Dear Family and Friends,

What a week! First, let me start off by saying I LOVE MY COMPANION. Elder Alendes is awesome. I lost a lot of good habits and even gained some bad ones here in the office (for example, being lazy on contacts) and he is pushing me, I love it!! The work is improving every day. This area is pretty dead for now, but it has lots of potential.

So we have been teaching a mother of a member who had a stroke. Her name is Yone (EE-o-ni) and she is 80 years old! She was catholic her whole life but when the stroke hit her she realized that it didn’t make sense!! Haha So we started teaching her and she is awesome! She LOVES the missionaries and calles us “my boys” its sweet. So we taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the things we need to do here on the earth, and she realized she needs to be baptized! So we invited her to prepare herself for baptism for the 6th of Setember. She accepted and was a little nervous but we assured her that there will be no problems.. we will need to have a few guys in the baptismal font but it should go well. I am so excited!!

Also, speaking about miracles… about a month ago we taught a guy named Marcos at his front gate. He was way cool and really liked our message. We came back for the next appointment and the mom answered the door (probably about 60 years old) and said they are all cathlolic and already have their religion (so many people say that here, its SO annoying) so we were like uhh aiight and never went back. Then on Thursday Marcos came to the chapel  (the mission office is here too) and he told us how his mom had a stroke and how he is needing a miracle. So we taught him the 2nd lesson and marked a baptismal date with him, at the end of the lesson he was like “Yeah I am really wanting to be baptized..” how awesome is that!! So the work really is picking up, its fantastic!

Alright, so as most of you know I am training the next executive secretary. Now, normally, this means I LEAVE this next transfer (September 30). But there is a small rumor going around that I will be the next FINANCIAL secretary!! President told Elder Hiar that he will train next transfer, and usually the financial sec. is American… so I am FREAKING OUT. Honestly I would die. The work he does is NOT FUN. So I am crossing my fingers. I want to leave so bad! But its not as bad as it was, I do like it here.

Recently I have been working on my mind. Its amazing how powerful and complex it is. I have been trying to purify and sanctify my mind, or in other words keep it clean and pure! Its not an easy task and I have been struggling but I have improved a lot. Here in Brazil they are a little more lean on the rules of modesty. So you can be walking down the street with tons of girls wearing not too much, bad billboards, and magazine stands OVERFLOWING with bad magazines.. its ridiculous. I realized yesterday (as it warms up) how much I actually liked the cold because everyone dresses modestly!! Haha but I can see how much Satan tries to get into our heads. Basically, you are what you think, and you thoughts turn into actions. So Satan LOVES to put all these things in front of you to get you to focus on them. But, as members we need to constantly be focusing on PURE and VIRTUOUS thoughts. That is where the temple comes in. What a wonderful a glorious blessing is the temple! I cant wait to be able to start going weekly when I get back, its such a strengthening force for our spirit. Well that’s enough of my rambling and I hope you can put these words into practice. I love you all, have a grrrrrrrrreat week!

My dearest family and friends,

Oh what a joyous wonderful spectacular week. Do you know why? TRANSFERS!!! And guess what? I AM LEAVING THE OFFICE!!!!!!!! Hooray!!! Haha you have no idea how happy I am. Don’t get me wrong, the office is great, but being out in the field 24/7 is waaaayy better. So I am training Elder Alendes from São Paulo to take my place. He is really cool, by far the best brazillian comp I have had. We get along really great and are working hard in the area. Its hard though because he isn´t to proficient with computers so things that take me 5 mins take him 30 haha but he is really applying himself which is awesome. He wants to get better at typing so when I have to do something he goes over to the other computer and just sits there typing (he says he is typing a book about his mission haha).

Elder Richards, the Assistant went home. He was the best missionary I have ever met in my life. It was so awesome to be in the same house. I really miss him, especially because the new assistant is a jerk! Haha I but in a new milk box and the next morning I go to get some and it was HALF EMPTY! I was like uhhh, WHO DRANK MY MILK? Haha then he was like oh.. I did. Sorry about that. I was not very happy. Then he kept asking me for food and this and that, then took some more without asking… uhhh its terrible. So I gave him and egg this morning and said it’s the LAST thing I am giving him and he is no longer permitted to eat anything of mine. Hopefully he actually buys his OWN food today.. haha.

