October 25th, 2010

Hello! Mom, thanks for the advice about not getting caught up in the numbers.  I have learned that that is really hard to do in our mission.  Elder Ghormely and I have actually stayed up many nights talking about this.  A lot of missionaries here don't care if afterwords the person goes inactive or not, they just want the number of baptisms to go higher.  I truly care about these people.  I hate seeing other people give up on them so easily.  I am trying my hardest to find a way that I can shoe these people that what they are feeling while we teach them is the Holy Ghost telling them it is the truth.  Thanks for the help, mom.
This week my comp and I just worked our butts off!!  We had quite a good week, but still can;t find someone that is like perfect.  After every first lesson, we ask the person how they feel about baptism and if they would like to set a date as a goal to work towards.  We didn't have one person that would set a goal, I think that was the annoying part about this week.  We did teach a lot of people that seem to have a lot of potential.  We taught Fabio and he said he couldn't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet because he had like 20 wives.  So, we explained the situation about that and then taught him the Book of Mormon.  I think it could help him out a ton.  We also found a mother and son.  The mom has been really depressed, but she said that she felt something different from the first time we talked to her.  We are still teaching Vera and Gildo (the slipper people) they are way cool, but they work on Saturdays and Sundays and can't come to church.  Gildo's brother passed away this week.  We were able to reteach him the Plan of Salvation and that he would be able to see his brother again.  It really helped him out a ton.  We are teaching this crazy lady, Marialena, she is just wacky.  But she does everything we ask her, minus going to church.  She wants someone to go with her, hopefully next week we can work that out.
We are teaching this kid, Guilherme.  He is the best friend of the branch presidents son who is on a mission and I had met him in the CTM.  Guilherme is way cool.  He is really a thinker and isn't sure about God.  We asked him to pray about our message.  He said that he did, but he didn't really think he had asked in faith.  We taught him a good lesson and I think he understood the importance about asking with a true desire to know the truth.
At church I was super sad because none of our investigators decided to come.  But then, out of nowhere, Marcelo showed up.  I was so excited, my comp was just confused as I was trying to explain to him in half English/half Portuguese that Marcelo has shown up.  It had been about 4 weeks since the last time he came.  I was super nervous because I had to teach the Gospel Principles class and the lesson was my "favorite subject", the Law of Chastity.  A friend of Marcelo's was there and he is a returned missionary, he helped Marcelo understand,  It went really well.
The weather here is totally bipolar.  It will be super hot during the day, then all of the sudden it starts raining and then goes back to super hot.  It is just making me mad.
Me and my comp are getting along good when it comes to like being friends and stuff.  It is nice to have someone that can relate to American stuff.  I did learn that he likes to watch lil kid cartoons and he understands a lot of my random Sponge Bob quotes.  Also, he watches How I Met Your Mother, that just made things so good. Haha
I can't believe Bryson's comp won't let them eat at the members homes.  The is truly the greatest thing.  When you get to know the members you gain trust in them and they gain trust in you.  A lot of the members don't help the missionaries because they don't think they can trust them to teach people they know.  I think that is why we eat at their house's, to develop a relationship and find out if they have any friends that they would like us to visit. 
Thank you so much for everything, I love you all so, so much.

October 18th, 2010

Hello, I am doing great here in Pres Prud.  Things with our investigators are going about the same, they are all super, super flaky and I just don't know how I can change that.  It is strange to get a new comp in the middle of a transfer,  you are not quite prepared for it.  My new comp is good.  His name is Elder Van Orden, he is from St. George and seems pretty cool.  He speaks the language pretty good for his second transfer, so that is good.  this week was just rough because I had to take on a whole new list of responsibilities and well, it just wasn';t a great week.  We did a ton of walking and contacting people, but we don't have a strong area that we can go to everyday.  I worry about my comp a little. Sometimes he seems like he doesn't really care about the people, he just wants to baptize and make sure he has high numbers.  I noticed this while we were doing contacts ans talking to people.  He wasn't interested in returning to that persons house if they didn't seem like the perfect contact.  Maybe that's why he got transferred here, to learn a little more patients in this harder area.

