While In Brazil

Hey so we are now traveling throughout Brazil with Brian and made it here just fine. We drank jennipapo and are having a blast. Can you tell Brian is writing this long email? Hope everyone is good. See you soon, Mom
Gotta get back to surfing-Dad (Brian is pretty much a comedian as he wrote this)

My Last Mission Email!

Ok well Sorry I didn’t get anything sent to you yesterday, we had lots of things to do and only had time to email quickly to President Beynon.

So, as each day flies by I get crazier thinking on how you’ll be here. I have been dreaming for 2 years and I guess its time for me to wake up and come home.

The week was crazy. We were teaching this family that isn’t married and we had to get the guy separated and very long story short, it will be six months until he is officially separated and able to get married again. So we don’t have anyone really at the moment to baptize for this week, but had a fun time anyways at district meeting, we went in all white and felt good.

Yesterday I cleaned my home for the last time and then visited some people to arrange for next week when you can meet them and then we played soccer. Today is a holiday and have few people outside so I figured I would email you one last time.

Trip:
So the name of the taxi driver is Primo and Ill have him there to pick you up at the air port and Ill try n see if I can make it there to greet you, but if not I’ll have him there with a sign and I’ll tell him to pick you up at 7:30 to go to Pres. Beynon’s home.
So we will need I think just 7 tickets to Recife which includes us too. One family is going up there early and will stay at a family’s house and that just leaves the other family of four, so it will be just the seven of us.
Also I was seeing that on the next Friday will be Santo Antonio which is a fairly big holiday and Recife is where its biggest I think and I’ll see if I can get any info on that on any festas we can go to and watch the dances and fireworks etc.....

The mission has been great and I know in the long run will be a strength for me and my family in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have gained a strong desire to always learn more and to better myself in living all of Christ’s attributes that you find in chpt 6 PMG. I have gained a greater vision of what the Lord wants of me and of what I need to do in my life. I know that Christ is our only source for salvation and will be impossible to be saved in ignorance. There has been no better feeling throughout my mission than being dressed in white with an investigator in the water. Thank you everyone for your many prayers on my behalf and I have been able to feel that throughout all my mission. I love you all and will always remember these last 2 years here in the Brazil Maceio Mission.

Brian

I'll Make This One Worthwhile!

Well my next email I don't plan on writing much so I’ll try and make this one worth while for you all.

So yeah the whole seminary thing actually came before you pushing me to do it, to tell you the truth the Lord told me in my patriarchal blessing to do good in seminary so that my mission would be a good success. I was amazed at how it all worked out and have learned and grown and have had a good successful mission in my eyes. I know without doubt it was here where the Lord needed me and that I needed to prepare for it before going and you helped with it too. When I chose to move in with you guys, I made that decision because I knew it was where I could prepare better for my mission.

So this last week was funny. I don’t remember what night it was, but the guy told me that at like midnight or late at night I started talking in my sleep and that I said in English “good night mom” and some other weird things and then my comp looked at me and talked to me and I responded to him in Portuguese and then went back to sleep. So I guess I was communicating to you huh? Funny

I’ve been making brownies like crazy and will be excited to show you that I actually learned to make something on my own here in the mission, hehe.

Elder Morais is doing awesome and it’s actually been fun to have him here with me and also because I’ve got someone that can help me a lot more in the work and keep me alive. We also did the impossible and baptized Alexandre, this 17 year old punk that just refused to be baptized and I was able to baptize him. It was just him in his whole family that wasn’t baptized yet.

I was a little sad yesterday because our two other impossible baptisms fell through. We did everything we could for them, but one of them ended up getting a divorce with his wife and said he doesn’t want to be baptized and then the other lady that we were teaching started lying to us and was just sad because she has known the church forever and always goes and wants to be baptized and I was so close to baptizing her, but she suffers some kind of depression and her husband isn’t helping her and think that he is against her being baptized and her parents too. Yeah I was upset with her and her parents last night for lying to us, but it’s alright because we know I did all I could for her and hope she one day gets into the water.

So today we walked a long ways to a soccer field in another area and played soccer all day and only have one more p-day. So next p-day I think I’ll either go paintballing with the other elders or I’ll take my suit to get cleaned and develop some pictures, but that will be my last p-day. My mind is going crazy just knowing that I’ll email you just one more time! It’s sooooo crazy!!!!!

