That Bow Thing that Japanese People Always Do In Movies

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"Hello!

This week has been good. I have been starting to eat cereal more. For the first 8 months of the mission, I basically never ate cereal. It's not very popular here, and a little expensive, and there are not many options, basically just frosted flakes (called Sucrilhos here) and cocoa puffs (Nescau). But anyway I've started to eat more lately. I also make a lot of lemonade. They have a lot of these weird lemons here that are actually like, half orange. but anyway, I just grab lemons walking around during the day, and I make lemonade.

On tuesday I did a division (thats what we call it anyway in Portuguese, I think in English they say exchange, I don't know, what is it Dad?) but anyway, I went to a nearby city called Panambi, and worked with the 2 missionaries there for the day. Cruz Alta has like 80,000 people, Panambi has 30,000. we have 14 missionaries here, there are only 2 in Panambi. The church is quite weak there, just a branch that has like 25 people per sunday. But it's a cool little city. It's quite well known for being made up of mostly German descendants. And it's true. Most people are German descent there. There's a lot of German culture and some of the houses are Germanic. Elder Carvalho and Elder Lana are there. They are great. Elder Carvalho was trained by Elder Ball, and Elder Lana is being trained right now. He's brand new to the mission.

This week a crazy thing happened. Elder Ball had been saying the whole night that he wanted to order pizza when we got home, and we said we didn't want to. It was about 8:53 and we were heading home. Then Elder Ball said, let's stop by Japonés real quick (thats not his name, but this guy he's Japanese, and we had only done a contact with him.) just to do a prayer in his house. Anyway, we went, and got in. It's a middle aged Japanese couple, with a nice house. They both were born in Japan, but moved here when they were 10 and 8: Mineite and Ticaco. Anyway, no sooner had we sat down than they started offering us a snack or a drink. We politely said no because we knew we didn't have time. Then all of the sudden Mineite got up and he said, ´´How about Pizza!´´ We politely said no, but he was already out the door on the way to get pizza. (Darn!) So we were stuck, we couldn't leave. But it was way cool. Ticaco's parents live with them. They are 93 years old, and don't even really speak Portuguese. We met them and they did that bow thing that Japanese people always do in movies, and we did it back. It was way funny and way cool. Her dad fought in WWII! crazy! They are both apparently a little crazy now and always try to escape the house because they think Japan is just like a mile away and they want to walk there. Haha. But anyway, we ate pizza, and it was way good. Then, they also invited us to Churrasco on Sunday. So we went to that too. Awesome! Churrasco is their form of barbeque here. It's what they do at the brazilian steakhouses. It's pretty much super awesome. Rio grande do sul is basically the capital of churrasco.

Anyways, it was quite an exiting week."

A Lot of 'really cool guys'

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1- Zone conference yea!

2- churrasco yea!

3- baptism yea!

"Well this week was quite an excellent week.

The first two days of the week were crazy because Elder Ball, as the Zone Leader, did two exchages (Ithink that's what you call them in English) in a row, and so I was along for the trip. Tuesday was with Elder Medeiros, and the second day was with Elder Mott. Elder Mott is a way cool guy. He also plays like the same intruments as me and is going to major in Music at BYU.

We have been finding a lot of really good people. This is a really good area.

I talked on the phone with Elder Taylor this week (who is in Quarai), and 2 more people that I taught have now been baptized (*yea!*).

Saturday was the baptism of Juliano. He's a guy who Elder Ball and Elder Wisomb had already been teaching for a little while. He's a cool guy.

We have been teaching this older guy named Omar. His son and grandkids are members. He is a really cool guy. He has a lot of good questions, and has a lot of interest. He went to church yesterday, and loved it. His granddaughters sung with the youg women in sacrament meeting, and he just adored it.

One of the funny things about missionary work, is that once you have actually found good people, the elect, you don't even really have to work much, they are just ready to accept the gospel. The majority of the work is finding those people.

