Email - 10/18/10

Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 7:44 AM

Well, dunno what to say about your itinerary that you got from the Mish. I suppose we´ll just kinda find out when we find out. I´ll call and ask the sec.s a bit later to ask them and see what´s up. Which is about the best I can do. I imagine that it must have been a bit crazy, as a few months back, when they were supposed to have bought my tickets, there was a sec exec who was less than great. When they traded secs, it was discovered he hadn´t bought any tickets for any of the groups leaving for the next few weeks.

Well it´s good to know I´ll have the window seat. Now I just wanna know if I´ll be sitting near one of my friends or not. But in any case, I´m sure we´ll pull it off to play around together on the last flight home. It´s really kinda weird thinking that it´s all almost over. But all things have their own time, right? I found out today, for example, that one of my comps, E. Dutra, who went home after the Conference in April, is going to get engaged this saturday. Oh louco!

I dunno if I´ll get sick or not, but based on how it was for me when I got in Brazil, who knows. I mean, I sure don´t WANT to go through all the fun of jetlag and everything again, but hey, you never know. I know I´ll die from the temperature, since here it´s been freaking hot the last few days. Yesterday it was just not fair, having to go to church in a black suit in that blazing and infernal heat.

I´ll be sure to tell you the many, many things which happened on my mission that I could never say before because they´d make you old with worry. Hahaha. The dangerous places I went, the dangerous people I met, the stupid things I did. I imagine I´ll get out the pictures and show them, and go explaining as I look at ´em. Though my Pen Drive doesn´t have space for the pics I´ll take at the end of my mish, so the camera´s gonna have to hold out just a little while longer, haha.

Ah, a Katrina (I think that´s her name) left for her mission? That´s great to hear! She sounded like she really wanted to go. I´ll have to remember to send a letter to her, congratulating her when she´s in the MTC. She´ll be there 3 months, poor thing.

New people in our ward who speak portuguese! WOO! I so won´t speak english with him.

Now if only there were new girls in the ward, hahaha.

Oh, I´ma send a few pics home, since it´s been 2 million years since I´ve done that.


1) E. Clark and I after we´d gone to see the waterfalls in Aparecida de Goiania.



2) E. Pimentel, Wislene and I being absolutely styling.

3) E. Botão, my greenie, the day we went to eat with the Zone Leaders.


Just a few shots for everyone to know how I am and everything, how I look and the what not. Next week I´ll try and find a minute or two to send a quick e-mail home. But if anything goes wrong when I´m traveling home, I´ll send off a call. Calling collect in the states works how? Wow, that´s brazillian grammar right there. I don´t remember how to make collect calls, but I´m sure someone will know.

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 10/11/10

Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 10:13 AM

"Dad has yet to contact the state executive secretary to make an appointment
for you to see Pres. McCoy, but you are scheduled to go to the stake PEC and
report on your mission. Dad will give you that date. He showed it to me
(had it in his phone calendar), but it was during sacrament meeting so no
time to really process it."

I forgot to include this. I have NO IDEA what a PEC is. I hope they don´t interrogate me, but I can give a full report. I just hope that I get released before that and everything. I mean, dunno if they´ll want a month per month er what, but I don´t really want to be in my own house, with my own things bound by mission law, hahah.

Also, please let my friends know that I have received their letters and that 1) I, for myself, have no problem with a Halloween party, though my parents and family might have some kind of plans, and while I love my friends, family comes first. 2) I´m not "Mad" with Kelsey or Sharelle for not me writing. I imagine it must be rather difficult to actually sit down and write and all that jazz. But maybe I´ll whack them once or twice just the same. and 3) If anybody wants a CHEAP souvenir, I have to know by next Monday, since it´ll be the last chance I have to look, and that all know that I will not be able to over fill my trunks with stuff that´s heavy, as there are weight limits and travel fees and it´s all real complicated, but what small lembrances I can, I´ll try and bring home.

