Thank you to my family and to the Smith's for the wonderful goodies I got for halloween!
These are some of the elders Brian played soccer with today.
Brian has a member who is working with old documents and he figured it woud be fun to try it out.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Brian tried his hand at making lasagna. YUM!
Joselane and Cosme are Baptized!
Yeah the week went well in that we baptized again and found another one for this week! We baptized Joselane and her brother Cosme and her mom is going to church and know she would be baptized too, but her husband is the problem and she isn’t married so....but we did have a lady who has been bringing her grandson the past two weeks and turns out he lives in our area and we will baptize him on Saturday.
Craig? Mission? Where? When?
Today for p-day we got up at 5:00 to leave at 5:30 to get to Atalia for our two zone activity thing and turned out really lame and too many buses for me to have patience to do it there again. I think the next time we will do it at the stake center.....the activity was soccer, bbq, movie, games, but we can do all that at the church building and a lot easier to do.
Sunday was like normal. A lot of good people didn’t go and same old story. The mission is going good and loving all of it. I’m going to cut it short so I can send you some pictures.
Love Brian
Craig? Mission? Where? When?
Today for p-day we got up at 5:00 to leave at 5:30 to get to Atalia for our two zone activity thing and turned out really lame and too many buses for me to have patience to do it there again. I think the next time we will do it at the stake center.....the activity was soccer, bbq, movie, games, but we can do all that at the church building and a lot easier to do.
Sunday was like normal. A lot of good people didn’t go and same old story. The mission is going good and loving all of it. I’m going to cut it short so I can send you some pictures.
Love Brian
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
My Comp's Inspiration
Hello
Sounds like everyone had a fun week and good time. My week was normal in that it starts good and then goes bad and then gets good again hehe. It’s kinda like a wave that just never stops going up and down. So my comp was inspired to work on a street we found that he’s never seen before and last week we worked the whole week on that one street and we found a lot of people that were with potential and listened and even accepted to prepare for baptism and the whole deal (we had I think over 10 people from the same street with baptism dates)...then come Sunday and satan does his work and we get no one to church on Sunday. Well 4 of them we knew wouldn’t go because they had planned something already will go Sunday and up to now are real firm and will be baptized on the 7th. The funny thing is there was one girl that we talked to on the street that said she might go, but she might go to the beach also so she wasn’t sure, but said to pass by on Sunday. So this usually means that she isn’t going to go, but we looked for her home on Sunday and didn’t find it so we thought she just lied to us...then Monday we found her again in the street and she asked us why we didn’t pass by because she waited 2 hours for us. We just laughed and this week she will go, and we found her house this time. So yeah the person least likely to go would have gone. But we started this week off again and went to that same street and marked another 4 baptisms and will work with these people and hope this Sunday they go. So that was our week.
Today for p-day we walked a long ways to the store. It’s kind of a Costco type store and bought things cheaper than normal, was fun because I almost felt like I was in a Costco and everything big etc...Didn’t do anything else today because no one organized anything yet but we will see about next week. I hope I get the package on Monday for our interviews and if that doesn’t happen then it will be a while till I get them. Lets see, things for Christmas, I know things natives like is anything NIKE-Shorts (basketball shorts)-socks-maybe a cool t shirt etc......and candy.....if I think of anything else ill let you know.....in terms of a letter I’ll do my best to remember that and get something sent to everyone with a picture or something....send a hug to everyone for me at church, all is well.
Ok well love you all, Brian
Sounds like everyone had a fun week and good time. My week was normal in that it starts good and then goes bad and then gets good again hehe. It’s kinda like a wave that just never stops going up and down. So my comp was inspired to work on a street we found that he’s never seen before and last week we worked the whole week on that one street and we found a lot of people that were with potential and listened and even accepted to prepare for baptism and the whole deal (we had I think over 10 people from the same street with baptism dates)...then come Sunday and satan does his work and we get no one to church on Sunday. Well 4 of them we knew wouldn’t go because they had planned something already will go Sunday and up to now are real firm and will be baptized on the 7th. The funny thing is there was one girl that we talked to on the street that said she might go, but she might go to the beach also so she wasn’t sure, but said to pass by on Sunday. So this usually means that she isn’t going to go, but we looked for her home on Sunday and didn’t find it so we thought she just lied to us...then Monday we found her again in the street and she asked us why we didn’t pass by because she waited 2 hours for us. We just laughed and this week she will go, and we found her house this time. So yeah the person least likely to go would have gone. But we started this week off again and went to that same street and marked another 4 baptisms and will work with these people and hope this Sunday they go. So that was our week.
Today for p-day we walked a long ways to the store. It’s kind of a Costco type store and bought things cheaper than normal, was fun because I almost felt like I was in a Costco and everything big etc...Didn’t do anything else today because no one organized anything yet but we will see about next week. I hope I get the package on Monday for our interviews and if that doesn’t happen then it will be a while till I get them. Lets see, things for Christmas, I know things natives like is anything NIKE-Shorts (basketball shorts)-socks-maybe a cool t shirt etc......and candy.....if I think of anything else ill let you know.....in terms of a letter I’ll do my best to remember that and get something sent to everyone with a picture or something....send a hug to everyone for me at church, all is well.
