Baptisms and Site Seeing

Three Baptisms on Saturday!

So this week went a lot better. We got a record 4 people to church and have three people we will baptize on Saturday! Our guy Hector from Sao Paulo who is here working has been going for the last three weeks by himself and has been really hard to teach him because of his work schedule and when we taught him in his home is was full of cigarette boxes and so we new that would be a problem. But he has been going and told us he has a desire to be baptized and so Sunday we taught him the word of wisdom and we had in mind stealing all his cigarettes and he then told us that those were all empty boxes and he had smoked those a long time ago and that he just wanted to keep them to show how much money he wasted on them, he said he knew they weren’t good for him and that he quit a few months ago. We were so thrilled and told him his baptism is this Saturday and he’s excited for it all.

The other two is a lady that we did a huge service project with the ward in painting their house and the Relief Society cleaned it and was really nice because she just had a baby, making 6 kids and helped to reactivate her family. They’re now coming to church and her husband stopped drinking and they are improving. So anyways we were talking to them and come to find out she tells us that when her husband was baptized that she wasn’t because she had had a cast on her arm and wasn’t able to be baptized at the time. So we checked the records in the church to see if she was there and she isn’t so we are going to baptize her and her daughter. Her name is Sandra and her daughters name is Saria. So this should make for a good end to this transfer in our area.

Today we went to two different museums and took lots of pictures of some of the things here in my area. Then me n Elder Lundgreen went to McDonalds and ate lunch and found out that they opened up the new Subway here so we will be going there next week. Tomorrow is our conference with Elder Didier and then Saturday we are doing another service project of painting a member’s garage.

It hasn’t rained too hard lately, but it does rain here and there everyday and every night. But everytime it rains hard our street floods like in those pictures and is cool to watch. I know you would like me to write more, but my weeks are the same stuff every week and not much changes. So just know that I love you all and if anything crazy happens you’ll be sure to know about it. Send the Huber’s my love and will be sure to pray for them. Things are all going good and am excited of course to be hitting my year mark in Brazil in a few weeks here!

K well Love you all, Brian

Talking and Relaxing!

This is how Brian talked to us on Mother's Day

Brian is relaxing in a hammock while talking to us on Mother's Day

Photos from the Beach!

Enjoy these views from the Beach.

It Was So Fun to Talk to Brian On Mother's Day!

Hey so Monday night I got really sick and have been bed ridden since and so my letter today will be short again so that I can go home and sleep more.

So yeah it was awesome to call home and talk to everyone. The thing I wanted that would be nice is a business card type thing with: Elder Roberts, my mission address and home address, 2008-2010. I think that’s all I need on it so that would be cool to have like 100 of those to give to people. Another thing I thought of that would be fun to make is some Mac n cheese.

I’m not sure what I got but I’m feeling a little better today and hope it continues to improve. Currently we only have 1 guy going to church and we were actually surprised he went on Sunday all by himself. So we haven’t been able to teach him more because of me being sick, but we will and need to help with his smoking and other bad habits, but he has a desire to be baptized. We just need to see how much he wants it.

I told the lady to resend the pictures of the rain and my trip and of the phone call on the hammock, so let me know if you ever get them. If not I’ll have to help her figure that one out. She’s not too smart with computers.

Ummm so next week Charles Didier will be doing our zone conference and will fun to see and hear from him. Last Sunday I guess Elder Bednar was in our stake giving a special Mother’s Day devotional for our stake and was kind of a last minute thing because they didn’t announce it until that Sunday in church. Instead of me going to that I talked to you guys, but it was worth it.

Ok well I love you all and thanks for all the packages and prayers and love. Brian

Only A Few More Days Until Brian Calls!

Ok well let’s get the calling situation worked out first. So Tate will call at 2pm and I think that’s just fine. I can talk to my mom during that time and when you guys are ready to call me just call my mom on her cell phone and she can tell me over the phone. So the phone is a land connection and shouldn’t have problems. So just tell people to come at a different hour please.

Yeah I’ve seen skype but don’t care to use it and don’t know of anyone in my ward with it.

So Mariajose has a home in an interior city called Pilar and we spent all day today there and I took a lot of pictures and was a fun day and will try and get them sent before Sunday and will explain them over the phone if you want.

