26 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

[It was nice to hear your voice.  I have to admit that I, for whatever wacky reason, do not miss people that much when I do not see them.] People usually tend to forget people when they don't see them so that makes sense I guess. I don't really have an uncontrollable desire to be home either. I just don't miss it that much. Like you said, it will hit me when I go back home, but it's good for now. It is a lot easier to work when you aren't missing home. Some elders go crazy near the end of their missions. I'm more or less the same. I've gotten better in a few things, but I haven't changed much in other aspects.

[Brother Gerrard in his talk today likened Santa to Heavenly Father.  He said when he was small he remembered that he would go and sit on Santa's lap and tell him all that he wanted.  Santa would bring him what he had asked for and not disappoint.  He received more than he asked for most of the time. Tha is ho our Heavenly Father is.  We ask for things.  He gives us that and much more.  He does not disappoint.] I don't know who Bro. Gerrard is but I don't remember Santa giving me everything that I wanted. He often disappointed me ;) I don't remember when I stopped believing in Santa. I'm pretty sure you destroyed that whole belief so that we wouldn't ask for expensive things because we thought Santa could provide anything we wanted. Christmas here wasn't too special. It was a bore and a headache. People always say that they have awesome Christmas's on the mission, but mine are always terrible. Nobody goes to church, nobody wants to feed us, nobody come and opens the chapel so we can call our parents...maybe I'm just bitter and not loving enough :) Well New Year's will be more of the same and some more drunk people.

26 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

[We're going to play laser tag tomorrow with a couple of families in the ward. Hopefully we won't suffer any collateral damage and we'll have a lot of fun.] You can get eye surgery at the same time that you are shooting lasers at people. What collateral damage would come from laser tag? Just try not to pistol whip people.

Well Christmas wasn't much of anything. It was even worse because it was on Sunday. So people got extra special excuses to skip church, even the members. So that was a bummer because we had baptisms marked on New Years, but no investigators went to church so... This Christmas was a big headache. I'm convinced the mission teaches you to enjoy holidays and Sundays because you always end up working the most on those days. I think that being a member of the church is always accompanied with a lack of sleep. Mission, seminary, church in the morning, scout camp, kids, random meetings....That is why we have Sunday to sleep :) I don't have much to say. We had another week of the same old stuff. We taught a really great guy that is an elect, but he hasn't gone to church yet. He readily accepts all the invites to change and is keeping all the commandments. Hopefully, this weekend he'll go to church because New Years is drink-a-ton day and he doesn't drink.

19 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

Well this week was another hard week. All work, no play, and worst of all no success. Well I should say no immediate success. It gets frustrating sometimes. I just want my companion to have success and have a good time on his mission. It is hard enough smashing your head into a brick wall in a country in a different language. I guess that is the same thing that happened to me in my 1st area and I turned out ok. :)

19 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

This last P-Day we played volleyball with a makeshift net and the top of it was about 7 feet off the ground. So I really got to throw down some spikes. It made returning the serve kind of hard though because you could just launch a bullet without even jumping. No scouts were there so I think I'll keep my commitment with the Fort Worth Bottle Poppers, the semi-pro frisbee-soccer team.

 

I like how you slyly slipped in that it was your birthday, like I forgot or something. Happy Birthday. Yay 14th of December....one year older and wiser too happy birthday to you! Pretty soon it will be one year older and dumber. You know after 70 you start losing some marbles ;) Except for Grandma and Grandpa, they are as smart as a whip. 

 

[I'm trying out the Bednar approach to reading the scriptures that you mentioned.] I like Elder Bednar's approach because it is a more peaceful read and you are able to get more out of it. Rather than just looking for anything, you look for something specific. That way you don't just get a bunch of random stuff every time you read. 

 

We are in a hard area and sometime it feels like we are just driving down a steep hill in a school bus full of children and the brakes just went out. Sometimes you just want to swerve and end it all at once. We are busting our brains open to see what we need to do to have more success. This transfer (which starts today) we have some new ideas and I think things should get better....I hope. If not, I'll just break down and cry.

12 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

[Mom is fighting a cold.] That is what happens to me about every 4 months. I think it is because of the fans we have to sleep with. They blow on my face and probably aren't helping me at all. They are keeping me cool though :)

[On Sunday a speaker talked about how those who pay tithing are such good stewards of their money, the Lord has taught them to be so financially savvy that we are living and still saving on 90% of our salary, where other people are in debt and can't make ends meet on 100% of their salary.] They speak about tithing here in Brazil a lot. It seems to be that one thing that people don't think they need to do. When we, the missionaries, had the meeting with Elder Evan he talked mostly about how we teach tithing. He said that in one of the trainings with the 1st Presidency, Pres. Uchtdorf talked a lot about tithing. It is the only way for poor people to leave poverty. I thought that was cool. I look at how much money the church has to build stuff with 40% (random guess) of the Church paying tithing. Think of how much we could help/build temples if 80% or 90% or 100% of the members payed tithing. There would be no fault of supplies, chapels, temples etc. It would be cool.

[At the Christmas party last weekend, Suzanne did a little movie thing where the current missionaries' pictures were included.] Where did she show this movies thing? I have seen my old mission picture from the beginning and I am ugly. :) I'm ghastly white too, but that hasn't changed much. I'll go back to being white in a matter of days when I get home.

I got the package that you sent. The communist, money hungry post office made me pay 128 reais or $70ish to get the package. They say that all packages should be taxed, but they only take a few at random  to be taxed. It got here on the 16th, but I didn't get it until a few days ago.

12 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

I bet Grandpa is excited that Jimmer is playing on Sacramento, maybe he will get to one of the games :) That reminds me, my companion is from Fairfield, CA. He claims that it is nearish Concord. Random fact...

Well I'm trying to think of a cool story or something like that since I haven't told on in awhile. We are currently playing an intense mix of soccer and ultimate frisbee on P-Days. We play on the outdoor soccer courts (same as basketball courts) and you play the same as ultimate frisbee but you have to throw it into the goals. So basically handball/soccer/water polo/frisbee/sun bathing/sweating a lot....all those sports mixed together. The only time we can play is 1 o'clock because all the children are in school. It also happens to be 6000 degrees outside. If we tipped a cow over on the pavement and covered him with potatoes and carrots we could have roast beef in 3.78 seconds. So anyways I get to live out my dream as a receiver. It's fun. I asked Evan to send me a football so hopefully I will get that :) We went to help some old lady move too. She is a sewer so we had to move 4 sewing machine attached to what seemed like 5 inch think steel tables. As you could imagine the machines weighed a lot and they must have sharpened the edges of the tables to make moving then extra uncomfortable. Not to mention the blades they used as legs to the tables to slice off toes more easily. Somehow we managed to get all these things in the truck. After we had finished all these hard labor we were on our way home in the truck and the guy stopped. So two of the Elders jumped out thinking that he was only going to that spot. He kept going after a few seconds and the Elders started running after us but they didn't make it. They got off far far away from our house...suckers. When the other Elders and I finally got home we made the startling, disappointing discovery that the keys were locked inside the house. So we had to jump the fence and reach in through the window to grab the keys.

This week we worked a ton. Just when we thought the work was done, we worked a ton more. My companion was dying the whole week going to bed at like 9:30, poor kid. After all that work, only 2 people at church and our baptism didn't work out. It was disappointing. I want to have some sort of success after working 2 tons. The Lord is wiser than I am though. When you are at the end of the mission you want to have more success too. You are supposed to know more and be better but I guess people still have their agency... We can all learn good lessons from this. Always bring keys, check to make sure if you will be moving heavy machinery before you promise to help move, and the Lord's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. That doesn't mean you need to receive insight to understand His ways and thoughts before we do something. It means we need to do it without that perfect knowledge and if the Lord desires to give us knowledge so that we may know why we are doing what we are doing so be it. I love you all and I know that this church is true. Joseph Smith really did translate the Book of Mormon. Read it, ponder it, study it EVERY DAY. It is a perfect book, it will change our lives. It has already changed our lives. Don't think to yourself that you read it enough and that you study it enough....do it more.

5 Dec 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

[Ryan returns from Ukraine Dec 14th. Hm, that date rings a bell. Seems like there is something else special about it.] I was thinking that Ryan was coming home soon because our transfers here end on the 19th. 14th.............hmmmm not ringing any bells. Is that when Kwanza starts? or maybe Hanukkah. I remember it has something to do with an old white haired man, Santa or you. Oh yeah it's your birthday ;) [I'm anxious to see you, but I also want you to have the greatest next 6+ months ever, being totally focused on the Lord's work.] Well technically I will be getting home on the 29th of May so you don't even have to wait until June ;) With the blast of all the General Authorities I have learned a lot and how worthless I was for the last 1 year and 6 months :) Just kidding.

