Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 8:02 AM
We celebrated American Indepenence, yes. Why? Because we could, haha. It´s funny at times to see how the people here or love or hate Americans. Technically, as missionaries and as Members, we´re taught to say our nation is the Kingdom of God, and our nationality, Latter Day Saints, but hey, some days you just need an excuse to barbecue.
And yes, barbecue, or "Churrasco" as it is known down here, is big. Everybody loves it, and all parties and fancy restaurants include it, but above everything else, the folks from the South of Brazil (Starting in Paraná, but especially in Rio Grande do Sul) love churrasco. The Gauchos are famous for it.
The downside is that they all have a really bad idea of what an American "Barbecue!" is like. They all seem to think that all we eat is hot-dogs and hamburgers (but actually, I don´t know how many times I´ve had to correct the totally wrong concept that we ONLY eat burgers all day there.) Nobody seems to know that we love to barbecue steaks (filé) and shiskababs (espetinhos). But hey.
Actually the Brazilian image of the US at times is just as wrong as the American image of Brazil. Just as we all think Rio de Janeiro, beaches, amazon, indians, the jungle, soccer, monkeys and many pretty women in bikinis, they often see us as shining WHITE movie stars or pasty fat kids who run around eating hamburgers and driving lambourgini´s. (But what is the reason we all have these skewed ideas one of the other? MOVIES.)
The World Cup´s end was sad, but here Brazil I´m pretty sure that Average Joe on the Street is getting ready to crucify the team´s coach. Before the start of the Cup the people already complained that the team´s choice of players had been really week, leaving the rather bigger names and better players, and that the team coach had never before coached a team before, and how his coaching was, well, during the cup, rather sucky.
And well, then there are the people who say that it was all a crazy scam for Brazil to lose, so that the hype next time will be bigger, since Brazil will be trying to make 6-time champion, while playing IN Brazil. So here four years, when Brazil goes up against Argentina, we´re gonna see a fight.
And you´re not the only one who hates those stupid trumpets. Actually, almost everyone hates those things. From the soccer players on up. Everyone on the street had one and on all the tvs in all the city on all the streets you could see and hear the games, and so, of course, we all had to hear that "BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH."
Not the coolest thing in the world.
Not really surprising to hear that the Mariners are losing. Nor would I be to hear about the Sea Hawks. We aren´t usually the best state for sports.
Dude, weather back home is crazy, huh? Last week it went from 50 to being 90 this week? That´s from 10 where I am to 32. That´s quite a jump. If it did that here, there would be people who would die. Brazil is not prepared to handle winter. Because well, it´s eternally summer here. Even when it´s raining it´s hot here. And when the sky fills with clouds it gets hot and makes me think about how it must be on Venus. It´s hot down here, haha.
I´ve been thinking about how it´s gonna be when I get home. COLD. I´m probably gonna catch a cold as soon as I come home, and I don´t know HOW I´ll keep warm, since I don´t own clothing for cold weather anymore. I wonder if it´ll be snowing already or not? Weird, it´ll almost be Winter-Break, and I haven´t gone to school in what, 3, 4 years?
NO! Green Beans! I´m so happy that people eat less grean-beans down here. It´s so much better to eat carrots and beats and radishes and lettuce and cabbage and broccoli and anything that isn´t that horrible little grean bean.
Haven´t got an e-mail from Megan in awhile. Today her friend sent me an e-mail about how she got her mission call. I´m really excited to hear that, and if I could offer any advice to her, it´d be to start praying in every last prayer for the gift of tongues. That´s how I did it. It´s actually pretty amazing to think about. I never studied Portuguese in my life, I studied French. In two months of studied, I had all the basics I needed to start speaking the language of my mission. And now I speak and understand english and portuguese fluently, and I can read Spanish, French, and Italian and understand, in the better part, what´s written.
