[Hopefully you were transferred this moves.] Yes I was transferred so you can be happy now, I'm in Pedras, it's not too far from my old area and it's in the same zone. My new companion is Elder Costa from São Paulo. It's a good area on the fringes of Fortaleza. It actually has 4 cities in the area, but they are pretty much Fortaleza still.
Monday, February 28, 2011
27 Feb 2011 - Pedras Area (Mom)
[Sorry son, but I am tired. I was just ready for bed (midnight) when I realized I didn't write.] I know how you feel, I'm soooo tired right now. I spent 3 hours standing on a bus, and the buses here are like NASCAR races. I haven't eaten anything all day either, and it's almost 6 which means I have to start working just when I want to die. [I bought a leaf blower/vac...] That's good, that way when I get back home I won't have to do anything, the leaf blower vac will do it for me. [We just need a kid to climb the roof to get to the rain gutter at the top over the front door.] I won't be able to climb any roofs since I will be an old man. Go throw some popsicles and popcorn on the roof and maybe somebody will climb up there.
Unfortunately, I have been learning that the Brazilian rainy season means a ton of mold. Which is a pain because I don't have a washing machine and I don't want to wash 21414 pairs of clothes at a time. I can't just throw them in a pile or they get moldy. So I slave away over the sink washing clothes. The t shirts are the worse because they get super dirty on the shoulders and back where my backpack is. I washed some at another missionary's house, but they just ended up dirtier.... :( I found my English scriptures covered in mold too, since I haven't used them in months. It was just the cover so no big deal.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
27 Feb 2011 - Pedras Area (Dad)
[It sounds like you get to see President Batt fairly often.] Well technically I only see him every 3 months when we have Zone conference and P-days, but sometimes I see him a little more than that. [ didn't get to see my mission president very often since it was quite a trip to cover the mission.] Yes that's the benefit for not serving in 4 countries along side the heathen pagans as Tallmadge would say. The missionaries down in Juazeiro don't get to see him very often, so maybe one day I'll go down there and see what it is like. [Oh, and lots of good things come from Idaho, even if a bunch of them are potatoes.] Eh I like Idaho.....in the summer. One of the things that I really miss is camping and fishing and hunting while I was in Idaho. Idaho forest is a little different than Texas barren wasteland. More pine trees and clear water....less mexicans and junipers.
[You said you have a good friend in the Salvador Sul Mission. A good friend from the MTC or from school?] My good friend in Salvador Sul is just from the MTC, we really kicked it off. He is crazy like me. He was the one that went to São Paulo for a bit.
[I don't think I ever ate tamarind straight. It was always in a drink, which was pretty good, at least compared to avena or stuff like that.] I have only had tamarind juice once and it wasn't very good. I had an avacado...avocado;(however you spell that. I'll just use the Portuguese word abacate) smoothie the other day, it was pretty good. Abacate is sweet here so they don't use it the same way. Abacate and banana smoothies are good, try one ;) [And I really did like beans, rice, and tortillas, as odd as that might seem.] I'm going to eat rice and beans after the mission. If only I didn't have to wait hours to cook beans. It'll be good though because I will use a magical theory that many people here have never heard about, it's called flavor. ;)
[Hey, you'll have plenty of time to think about real life in a year and a half.] The problem is you can't just put it off for the next 1 and a half because then you get home and it's too late to think then. I want, well dream, to be a coach because I could never be an actual player. I LOVE football and it would be magical to think about football and watch football and get paid to do it. I don't want to coach little league, I would love to be a college coach, be the next Bronco. However, you can't coach without playing :) This week was transfers and I have a new companion again and his name is Elder Costa. He is from São Paulo like everyone else is. I'm in Pedras right now, which means rocks. I have only been here a few hours but I know why they named it that. They could have used dirt, forest, nothingness, abyss as names as well. It should be good since he is nothing like my last companion.
Nothing really happened this week, I did go on a division with my LD that has become a really good friend of mine. We got to talk etc and go do some baptismal interviews. He helps me and I help him, so it's good to have on the mission. It made me think how much better the mission would be if you could be companions with your friends, real friends that would work. Then I realized I could just take what I get and be friends with them. Just take what you get in life and stop complaining. That way you can have fun until you get some you really wanted, then you can have more fun! It's like D&C 121, it's the best scripture out there, every time I watch it on the Joseph Smith movie it punches me in the kidney and the throat. In other words, I feel the spirit so strongly. Don't complain about afflictions, just accept them and things will get better.
[You said you have a good friend in the Salvador Sul Mission. A good friend from the MTC or from school?] My good friend in Salvador Sul is just from the MTC, we really kicked it off. He is crazy like me. He was the one that went to São Paulo for a bit.
