November 28, 2011

Well, I got some weird news this last Thursday. I don’t know why but our district leader isn’t district leader anymore. It is weird news because we are in the middle of the transfer. So I was asked to be the District leader. It is really weird because the old district leader is still in the district. It appears that he along with the other senior of another companionship did something, what, I don’t know. But they stayed so it is kind of awkward now. ]

This past week was good. I am in a half decent mood. Rather stressed now, just putting another thing on my plate. I am still rather preoccupied by what exactly I will study and major in and in the end do for work. I am still worried about that. I don’t want to lose time studying something and in the end change my mind.

We also had another meeting with Elder Costa this past week. We were all waiting to get a good burning but in the end he ended up being really, really fun. He is a very interesting man. Many things he said were interesting. He told us a few times that if an apostle called him one day and asked him if he knew “so and so” in the hospital who needed a heart transplant , and he said obviously I wouldn’t know this person, but he continued…. And if that apostle told me to go to the hospital and give him my heart I would be there before he finished talking. It was interesting to reflect about his testimony and faith. And I don’t know if I would be able to do that. So it has been very interesting to think about it all.

It has been a number of great weeks. Have you all seen the stuff about the dedication of the temple here?

Well, I hope, hope this was a good email!!! I wish you all a good week. Love you all!!!!

November 21,2011

This past week was a downer. We both got sick so it didn’t help our work out very much.

I struggled through the meeting with Elder Bednar. I was sick so my head was having some problems. And with the lighting behind him it was sometimes hard to focus. But I had a chance to learn a lot.  He talked about a number of things. He focused a lot on “act and not be acted upon”.  He then shared an interesting idea with us. He said to get a cheap Book of Mormon and then pick a question or topic and read the Book of Mormon as many times as you can in 6 months only looking for and answering that specific question. So I decided to try it. I started yesterday so we will see how it goes. I chose the topic of Elder Bednar’s conference, Agency. I thought it was a good first topic. I haven’t made it very far because it took such a long time trying to decide on a topic!!! Haha   And no,  I didn’t get to go to the ground breaking.

I did get to see Dante!!!! and a bunch of other people I had the privilege of baptizing!!! It was fun!!!

Well, no package yet.  We will see if it ever arrives.

That is exciting news about Kiki! So when is she going to get married exactly? That is really weird.

Well, I need to write President still.

I love you all and wish you all a good week!!!

November 7, 2011

Well, basically this week went fast. We had transfers this past weekend. Nothing for us changed, just that now we are taking care of only one ward and luckily we ended up with the better of the two. However our house is going to get two more missionaries and half the house doesn’t even work so we are calling secretaries people to do reforms and it seems no one can do anything!!!!!!!!! So we are getting frustrated. The house really isn’t going to work so well for us all.  I am looking forward to this week. It will be hard with a ton of missionaries in the house now.

We had a good week, low numbers but good. This past Saturday we had an activity to gather references and we ended up with 38 references and will prepare everyone for our “White Christmas”, but we will have to work a lot.

I don’t receive much mail nowadays. I got the letter from Monica. It would be nice to get an email with some other pictures of everyone to see how everyone has changed.

I don’t know when I will email next week because I will lose my P-day on Monday due to the visit from Elder Bednar and Elder Costa.

The talks we have to read for their visit are good. One is in the Ensign, but I don’t remember the name of it and the other is a special one he gave to the CES or SI, whichever it is now.

By the way, I have tried to send pictures each week but the computers won’t let me for some reason.

I would like some cold weather haha. It is really, really hot here.

It was weird to watch Elder Ward leave yesterday. It was weird to think that I am close to it being me.

I love you all!!! Have a great week!

October 31, 2011

Hello.

This past week has been an interesting week. We have had two huge arguments in the house. Let’s just say the Brazilians don’t get along. The one has to be better than the other. They are ridiculously prideful. Last night they fought really well, and then they come to us, the Americans, to take sides.   So, we just stayed out of it. Then I talked with my companion explaining why he was wrong. They both think they are right. It is really quite annoying.