Eh, you could actually say that we´re inside the Jungle, and not on it´s edge. Or rather, Aparecida is the second largest city, but it´s still pretty green here. We live in the shadow of "Colina Azul" or rather the "Blue Hill" And it´s all rather easy on the eyes. The down-side of everything is the following:
So the other day there was a girl at lunch who said, "Hey Elders, do you want to watch a movie?" "Uh, no, that´s okay." "Okay then!" and she shoved the DVD in and there goes TWILIGHT, which, unfortunately, takes place back in Washington and you know, it´s been a LONG, LONG time since I´ve seen the Pacific Ocean. Yeah, I´m not trunkie, but if I had been, that´d have been the moment.
I´m on my read through of the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi again, but in my defense I started last week and I´m also running through the Book of Mormon on the side, the Holy Bible, Preach My Gospel, the Liahona of General Conference and a bunch of other books too. TOO MUCH TO READ.
Gotta split now, Mom. Love much and take care!
-Bryan
(PS. WE BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)))))))))))
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Another email - 7/7/10
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:25 AM
Greetings from Sunny Aparecida de Goiânia! I can´t even remember the last time I saw rain, nor green grass for that matter. And wow, the road there looks so . . . clean.
These days we´re working with a few key people. Adriana, a single mother of 5 who we´re helping stop smoking. She´s really nice, just that I think she smokes because of the stress she has when she has to care alone for all her children. She´s really cool, too, but it´s hard to teach her every day.
Tatiana, a young woman who stopped us at the bus station to ask about the Angel Moroni. She absolutely loved Church the other week, and she told her mom she´s sure she found the right church for her. She says she prayed about the Book of Mormon and felt good when she prayed. I really think we´ll be able to baptize her this month.
Janaina, a less-active member´s girlfriend. She´s been a few weeks now, and I really like when we go and teach her with members, because I feel a little bit like I´m hanging out at home.
As for the guys back home, the boys of our ward, I´d give a lot to be able to talk to the youth in our ward now. Every single day I remember how much time I wasted as a kid not paying attention in seminary, goofing off at church, and not taking the preparation classes for the mission and temple. What a wonderful privilege it is to be raised in the church! So many people here these days envie those who are born in the covenant, and those whose parents are sealed to them.
But I only came to understand these things when I began to thrust in my sickle in the Lord´s service. I only realized how much I wanted my family to be in the church forever and how much I wanted to be like Christ when I could feel my own soul´s weight. How can I teach a child to know what I only learned by faith, and by suffering?
My advice to the youth of our ward is that they enjoy their time as youth, that the boys enjoy their time as members of the Aaronic priesthood, and that they honor one another. Another thing I´d advise the youth from 16 upward is to date. Not as the world dates, but that they might, how do you say, live a little more.
As for if a missionary who baptizes many people quickly or at once gets to know them as well or loves them as much as one who baptizes less and with more work, I don´t know exactly how to respond. I know that there are many who probably don´t get to know these people as well as they should, but I have always sought to love the people I bring to the Lord, and to see them with a bright and long future in the church.
I like to remember the example of Amon, and the sons of Mosiah. They went and baptized an entire nation, but who can doubt that they didn´t love these their brothers, and that they didn´t worry about their eternal exaltation? At least in Brazil these are the men we are often pointed to, the Sons of Mosiah, as our exemplars. And above all the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid down His life to save all humanity, loving all, independant of if they loved Him back or not.
I, myself, have always worried about the people I brought to the Lord. This very weekend I found out that the first family I baptized on my mission is still really strong in the church, and I got letters from them. I found out that the woman I baptized in Anapolis moved, but even though she´s gone to Goiânia, she intends to keep going to church, and that a man who I taught and almost baptized in Garavelo is still going to church these days.
There are many I didn´t worry enough, and I don´t know where they are. My own soul hungers to bring as many as I can to the Lord. Something I didn´t understand at one time on the mission was this, but these days I always, always, look to love those who are coming to Church, even when they´re being taught by others. After all, even if you baptize in one ward or another, it´s still the same Gospel, right?
