2 Apr 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Dad)

I wasn't able to see the priesthood session. They tape it and show it Sunday morning at 8 o´clock but we were looking for investigators to go to the conference sessions. We walked a lot and it rained a ton then the blazing sun came out to dry us off and soak us with sweat once again. For all of that hard work a total of 0 people came too :) Good ole missionary work. I'm one in 55,000 though so I'm not alone.

[Did you notice Ryan in the priesthood session choir?] I didn't see Ryan but I saw David Archuleta in the Saturday sessions. I think he is in the last song of the afternoon session. They show him at the very end of the song. That is weird that he is serving a mission :) What group sang in the priesthood session? The Utah kids get all of the luck. The only time that I went to watch conference and see the prophets, they made us go into a secret overflow area in the conference center....The Utah kids get to see the Apostles all the time ;) My old companion use to ski with Russell M Nelson's grandson and talk to him on the slopes. My closest tie to the Apostles is Uncle Carl ;)

[Lauren's been enjoying the life of a carefree college student again (OK, college life is carefree only in certain respects, but in a lot more ways than post college life is). She went wakeboarding in Arizona with her roommate this week.] That would be nice to be able to touch the water again :) I don't know if my first choice would be slamming face-first into the water at 30 mph but it would be fun I suppose. I prefer tubing instead of strapping wood and other blunt, heavy objects to your feet as you speed across the water. I did go snowmobiling a few times which isn't the best thing to do when you are from Texas. You are able to go faster on ice or snow with the same inability to stop the gasoline-filled vehicle you are sitting on top of. Only Utah and Idaho folk would find joy in that :)

My college days were pretty carefree..... I always did my homework before I went to Vegas!

Conference was good. As a missionary I have learned to love it. I just need to learn how to do everything that they tell me to do. I know for sure that the prophets are men of God. I have prayed and the Lord has revealed it unto me! We must follow them and they tell us all that we need. The Spirit will guide us to the tidbits of their talks that pertain to us. They talked a lot about "raising our children" but I don't have any kids yet! Does that mean I can sleep until they talk about how to find smoking hot babes after the mission? No! The spirit guides us to what we need and we are able to discern the gems that the Lord wants us to know in ALL of the talks.

26 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Mom)

The weather is nice here too. It rains in the morning usually. I get chilly :) I have turned into a wimp when it comes to the cold. Well I always have been. Anything below 80 is cold for me. I going to have to live in TEXAS forever!!! Yee haw Texas. I love it there :)

If you want terra cota roofing I have done a bit of that while I've been here :)

Here they usually have fast and testimony meeting a week after conference which makes no sense to me but what can I do? :) I have made it a goal to share my testimony every single fast and testimony meeting while I have been on the mission. So far I have missed one or two because a lot of people went up and stuff. It is good to share your testimony, and it's fun to do it in another language :) I have been thinking about my talk when I get back. I'm just going to cry the whole time :) Sigh.... I have so much I want to learn, Portuguese, etc., but time is running out and it is back to normal life. :)

26 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Dad)

I didn't even look at the details in the flight plans. I didn't know that I had a 6 hour layover. It will be a good time to preach in the airport or something ;) Maybe they will have a taco bell or something cool like that in the airport. Those are all hopeless dreams though because the São Paulo airport isn't that big. They actually have an international airport here in Fortaleza but I guess it is cheaper to get a connecting flight to São Paulo then Dallas. Who knows, the church lady bought the tickets. She isn't the one that will have to wait for 6 hours. I couldn't find a sweet machete so it looks like the mission tradition is done for. I went on a shopping spree today, kind of. I think I got everything. There isn't that much stuff here.

[... God does not judge us by our talents or achievements. He doesn't compare us to anyone else. In fact, it makes absolutely no difference how we compare to anyone. Nobody can "earn" their way to exaltation. Only the Lord can bring us to exaltation, only through the infinite atonement can we be made perfect in Christ.] Satan wants us to think we aren't good enough to gain salvation. No matter what we do, it will never be enough. Curse you Satan. I see that a lot here in the world. People just don't care. They just want to have fun and die. They think whatever church will save them or memorizing prayers will be enough for salvation. These poor souls. The more you understand the gospel and the eternal punishment for those that deny Christ, the more you want to help the people. You just look around at the people. You feel a godly sorrow for the people that you teach and call you crazy because we have another 'Bible'. Mormon (or is it Moroni?) and Nephi will be at the judgement bar testifying about the truthfulness of the gospel and it will be a sad day. We had a girl this week that told us she felt bad for being baptized and she wanted to take that decision back. She was being childish and joking and lying and just saying dumb stuff. She is like 17 years old. She told us to rip up her baptismal record. It was just a sad message and I just walked away thinking "Forgive her for she knows not what she does." The answer and help is there, it is on this earth again. People just don't look for it. We hide it from them sometimes as members.

19 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Mom)

[Mom wrote some quotes she found about missionary work, one of which was this: "Was looking for some inspiring missionary tale and found this quote: Lady missionaries seem to be more tolerant and understanding than the elders. A lady missionary also seems to have far less of a challenge in getting motivated and putting in hours that are dedicated to the Lord."] Those are lies about sister missionaries :)

[Quentin L. Cook on becoming effective missionaries: "First, be a missionary all your life. Second, overcome feelings of hesitancy or inadequacy. Third, do not be discouraged because missionary work is hard. Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in speaking about how hard missionary work is and has been, said: 'I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy.' Fourth, be a good example and take every opportunity to share the gospel."] I have heard the 3rd quote before. It is part of the greatest talks of all time! I haven't been able to find it on audio or anything but oh well.

