Monday, December 19, 2011
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.
Monday, December 12, 2011
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.
[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.
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.
Monday, December 5, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, November 28, 2011
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.
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!
[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!
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