Love,

Bryan

Email - 10/11/10

Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 9:35 AM

This week was pretty crummy for me, but I won´t go into details. After all, who likes to hear a sob story, huh? E. Botão and I are still working, trying our best to save the area, if not the ward, from extinction. I admit there are days when I feel a bit tired, but I´m surprised by the fact that I´ve still got a good few kicks left in me, hahah. After all, they say that with my time there are a lot of Elders who simply stop working. A perfect example would be the one who was here before me.

Oh man, I am SO gonna catch a cold just as soon as I get home, hahaha. But I want to say that I also count my blessings. This week the Lord protected my companion and I greatly, and we are so very thankful for your prayers on our behalf. My testimony has grown much stronger during this past week of small results and great tribulations.

Colin´s gonna work at the TRS, eh? I hope he can cut me some deals, hahaha. I doubt it. But it´s good to hear that he´ll be working. After all, in today´s economy work is work and money money, since it´s all hard to come by.

My last day will be the 24th, unless Pres. lets us travel sooner. But any way the cookie crumbles, the 24th, Sunday, is the last day of "work" in the ward. I´m mostly excited because I´ll be getting the heck out of this ward. I try and get used to it here, but I´ll be honest. I just want these next two weeks to fly by as fast as they can. I´ll try my best to find a baptism until then, but I admit my hopes aren´t at all very high.

Bikes are better than nothing, right? I´ve had 2 years of walking from one side to the other of every town. I am SO gonna learn to drive when I get home.

After today, yes, there are only two more e-mails, maybe just 1. I say 1 because the 25th MAYBE is travel day from Minas to Goias, in which case I will use all the remaining time left to me to visit people I know in Goiania. I really wanted to go to Anapolis, but I don´t think it´s a very viable option, given my location. But whatcha gonna, do, huh?

In any case, it´s the 5th week of 6. Passing this week and the next one, and I´ll be free from Minas Gerais. I hate this attitude, but hey, I really, really want out of this place. I dunno why, it just rubs me the wrong way here.

17 days and we´ll see one another face to face, hahaha.

Another Email - 10/4/10

Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 9:14 AM
Subject: Re: hey

Wow, General Conference is always an amazing thing, and this last one on my mission was spectacular. I, too, felt that it was time to express my gratitude and be more greatful and focus less on what´s lacking.

Congrats on the home teaching! And I still remember when I was a priest and the stake presidency burned our ward for having the home teaching record of a dead man´s heart.

We haven´t yet baptized, but we´re working on it. I´ve faith the Lord will grant us at least one baptism before the end. We have to work all our days to bring at least that much to Christ.

I still don´t know why exactly I want to go to BYU. Some crazy part of my brain laughs and says it´s just to find a Mormon girl and marry fast, but the rest of me still says that there´s some reason I need to go there. I dunno. I just think it´s something that is important for me to do. It´s kinda like when I decided to go on a mission, I didn´t know why, just knew that I NEEDED to go. I guess that maybe the Spirit is saying that I need to go. If it´s so, then who am I to at least not try and follow?

I still have no idea what I need to after the mission. Pres. Tobias told me that I need to just keep my head in the mission and the Lord will reveal it to me on the plane. Good thing the plane ride´s so long, huh?


Love,

Bryan

Email - 10/4/10

Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 9:05 AM
Subject: Re: October

Dude, my computer here is all kinds of whacked out at the moment. I dunno what the Lan House lady did to my screen, but it´s all kinds of badness. In any case, let´s carry on, huh?

I seem to remember the flight from Dallas to São Paulo being longer. I swear it lasted more like 14 hours. But I could be wrong. In any case, I´m used to long travel times these days, as the bus ride to Uberaba clocked in at 7 hours and all that jazz. I doubt I´ll be able to get sleep, since I never was any good at sleeping in a vehicle. On the other hand, I´ll be pretty tired by the end, so who knows.

It´d be good to have Pres. McCoy release me as soon as he can. I mean, I don´t know exactly, but I imagine I´ll be home in the afternoon of Thursday. I don´t know how his schedule is, and I know that every Pres. has his own way of releasing, but if there´s an interview and ceremony, it´s best to start soon, isn´t it? Hahaha. I´m excited now, but I´m sure when the day comes to lay down my badge I´ll probably cry.

