Dec 7 -- from Lisbon

Hey everybody!

It was surprising to hear that baby Calvin already made his grand appearance! [Born Sunday at 2:45 -- all are doing well!!!] It sounds like he just couldn't wait. That's pretty cool. I hope everything is going well now and he's enjoying his first couple days on Planet Earth. Dark hair, eh? I love how my fat head was the reference for comparison. Hahaha I hope everything keeps going well.

Well, I just spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to send pictures from this internet café computer, but I couldn't find a way to do it. It won't read my card, nor my dvd's. Oh well.

This week has been interesting. We got a reference from the wife of the bishop who has a stack of copies of the Book of Mormon on the counter of her store. It's pretty funny how differently people react to something when they realize that there are no strings attached. I'm pretty sure people think we have some personal motive when we talk to them. He's kind of an older guy, but he grabbed the Book of Mormon for himself, so he has a pretty interesting attitude about it. It's so cool how much of a difference it makes when people investigate and experiment for themselves without having to be convinced to just give it a shot. It's just a book, for crying out loud, not a handgrenade!

Thanks for the extra money! I'm considering getting a new carry-on bag (realizing that I'm going to have to drag one all over the horrible Paris airport). I'm going to try to use most of it here. I still want to get a laptop and do a lot of shopping while I am in sales-tax-free Oregon, and I don't know how that all is going to be financed if not by you guys. :)

Well, I'm running out of time. Today is the last day of the transfer, and we still don't know what's going on, but I'm betting on staying, and good grief, if I have to move again, I'll be a little cheesed. Every time I leave people it sucks just a little bit more out of me. I'm pretty sure it has the same effect on other people, too, because when they find out I'm leaving soon it completely changes how they act. That's one of the first things they ask missionaries when they get into the area: how much time do you have on the mission? It's like checking somebody's price tag.

Well, the computer just told me I have a minute left, so I'm going to just send this.

I love you guys!

Thanks for everything!

Elder Lobinho