We had our Stake Conference this week and it was pretty good. Pres. Souza told some good stories and being an example. We had a Area Seventy too, Elder Puerto. He mixed things up and talked about standards and how the Gospel changes people. It was a really good talk and I'm grateful to see people changing everyday. I know that this church is true and the Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. I know without a doubt because the Lord our God has revealed it to me. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God!

28 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

[I have to admit that I totally forgot about writing, since I didn't do it before Church.] Oh I see how it is. Forgetting your favorite child ;) This week was another bummer. We are working tons and trying to change one of the craziest wards that I have ever seen but it isn't working too well. That is really my only pressure that I feel. I have to do well and President is breathing down my neck but oh well. At least I'm working so that is good. Training isn't that hard, sometimes you wish that he could talk more so that he could deal with the crazy people :) I'm a little bummed out because it has been 2 weeks in a row of utter failure. Our baptism fell through because he drank coffee and the rest of his family left him in his house alone, taking everything that he owns.

 

[Trying to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year.] It is good to read the Book of Mormon. When you are done you can try Elder Bednar's counsel and get a cheap copy and read it tons. That way you can study on a certain thing rather than reading and trying to get everything, which is good. The reading will go faster and you will learn a ton on the chosen subject.

 

I love you, I'm so grateful that you are my Mommy. I haven't always been a good kid/child but I'm learning slowly. You taught me well and I'm remembering what you taught us. This is truly the only place I want to be right now in the whole world. I sometimes have dreams that I am at home and then I feel really sad and depressed that I'm not on the mission anymore. I love you!

28 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

[Thanksgiving was last Thursday. I'm assuming they don't celebrate the Pilgrim's feast in tropical Brazil, but maybe you americanos remembered to stuff some stale bread in an old rooster and roast him up.] Yeah we didn't do anything for Thanksgiving. We have 6 Americans in the home we are all poor bums and don't want to spend money on anything. We eat chicken everyday anyways. It is almost the same thing as turkey. I eat stale bread everyday so you don't have to worry about that.

[I sent him Michelle's Thanksgiving Facebook photo of Michael downing a bottle of sparkling cider.] Yep looks just like Michael. Apparently, he is an Intramural champion. I didn't know Sparkling cider chugging was an intramural sport there.

[I mentioned that I spent the Thanksgiving holiday lazing about and watching football.] I can't wait til I get to laze around and watch sports all day. The thing I miss the most is taco bell and being able to sleep whenever you want. Oh....and you guys too :) I guess life is all about being tired all the time and doing things that mean something instead of lazing around darn.

[Have you recovered your health yet?] I have semi recovered from my health. I still have a hacking lung and I don't know if that will ever leave. [Where is Palmeiras?] Palmeiras is in the southern part of Fortaleza. It is at the end of the city and after that there is no more city. It is by Jangurussu, say that 3 times fast.

This week we had zone conference and Elder Costa (the Seventy) was there and talked a lot to us. It was really good. He talked a lot about making the best time out of the mission and that we should love this place a lot. I really do love it here and I'm glad that I'm here. I know that this is the best place ever that I should be and nothing else would be a better thing for me to do. Sister Costa talked to us about how we should come to know that this is the best place for us. The other Elders are being annoying right now and they are trying to waste my time so it is hard to actually say anything of worth. I really felt the spirit while I was there though. I was able to think about why I'm here and if I had some other motives. I know that I'm here for the right reasons and that the Lord loves me. If I ended my mission now, I would have no regrets and I am trying my best right now!

21 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

When is Thanksgiving? We are living with 5 Americans so maybe we can do something for Thanksgiving. My 1st Thanksgiving was LAME!

[We hosted an empty-nester FHE.] Good ole empty nester FHE. You guys should still play some sweet games! You should all go out to the church parking lot and play mini van tag. The person with the most paint scrapes loses, you know healthy fun adult games. Or you could go to the Pharmacy and see who has the best blood pressure numbers and pulse. That is what I use to do with my roommates every time we went to the store :)

Did you find Elder Hawkes in the photos? I tried to get my pretty face to show up. People were going crazy. "Get out of my way" "Your fat head is in the way" People go crazy to see Apostles. It was fun, he invoked some cool blessings so that is always fun.

21 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

[Not getting an email from you on Monday is always a bummer for me. I guessed that it probably had to do with the visiting General Authorities, but I still missed hearing from you.] Well you guessed right. Elder Bednar came on P-Day so they said we could email on the 15th. Unluckily, that was national get-drunk-and-don't-open-any-store-so-that-the-poor-Elders-can-e-mail day aka a national holiday. So President let us use email on Wednesday. [... as a parent it means the world to hear from your son, especially when you hear how much he loves serving. Being a parent--and being a missionary serving others--makes you appreciate and comprehend so much more how our Father in Heaven feels about us.] It is true though, I have felt a part of the love that God feels for each and everyone of us. Especially when people reject us saying that they already have the truth. You just feel sad because they are so sure, but they aren't putting their faith in the right beliefs. Imagine how faithful and powerful they would be if they had the true church and its true teachings.

Elder Bednar did things a little differently. He just didn't talk to us but he asked us questions and had us read 2 of his talks before he came. So he asked what we learned and it was more of a missionary lesson rather than a talk. It was cool. It is always fun to get Q&A time with an Apostle. They always disappoint our feeble, worldly minds though. One Elder asked if Elder Bednar would teach us a little about the Atonement. We were all waiting for angels to minister and see visions and stuff like that. Elder Bednar just told us to get an inexpensive copy of the Book of Mormon, read it a lot for 6 months thinking about the Atonement. Then write a one page paper about what you learned. "Lame!" thought the feeble, give-it-to-me-now part of the brain. He said that he could tell us what he learned, but it wouldn't matter much to us in 3 years. It wouldn't stick, but if we learned it ourselves then we would never forget. Yeah yeah punch our feeble brains out of the way and dust off the ole thinking caps and stuff :) It was great though. He said he has done that for many gospel questions that he has had during his life. So I guess we can all learn something here. Stop waiting for the mysteries and answers to fall from the sky and go out and get them by hard work and brutally subduing your feeble worldly brains with hard work and inspiration! YEAH!

16 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

I'm doing well. This week was a good week. Elder Bednar talked to us and Elder Evans, a Seventy, talked to us on Friday. Elder Costa, Area Pres. of Brazil, will talk to us the 23rd I think.

[We just finished watching the movie 17 Miracles.] Never heard of that movie. It should be good. It was an intense story. Everyone has to die eventually, so why not die there in the cold, frozen plains and end the suffering. Besides Zion is in Missouri, they already saw it :) They will be in a wonderful Zion anyways.

[Are you sure they will not be letting you go to the ground breaking ceremony for the temple?] I'm sure, he forbid it. Only the Bishops and their families and the Stake Presidents and their families will go. Who knows why, but at least Elder Bednar talked to us. He didn't shake our hands for some reason but oh well. It's cool though, the temple is officially being started. I don't know what it is going to look like.

[Mom is keeping a notebook of her thoughts as she studies the Book of Mormon.] That is a good idea. Elder Bednar told us that we should have our own "Small plates" like they had in the Book of Mormon. Don't write down everything that happened in life, large plates, but the small spiritual things that happened, small plates. Then we will have our own sacred record. He also gave us a good study idea. Get a new cheap paperback Book of Mormon and read it as much as you can for 6 months than write a one page report about the Atonement to learn more about it. While reading you will mark things about the Atonement of course. He says he has done it many times since 1995. He says one of his only treasures is all the paperback Book of Mormons that he has in a bookshelf. Each of them answered a different question. He wanted to know more about the Plan of Salvation so he would get a new Book of Mormon and read it and write a 1 page report.

Something else interesting that he did was invoke blessings upon us. Imagine an Apostle invoking blessings upon your head! He blessed us that as we read the scriptures we will gain a greater love and understanding for them. We will learn to love them and always use them in our lives. He said some other stuff but I don't have my notes with me.

Well my time with an Apostle has come and gone, it was too short but it was great.


[Here's a picture of what the Fortaleza Brazil Temple will look like.]

