Week 27

Well it has been a great week this past week. We had a baptism this past Sunday morning. Its was set up for Saturday Night but our ward mission leader is of no use at all. It just makes the biggest difference when the Ward mission leader does his job. But we got it all done on Sunday and Confirmed her too in sacrament.

We have really been focusing on finding new people to teach each day. I love doing all the contacting we do in the street and then getting references and tracking them down. 

It was really cool to hear that Aylee came up to the house this week and spent it with you guys. She is really awesome and I love her. It was so awesome to see the pictures that Stephy sent me of everyone.

But ´´jazzed´´ I think is the wrong word for Brazilians. They are insane!! Specially now that Brasil is in the Final rounds. We changed P-day for tomorrow and we are going out eworking today to get some stuff down this week.

That´s about it this week I think....

Week 25

Oh yes well the doctor didnt really say much and all the resluts were, were pictures of my insides and that everything was normal inside me. So... Thats all I got for that... But I feel great right now and have been feeling great for the past few days!! So it´ll stick around this time I know.

Well Elder Castro was emergency transfered last night. He leaves tomorrow and I get a new companion hopefully a new district leader or they will make me the district leader.

The food I miss the most is probably a nice big ol burger fresh of the grill. They don't do a ton of burgers here and they have Burger King and McDonalds but its not the same and not very good.

 

No it just happens every once in a while. Thye just called out of the blue and transfered him. He hasn´t been doing too good of a job with being the District Leader honestly... but that's not for me to say.

 

Honestly its just like every other World Cup back home.. Its usually you only watch your country´s game and other than that you dont care. For the most part. Every once in a while someone will say something.

Yeah we have 4 lessons planned for tonight and more tomorrow hopefully!!

If this is that last message for the night Love You Momma!!!

Elder Chapman

Week 23

Momma!! Its so good to hear everyone is doing so good! I feel so much better knowing the Lord will take of you guys while I´m gone. I pray constantly for you all and I´m so blessed to have my prayers answered!!! I´m so excited for Sarah!! I´ve been praying really hard for her these pasts weeks. And Grandma Martin too. Praise the Lord! He´s a pretty awesome Father!!

This week has been pretty good for me. Wednesday went really really well. We had the entire mission come together for the farewell. President gave a training seminar first and afterwards was lunch and then after lunch was the singing. I´ll get someone to post it on Facebook at the office or get a copy of it for you. We went to the hospital on Thursday to get my stuff for my exam tomorrow. That ate up the day for us. Then we had to make our own lunch. Which I am always excited for. I make a lemon chicken thing. Its really good. 

But the coolest thing this week was we had Stake Conference this week. And I´m pretty sure entire Brazil did too. Because there was a broadcast from Salt Lake and the temple was closed and the temple store was too. The two area seventy talked to us and the second councilor in the relif society did too. And also Elder Scott and Elder Ballard. Elder Scott speaks Portuguese!! I didn´t know that but it was really cool to heat their talks for us. 

One really cool experience we had this week was giving a blessing to one of our investigators! She was bad. She was vomiting she had a fever and she was having a tough time with it. So we gave her a blessing. And I told her in the blessing that if you have faith you can be healed. We came back the next day and she was completely fine. She said it was a miricle. I was like uh yeah it was!!! 

So that was something cool for you this week. But other than that I´m doing pretty good. Honestly I need to ask for some money though and I hate to ask. But with going to the hospitals so much that just eats my money for buses and the medicine they have me buy. I get reimbursed for the meds but they still haven´t had time to do it for me yet. So if you could, could you put some money in my account as soon as you have the chance.

Love you Momma hope to talk to you soon!!

Week 22

Hey Momma!! That good to hear that dad got tot go out to help out Beth. I hope she´s doing better. I´m sure he was liking to spend time with his family.

You need to talk to Amber for me and get her email for me!!

I wish I had done EFY at least once before... Oh well Sarah can do it for me!! That is so cool that Dusty was one of her instructors and Amber got to do some stuff with her too!!

But this week my stomach bug has come back and I went to the hospital twice this past week. But I'm starting to feel better now I just hate feeling like this. I start working and my stomach just hurts. I can hardly walk to appointments. But things are getting better and I have an exam scheduled for the 10th. So hopefully they can find something and get me right. If not I might be coming home or transfered to another mission. Its been over 5 months with this thing and I´ve lost like 20 pounds probably. This past week in church a member asked me how much weight I´ve lost. She says she can notice a difference. So that's not good. I´ve only been here for a few weeks. But the members are taking really good care of me.