WOW! So yesterday we had a meeting with president about this next transfer and whats going to happen. So we are working with the temple presidency to do some sort of temple/missionary work project. So we brainstormed for an hour and came up with some really cool ideas!! Bascially what will happen is every Tuesday and Thursday night there will be a specially trained missionary companionship at the temple to do tours and teach lessons about the temple. We came up with a little tour route and then it ends with a really spiritual lesson in the temple reception room (they let us teach people in there). It should be awesome. So that will get started sometime soon. Its ideally for the members to be able to have an easy way to present the gospel to their friends. All the member needs to do is take his friend there, and the missionaries do the rest!!

So this week I had an awesome experience.  An RM from our ward called us up and told us he has a friend we need to visit. So he went with us and we taught this kid (19) and his sister (16). It was a really strong and spiritual lesson and they understood EVERYthing and loved it! They accepted every commitment and even a baptismal date! So we are very happy and we should go there tonight to teach them the plan of salvation. Its really amazing to see how much better it is when we teach people the members introduced to us. That is by far the biggest number of baptisms in our mission is member referrals.

Have an awesome week, and share this wonderful gospel! Only good can come from it. I love you all! Write me letters and emails!! Send me packages!!

Dear World,

Hello! How are yall doin? Haha that reminds me sometimes me and Elder Richards talk with a strong redneck accent because is we talk normally our comps usually can understand the subject. Its quite hilarious.. aaaaaaanyways this week was fantastic. Transfers are this next week so President has been here a lot. Its cool because in his room in the back he has a huge board with all the missionaries then he takes out the ones leaving and then decides who will train who will be LZ and what not. I asked him if he would let me participate in a transfer and see how its done, because only the assistants can. The secretaries used to but then they started leaking information so now we aren´t allowed.

Today was AWESOME. We all took a train to a place called Morretes, by the coast of Brazil. There are tons of really amazing views. We spent a few hours in the small city and then President met up there to take us back home. I will attach a bunch of pictures. I was thinking about all the amazing campouts and vacations I have done. What a blessing to be able to see so many natural wonders. I am hoping to see more. I love nature!! Oh and even better, in the middle of this tiny city, I saw a BRAND NEW mustang, so sweet. I don’t even see them in the city, how awesome is that! I will attach that picture too

I am not sure what is going to happen with transfers. Or I train this next transfer to leave, or I will stay until DECEMBER then leave. So I am going crazy. President asked me for a list of potential future executive secretaries so that is a start!! Haha but I am so pumped to get out of here, you have NO idea.

The weather has gotten so much better, sun, sun, and more sun! Today was a beautiful day. I love the sun! Man do I miss the beach.

The work is going slow still. Its quite a challenge. This area is by far the hardest. There are tons of buildings and people have cars so its hard to get into contact with people to get their address and teach them. We basically live of member referrals and the referrals site from the church. Our district set a goal to mark at least 3 new baptismal dates this week every companionship. We are working hard and showing the Lord we really desire this. I am positive he will bless us for it.

I was doing a baptismal interview the other day and the guy asked me an interesting question. Basically, he asked me what I think about the other churches and the situation they put their members in (ie: taking their money, teaching wrong doctrines, etc.) and I told him that to me, its sad. I have seen so many people blinded by the things they have been taught and SO many people giving away their money to pay for the Pastors car. I told him how it becomes a motivator for missionaries, because we see the situation they are in and we feel sad, and we become more motivated to preach the gospel. Satan is doing a very good job spreading apostasy, but the truth is growing faster I don’t know if you have ever seen that small movie about the growth of stakes in the church, SO AWESOME! Look it up on Youtube, totally worth the 5 minutes. This work is amazing. It truly is the work of the Lord, and he will help us in it! So go out there and DO YOUR PART. Otherwise you are a traitor haha but seriously there are SO many blessings in store for the people who do missionary work. No body said to stop doing missionary work after you came home from the mission.

Have a spectacular week, and KTYL!!!!!! (know that you´re loved!)

Hello,

WOW. What a day. Let me start off by saying that personally, on my pday, I am a big fan of sleeping, eating, and using internet. Now today, we had a ward activity planned. I was not to excited to go, so I just told the ward we couldn’t. Now Elder Hiar, my companion in the office, LOVES big parties, events, and activities. He is a journalist, and I think was born to love these sort of things. So I decided, why not. So we went, then came back. I am sad to say I pretty much wasted my whole pday. Elder Hiar was happy though so I was glad I could help him have a good pday.

