Week ?? Mom's Playing Catch Up!

Week

March 31, 2014

So here we go.  So about the package, I saw dad´s e-mail. (His package is "Lost" in Brazil) That´s so stupid.  That is a very rare occurence, I´m talking very rare.  Everyone gets their package.  I just have terrible luck.  So let us now talk about terrible luck, maybe the missionaries there can read this and maybe feel a bit better.  So Maggie´s ingrown toenail, yea, my comp got that 2 weeks ago.  We went to the hospital and they removed a piece of flesh that was super inflamed, turned out there wasn´t an ingrown toenail.  But then we went to work.... for 1 day.  Then he felt pretty bad about his stupid toe.  We haven´t done anything since.  He has been ordered to bed rest until it is completely healed. And no one can go on splits with us.  We tried so hard.  Calling every day and every night.  We only accomplished one split for 4 hours with the other elders here.  Our frequency at the church went from 90% last week to 56% yesterday.  It was terrible, an exact replica of our work.  We really weren´t able to accomplish anything.  This week has been one of the hardest of my life, literally sitting in house, having the members drop off the food we were supposed to eat at their houses, then sitting and reading more.  It´s been super hard. ...but life is just hard.  So missionaries of Tyler Texas or Bullard or wherever there are missionaries let us do what we do.  We wear the nametag of Jesus Christ, that is the second biggest name on our nametag.  So we are gonna look at the positives.  What did I get done this week.  I got to study.  I learned a ton this past week from the scriptures.  I also got to improve my companionship with my companion.  We are getting along super well and whenever we get back to work we will work better than before.  So I want the elders to know this story.  While I was in Washington, I was first put into an area that hadn´t baptized at all in like a full year or 2.  My comp and I went in, did some work and then in one week lost every single one of our investigators.  All.  We went back to 0.  So we started over.  The end of the second transfer, we had 2 people on date with another 5 in potential.  We just hadn´t had the chance to ask them to be baptized yet. Then the worst thing imaginable happened.  We got swept out.  The next elders came in behind us and baptized 4 in 2 weeks.  Those were people I had worked so hard with and I didn´t get to see them get baptized.  But so I got shipped to an area that again hadn´t baptized in years with an elder I was told was not doing very well and didn´t want to do anything.  But we went out and worked.  The first 2 week were terrible. 0´s down the board in every category.  Maybe 2 `other lessons´ per week.  Then in week 3 miracles happened.  A guy approached us and invited us in to talk to him.  The bishop for the first time in 15 weeks at least liked the missionaries and gave us referrals to go talk to.  Every member took a church tour and said they would invite friends to take it.  Which did happen, I just wasn´t there for it.  I got moved to Brasil. Where I can´t speak the language.  Now I can but when I got here, nothing.  So we have to look on the bright side.  You don´t have any investigators, all are gone and you can´t get referrals from the members.  You guys are servants of the Lord God Omnipotent, He will help us out.  Just keep stepping outside, do some walking, and you will find miracles.  The way is prepared, we just have to find it. So just walk, and you will find the way.  And always see the bright side, at least you guys can leave the house, haha, I´ve been stuck inside for a week now with only 1 day of work in 10 days. So there is always a silver lining.  But so to now answer the last little bit and then sign off. So for dad, my shoes cost about 75 American dollars, and I have already bought new shoes, so I should be good for another little while. Batteries.... I am searching for. I should have plenty in my account right now so I wouldn´t worry about dropping any. I think right now I´m pretty well off, just haven´t had the chance to go try new batteries because I´ve kinda been stuck in house. But my comp is getting better and we will recieve new updates today to see if we can go work or not. So, hopefully we can here pretty soon. Unfortunately no pics but soon, I promise. I will try to get some today since we are already out of the house. Love you guys! Love you a ton mom!
(No pics because he can't find any 'real' batteries.  They like to sell fake ones to missionaries.)