16 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

Well I sent the pictures of when Elder Bednar and Elder Evans came. It was a good day as I'm sure you could imagine. The temple has finally started construction so Satan has called for reinforcements. Good thing Elder Hawkes is here ;)

[I asked about his study program as a trainer.] It is 1 hour personal study, 2 hours companion study, and 1 hour language study. The language study is probably the hardest part because I don't want to make it a boring MTC class :) My companion was serving in Farmington, New Mexico. He served for 3 weeks in a city and 3 weeks on an Indian Reservation. So it is nice because he knows what he is doing. I just have to guide him along sometimes and show him the different things that we do here. Well I don't have much time since Michael sent me a letter. It was great with Elder Bednar.

7 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

I don't have to worry about Daylight savings time here yes! Although I missed an hour of sleep ;) [A focus of our stake conference was family history and the temple.] I was thinking about doing indexing after the mission to use my awesome Portuguese skills. You can do it on the Internet these days, so that is kind of cool. It is hard for us young kids to have a desire to do that kind of temple work. It talks about it in my Patriarchal blessing so I should probably do something about that :)

 

The name finding part sounds kind of boring but you can use it as an excuse to go on trips. Tell Dad you need to look at the records in Germany and England and hit up some tourist while you are there.

 

There is this lady in my new ward that talks about the craziest stuff and makes the craziest jokes. She looked at my new companion and said "You're a cutie." Roughly translated.

 

I think time will start flying faster after Christmas passes, the next call will be a few weeks before I get home. I made a goal awhile back to share my testimony every fast Sunday here and I always feel the spirit. I'm going to miss these people. I just love them to death. It doesn't bother me until I get up and bear my testimony. No matter what, I always tear up when I talk about the people. They are truly special. I'm so glad to be here. I'm not perfect, but I don't have regrets from my mission. Sometimes I wish I wasn't too dumb and would change more and faster but I just have to be patient. I don't think anybody knows how much my mission has changed my life, it has done wonders for me. Don't expect me to come back perfect though :)

7 Nov 2011 - Palmeiras Area (Dad)

[Hey, thanks for the graphic description of the wonders of cashew nuts. They'll be so much more appealing now when I eat them. Your Halloween photo shows you're still looking like your old self. I'll be sure to post that one on Facebook so all your BYU-I girls will be sure to keep you on their RM candidate list.] Well now you know where they came from! It is the fruit that is nasty anyways :) You can still enjoy the delicious roasted flavor of the nuts. Sadly, all of my BYU-I girls are already married. You know how it is at BYU. You can't leave for 2 years hoping that they will stay single.

 

Well training is intense. They have a new training program so that makes it even more intense. 12 weeks of studying for 4 hours everyday. It will be good for me and him though. He speaks pretty well, he just has to get used to the way they speak here in Ceará. It's good too because they always want to work 24/7 and they remind you of the stuff that you forgot that you knew in the beginning. It should be good, I just have to set pride aside and guide him rather tell him what to do. We got transferred to a place called Palmeiras, (Palm Trees) It is ghetto and everyone feels bad for my new companion because this is his first area. It is the typical poor neighborhood and has all the wonderful dangers that such places have to offer. We have a rented out place for church so that is different. They are building a huge chapel, but since they have 2 hours of nap time after lunch it should take the workers years to build. My area seems cool. It has a lot more humble people than my last rich area did. I feel back at home, the people here accept to missionaries so much faster. It will be good. I just hope we have to good experiences and baptisms so my companion gets a good taste at the beginning.

 

I'm glad they are going to finally start building the temple here. It will be good for the people since they can only go 2 times a year to Recife. Everyone wants scriptures, posters, music, etc that you can only get at the Distribution Center. It will be a wonderful blessing, and maybe I'll be able to make it back for the dedication, but I doubt it. Maybe I'll take a dip in the water too at that time :) I have been missing the temple lately and it will be nice to go back in 7 months. It is a blessing to be able to go whenever you want. A general authority said in a stake conference last September that less people go to the temple when a temple is built closer. Example, less people from Ceará are going to go to the temple when it is built here in Fortaleza. It's odd that people are willing to drive for 3 days on a bus, but not 20 minutes to go to the temple.

31 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

[Mom wrote about a baptismal service we attended on Saturday.] Baptisms are good. I like to watch them too. People here don't really see them as that important since they happen more often. It would be nice to get more people to watch the baptisms. It is good though. There is always a special feeling when people get baptised. It makes us missionaries the happiest people ever. I was thinking yesterday, since we had a baptism too, why missionaries like baptisms so much. It's not because we get more glory, or more baptisms under our belt. It is because we know without a doubt that the baptism is the right thing! It is the start to salvation. We know after the baptisms the people will feel the spirit testify to them that they made the right choice! Before, Satan tempts them so much, but afterwards they are sure! Sadly, we lose a lot of people before they can feel the surety. They are looking for it, but they just don't make it past the trial of faith.

31 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

Well we had a fun weekend since it is Halloween! We went trick or treating as you can see in the pictures. I dressed up as a gangster and my comp dressed up as a drunk Brazilian, just because they are so nice to us. Also, there is a picture of a cashew so now you all know where the nut comes from. It is by far the nastiest fruit in existence and it is obvious why they also send the nuts to America. The skin feels greasy and it feels squishy like a dirty diaper. ewwww Oh yeah, I put my fly ride in there. I'm rolling on 20' s in my ole Beetle.

We have conference here on the 12th and 13th. They have a few big names coming here but Bednar is going to another stake. We have our meeting with him on the 14th. Too bad that is my P-Day ;) He gave us a few talks to study and stuff. It is about time an Apostle comes to the best mission in the world, literally. :) More good news too, he is going to do the ground breaking for the temple on the 15th. I doubt we are going, but at least it'll be done in the next 4 years. However, I won't be here for all of the excitement of a Stake Conference. I got transferred already, emergency transfer. I'm getting butterflies just setting this all up for you...Pres. Souza called us this last Thursday and told my comp that he was going to be the new Exec. Sec. of the mission. Then my comp hands the phone to me and Pres asks if I'm doing better blah blah. Then he said that he was going to get some medicine for me so that I could get better. Then out of the blue he said "Elder on the 2nd of November I want you and your companion to come to the mission office because you are going to train the new Elder that is arriving." HUH!?!! Yep I'm going to train some poor kid ;) He doesn't know what he is getting into. I'm pretty sure he is coming from a mission in the US rather than straight from the MTC. I don't know what I'll do. It'll be intense, I'm scared out of my mind. I'm praying all the time for help. I know that the Lord has called me to do it, I'm just praying that I can be humble enough and that I can remember that God called me. We'll see how it goes. I just kept thinking about the conference talk when they were talking about the Lord preparing us for calls. I thought it was in this last conference but I looked in my notes and couldn't find it. I know that I will grow 34234234 times more than my companion will. Whew....

24 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

I'm still sick, and I called Sister Souza (Mrs. Mission President) and I took some of the medicine that she told me. It hasn't really done that much yet. It's funny because everyone thinks they are a doctor, and they tell me all of this random stuff that I should be taking. Whatever...

 

[I had some questions about the pictures you sent. The one where you are "slam dunking" the ball, there is an apartment building behind. Is that your apartment? Is yours similar (if that isn't yours)? Do you even live in an apartment? Are there just two missionaries in it or 4?] That is the apartment building behind the church. It isn't like my house. I live in a house right now, but other missionaries live in apartments. That is a nice apartment complex, for Brazil, so I don't think that any missionaries live in places like that. The bishop of our ward put up a wall in his house to make another 'house' for the missionaries. So our house is really small and narrow. Right now I just live with my companion. I have lived with 4 missionaries, and I think that is better/more fun. However, we are low on missionaries right now so more and more people are just living with just their companion.

 

[In the one of you drinking an acai Slurpee, why does the top appear golden? Was there something added, or does the acai have a golden part to it, or was it just lighting?] They put granola on top, so that is why it is golden. Açaí itself isn't very tasty, so they put honey in it to make it sweeter and granola just adds to the taste. It's magically delicious though.

 

[In the muscle juice squeeze, that "orange" you are squeezing had a green skin like a lime. What fruit is that?] Oranges here have green skins. When they turn orange they apparently are bad. I don't know why. They also don't have lemons here, just limes.