Ok well love you all, Brian
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Baptisms and Wildlife of Brazil
Brian's two baptisms that he had last week. He is also with is new comp Elder Morais from Sao Paulo, Brazil. These two girls, Niani and Ezabella are sisters from an inactive family they have been working with.
This is 12 yr. old Rodrigo whose brother was baptized the last transfer.
Here is some of the amazing wildlife of Brazil!
Only 8 Months Left!
Yeah thanks for all the pictures, I forgot that Halloween happens 3 times in the family. And I was excited to maybe get a package the other day but instead got nothing. But in I think 2 or three weeks we have interviews and I’ll get it then.
Yeah 8 months isn’t that long, and I believe that other missionaries had their parents come and visit them and don’t believe that would be a problem. I think it would be fun.
Anyways this last week was alright, Saturday and Sunday I was sick again....you already know why.....and today I was taking Ibuprofen, but not because of being sick, but because my whole body is sore from playing basketball. It’s a long story, but I did a division with the missionaries in Itabiana which is an interior city here and so it was just us two Americans and we were getting to know an x-president of the branch there who was inactive and turns out he’s the second Brazilian I’ve met that loves basketball and plays it every week. So he invited us to play with him and his friends that play with him every week etc....so we took the opportunity to play, It was soooo much fun and was a really competitive game, we won in the end by a last second shot by 1 point. He was happy and excited to play with us and will be going to church this week with his family and his wife marked another day to make us lunch there. So I don’t believe we wasted anytime doing that and am jealous that I won’t get to play basketball for another 8 months, but was fun and worth all the pain I’m in right now.
This morning we played soccer at the church and don’t think we will do anything else until next week. We will either go hike some mountain or visit an aquarium. We had a family were trying to get baptized, but is becoming a little hard. The wife wants to so badly be baptized and the problem is her husband’s mom is putting junk in his head and he the one in the way of it all. So we will do our best to help him and her to be baptized, but don’t think it will be this week at all.
Ok well I’m going to start sending some pictures so I love you all and have a good week!
Love Brian
Yeah 8 months isn’t that long, and I believe that other missionaries had their parents come and visit them and don’t believe that would be a problem. I think it would be fun.
Anyways this last week was alright, Saturday and Sunday I was sick again....you already know why.....and today I was taking Ibuprofen, but not because of being sick, but because my whole body is sore from playing basketball. It’s a long story, but I did a division with the missionaries in Itabiana which is an interior city here and so it was just us two Americans and we were getting to know an x-president of the branch there who was inactive and turns out he’s the second Brazilian I’ve met that loves basketball and plays it every week. So he invited us to play with him and his friends that play with him every week etc....so we took the opportunity to play, It was soooo much fun and was a really competitive game, we won in the end by a last second shot by 1 point. He was happy and excited to play with us and will be going to church this week with his family and his wife marked another day to make us lunch there. So I don’t believe we wasted anytime doing that and am jealous that I won’t get to play basketball for another 8 months, but was fun and worth all the pain I’m in right now.
This morning we played soccer at the church and don’t think we will do anything else until next week. We will either go hike some mountain or visit an aquarium. We had a family were trying to get baptized, but is becoming a little hard. The wife wants to so badly be baptized and the problem is her husband’s mom is putting junk in his head and he the one in the way of it all. So we will do our best to help him and her to be baptized, but don’t think it will be this week at all.
Ok well I’m going to start sending some pictures so I love you all and have a good week!
Love Brian
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
This Last Week...Went Really Good!
Hi hello how is everyone doing?
This last week went all right. Well we baptized and had people go to church so I guess it went really good. So we got those two girls from two family inactive baptized and most of the family went to church and hopefully will help them continue to go. We also baptized Rodrigo (12yrs) whose older brother was baptized last transfer and the two girls names are Niani and Ezabella. We are working with a couple who needs to get married and having a hard time with the word of wisdom but they want to be baptized and so we are helping them with that and are passing by with them everyday to help them to not drink or smoke. They’ve done good so far and some times we have to take their drugs away from them, but they’ll make it. We also have a family that was married a few months ago and wasn’t baptized because the mother had surgery or something and so we will try n get them ready for baptism. The only problem was that her daughter is a little rebellious and the dad isn’t sure if he is ready to be baptized, so hope we can get them all in the water these next few weeks.
My comp is from São Paulo and I think he is 20. Just us two in our home and don’t know how many missionaries we have here, but it’s divided into two zones and have all the interior cities as well. The city is big though. My comp.....well I’ve had worse so...but its all cool haven’t had any problems yet. He is a good teacher, but doesn’t like to work the way I would want to and so I hope it all goes well.
The wards here are doing good in my opinion and yes there are some wards strong in Brazil and some that suffer, but that’s any place in the world. Oh and I think the ward I’m in could be strong, but suffers a bit because I think the bishop is going a little inactive and that doesn’t help the work at all or the leadership in the church and makes everything disorganized. So I hope it all goes well these next weeks and I’m still getting to know the people here and haven’t even met the bishop yet.