Week

March 24, 2014

So I have some kinda bad news.  My package did not arrive.  So it´s probably another 6 weeks until my next opportunity to get it if I stay here in Vilhena.  Which I probably will.  But so here is what I think you should do. Look up the package number that they gave you, And send it to me as well so I can check it.  What happened to my companion is the government held his package.  No reason, just stored it in a building.  And they charge you to store it there.  And if no one picks it up they send it back.  It´s super rare but it happened to my comp so the numbers and look it up.  It could happen.  I hope not but it could.  And it can get expensive, like an extra 100 bucks expensive if you leave it sitting there.  So I saw the money that dad put it and I´m super grateful cause I need it.  Broke through those new shoes I bought like 3 months ago.  They´re gone.  Já era.  Have to buy new ones today.  Totally lame.  Don´t know how but yea,  I´m needing new ones like today.  So I know you don´t want to send shoes but I could really use some american shoes.  And my comp got some like black ecco hiking boots, and they are awesome and will definately last a year.  So I´m thinking if I could get some of those, that would last me the rest of the mission.  I know it would be expensive cause the safest way is one at a time but it could be worth it in the long run.  It´s that or buy shoes every 3 months,  Which I really don´t want to do.  But so that´s my news, I was at conference this week and no package.
So here is what happens.  We never travel to Manaus except transfers or if you are a zone leader, but even rarely for them.  So we travel 6 hours to a city called Jí-Paraná.  There are 3 or 4 companionships there And that is our entire zone.  But then sometimes we have a combined zone conference with Porto Velho, which is 12 hours away by bus.  I think there is another 6 or 8 companionships there.  Oh and Porto velho is basically underwater right now. It´s been raining so much that the river broke the thingies that keep it in (forgot what they are called).  Flooded most of the city.  Pretty sad, but no one has died so that´s pretty good.  And the houses of the missionaries are in good areas so nothing has been lost yet. But it´s still raning a ton without the chance of stopping until like the end of April.  That´s when the rainy season is supposed to end.  So yea, the missionaries there are just doing releaf efforts right now.... And baptizing while doing it. Probably can baptize in the road with the amount of water there.  But yea, those are the two zones here in this area. This area being the entire state of Rondônia.  But I guess that´s just how it goes. But so now to answer dad´s e-mail. So there are 2 other companionships here in Vilhena, my district leader and his comp and then the Sisters.  So we aren´t entirely secluded, and we all travel together so we usually have something to do on the bus.  Talk or just go to sleep (usually sleep).  But we follow the same schedule as everyone else. We wake up at 6:30 and do exercises, then get ready for the day.  8 starts personal study,  9 starts comp study, and 10 starts language study to keep working on the language.  Because we are living with 2 other elders while we find a house for the sisters, our language study has turned into teaching them english while my comp and I try to learn some Spanish.  Basically Português is down, just got to get rid of my accent and that just comes with time.  So now we are learning some spanish.  It´s pretty awesome. I´m gonna come home knowing 3 languages, and I´m just gonna learn more when I get home.  I´ve got some big goals now.  I wanna know English, Português, Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German, and a little bit of Arabic and possibly throw some Greek in there too.  I think that would be awesome.  But back to my schedule.  So then at 12 we have lunch and then we work until 9.  A pretty typical day of the missionary.  Teachin and learnin and stuff haha.
And so yes mom I am happy.  I´m doing pretty well, enjoying my time here and I´m learning a lot.  So I wanna tell this story of what happened this week and then I´m gonna stop writing, I´ve written a ton.  And unfortunately no pics.  I´m gonna find a way to get some for you for next week, I promise.

So here is the story. So my comp and I are walking down the street and this man stops us and says his family is in need and doesn´t have food. Unfortunately we don´t have anything on us so we can´t really help.  We pass by a few days later and clap our hands (that´s the same as knocking on the door here) and his wife comes and says they are still in need.  They literally have no food.  So we go to our branch president, Presidente Rui (pronounced Presidench Hooey), and tell him what´s happening with this family.  Without hesitation or question he has me hold up a bag and starts loading in food.  80 reals (40 dollars) worth of food and asks where they live.  We drive to their house and drop off the food then Presidente Rui invites them to church.  Presidente Rui and I pass by there Sunday to see if they will go and give them a ride.  The entire family and a friend are sitting outside waiting for us.  It was so awesome to see that they remembered and that they were honestly willing to go.  It was super cool and we will start really teaching them this week.  We were waiting to see if they would go to church and now we know it is honest and sincere and they are ready to recieve the good word.  So I would like to invite everyone to act like Presidente Rui. When someone is in need, without hesitation or question, it is our job to help.  And everyone is in need.  Everyone needs the gospel and it is our job to help them see the light.  So that is my tip of the week.  Help everyone, don´t question, just do it.  And they will see the light.  So that is all I have for this week, remember to look up the number. Love you all! Love you mom!