So about the trip: You only need to bring 3 pictures and I still haven’t been able to find out about the temple. Also the couple from Sergipe won’t be able to go and Simone and Germano said that they might instead of stay at the hotel with us, stay with some family they have there. So we might just need 2 rooms for us and the Lobo family. So however you want to do it. I think going to Sergipe by bus will be better and if you want to keep our room in Maceio to keep all our luggage in while we go to Sergipe that is fine by me, but depends on you. So yeah my next week will be all preparing our week here and organizing where we will eat and who I want to see etc...

So all is well and have been teaching lots of people and marking baptisms and am trying my best to try and arrange so that I can maybe baptize someone at my last district meeting, to surprise everyone there. I think it would be funny and a good way to end my last district meeting. I just need to find someone, we have people that can be baptized, but depends on them etc...So we’ll see how it all goes.

I love you all soo much and hope all goes well and until next week!

Brian

Elder Morais is Back!

I was talking today to another elder that said his parents are going to stay at a Radisson hotel here in Maceio and in Sergipe and for Recife they said the best western hotel. I haven’t gotten info on the temple yet and am trying to get that as soon as possible.

Yeah I got the driver thing for the most part, still working on details and negotiating, but don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be there to pick you both up, if not he will be there.

Did you look for the internal hard drive?

So how will the hotel thing work? When we go to Sergipe will we take all our luggage with us or leave it at the hotel in Maceio? If we take it with us I’m not sure if it all fits in one taxi. Maybe we go by bus there and back.

I need to start contacting the people where we will lunch and dinner and get things organized.

So this last week I had diarrhea and my comp too and he was sick with the flu or something. At one of our lunch appointments that is way far away from our house, we ate an awesome lasagna and then right after I just looked at my comp and both of our stomachs ached and we almost didn’t make it home in time....hehe. I just told myself if I had to go through that experience again I would quit my mission hehe

So on another subject I got a call from President Beynon wanting a favor and took my only American comp away and sent me another...funny thing is I’ve already been his companion. It’s Elder Morais again!

So it’s not what I expected to happen, but I figured only 3 more weeks, so no problem, just like babysitting and being his friend.

So our man we are teaching is doing great and I think we will try and baptize him this week because he has no problems and is reading and praying and going to church and ready for baptism and will see if we can get some others in the water this week while we are at it.

So I need to go and if I get info on Recife I’ll email you.
Love you all tons and have a good week!

PS: my first time making brownies last night and they turned out perfect!

My Last Conference Here

Ok Well mom yesterday was our conference so today is our p-day. I know you want me to write a lot, but I need to be going soon.

We might baptize this lady we are working with, but it won’t be easy. We had 4 people go to church last week and have been working good with the members here.
Yesterday was my last conference and got to say good bye to everyone and also got my itinerary and am going crazy wanting to do many things and planning many things etc...

So I guess we can make that work.......you get here Monday, Tuesday morning we go to Sergipe and stay the night there, Wednesday we come back to Maceio and spend that whole day there and then Thursday we go to Arapiraca for lunch and then from there to Palmeiras for dinner and return to Maceio that same night, then Friday we leave for Recife......sound good?

So hotels in Maceio, you want to find in Jatiuca or Pajuçara

For Sergipe you want to look for one in Atalia

So if that schedule seems good to you then try and figure out what hotel and where and days etc....

The temple rooms I have yet to find that one out but will get that one squared away this week.

So I love you all and hope you have a great week.
Love Brian

P-Day Was Not What it was Supposed to Be!

So I don’t have much time to write today, but I'll try to answer everything

I live in the same house as the assistants and I already know them and am good friends with them. Yes it’s also fun being comps with an American and brings back memories of the beginning of my mission. And I can understand why the baptism wasn’t baptized the other transfer and will try to get him baptized before I go home. We also marked 4 other baptisms this last week and will actually leave with the stake president to visit some of the people. One lady her name is Delane and her sister is the bishop’s wife and she has been going to church for a long time and I don’t understand why she never baptized. But I gained her trust and friendship and she’s reading the Book of Mormon and accepted to be baptized and I told her that now she needs to get her husband to church and I gave her a Book of Mormon to write her testimony and give it to him to read. I called her earlier today and she said that he is reading it and will find out more tomorrow when I see them. I still haven’t met her husband.

