July 7th, 2014

Hello everybody, so this week was a very awesome week!!!! Sadly the Brazilian soccor star Neymar broke his back and so all of the Brasilians are all sad... poor guy! But yeah, I am actually kinda esxcited for the World Cup to end because it is so hard to work with everybody watching the games and whatnot! So yeah. This week was my first week in the great city of Cachoeira do Sul! It is such a cool city, like seriously, it is so awesome! Here it isnt a stake and there sint a ward, but it is a district of branches! So here in the city there are 3 branches and there is a branch in Caçapava do Sul, and all the branches form a district. But my branch here is super strong and pretty much a ward, and there is a chapel and everything. Its great and the members are helping so so so much!!!! And actually the district is pretty close to becoming a stake, and so if we baptize or reactiviate 3 men who can hold the Melquisedeque preiesthood, it will become a stake. So its like super close.

My companion is Elder Hiatt who is super cool.... but from Mountain View... so yeah. Haha no, he is such a great worker and pretty cool, and he even said he might of played Connor in Volleyball one time. Its cool because we know like the same places and everything, and its so funny that he is related to the Turks!! But yeah.

Our area is super huge and so we walk alottttttttt but its awesome. But there is alot of good things happening here. One of the things that happened was my first day here we started talking to a Lady named Karina! She was so awesome like from the start and so on Saturday we went to her house to start to teach her, and wow.... she is so so so ready to be taught. Like right now is her time! So we started teaching and she explained that on that day when we met her, she felt so much peace, after just talking to us. And then when we visited her on Saturday she said she felt it again, and she told us she wants to be baptized, it was exaclty what she was wanting to hear. She is great. And she lives in a poor neighboorhood, that has some neighboors that love blasting music in their car, and we got their and asked that they would leave in a prayer so we could teach without that distraction and they drove off!!! Way cool!!!

And one other cool thing taht happened is that yesterday we went to a family´s house that the kids were baptized last week, and we went there and when we went in, the Dad was having an asthma attack!!!!! So real quick we gave him a priesthood blessing.... and he stopped, imediately. Wow. The church is so true... So cool right? He said, "you guys showed up right on time" which are like the greatest words to hear as a missionary... Yeah it was great.

But yeah, that was my week, I love you all so much, and hope you all are well! This week I am going to spend almost all the time in Porto Alegre because we have a special Zone leader meeting in POA com Presidente Castro. It should be way cool. And lets see if Brasil wins this week!! But thats it for now!!! I love you!!!

June 30th, 2014

So everybody first of all I got to say... VAI BRASIL!!!!!!! Haha this week everybody went nuts because of the game and it was fun to see everybody so excited. As usual we didnt get to watch the game but its okay, Im used to it! This week it has oficially rained nonstop, and I dont like it! Its so cold! And our house got a leak... good thing I am leaving Canguçu! I am going to an area called Cachoeira tomorrow to be.... a ZONE LEADER! Yeah it was pretty unexpected because Im not even a DL but, I am very excited! My companion will be Elder Hiatt and he is from... MESA ARIZONA! It should be really cool! But to tell the truth I am very sad to leave Canguçu... Yesterday the branch President asked me to say a few things in sacrament meeting, and I almsot cried because I love this little branch so much. Its the truth. But... its life right?

Anyways, this week was really really awesome, and alot of small, but special blessings came. One of them (actually not a small blessing at all, a huge blessing!) is a lady that we started teaching name Maria Tereza. She is a sweet older lady that was a referal from a member. Her daughter passed away a few weeks ago, and the shock was so big for Maria that she fainted, and has had some health problems since. But she has such an open heart. We taught her the restoration, and that same night she prayed and she recieved an answer that same day. She knows its true. And what is amazing is that every time we go back she looks happier and happier. Its theseeee feelings and moments that make all the hard times worth it. She is so special and sweet, I am sad to leave!

Also remember that family of Ivanisa and Iloni? Well this week we went to their house and shared a lesson and whatnot, but one of these blessings was that Ivanisa offered to say the closing prayer. Like ever since we ahve started teaching her, she has had some huge difficulties, and never wanted to pray, and the fact that she offered means that she has made progress since the beginning, and seriously taht feeling when she was offereing her first prayer, was just the sweetest feeling in the world. Seriously it was one of the best moments on the mission to see her, who had so many problems, progressing little by little. I loved it. I loved it.

Haha something funny that happened is that after one of the lessons with them, they gave us somethign that looked a little bit like sausauge. They called it home made paté... And I have never eaten anything so cruel in my life before.... They killed the pig that it was made of, and the paté was liver, skin, snout, foot, and other stuff, all inside of a thick gross intestine.... and served cold. Wow.... I just ate one bite, but Elder Moraes couldnt even manage that... he put it in his mouth and threw up... hahahaha I laughed at him alot... It was funny!

But anyways I love you all so much, I hope you are all okay and happy! I loved the pictures and those Brasil shirts are great! And the only thing I am needing needing... maybe a jounal? I am like 10 more pages in mine and it is running out! They dont make cool jornals here in Brasil. But yeah thats pretty much it! I am going to miss Canguçu! It has been my favortie place until now!

June 23rd, 2014

Olá todo mundo! So hello my family this week went by so fast, and sadly we didnt have alot of time to do normal proselyting. This tuesday was a Brasil game so we had to stay home, Thursday we spent all day cleaning the chapel, and Saturday too we spent all day reforming the church. So we had just a few day to work. But other then that it was a good week, and I am loving this chance I have to be a missionary.

But we are teaching a familiy that I dont know if I have told you about them. Its a family that consists of Ivanisa, Iloni, and their children Laércio and Lafaete, and Lafaete´s girlfriend Josiara. They are a family that is very humble and they dont have alot. Their life has been pretty rough because of some bad choices in the past, and Ivanisa, the mom, suffers alot of psychological damage, because of some thigns that happened in the past. The first time we went there , there was a really horrible feeling in that home, but every time we go there it just feels better and better and they look happier and happier. I really believe that this gospel has the power to bless the lives of anybody. Laércio and Lafeate and Josiara are visiting the church regularly and loving it, and willl probably be baptized soon, but because the transfers are on July 1st, I dont know if I will be here to see it. But they are very awesome. It is just wonderful to see their family change as they accept the gospel. Iloni and Ivanisa are accepting it, but have so many difficulties, but slowly they are seeing more blessings too! I love it.

Luis is doing really great, loving the church, and learning a ton. The branch president is thinking about calling him as a counselour in the future. He is great, and one thing I love about him is that he is never afriad to talk about the gospel with others. Evfen before his baptism, he talked with everyyyyybody about the church, he is awesome! Danilo and Milene also are wonderful and I love them so much. We are helping them to have a goal to go to the temple to be sealed next year, which will be amazing! It might be one of the things that I want the most is them going to the temple to be sealed forever!

But other then that, htats pretty much it! The United States is actually playing well this year! But whenever I say the United States is going to win, eveybody just laughs in my face... But yeah. I love you guys! Have a great week! Happy anniversary grandma and grandpa!!! Im glad you all had a great time!! VAI AMERICA!!!!