 

[Your chapel is 2 stories in the picture. Why so big? How many congregations meet there? Do you have overlapping blocks like we do? How large are the wards?] I don't know why it is so big. We have 4 wards in this chapel and it is the stake center but when they built it, they didn't know that. It is the nicest chapel I have seen here in Fortaleza, but it isn't the biggest. When you get inside it doesn't really have that many rooms. Half of it is the Institute building too, so maybe that is why it is so big. We have overlapping blocks here too. Each ward is SMALL. They like to divide quickly here to grow faster. I counted the people in the ward in the last sacrament meeting and they only had 90 people. They had the primary program and had to grab kids from another ward too. They just divided this ward, so that is why the numbers are low. I doubt they ever let a ward go above 200 people though. We work in 2 wards so we go to church at 9 am and again at 4:30 pm.

 

I have a lot more photos. I don't know how many I have exactly. Probably around 1000. I'm taking more pictures with my American companion. Brazilians don't have the same sense of humor and they don't like to take pictures it seems. I take pictures of all my baptisms. I think I might be missing one or something like that. I was thinking about making a book when I get back home especially for my baptisms. Not to show to people, but for me and myself :) Before I leave an area I usually go around taking pictures with members that I like and stuff like that. I always want more pictures, I can't get enough but sadly I can't just carry around my camera. I always have that worry in the back of my head that I don't have enough pictures, stuff like that.

24 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[Thanks for the pictures. I assume you shared the pitcher of acai with a family of 12 and I was surprised that the Brazilian basketball standards are 20 feet high, but the orange juicer looks like it could fill up a few barrels.] Har har, I should have shared it with 12 people, but instead I ate it all myself. Hey I was just starting the jump! The Elder didn't take a picture when I was hanging on the rim. I did 3 back flips after my running start, that is why I'm so close to the hoop.

 

[I was reading the October Ensign this morning. The entire issue is about the Book of Mormon. The last article is by Elder Holland....] I have that talk and we listen to it quite a lot. I love Jeffrey R. Holland. I'm kind of sad he came 2 months before I got here but we have some good news because Bednar is coming the 14th of November with Claudio M. Costa (Area Pres. of Brasil). It will be one and only chance to touch an Apostle ;) Apparently my companion is best friends with Russel M. Nelson's grandson and they have gone skiing together. Who knew that Russell M. Nelson still skis. I guess you know a lot of cool people when you live in SLC. Anyways, that is a good talk.

 

We had a few crazy things happen to us this weekend. One day we were walking a lot and starving a lot. It was at night and we were trying to get a few more new investigators to reach our goal. I was thinking about how hungry I was...staring at the floor. Some lady stopped in front of us and asked if we wanted a sandwich that she had just bought. FOR SURE YES! She couldn't eat it because she has stomach problems (ulcers) and she said that she knew that we walked around in the sun a lot. It turned out to be a huge hamburger so that was cool. It was also delicious. Just a random/unique story that I wish happend more often.

 

There are a lot of Africans that live in this area too because they come here to study and then they go back to work in their country. They are really cool people, and for some reason I like them a lot. I have talked to a few of them in other areas, and they are really nice. Plus they speak English. However, these Africans don't. They are from Guinea Bissau. We have taught a few, but they never really progressed. We talked to  a special one the other day. He is different than the rest. He lives in a one room apartment with his cousin and his bed takes up most of his house.We taught him and he loved it! He said he wanted to follow and be baptized and endure to the end! He went to church on Sunday and liked it. He just showed a desire and the motivation to endure to the end that some members don't even have. He was worried that they didn't have the Church in his home country. I hope they do.....but I told him there was probably, at least, some members there and that God would help him to follow His path. I told him that if he showed the same determination that he showed us, that he could even be a leader/example in his home country. I already feel good about him, and I already love him. I have this weird love for African people. All of them that I have met are so nice and peaceful. I have this weird desire to know them better. If I didn't serve here, I would've loved to serve in Africa! They are all children of God!

17 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

I'm sending some legit pictures...one of our chapel yeah it's big, another one of my ballin and dunking, drinking açaí from a pitcher! and squeezing oranges to make juice the cool muscle-man way.

This week was a good week. The zone had made a promise to reach the mission goal of news for the week. We worked hard and taught lots of people. We pulled out all the stops and searched and found a lot of good people. We also found some not so great people :) After all was said and done...we didn't reach the goal of new investigators. So that was lame, but we had a baptism this week. That was one of the reason why we weren't able to reach our goal. We spent all of Saturday trying to resolve the problems. Okay all day after lunch, because that's an important step, it's necessary. One of the biggest problems here in Brazil is lack of water when we want to baptize somebody. That is what happened on Saturday. So while the lady was getting interviewed I was calling everyone, trying to find a chapel close that we could use. We found one, and had to go there and clean the font and then let it fill up with water. While we waited for it to fill up we played with some snails we found in the garden and drew on the chalk board. Normal waiting things. People were wondering why we didn't just do it Sunday or next week. Sometimes it just seemed a lot easier to do it Sunday, but then she couldn't be confirmed. Satan was trying his hardest to stop the baptism. The bishop could barely open the door to the chapel. It was just intense, and there were only 5 people at her baptism: the bishop, his wife, me, Elder Howland, and the Ward Mission Leader. It was a good baptism though.

After it all, I was explaining to the Ward Mission Leader, who never served a mission, that baptisms are sometimes the hardest things on the mission. Satan tries his hardest to mess up baptismal services. I looked back and saw all the things that went wrong. I know that the Lord will ALWAYS prepare a way. It is ALWAYS possible to follow His path. He will ALWAYS be on the other side waiting. We just have to bust through to meet Him. We can't walk around the obstacles because we will leave the path. We just go straight through them. No matter what Satan tells you, The Lord our Saviour is ALWAYS waiting for you. It is impossible for us to overcome a trial or obstacle and have nobody waiting for us on the other side. Imagine the sadness that we would feel, the betrayal. Now imagine how the Lord feels when we don't make it through the obstacle, when we just give up because we don't believe He is there. He is calling for us over and over, begging for us to make it, assuring that He is there. Unfortunately, we don't hear or heed that call.

Therefore, do it. Never give up. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is there. He has always been there for me. I have learned that better than ever here on the mission. I know that He lives and that He can help us overcome anything in this world. I was studying in Moses this week and I know that the Lord has promised us free agency. We have power over anyone that doesn't have a body. We have power over any urge or addiction in this life. I know that God promises eternal life for anyone who heeds His call to come and follow. Why do we hesitate? Why doesn't eternal life inexplicably compel us to be perfect. It should, for it is the greatest gift to mankind.

That just came out of me. Read it, and do it.

10 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

It was a good week. We had already downloaded the [General Conference] talks so we were able to listen to them at home too. That was nice. Dad sent me the picture from the vacation. Everyone looks old :) Josh looks like he is 23 and I didn't even recognize Chelsea.

I've been sick too and I have been taking this HORRIBLE medicine that tastes like rotten Robitussin. But I haven't gotten any better. I'm hacking up my lungs like I have tuberculosis and it has been going on for like 2 weeks. Maybe one day I'll call Sister Souza and ask her what I should do.

I have bad news for you. The postal service in Brazil is on strike so it might take awhile to get the package no matter when you send it :) I don't need any Christmas decoration or anything. I still have the one from last year.....I think :) Whew time flies by,

10 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

I have no idea where my future is going. Right now June 2012 is the end of my life :) I don't really think about what is going to happen after that. Besides the world is ending 2012 anyways :) The future is a swirly cloud of despair and uncertainty for now at least. Who knows what is going to do down. It is hard to always keep your head up though. That is probably the hardest thing to do. Pres. Uchtdorf (hey he talked about Uncle Carl didn't he? ;)) helped me a lot though. His talk was majestic. It was really good and powerful. He is an Apostle of God, he cannot lie! Therefore, we must believe him when he says God loves us, He knows us. That was good. Sometimes it doesn't have the same affect when your friend says it or someone like that. You think  "Well how do you know?" But when an apostle says it you are like "Yeah, for sure!"

 

The real reason that I don't think much about life after the mission is because I'm so happy here. This week was killer and I'm starting to feel the pains of old age and 1 year 4 months walking in the blazing sun. Older missionaries always complained that they were tired and hurting but I never felt that. Now I felt it :) I'm sick too, so that doesn't help. It's just so good here on the mission. Life isn't easier, but it is more complete. You have a purpose, you have the desire and all you do is work to fulfill it. You don't have to worry about balancing family, work, and church. It's a paradise. It goes by relatively fast though. Sometimes it's a long day, sometimes it isn't long enough.