Not much else is going on here.

Week 20

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From:	Rex Chapman (rex.chapman@myldsmail.net) You moved this message to its current location.
Sent:	Mon 5/19/14 9:29 AM
To:	Darlene Chapman (darchapman@hotmail.com)

Para bems para você!!! Esta data na vida!!! Muito felicidade muitos anos que vida!!

(Thats happy birthday in Portuguese!! it makes a lot more sense here!!) Congratulations for you. This day of life a lot of happiness and a lot more years!!

Hey momma it sounds like you all have had a super awesome week!!! 'Im so jealous of the hot dogs and brauts!!

But this week has been really good for us here in Ita 1!!! We have been working really hard everyday to try to make up for last week. Things are still going great with all of us for the most part. Elder Castro is still trying to adjust to having to do everything. He only has another month on me. So he´s still pretty green and he's the district leader. So he's got a lot to do and I don't know if he is handling it all that well. But I'm not in charge and am trying to help as best as I can. One thing that is bothering me about that companionship - he´ll tell someone something without knowing beforehand if its right, Like the other day he is marking all these lessons we are doing and I'm not remembering any of them. So I asked him about it and he was like I don't know. I was like dude we cant do that!! Numbers don't matter!!! Yeah having a lot of numbers is nice but we need to be honest and have names to support the numbers. And then today every morning before we email ya'll we email the office to report our numbers and he was marking down 5 people and only giving 2 names. I was like elder what are you doing?? He was like doing the report. I said then do it right. He got mad at me but I'm doing this stuff right.

Other than that little stuff the companionship is awesome and is going smooth. We are working great with our members and I am in love with them. They take such good care of us. My best friend is a recent convert André. He is such an awesome guy. We pass by his house everyday before we get to our area and he always pokes his head out the window and asks if we need some food or something!! He is awesome!! He is the same guy we Skyped with.

But the best part about the week was yesterday!!! We had 4 investigators come to church and 1 new one too!! But the bestest part was last night!!! President Pinho came to the stake center in Embu to talk to the stake and then the Stake President talked after him!! It was so awesome!! President Masius called the entire stake to repentance and work better with the missionaries!! Holy Cow!!! It was outstanding!! One of the best experiences of my mission thus far!!

But all is well today!!! 

Week 19

Hey Momma!!! That sounds like a pretty busy week! But that´ll be awesome staying so busy!!! Its nice to have down time but sitting around doing nothing is never any fun. I´ve been doing that this past week like I said but not this week!!! I´m gonna get after it and go be a 4th missionary!! I aslo read today a talk called the consecrated missionary. Wow, what a talk!! It was great!!!

It was so awesome to talk to you all yesterday!! My goodness it doesn´t feel like its been long enough to have been Mother´s Day yesterday!! It feels like its only been 3 weeks!! But its almost a quater over already!!! Man time just flys by!! 

But Email me back!!

Week 18

My new area is Itepecerica. Pretty awesome name huh?? And my new companion is Elder Castro. He is from Ecuador. He is a stud of a missionary. My first area was to learn to adjust to being a missionary and this area is to learn how to work and be a missionary. He works like no other. He is outstanding!!

Well the mission office still hasnt recieved the package as of yet. So that sucks. But its not a big deal it'll get here when it does. It is so weird, the weather here. Because at night it can be super cold and then during the day it'll switch between being hotter the heck then super cold and then rain and be hot after that. Its so bipolar here. But its alright. It makes things interesting.

But I have been at home the past three days and will be today again after I leave here. I dont know what I have. I went to the hospital yesterday and the said that it was just a bug and that it'll pass soon. So hopefully it does.

But the area is a lot differenet than Grajau was. There is a lot less hills and there is more of a higher income population of people. They all understand a lot of stuff we teach and that is awesome!!

Week 17

Hey momma!!!! I am getting transferred!!! È muito stranho quando eu sai aqui. Eu sou acostumo com mues membros aqui in Grajaú e eu amo cada muito!! Mas eu tambem estou muito animado por algum coisa nova. Vou sair amanha por Santo Amoro e la eu vou encontrar onde eu vou estar.