Greetings from Sunny Aparecida de Goiânia! I can´t even remember the last time I saw rain, nor green grass for that matter. And wow, the road there looks so . . . clean.
These days we´re working with a few key people. Adriana, a single mother of 5 who we´re helping stop smoking. She´s really nice, just that I think she smokes because of the stress she has when she has to care alone for all her children. She´s really cool, too, but it´s hard to teach her every day.
Tatiana, a young woman who stopped us at the bus station to ask about the Angel Moroni. She absolutely loved Church the other week, and she told her mom she´s sure she found the right church for her. She says she prayed about the Book of Mormon and felt good when she prayed. I really think we´ll be able to baptize her this month.
Janaina, a less-active member´s girlfriend. She´s been a few weeks now, and I really like when we go and teach her with members, because I feel a little bit like I´m hanging out at home.
As for the guys back home, the boys of our ward, I´d give a lot to be able to talk to the youth in our ward now. Every single day I remember how much time I wasted as a kid not paying attention in seminary, goofing off at church, and not taking the preparation classes for the mission and temple. What a wonderful privilege it is to be raised in the church! So many people here these days envie those who are born in the covenant, and those whose parents are sealed to them.
But I only came to understand these things when I began to thrust in my sickle in the Lord´s service. I only realized how much I wanted my family to be in the church forever and how much I wanted to be like Christ when I could feel my own soul´s weight. How can I teach a child to know what I only learned by faith, and by suffering?
My advice to the youth of our ward is that they enjoy their time as youth, that the boys enjoy their time as members of the Aaronic priesthood, and that they honor one another. Another thing I´d advise the youth from 16 upward is to date. Not as the world dates, but that they might, how do you say, live a little more.
As for if a missionary who baptizes many people quickly or at once gets to know them as well or loves them as much as one who baptizes less and with more work, I don´t know exactly how to respond. I know that there are many who probably don´t get to know these people as well as they should, but I have always sought to love the people I bring to the Lord, and to see them with a bright and long future in the church.
I like to remember the example of Amon, and the sons of Mosiah. They went and baptized an entire nation, but who can doubt that they didn´t love these their brothers, and that they didn´t worry about their eternal exaltation? At least in Brazil these are the men we are often pointed to, the Sons of Mosiah, as our exemplars. And above all the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid down His life to save all humanity, loving all, independant of if they loved Him back or not.
I, myself, have always worried about the people I brought to the Lord. This very weekend I found out that the first family I baptized on my mission is still really strong in the church, and I got letters from them. I found out that the woman I baptized in Anapolis moved, but even though she´s gone to Goiânia, she intends to keep going to church, and that a man who I taught and almost baptized in Garavelo is still going to church these days.
There are many I didn´t worry enough, and I don´t know where they are. My own soul hungers to bring as many as I can to the Lord. Something I didn´t understand at one time on the mission was this, but these days I always, always, look to love those who are coming to Church, even when they´re being taught by others. After all, even if you baptize in one ward or another, it´s still the same Gospel, right?
Email - 7/7/10
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:06 AM
Our fourth of July went awesome! We didn´t bring everyone we wanted to to church, but you get what you need, right? We had a barbecue with a family here in the ward where we ate and ate and ate after a lunch in which we ate and ate and ate and then at night we went home and ate and ate and ate. Basically all we did was dork around and eat.
Brazil has lost the Soccer World Cup, so there was a little difficulty one day last week, but outside that, it´s all good here. We´re working hard in constructing the Kingdom in our area, and even when I get really sad because of this or that, The Lord sends help in the most unexpected ways.
We met Pres. and Sis. Prieto this week. Monday we had Conference and Tuesday we had Counsel, so we got to know them pretty well. I won´t lie that I miss Pres. and Sis. Tobias, but Pres. Tobias did an excellent job in preparing for this day. I feel as though all that I´ve learned with Pres. and Sis. Tobias is being completed by what Pres. and Sis. Prieto are teaching.