[I don't think I ever ate tamarind straight. It was always in a drink, which was pretty good, at least compared to avena or stuff like that.] I have only had tamarind juice once and it wasn't very good. I had an avacado...avocado;(however you spell that. I'll just use the Portuguese word abacate) smoothie the other day, it was pretty good. Abacate is sweet here so they don't use it the same way. Abacate and banana smoothies are good, try one ;) [And I really did like beans, rice, and tortillas, as odd as that might seem.] I'm going to eat rice and beans after the mission. If only I didn't have to wait hours to cook beans. It'll be good though because I will use a magical theory that many people here have never heard about, it's called flavor. ;)
[Hey, you'll have plenty of time to think about real life in a year and a half.] The problem is you can't just put it off for the next 1 and a half because then you get home and it's too late to think then. I want, well dream, to be a coach because I could never be an actual player. I LOVE football and it would be magical to think about football and watch football and get paid to do it. I don't want to coach little league, I would love to be a college coach, be the next Bronco. However, you can't coach without playing :) This week was transfers and I have a new companion again and his name is Elder Costa. He is from São Paulo like everyone else is. I'm in Pedras right now, which means rocks. I have only been here a few hours but I know why they named it that. They could have used dirt, forest, nothingness, abyss as names as well. It should be good since he is nothing like my last companion.
Nothing really happened this week, I did go on a division with my LD that has become a really good friend of mine. We got to talk etc and go do some baptismal interviews. He helps me and I help him, so it's good to have on the mission. It made me think how much better the mission would be if you could be companions with your friends, real friends that would work. Then I realized I could just take what I get and be friends with them. Just take what you get in life and stop complaining. That way you can have fun until you get some you really wanted, then you can have more fun! It's like D&C 121, it's the best scripture out there, every time I watch it on the Joseph Smith movie it punches me in the kidney and the throat. In other words, I feel the spirit so strongly. Don't complain about afflictions, just accept them and things will get better.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
20 Feb 2011 - Alvorada Area (Dad)
["The only place in Central America that I served in that had any terrain that wasn't flat was Costa Rica. The first area I served in there was up in the hills. When it rained, which it did frequently, walking in some of the areas could get a little treacherous. That was the only place that wasn't blazing hot too. I don't remember having the exotic fruit selection you have. All I remember are mangoes, bananas, pineapple, coconuts, papaya, oranges (green ones), and tamarind. We pretty much only drank soda pop and sometimes a tamarind drink or avena (some oatmeal thing)."] It's just flat and hot here and the terrain is perfect for flooding, which happens every time it rains. Everything is built on sand here so they always have problems because lots of water and sand don't mix. In fact, they make big holes in the ground and highways. I have a good friend in the Salvador Sul mission, he is actually singing a solo for Russel M Nelson this weekend. Carnaval is coming up in 2 weeks and I hear it gets crazy down there in Salvador. They have a ton of fruit here, and I haven't tried a lot of them. They have tamarind here too, but it's gross. They eat them raw here, they crack open their shells and eat the "meat" off of the seeds, which is suuuuuuuuuper sour. I had some juice too, but it tasted like sour dirt :) Papaya is 100% nasty and it smells nasty too. ["Man, a Winnie the Pooh wallet. I never got anything that sweet. I'm sure she enjoys your inventive drawings. Kids can be fun, huh?"] I haven't received many things from investigators and members. They people are really nice here though, if you ask then they will give it to you. I just don't ask people because I think that is rude ;) It's fun to play with the kids. They give you hugs and stuff, and even if their parents hate you, they still love you. Plus you get new wallets from them too, maybe I could convince them to put some money in the wallets first......
On the mission you have plenty of time to reflect while you are walking and stuff. Sadly, it give me time to remember how old I am going to be when I get off my mission. I just want to stay here forever, I have no idea what I am going to do when I get off the mission. I need money, an education, a major,.....a wife? maybe I'll wait on that ;) It's so much easier here, I just wake up and work then I go to sleep. I can live my dreams here, back there I have to live reality. My dream is to be a coach, I would love that more than anything in the world but alas it is a dream. I will go back home to my glorious life of cleaning toilets in the middle of the night, dancing with mops...that kind of cool janitor stuff. It will be good I guess, but I still have plenty of time to dream here in Brazil....Terra do Sol. Good luck to all of you people in reality, working everyday. I'll enjoy the coconut water and flip flops. I'll give the drunks some high fives for ya'll this Carnaval!
Winnie the Pooh wallet
20 Feb 2011 - Alvorada Area (Mom)
The time does seem to fly by. Here in a bit I will be an astoundingly ripe old age of 21. I will have a year on the mission in 4 months whew! Scott will be home then too. [Scott Ross, one of Jeffrey's friends from our ward who is now serving in the Philippines. Linda helps out Sister Ross as a volunteer at the elementary school library.] When Sister Ross writes me she talks about the library too. She is really grateful that you help her.