Week

March 17, 2014

But so let´s see.   Let me tell you about my week.  It was pretty normal honestly.  We decided to all work in one of the 3 areas for a day then the next move to a new one.  So we spent 2 days out of our area working in others.  The plan was good but it didn´t quite work like my district leader planned.  So I don´t think we are gonna do it again.  And we didn´t get to baptize this week.  Had one lined up, but she got sick Saturday night of course and couldn´t make it to church.  It was a big badger.  But this next week I´m pretty sure will be better. But in better news, I have gone on divisions with another elder to teach this one investigator and he finally got baptized this week.  After 1 year of being taught, he finally got baptized.  I was super happy for him.  It was pretty cool.  But for his baptism he only wanted specific people there.  It wasn´t open for anyone to come.  Only those like 4 people invited.  And then the missionaries.  It was pretty cool either way.  But so yea, that about sums up my week.  Sorry I don´t have that much, it was a pretty average week this week.  Oh, I am trraveling this week.   I will be on a bus for 6 hours there and 6 hours back.  And I will get my package!  So then I will be able to send pics! But until then I don´t have pics yet....But I will next week, promise.  So sorry about the short e-mail but it´s all I´ve got to report right now.  So I will be sure to watch myself about soccer and everything.  Hope everything goes well with the house. Love you all a bunch! Love you mom!

Week

March 10, 2014

That´s really cool that Jessica reported this week.  So we haven´t had a conference yet so there hasn´t been a chance to even see if I have gotten any packages. So unfortunately we are just gonna have to wait a little more, so please stop worrying that you haven´t seen my face.  It´s all still here, as pretty as ever. Maybe a little red cause I got sunburned this week but that´s about it. 

So one of our baptisms did come through this week, a little 8 year old child of a less active family.  His name is Elber.  He is so small.  Like he walked into the water and was already almost under, the water came up to his chest.  It was kinda funny.  But him and his brother have been walking by themselves the past few weeks for over a mile to get to church, so I think he was kind of excited to get baptized.  He was pretty happy.  And now his family is starting to come back so that is pretty sweet.  But that is about the summary of this past week. Getting everything set up and confirmed for the baptism and trying to find more but all of those falling through.  So just the one baptism this week.

And I would send pics from my comp but they take forever to load and I have kinda been waiting a while. I will try to send them next week. And then hopefully I will have had a conference and recieved my package by that point.  So I will send all that have passed and then I will be sure to take some new ones just for you.  

SO just to clarify right now I am not in a ward, I am in a branch.  And it is doing pretty well.  We had 80 people in sacrament meeting so that was pretty good.  We need 20 more and then we can start talking about a ward.  But so that is basically it.  We found 2 new families so hopefully this week we will teach them and they will prove to be pretty cool and receptive. Unfortunately though the 2 new families is countered by 3 investigators not wanting any more.  Pretty sad when someone drops you but they have their agency so there is nothing I can do to force them to accept.  Just keep working and hope in time they will open up more. 

So I hope everyone enjoys their spring break of coldness and the time off from school!  I don´t really get anything like that so enjoy it for me too.  Be sure to encourage Caden to participate in the mission prep.  It will help a lot. That´s about all I have this week guys. So here is something in Portuguese.  See if you can figure it out. I love you guys. Love you mom!!!

 

Então, se você sabe que essas coisas são verdadeiras, você vai seguir o exemplo de nosso Salvador Jesus Cristo, e seja batizado pelo uma pessoa que têm a autoridade para realizar essas coisas? Por que nos sabemos que essas coisas são verdadeiras, e que A Igreja De Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias é a igreja de Jesus Cristo aqui na terra e que nos temos a autoridade para fazer seu batismo. Is that good?

(So if you know these things are true, you will follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ, and be baptized by a person having the authority to do these things? Why do we know that these things are true, and that The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is the church of Jesus Christ here on earth and that we have the authority to make his baptism.)

Manaus...Week 13!

Big Things Happening!!!

Well, so, I got transferred.... To a place not even in the same state as Manaus. I am currently in a town called Vilhena. And don´t ask me what state it is in because I have no idea. All I know is that I am southwest of manaus, in the middle of nowhere. Find a city called Porto Velho and then go even more south. So here is my transfer story. Get the call Sunday afternoon at 2 o clock. They tell me I will need to be at the office at 5. The same day. I got transfered on a Sunday. Craziest thing ever. So, got a ride from a member to the office, got my passport, and then headed off to the airport with 5 other missionaries. Got on the plane at 8:30. Landed at 9:30 and then went to the house of some missionaries there in Porto Velho. Stayed there until 2 AM. Then caught a bus to my area that I was on for 13 hours!!!!! We left at 2 in the morning and pulled in to my area at 3:40 or something like that! It was so long! And here is the best part. So there were 2 other elders on the bus with me, but they were going to another area. So they got off after 4 or 5 hours. And they said, just chill on the bus till I get to my area. And if I miss my area, here are some numbers to call. Good luck! So yea, I sat on a bus for 13 hours and most of the time I didn´t even know if I was heading towards my area. Luckily I made a friend on the bus who lives in this area so he was able to help me out. The bus ride is so long that we even stopped for a 30 minute lunch break. And I ate with the guy that was helping me. It was pretty sweet cause it was all Portuguese. And only after 3 months. So I´m feeling pretty good about myself, even if I am exhausted. 

