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 :)