Yeah I remember those guys and is crazy that their coming home already. (Two RM's just returned home in our ward and another one coming next month) Crazier that Craig will get his call this year and be gone before I finish my mission.

Well don’t have much time for this email, but will talk on Sunday to make up for it.

Love Brian

I Got to Baptize Mariajose Dos Santos Lima

Yeah, that time sounds fine (2:00pm our time). Next week I'll email the number for you to call at that time on Sunday. I'll have my mom call me after I'm done with you guys, and my buddy Henry gets the first few minutes to talk to me if that's ok.

So I got to baptize Mariajosé dos santos Lima last Saturday and will see if I can get pictures sent this week. We got a few people we are working with and will see how all that goes. I can't think of much that happened, but that we work like normal and we're making some progress with the people here. I won't lie though, my area is tough and hard to teach and get people to church here. Yesterday we worked all afternoon and found one guy to teach and get to church, but he seemed like a really great guy and excited to go to church so we will see how it goes.

Today for p-day we played games and me and two other Americans went to McDonalds because our companions don't like food without beans n rice. So it's been a good day and week and enjoying it here.

K well love you all, Brian

From the Streets of Jatiuca

A view from my bishop's balcony

Another view from the balcony

Another view

Through a chain link fence

One more view

A great view of the ocean from Brian's area.

MacDonald's...A favorite place to eat Right across from the beach!

Looks the same as home, and it's still called a Big Mac in Portugese

The Hansen's made them lunch while watching conference with them

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...Yum!

Elder Hansen, with Brian and Elder Lundgreen

A boy on the street

Brian with his companion Elder Dos Santos in their apartment

A street in their area

The Work Will Go On!

I asked him to explain the pictures he just sent this week. I will post those along with this letter. His letter begins with those explanations.

So the pictures of all the buildings and beach etc, was of my working area. The church is in some of the pictures if you look closely and is close to the beach. I took a lot of the pictures from my bishop’s balcony on the 9th floor and has an awesome view. The ones with food are just lunches I’ve had. I like to take pictures of everything I eat before I eat it. Umm I think the one with pbnj (peanut butter & jelly) is what the Hansen’s made us when we went to watch conference with them, which btw (by the way) the older guy is elder Hansen and so that was conference on Sunday, the kid was just some random kid I took his picture, and the one with me and the lady is Amiere the woman we baptized here, so I think that covers the pictures for now.

Arline doesn’t speak English, but I think I'll call home with her phone at her home.

So this last week went good, we had transfers and nothing changed for me. We had three people to stake conference which was awesome because they all went on their own which is a good sign and we will be baptizing Maria José this Saturday, and I want to do it at the beach because our tiles in the fount are stained, but I think we will end up doing it at the church. We taught another guy that was a church Sunday last night and was funny when we walked into his apartment we noticed just two big piles of cigarettes huge piles and all unused so this will be a fun guy to help but we taught him and marked a baptism date for him and he accepted it so we need to go back and see how is reading was etc and teach the word of wisdom to him, he does work like crazy and is actually from Sao Paulo but we will see him again Saturday and also will call him tonight because now we got new cell phones and can call our investigators. The other lady has known the church for a while and she has a busy schedule also, but I marked to visit her on Saturday too so hope that goes well. I’m also working with the ward with inactive members and helping them out there.

Ok well the work here will go on, things are all good and thanks for all the prayers n support. Brian

Sexta Santa or Easter in Brazil

Yeah it was a good Easter Sunday turnout and seems like the ward is getting better attendance every week I go. It was Sexta Santa were everyone took work off and everything shuts down and have parties and they only eat fish for the week, so you can guess what I’ve been eating for the past few days. The stores here sell chocolate eggs etc...people here like to do that and give candy for Easter.

It hadn’t rained for 4 weeks here in this area until the past 3 or 4 days it’s been raining a lot and has been good to get the rain. I love it when it rains, but does mean less work. The weather here I think is the same all year long, it just has its season of rain and no rain.

I’m emailing today because we have conference tomorrow so today is p-day and next week will switch to normal.

So at church we had another German family come to church and they were just vacationing here and was fun to talk to more Germans.