3 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

I loved Pres. Monson [in General Conference]. His first talk he just walked up and said, "Hello!" What a hero. He gets more and more funny as he gets older. I loved the British guy too, Ardern. He is my new favorite General Authority. "We send tweets and tixs." It took me awhile to figure out what he was saying when he said 'tix' (texts). He's cool. I liked Uchtdorf's talk about the amount of God's creation. He talked a lot about how all of us matter to God our Heavenly Father and how important we are. Sometimes that isn't so obvious to me as it should be. People talked a lot about how the world is changing and stuff like that. Robert D. Hales got fat too, I came in late and I didn't even recognize him :) Poor guy. New temple in Provo, that'll be cool.

3 Oct 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

I was able to watch conference this weekend. It was good, I liked it. Pres. Monson is crazy though :) He likes to joke around a lot. I love conference here on the mission and I'm sure that I will love it afterwards. I didn't pay much attention before the mission, but now it goes by super fast. As long as they keep cool British speakers, I'll keep listening. We had a crazy week with a lot of crazy things happening. Crazy members, crazy drunks, crazy bishops. It was good though. It made for good laughs. It's fun here, and for some reason things get a lot crazier when you have 2 americans together. 1 Brazilian and an American is generally ignored, but once you have 2 Americans people start talking to you and screaming swear words at you and crazy girls. We went to a bread store with a member to buy something for lunch and this crazy old guy on a bike just stared at us and shouted "Killers!" in English. .....Uh ok. We were minding our own business and we went to the cashier's to pay. Somehow, he was there and screamed "Killers" again. Who knows what was going on. He said, "You kill African babies and Iraqi babies". Apparently, he had seen me when I went to Iraq last weekend. Just kidding. Everyone was looking at us and the funny part was that they didn't even realize we were Americans. They asked us if we understood what he said. I thought it was hilarious. I love good mission stories. These kinds of things only happen with 2 Americans. We had a drunk guy feeling my face and telling me that I needed to use more lotion. He kept on telling me to get closer to the walls because you never know when a bus might come. Then as we were leaving he yelled at nobody and said "Let them pass, they are with me." Good times.

 

We had a baptism in between the sessions (which I will never do again, it's a headache). It was a really good baptism and the father that we baptised 2 weeks ago got to baptize his wife and daughter who were finally ready to be baptized. It was cool. I'm happy, really happy. The transfer was a battle and so was the conversion process. Satan worked HARD to destroy this family, but they succeeded. They will bring me eternal joy because of the faith that they showed and the love for God that they showed.

 

It's cool when people in conference talk about the missionaries because they are talking about me! I get all tingly inside when they say they are grateful for us. It'll end though, but I'll never forget it. I'll never forget the people or the lessons that the Lord has taught me. He has tried hard and sometimes I don't accept what He teaches, but I'll get better. I can't explain to you all how my mission has completely changed my life. It is wonderful. Don't expect a perfect Jeffrey Hawkes when I return, but I'm at least a smidge better ;) It is truly a miracle and I love my Lord and Savior with all of my heart!

26 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

[Enjoying volunteering at the elementary school.] You aren't a kid anymore but you get so much joy from teaching them and helping them. At least I do. I love the kids here in Brazil. Some of them have so much crap going on in their life but they still are happy and they somehow still have hope. They love giving hugs and saying good things about you. Theirs is the kingdom of God!

It's hard sometimes when people don't want to listen. They don't value the words of the prophets like they should. They think they are things they already know. One day they will go and they will see what they have been missing. That is one of the best feelings ever. When they finally go to church and love it!

The Relief Society Conference is this Saturday here in Brazil. Hopefully I will be able to listen to General Conference in English. It's nice in Portuguese but I love the voice of the Apostles and Prophet. Plus their jokes are better in English :) Yeah time is passing by almost a 1 year and 4 months. I saw some Elders packing up their stuff to go home and it made me kind of sad. The day is coming. It will be a bitter sweet day. Other days it feels like I have been here forever. I'll miss it terribly though. I'm not very good at moving on :)

26 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

Some guy told me today that I need to like math and overcome my hatred for math. He called me lazy and stuff. He was mostly right though. I just don't want to work doing something I had to force myself not to hate. Who knows, I'll just live in the forest and watch football. Maybe I'll copyright a squirrel flavored ramen noodle.

 

I talked to the parents of an Elder that is going home. They are from Danville but they lived in Pittsburgh for awhile. Ring any bells? Yep Uncle Mark was their Stake President for awhile. He said something about Hawkes in Santa Mona or something like that too. Their names are Debbie and David Bromley and their son gets home here sometime soon. Fun fact, tell Uncle Mark about it.

 

Wow the letter isn't very long today but at least I found long lost friends of Uncle Mark. It was a good week, that's a lie. Not so good. My comp is going to Pernambuco to the new area they opened up 4 months ago, Trindade. He is excited. My new companion is from SLC so maybe he knows Aunt Michelle. He almost has a year. I'm staying in the same area. I don't know what I'll do for the next 6 weeks but I'm sure the Lord will keep me busy. I've heard this new kid is good so that'll be fun. It's fun to have an American too because you can talk about real stuff like Football and well the Gospel of course :) Who wants to talk about soccer? :) Did you have any native companions? I'm assuming not because you served before the races were split apart. I got my hands on those old school movies you use to use. Meet the Mormons, Voice from Ancient America and stuff like that, but in Portuguese. I don't know if you used them, I think they were after your time. Apparently all the houses are getting a DVD player. I'm not sure why though, but that is what President says. The general authority is going to be a Seventy I think. I got a little bummed but then that seemed blasphemous. I'll pretend like he is an Apostle :)

19 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

[Buttons (our new cat) is awesome.] Cats are no good. They just bite and attack you. You should have got a Scruffy 2.0. Cats will live for like 3 years and then keel over. How big is this cat going to get? In Idaho they had perfect cat breeding tactics. They are all cute and fluffy as kittens but they never make it past that because they die ;)

[Lauren was called as Relief Society instructor. She is nervous, but she will do fine.] That's good for Lauren. I hope I never get called as anything :) She can just read the book, that is what our teacher does here. All the girls will help her too. Imagine an Elders Quorum lesson in college....silence/slumber. [Besides how many teens/20's do you know that are excellent teachers at that age.] Ummmm I know one 21 year old excellent teacher...me!

I got to bless the sacrament yesterday at church. It was cool. It's been 3 years since the last time I did it. Well that's a lie, I did it once in the MTC. It was cool to do it in Portuguese. I didn't have a microphone so that was good, nobody could hear me mess up or anything. I was watching everybody though afterwards since the priests stay up there the whole time here. I like to watch people. I noticed some people were paying attention and others weren't. Someone said something interesting that their old mission president told them. During the sacrament they should think about Jesus and forget about the mission and the investigators for just a little bit and focus more on Jesus. I thought that was cool.

19 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[We finally broke the record for 100-degree days at 70.] Yes! Record! Good thing I was here during the record. Missed one more thing while one the mission ;) I'll tell my kids anyway.

 

This week was better. We were able to baptize the father of the family that we have been working with for 5 weeks. It was hard, probably the hardest week in his life. Satan threw everything he had this last week to try and destroy this man's life. The Lord won after all though. We talked to him, pleaded with him, fasted for him, prayed for him constantly. It was a good experience for me. It showed me the power of prayer and fasting and the power that the Holy Ghost has on people. It was probably one of the most spiritual baptisms that I have had so far. I'm glad he was able to overcome a mole hill to see the mountain of blessings that waited on the other side!

 

[We had the missionaries over for dinner and as part of their spiritual thought they asked what blessings we've seen due to having a missionary out. To an extent it is kind of hard to know because you don't know how life would be different without a missionary, but to me one of the blessings is simply receiving email from you each week and reading about your love for the people and your love of doing the Lord's work.] I'll tell you the blessings that you have been receiving while I'm gone: new car, mountain resorts, vacations out the whazoo. Just to name a few ;)

12 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area

Here are some pictures of the state stadium, some mountains we took pictures of. We hiked up the lone mountain here in Fortaleza and took some pictures of the skyline. Guess what the mountain is made out of? Trash! Oh and the bat that attacked us.

12 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

[Told him about caring for and trying to teach the new cat.] That cat better be dead by the time I get back home. I don't want it's nasty hair everywhere. They smell bad too. I've seen enough cats here in Brazil. They are the size of leopards here. They are huge, bigger than Scruffy and more annoying. He is going to break your decorations and then you are going to have to kill him. That's what they do here, throw buckets of water on the cats and yell at them. They also throw rocks so you could try that out maybe it'll work. :) If you use rocks then he'll know who has got the control. You could try mailing a few things over my way too ;) Apparently peanut butter is out and maple syrup is the new cool here in Brazil. It's like precious gold. Everyone asks me if I have it. Way to go Americans, you spoiled the people and now they are begging me for stuff ;)

12 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[Our stake will be fasting for rain next Fast Sunday.] Fasting for rain? No then you guys won't break the record! :) Is it really that bad? You stay inside all day, I bet you don't even realize that it is hot outside.