But this week has been really difficult for me. On thrusday I asked elder severiche just to clean his dish and he literally threw a fit about it. So I just told him I´d do them for him and he can just go to sleep. He didn't really like that but I was just so frustrated that he still acts like a child and can't even clean his dishes. But i'm being transferred and I'm pretty stoked.

Um Saturday we had another activity!! It was so awesome!! A ton more people showed up for it and we actually started on timeish. We had a good hour of fun and our investigators that came loved it!!! WE had such a good time and I took a ton of pics and a whole 30 minutes video of the activity. At the place we are using today it wont let me upload pictures. So next week I will send them all to you.

Marocs yeah. He was my first baptism and I will have a come to Jesus meeting with him today before I leave.

I wont find anything out about my new area until tomorrow.

The activity was just for our investigators to feel more relaxed about church and to show people that we are normalish. But the EQP shared a short message from President Monson. And then we just played some games afterward. DO you love your neighbor and some other game I´ve never played before.

 

I am so STOKED about MARK!! That kid is amazing and I'm so happy for him!! He is going to change even more on the MissioN!! ANd In Pocetella he will get fat! lol''

 

But yeah after this I will be heading home to pack. It sohuldn't be too difficult I didn't unpack too much.

 

No I definetly have pics of the apartment but I'll show them too you later.

But there are 4 of us and it should only have 2. I dont know how President thinks this is ok. The other guys study in the kitchen with their dishes piled around them.

But no I dont think I've gained anything back I keep having to make new holes for my belts. All of them so far. But I've also started excersing in the mormning too. I love it i feel so much better throughout the day.

The language is going really well. I can pretty much understand and have a normal conversation with people. When I dont know something they can explain it and Ill understand it. Its pretty cool to see the Gift of Tounges at work.

 

I love you too momma!! And yea there are a few of the women down here that are snakes and are really bad... One of the sister does the whole prayer circle and holds hands. She was like rubbing the hand as she held it. It was offal. I can't believe we eat there with her. We did again this week I think. I made Elder Oliveira hold her hand this time. She's a weirdo.

 

Love you Momma!!!

 

 

Week 16

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	Rex Chapman (rex.chapman@myldsmail.net) You moved this message to its current location.
Sent:	Mon 4/21/14 8:54 AM
To:	Darlene Chapman (darchapman@hotmail.com)

Hey Momma!!!

Its been a really good week. I feel like we got a lot done!! 

They do live and breathe futbol down here. Generally the first question they ask after where are you from is what is your team. Here in São Paulo there are 3 major teams. The São Paulo, Corinthians, and the Palmeiras. Depending on who I talk to I´m a Corinthiano. I love they´re symbol. But The Palmeiras have a sick color. Not too imprtant. But anyway.

This Saturday we were supposed to have a baptism. But he flaked out and has been avoiding us for the past few days. We finally found him yesterday night. We stopped trying to find him but he just kind of showed up. So we talked with him really quick. He said he found another church and he was just curious about the Church. I told him you don´t go to and then ask to be baptized and ask what kind of clothes you need to wear if you´re just curious. But its your choice choi!! 

So that was pretty discouraging. But that´s just the thing about agency. The good and the bad thing sometimes... Its just frustrating but here in Grajaú there are tons of people to find and lots of opportunitities to teach!!!

Sounds like a pretty good week to me up there. Wish I could be helping Dad out with the yard. 

I know the food at that restaurant was good but nothing beats authentic. Not to boast. But anyway

Yeah me and Elder Oliveira are still getting along really well. This will probably be one of the last weeks with him.

But I really hope for a transfer this next week. Elder Severiche is driving me nuts. He has no concept of respect. For just about anything. But I´m really trying to be better about that kinda stuff.

Let me know what else you want to know.

 

Yea with the world cup coming up pretty soon things are goingto get really crazy!!

 

I dont know if we will be able to go out and proselyte during it. The Brazilians get pretty riled up about futbol. So we´ll just have to wait and see. 

 

So you know we live with members and the bishop. Well of the the sisters we live with came and gave each of us a Giant easter egg. Here those are pretty expensive. I just felt so loved. She is pretty awesome.sunday was really good. /Another investigator came. But I dont how much longer we will teach him. The entire time through church he just wanted to leave. Also at church they gave us some small chicilate eggs. And he ate mine and all the ones he got. So he´s a punk. But no he´s just 15 so...