This week with Elder Ball and Elder Wiscomb was quite good. Elder Ball only has 2 more months on the mission. Also he is from Kaysville Utah. I think that's right by where Tiff and Dan live. Where exactly do they live? Also he saw my picture of the boys at ´´Tasty's Doughnuts´´, apparently that's right by his house.

Elder Wiscomb is from Salt Lake, apparently a few Apostles live in his neighborhood. He has 5 more months on the mission. He is from the same group as Elder Marx and Elder Taylor (meaning they will go home at the same time) He was the Executive Secretary before Elder Jones (my roomate from the MTC) was. Probably both of them will finish their missions here in this area. It has been awesome to finally have people that want to work hard as companions.

Well, have an awesome week!"

A Tri-panionship

"Wow this has been quite a week. And today quite a day. Le'ts see, where should I start... A month ago in Quarai, Presidente Ribeiro was with us, and he got a call from someone wanting to go home. We thought it interesting, but things got more interesting for me, because that ended up being my next companion, Elder Neves. President had told him to try a little more, and see what happened. He was good for a few days here, but afterward he has just been falling apart again. It's a sad story. Elder Neves has a great testimony of the gospel, he has 1 year and 6 months on the mission, but he has completely lost faith in the people. Apparently he has just heard ´´no´´ too many times. Anyway, these last two weeks, while I absolutely love the area and the ward, have been the 2 hardest weeks of the mission for sure, because he didn't want to work. He refused to leave the house sometimes, and when we left, he jsut wanted to visit members. And all I could do was follow him because I don't know the area, and if I tried to go another way, he wouldn't follow me. Yesterday he left the house to call his mom without me. By the way, thats WAY against the rules. But anyway. Elder Neves is going home. Sad. But such is life sometimes. We did all we could to help him stay. Anyway, today I didn't have the time to email until now because we have been running all around the city, Elder Neves getting ready to leave. But anyway, I don't know if I told you, but we are in the same area as Elder Ball and Elder Wiscomb, the Zone Leaders, the same Ward. And so now, instead of getting a new companion, I will spend the rest of this transfer in a tri-panionship with Elder Wiscomb and Elder Ball, I'm quite exited, it will be cool and really weird to have 2 companions, but also for them both to be Americans. Many Americans never have an American companion other than the MTC. Anyway, I'm quite exited for the coming weeks!"

Cruz Alta

"We decided to try to take pictures like the first presidency"

Cruz Alta! (that means tall cross... or high cross. It's the same thing in Portugeish)

This was in Quarai. It's an Armidillo tail and claw. It smelt really bad.

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"Well I'm finally in another city! Cruz Alta. Yes, and like mom said, it is quite on the other side of the mission - more or less an 8 hour bus ride. Cruz Alta is a much bigger city. There are 4 wards here. The ward I'm in now is apparently one of the best in the mission. There are 4 of us missionaries in this ward, Me, my companion Elder Neves, and the Zone Leaders, with whom we live, Elder Wiscomb (who was Executive secretary before my friend and roomate from the mtc Elder Jones), and Elder Ball, who also served in Quarai, in the same area I was in until a week ago. They are way cool guys, I'm quite exited.
Being transferred was cool. I stayed in the house of the secretary's the night I got transferred. It was quite interesting getting there. I got to Santa Maria (alone!) at 1 in the morning, and only had 10 reais to pay for taxi, I got in, and as I feared, the meter reached 10 before we got there. I told the guy I didn't have any more money, got out, asked him directions, and walked the rest of the way alone, in the rain in the middle of the night. I prayed that I would both find the place, and not die. Haha - quite an adventure.