So things are going good and p-day today was kinda horrible. I had it all planned out and got nothing done that I wanted to.....we left home to go to my old area to visit Christiani and it started to rain and of course without umbrella and then waiting for the bus and had two buses pass by and then we had to wait over an hour for another one which was very irritating and then we finally got there and was awesome to see them and how much her kids have grown and then she made us lunch. We went to the new shopping mall they finished building there close by in hopes to develop pictures and of course we couldn’t get them developed. I also had to get my picture taken to be able tomorrow to go to the police station to get my way over expired visa renewed. Now I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but w/e all is well and somehow I’ll get it worked out. Tonight we will eat pizza at a recent convert’s house from Elder Lasley.

So Mother’s Day, I almost forgot about calling home, but I don’t intend on talking for a long time and will be to say happy Mother’s Day and discuss all the questions and stuff on the trip.

I know a member here who drives a taxi and we can pay him to drive us around. I believe he will only drive here in Maceio, but maybe I’ll see if he can go to Arapiraca and Palmeira dos Indios too.

Happy anniversary and congratulations and good luck with the surgery and I’ll see if I can get some photos sent to you right now

Love Brian

My Last Transfer...Back to Maceio

So my last six weeks! I was surprised that I was transferred to Maceio and of all comps I’m with Elder Lasley who is from Iowa! So wow my first American comp, and I’m practically training him because it’s his second transfer and he doesn’t speak much of the language, but in my opinion he is doing really good. The name of my last area is Tabuleiro and we have someone to baptize this Saturday! So I’m way exhausted still from my 5 hour trip here and the work we did last night.

Today for p-day we went to Benedito Bentes and ate lunch at Simone and Germanos house (the couple that will go with us to Recife) and then we went home. Today I also started cleaning our house and I bought claiming supplies to make it nicer. It was a huge mess and was surprised because it’s also where the assistants live, but we are all cleaning it up now. Tonight we will be having a movie night at the chapel and hope we get lots of investigators there, should be lots of fun.

So this last week was crazy. Elder Fraga and I were looking for a street on a reference we got and we ended up in a kind of far area and instead of finding the street we found a dead body and had lots of people around it looking at him. He had been murdered, shot a few times in the head and blood everywhere, and even the week before that there had been someone stabbed to death in that same area.

To answer a couple of your questions: No I don’t use sunscreen or bug repellent but yes everyone should use sunscreen and I don’t believe I will need repellent. Yes there have been missionaries that get Dengue fever and I have lived in some houses that had the type of mosquitoes that carry it. It’s been luck or protection of the Lord that I haven’t gotten it yet because I do get bites all the time. That is why a fan is good to have.

I will go ahead and ask if you can bring me a long sleeve shirt for the temple and a clean set of garments. Other than that I’m good to go for the temple and home. Also Simone told me that Elder Nye when he came with his family rented a van to take them everywhere with an on-call type of thing. Not sure how to get that set up, but she told me she thinks they got that from the hotel they where staying at. By the way, have you found the hotels that you want to stay at? Here in Maceio and Sergipe and Recife? Simone told me if we are going to stay at the rooms at the temple to call in advance because there could be many people from other parts doing trips to the temple and they could be full. So if we got a van we could fit everyone in it and all go together to the temple and it would be faster and cheaper to go to all my areas.

Ok well I need to go, sorry I sent like 10 pictures that for some reason failed to get to you and I also took more today, but forgot to bring it with me and don’t have the time to send it anyways.

Love you and have a great week.
Brian

I Finally Got Out and Took Some Pictures of My Area

Here is one of our more friendly neighbors.

Taking time out for a bite to eat.
This man and his son use this cart to find work. They take it out and see if people need dirt, or rocks or anything else moved.They let us have a ride.

For P-day Brian visited as many churches the city of Sao Cristavao. This is the 4th oldest city in all of Brazil.

Do you think they will hire us to be bell ringers?

Their baptismal pages.

Brian's description: "Don't even ask me about the beds."

A view from the street Brian lives on.