So yes it is hot. Today was hot, but wasn’t too bad because it was cloudy. We went to some public park/zoo and were fun, took pictures of the monkey, and lion, and cheetah etc. You’ll probley laugh cause I think my throat is getting sore and I could be getting sick again, but hope it doesn’t get worse :) Ohh yeah the first thing I bought here was microwave popcorn, not the same that we have in the states, but was good and is more expensive, but worth it. I think I should get that package on Tuesday for our zone conference so we´ll see. I have more pictures I wanted to email to you, but don’t have my pen drive with me so I’ll have to do it next week sorry.
K well love you all and until another week!
This last week went all right. Well we baptized and had people go to church so I guess it went really good. So we got those two girls from two family inactive baptized and most of the family went to church and hopefully will help them continue to go. We also baptized Rodrigo (12yrs) whose older brother was baptized last transfer and the two girls names are Niani and Ezabella. We are working with a couple who needs to get married and having a hard time with the word of wisdom but they want to be baptized and so we are helping them with that and are passing by with them everyday to help them to not drink or smoke. They’ve done good so far and some times we have to take their drugs away from them, but they’ll make it. We also have a family that was married a few months ago and wasn’t baptized because the mother had surgery or something and so we will try n get them ready for baptism. The only problem was that her daughter is a little rebellious and the dad isn’t sure if he is ready to be baptized, so hope we can get them all in the water these next few weeks.
My comp is from São Paulo and I think he is 20. Just us two in our home and don’t know how many missionaries we have here, but it’s divided into two zones and have all the interior cities as well. The city is big though. My comp.....well I’ve had worse so...but its all cool haven’t had any problems yet. He is a good teacher, but doesn’t like to work the way I would want to and so I hope it all goes well.
The wards here are doing good in my opinion and yes there are some wards strong in Brazil and some that suffer, but that’s any place in the world. Oh and I think the ward I’m in could be strong, but suffers a bit because I think the bishop is going a little inactive and that doesn’t help the work at all or the leadership in the church and makes everything disorganized. So I hope it all goes well these next weeks and I’m still getting to know the people here and haven’t even met the bishop yet.
So yes it is hot. Today was hot, but wasn’t too bad because it was cloudy. We went to some public park/zoo and were fun, took pictures of the monkey, and lion, and cheetah etc. You’ll probley laugh cause I think my throat is getting sore and I could be getting sick again, but hope it doesn’t get worse :) Ohh yeah the first thing I bought here was microwave popcorn, not the same that we have in the states, but was good and is more expensive, but worth it. I think I should get that package on Tuesday for our zone conference so we´ll see. I have more pictures I wanted to email to you, but don’t have my pen drive with me so I’ll have to do it next week sorry.
K well love you all and until another week!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Transfer, Conference and Burger King
Well let’s start with the transfer. I’m in Aracajú/Sergipe in the Centenario Ward with Elder Morais. He is from São Paulo and I’m still DL with 3 other sets of missionaries. We have a possible 3 baptisms this week from the transfer before and hope those go through and also a couple to get married.
Alright for conference that was cool. I got to watch the Saturday morning session and part of the afternoon, and the Sunday afternoon session and priesthood session. I watched them all in Portuguese except for the last one and loved them all. Had two families that were inactive that went and hope that they’ll keep going. Our investigator went to the one on Saturday and Sunday with us and was awesome and she gained her testimony of the prophet and apostles and is excited to be baptized and is too bad I’ll miss it, but that’s not what’s important.
So once things started going good there in the branch the president moves us both out to different areas and brings in two new people. Not what I had in mind but w/e. I hope the branch continues to do good.
So p-day today we went to the center and developed some pictures and I took some pictures at Burger King which is where I ate a Double Whopper with cheese and large fries/onion rings/drink. Was awesome! And then I found some good ties that I bought and now I’m here emailing you. The house we live in I think is my favorite one of all of them because we have a micro wave, decent size fridge, nicer bathroom, new looking washer, and my favorite part is that the ceiling is way up higher and I feel like I can breath better and have more space. I took pictures and have lots I want to send you, but the computers here are junk and might be a while till I get those to you.
It stinks that Robert isn’t 100% yet, but in the long run he will be better and maybe less pain in the future. I still haven’t written any letters, but maybe I’ll write one and send the same one to everyone...hehe
Well not sure what else to say, anything happens I'll let you know, think tomorrow we are going to work all day in Altalia where they will dedicate a new chapel and will do the same thing we did in São Miguel. Sounds like fun and think that it will be hot all day.
K Love you all and until another week.
Brian
Alright for conference that was cool. I got to watch the Saturday morning session and part of the afternoon, and the Sunday afternoon session and priesthood session. I watched them all in Portuguese except for the last one and loved them all. Had two families that were inactive that went and hope that they’ll keep going. Our investigator went to the one on Saturday and Sunday with us and was awesome and she gained her testimony of the prophet and apostles and is excited to be baptized and is too bad I’ll miss it, but that’s not what’s important.
So once things started going good there in the branch the president moves us both out to different areas and brings in two new people. Not what I had in mind but w/e. I hope the branch continues to do good.
