Email - 8/9/10

Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 2:39 PM

You know what´s funny (Re: sad) about using the internet in public places? Usually there´s a sign that says "Porn Sites Not Allowed" Which generally results in the people going and looking at the semi-porn on Youtube. And the other signs say "Please, be Quiet." So the 8 year old boys playing Warcraft and Counterstrike all shout at the top of their lungs. I love being a missionary, but I´m excited by the idea of being able to use the net in my own home where the only madness will actually be ME, since Dad´ll be typing misspelled words and random numbers called "work" and Mom´ll be burning here new keyboard typing the miserable sob stories of the average joe, while I chat in a foreign language with people on the other side of the world.

There´s really not a whole lot to say about what´s going on these days. E. Pimentel and I are, as per usual, working hard. Sunday I was sitting in the chapel, without any idea what to do, and, as I sat, I could feel the urge to get up and go and I dunno, DO something, and so we left the chapel at random, without waiting for one of the members who was helping us that day, and I just kept repeating in the street. "I know we´re going to find an elect right now." So we hardly spake a word to one another, as we walked, and followed the Spirit where He was leading us. We got to a street I felt we had to go down, and as we entered it, I couldn´t help but remember the two old ladies who´d stopped us a few days before. Nevertheless, I turned in the other direction.

As I turned, E. Pimentel said something I didn´t understand, and when I asked him to repeat he was reluctant. When I pushed a bit more he said, "I was just remembering those two-"

And that was all I needed to hear. We ran back in the other direction to the house of the two old ladies and upon being invited, enter in.I admit that there was nothing grand to the lesson we taught, but the women are of interest to us. One is an inactive member, who is the care taker of the other, a woman of 103 years of age, who´s mind is still lucid. If you see your son in the Liahona next month for having baptized the oldest woman in the history of the church, you´ll know why.

In other news we still have Wislene preparing to go on her mission here. It´s really cool to be the missionary helping the member get ready. I remember I hated the idea of having to help the Elders before my mission (Though when with them, I loved it) but it´s humbling to see how she is always excited to help us out. I remember that Megan has a friend who got her call recently, too. Whenever I get down thinking about the badness in the mission, I can always cheer myself remembering that the Work is Christ´s, and that it exists to Redeem, not condemn. That´s one of the biggest lessons and greatest jewels I´m bringing home with me. Doing missionary work heals me of my sins, even as it heals others of their own.

I realized the other day that I have only got 11 more weeks on the mission. When I realized this, I didn´t know how to react. These 2 years have been the best of my life. I have changed so much, and have so much more in me I need to change. There´s so much to do here still, so much to see and hear and so many people to save and so many places to go and I can´t stand the idea of having to leave Brazil! I have a life here. I lost the old me here, and I´m build the new. How can I leave this place now, when I´ve only just begun? What I wouldn´t give to have some part of Brazil always with me.

But I guess that´s how the work gets you, huh? Having served here, I´ll never want to forget, and the Lord has commanded that I progress, not fall. I can only believe that when I finish here, it won´t be the only dealing with Brazil in my life.

But I´ve gotta go. Much to do, and little time in which to do it all.

Love,

Bryan