Our house! We live upstairs and another man lives downstairs. It's a nice big house: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, front space, back space and kitchen. This is my comp, Elder Fraga.

A sad looking dog laying down in the road.

We really do have cobblestone streets here in Eduardo Gomes. The street is being repaired and while it's under construction, you can see the stones they use for the road.

A view of the street from our house.

Monday Starts My Last Transfer...It's Going Toooo Fast!

You made me feel sick after reading the detailed thing about Bro Ellsworth.......it’s a very sad thing to happen. (He was kicked in the mouth by a horse. It broke his jaw in several places, almost cut his lip off, split the roof of his mouth, lost several teeth and basically crushed the bone that hold the top teeth in place. He has his mouth wired shut for 4 weeks and a plate in place for 6. He was our stake patriarch.)

Well it’s been an ok week, our baptism didn’t go to church :( I’m looking forward to hopefully a change that will help me in the work next transfer which starts on Monday!

Sunday we split up with the elders quorum and did splits and visited inactive members and then yesterday and Monday I visited another ten people and was able to find some that want to come back and also found some new people to teach so we will see how it goes. The sad part is that we had planned on getting lots of the inactive members and investigators to tonight’s weekly activity and just today it was cancelled so now I have to go and let them all know that it won’t happen and that will be a big pain and waste of my time, but nothing I can do about it.

My shoes are fine and will probably use them when I get home. The rain stopped for a bit, but is supposed to come back again. The city Sao Cristovão flooded over and is part of my area and the members here donated and took clothes and food, etc to help.

So for p-day I’ve taken many pictures and went to São Cristovão which is the 4th oldest city in Brazil and so we went to the Christ statue that’s there and some of the churches. I will try and send as many pictures as I can. It was lots of fun and had lots of sun.

Yeah that too bad that they don’t want to serve a mission, (talking about some boys he knows)they won’t have another chance to do it. Was funny because when I was interviewed Pres. Bradshaw told me to be careful driving and with the law etc....and what happened, not sure if you remember, but I got a speeding ticket a few weeks before leaving to Brazil, but luckily wasn’t too bad. It made me remember to be more careful.

Well I can’t believe it, like I told my sister; Craig will be on his first transfer and I’ll be on my last! It is going toooo fast. K well I need to get started on the pictures, take care and love you all.

Brian

It's Been Raining Like Crazy!

Well it’s been a good week. It has rained a ton this last week and has stopped a little, but goes on and off. I haven’t really seen the sun for about a week and still has yet to show its face. But I’m enjoying it and it makes the work a lot more fun. I think it rained hard for 3 days straight without stopping and was probably the most I’ve seen yet in my life.

We met some good people this week and marked 2 baptisms! So let’s see if we can get something going here....I feel like almost all the work is on my shoulders and I’m trying to help my comp do some of it, but it’s just not happening the way it should, but if we baptize I’ll just be happy.

I talked to President Beynon and I think he wants me to stay here another transfer and maybe with the same comp :( So there goes my idea of finishing it with my buddy in Maceio, but its all right and just one more transfer and plan on finishing it good and strong and baptizing.

I haven’t been taking pictures because I don’t like to walk around with a camera and I haven’t taken the time to go out and take pictures.

Oh yes we did eat rice mixed with hot dog last night and today for lunch, it’s is easy and cheap to make.

I love you and thanks for the pictures and prayers and everything.
Brian

Conference Was Awesome!

Well it’s been another week! Conference was awesome and just don’t get enough of it. Just about all of the apostles talked about the importance of the family and parents teaching children etc....not exactly what a missionary gets excited to hear, but something the world really needs and I believe our family does a pretty good job with the things that were talked about. It was funny the prophet was talking about the aid the church gave to all the foreign countries and out of nowhere he says Arizona? What happened in Arizona?

The rainy season is getting started, but will be bigger when you guys get here. We’ve been teaching lots of people, but no one really firm or strong or ready for baptism.

We did nothing today for p-day and haven’t had anything special happen recently. The family we are teaching isn’t progressing good and we won't be wasting much more time with them, but I know someday they’ll accept the gospel.

So the only big thing we did was watch conference and I got to go visit a family in my last ward and ate lunch with them and dinner two days in a row, was fun and good food.