So p-day today we went to the center and developed some pictures and I took some pictures at Burger King which is where I ate a Double Whopper with cheese and large fries/onion rings/drink. Was awesome! And then I found some good ties that I bought and now I’m here emailing you. The house we live in I think is my favorite one of all of them because we have a micro wave, decent size fridge, nicer bathroom, new looking washer, and my favorite part is that the ceiling is way up higher and I feel like I can breath better and have more space. I took pictures and have lots I want to send you, but the computers here are junk and might be a while till I get those to you.
It stinks that Robert isn’t 100% yet, but in the long run he will be better and maybe less pain in the future. I still haven’t written any letters, but maybe I’ll write one and send the same one to everyone...hehe
Well not sure what else to say, anything happens I'll let you know, think tomorrow we are going to work all day in Altalia where they will dedicate a new chapel and will do the same thing we did in São Miguel. Sounds like fun and think that it will be hot all day.
K Love you all and until another week.
Brian
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Work is Going Great!
So I tried writing earlier today and the power just went out every 10 minutes and I’m also feeling bad today and having the same allergy problem and have been half dead today. So the letter will be short and then I’m going to go to bed.
So last week we did baptize André and we have 3 other people we have marked and are preparing for the next transfer and things have shown a lot better these last 4 weeks in the branch and are getting close to it turning into a ward. The work we did in getting rid of the names of all the people that don’t live anymore in the area and of visiting all the members inactive, we have narrowed down the list and have gotten a frequency of 80 people for this last month which is a lot better than it was when I got here. I believe after my last interview the other day that I’ll be leaving. But I feel like we just got this area started and that it’s just going to get better so I hope the next missionaries here keep it going and baptize those other people we are working with. I also found out the other day that all my recent converts in Arapiraca are firm and going to church again! Most of them had gone inactive and visiting other church’s and made me really sad and then was a real joy to hear they are going again and Antonio the son of a lady we baptized there wants to go on a mission and is getting ready for that.
Well we don’t have satellite or cable here so we will have a bus on Sunday take everyone to the stake center in Arapiraca to watch the last session. I might go watch one of them on Saturday with an investigator that we taught Monday because she won’t be able to go Sunday so we’ll see tomorrow when we talk to her.
Yeah there is a mail strike going on and is driving my comp crazy, but I did get a box from my grandma the other day. (My first package that didn’t have anything of candy or sugar. Was really good though)
So transfers are on Monday and I believe I’ll be leaving to a new place and you´ll just have to wait and see where.
K well looks like I wrote more than I thought I would.
Love you all and take care, Brian
So last week we did baptize André and we have 3 other people we have marked and are preparing for the next transfer and things have shown a lot better these last 4 weeks in the branch and are getting close to it turning into a ward. The work we did in getting rid of the names of all the people that don’t live anymore in the area and of visiting all the members inactive, we have narrowed down the list and have gotten a frequency of 80 people for this last month which is a lot better than it was when I got here. I believe after my last interview the other day that I’ll be leaving. But I feel like we just got this area started and that it’s just going to get better so I hope the next missionaries here keep it going and baptize those other people we are working with. I also found out the other day that all my recent converts in Arapiraca are firm and going to church again! Most of them had gone inactive and visiting other church’s and made me really sad and then was a real joy to hear they are going again and Antonio the son of a lady we baptized there wants to go on a mission and is getting ready for that.
Well we don’t have satellite or cable here so we will have a bus on Sunday take everyone to the stake center in Arapiraca to watch the last session. I might go watch one of them on Saturday with an investigator that we taught Monday because she won’t be able to go Sunday so we’ll see tomorrow when we talk to her.
Yeah there is a mail strike going on and is driving my comp crazy, but I did get a box from my grandma the other day. (My first package that didn’t have anything of candy or sugar. Was really good though)
So transfers are on Monday and I believe I’ll be leaving to a new place and you´ll just have to wait and see where.
K well looks like I wrote more than I thought I would.
Love you all and take care, Brian
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Expert Cake Maker!
Brian made this chocolate cake two nights in a row. He must becoming an expert cake maker...or an expert cake eater!
Time is Flying!
The weather this past week has been hot with little rain and has been lots of fun to work in. This last week we worked hard as ever and hey we found a family knocking doors and they accepted to get married and prepare to be baptized and we got excited because it was something that could have been done before this transfer ends but ran into problems Sunday and they didn’t go to church so we will continue to work with them, but they wouldn’t be baptized until the next transfer, so if I stay another transfer here I might be asking for help with the wedding but that’s if. Also we will baptize André, the 30 year old man that is separated for some time and living with his sister and he is way excited for his baptism this Saturday.
They do sell bug poisons and stuff here, but don’t think that will make much a difference, and yes we have ovens, but the question is if it works. I think half the time it does and the other it doesn’t. The oven in our home was so old and rusted out and got to the point the we had only 1 of the 4 burners working and so sister Beynon told us we could buy a new one and we just got a new one last week. And if you want to send a mix, send the confetti cake mix with confetti cake frosting. They don’t sell frosting, but we made it from ingredients another person’s mom sent from the states.
The activity was good, we had like 25-30 people and they really liked it and was fun. We were hoping for more people, but this is normal for all the activities here and is just hard to get all the members to go because a lot live in areas were they don’t feel safe leaving at night and other members believe it or might have to watch their novela and w/e other excuses they have. But overall was a good activity and was where André came in and we got another reference too.