Anyways this week was great/terrible. Last Saturday I had the privilege of interviewing Erasmo and Sabrina for baptism. They are so awesome. So the next day (last Saturday) they threw us a BBQ and we started our fast. Erasmo let us know he was needing a better job, so us six missionaries and them decided to fast for that. I will be honest I never really have had a big testimony about fasting. I was flabbergasted (love that word!!) to hear that a few days ago, he was called in to do an interview for his dream job, which pays twice(as much as three) times much!!! So amazing. So my testimony was really strengthened. So for all of you who are needed that extra umph in your plee to Heavenly Father, fast!!

I had the most amazing interview with President the other day. I was just sitting here not doing much and he randomly called me in to see how I was doing. So we talked about my area, companion, and everything else. I am not going to lie, I was crying a lot. But it was such an amazing experience because he truly is an inspired man who knows how to help the missionaries. We have at our disposal bishops, and many other wonderful people who are here to help us in our difficulties, and unfortunately many just don’t go seeking for help and stay in that crappy situation. So I challenge you all to go talk to your bishop. Even if you don’t need it, its still good for you. I promise you will feel soooo much better!

The work is hard. This area is really hard. But I am learning. I am growing and progressing. We are gradually progressing in the work. The members are starting to give references and share the gospel. We still have LOTS to go but we are getting there.

I love you all. Really, you are amazing. Have a wonderful week!!

My Dear Family and Friends,

What an insane week. I honestly don’t know where to start. Lets start with the weather. Rain, freezing cold rain. That’s it. Sounds wonderful right? And when its cold outside, its even colder inside! Wonderful, especially when you take a shower. They are saying it should clear up tomorrow, but Curitiba is ridiculous. You could leave the house with a nice sunny day and after lunch it will be pouring.

Yesterday I got to interview the two investigators of the Assistants that are going to be baptized today. WOW! They are so cool. They are making us a barbeque today for lunch. They have a crazy past, drugs, and what not. But it was so cool to see the change the gospel has made in their lives.

This Thursday we had our mission-wide conference. It was insane! I got to sing in a 7 missionary choir and we sang “With Faith in Every Footstep”, it was so cool. The President of the CTM (MTC) Presidente Woodward came too and it was cool to see him again. The assistants both gave a talk and Elder Richards (going home this transfer) was amazing. It was sad because you could sense how sad he was to leave but he is one of the best missionaries I have ever met in my life. I don’t want him to go! Oh speaking of leaving we had two missionaries go home early, dont worry they didn’t do anything wrong, they went home a little early because of school. So I got to see them packing their bags and super trunky. Not one of the funnest things as a secretary!!

I have been in a bad mood lately, you can probably tell by my letter haha. I am trying so hard to get along with my companions but MAN is it hard. Especially Brazilians. Haha so it was way cool to hang out with all the cool missionaries at the mission conference. We also took a picture of the mission; I will send it with this email. I am the first one to have this, none of the missionaries have even seen it yet so you are in for a treat! I am on the left side, with a sweet yellow tie.

I need a vacation! Terrible timing I know. Right when I started typing this sentence a monsoon started, I think the church is going to flood haha SO MUCH WATER!!!! AHHHHH!!!! Anyways im going insane. So much office work and so little missionary work. We are living in 6, in a 4 person apartment that is always so cold you can see your breath when you are talking with one another. I barely have any time to study anymore. I can see the difference so much of when I studied daily personal and in companionship, and how I am studying now. Tomorrow we are giving another lesson to our ward about missionary work, it should be awesome. The work is going really slow, we are barely getting lessons. I am so ready to be shipped into the interior with thousands of people, an amazing companion, and just lose myself. Maybe I still have a few more things I need to learn here before I leave. We will see.

Amen to what Ryan (Elder Thompson) said in his letter. We learn with difficulties. That is why even though my mission is super incredibly hard right now, I am liking it   Weird huh? I see those people out in the street doing NOTHING and drinking and just wasting away and feel so terrible for them. Life shouldn’t be easy. Learn to love your trials, and imagine the person you will become! Always remember we our children of God, and he loves us and cares for us. He is always willing, and capable, to help. We just need to do what he asks, and pray. I love you all, and hope you have a great week!