Today we made rice with hot dog for lunch and it will probably be our dinner too. Tonight we will visit some people and go to an activity at the church which I will imagine will have few people there.

Thanks for the pictures, they were funny and tell Gemma I’ll carry here when I get home. (Gemma broke her foot and has her cast off now, but still will not walk. She loves being carried).

Say hi to the Huber’s too and everyone else at the ward.

Loves n kisses Brian

2 Months and Going Fast!

Well this week was good. I can’t believe it either that it’s just these two months and is going by too fast. Easter here is buy chocolate for people and I think the bigger thing is their good Friday or holy week of eating just fish and partying and drinking etc....I’ll see if I can remember to color an egg or something.

There are people that do the leather thing but not here, they live somewhere else and you email to them what you want and they send it to you, in the north they do it in leopard skin o something. Cool but I don’t want anything just a new scripture in Portuguese because mine is molding like crazy and also I want one in Spanish because in two months I’ll start reading the book of Mormon in Spanish. I’m very excited to learn Spanish and plan on taking classes and working with Mexicans and eating Mexican food.

Congrats to John Hoopes? I think my uncle served there. (John got called to the Paris, France mission)

So remember that lady we gave a blessing to? Well an hour later she went to the hospital and 2 hours later the baby came and went all normal and they are both doing fine. They were both in risk of dying and they said that they would have to perform surgery to get the baby out, but went well and they thanked us a lot for the blessing and said if it wasn’t for it that things might of turned out differently. So we are teaching them the lessons but they aren’t married :( I hope we can get them married and baptized, but my problem is time and I don’t think we can get that all done before the end of this transfer and I think I’ll be in a different area next transfer. But I know if not now someday they will be married and baptized in the church.

Yeah, for the 3 couple going to the temple with us, I want to give them a picture framed of the Salt Lake temple, because Recife they can get at the temple or maybe we can buy them another one at the temple when we go, but Robbie does a good job framing I thought it would be nice. Also M&M´s, chocolate, for each of them and gummy bears. If i think of anything else ill let you know and I’m sure there are things ill want you to buy for me to take home with us.

Ok well love you and until another week
Brian

Working Through Some of the Struggles of a Missionary

Well my companion here I’ve been babysitting, the work this transfer has been sad in that many people accepting baptism and then problems happen within the families and no one ending up baptized. We had a baptism this week, but again more problems and she ended up moving to another area and hope she lets the other elders there baptize her. She said she would so let's see if that goes well.

Sunday we had 3 people to church. The first one is a lady pregnant not married and has been many times and wasn’t really receptive to us. The next one was a man that lives an hour away and he can't be visited until this next Sunday so let's see if he goes to church again this week. The other is Bruno who we’ve been working with for the past month and finally was able to go, he knows the Book of Mormon is true and wants to be baptized etc, but his mom took away his Book of Mormon and doesn’t like that we are teaching him etc....but maybe we can get his parents to let him make the decision. If not then he’ll have to wait till he is 18. So like I said my companion is special, in the beginning we had baptisms marked for every week this transfer and watched them all fall threw, and I’m excited to get it all started up again :)

So the teaching goes good, but we’ve recently have had a ton of people rejecting the Book of Mormon and has been bugging me like crazy, but I always share a strong testimony with all of them and leave them with no excuses.

For p-day I read, then we made rice mixed with hot dog and ham and then we slept and now we are emailing.

Happy birthday to everyone :)

Thinking about the trip just gives me a headache.......

Let’s see if this works:

Tuesday: Arapiraca-lunch at Labareda, visit members, return to Maceio and eat dinner (tapioca)
Wed: Palmiera dos Indios lunch at Master, visits, return to Maceio and eat dinner (members)
Thurs: 6:00am bus to Sergipe, lunch (member), visits, Dinner (member) sleep here and return by bus on Friday with a couple I invited to go with us to the temple (Claudivan + Gabriella)
Friday: Go to Recife with Claudivan+Gabriella, not sure about Carlos+Christianie or Simone + Germano who live in Maceio, but I will figure out if they want to drive there in their car or go with us by bus but either way we all make it to Recife noonish
Saturday: Spend all day doing temple work! Say goodbyes that afternoon and make sure everyone’s gets home all right
Sunday: Return home in the morning to get home Monday morning

Any doubts or concerns let me know.......there is a shopping mall we can go to here in Sergipe and also in Maceio and also have places that sell souvenir junk if you’re wanting to buy things for the family or yourselves.

