One year without English, and the Portuguese has no end in sight!

Start of another month already... Started out with the first actual cold that I've felt in what feels like years! I slept using a sweater, a blanket, and long pj's, and still was a little chilly! My hands are even a little slow moving cuz of the cold haha, how awesome is that?!! Also, the 30th of April marked my one year mark of not having english companions! It's literally been an entire year since I've had a full blown english conversation at my apartment... How insane is that? I'm kinda concerned about how my english conversation skills are going to be later on :D Ah well though, it'll surely be the subject of many a chuckle. We had transfers this week, and I think this was the first time in my whole mission when President left me in the same area with the same comp :D So, if there aren't any emergency transfers, I'll be here for another 6 weeks at least!
 
     Well, this last week was yet another great one here in Varginha. We've found a couple people who are really prepared for the gospel and it's been awesome the blessings that these people have already recieved. One's named Meire (May-Ree) and she's a single mom with a 3 year old daughter. She works like crazy and has had a super hectic life until now. Last week her daughter got really sick so she had to stay home from work for a few days, and then the boss was a bum and fired her cuz she said it was unacceptable for her to miss work. Instead of losing her head and getting all worried, she prayed for help, and then literally the next day already found a better job that fits her schedule better :) It's amazing how the Lord helps in ALL aspects of these people's lives. We're teaching another lady named Luciana who was really troubled when we first found her cuz her son was put in jail recently cuz of drugs, and she didn't even know when he'd be able to get out. We were teacher her and all was going great, she loves to read so she's learning a TON. We were all praying for her son and her, and then out of nowhere, last thursday she got a call saying her son was being released cuz of his good behavior! I felt almost bad cuz I had quite honestly not had the faith that he would be released so soon, I was just doing the lame, pray-for-his-safety deal :/ Lesson learned with that one. We taught her son yesterday and he understood really well about the restoration, and shows HUGE desire to be free from his addictions. I'm really excited to see how things go with him.
  Not a whole lot of specifics to share this week I must say. These past few days have been pretty miraculous cuz my comp and I have both been having a little bit of knee pain cuz this area is full of hills, and some days when we're behind schedule we have to run to get back home, but we did our studies and stuff, both with our knees bugging us. Then we said a companionship prayer and asked for help, and the pain stopped... It was incredible. I was all concerned about if it was gunna bug-up the work or something, and all it needed was a little prayer :) Man this gospel is miraculous, I love it. Just like Mom said, this gospel just brings so much happiness, there's seriously nothing that we should worry about :)

Well, above all else, this church is true!! This work is guided by the Lord, and I'm so happy to be here. Love you all, and miss you all, but there's not place I'd rather be in or thing I'd rather be doing :) Hurrah for Israel!!!
    -Elder Ballard