We had interviews with Pres. Tavares on Saturday.  That went very well.  He told me that he has a lot of confidence in me and thinks that I am a great missionary.  That made me feel happy.  I also gave my first baptismal interview and I was nervous.  I didn't help that he didn't pass because of certain things that he did in his life, but yeah.

I have no idea what has happened with Marcello and Vivian, both of them have like vanished.  Elder Van Orden wants to just cut them, but I am not ready to do that.  They both have so much potential. 

I received my package.  I was so excited for the Heyward jersey, it is awesome.  The shoes are also wonderful.  I took a picture of them next to my old ones, it is really quite hilarious.

October 12th, 2010

Everything in Pres Prud is good, I am getting a new companion tomorrow.  This morning we received a phone to tell us we were having an emergency transfer today.  Elder Almeida was transferred to Foz.  My new comp is getting here tomorrow morning, his name is Elder Van Orden.  I am a little nervous because he is an American and this is his second transfer.  It looks like I may have to do most of the talking.  But I am super excited for this experience that I have been given now.
This past week was quite interesting.  We had so many strong investigators that, well, just don't want to go to church.  It is kind of nerve wracking when that happens, you don't know how much more you can do for them if they won't come to church.  That Vivian that we taught was so strong, but in the end she didn't want to come to church, so it has made things very difficult.  She even told us that she know the church was true, she knew the second we gave her a Book of Mormon.  I need to find a way to help her.  Marcello has liked disappeared.  He has always been hard to teach because he works a ton.  But now he has a girl friend and we haven't talked to him in a couple weeks.  Vera and Gildo (the slipper lady) are also having a hard time coming to church.  Things have been hard for a while and Pres. Tavares has talked about closing the area is things don't pick up.  It is hard because we have so many good contacts, who know they have been taught the truth, but they don;t want to do their part.  We really need to step up the work here.
My day with Elder Galdino was way good.  He helped me out a ton.  He did get his package from you and was really happy and excited about it.
No!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the Braves are out of the playoffs. oh well, next year.  Now I have to root for SF and Texas.
I can't believe that I am having my 1st Halloween out of the house, but it's all good.
Big news:  My P-Day is now Monday.  Tell everyone.
I love you guys so, so much!

October 6th, 2010

This week was way amazing for me, I had so many good experiences.  First would be conference weekend.  I loved a lot of the talks.  I think the one that helped me the most was President Uchtdorf's talk about needing to slow down our lives.  It truly helped me, he said the four most important relationships in our lives are with God, our families, our fellowmen, and ourselves.  Ourselves, this one was the one that hit me.  I am one of those people that argues with myself about things, I can bring myself down by not being positive or expecting too much of myself.  This talk helped me to understand how I can help myself become better and happier.

Elder Galdino got here last night and will be here until Thursday.  I get to spend the day with him on Thursday, which should be awesome. He has been my favorite and best companion.  He is definitely one of my best friends now. 

This week was good.  We were in a trio until Saturday, which really is just annoying, because we have to work two areas.  On Monday Elder Almeida and I changed how we are going to work the area.  This area has been very difficult for a while, for that reason we have changed how we are going to work so that we can receive the blessings from our Heavenly Father.  I think that we already have.  Monday, we walked a butt load to a referral that was brought to us from a different city.  This guy named Bonatto and he asked us how did we know his name.  But, he was really accepting and friendly with us.  He loved the message we brought, he was all like come on Saturday so you can teach my wife about this too.  It was a good experience and I think it will be a blessing for us.  The other blessing we received really changed my thought process about my mission and life.  We went to a referral, Vivian, but the address did not exist.  The member who gave it to us said there most be something wrong, because Vivian was so interested in hearing about the gospel.  We went back and planned on knocking every door until we found her.  Funny part of the story, we were on the wrong street the whole time.  But, we found her house and taught her the first lesson.  Elder Almeida taught the first part and I taught about Joseph Smith.  As I was teaching the spirit was so strong, stronger than I have ever felt in my entire life.  As I explained about the first vision, she just said "Wow."  I knew in that moment that she felt the spirit, that this was something that she wants in her life. I truly know this is the true church of Jesus Christ.  That He called a 14 year old boy, Joseph Smith, to restore His gospel on the earth.  I am so thankful, really, for this opportunity I have been given.  I know for sure that this is where I should be and that I have been called of God to be here.