For example, these past few days I was having a bit of a hard time, feeling a bit down because we haven´t really had the success I wanted, and because of a few strange members wanting to pick a fight with me (weird, huh? but you know how it is, where there´s wheat, there´s tares.) and some other things. So I was feeling pretty crummy until when Pres. Prieto told us about how, generally when things are their worst, that´s when success is right around the corner, and the enemy is trying his hardest to stop us.
That´s when I remembered what my trainer told me in one of my first weeks on the mission. It was dark and ready to rain and all I wanted to do was duck for cover. He told me that when opposition is highest, it´s because we´re close to finding the elects. So I remembered what I´ve learned about having a testimony that´s strong enough that you can pass through all manners of apostasies and attacks and uproars without losing your faith. And the Lord has rewarded me. The problems I was having with a few other missionaries are resolved, and we´re all happy little ants in the farm again, and best of all is that I got two letters from the first family I baptized on the mission, telling me about how they are still firm in the faith.
These last four days have been exhausting, but rewarding. The whole mission will change, and now we will be tested to see if we will do everything that our new President requires of us. My trainer always prepared me for these days, and Pres. Tobias left me a leader at this moment because he believed I was capable of this. It´s a whole new vision of how to do work, and a whole new way to work on the mission, but I´m sure I´ll adapt. I´ve come so far, I can´t give up now, right?
I´ve been hearing that the weather up there isn´t all that great. It´s all sunshine here. I can´t remember the last time it rained. On the one hand, it´s great, because rain here really throws off the work, but on the other, there are days when I long for my mountains, for the forests, for the snow, and to see the ocean again. But I love, even so, my work area, and I will never be able to forget that for two years I was more Brazilian than American.
WOW. It´s so TRUE. I was with Elder Stapler last year. Whoa. Time flies, huh?
-Bryan
Our fourth of July went awesome! We didn´t bring everyone we wanted to to church, but you get what you need, right? We had a barbecue with a family here in the ward where we ate and ate and ate after a lunch in which we ate and ate and ate and then at night we went home and ate and ate and ate. Basically all we did was dork around and eat.
Brazil has lost the Soccer World Cup, so there was a little difficulty one day last week, but outside that, it´s all good here. We´re working hard in constructing the Kingdom in our area, and even when I get really sad because of this or that, The Lord sends help in the most unexpected ways.
We met Pres. and Sis. Prieto this week. Monday we had Conference and Tuesday we had Counsel, so we got to know them pretty well. I won´t lie that I miss Pres. and Sis. Tobias, but Pres. Tobias did an excellent job in preparing for this day. I feel as though all that I´ve learned with Pres. and Sis. Tobias is being completed by what Pres. and Sis. Prieto are teaching.
For example, these past few days I was having a bit of a hard time, feeling a bit down because we haven´t really had the success I wanted, and because of a few strange members wanting to pick a fight with me (weird, huh? but you know how it is, where there´s wheat, there´s tares.) and some other things. So I was feeling pretty crummy until when Pres. Prieto told us about how, generally when things are their worst, that´s when success is right around the corner, and the enemy is trying his hardest to stop us.
That´s when I remembered what my trainer told me in one of my first weeks on the mission. It was dark and ready to rain and all I wanted to do was duck for cover. He told me that when opposition is highest, it´s because we´re close to finding the elects. So I remembered what I´ve learned about having a testimony that´s strong enough that you can pass through all manners of apostasies and attacks and uproars without losing your faith. And the Lord has rewarded me. The problems I was having with a few other missionaries are resolved, and we´re all happy little ants in the farm again, and best of all is that I got two letters from the first family I baptized on the mission, telling me about how they are still firm in the faith.
These last four days have been exhausting, but rewarding. The whole mission will change, and now we will be tested to see if we will do everything that our new President requires of us. My trainer always prepared me for these days, and Pres. Tobias left me a leader at this moment because he believed I was capable of this. It´s a whole new vision of how to do work, and a whole new way to work on the mission, but I´m sure I´ll adapt. I´ve come so far, I can´t give up now, right?