Leave it to Colin to know about bad movies, huh? But yes, what I saw was MVP2, not one. They passed the sequel, instead of the first ones, and the movie was in english, without subtitles, so basically only I and I alone understood what was said. It was, in fact, pretty stupid, a little cute, and the monkey was cool. I´m sure that it´s 2 years without watching a movie that makes it so interesting.

11 investigators is the sum total of men, women, and children above 8 who came to church. Unfortunately the greater part have this or that little difficulty. Some are drinkers and smokers and crazy, but as the Lord´s children you´ve just got to love them all. It´s probable that more visitors come out to church than you notice, what with the size of our ward and all. Here you can´t miss the visitors, as it seems they´re almost equal in number to the members.

I also found General Conference to be a wonder! I rejoiced to hear the Prophet declare Saturday morning that every young man should serve a mission, and that such service is an obligation of the Priesthood, and the same teaching repeated later by one apostle, who declared that Satan, and I quote, "Will do anything to keep a young man from going on a mission." As always during conference I heard a million and one talks that I thought, "wow, that´s great to tell so-and-so that we´re teaching, or such-and-such that I know!" But the best talks, as always, were directed to me.

Pres. Monson and E. Holland spoke a lot about Gratitude. So I thought I ought to send out some thank yous in this e-mail.

Let´s go in order of age, so as not to offend anybody, okay?

First off, a huge thank you to my grandparents. To Grampa and Gramma Barney, who have been such a pillar of gospel strength in my life. For teaching me the right since I was little, and for having raised up a righteous family, through which I came. Thanks to them I give for having always supported me in my decisions, and taught me that marvelous teaching of Gramma Barneys, which Elder Godoy, who closed the Sunday Morning Session´s prayer, repeated to us not long ago in Goiania, "In Love, there is no need to trade, rather, there´s an addition." Or as Gramma simply put it, "Your heart doesn´t ever run out of space to love people. It always grows for one more."

Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Haney, for having always supported me, even when they don´t understand a thing I´m ever saying. I thank them and my aunts and uncles for all the presents I´ve ever given, but I´m so very, very much more thankful for the time we passed speaking one with another in all the many birthdays, thanksgivings, and christmases since my birth on forward. Their love and attention is much more worth it than any toy or money has ever been.

Thanks to all those who have paid even if but a cent or made even if but the smallest of sacrifices to be on my mission. I hope to God I´ve brought honor to your sacrifices, and I can never, ever thank you enough for the wonderful experience your sufferings and sacrifices have brought into my life and the lives of others.

Thank you Mom, for everything. For giving me my life, for caring for me since I was little. For having the patience to teach me, even when I was not patient with you. For loving me enough to correct and even punish me when I was wrong. Thank you for 20 years of dinner on the table and running. Never have I been more grateful for this quiet contribution than in this time when I have so long gone without it. Thank you for always having me clothed, clean, and educated. For bearing to me your testimony when I was young, and for trying, so many times, to read the Book of Mormon with me. No man or woman on this earth reads the scriptures with a voice that moves my heart more than yours. Thank you for the many Halloweens you helped me with my costume, for the Christmas trees, and for the countless hugs and kisses when I needed them most. Thank you for being the woman of women in my life, who has taught me and loved me and cared for me forever.

Thank you, Dad, for serving a full time mission. Your decision, so very, very long ago, shaped my life and the lives of those I´ve taught. Because you one day served in Texas, men, women, and children have heard the Gospel in Brazil. Thank you for being my hero. Thank you for sitting with me the day I was to receive the priesthood, and reading to me and teaching me the importance of what would enter into my life. Thank you for the millions of car ride interviews, when we could just plain talk. Thank you for waiting up at night for me, even when you knew where I was. Thank you for being the Man of Men in my life, who showed me what a man ought to be. Thank you, for one night, so long ago, having the courage to ask a sister not to gossip to you, and forever showing your son the importance of never speaking ill. Thank you for teaching me to respect my mother, and all other women, and to put their needs before my own. Thank you for being my protector, my rock, and my sure place when I needed you. Thank you for your silly mustache, which has for so long been a constant in my life. Thank you for never giving up on me to get my eagle, and to come to serve a mission. Thank you for being there at all my concerts, and taking me to scouting activities, and even just talking star wars with me.