Today I went to McDonalds and to the beach and took a lot of photos of the area for you to see, I got up into the bishops balcony and took some good fotos of my area. I tried to see if Amerie was home to take pictures with her so you could see her but had to mark it for another day and time. I didn’t have my camera the night of the baptism because we didn’t have time to go home and get it. We found another lady that wants to be baptized, she’s a mother of a lady in our ward but don’t think that will be till next transfer.

So it was a good week and cant believe the transfer is just about over, so we will find out if I stay next week or leave. Any whoo love you all and will try and send some fotos again.

Love Brian, thanks for the pictures.

Great Visit With My New German Friend

So it was another good week, especially to be able to watch conference. We watched the first in Portuguese and then me and Elder Lundgren got a taxi to watch the rest at another church in English. So I saw the rest in English, but also missed the priesthood session because of the times they showed it. But yes conference was awesome and I noted the one when Elder Nelson talked and thought of you because he talked about prayer and he said something about keeping your public prayers simple and don’t need to be long. Just brought back some memories of your long 20 minute prayers. (Yea, but my prayers aren’t public and I have never said 20 minute prayers. Our kids just exaggerateJ) But yes I miss the temple and am excited to come home to the building of more near our home which by the way how is that coming along? Did they announce ground breaking for the temples?

Yeah I like getting pictures and I just load them on my pen drive and then print out the ones I want to. I don’t believe you sent the pictures of the baptism yet but I just think that would be cool to show and explain how a baptism is with pictures especially with a picture of me that makes it personal. It helps because a lot of people I baptize no matter if we explain what baptism is they still don’t know what to expect the night of their baptism.

So yesterday we went to our lunch appointment and after we ate a lady that lived below in another apartment walked in before I gave the message and it turns out she’s a member and hasn’t been to church since before President Benson. She bore testimony in how she knows the church is true and all, but said she isn’t ready to go back yet etc...so I just tried to get to know her and be her friend and so was fun to talk with her. I found that she married a German and that she lived in Germany for a long time and also in Romania and she speaks fluent German and Romanian and so I spoke German to her and we talked for at least 2 hours talking in German n Portuguese and made me really remember my German and I actually miss it. So I tried to mark a day to go to her home and just make a thing called mousse with her and talk more, but she said no to that so I made a deal with her that if I stay here another 6 weeks this next transfer that she has to teach me how to make this certain type of mousse that I haven’t figured out how to make yet and will hopefully get her to church. I just really love this lady and was a lot of fun talking with her about her experiences in Europe and would really help the ward out because she could really bring a lot of other inactive friends n family she knows back to church with her. So I actually hope I get to stay and help her, but we will see. I told if I do leave this next transfer that I’ll visit her again and she said that’s fine.

Well that was a long story, but was probably highlight of my week getting to talk in German, a language I will learn along with Spanish when I get back.

So today for p-day we went to another area closer to my last area to a multi-zone activity where we played soccer n football n had bar-b-q etc...so that is why you are getting this email later than usual.

So I don’t think well get anymore baptisms pulled off this transfer when we aren’t getting people to church, but hopefully we can get some work done with these members n inactives.

Oh yeah your package got here and was really cool to have more candy and the tapes and other fun toys. Thanks so much for it and is weird that my b-day is coming up, but hey I’ll get to call home on that day, so that’s very exciting.

K well thanks for everything and until another week,
Love Brian

New Photos from Maceio

Brian to help cook food for the ward party

Looks like he did a good job cooking the meat. Yum!

Instead of water, they decided to fill their water bottle with pop.
Brian with the patriarch for their area

A Good Week!

Hi
It was a good week and got her baptized. Yeah this lady in my ward, her name is Ariline and has been a member for a long time and is the lady I go to, to send pictures to you, always nice to have someone to do that for me.

The roach thing has sadly happened to a few times, I remember in Arapiraca when I was teaching a family I had two of them fly in on me and just was funny and freaky at the same time. It’s Brazil so you can see roach’s all over the place in the roads and especially near the drain holes or ditches w/e. The photo is my comp and the ones of us playing cards is at our ward activity we had last Saturday and turned out really well and had many inactive people show up and some nonmembers and helped give a good turnout on Sunday in church. War is a different game that a lot of people like to play as well but no at the activity we all played dominos and Uno and they had a huge water fight thing and then we played their version of dodge ball with them. It was a fun activity and went well I think.