I bought a camera already. It was the cheapest that I could find, that wasn't a piece of junk. I got a discount for paying in cash and I persuaded the lady to do it for less. Well kind of...I told her I had to go and get my money and she said No No!! I'll take off 20 more! I guess she thought I was running away to buy somewhere else. Oh well discounts! It's usually the opposite, when they see an American the price magically doubles. It's a kodak, it's pretty cool. I got it for R$320. Too bad I bought it before the dollar went up 10 cents darn. Everyone tells me that the US is plummeting into despair, but as long as the dollar keeps going up I'm good. I already have all my pictures backed up on my USB and DVDs, maybe one day I'll send them.

[I told him about an experience I had in Nicaragua teaching a group of argumentative college kids where I ended up just stopping, bearing my testimony, and leaving.] Those college kids never want to listen to anything. They think they are soo smart :) Once again the area is hard and it is hard to keep my chin up when everything is not working out at all. We try and try and nothing happens and all the members just turn their heads and don't pay attention. It's been awhile since I've had baptisms, which is rare here. Baptisms makes the work so much easier, it's so much more fun to work and do stuff when you actually meet your goal. I'm just chugging along, but who knows what will happen. Sometimes Satan tells me that I can't do it, that I don't know enough yet to help the people etc. I have to say that sometimez I believe him. It's hard but I'm praying and waiting.

5 Sep 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[Fort Worth currently in second place on 100 degree day record for year, but finally dropped below 100.] Living it up in the heat. Texas is getting cooler and Fortaleza starts the dry season, the best of all seasons. Too bad I switched my shoes, the ones with the holes didn't work too well in the rainy season. Good bye to the rain until December.

 

I have some bad news....remember the bat attack a month ago? It happened again. This time it was an angry mother bat trying to save her child. The other one was random bats falling from the ceiling. My companion was acting all manly because he didn't know the dangers of bats like I do ;) He thought it was a bird. When he saw that it was a bat he screamed and dove on the ground and army crawled everywhere. This bat flew and swooped at us, definitely going for the eyes. Finally we got it out but then we realized that it had a baby inside. So we got the baby on the broomstick and cracked the door open and stuck out the broomstick... Whew. This is clearly the most dangerous mission of them all. I can only imagine the jaguar attacks that the elders have to deal with in the Amazons ;)

 

This week we had an investigator ask us why we didn't tell miracles and crazy cool things and why we all say the same thing during fast and testimony meeting. We tried to explain to them why but they didn't really understand. They assumed that stories like that would be more powerful to convert people. We talked about Jesus and how people saw Him do miracles and still didn't believe. The crazy old lady that insists on battling every word I say was there babbling on for hours. Sometimes you just want to throw garden chairs at people like that, but I can't.... So I was praying and asking that the Lord would help me bear a powerful, simple testimony to show them the power that it has. So He helped me and I did just that. It was wonderful. They all just went silent as a bore my simple testimony that I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet called of God. I know these things because My Almighty Father in Heaven revealed these things to me through His Holy Spirit. No miracles or grandiose things testified that to me. I was told! The Holy Spirit gave me that certainty. Oh how I know it is true and nothing is greater than that! This is the true Church that Jesus Christ put upon this Earth. That is my testimony, I embrace it, I share it, I try every day to increase it, I need it.

28 Aug 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

Man I was hoping that football season started already. Is this the year that BYU is going to play Texas?  I hear from a kid here from Oklahoma that OU is ranked #1. I'm assuming they will still play the traditional game against Uof U.

 

Hey ask grandma if they know any Bromley's from Concord. I think they lived there but now they live in Danville. I assume you know where that is since you grew up in Concord. There is a missionary from there here with me. His parents names are David and Debbie. DO IT.

 

This was a good week. We have a few families that were are trying to help out. This area has a lot of families in fact. It's a lot nicer to work and baptize families. It's every missionary's dream! I don't have much to say this week. We had Zone Conference and President burned all of us because some missionaries are rebelling under the new command. He told us that a General Authority is coming to visit the missoin too so that is cool. They haven't 'closed the deal' so he doesn't know who is coming yet or when. Well that's my boring news of the week.

21 Aug 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[In answer to your questions from last week: Michael says he drove a delivery truck at BYU on snow, so apparently that qualifies him for winter driving. CC stands for Comfort Coupe. Go figure, since a coupe is a two-door and the CC is not. They claim it is like a coupe because of its raked roof. Marketing folk. Hey, VW is the same company that has had a Thing, Beetle, Rabbit, Golf. So CC doesn't sound so bad in comparison. I don't know exactly what the missionary that I mentioned who brought goodies back from Brazil brought. I remember mention of a jaguar or something like that. Maybe you could bring a pet poison arrow frog or piranha.] Delivery truck...van same thing. I'll bet they handle the same in the snow. Oh I see a lot of Golfs here in Brazil. They even have a Gol here too. They are both equally as ugly. Well I won't be bringing back any Jaguar pelts but maybe I can bring some rugged city rat pelts home. They have myths that some of these lakes around here have piranha, but I doubt it. They also tell me they find huge snakes in the lakes too. Personally I doubt anything can live in the trash dumps err lakes that they have here. The rivers and streams are really sewage....

 

Did football season start yet?!?!

 

[I mentioned I walked the trails on the summer ski slope during our visit to Solitude while Michael rode a mountain bike.] How do you go mountain biking without a bike? He flies down the mountain in 4 minutes and you have to walk all the way down? They ride double on the bikes here. In fact they can usually fit 4-5 on the bike. If it's on a motorcycle I like to call them 'eternal families' because the whole family will die together and go to heaven together. (you can probably exclude that last part from the blog post ) >:) [Oops. ;-)] Too bad you didn't get any footage of him sliding down the mountain face first for about 3 feet. That's real mountain biking.

 

[Michael and I drove straight through from Fort Worth to Salt Lake City, with a three hour nap at a Wyoming truck parking area.] Never send two tight fists on a road trip together. They won't stop to sleep or to eat anything. Watch out, those Wyoming truck stops are shady places. [No chipmunk hunting like Jeffrey did on his "man trip," just sandwiches for us.] Well eating chipmunks would have made the trip better, but you can try that on the way back home.

 

My new area is rich, bling bling and for some reason all the members are asking me for dollars even though they have gold watches and Ipods (which are extremely expensive here ) In my last much poorer areas nobody asked me for money....rich people jeeze. Speaking of extremely expensive...I looked at the cameras here and cameras with AA batteries are R$ 300ish and if I want to upgrade to lithium battery thats a R$500- R$700 camera. It would be cheaper to send disposable cameras from America.

 

Being senior is a lot different. When I was a junior I wasn't really worried about anything and I just let my senior do his thing. I have to think a lot more now and I feel a lot more responsible for our numbers and everything. It's really good though. It has definitely made me a more humble person. I think about the investigators and I'm praying for help always. Praying so I can teach the people the right things and that the Lord may guide me. It's hard enough being in this area, but now I'm responsible for everything ;) It's fine though, I feel like I'm doing everything that I can.

14 Aug 2011 - Jardim América Area (Mom)

The week was a good week. It was a little sad since it was my last week in the area. Transfers again! I'm in Jardim América with Elder R. Santos. He too is from São Paulo, like almost everyone else. The area is small which is good; I don't have to walk as much. I don't know much about him yet. Oh yeah I'm Senior now...took me a while but I finally made it. I'm just chugging along. I loved my last area so much and I was only there for 5 weeks. It is definitely one of the my favorite places in the whole entire world.

[I am excited because one of the little boys from summer school has been transferred to Park Glen Elementary. He reminds me so much of you.] Does he have a chili bowl hair cut? If not, he's just an impostor! That's cool though, little kids are really cool. When you work with them it is easy to see why we need to become more like them. Oh I just remembered something. Evan's mom went back to school to become a teacher and she is old. She still got hired though, so there is hope for you. I think she teaches 2nd grade or something. Today we had transfers and a family from the ward took me to the chapel. They brought the little kids. The poor little kids were crying when they had to say goodbye. Then their mom started crying and even the dad. They are the 1st people that have done that, well at least that I saw. I love them so much. They were already crying on Saturday when I told them I would leave. The little 5 year old boy kept asking when I was going to leave. He wanted me to spin him too (I pick them up and spin them). Poor kids. I say it a lot, but as I have more time on the mission I learn to love the people more. I was only there for 5 weeks and I love them as much as the other people that I knew for 4.5 months. The love I have for them is indescribable! I'm happy, happier than I have ever been. I love 'em.