But I feel good today and this past week was a better week too

Love you mom

 

Week 14

Its been another crazy week like normal. TO be honest i think of home all the time I then after I do I feel guilty cuz Im not focused on work.

Everyday has its ups and downs. This week was no different. During the day most of appointments fall through and we end up contacting and visiting members. ?And then at night we have most of our actual inverstigator visits. 

But this weekend was awesome with Conference. I loved all of the talks and I think this was my first timew ever actually watching the whole thing!! I learned a lot. I really loved some of the foreign people´s talks. 

One investigator came for conference and that was really awesome. 

Don´t know what more about this week. I love you Mommma and thanks for the birthday wishes.

Rex

Week 13

Hey momma.

Sorry Its taken so long to email you back. The place we usually go wasn't opened when we went to try it. But Its open now.

I woke up around 4 this morning with a fever and I´m not better yet. I feel numb. And everything just hurts. If it countinues tomorrow I´ll call President. But Its been a preetty good week. we tallked with all our families and they all came to church yesterday!!! I was so stoked about that!!

But for my packeage maybe some popcorn and some M&MS lol that would be great!!! And yes some Excerdrin would be outstanding!!! The family that had a rat in the pot was lunch. Lol mispell. 

With Elder Ross gone it is sad bad The new guy In the house is Elder Tomlinson. He´s a strange kid. He doesn´t use deoderant I think and he takes two minute showers. And he´s not normal he doesn´t have any common sense either. 

We just use a regular market. The open ar markets are usually only on Sundays so we can´t use them. 

I try to only speak Portuguese in the apartmen but every once in a while I dp with Elder Tomlinson

Week 12

Man it was a really good week this week. I honestly couldn´t tell you a single thing that I did Tuesday but I have it written down in my journal. So that's great.

Wednesday I had exchanges with the ZL's and went to his area to work. I loved his area. It really felt like Brazil. Because he actually has forest area in his mission. The only problem though is the area is HUGE!!!!! But it was so cool!!! Lunc was really sad that day though I seriously almost cried. They made us lunch which is super nice of them and I'm grateful for it but the meat she cooked was literally covered in salt and I gaged just from that. And their house is dirt floors, 7 people live there and its the size of maybe my old room. But as we were leaving I saw a rat climb into the pot of rice and start eating.

 

Thursday I had exchanges with my other set of missionaries living in the house. We were in my area and I was the leader. It was a pretty decent day. We talked to a referral from one of the members. This guy isn´t really all there and its super hard to teach him anything. When we asked him to pray he read the explanation to what a prayer was at the end of the pamphlets we gave him.

 

Friday had exchanges that night and we went out with our bishop as well. Elson is such a cool freaking guy!!! He lives in the same complex as us and he comes over all the time to talk to us at night. And he´ll buy us pizza every once in awhile. Anyway we went to talk to two of our investigators with him. Both went really, really well!! Both families need to be married and have problems with the word of wisdom. But they both said they would come to church on Sunday.

 

Sunday came around and our investigator José came. He´s the dad in one of our families we are teaching. One we talked to with the bishop. But he came for the last hour of sacrament. Our other family didn´t show up!!! So disappointed and sad about that. I hope it was because someone got sick or something and they didn't just blow us off. Because I really like them!!! 

That was about all my week. What else do you want to know??? I dunno haha I love you all and pray for you each everyday!!!

 

Okie dokie so my other companions.... Elder Ross he is from Jackson County Missouri!! He´s a super awesome guy and a really good friend. He just got a reassignment yesterday and is being transferred and is gonna be the new district leader somewhere else. I really really love Elder Ross. We´ve become really good friends. 

 

Then there is Elder Severiche. He is from Bolivia. I don't think he has ever done real work ever in his life. He doesn't help clean around the house which irks the crap outta me!! And Saturday morning we had a service project helping out a lady with her roof. He needed to be told to do every little thing. I asked him Elder what are you doing? DO you know? Cause I don't and you need to be doing something. He was like ok.

More or less this week my main goal is to gain more patience. In Preach My Gospel we have a niffty section just for patience to this week that's what I´m studying.

 

Because Elder Olviveira is DL it's not busier I usually just have more exchanges and I talk to the ZL at night because I´m technically senior companion. That's about it.