I do my part to keep the house clean but Brazilians are just lazy and don’t like to clean but I leave a part for them to do and they never do it but I just let it be. It has been a lot more fun having 4 people and love having another American to even things out and can talk in English.

So yes we baptized Meire who is 45 or 48 and she was confirmed Sunday and Carline is doing good and has been reading and progressing so we will see if we can get her to conference this week but for the most part it will be hard to get people to the stake center to watch conference but we will do our best with that. I’m really excited to go watch it, me and Lundgren while at the church found a room where they have a cable and so we will get a TV and set up conference in English for us. Last conference I understood nothing and didn’t even get the Liahona in English so I had to read the talks in Portuguese as well. Me and my comp gave the lesson and message at the ward family night thing last night and we did practices with them on how to invite their friends and family to conference this week and was funny and made it fun for them the best we could.

So yeah this last Sunday went well, this time we filled the chapel! The chapel is very small as it is but it turned out a lot better than the first week and got many inactives to go and some nonmembers too. That Sunday the bishop asked me to give a 10min talk on anything but he asked me right before the meeting started so I had 5 min to think of what to talk about but it went well and I think they learned from me so I feel like the language is going great. The president told me in my interview that I was ready to be senior comp and wants me to be expecting it next transfer so we’ll see if that happens and could mean me being transferred again but don’t know yet.

So this last week no of us had water so I boiled water the first time on the mission and was fun. Then we get our monthly money yesterday and that’s when we decided instead of getting water to get coke. It was funny and has already been drunk.

Ok well cant think of much more but things are going good and love you all and until next week.
Brian

Oh The Games People Play!

There is no explanation where this is. I am guessing the church on P-day, but not sure.

Playing UNO with the members

They love to play UNO in Brazil
This might be the game "War" that Brian wrote about

Brian's New Apartment and Yummy Food

Brian's bed is on the right. We can tell by the brown sheets he took. We thought they wouldn't show dirt as much. Do you think it must be warm, by the fact that they have 3 fans in the room? They do have a nice tile floor.

Much appreciated washing machines

Nice tiled bathroom
Big Kitchen
Brian and his new companion, Elder Dos Santos from Brasil, in their new apartment

Their great refrigerator. Look at all their food, haha

Some yummy food they can buy

More yummy food

And one of Brian's favorites...Bob's Hamburgers

Night Creatures in Brian's New House

This bat flew in their house about 4:00 in the morning. That could cause a little excitement!

One of the elders killed it, so it wouldn't bother them...Nasty!

This roach flew into their house and landed on Brian before the bat came in. Brian decided to light it on fire. That's one way to get rid of roaches. This must be pure entertainment for them.

Really Fun First Week!

Was a really fun first week in the area. I think that my area is exactly like Tate's in that there hasn't been a baptism in this ward for over a year and hasn't always been missionaries in it either so me and my comp are both new to the area and there hasn't been missionaries here for a while.

So the lady wasn't able to be baptized last week, but we are hoping to do it this week and we also had a good experience of finding another girl and marking her baptism. We were walking and decided to go down this street and talk to the people there and I came to a girl named Carline who is 17 yrs old. We talked to her and she was interested and marked the next day to go to her home and visit the church Sunday, and go to the ward activity this Saturday. We asked her what she was doing just sitting here doing nothing and she said she didn't know why she chose to leave her home and come to this street, but she said she was just pondering about her life and the next day we went to her home and taught her about the restoration and marked her baptism and she accepted it all so well be continuing with her and helping her. She does like to drink she said, but we'll help her and as you can see she was prepared by the Lord to talk to us and have this chance to be baptized. So yeah we now have two people we are working with and the members here had a lot of doubt when we told them we had planned a baptism and hope we can get them excited and going because this ward needs it badly.

Last Sunday I think I counted 30 people at church which is very small and I believe should be a branch, but the chapel isn't too big either. The bishop said they usually have 50-60 and that they are changing the boundaries after conference and that will bring it up to 80-90, so that will widen our area of work and help out the ward.