I did start off this week sick again, well not sick, but with severe allergies again and just gets worse if I go out in the sun and heat and had to just stay home. I only left to visit the people we are still teaching and that was it. This morning I had it again, but I’m feeling better at the moment. It's annoying having the allergy sinus problems, but all a part of life.
Umm well I did write a letter to bishop a few weeks ago and then I don’t remember the address to his home and so I don’t at the moment have anyone’s address. If you can just send me an email with lots of random peoples addresses that would be great.
So I love you all and time is flying and tell everyone hi for me.
Love Brian
They do sell bug poisons and stuff here, but don’t think that will make much a difference, and yes we have ovens, but the question is if it works. I think half the time it does and the other it doesn’t. The oven in our home was so old and rusted out and got to the point the we had only 1 of the 4 burners working and so sister Beynon told us we could buy a new one and we just got a new one last week. And if you want to send a mix, send the confetti cake mix with confetti cake frosting. They don’t sell frosting, but we made it from ingredients another person’s mom sent from the states.
The activity was good, we had like 25-30 people and they really liked it and was fun. We were hoping for more people, but this is normal for all the activities here and is just hard to get all the members to go because a lot live in areas were they don’t feel safe leaving at night and other members believe it or might have to watch their novela and w/e other excuses they have. But overall was a good activity and was where André came in and we got another reference too.
I did start off this week sick again, well not sick, but with severe allergies again and just gets worse if I go out in the sun and heat and had to just stay home. I only left to visit the people we are still teaching and that was it. This morning I had it again, but I’m feeling better at the moment. It's annoying having the allergy sinus problems, but all a part of life.
Umm well I did write a letter to bishop a few weeks ago and then I don’t remember the address to his home and so I don’t at the moment have anyone’s address. If you can just send me an email with lots of random peoples addresses that would be great.
So I love you all and time is flying and tell everyone hi for me.
Love Brian
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Knocking All the Doors in the City
Hi Mom, how is it going?
This week was good, we had one guy to church and we got him excited for his baptism on the 26th and he is really firm for that. We taught him few weeks ago and he lied and never went to church, but we did that activity last Saturday and one of the members invited him to it and he went and liked it and went Sunday and started to ask about baptism and you know the rest. So we are excited for that and have been working harder than ever and been actually teaching a lot more than lately. Ivé been knocking doors and plan on knocking all the doors in the city before I finish this transfer.
So I think I have a new record of roaches I've seen at once, well I think. But yeah I woke up to shower and found a whole happy family of roaches waiting for me and killed 6-7 of them and then that night when I went to shower again found the grand daddy of them and had fun killing him.
We also made a chocolate cake last night and the night before too, it was so good we did it two nights in a row. That's good that you are helping the missionaries. I'm having a hard time getting the members to help, but with last week's activty we already got a baptism marked and another reference to go see still. And I'm also doing my best to get them involved in teaching with us at every appointment we have. I think here it's like every 120 contacts we do is a baptism and every 1 out of 2 references from member is a baptism. So help from the members is always good.
Looks like the summer was fun....it's starting to get hot here and less rain, but it's all good and time just keeps going.
Well love you all, Brian
This week was good, we had one guy to church and we got him excited for his baptism on the 26th and he is really firm for that. We taught him few weeks ago and he lied and never went to church, but we did that activity last Saturday and one of the members invited him to it and he went and liked it and went Sunday and started to ask about baptism and you know the rest. So we are excited for that and have been working harder than ever and been actually teaching a lot more than lately. Ivé been knocking doors and plan on knocking all the doors in the city before I finish this transfer.
So I think I have a new record of roaches I've seen at once, well I think. But yeah I woke up to shower and found a whole happy family of roaches waiting for me and killed 6-7 of them and then that night when I went to shower again found the grand daddy of them and had fun killing him.
We also made a chocolate cake last night and the night before too, it was so good we did it two nights in a row. That's good that you are helping the missionaries. I'm having a hard time getting the members to help, but with last week's activty we already got a baptism marked and another reference to go see still. And I'm also doing my best to get them involved in teaching with us at every appointment we have. I think here it's like every 120 contacts we do is a baptism and every 1 out of 2 references from member is a baptism. So help from the members is always good.
Looks like the summer was fun....it's starting to get hot here and less rain, but it's all good and time just keeps going.
Well love you all, Brian
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Conference in Sao Miguel dos Compos
Yeah I got the package yesterday. Thank you soooooo much. The mission started a website if you want to check it out: missaomaceio.blogspot.com. There's one in English, but I don't remember.
So Monday was a holiday here, and they had the whole parade of their bands and dancers in the streets with fireworks etc...and we ate lunch at the church were they had a bar-b-q and then yesterday we got up at 4:30am to get a van to Arapiraca and then got another van to São Miguel dos Compos where president Beynon will dedicate a new chapel and we had conference there. That afternoon we all went out and handed out invites to the open house and got a lot of references for the missionaries there. Then we got home last night at like 8 and I spent this morning cleaning up our home. Our Brazilian comps are really lazy when it comes to cleaning and is just ridiculous the way they live. I don't know if it's because of the culture here where the woman takes care of the house, but in my opinion they are just being plain lazy and stupid.