And I´m sorry but I haven´t had time to take pictures. I literally stepped off the bus, got my bags, dropped them off in an apartment of some elders (which I´m gonna have to move again because it isn´t even our apartment, so more travel. Yay!), then walked here because the other 3 elders have been waiting for me so they could email their families. So nothing this week, but next week, I promise. 

But so let me now do a recap of the rest of the week. We had another baptism! A little 10 year old girl named Lilian. She is the younger sister of a recent convert, so hopefully she will stay strong. But so yea, then some teaching and some meetings and I´m super tired so I´m gonna go ahead and end this email cause I 

can´t stop thinking about sleep. 

So my tip of the week is make sure you get enough sleep. There is a reason there is a rule about going to bed at 10:30, and that is so your body is able to function during the day and you are not drop dead tired, because you have a work to do and it requires you to be at your best. So get some sleep, like I am going to here shortly. Love you mom!!!!!

Oh and I got my packages! And then rapidly packed them into my suitcase and checked them into the airport not even 1 hour after opening. Perfect timing? I think so!!! Haha

(Mom)  What an adventure

(Elder Link)  Oh trust me, I know!

(Mom)  Really excited for you though.....how cool...and scary...and cool. Ya doing o.k.?

(Elder Link) Yea, I'm fine.

  (So we looked it up and it's kind of like an island....He is about 50-75 miles from the border of Bolivia.  Vilhena is a city of about 70,000 people in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by jungle.)

So here is my rigging. There was water leaking from our roof for some reason and no way to stop it. So I just taped a bag to the ceiling to catch the water...Because it was directly over my bed....Dripping on me. Totally lame. But my rigging saves the day.  

This is my new favorite fruit. The mango. Just rip it open and eat right off the tree. Awesomeness. 

And it has taken over 30 minutes to load these photos....

So here is a member being crazy with his child. Pretty cool though and the kid loves it.

 But so here we have the girl who was baptized, Lilian, and then me and some other missionaries waiting in the airport on Sunday night

So this is all I got. More next week. Promise.

Manaus....Week 12!

So, this week was super good as far as teaching and finding goes. A huge amount. More than 75 lessons and more than 25 new investigators. Pretty boss. So yea, we are doing really well. 

But so there is an announcement I have to make. So next week is transfers and they are differente here because of how big the mission is. So if I go to a far away área I will be on a plane all of Monday. So I would probably be taking my pday Tuesday. I don't know how it works here, but thats what I have been told. So I guess we will see what happens. Ive been in the same área for 2 and a half transfers so I'll probably get transferred soon. But who knows, could end up staying, don't really know.

 But so, I bought new shoes. When I got my money, there was 177 dollars, which is 300 reals, more or less. And the shoes were 160 reals. So yea, kinda needed that money. Thanks everyone who contributed. 

But so if you guys get a dog, please get a big one. I like big dogs, little ones are kinda annoying. But I guess you guys pick and I don't really have a choice because I'm halfway across the world. 

But so lets see, lets finish telling about this week. So had another baptism, his name is Eric. Didn't get a picture because I still didn't have battery. But I was finally able to buy some today so I will have some pics next week. It'll be pretty sweet but you will have to wait until next week. Sorry. But so lets talk about the baptism a bit, it was super cool but kinda wierd. So we had him on date to be baptized saturday with the baptisimal interview earlier on saturday. But on Friday was an activity and he was there and our zone leaders were there, and did the interview on Friday. Then they said why not just do the baptism now, so we paused the activity and baptized him right then and there. So yea, that about sums up my week, super good but I feel like we rushed some things but there is always next week. 

Only problem, super tired, as Always haha. Love you guys, have fun with the new dog. Stay cool everyone. Tip of the week is going to have to be keep working no matter what. No matter if you are about to drop, or you are dissapointed in something, or if you get ´dear johned´ you have to keep working. Working will distract you from all your problems, so literally lose yourself in the work. Don't lose your personality, just your problems. Work with everything you are and all the strength you have so when you come home and finish planning, you collapse. That's when you know you did some good working that day. 

Allright, so until next week. Love you Family. Love you mom! Sorry this is a little short....