 

Yeah the language is still difficult but only because they have rules that they actually follow. Haha English has rules but no one really follows them. Also its just hard to remember all the conjagations for words. And all the irregular verbs. 

Oh yeah we walk everywhere pretty much. When we can we try to use the bus if we can. But more often than not we just walk.

Laundry I usually do it on Monday or if I need to wash my shirts or pants I just do it. And hang em out to dry. Pretty easy. 

 

Our area is pretty big. Oliveira hasn't been everywhere. He's been here for 3 transfers now. But we usually don't knock doors we just talk to everyone on the street. And if they give their address or come to church we go to them. We still get referrals but not many.

 

P-days after we email we go out and buy lunch at a restaurant. Usually a meat place with awesome food!!!! Which is my favorite part about P-day.  After that we come back after buying groceries we need and usually they all go to bed. I'll stay up and clean usually. Then after I finish, sleep for an hour or 2. I try to make eggs and toast everyday for breakfast. And dinner usually something small. NO biggy. That's about it.

 

Every two weeks we get 60 real. It is enough but I´m starting to eat again and I usually have to buy food every week. And we use the buses every once in a while. So thats usually 6 real. If not more. Because when we use the buses we go to another area and have to use money for two buses and then to come back too.

 

So honestly I could alwyas use more money. But I'm doing alright. I probably gained a couple pounds back but I'm not sure. I still have headaches and yesterday was reallly bad. But luckily the member we had lunch with had some asprin.

And right now its actually pretty cold, it's like 60 something. It so weird I feel like thats cold. lol

 

I love ya Momma!!! You´ll get some letters pretty soon!! Hope you have an awesome day!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st Baptism Pictures

Week 10

Hey Hey!!!!

SO this past week was really good!!!! Monday had a great lunch at a cheap place with bomb foood. It made my stomach hurt afterward though. But that didn't stop us. Went back out after 6 and went to work.

Nothing really happened during the week until Friday. So I´m compainions with the District leader so that means that the Zone leader has to interview our investigators for baptism. Marcos passed with Flying colors!!! He will have difficulties with smoking but I have faith in him. When we were setting up the meeting with him he asked me to be the one to do the baptism. I was just honored to do it. It went really well. I said all the words right and he went all the way down on the first try!!!

So excited that I was able to be the one the Lord worked through and was able to baptise Marcos. 

It was stake conference yesterday so we anounced him a member before the whole stake and confirmed him a member in front of every one too!!! SO COOL!!

Something that was a bit differnt with stake conference here. They still pass the sacramnet..So that was pretty interesting.

Week 9

Momma I'm sorry that I've been horrible at sending details. I'm not a writer I'm a talker - lol.

Lets see I am in the city of Grajau. Its humongus!! I can't even begin to think how many people live here. Everywhere is just homes. Bricks atop of bricks. It seems like one huge structure but there is division in it and you wouldn't even know it. Mountains of homes mom. Then the occasional palm tree or some other kind of tree. 

 

This week its rained pretty regularly. Most days right now are really hot and humid. When it does rain it does help till it stops and gets hot again. 

The ward.... At church during church everything is great and it is outside of it too but the people are different. Not church. But anyway... I don't even know the ``ward mission leader`` if there is one. Usually we just talk with one of the bishopric members who lives in the same complex as us. There are tons of members. This week was a little small because a ton of the youth weren't there.   I don't know for sure but I think the went up to Rio for Carnival. It's so sad to see kids here. Walking around I see kids that are 12 or 13 and they´re smoking crack and girls are pregnant at the same age.

The mission home is like 30 minutes away. We use the metro to get there. But for the most part we walk. Unless we are going to the Chapels around here for zone meetings then we use the busses. I think some drivers try to play the game of who can I make fall on the bus. Or how close can I get to the stop light before I should stop. And they jam pack everybody on the bus. During the day it isn't too bad but at night I'd rather walk the 3 miles back to the house than use the bus. I don't understand how the bus can function with that much weight in it.

Yeah packages need to be sent to my mission home. I don't even know my address. And neither do the mail services usually. The way they do the numbering of house is so idiotic. There really isn't a system other than they use numbers lol. 

My week with my investigators has been crazy!! Both good and bad and super weird.

Good- Our investigator finally came to church with his recently baptized wife and son.