Doggy Heaven!

Brian is in doggy heaven. He loves dogs, so we know he is having the time of his life. We are not sure where this is, but we know he is having fun! All he said was her name is Shakira.

Working Towards Baptisms

Well thanks for the pictures, Jeff and his wife whose name I just forgot but they look happy and she seems like a very nice girl and congratulations Heidi on being able to jump higher than me

It will be hard to visit all my areas because we will need to stay the night here in Sergipe and we would have to come on Thursday morning and leave Friday morning to go to Recife leaving only 2 days in Maceio where I want to visit Arapiraca and Palmeira dos Indios and the areas in Maceio so it’s a lot to do in only 2 days and remember the world cup will be getting closer which starts the 15th I believe......so keep thinking about it all and let me know what you guys think, what will you want to do for travel? Bus? Van taxi thing?

Hi Elizabeth sorry I forgot your name :)

Yeah I don’t miss mowing the lawn in the hot sun at all :)

So this week has been good, I can’t believe how many people haven’t been baptized yet this transfer but I know they had the desire and one day will be baptized. We did mark another baptism yesterday of a mother of an inactive girl in the church and maybe it will be her time to be baptized. Yesterday was interviews with the Beynon’s and was fun as always, Sister Beynon always makes cookies and get to see everyone. Today we cleaned and make lunch which we made rice mixed with hotdog and ham.....it’s our normal thing we make when we are hungry and really cheap. And just got up right now from an afternoon nap to email you.

Thanks for the prayers and everything and let me know how Craig is doing, I told him to email me and if you get pictures send them please, will he stay 2 months or 3 weeks?

Love you all hugs etc... Brian

Eduardo Gomes...Brian's New Area

Baptism of Leticia who was baptized by her uncle Aldo. They are also teaching her mom who cried at the baptism.

Having fun with a little girl.

Elder Roberts and his comp Elder Fraga with their chimarrao`
Brian said their house was a huge mess and he spent a lot of time all week cleaning it, so they could trade Sis. Beynon their frowny face for a smiley face. You have to have a clean house to get one.

Nice Shower!
The hammock Brian bought.
Work area.
Brian's big bed.... aaahhhh!

Time Is Going So Fast!

Today went by too fast and I almost didn’t write you again ;) I emailed this morning, but didn’t receive your email and planned to write after our little trip to my last area where we ate lunch with a family friend that might go to the temple with us in June and when it was time for us to leave they bought a cake for us and so we kind of had to stay there longer and didn’t end up getting back home until now, so I’m emailing a little later than usual today.

Well the baptism could be a very long story......she is 15 yrs old and yes there was a lot of people there for her baptism and we have another one for this Saturday his name is Lucas and is 15yrs old. So at the baptisms and confirmations let’s just say there was confusion and a little apostasy with trying to baptize with the left hand and confirmation by someone who has only the Aaronic priesthood etc......

In our home it’s just the two of us and yes my first week we have had roaches, rats, millipedes, mosquitoes etc.......but the home is clean and will stay that way.

Trip: so yes Maceio is close enough to my areas to visit within those days except for the areas I’m passing in right now in sergipe, my opinion is that its just best to stay in Maceio and visit the areas I’ve past in Alagoas but if you want to see sergipe we would have to stay the night. I like the idea of ending the trip at the temple and so let’s plan it that way if possible and if we end up in Maceio then there’s a ward we can visit there. Shopping wise I don’t know but I know of places in Maceio that we can go to buy things and I was wanting to know if you can put money in my account so that if I’m transferred from Sergipe back to Maceio then I can buy some things I saw here that I would like to take home with me. (Also do you have any news about selling my truck? that could be money put into my account)

Wow Wally got home already. I guess it means there will be a home coming practically every month in our ward, 3 months is going to pass by really fast!

Well love you all and until another week!
Brian

It's Been a Fun Week

It has been a fun week and went by fast.