Yeah it is a resort area and makes it hard to find and teach people, but it is a beautiful area and the beach is a 15 min walk from my house and well the street I live on if you just keep walking down it you will hit the beach. Living with 4 elders is awesome because we just mess around all the time and play games etc...although yes the house is a big mess and if you have seen that one movie called I think 'best two years', we had one of those experiences where the couple missionaries came and inspected the home and just wasn't pretty, but they can't blame us for the home being a mess because all 4 of us didn't live in the home before so they didn't burn us that badly. But they said they would return so we have cleaned it up a bit since then.

So my comp is from Brasil, not too far from here. He lived in Rio Grande do Norte. He is 21 yrs old and from my group in the ctm. A few nights ago I had huge flying roach fly in on me and had a fun time killing that and I'll send fotos and later that night at like 4 in the morning I had a bat fly in on Frank's bed and filmed him killing that and I'll send fotos of that too.

Also I think it was my 3rd night here we were using the payphone. It the thing they have here to order our dinner and we had two guys on motorcycles pull over and pull guns on us asking for money and cell phones, but we just pulled out our pockets and told them we have nothing and they realized we were using a payphone so they said sorry and left so that gave me a bit of a scare, but it's common here, almost everyone gets their cell phones stolen.

I had plans to go to my last area for p-day because a family there it was her b-day and she invited me to come and eat lunch with them and be with them all day, but when we woke up this morning we had no water to shower or do anything so my comp was mad and didn't want to leave or go anywere so we stayed and ate lunch and are now emailing.

Yeah I get alot of girls and women that flirt with me and is just annoying for me, but it's just because I'm american and is normal here in the mission. I haven't confirmed anyone yet because that's the responsibilty of the bishop but I've done blessings. The language is doing good and so far everyone I've talked to here has commented on how good I'm speaking their language so I feel pretty good about it.

Oh you asked about the other two elders: Elder Frank is from Belem, Brasil and Lundgreen is Utah. The area is smaller than I thought, but will be bigger and a majority of the people live in those apartment building which makes it tuff as well, and like I told my dad, everyone works on Sunday or goes to the beach etc....making it hard to get them to church, but we have been working on getting inactive members to church and have been working with the bishop and members.

Ok well that was my first week here and things are going good. Love ya and until another week! Brian

Jatiuca...A New Area

Ok well I was sad and happy with the transfers this time. Sad because I had to leave to a new area and happy for the change. So yeah I won't get to baptise Glauçia, but we have a woman to baptize here this week so am excited for that and she seemed like a very nice lady. I've only talked to her once and she has two daughters and we will try and get them to church and baptize them as well.

So I was transferred to Jatiuca which to tell the truth I live in Parajuçara which is another area so I live with 3 other elders and we have to walk a little ways to get to our area, but it isn't that bad. So our area is really big and has the beach in it just like Tate's and my area is close to their downtown and just about all the places here. So I don't need to take the bus anywhere, I can just walk everywhere now. It is a bit more humid than my other areas, but it's all good. My comps name is Dos Santos and he is from my group in the CTM so I know him and the other two in my home are Elder Frank n Elder Lundgreen and fun to have some more people in the home.

The house is a little small, but has washing machines and the water doesn't go out as often they said so those are some good things. The homes here are the richest I've seen, but for you guys wouldn't seem that way, but for me a lot nicer than what I'm used to and there's no dirt roads. So now instead of taking a hour n half bus trip to come to central or go to Bobs or Mc Donalds, I can just walk there, it's nice. So today we went to central to get money, we got haircuts, I bought a game called war which is the same as risk, and now we are here.

So yeah Tate is getting a taste of sea food, does he like it? I get my fair share of sea food and wierd meats. A lot of people usually make shrimp and crab and different types of fish and other things. I'm not a big fan of eating these things, but eat them every week.

I think the ward here is a bit smaller and harder to get people baptized here and hard to teach people because eveyone you talk to lives in a different area and are visiting the beach and other things here. There's a lot of apartment buildings, the bigger type of buildings and you cant enter unless you have somone to vist. So this should be a fun area to work in. Last night we did alot of work and marked two appointments to teach 2 new investigators and got alot of references from some of the members and will try and work with them. Im still getting to know the area still and am always lost and need to meet and get to know the people here.