It appears that President Souza will be making a number of changes this transfer. Next week is the transfer and people are saying he will make more districts and zones and stuff.  We aren’t really sure what is going to happen. We also had our house here looked at to get a reform done. It is ten years old with missionaries that don’t take care of the house so it is pretty bad.  Elder Ward is getting ready to go home now. He will be home next week so it is kind of weird to see him leaving.

So Elder Bednar will be coming on the 13th of November snd it appears the temple ground will be opened. The President sent some talks for us to study before he arrives so that will be fun!

Well, right now it is hot. It rains in the morning then is really hot in the afternoon.

Well, I am doing well, still healthy, just tired.  

Well, sorry that today’s email is a little shorter. It took a little bit of time to print the two talks that President wants us to read.

This week we are hoping to baptize another two people.

I love you all!!!!!

October 24, 2011

Well, the big news is we are going to be receiving a visit!! Elder Bednar and Elder Costa will be coming by our mission November 14th!!!!!!!1 So that is the new news!!!!

This week was not great... but not bad.  We are getting ready for a “white” Christmas here. We will have a kind of weak six weeks in preparation for a giant baptism day. We are thinking of a 20 or 30 goal but we’ll see.

My new companion is from São Paulo. His name is Elder Ribeiro. He is 19. He has 3 months on the mission. I am actually training him now. President Souza extended his training time so it is interesting being with a Brazilian again. I got use to the American thinking and now I need to switch back to another form of thinking.  My new companion and I are doing well. He is just new and stuff, the normal stuff is happening. We are getting to know the area together. 

We meet every Tuesday for district meeting... but the whole zone is there... so it is kind of weird. November 14th will be the whole mission which for me has never happened.

Our P-days are very simple here in this area... because there is nothing here... so we use the internet and sleep. It usually doesn’t work out real well. haha.

They have Sacrament Primary programs here but they are weird. They try the best they can but when everyone here goes one week then doesn’t go the next it is always hard to put programs together. But they try.

The package hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t know if it will. And no, it isn’t worth sending another package because the chances of it arriving after I go home is rather large. haha

I got a letter from Maren the other day so I need to write her back!

I want to know more about the band program!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I need to actually write Dante because he sent me a Package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 17, 2011

So this week we got a little surprise. Well, at least me and my companion. He is being transferred. Yep an emergency transfer. There is no emergency. Just that Americans are arriving and he is going to train in Barroso, my second area and I will be finishing up the training of another Elder already here because his companion is heading home because of health problems. So I am like sort of training again. I am feeling really, really lost right now because I don’t really know this area yet. haha so we will see how that goes.

The two wards we cover aren’t huge. Just that the chapels are on the two opposite sides of the areas. Sacrament meeting is at the about the same time in the two wards so getting from one to the other is hard.

The bat in my pictures from last week is a frequent flyer at our house. He sleeps during the day and then flies out at night when we get home. Sometimes we have time to take pictures or videos of him. We have some pretty funny videos of us trying to chase him out of the house. Usually ends with us behind an umbrella yelling at the bat and running in all directions.

We also did a soap commercial yesterday. haha

I wanted to send pictures but we are using slow internet today so next week.

I haven’t gotten the package yet but maybe tomorrow. So we shall see.

I have a funny story for you all. My companion told me this story today during companionship study... well it is kind of two stories...

There was a man on a cruise ship who fell into the water. He started yelling for help, so a man picked up a chair and threw it in the water to let him grab onto it. But in the same moment he did this everyone turned and saw him throw the wooden chair which hit the man in the water and killed him. Everyone called the man who threw the chair a murderer. Now……

There were two men on another cruise ship who were fighting. One man threw the other in the water in hope of killing the other man. But the other man resurfaced and started yelling for help. The first man then picked up the wooden chair in hopes of killing the man in the water. As he did so everyone looked to see what was happening. The man threw the chair missing the man in the water. The man grabbed the chair and was saved. The people began calling the to-be murderer a hero.

God is the only one that sees the whole picture. He knows and understands the true meaning of our actions. I really liked the meaning of the story yet found it really funny as I saw it play out in my mind. Oh! I’ll save you!!!! Here a wooden chair!!!

Way to go BYU!!!! Nothing is better than stomping the Oregon teams!!!!! haha. I love it. Beating Utah would have been better but hey...

Well, I love you all!!! I hope this was a better email than last week!!!! Love you all!!!!