So I’ve gotten hold of everyone that I want to go with us to Reciefe. My family that I baptized just emailed me today and said they were going to come visit me this month and that next month they are going to be sealed and would love to go with us in June! So up to now we have 4 people for sure that will be going with us and maybe 2 more of which I invited and I am waiting for response.

I’m not sure on the cost, but I would guess about 100-150 per person on traveling there...but that’s if we do buses...maybe we rent a van to take us everywhere.....need to plan that still. I think its better to stay 1 night and return the next day and I believe that the church owns some hotel type thing near the temple, might want to look into that, I have the number to the temple there that I’ll send to you next week. So it would be us and then 4-6 people.

So Eduardo Gomes is going good, I’m getting to know the area a lot better and know it better than my comp already. I don’t understand how he’s had 6 weeks here and doesn’t know where anything is or how to get anywhere. So we had 3 investigators at church and are preparing the three of them to be baptized and are looking for more to teach and be baptized. Was funny the other night I talked to a lady way Catholic and I asked her if she believed in the prophets and she said of course. It was them that prophesied the birth of Christ and then I explained that they also prophesied that the church would fall into apostasy and be restored through a prophet and she tried to explain that the church will be restored at the second coming of Christ...well it was funny for us because she was crazy, but anywhoo you had to be there to see the humor.

The house we live in is nicer than my last one. It’s big for just two people, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, kitchen, back space, front space, another room, living type room etc...

The ward is I think smaller, but we are getting references and the members are helping a lot more and am excited to work with them.

So yeah carnival was crazy. You can compare it all to Satan and we didn’t work that much the last 4-5 days and stayed home because all the people throwing eggs and flour, drinking, etc.....but its all over now and we are starting the work up.

Yeah I told Craig I think our cousin is serving in Pennsylvania so maybe he’ll see him.

Of course I remember the Hoops. Connor was in the troop and a great kid and tell them all hi and hugs from me and I appreciate their love and support for me here.

So hugs for rest of you and until another week!
Brian

An New Area...Eduardo Gomes

Hello

Ok well I'm trying to organize still the trip to the temple, but it is a little difficult being in another state, but I will get it done. So I feel bad inviting lots of people to go to the temple knowing that it won't be cheap...how do you guys feel about it...if you want I'm willing to help pay for it. I've invited 3 married couples and 1 of them would bring two little kids that would be sealed to them, the other 2 couples have kids too, but would leave them behind and are already members and are really really good friends of mine. So I havnt received any for sure answer from any of them whether they will go, but my vision is that this will be our group going to visit the temple in Reciefe. So when I receive updates etc I'll be sure to fill you all in.

So I've been trasferred to a new area; Eduardo Gomes and it seems like I'm back to jungle land again, but it's part of the city here in Aracaju and not too far from my last area. My comp is Elder Fraga from Rio Grande Do Sul and he has a very strong accent and it can be hard to understand him and seems like everyone else doesn't understand him either, but a great guy and hope all goes well.

I spent today cleaning our house and haven't finished cleaning yet, but will get it done. we ate lunch at a girls house who will be getting baptized next week and she made all of us lazania.

Ohh yeah I got your package and we made cake and everything, but I forgot to copy the pictures and I'll have to get hold of them some how, but it was awsome and enjoyed the dried apple slices and macaroni etc. Thanks again for it all and remember I don't need anymore packages or anything because before you know it you'll be here...by the way how is the passport thing going for you and Robert?

So a new area I'm excited and am still just getting to know the people and streets and members etc....

I love you all and until another week!
Brian

Stake Conference Committment

I’m feeling better and eating lots of fruits...I do forget or get too lazy to spend money on healthy things, but I will try better to keep it up. I ate a whole watermelon last week and bought a big bag of oranges that will last me another week and bananas etc......

I believe the large fruit is called jaca and comes from trees believe it or not, we got it from a lady we baptized that lives in a city called Pilar and she has those trees that grow that fruit and I took lots of pictures of the guy she paid to climb up the giant tree and get the fruit. (I asked Brian what the name of the fruit was in a photo he has sent us a while back)

Burning the trash thing was a service project we did in Palmeira Dos Indios (Another picture I asked about)

Jatiuca is were the beach is and yes when I called home (Another question)

Last Sunday was stake conference and a young man brought two friends that we will work with. The talks were good and the stake president was like or I think it was the councilor and he said its been like 10 years he’s been in the stake and how he has seen others stakes that have grown so much that they have to rent out places to have stake conference and talked about how he hasn’t seen much change in our stake. They were all good talks and hope things change here.

