Week 82: Hills and Valleys

 

Fun on P-day

Monday- I am grateful for TRACKS, Burger King, stroopwaffles, realizations, humility, Family conversations, & the guidance of The Holy Ghost.Tuesday- I am grateful for peace, being outside, toothpicks, members, warmth, Christmas music, unity, D&C 58:3, and being an answer to prayers.

Wednesday- I am grateful for monumental days, friendliness, views, graduation, and memories.

Thursday- I am grateful for surveys, personalities, corn bread, and vitamin C.

Friday- I am grateful for cars, afternoon runs, answered prayers, study ideas, Daniel 5:27, hills, and the temperature today.

Saturday- I am grateful for rain, hot chocolate, honesty, omelets, suckers, and salt.

Sunday- I am grateful for slums, squirrels, hail, positivity, and carabiners.

The fancy track right by my apartment.

It got back to the right Brazil weather this week.

The most interesting things of the week happen when we are walking home at night.

One time this very nice older man walked right by our side and started talking with us. Really friendly like. He talked with me for nearly the whole walk! It was just what I needed that day because it was a tough day of not being understood and this nice man was patient, understood, and had a real interest in just talking! It was a real blessing. 

Another time I saw a drunk being drug across the sidewalk by his wrist.

Zone conference was good. Playing the guitar for the prelude music was better, and lunch might have been the best!

This bunk is a tight fit.

Anytime I get in a car, I'm out. Cars are a blessing my friends.

We went on an afternoon run after Zone conference and wow that might've been the best idea of the week.

 

Congratulations to all the graduates this past week 🥳

t's weird to think about time, that's probably why God doesn't think about it.

 

There is too much to STUDYYYYYYYY.

The calling grind continues on 🧘‍♂️

We had quite an eventful Sunday that resulted in an hour long walk, one way, for lunch. The way took us through a city, many hills, opening views, slums, dense forests, and many crazy people.

Side note- we found matching hats on top of a trash pile near the end of the walk. That's a blessing.

My zone, zoom in on me.

I felt impressed when we first left on this journey to bring a Book of Mormon with me. Well, this Book of Mormon traveled the hour walk to find lunch and then the same hour walk back. When we got to the square where we lived, tired and ready to eat our lunch, a sorta' crazy lady called after us. She had maybe 4 teeth and very bright purple hair. She started talking with us and then asked if we had a Book of Mormon, well at that exact moment I knew that the Book of Mormon I carried through that whole journey was meant for her. She already knew of its power and wanted that Spirit again. It was pure. We prayed with her and her friend at the end. God is good.

There was a freak hailstorm that earned us 2 showers in our apartment! What a blessing. I didn't know Brazil could get hail so I was shocked. The spontaneous 2nd shower in the front entryway took me by less surprise. Good thing towels and bowls exist.

My whole Zone agrees that I look like Jeremy from Phineas and Ferb.

This might be my most interesting weekly email yet.

 

Welp send me an email if you think so! 

Week 81: City Highlights

 

Making dinner

Monday- I am grateful for virtue, modesty, newness, jeans, and hills.

Tuesday- I am grateful for humility, trying, Elder Holland talks, and sleep.

Wednesday- I am grateful for pins, knives, and patience.

Thursday- I am grateful for Gospel living, new perspectives, compassion, productivity, and humility.

Friday- I am grateful for pebbles, music, aesthetics, and peace.

Saturday- I am grateful for rain, compassion, smiles, preparation, and logic.

Sunday- I am grateful for microwaves, gifts, walking, and tranquility.

Dented fingers

We live in quite a hilly place.

The first couple of nights I woke up from being cold, what the.

City living.

I have a greater appreciation for modesty and all that it means.

Love my guitar

We were walking home one night and passed a young man sitting on the sidewalk with his tray of candy to sell for the day quite full. He was crying and his eyes were all puffy and he was talking to himself about how he sold nothing and had no money. This scene broke my heart. 