Haha, I can't believe BYU lost to Utah State.  Why is it that the year I'm not that there in the states is the year that BYU is totally sucking and the Utes are dominating?  But it's all good.

I love you so much.  I am so thankful for everything that was given to me in my life and for this wonderful experience that I have been living right now.

September 30th, 2010

I am doing just great.  This week was pretty good, nothing special happened.  The Mt Dew did not have as much carbonation as it normally does, but it was so good.  I have already drank all of them. Haha.
So, I guess Elder Alves has been causing a lot of problems with his companions.  He was put with Elder Franco and they only lasted four days together.
Yes, I did forget my planner again, sorry.  But I will do my best to remember what happened this week.  It finally rained in a Pres Prud.  It hadn't rained for like 4 months, so it was truly needed by the people here.  But it didn't just rained, it freakin' poured.  I don't know if I have ever seen rain like that before.
On Thursday we were able to teach our new family; Vladamir, Luciane, Bia and Clara.  They are a way awesome family and are really interested in the gospel.  Their son is a foreign exchange student in Manti, Utah and is going to church with the family he is living with.  They couldn't come to church with us because they already had an appointment, but hopefully they should be coming to conference.  Which would be sweet!!  The lady who makes the slippers is a very interesting lady.  It is hard to know if she really wants to learn about the gospel, or just wants someone to sit and talk with.  Marcelo is doing way good, but it is hard to teach him because he is super busy.  he didn't come to church this Sunday because he works at the mall and they had a huge sale on Sunday.  But after the sale was over he still wanted to come, it shows that he still wants to progress more in the gospel, which is awesome. 
The last couple of weeks we have been in a trio.  Elder Ghormley's comp had to go to a conference, so we have been stuck with him.  It is difficult working two areas.  Elder Miller got transferred last week, which sucked because I liked him a lot.  But the new kid is Elder Fernandes is in our apartment now.  He was in my first district in my first area, which is awesome.
That is cool that Bryson is in France, keep me updated on how he is doing out there.
I love you guys so, so, so much!

September 22, 2010

I think this is the first time transfer day snuck up on me.  I am staying in Pres Prud with Elder Almeida.  I forgot my planner at the house, I will do my best to remember what happened this last week.
So, we having been teaching this guy named Marcelo.  Everyone lesson we have with with is super freaking spiritual.  I think he will be baptized before the next transfer.  I hope he doesn't end up with some problems with the Law of Chastity.  That is often a problem.  We found this married couple, Gildo and Vera.  It just so happens Vera makes slippers,  she made me two awesome pairs.  They are a great family, we will see how it goes with them.  We have only taught them one time, so we don't know much about them yet.  Saturday we went out and did contacts in the street with some of the members.  We only had three people show up, not a big success.  On Sunday we had lunch at the District Pres.'s house, the 2nd counselor was there, also.  I had to give the message.  I was a bit nervous, but it was good.  Monday was the day I took everyone out to eat at a churrascaria.  It was some good stuff, except for the price at the end. Haha  It cost me about 222 reais, but it was a nice and wonderful thing to so.
It is hard to feel like a Brazilian, because everyone always reminds me I am an American.  I have started dreaming in Portuguese some of the time.

I love you all so much.