Thank you Katie, for being my big sister. I know I haven´t been the best little brother, and I´m so sorry for that. Thank you for taking care of me when mom and dad were away. For trying your best to make dinner for us, for playing legos with me, for talking Harry Potter or Final Fantasy or just making fun of any dumb thing. Thank you for not being the complete failure some people´s big sisters are. Thank you for always talking to me, even when I must have annoyed you to no end at times.

Thank you, Matt, for being my big brother. For always talking to me, even when times have been tough. Thank you for apologizing. I could never hold those childish fights we had when we were young against you. Thank you for supporting me on my mission, and talking with me, even when it was just about video games. Thank you for the many times we ran around the forest with wooden swords hunting monsters no one other than us could see. Thank you for helping me pick up an instrument and playing it. Thank you for being there to hear me, even if what I was saying was never important. Thank you for showing me the importance of going after what I want, and not waiting until later.

Thank you Megan, for being my oft-times partner in crime. Thank you for helping me so often to teach those crazy little kids. Thank you for being a shining example of the gospel in my life. Thank you for being the soldier-girl which has impressed men and women in this far off land for so long. Thank you for wasting important time to play with Colin and I, and for being what every latter-day saint ought to be, a missionary wherever you are. Thank you for one day having showed me that I shouldn´t complain about having the RIGHT to kneel down and bless the Lord´s supper. Thank you for playing star wars and Zelda and Mario Kart and who knows what else with me. Thank you for watching scary movies with me, and even silly girl shows with me.

Thank you, Colin, for supporting everything I put you throw. Forgive me for not being the best big brother ever. Thank you for having been the one who was my eternal Player 2, in games, in adventures, and in just about everything else. Thank you for being the crazy pal I could always rely on, and for being the one who always went with me, to scouts, to youth conference, to mutual and seminary. Thank you for being the best little brother a guy could ever have.

In short, thank you all so much, for your time. For your dedication, devotion and attention. There are many others who I would love to thank. Friends, family, and associates. Leaders from church and at school. Fellow members of the church the world over. Thank you all for everything.

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 9/27/10

Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: hey

The Master Plan is the following

Week 3 (of the transfer): work with the key teaching group to prepare them for baptism in the 3rd and 4th weeks of October. Find new investigators to not leave the area as barren as when I found it. Enjoy General Conference. Try and Baptize during all this madness of elections and the what-not.

Week 4: Bring a bunch of investigators to church again, principally those key investigators who are preparing to baptize. Find news, Try to Baptize, keep teaching the greenie what he needs to do.

Week 5: Baptize and bring to church the key group for next week.

Week 6: Tell my greenie that I will soon lay these bones in the cold tomb, and go all the way of the earth, enjoy the festivities, baptize for the last time on the mish, and leave the area better than I found it.

Week 7: Ó, Gloria.

When I get home, then, we can sit down and work on these papers. I dunno why I want to go to Brigham Young yet, I just feel like that´s the next step for me, you know? I mean, I love Washington (and Goiás, haha) and it´s my home, up in the frozen north, where my mountains and my ocean and my forests and my family and friends are, but I feel like at some point I have to go to Utah, sit at the feet of the prophets and learn from them. I also feel that if I go there, I can make it 10 times harder for me to run the risk of falling away from the church after the mission, which has always been a dread of mine (because everywhere I´ve gone on the mission, there seems to be 3 of 10 missionaries who come home inactive.)

As for things going down, that´s kinda funny. Here the technology is permanently fritzy, the records are a mess, and almost no one knows how to mess with these things, so basically it´s up to the force of will of the leaders if they´ll do these meetings or not. Here it seems that the great are great and the not so great, well, not so great, haha.