I already told you that you learn a lot of things when you are a teacher :) [Linda is now one of the Relief Society teachers.] It's good because you get to prepare so many things, but you don't teach all of it but you still learn. I don't remember who, but some apostle or somebody was talking about how much he learned from reading his mom's notebook about her lessons. She didn't teach anywhere near all of it, but she learned a ton. So maybe some day I will learn a ton from your untaught, but still insightful, material :) I think I might have that talk, or maybe it was from Elder Holland.
Things haven't gotten much better with me and my companion, but it's the last week of the transfers so oh well :) We had interviews with Pres. Batt so he probably knows. You have to remember that not all missionaries want to be here and not all of them are excited about the rules. [You should be a companionship of 4, so 2 can go out all the time as switch offs. Then there would be someone left with the sickie, taken in turns.] The ideal thing would be to work in 2 and work everyday like you are supposed to :) It's good here though, there are a lot of good missionaries, a lot more than there are bad ones. I have already made some plans for after the mission to do stuff with them ;) Just dreams really, I don't get my hopes up.
I already told you that you learn a lot of things when you are a teacher :) [Linda is now one of the Relief Society teachers.] It's good because you get to prepare so many things, but you don't teach all of it but you still learn. I don't remember who, but some apostle or somebody was talking about how much he learned from reading his mom's notebook about her lessons. She didn't teach anywhere near all of it, but she learned a ton. So maybe some day I will learn a ton from your untaught, but still insightful, material :) I think I might have that talk, or maybe it was from Elder Holland.
Things haven't gotten much better with me and my companion, but it's the last week of the transfers so oh well :) We had interviews with Pres. Batt so he probably knows. You have to remember that not all missionaries want to be here and not all of them are excited about the rules. [You should be a companionship of 4, so 2 can go out all the time as switch offs. Then there would be someone left with the sickie, taken in turns.] The ideal thing would be to work in 2 and work everyday like you are supposed to :) It's good here though, there are a lot of good missionaries, a lot more than there are bad ones. I have already made some plans for after the mission to do stuff with them ;) Just dreams really, I don't get my hopes up.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
13 Feb 2011 - Alvorada Area (Dad)
My companion is feeling better, but not wholly better. We are working though, but not a complete work day. [Jesus the Christ is full of deep doctrine that helps you appreciate much more who Jesus Christ is. I'm sure it wasn't chosen arbitrarily as one of the approved missionary books.] Jesus the Christ is good. The Apostles tell us that we should read it a lot and study it. After all, we are representatives of Him so we should probably know about Him. They also say that we should know more about Him than the people we teach, pastors, etc. I like the way he uses pagan heathens a lot in Jesus the Christ, and he calls people pitiful and pathetic, its cool :) Maybe I will read it in Portuguese one day.
[You are crazy for liking the heat so much, but I guess it is a good crazy for someone in Ceará. The heat didn't bother me most of the time in Central America, but there were some midday times in Nicaragua that sapped the energy out of you and some sweating that was done when going into a house and sitting down after hard walking in the blazing sun. But we just didn't pay much attention to it. It's not like we were the only ones living in it, nor was there anything we could change about it, so why even think about it?] Heat is soooo much better. We can never get away from the cold, you put more clothes on but you are still cold. Air conditioning always works if you can't handle the heat. Just think....Light of Christ, He is the Light of the world------heat. Heat is to good, happiness; cold is to suffering and misery! You probably had rough terrain to walk, here it's flatter than a pancake :)
[Sauce of the chili, huh.] I couldn't remembered what it was called. It's hot sauce! They don't have much here though, and it's weak. Down in Bahia is famous for spicy. Grandma said somebody served/visited there in Salvador (capital of Bahia)
[You mentioned the rough time old geezers like me must have had back in the day in the mission field. Maybe it was occasionally a little rougher, but nothing like Parley P. Pratt, or Ammon, or Paul.] But wait didn't you serve before Paul, Ammon and Parley P Pratt? You couldn't talk about the Restoration in your lessons because it hadn't happened yet ;) I remember the Bishop talked to me about lesson certificates, you get them when you memorize the lessons. Was the MTC in Provo much different?
Did you eat a lot of kinds of fruit on the mission? They have mangos, maracajú (passion fruit; one of the best fruits) bananas, apples, starfruit, sapoti (smells like rotten apples but it's super sweet), açaí, acerola (they are small and red and look like cherries), caju, caja, siriguela (caja and siriguela are the same I'm pretty sure, but they claim they are different; they are small and orange/yellow with a big seed), graviola (big, green with spikes, white inside with big black seeds), pineapples, watermelons.... lots of stuff that you probably don't know. They are all good, well almost all of them. I'm sure they have most of the same fruits there, just with different names. They also have sugar cane juice here too, virtually sugar water but it tastes good :) Did you ever drink coconut water? They sell it everywhere here. The first time I drank it it tasted like grass water :( But I got use to it, and I like it now.