But anywhoo I'm doing good and just like Tate I hope that I get a new area after this transfer. Ok well I love you all and again thanks for the candy.
So Monday was a holiday here, and they had the whole parade of their bands and dancers in the streets with fireworks etc...and we ate lunch at the church were they had a bar-b-q and then yesterday we got up at 4:30am to get a van to Arapiraca and then got another van to São Miguel dos Compos where president Beynon will dedicate a new chapel and we had conference there. That afternoon we all went out and handed out invites to the open house and got a lot of references for the missionaries there. Then we got home last night at like 8 and I spent this morning cleaning up our home. Our Brazilian comps are really lazy when it comes to cleaning and is just ridiculous the way they live. I don't know if it's because of the culture here where the woman takes care of the house, but in my opinion they are just being plain lazy and stupid.
But anywhoo I'm doing good and just like Tate I hope that I get a new area after this transfer. Ok well I love you all and again thanks for the candy.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Middle of Nowhere
Yeah learning a different language definitely wasn’t easy, but was fun. (I asked if he could remember when he got there and couldn't speak Portuguese and how he has come a long way) So this last week went fairly good. Church didn’t have any firm investigators, but we have better hope for this week.
Monday we went to Arapiraca for zone meeting and had fun doing that and ate lunch at Irma Nazina´s home. She’s the lady were I shared my first message in the mission not knowing anything, and was also the lady that asked me before I left that area if I would miss her and I told her no, but it was because I didn’t understand her. But she is an awesome lady and always made dinner and lunch for us and had a huge lunch with her the other day in Arapiraca.
Then yesterday we decided to start knocking doors and decided to go way out in the middle of nowhere off on this path that leads to just a bunch of houses in our furthest area and just knocked all the doors out there and found a lot of people to go back and visit. Just hope they have the faith to walk to church this Sunday, but we will find that out later. I’ll try n take some pictures when we go back there tomorrow. It really is in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know why people build houses there and not in the city but w/e it has a good view.
Today for p-day we will go and watch the Pirates of the Caribbean and tonight will be English class again and hope we get more people this week. But if not any people come I’ll just stop offering it.
Oh last Sunday we did get another inactive member to church along with her sister-in-law that isn’t a member and we marked to teach her again this week. It’s just that she lives very far away, out side the city and so she has to come here for us to teach her so it will be a bit hard. Sunday after church we went to her home and watched the Testaments with everyone and I helped make a huge chocolate cake! It was lots of fun and is just tuff to get these people excited to go to church.
This branch has sooo many people inactive and with stupid little things keeping them from going to church. But we are planning to do an activity in two weeks with everyone. We called it the ‘Search for the most desirable fruit’. We are going to create the iron rod with ropes and blind fold the people and if they make it to the end they get chocolate. We didn’t tell anyone what the activity was to leave them all in suspense, we just told them the name of it. So hopefully all goes well and hope we find someone elite this week. Well can’t remember anything funny that happened, but if something does I’ll write it down to remember, hehe.
Love you all and until another week. Love Brian
Monday we went to Arapiraca for zone meeting and had fun doing that and ate lunch at Irma Nazina´s home. She’s the lady were I shared my first message in the mission not knowing anything, and was also the lady that asked me before I left that area if I would miss her and I told her no, but it was because I didn’t understand her. But she is an awesome lady and always made dinner and lunch for us and had a huge lunch with her the other day in Arapiraca.
Then yesterday we decided to start knocking doors and decided to go way out in the middle of nowhere off on this path that leads to just a bunch of houses in our furthest area and just knocked all the doors out there and found a lot of people to go back and visit. Just hope they have the faith to walk to church this Sunday, but we will find that out later. I’ll try n take some pictures when we go back there tomorrow. It really is in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know why people build houses there and not in the city but w/e it has a good view.
Today for p-day we will go and watch the Pirates of the Caribbean and tonight will be English class again and hope we get more people this week. But if not any people come I’ll just stop offering it.
Oh last Sunday we did get another inactive member to church along with her sister-in-law that isn’t a member and we marked to teach her again this week. It’s just that she lives very far away, out side the city and so she has to come here for us to teach her so it will be a bit hard. Sunday after church we went to her home and watched the Testaments with everyone and I helped make a huge chocolate cake! It was lots of fun and is just tuff to get these people excited to go to church.
This branch has sooo many people inactive and with stupid little things keeping them from going to church. But we are planning to do an activity in two weeks with everyone. We called it the ‘Search for the most desirable fruit’. We are going to create the iron rod with ropes and blind fold the people and if they make it to the end they get chocolate. We didn’t tell anyone what the activity was to leave them all in suspense, we just told them the name of it. So hopefully all goes well and hope we find someone elite this week. Well can’t remember anything funny that happened, but if something does I’ll write it down to remember, hehe.