Time seems to be crawling by which is a good thing I guess. I told the Lord that these last 11 weeks would be my best and I would keep going and He could let Satan do his thing. It seems like he has done just that. This was a hard week. My brain got wasted a few days and my body was killing me in all sorts of ways for the 1st few days. I had no desire at all for the 1st part of the week. My companion was getting on my nerves too :) I had no confidence in my Portuguese at all. Basically I felt like I had 2 months on the mission again. I kept going though and things got better. It is a lot better now. I just want to finish strong and be an example to the newer people that are around me. Most people just assume that a missionary is dead when he has 3 months left. So I just have to prove them wrong. Things are not easier and I guess I will get a lot more blessings because of that. I'm glad that I'm serving. I'm often surprised that I was able to do it since I have never done anything in my life. I always gave up. I have so much to learn still.

19 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Dad)

I forwarded my itinerary to you just so you can plan the party details ;)

[Lauren is taking an ice hockey class.] That is intense playing hockey on ice. I guess it is the same as rollerblades. Skates just have a sharp razor on the bottom to discourage falling and kicking.

Yeah Bom Jardim, the house is nice so that is good. It happens to be one of the most dangerous places here in Fortaleza and I've heard a lot about it. So that's a good last area to serve in right? ;) It won't be anything new, I'm fond of the ghettos. Nothing cool to report on this week so we'll just keep our fingers crossed. I doubt the other missionaries will be saying that but we'll see. I'm still chugging along like a freight train. I had a hard week but things got better. I don't know if my shirts will make it until the end. They are like paper. I ripped my sheets in half because they were so old and fragile. It turned over and my knee got caught in the fabric and just ripped it. Oops. Things are good and the Lord will bless me until the bitter end. I will need more help after the mission though :) This area we are able to find a lot of people and teach a lot of people too. It is good to have something to do all day. It hasn't rained hardly at all this year, so it is nice and toasty still. I don't know if I will be losing any weight here though since our house is full of people that love to cook.

12 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Mom)

Well transfers. It looks like I will end my mission in Bom Jardim. With just 11 weeks left, things are looking good. I'm going to punch Satan extra hard in the face for these last 11 weeks. My new companion is Elder Sampaio, one more Brazilian. It'll be good to perfect my portuguese. He is the brother of an Elder that I lived with a way long time ago. So that is cool. We live with 2 other missionaries. I don't really know them and they are newbies :) I feel like an old man that nobody cares about these days. I don't know any of these new missionaries.

Yay they don't have daylight savings here so I never have to lose an hour of sleep! I would like the extra hour of sleep though. My body is TIRED. 2 years of a mission does a lot to your body. I have been trying to work out but I'm lazy. I plan on starting up at home.....maybe :) I haven't gotten fat and in fact I haven't gained any weight. I'll probably have cancer and diabetes and rotten teeth when I get back home though.

I'm tired and sometimes I don't have a huge desire to leave the house. I know I have to and the Lord will bless me. I'm just trying to forget myself and turn my life over to God. I just do what I'm supposed to do and pray and keep the commandments and follow the Spirit. To me that is giving up your life over to the Lord. Stop worrying, do what we know is right, and live so that the Lord can speak with us at any time.

I love it here. I can't wait to get back home. :)

12 Mar 2012 - Bom Jardin Area (Dad)

[Yum, chicken liver. I actually like liver.] Ewww liver. I have had chicken liver and cow liver. They tricked me with the cow liver though. They made it look just like steak and called it liver in Portuguese instead of english ;) This was back in the day so I didn't know. I just thought it was nasty horse meat or something.

[I can't remember if I told you that your sister is taking a hockey class this semester.] Hockey class? I use to play street hockey in front of our house. Does she play on ice? I was thinking about walking on the BYU football team....haha just kidding. Maybe I could do it and they would make a movie called Jeffrey after I play for one down like Rudy. :) Maybe I'll just join a intramural football team if I can find any friends. I have been doing my pushups and stuff. Trying at least. I won't come back too morbidly obese. Just the beginning stages :) Stock the fridge with donuts and pork rinds.

I'm trying to do all the good that I can. Missionary work changes lives. It changes me and it changes my family and it changes the people that I teach. I'm glad that I went and I can see the Lord preparing me and I see His hand in the timing that I left too. Not many young men, maybe none, truly understand the importance of a mission until they go on it. I feel proud to be counted among the 54ish thousands that are out. Soon I will be just another statistic :) Sometimes I just stare at my name tag and wonder what it will be like when I have to take it off. I always imagine Elder Hawkes in the New England area and my pops Elder Hawkes in Costa Rica, and surrounding "neigborhoods". That skinny white Elder Hawkes in Thailand. I'm proud that they are my family and that I carry the same 2 names on my nametag. They were much better than I am but I can only imagine the great amount of success that you had in the Costa Rica San Jose mission. You don't talk about it much because you are humble and I know it meant the world to you. I got that without you having to tell me millions of mission stories. :) I'm thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ and His holy name. He makes my mission worth everything. It would be useless to teach of Him if He never died and paid for our sins.