Then on the same walk a prostitute passed us and you could feel the pit of despair, absence of light, and sadness. That was tough to feel.

These 2 people on one walk home increased my compassion and gratitude immensely. 

From the young man I felt an aching in my heart to help him, a lot of love for him purely as another Child of God, and much more gratitude for an apartment, food, and water of my own.

From the lady on the street I appreciated the law and ordinances of The Gospel we learn about to keep us protected and growing in righteous ways.

Joining the family obsession

I gave a talk in church on missionary work, it was 6 minutes long, wahoo.

We are in the straight grind of calling people.

I got cold many a times this week.

Running in the city is no joke, it's just down right CRAZY.

Lookin' good

I made Tapioca for the first time, good stuff.

We also have a friend which we named the crack dog.  He brings us great joy. 

He lives in a house on the walk to the church and at times if you're lucky, he will go nuts, like he's on crack, and that always just brings a smile and newfound wonder to what dogs even are. 

Also woke up last night to a dude on the street screaming "POLICE POLICE, A ROBBER A ROBBER, IM POOR" something like that, I prayed for that man.

Another full week for sure

My guitar, keeps me sane!

Week 80: Some Changes

 

 

Monday- I am grateful for repentance, honesty, unity, personal study, and my guitar.

Tuesday- I am grateful for will power, outdoors, repentance, and writing.

Wednesday- I am grateful for talks, super glue, bunk beds, and my guitar.

Thursday- I am grateful for cars, Portuguese, cameras, stretching, and ribs.

Friday- I am grateful for rest, sunsets, and God's awareness of me.

Saturday- I am grateful for whole wheat bread, change, and exercising!

Sunday- I am grateful for answers, good ideas, and impromptu visits

I think I found my least favorite thing about Brasil...

Their grocery bags.

They are terrible thin and so if you basically have anything that weighs more than a pen the plastic becomes a knife on your hand. Man, it's the worst.

Moving, moving

We got bunk beds this week! That's a big upgrade because, before my comp just slid his mattress out from under my bed each night to sleep. Moving up people.

We took some good breaks this week to throw the frisbee, it's a good time.

President Donizete, Housing guy

We got to go to the mission leadership meeting and Sis. Saucedo gave me her camera to take pictures throughout lunch, which was stellar.

I'm telling ya', we had mashed potatoes and ribs with REAL BBQ SAUCE. Truly, A gift from God

.

We walked across the whole city many times because we finally got our own apartment that's actually in our area! That's about the only plus...

Lots of steps in!

The apartment is in the center of the main street of the city. Picture Brazilian Times square and that's where we live. Never quiet, homeless, and not terribly safe, oh and just for good measure: prostitutes. When I saw where we were living I panicked a lil tbh. I REALLY don't like cities. Well on the hour long walk back to our apartment the sunset was beautiful and put me at ease. I remembered that God is aware of me and my worries and that it will all be ok 

Well, because of the moving this week we spent a lot of time walking and helping out with that.

 

Also, I stared cutting Elder Pereira's hair and then my cutters started smoking, yeah that wasn't cool but the crisis was averted and he got his haircut finished the next morning by a professional.

We had impromptu interviews with President and it was excellent!

Good week

Moving day is today 🥳

Week 79: Christmas Vibes

 

Am I still a missionary if I forget my tag?

Monday- I am grateful for burgers, personal study, and HOPE

Tuesday- I am grateful for hard boiled eggs, exercise, and devotionals.

Wednesday- I am grateful for my guitar, The Book of Mormon, mission studies, happiness, messages, and memorization.

Thursday- I am grateful for 18 months, frisbees, wilderness, and tapioca 

Friday- I am grateful for music, control, hair, and battery percentage.

Saturday- I am grateful for testimonies, ideas, and the sun.

Sunday- I am grateful for my Mom, creativity, feet, and walking.

Eating out with the crew

here is just never enough time in the morning. It's just a fact.