I´ve been hearing that the weather up there isn´t all that great. It´s all sunshine here. I can´t remember the last time it rained. On the one hand, it´s great, because rain here really throws off the work, but on the other, there are days when I long for my mountains, for the forests, for the snow, and to see the ocean again. But I love, even so, my work area, and I will never be able to forget that for two years I was more Brazilian than American.
WOW. It´s so TRUE. I was with Elder Stapler last year. Whoa. Time flies, huh?
-Bryan
Email - 6/29/10
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 8:21 AM
Don´t sweat it about not sending an e-mail last week. I have to send one every week, but nowhere is it written that I have to receive one every week.
I always feel really sad when I see a missionary doing some kind of dirtiness or other. As Elders we´re called to represent the Lord. In a way, to BE Him in His place. When an Elder walks in righteousness, you can see that he touches the people around him, that The Spirit goes with him where he goes, and teaches the people he teaches. But when one commits apostasy, the Spirit is replaced with another, and the damage that happens is difficult to repair.
But for every Elder diabolical, there´s 100 who really seek to serve the Lord. And I love to go to baptisms, for the Spirit of triumph of good over evil is always present, and the strength of the Lord always testifies to those who open their hearts.
NOSSA. Man, that´s got to suck about Elder Van Duyn. I never had that happen to me on the mission (Pres. Tobias almost never transferred me) but I knew guys who had this happen to them and its just about the worst thing in the world for a missionary. When I left Anapolis there were two women there who baptized that weekend. But I´m still happy to have worked with them. Getting sick on the Mission is the worst thing in the world.
It´s about time they put together the old team. Not that I want to say anything bad about the new teams, but really, there was a time when I thought no one cared about Scouting anymore. You can sort of see a few gaps in our Ward´s history, too. I´m pretty sure that there was a nice space of 6 years between me and the last missionary to serve in our ward before me, and also I think Wade was the last person in the ward to get his Eagle before me. I dunno, I just know that, for a time, I thought our ward was kinda disorganized in the progress of our boys, but then again, how many times did I myself complain about boys on our lists who were inactive instead of going and extending a hand to them?
Gotta hurry, I´m afraid an hour of internet isn´t as long as it used to be.
Don´t sweat it about not sending an e-mail last week. I have to send one every week, but nowhere is it written that I have to receive one every week.
I always feel really sad when I see a missionary doing some kind of dirtiness or other. As Elders we´re called to represent the Lord. In a way, to BE Him in His place. When an Elder walks in righteousness, you can see that he touches the people around him, that The Spirit goes with him where he goes, and teaches the people he teaches. But when one commits apostasy, the Spirit is replaced with another, and the damage that happens is difficult to repair.
But for every Elder diabolical, there´s 100 who really seek to serve the Lord. And I love to go to baptisms, for the Spirit of triumph of good over evil is always present, and the strength of the Lord always testifies to those who open their hearts.
NOSSA. Man, that´s got to suck about Elder Van Duyn. I never had that happen to me on the mission (Pres. Tobias almost never transferred me) but I knew guys who had this happen to them and its just about the worst thing in the world for a missionary. When I left Anapolis there were two women there who baptized that weekend. But I´m still happy to have worked with them. Getting sick on the Mission is the worst thing in the world.
It´s about time they put together the old team. Not that I want to say anything bad about the new teams, but really, there was a time when I thought no one cared about Scouting anymore. You can sort of see a few gaps in our Ward´s history, too. I´m pretty sure that there was a nice space of 6 years between me and the last missionary to serve in our ward before me, and also I think Wade was the last person in the ward to get his Eagle before me. I dunno, I just know that, for a time, I thought our ward was kinda disorganized in the progress of our boys, but then again, how many times did I myself complain about boys on our lists who were inactive instead of going and extending a hand to them?
Gotta hurry, I´m afraid an hour of internet isn´t as long as it used to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