Love you all and until another week. Love Brian
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
People Here are 'Molly'
Hi
I know I don’t write much. I’ve been in the same area for 3 months and will be for another 6 weeks and maybe 3 months. We don’t have good investigators and the people here are well very molly. (Don’t remember how to explain molly, it’s a term we use for I think something like cold feet or something)
Today for p-day I think me and my comp will see if we can get Rodrigo, (he’s one of the bishopric counselors in the ward here and only a return missionary for a year and already a high priest), to watch the movie Wall-e at his home. Should be fun but I haven’t gotten hold of him on my phone. We also marked with Jane, who is a member in the branch, to go to some kind of Indian place here where you need to have permission from the chief Indian tribe dude just to visit it. So we need to get that from a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy to get us permission and I think we’ll be going there next week to take picture etc...should be lots of fun. We also planned to go see if we can find waterfalls or something that people said exist out here on some trails w/e not to sure, but will be fun as well.
I’m going to be starting an English class at the church and are also planning to do an activity with the branch members to help unify them a bit and seek references and tomorrow night we will be watching a movie with them at the church on a projector screen with popcorn etc with the same purposes. So this last week was transfers and nothing new so it will be another 6 weeks here with a new start and hope we do better this transfer. So there’s your update. Hope you guys have a good week and nice to hear Roberts doing better.
Love you all, Brian
I know I don’t write much. I’ve been in the same area for 3 months and will be for another 6 weeks and maybe 3 months. We don’t have good investigators and the people here are well very molly. (Don’t remember how to explain molly, it’s a term we use for I think something like cold feet or something)
Today for p-day I think me and my comp will see if we can get Rodrigo, (he’s one of the bishopric counselors in the ward here and only a return missionary for a year and already a high priest), to watch the movie Wall-e at his home. Should be fun but I haven’t gotten hold of him on my phone. We also marked with Jane, who is a member in the branch, to go to some kind of Indian place here where you need to have permission from the chief Indian tribe dude just to visit it. So we need to get that from a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy to get us permission and I think we’ll be going there next week to take picture etc...should be lots of fun. We also planned to go see if we can find waterfalls or something that people said exist out here on some trails w/e not to sure, but will be fun as well.
I’m going to be starting an English class at the church and are also planning to do an activity with the branch members to help unify them a bit and seek references and tomorrow night we will be watching a movie with them at the church on a projector screen with popcorn etc with the same purposes. So this last week was transfers and nothing new so it will be another 6 weeks here with a new start and hope we do better this transfer. So there’s your update. Hope you guys have a good week and nice to hear Roberts doing better.
Love you all, Brian
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Clean Up in the Jungle
While cleaning up, Brian found a coconut.
Some neighbors help the elders with cleanup.
Preparing to burn some of the branches they cut up.
Smoke signals???
Cleaning and Baking!
Well I just don’t have that will to write a lot, but for you I’ll try. (After last week's email that was short due to a bad computer, I told him we expected a lot from him. :)
The area here is doing ok. We have lots of people we are teaching and getting to church, the problem is they are just all molly and not real firm. So I have yet to baptize here, but with a miracle we can get one this week or any week. My comp is cool, he teaches really well and likes to work and I believe I’ll stay here another transfer with him.
So I think I know why everyone in our house gets sick a lot. Our water boxes are dirty. Just picture water brown with a giant dead lizard and all sorts of bugs and mosquitoes and dengue. It’s a blessing none of us ever got dengue or any other crazy thing. So we spent all morning today cleaning out our water box and we cleaned it out good with acid and refilled it. Forgot to take pictures, but you can imagine it. Our backyard is looking like a jungle. I think we will clean that up next and we also cleaned our car port with acid because the tiles there were looking green. So we just cleaned everything all day today and it was fun.
Last night I made an orange cake and it was good. I think tonight I’ll make a chocolate one.
Last week we had interviews with president and he took us all out for chuhassco at that same Texaco place, all you can eat. Was lots of fun as always.
So things are just as normal as ever here and have nothing much else to write. Still teaching the same people and no one yet real firm for baptism.
So love you all, and hope everyone starts feeling better (He is talking about the Hubers and Robert)
Brian
(This is Brian’s response to sending him a picture of the food Tate eats. Brian thinks it looks really good. It probably looks better than it tastes. The photo is below.)
AHHAHAAHHhhhhhHAHAHAHAHAHahThat is not what we eat here but it looks way good and makes me have a mix of emotions of mad because I can’t eat it and sad because it’s a long ways away from me. But I’ll live. We eat rice, beans, spaghetti everyday so it isn’t much to complain about.
The area here is doing ok. We have lots of people we are teaching and getting to church, the problem is they are just all molly and not real firm. So I have yet to baptize here, but with a miracle we can get one this week or any week. My comp is cool, he teaches really well and likes to work and I believe I’ll stay here another transfer with him.
So I think I know why everyone in our house gets sick a lot. Our water boxes are dirty. Just picture water brown with a giant dead lizard and all sorts of bugs and mosquitoes and dengue. It’s a blessing none of us ever got dengue or any other crazy thing. So we spent all morning today cleaning out our water box and we cleaned it out good with acid and refilled it. Forgot to take pictures, but you can imagine it. Our backyard is looking like a jungle. I think we will clean that up next and we also cleaned our car port with acid because the tiles there were looking green. So we just cleaned everything all day today and it was fun.
Last night I made an orange cake and it was good. I think tonight I’ll make a chocolate one.
Last week we had interviews with president and he took us all out for chuhassco at that same Texaco place, all you can eat. Was lots of fun as always.