Leaving Quarai after so much time there was cool, and it is good to know that I had a positive effect there. While I didn't baptize much there, right now, both companionships there are teaching people that will be baptized, that I started to teach.
It was funny, there at the secretary's house, that's where everyone stays who is getting transferred, and also the people going home. This one guy, in the morning, Elder Tebatini, was saying, "If everything goes right today, if everything goes right. I will kiss today!" Hahaha. So funny - those guys! It was cool to stay in Santa Maria for half a day. I got to hang out a bit with Elder Jones, my roomate from the MTC who is secretary. Also I got to talk to Elder Black briefly on the phone. He is now training.
I'm quite exited about being here in Cruz Alta. It's gonna be good.

Have a good week!"

Family Night

"This week has been tough. I've been here in this city for a super long time. The transfer is today, but I haven't found out if I will be transfered or not.
This week we did a Noite Familiar (family night) that you will see in the picture, with some members and this really good couple we are teaching. They have gone to church the past 3 weeks. They are totally going to get baptized. But they will have to get married first. A very small amount of people here actually get married legally. And so to be baptized, couples usually have to get married first.
One funny thing about this place is that all the Brazillians seem to think that us Americans live on the North Pole or something. They always say ´´Oh it must be cold up there.´´ and then I reply ´´Actually, no´´ haha.

An awesome thing is all the fruit trees that are here. The Guava trees are starting to get ripe, so we just grab guava to eat off the tree. It's quite good. I'm not sure why we don't have guava in the US. If it grows here, it should grow in Fresno. The climates are very similar.

PS I just got the call that I am being TRANSFERRED to a city called Cruz Alta, a much bigger city, I'm going to be with Elder Neves, and apparently the ward is really good!"

The Sower

"Well this week was cool. Monday I had 7 months as a missionary. Tuesday we did a division with the Zone leaders. I was with Elder Harris, he is a way awesome guy from Lindon Utah. I learned a lot of sweet stuff. I have been studying preach my gospel a lot, the lessons mainly, to be able to teach ridiculously well. That's my goal anyway.

Right now we are teaching a couple that is really good, they've already been to church 2 times and they are liking it a lot. The wife is the daughter of an inactive couple we are activating.

I tried playing the guitar the other day and it was hard because all the calusses and build up on my fingers are gone. Wow, it's going to be way fun and painful to start playing again after the mission.

Lately I have been realizing my role in Quarai, I am the semeador, which means the sower. Quarai, for the past long time, has been known as basically the worst/ hardest city in the mission. I worked hard for 4 months in Santa Helenara, and saw little results ( like a sower when he looks back at a field he just planted), but now, Elder Taylor and Elder Matoso are having good success there, and will be baptizing a lot of my investigators there. And it could be the same thing that will happen where I am now, covering the rest of the city. Other than one other missionary, from what I know, I have spent more time already in this city than anyone else. Also, from what I know, I am the only missionary to have worked in all the branches of the city. I am working hard, hoping and believing that in a bit, when I am in some other city, Quarai will be known as one of the better areas of the mission."

They Expressed Their Joy in Their Testimonies

"Hello. This week things seem to be improving a bit around here. Though one thing way annoying is that we were teaching this way good Uruguayan couple, and then all of the sudden they got evicted and we have no idea where they are. Probably back in Uruguay. Well at least the seed is planted.

We have been having some trouble in the greater part of our area, and so this week we went to this neighborhood really far from the city, a place missionaries had not worked at for a while, and we had some good success. finding some good new people, one of which went to church. So we´ll see how it goes there.

I forgot to write last week that I had finished reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese, and also this week, I finished reading the New Testament in Portuguese. SWEET.

There were two days this week in which it was like death hot, sun killing you, and then out of nowhere, during the afternoon, it just rained. Hard. For hours. It was crazy.

This sunday, in total, 8 people came to church, 4 inactives and 4 investigators due to our efforts. It was very gratifying, because we have been having a really hard time getting people to church here in Quarai. The branch members got quite exited about it, and expressed their joy in their testimonies. It was quite good.

Today I have been a missionary for 7 months. It's crazy how fast it's all gone by. Crazier than that though, is that 5 months of that have been in this tiny little Quarai. Crazy."