Thanks for the support and help in everything. Send my love to everyone back home, a big hug to Matt, who needs it, let Katie know I had a crazy dream where I was at her wedding the other night, and send Colin on a mission (and send Megan to get married already, haha!)

Love,

Bryan

The Prodigal Son.

Email - 9/27/10

Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 8:27 AM
Subject: Re: End of September

Well, ask and you shall receive. My flight from Goiania to Guarulhos reads the following:

Goiânia (GYN) Brasilia (BSB) G3 1932 27/10/2010 12:20 13:00 U
Brasilia (BSB) Guarulhos (GRU) G3 1847 27/10/2010 15:50 17:25 U

Which means, if I´m not mistaken, embark, destination, flight number, date, embark time arrival time, and class (U). And to the good old USA:

AMERICAN AIRLINES 27OCT SAO PAULO SP DALLAS TX 1055P 605A
AA 962 WEDNESDAY GUARULHOS INTL DALLAS FT WORT 28OCT
N ECONOMY TERMINAL 2 TERMINAL D
NON SMOKING DINNER/BREAKFAST NON STOP
RESERVATION CONFIRMED 10:10 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING 777-200/300
SEAT 35J NO SMOKING CONFIRMED

And until I´m back in the motherland:

AMERICAN AIRLINES 28OCT DALLAS TX SEATTLE WA 910A 1125A
AA 529 THURSDAY DALLAS FT WORT SEATTLE TACOMA
N ECONOMY NON SMOKING FOOD FOR PURCHASE NON STOP
RESERVATION CONFIRMED 4:15 DURATION
AIRCRAFT: BOEING (DOUGLAS) MD-83
SEAT 26F NO SMOKING CONFIRMED



How did Colin know that was the movie? Was this movie EVER popular in the world? I mean, it was the first time I´D heard of it. But leave it to Colin to know about a bad movie, huh. I mean, the movie itself wasn´t too bad, but you know you´ve got a problem when the chimp is one of the best actors. I´m mean, the skateboarding kid was AWFUL. He really didn´t know how to act. The other movie that passed while I was on the bus was "Funny Money" with I don´t remember who now, I think Chevy Chase. Dunno, it wasn´t all that funny, though it was mildly interesting. I kinda dozed off during it.

I´m sure we´ll be able to do some good here. This week 11 investigators came to church, which is, according to mission Standard, excellent. And while about half of them we won´t be able to really help, there were still a couple who I´m sure we can make a diference in their lives. Especially one David, who in the 2hours he had the Book of Mormon, seemed to have read half of it already.

Feed the Elders always. Even when I´m not on the mish. There are rich blessings in store for those who do so. Legend has it you never lack food in your home. When I have my own home, I want to have the Elders over at least twice a month, and I´ll always give them desert, and I´ll seek to treat them like kings, because that´s how I have been treated here.

I dunno why they haven´t sent you my flight plans, I´ll try and call them before the end of the day. After all, can´t let those slackers up in the Office get any rest, haha.

Ah, eh? Megan asked for the same thing on her birthday? Hah, and I was banking that she´d ask for some bacon, haha. I´ve never forgotten that summer she came home and demanded bacon, haha. Send a birthday hug to Megan for me. I promise I didn´t forget, it´s just been so busy these last few weeks that there´s been no time or money to send anything to anyone. Speaking of which, send a big, "I´m sorry" to Kelsey and Jess and Josh, as I´m sure I "forgot" their birthdays this year and probably last. Send a happy birthday to Sharelle in advance, so that at least her birthday doesn´t go forgotten.

Not that I forgot Megan´s. I told everyone down here it was her birthday, and then that was that. People always get impressed by a few things about my siblings. 1) That Matt and Colin are so blonde. 2) That Megan is a soldier-girl, and 3) That Katie is so white. Yeah, I dunno what that last one is about, either, but everyone thinks she´s whiter than the rest of us, haha.

Don´t buy too much milk, you know, on the off chance that I´ve accustomed to milk down here (doubt it, I rarely drink milk here.) But you know, have a jug or two for me to fill my belly, haha.
It´s RAINING TODAY!!! WOOHOO!!! What a marvelous thing, rain! Yeah! As for Uberaba, it´s better to look at Uberlandia than Belo Horizonte. Belo Horizonte is a whole nother mission.