So things are just as normal as ever here and have nothing much else to write. Still teaching the same people and no one yet real firm for baptism.
So love you all, and hope everyone starts feeling better (He is talking about the Hubers and Robert)
Brian
(This is Brian’s response to sending him a picture of the food Tate eats. Brian thinks it looks really good. It probably looks better than it tastes. The photo is below.)
AHHAHAAHHhhhhhHAHAHAHAHAHahThat is not what we eat here but it looks way good and makes me have a mix of emotions of mad because I can’t eat it and sad because it’s a long ways away from me. But I’ll live. We eat rice, beans, spaghetti everyday so it isn’t much to complain about.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Computer Causing Trouble
Well mom, the internet is being retarded so I'll just email next week.
Umm Robert and Jim are both looking good.
And yes I am drinking a lot of caffeine here in the mission; coke, guarana, chimahão, pepsi, you name it it has caffein. The president says we can drink it. The members give it to us for lunch and all my comps drink it like water. But I'm not really addicted, so dont worry there. That's one of the things I learned from you was to drink apple juice so I know after the mission that won't be a problem. (I asked him if he was supposed to drink Mate'. Some missions don't allow it and his comp loves it and has him hooked on it too. That's the reason for his comments, because he is answering my question)
Anywhoo, love you and thanks for everyhting and will keep you all in my prayers.
Love Brian
Umm Robert and Jim are both looking good.
And yes I am drinking a lot of caffeine here in the mission; coke, guarana, chimahão, pepsi, you name it it has caffein. The president says we can drink it. The members give it to us for lunch and all my comps drink it like water. But I'm not really addicted, so dont worry there. That's one of the things I learned from you was to drink apple juice so I know after the mission that won't be a problem. (I asked him if he was supposed to drink Mate'. Some missions don't allow it and his comp loves it and has him hooked on it too. That's the reason for his comments, because he is answering my question)
Anywhoo, love you and thanks for everyhting and will keep you all in my prayers.
Love Brian
Friday, August 7, 2009
Cleaning Up the Jungle
Cleaning up the backyard of a girl they are teaching. They are hoping to gain the confidence of her mother to let her be baptized.
Brian with his roomates and his companion doing service.
This Week Was Fun As Usual
Well it’s good that Robert is doing better. All that stuff sounds painful and like lots of fun. You should ask my sister Stacie for help, she’s a nurse now I think and knows how to take care of things like that.
So this last week was fun as usual. We have a new family we are teaching and the mother went to church. She has two sons and is separated from her husband and lives in a nice home and has a car and more things than most people here have, but is unhappy and doesn’t know if God loves her because of some things with her son who she thinks is with an evil spirit or something. But I believe the kid just had a bad childhood with parents who didn’t love him and a mix of teretz. So we are teaching her and her two boys, one 10 and the other 8yrs. So the thing she wants is for us to help her son. So we are going to play games with him tomorrow and try to gain his friendship etc and get him excited to go to church. And our other girl who can be baptized I’m not sure if it will be this week because her mom is all against her being baptized and she is scared of what her mom will do and wants her support and she won’t let us talk with her. So we are working with her and trying to get the trust of her mom. Yesterday we did a service project in her backyard and cleaned up their jungle backyard real well and helped show a different side of the church and was fun at the same time. Then that night we watched the movie Charly with them and had cake n popcorn and juice, was lots of fun. So I have some good people I’m working with and hope all goes well with them.
My comp is 19, from Rio Grande do sol, the southern state, he is really one of those not stubborn, but cocky type of people when it come to a lot of things and he even admitted that but he’s really cool and I’m addicted to that erva mate, called Chimahâo. We drink it every day and all night. The first time drinking it, it tasted like horse junk, but got used to it and like it now.
So I think that’s it for this week. Love ya all and will try n send some photos of the service thing we did.
So this last week was fun as usual. We have a new family we are teaching and the mother went to church. She has two sons and is separated from her husband and lives in a nice home and has a car and more things than most people here have, but is unhappy and doesn’t know if God loves her because of some things with her son who she thinks is with an evil spirit or something. But I believe the kid just had a bad childhood with parents who didn’t love him and a mix of teretz. So we are teaching her and her two boys, one 10 and the other 8yrs. So the thing she wants is for us to help her son. So we are going to play games with him tomorrow and try to gain his friendship etc and get him excited to go to church. And our other girl who can be baptized I’m not sure if it will be this week because her mom is all against her being baptized and she is scared of what her mom will do and wants her support and she won’t let us talk with her. So we are working with her and trying to get the trust of her mom. Yesterday we did a service project in her backyard and cleaned up their jungle backyard real well and helped show a different side of the church and was fun at the same time. Then that night we watched the movie Charly with them and had cake n popcorn and juice, was lots of fun. So I have some good people I’m working with and hope all goes well with them.
My comp is 19, from Rio Grande do sol, the southern state, he is really one of those not stubborn, but cocky type of people when it come to a lot of things and he even admitted that but he’s really cool and I’m addicted to that erva mate, called Chimahâo. We drink it every day and all night. The first time drinking it, it tasted like horse junk, but got used to it and like it now.
So I think that’s it for this week. Love ya all and will try n send some photos of the service thing we did.
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