Ok well that's cool another baby, congrats Jason and Amy. I'll have to look at the photos still.
K well thanks for the photos and until next week! Love Brian

My Conversation With An 85 Year Old Man

So today we went to downtown and my comp was sending things and I spent forever sitting next to an 85 yearold man, we talked alot, he is single and has never been married and he has traveled everywhere. Was a fun conversation and I of course invited him to church etc...and now I'm here emailing and spent most my day on a bus.

Ummm not sure if I mentioned the girl and her boyfriend we got to church the last week. Well me and another elder went and visted her and she told us that she broke up with her boyfriend and so that same night I invited her to be baptized and taught the law of chastity and she accepted it, so I marked her baptisim for the next transfer. I'm very excited for her and the Lord has truly prepared her. Oh her name is Glaucia and she is 22 years old. So should be exciting to baptize her if I get to stay another transfer which starts next week.

So I just found out there´s a beach like 10 min away in my area. Ive been here 4 months and havent known that. The people said it's just practically abondoned and no one goes there and would actually be an hour walk, but 10 min by car. I'm not sure if there is a road to get there our not, but yeah this whole city is on the ocean and I see it almost everyweek.

Well I cant wait for next week when we have transfers.

Ohhh yeah happy birthday to Julie n Emily n Stacie n Amy and any others. Sorry I don't know what days exactly, but love you all and have a good birthday!
- Julie, Rob has my present for you(its a hug n kiss)
- Emily, Robert has yours (its a cupcake to the face)
- Stacie, Anyone that wants to put a cupcake in stacies face for me has permission
- Amy,(which amy)(i love them both) Hugs n kisses

Yeah time is going by fast, the dogs here are not that bad. I pet one the other night and it followed me home and I almost let it in, but can't have that happen. A lot of the people here own pitbulls and they're huge ones to and can jump really high. A lot of them just have loud and annoying dogs and can be hard at times to talk to people when their dog is barking, but I do the best I can.

Yeah that's a good program for the church (Referring to what I told him our ward is doing with missionary work) The president is working with the church leaders here really good and started a program where the bishop gives us 5 family to visit and teach and continues to give us more people to visit to try and reactivate them and help them out and other programs we do as well with our work.

Powell's prayer was really funny, and surprised they remember us. (Kylie said this is what 4 yr. old Powell prayed for: When Powell was saying prayers (all by himself--with no help), one of the first things he said was "thank you that Tate and Brian could go on missions and help them to come home in 20 days". It was pretty cute--it goes along with the other day when Powell said, "Mom, Tate and Brian's missions are taking a long time".)

Umm I'll try and see if I can get someone to send you some more photos this week. I guess that's it for this week.

Love you all and until another week.
Brian

Almost a Year Since I Had My Call

Hey forgot to ask if you were able to see any of the pictures on those cds I sent you, I think I burned them wrong because the other cds I burned for my investigators turned out not working so I need to know please. If not then I will burn them all again and send it to you.

Well I do have some requests for my birthday and almost year mark in the mission and that is more old spice deodorant, peanut butter chunky and creamy and any type of jelly to go with that. Ohh yeah Benadril for my allergies when I get them, and if I think of anything else I’ll let you know, but if you could actually get the Benadril to me faster that would be great.

So sounds like you’re going to be very busy so I won’t ask about the pictures I asked you to copy for me.

So this last week was all right. We got a good couple to go to church and they really liked it so the only problem is they’re not married and the guy lives in Reciefie and so will be hard to teach them both at the same time and need to first see if they want to be baptized and then need to see of they’ll accept to get married. So we will see how that goes but for now I think he went back to his city to work so who knows when that will be.

This week we have found some good people and will continue to look for more to get them to church and hope it all goes well.

Today we went to Bóbs and had a good time there as always and am now emailing you.

I forgot to ask you, the girl I have send photos to you said you never wrote her back, she is learning English and understands a little so write her back and I’ll have her send you some more photos because I don’t think the cds I sent work.

So in terms of baptisms we don’t have much to work with at the moment, however I did find a lady who a less active member and her daughter goes and she has another daughter almost nine years of age and not baptized still so we will see if we can get her baptized, should be easy.

So that’s all I can think of for now. I just realized Craig keeps writing me every week and I’ve never written anything to him so tell him sorry and what up, I’ll do better.

Anywhoo that’s it for this week, transfers are coming up soon, and it’s been about a year since I’ve had my call!

Brian