Bad- After church we were walking home and caught him smoking!! I yelled out,``Marcos!!! O que voce fazendo?!?!`` What are you doing? He just looked ashamed. I told him its hard for us to not do those things that we've done for so long but if and when you ask for help and have faith that you can recieve help you will!!!! And I could say that because I know first hand!!

Weird- Our other investigator Fabio Jr.... He kind of had like an excorsist experience with him yesterday... I honestly don't know what happened. It was pretty scary for me just because I couldn't understand what the heck was going on!!! lol He stopped us and prayed like 3 times by himself on his bed and randomly started yelling at his wife saying some pretty bad stuff..

 

But I need to get off now. Next week I will tell you all about how the days go for us. But now I'm going to go eat...

 

Bye Momma!

LOVE YOU!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5

Yeah I'm sorry that I don't write a lot to you. I just have 45 minutes to email and I do email other people. I just haven't had time to set up a string mail thing just yet. And I honestly forget what happens during the weeks because everyday is just so similar.

My companion Elder Holder more or less hates me right now though. And its really strange because I have no idea why. I've asked him about it all the time and he just doesn't talk to me anymore. So with just a couple of days left till we leave I'm honestly not too worried about it. Like it's sad that we don't get along and there is no Spirit around us unless we are teaching. So that's something new.

The meals are really different and some aren't that good but I try them all at least. My favorite now is salad. I eat a ton of salad and rice. The meat they serve is usually hit or miss.

I am getting really excited to leave. Maybe that's why Elder Holder is made at me. Because he is terrified to leave and I'm really not too worried about it because I know Heavenly Father has my back. And he just doesn't get that all you read about in the scriptures is exactly that.

It wont be a big deal if I don't get the cd player. I'm sure I can find one at my actual mission. I just don't have anywhere to go here. The boundaries around the CTM are super tiny and we don't have much of an area to walk around. Please don't feel bad about not sending me as many packages!!! It is totally fine!! I'm not worried about that. I know that I am loved.

I try to speak Portuguese all the time and usually I can. But its just hard to talk about not gospel related things. Because that's all they teach. So I have to learn that stuff either by myself or out in the field. But before I forget I've lost 12 pounds!!!

I love you Mom. I think I cry every time I write you. Everyone laughs at me but I don't care. Something I forgot to mention in the previous email was that I leave this next Tuesday and so I won't have P-day on Wednesdays anymore so I wont email till the next Monday probably.

I love you Momma. Rex

1/29/14 Week 4

That's SO awesome to hear about everyone!! I miss everyone so much. That will be so much fun to go to Flordia with Dad for a little bit. I'm jelous at least.  I cant belive that Sarah still isnt getting better. Tell her that I am preying for her and Im going to fast for her on Sunday!! Shes too awesome to feel like this.

 

I cant even tell you how gratefull i am for you Mom. I feel so bad that it toook 90 dollars for my package. I promise I'll make it up to you!!!

Um this weeks been pretty much the same as usual. We did get a new Branch Presdient and New Mission President For the CTM. HE is a super cool guy. They both are!! And the Mission Pres teaches gospel doectrine and it feels like a pep talk and I just get a boost everytime we go.

 

We stay for 6 weeks and Ill be leaving pretty darn soon!! Im so excited to be out there!! It's crazy to think that in 25 days that I've learned more than I ever did in two years of Spanish. But at the same time not so surprising because the Spirit is here and the Gift of Tounges is totally real!!! But this week has been awwesome one of my districts left this past Tuesday and I was really sad to see them all go. But they are going to be awesome and some of us have been talking about rooming together in Rexburg!! So thats awesome!!

 

Love you momma!!

1/22/14 Week 3

No I don't have a CD player. It really stinks!!! I've looked around and haven't been able to find one and I asked on of the instructors if he knows of a place to get one and he said around here it would be super expensive. So if that could be something that you send to me that would be awesome.

It has gotten a little rough lately. But today was the best day I think. When we got to the celestial room today I prayed just to have some reasurrances about my mission and to know that I was doing the right thing. And I just had this picture pop into my head that Alex and Grandpa were standing next to me and just hugging me. And felt the Spirit so abudently and I had such peace just wash over me. I am ready for these next two years. Thank you for always being there for me and giving a extra push when I needed it and just being there for me. I hope things are going well at home and I pray for you guys all the time. I love you so much Momma!!!    