14 Aug 2011 - Jardim América Area (Dad)

[I mentioned someone in the ward said their son brought back some cool stuff from Brazil.] What did he get from Brazil? I've got some cool key chains and some soccer shirts. Someone gave me a cup with a lid so I could keep it in my backpack. Does that meet the cool standard? I'll go shopping near the end of my mission. I hear Havaianas (flip-flops) are popular in America now. They are only $5 here. I got some with little Brazilian flag on them. Those are a little more expensive though.

I didn't get a new camera yet, I can only go on P-day since the store was out of my area.

Good news is that I got transferred and there is a super walmart-like store here. So I should be able to get a camera there. My new companion is from São Paulo. He's got 6 months....yep I'm a senior. Took me 1 year and 2 months...kids in my group are ZL and Assistants already. Ugly duckling anyone? Just kidding. I'm happy for them. Were are in Jardim América....it's weird because it looks nothing like an american garden here...My last area was hard to leave. They are great people and I love them so much. One of my favorite families in the whole world took me to the chapel for transfers. The 2 little kids, ages 5 and 8, were crying when I went to say goodbye. Then their parents started to tear up. I tried to be manly but they got a few tears out of me. They are special people and I'll miss them. I can feel a bit of the love that Christ feels for all of us when I think of these people. Yesterday they invited me to bear my testimony and it was going well. I told them God loved them. I told them that Jesus loved them. As soon as I said that I loved them, I just couldn't speak. It came out of nowhere and I got all choked up. This is the Lord's work. I do love it here, I love the Gospel, and I love God's chosen people of Fortaleza, Brazil. I know this is the best place ever. I hope I can get better so I can be a better senior, a better Jeffrey, and a better missionary.

7 Aug 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Mom)

[Today Paul LeFleur bore his testimony and likened life to his experience at the beach this past week. He got caught in a riptide while in Florida. He said it is like life. You try hard and still end up going backward. But as long as you are trying as hard as you can, you make it back to shore. He said he had a boggy board, which would be the Holy Ghost. Adversity (riptide) comes out of nowhere and if we have the skills we can overcome it..] My last companion was telling me about rip tides and stuff like that. He is from Corpus Christi so he use to surf and stuff like that. So his analogy makes sense to me :) It's a good one though. I thought of one one of these days, but in my old age I have forgotten it :) We are challenged by the Prophets and stuff to think of real life examples to help us teach so that the people can understand better. If I ever teach a surfer, maybe I'll use that analogy. I might have to learn some new vocab though...

7 Aug 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Dad)

[Day 36 in a row over 100 degrees and still counting. Looks like we'll beat the all-time record this week. Not a record I want to experience beating.] Whatever, that would be a worthy record to experience. You live in an air conditioned house and everything so it doesn't really matter how hot it gets outside. How hot is it at night there? 

The people here are great, especially in this area. For some reason I have loved them a lot faster than any other area. Well I have gotten close to them I should say faster than other areas. I was a little shy, but I guess I'm opening up more. It's good to have a nice companion and great members. It makes even a hard area nice to work in. We got a baptism yesterday so the blessings are starting to come already. 

[I asked him about his school plans.] I could get Michael's job with my mop handling skills. I show off to the Brazilians with my broom balancing skills that I learned at college....yep a place of higher learning for sure. [I asked if the robber from last week was wielding a gun.] Yeah he was armed. He was throwing his .38 caliber revolver in my face but I made it out alive :) He didn't believe that I didn't have pockets either so he gave me the search. I surprised myself because I wasn't scared and I was talking to the kid with a little bit of sarcasm and joking around a bit....that's just me I guess. I thought it was a member, since they like to joke around like that. I even saw the gun but it didn't register. I just looked and smiled at the other duplo of elders waiting for them to talk to their friend...but they didn't.

[... As the prophets have mentioned, the only thing we can give God that isn't already His is our will, and ultimately that's all He's really asking for....] I watched a video on lds.org that was talking about that. There was rich guy that always wanted more money and stuff. The missionaries talked to him and told him that God didn't want his money or anything else he had. All He wanted was him! It's so true. People try to please God in other ways, but He just wants us to follow His commandments. It's the way we show faith and our love for Him. Pres. Batt or someone said that good missionaries say that they are serving to help themselves or help share the gospel, to share the joy that they have etc. But the great missionaries will serve because they love God. Of course, they will do the other things, but first and foremost they will do it for their love of God. We need to follow Christ not for blessings nor fear etc but because we love Him. That is true obedience!

31 July 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Mom)

[Today is a "relaxing" day. Not that much time before Lauren and I drive to Utah. We went to IKEA on Friday to get her some stuff for her apartment.] I'm glad that you got time to relax. Hey where were all my apartment things when I went to school ;) Girls always have so much stuff in their apartments. I had a picture of the beach and that's about it. She goes back to school in like 2 weeks right. Are you ever going to tell me what car you guys bought? Who left for Utah? They are going to the cabin already? 

[Scott came home (friend from the ward who returned from the Philippines). We attended his open house on Saturday and listened to his talk yesterday. I have to say he made me miss you. He is the first of your class to come home.... Just a word of advice, when you come home and have to give a talk on whatever assigned topic, use examples from your mission.] That's funny I always hated the kids who couldn't stop talking about their mission. Every time they had to talk, they always just told mission stories. I guess you learn a lot but you learn other stuff during your life too. It's weird think that Scott is home. It made me think what it would be like being home and I didn't like it at all :) It's super scary to think about going home. I remember in my first area, I was swinging on the hammock and I had 3 months on the mission. I was already scared about going home. It's weird how you remember a lot that has happened. Only 2 from my class went on missions. Me and him right?

I can already imagine my homecoming talk will just be tears. I get all teary-eyed thinking about it. Oh how I love it so much. I'm not perfect but I'm trying to do my best. It's hard, but I love it. I need to do a lot more, and I'll do it. I love it so much here. I love how it has changed me. I LOVE LOVE the people here. They aren't just people on the street. They are my people! I can understand them and I have the only thing that can change their life. I can't wait to serve another mission. Oh Mom, there is nothing better. I love it.

31 July 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Dad)

[Bats in the house. Hm, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like that. Especially the eye-nibbling part. As long as they aren't those blood-sucking bats though, I'm thinking you're pretty safe unless you sleep with fruit piled on top of you.] Luckily they were small bats. They weren't those huge fruit bats the size of bobcats. 

[Scott Ross (a friend of Jeffrey that just returned from the Philippines) spoke in sacrament meeting today and heads off to family vacation and USU tomorrow.] It's really weird to think that Scott is home. It makes me scared to go home. I still have 11 months left but it makes me think and then I get sad :) I guess I have to go home though since they don't have Ranch or Taco Bell here :) I don't know how I could go through life without it.

[Scott talked about having the right to choose and choosing the right. He mentioned the acronym for choose the right in Tagalog, which was TAP, or something like that, instead of CTR. That reminded me of the one in Spanish, which is HLJ, for haz lo justo, which means do the right. Doing has a little more power behind it than choosing, so it comes across a little better in Spanish than English. I'm assuming it is the same (as Spanish) in Portuguese.] In Portuguese they kept it as the same letters (CTR) but it means keep your path. It has a different meaning when you change the language. Sometime it gives you a new perspective.

[Oh, by the way, Scott said he took about 1700 pictures on his mission. He obviously lived in a safer country and had a little different mission rules. Anyway, when safe, photos sure are great for remembering. Making a back-up copy of the photos is probably wise in case some numbskull does decide they need your camera more than you do (as I'm sure they'll be able to sell the camera for a hefty two to five dollars).] I have about 800 pictures so far, but I always wish I took more. I have been trying to take pictures of the people in the ward and stuff like that. I have a CD but I haven't sent it yet because I don't have a post office in my area still. I need to make some more DVDs though. Well speaking of the camera....I have some good and bad news.....1st I'm still alive...2nd I don't have a camera anymore. I got robbed last Pday. They took my camera and another elder's and some other stuff. I wouldn't even tell you but then I would have to explain why I don't have a camera anymore. :) He got 1000 reais in loot though, good for him. He probably thinks all missionaries walk around with all that stuff. We just got done playing soccer and he got us about 10 feet in front of our house. I was thinking of laying a smack down...but I chickened out :) I didn't want 3 bullet holes in my chest either. Don't worry though, they don't rob missionaries here, or at least that is what they tell us here. We were in our soccer clothes so that is probably why. It'll be a good story though when I get back. The ward members promise me that I'll get my stuff when the vagabond learns the errors of his ways but I doubt it.

