awesome. There is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father hears all of our prayers, even over the little things, and that He responds. He will help us when we need it. He is concerned about us at all times and in all things, and is always willing to help. Always remember to pray. Pray for the big things, and the little things. Pray for the things that are on your mind and in your heart. I promise that Heavenly Father is listening.

I love all of you.  I´m praying for all you. Thanks so much for everything!!

Love, Elder Baldridge