Well most days I get up around 6. and go take a shower. then at 7 we have breakfast and have personal study after that. That is usually for and hour and after it our teacher Irma Da Silva comes in and teaches us. We usually spend 15 minutes with her in companionships and "teach"  her. Its used to be really difficult but now I can pretty much give a lesson and bare my testimony to her. Class is usually 3 hours or till 1130. and then we have lunch. after lunch is personal language study. after that Irmao Arujo comes and teaches us till dinner which is at 430. then we have additional study for 2 hours and we prepare lessons during that time or practice the language some more. After that we have gym time. so that's about it really and then we have companionship planning till about 10 and then its bed time. That's about how it usually goes. Tomorrow we get to go out and give out copies of the Book of Mormon. Love you

Elder Holder is from the D.C. area he's super genius smart and is a really good guy. Elder Beck is from Austin and he used to live in France and he is fluent in French. He is a super cool guy and a really good friend.

1/15/14 Week 3

Yeah sorry I thought I told you that they asked me to be zone leader... Anyway they asked me the first Sunday to do it. It was scary at first but I am loving it now!! Its been SUCH a good week.

We teach two lessons a day in Portuguese. It can be really stressful but its so much fun at the same time!! Its crazy to think that its only been like two weeks but I can already pray and kind of bear my testimony and teach a lesson. After we emailed last week we went to a meat on the stick walk around restaurant around the corner and it was outstanding!! And it was super cheap!!! So BAM!

That was awesome!!! But its good to hear that Sarah's nerve block went well. I hope and pray that she gets back to normal now!! I lover that kid so much!!! I think I have either 4 or 5 weeks left here at the CTM the only thing that I want are some more CDs!!! I am dying without music!! And the mission President said that if the music was uplifting that I could listen to it. I asked if that meant like music that had been playing on the radio and he said that that was ok!! SO if nothing else I would like the song Best Day Of MY Life by American Authors!! That is the best song in the world and it makes any day the best!! Love you got to get off now but I love you some Much momma!!!

Also the EFY music that is on LDS.org I really like that stuff... So if you could send me that also.... That would be awesome. I feel bad for asking but LOVE YOU!!!!!

1/8/14

Mom I am having the time of my life here. I just feel at home here in Brazil. I miss you guys like crazy and miss home but this is just where I'm supposed to be and I am loving just about every second of it. The food is super different. We eats more rice and beans than I've ever seen and the fruit is to die for. We also eat some pretty weird stuff too. Like yesterday they made this ribs thing,... It was pretty bad. All kinds of fat on it and gamy. But other than that everything is awesome. The language is slow but its amazing how much I can understand just after five days. Spanish is helping a ton its very similar. We taught a lesson our second day. It was super crazy, nerve racking. But we got through it and it was actually pretty good. Speaking it is so cool and my brazilian roommates get on to me when I switch to Spanish to mess with them or if I just accidently switch. But all is so good here. I am so excited about what's to come!! Its going to hard. We watched a talk given by Elder Holland at the Provo MTC. He talks about if it was hard for the Lord why would it ever be easy for us, the missionaries. It was a very humbling talk and so spiritual. I haven't cried this much in forever. and its a good cry. My district is so close and we just are a big family. We had testimony meeting yesterday after Devotional and we all pretty much just cried. It was amazing!!! I love you and hope that my emails are long enough for you and have just enough. By momma, I love you.

Um I don't think I really need anything right now. We are about to go out into Sao Paulo. But my brazilian roommates are really helping us out a ton with the language. And yes it is so hot here!!

The brasilians think its really cool that I got to come straight to the MTC here,  but some of the other elders from America are pretty jealous.

I went to the temple today!! Mas falo un poco portuges e os mais dificil. But i speak a little portuguese but its very hard. I have to go now - But I love you So much mom!!!

1/4/14

Hey Momma!! I made it safe if not a little late. All has been well the past two days! We jumped right into learning and it has been insane. I can kind of pick up what the instructors are sating because Of the spanish I took in high school. Its been wicked cool so far and I really haven't had a bad expericence yet and I'm getting along pretty well with my companion and the other new missionaries. They're only giving us 10 minutes so I'll email you Wednesday!! Thats my Pday while I'm in the MTC. Love you!! Talk to you soon!!