I discovered tapioca this week, it makes things quite good if you make it right.

Teaching the boys how to play frisbee.

We take breaks each day and this week we broke out the frisbee. Well of course on the first day the frisbee gets thrown over the fence and straight into the Brazilian Amazon. That earned us a trek through treacherous weeds and odd objects we stepped on. We retrieved the frisbee, that's what matters.

Pizza delivery for dinner.

I got a haircut, I didn't like it so I had a comp fix it.

I can't perfectly explain the title of this weekly other than many times this week I felt Christmas vibes. 

I love Christmas.

Happy missionaries

Oh and I hit 18 months, I guess this deserves a heart to heart or something like that.

They fit me right?

Missions are hard. Amen. But guess what also is hard, life. Mmhmm. Life is never perfect and if at some moments it seems like it is, it will get hard. (That's not negative, it's a fact). But I've learned and am still learning that just because life is hard and the mission is hard at times, I can still choose to be happy. When I do all I can each day, I don't need every single thing that day to go as planned, to be happy. My testimony, faith, knowledge, perspective, obedience, and happiness have grown exponentially over these past 18 months because of who has been with me through it all. My Savior and Friend. My Rock and Salvation. Jesus Christ.

A little traumatized every time I get a hair cut.

 I know He loves me and He loves you too 

Fixing said haircut at home.

Week 78: Feeling Good

 

Me and my new companion, Elder Sales

Monday- I am grateful for honesty, opinions, my body, and Book of Mormon lessons.

Tuesday- I am grateful for button up shirts, funny emails, cleaning, and leftovers.

Wednesday- I am grateful for running, health, plans, and plants.

Thursday- I am grateful for cleaning, music, cleanliness, and productivity.

Friday- I am grateful for the elders I live with, stomachs, Portuguese, RUNNING, and photos.

Saturday- I am grateful for eggs, connections, tereré, and ukuleles.

Sunday- I am grateful for cooking, food, free rides, and energy.

Succulents to make my desk cheery

Well, well, well!

I'm in Jundìai and have 3 areas! I'm with Elder Sales, whose been out 6 months. We live in an apartment 20 minutes from our area with 2 other elders, Pereira and Lima.

They've been out 2 and 4 months. Pretty crazy actually being the old one now.

My new district

I'm also the only American and I'M VERY grateful for that, my Portuguese has improved IMMENSELY! It's amazing.

I also love where I am because it's pretty hilly and there are mountains!! It's amazing. I spent at least 1 hour each day looking at them this week because it is strange and so good to see mountains again.

We cleaned the church this week and that's always a good project.

 

I can see mountains from my apartment!

We cleaned the church this week and that's always a good project.

 

We've had some good lessons. It's not very organized yet so I remember zero names but we are teaching friends everyday :)

We got a surprise visit from Pres and Sis Saucedo which was great.

Also after a 3 month break from running because of a stress fracture and I'm slowly starting to run again and it has brought me great joy.

Elder Sales and I working hard at the church.

All the other elders LOVE doing the BOM lives every day and I love them too.

It's been a week that's for sure.

 

Elder Pereira and I

The guitar jams have continued to be a nightly event and there are especially looked forward too each night because of the Brazilians I live with. They love it. It's a blast.

I love my apartment.

Also, I tried making tacos this week... they didn't have premade seasoning packets for the meat so I figured huh, I can make my own, why not. Welp after I thought I had added enough of my seasoning I tasted it and wow it went straight to the throat and was very strong. We ate and they decided to dilute the meat hahaha and then just to our horror, we looked in the cupboards and no kidding there were 2 packets of taco seasoning from AMERICA!! Like what!! I took my over seasoned meat and just ate it. The good news is that the next time I want to make tacos. I have seasoning packets from America. Hahahaha!

President and Sister Saucedo visited us!

I've hit the point where I am the mission. I don't remember anything before it and have no idea what happens after.

 

Let me know what life is like 

Living the good life man!