The ward is still the same and hasn’t changed much, but maybe change will just take a long time.

P-day we went to the mall so my comp could by a shirt he wanted and then we made some frozen pizza for lunch!

Yes it will be raining everyday when you come so be prepared; an umbrella should be fine. I talked with president and my release date is June 8th and he said it is okay for you guys to get here on June 8th to pick me up and I have to leave the country by June 18th. So I think 5-6 days should be enough time. I did get sister Beynon’s email and phone number for you but I forgot to bring it with me right now....so I’ll email it later to you...so I will get you her email and you can ask her any questions you have.

HAPPY BDAY!!! Parabéns prá Você neste dia querida, muitos dias felizes muitos anos tambén (happy birthday song)

I love you and time is gooooing and movin

Brian

Batismo do Enoque

Enoque's baptism. Notice Brian's short hair. He said last week that he shaved his head.

Happy Enoque before getting baptized.

Enoque's Baptism

Well......I’m sick again....hehehehe

The senator is right and the sense of belonging part is hard here in our ward and in all the mission for that because all the people we baptize is with love and a good friendship and then we pass them on the to members and that’s when they lose that sense of belonging, which is why many go inactive.

Yeah I don’t remember much about me saying those things was a long time ago but is true.

I’ll ask the president on Monday when I see him about you coming and when.

Never fun being sick, but I’ve never thrown up yet on the mission, so tell Heidi she will get better.

So my week has been good up to yesterday when I started getting worse.
We baptized a profet (?) last Saturday, his name is Enoque...I’m pretty sure I told you about him. (He said this man had already prayed about the Book of Mormon and got his answer that it was true, even before they started teaching him.

Today I didn’t want to leave, but my comp was wanting to go eat Burger King so we went there today and I bought me a new jersey. By the way tell Jason the shirt he wants is 80 dollars.....and if there’s any money people want to give you, you can put it in my account :)

Ok well I love you all and I’ll try n get a picture to you this week. I also shaved my head.

Brian

Yea, We Got Mail!

Sorry I didn’t have time to email last week because email was down and couldn’t sign in.

Almost didn’t have time today to email because we had activity zone with all the missionaries and then we had marked a baptism to do this afternoon, but things happened and he won’t be baptized till next week :(

I’m just stressed right now because of all the stupid stuff that is happing with our investigators. We had a baptism last week who was excited to be baptized and the day before his baptism his grandma from a different church goes and threatens to take away his computer and all the stuff she’s given him and his dad etc.....it made him cry and made me a little upset.

The only good thing we had happen is we taught a members brother that’s living with him and the next day he said he received an answer to the Book of Mormon and wants to follow. He’s been to church many times and knows a lot of people and so we marked his baptism for this Saturday

Today’s activity was fun, we had over 30 missionaries and was at the church where we played soccer, games, had a movie put on the projector screen and ate lots of food

K well I love you all and by the way I still haven’t gotten your package yet...I was surprised it didn’t get here yet....if I don’t see it at interviews then I’m sure it got lost.

Christmas in Brazil

Brian sitting in a tree over the water during a Christmas ward activity.

Elder Roberts and Elder Souza standing in the tree.
Elder Roberts by the river at the Christmas activity
Pres. and Sis. Beynon playing nose horns for our Christmas party.

Having fun with our zone during interviews with Sis. Beynon
Brian with his trainer Elder Guerra, (dad) and his comp that he is training (son) Elder Souza

Having fun with Sis. Beynon. She is a great mission mom!

The baptism of Manga 17 and his sister Camila 15yrs.

The felt Christmas tree that had notes from family and friends pinned all over it.

Bro and Sis. Hansen who are going home soon.

Brian and Elder Stembridge ( our moms are on the Missionary Moms site together)

Elder Plazier, Elder Peck and Elder Roberts

Elder Roberts and his comp Elder Souza from Sao Paulo, Brazil

Fun in the Zone!

Zone conference lunch break. Brian has his hand togther by his face and is in the background.

The big zone. Brian is barely visable on the right hand side.