I wrote Mom about the laborious baptism I had Sunday, you can ask her about it because I am lazy.
[You are crazy for liking the heat so much, but I guess it is a good crazy for someone in Ceará. The heat didn't bother me most of the time in Central America, but there were some midday times in Nicaragua that sapped the energy out of you and some sweating that was done when going into a house and sitting down after hard walking in the blazing sun. But we just didn't pay much attention to it. It's not like we were the only ones living in it, nor was there anything we could change about it, so why even think about it?] Heat is soooo much better. We can never get away from the cold, you put more clothes on but you are still cold. Air conditioning always works if you can't handle the heat. Just think....Light of Christ, He is the Light of the world------heat. Heat is to good, happiness; cold is to suffering and misery! You probably had rough terrain to walk, here it's flatter than a pancake :)
[Sauce of the chili, huh.] I couldn't remembered what it was called. It's hot sauce! They don't have much here though, and it's weak. Down in Bahia is famous for spicy. Grandma said somebody served/visited there in Salvador (capital of Bahia)
[You mentioned the rough time old geezers like me must have had back in the day in the mission field. Maybe it was occasionally a little rougher, but nothing like Parley P. Pratt, or Ammon, or Paul.] But wait didn't you serve before Paul, Ammon and Parley P Pratt? You couldn't talk about the Restoration in your lessons because it hadn't happened yet ;) I remember the Bishop talked to me about lesson certificates, you get them when you memorize the lessons. Was the MTC in Provo much different?
Did you eat a lot of kinds of fruit on the mission? They have mangos, maracajú (passion fruit; one of the best fruits) bananas, apples, starfruit, sapoti (smells like rotten apples but it's super sweet), açaí, acerola (they are small and red and look like cherries), caju, caja, siriguela (caja and siriguela are the same I'm pretty sure, but they claim they are different; they are small and orange/yellow with a big seed), graviola (big, green with spikes, white inside with big black seeds), pineapples, watermelons.... lots of stuff that you probably don't know. They are all good, well almost all of them. I'm sure they have most of the same fruits there, just with different names. They also have sugar cane juice here too, virtually sugar water but it tastes good :) Did you ever drink coconut water? They sell it everywhere here. The first time I drank it it tasted like grass water :( But I got use to it, and I like it now.
I wrote Mom about the laborious baptism I had Sunday, you can ask her about it because I am lazy.
13 Feb 2011 - Alvorada Area (Mom)
Is today Valentine's Day? I was thinking that was next week. Valentine's Day in Brazil is sometime in June or July. [Mom taught a lesson in church about work and learning responsibility.] I learned that hard work never pays off :) We had some baptisms this past Sunday. The water was nasty dirty in the font, which it usually is. So we decided to drain it and fill it up again. We flipped the switch for the pump and nothing happened. The circuit was 'broken' on the circuit breaker so we flipped the switch up. Every time I flipped the pump switch the circuit 'broke'....therefore the pump didn't work. So we had 3 hours until the baptism and we had to take all the water out and let it fill up again, which takes awhile. So we got buckets and started taking out the water and throwing it into the toilets. 2 kids helped us but it was hot and wet and my gimp finger that I broke and cut and hyperextended was hurting. I knew my past follies would come back to haunt me! It took forever....then the bishop came and flipped the circuit and the pump worked...So all the hard work for nothing :) I guess the Bishop had more faith and the church must use Liahona circuit breakers that work by faith. So I was pouring sweat and I was soaking wet, and President Batt was supposed to come to our church etc etc The baptisms went well though. That's what was exciting this week. My companion has been sick so we haven't been doing too much work. So I don't have many exciting things to tell this week. Wednesday I did Part 1 of 2 for a wedding we are going to have this week. It was just signing papers as a testimony etc. They are getting married on the 18th and hopefully the baptism will be the 20th :) I got a vinyl Winnie the Pooh wallet from a 7 year old girl in the ward, that was pretty cool. She always draws us pictures when we come over for lunch, and I end up drawing and coloring with her as I wait for lunch :)
I'm sure the lesson was a lot better than you thought it was. Sometimes we don't have to announce every detail of the lesson. People are smart and I am sure that they realized which were the key points. I think they like the grizzled, experience-filled stories of Sister Hawkes. They are all from Utah, so they are bored of the normal Mormon childhood :)
I'm sure the lesson was a lot better than you thought it was. Sometimes we don't have to announce every detail of the lesson. People are smart and I am sure that they realized which were the key points. I think they like the grizzled, experience-filled stories of Sister Hawkes. They are all from Utah, so they are bored of the normal Mormon childhood :)
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