Today the Stake President took us to a meat buffet, the best kind of buffet! It's like Texas de Brazil but it's.....Brazil de Brazil. It was a nice place, better than any place that I have been to in the US, but then again I am partial to Taco Bell.... It was good meat, it would have been better with some BBQ sauce or A-1 steak sauce.... I got to eat pickles, green olives, caesar salad dressing, and some other stuff that I haven't eaten in forever. I'll probably gain about 123 pounds though. 

[Regarding the hard area, I'm guessing you aren't doing anything wrong. Sometimes we only get two talents to work with instead of five, but then the Lord expects only an increase of two instead of five. And for the times when you only get one talent in opportunities to work with, as long as you don't bury it and you do what you can with it to double it, the Lord is just as satisfied. And the next thing you know, the talents start pouring in.] I haven't thought about hard areas that way. That's a good way to think about it. I always believed that if I work as hard as I can it doesn't really matter how many baptisms and stuff I get. As long as I can say that I worked with all my heart, then my garments will be stain free! 

[I wouldn't worry too much about forgetting Portuguese. It's been thirty years since I really spoke Spanish and amazingly I still remember a lot.] I try to study Portguese a lot. I love learning it. I love learning languages. I think I'll study Spanish when I get back too. I wish BYU-I had Portguese though. I try to learn a lot from the speakers though. I haven't had a Brazilian for a few months, but I've been trying to work on my accent. It's hard to gauge your own accent though. It's funny because some people call me Brazilian (by the way I speak, but my blue eyes give me away!) and others just stare at me and are like "I can't understand a word you are saying." I don't know how that works, but whatever.

[I mentioned I am reading the book, "Believing Christ."] I don't think I have ever heard of that book. Since I have gotten on the mission, I have had a real thirst and desire for more gospel books. My last companion had some books by Russel M. Nelson and I read them. I have been reading Miracle of Forgiveness for the last 3 weeks and I almost finished. :) I just love reading them. I have a few written down to read when I get home. Who knows...the mission changes you. I couldn't care less about those kind of books before the mission. I think when I get back I'll just watch sports and read church books ;) just kidding. Since I have been on the mission my mind has opened a lot too. There is so much that we have to do. So much that matters in life. Stuff like paying attention in church, sacrament, scriptures, prayers, fasting, being nice etc etc weren't really that important. I just figured you had to do them and check them off the list. They open the doors for so many blessings though. There is a lot to do, yes, but that is what life is all about. All the stuff we have in life is to help us get better. Sacrament isn't just something to do, it cleans us! It's so important that only 2 times a year,  during General Conference, it isn't required. I have a lot to learn and I don't know if I will during my 2 years but I'll keep trying. I'm like a sugar-high, nose-picking primary kid sometimes....I just don't listen/pay attention. Things just go over my head. It's hard being a primary kid when everyone else is a missionary but I'll stop eating crayons and pay attention soon.

24 July 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Dad)

Well happy Pioneer Day, I know the Hawkes family had a great celebration ;)

 

Well I'm an old man. I have to tell people that I am 21 now. Then once I tell them that they just laugh and tell me that I look like I'm 14. That's good right? ;) I guess when I'm 99 it'll be a good thing. The missionaries that I live with tried to surprise me but my companion walked in first and they scared him good. I was down the stairs still and my companion said, '' Uh....that was a big spider". Nice try... It was good though. I was kind of sad that I got transferred from my last area right before my birthday because things would have been better, but I'm here to teach not have birthday parties.

 

Saturday was one of the best days ever. It was one of the funniest nights I've ever had. I'll start out by saying bats in the house! We were just sitting and the all of the sudden a black bat just fell from the ceiling. My companion is scared to death of any critter so he screamed. Our Brazilian ran and started poking it and stuff. We all stared filming but then the bat got up and started flying a bit. So 3 grown men started booking it and screaming like little girls. One was up on a chair cowering in fear, the other one was already out of the veranda. It was hillarious. We tried to get it out but it kept flying so we just ran around screaming and yelling "Kill it!" "Flush it down the toilet" "It's spreading diseases!" Stuff like that. The kid on the chair just kept saying Woah Woah! Luckily I filmed it but it's not any professional footage. Then guess what?! Another bat fell down from the ceiling! It was a crazy night. Me and my comp sleep out on the veranda so I was petrified every time I heard bat chirping around us. I was sure they were gathering the bat armies to come and nibble out our eyes. Needless to say I didn't sleep very well.

 

[Suggestions from Dad that he record more events.] I've been better and writing stuff down, but I'm not sure what all I should write. Plus it's a pain to write words and letters and stuff. :) The hardest part about taking pictures is the constant fear that someone is going to stab you to death to get your camera. So It's hard to carry around your camera. I want to take more pictures though.

 

Also I have some great news. We officially have churro vans in our area! They drive little micro asian vans and they have about 5 people crammed into them. You wave them down and they are all hunched over making your churros. It's great. They only cost about 60 cents too. I'm definitely going to get a picture of them. MMM churros.

 

This area is pretty hard. We are having an awful time trying to find new people to teach. Here I am complaining but I suppose in the US the missionaries have that sort of problem for 2 years not just one area. We are going to people's houses but none of them want anything. All the references we have are weak. I was reading the other day somewhere in the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi or Jacob about how we should have patience during our times of affliction. I realized I should probably be patient and just keep going. It's hard since we live with the LZ's and I don't want to let them or Pres. Souza down. The ward is really good and the area has had success in the past so I don't know what we are doing wrong. It's a good humbling experience though. I have a lot to change so hopefully the Lord can help me in these next months before I go home. I want to be different after the mission and I want to stay that way! Sadly, my companion says that BYU-I doesn't offer Portuguese classes so that is a bummer. One of my biggest fears is losing the ability to speak! Maybe I'll learn Spanish again...maybe not :)

17 July 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Mom)

This week has been a hard week because I have been sick the whole time. It started out with a sore throat, then I started to get a stuffy nose. It has happened a few times so far here in Brazil. It must be some seasonal things....who knows. For the last few days I have just been pouring snot out of my nose and coughing up my lungs. Hopefully it will pass soon. I have been taking a few different kinds of medication but nothing has happened. I lost my voice for a bit so it was hard to teach people. Dad told me that you guys got a cat...weird. Well that is all I have for this week...it wasn't too interesting... 

17 July 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Dad)

Yep new area. It's not that far away from my last area. All of my areas are pretty close to each other since they are in the same city. They have a good bus system here. It gets a little crowded but it's good. You use them a lot. This area is small so we don't use them, but my last area we used them all the time. They also waste my few precious reais that I get! Bus rides eat all my money...I guess it's good because I can't buy food and get fat. I'll get to go back at the end of my mission and I definitely will go back to Pedras. I learned to love the people there and I have a few people that I baptized there that mean a lot to me.

 

[Did Mom tell you that we got a cat?] A cat!? ewww. We use cats for kicking practice here..just kidding :) The cats in Brazil are the size of large pumas so I never mess with them. I like kittens but then they grow up and claw and bite plus they smell...and they have rabies.

 

This last Sunday I was thinking about what it would be like at home...just for a few minutes mind you. I was thinking what I could use that I have learned so far to help my family and myself. I was trying to measure what I learned here. I don't have any standout super crazy miracles that happened so I decided to think a bit. I started to write it down. Then I realized a lot of stuff has happened. Little miracles, medium miracles. I just hope I remember it all. I have been slacking on the journal writing thing sadly. I just want to remember these 2 years. I worry that I will forgot a spiritual moment or that I will forget someone. I know these are 2 wonderful years. I have learned many things in only a year. I could have learned a lot more, but I'll try harder during these next 11 months. I know without a doubt that the Lord is my Savior. I know that we are here to have a family and to learn and grow with them. I know that this gospel is the ONLY thing that can bring us true happiness. This is the only time we have to prove our love, please don't waste it. I have already been reminded by my loving Heavenly Father that this time on earth is short but so precious. We have mercy on our side........use it while you can. God will give us another chance but only if we take advantage of His atonement in THIS life.