4 and a half weeks. Oh Trunkeza Miseravel, hahaha.

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 9/20/10

Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: Mid September

Well, my plans are actually to let my greenie know on our last week that I´m "dying" as we call it, and that he´s "killing me" as we say. That way I can enjoy the last district meeting as a going away deal. But there are a few small hurdles to jump in the next 5 weeks. One of which is the Mission jornal, which shows the names of everybody who is going home. Not sure what to do about that, yet, but I´ll pull some strings in the Staff to keep my secret safe.

E. Botão knows that I´m "old" on the mission already. That´s kinda hard for me to hide, since I´ve met everyone already and I don´t intend to lie about how long I´ve known people, but he doesn´t know how old I am. I suppose he must think I´ve some 3 months to go. Which isn´t too wrong. I´ve got 1 month to go, still. The members in the ward are convinced already that I´m ending, since I guess the missionary who was here before me did the same thing. Dunno.

But all goes well enough down here. I´ll keep on working and try and hit my goal of baptisms in the mission (numerically and spiritually speaking, I´ve a few boxes left to check off, haha)

But for now, that´s about all.

Love,

Bryan

Email - 9/20/10

Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 8:03 AM
Subject: Re: Mid September

Man, what a crazy week it´s been. Monday we had a baptism in Independencia. Tuesday I grabbed my stuff and we took off for Goiania, where we had training until late afternoon, when I met my final companion. Elder Botão. Like E. Vitorino, he´s from Pernambuco, in the north of Brasil. We spent the evening wandering downtown in Goiania, and Wednesday we spent 7 hours on the bus to Uberaba (at least there was a movie about a hockey playing monkey who learned to skateboard in Seattle) Thursday on out we worked in the area.

Or at least, we tried to. When I say we´re opening the area it´s because me and E. Button (his name in english) have arrived here together, without knowing anything, and sadly, the missionaries who were here before us didn´t leave much. Though I can´t blame them too much, since one was ending his mission last transfer, and honestly this isn´t the most exciting place on the mission. But I maintain a positive attitude. After all, I´ve already passed some of the most hard areas on the mission, so I´m sure I´ll survive here.

It´s okay if YOU get trunky, mom. Moms have the right to be trunky. It´s more or less the typical way a Mom is. I mean, you DID send a letter to me at the end of my first month marked "Only 23 more payments and you´re all mine." I´m the one who can´t be trunky. And I´m sure I´ll survive. All my mission Pres. Tobias was preparing me for such days as these. I´m very grateful that the men who have lead me on my mission have always prepared me so well for the future that what would shake others to pieces comes as a natural change of course to me.

I´m not saying it´s all smooth sailing, but I´m calm and peaceful. As E. Owen always told me, "Come what may, enjoy it." Or something like that in english.

My flight plans are Oct. 27th. So on the 25th I´ll be leaving Uberaba for Goiania. If I´m lucky, Pres. will let me explore just abit the area and say good-bye to some of the people I´ve met on my mission. On the 27th I´ll get on a plane from Goiania to Brasilia. From Brasilia to São Paulo. From São Paulo I´ll pull an overnighter to Dallas Texas, and when I get to Texas, it´s non-stop until I get home. According to the info, I should be arriving on the 28th, around 11:30 in the afternoon. At least, that´s what the papers are saying. I´d send you the flight plans, but I dunno if it´d help, since it´s all in portuguese.
Well, as of the 20th it still hasn´t rained a single drop in the area of the mission. It´s cooler here in Uberaba than in Aparecida, but still not rain and snow and all that jazz. I´m pretty sure the difference in weather when I get home will kill me. Good thing I´ll be traveling in my suit, huh?

Wow, I´ve really come to miss home-made jelly. You know that if you made a bunch of loaves of bread, put out jelly, honey, and peanutbutter, I wouldn´t have any problem accepting that as my welcome home feast? Though thinking a second time, I also wouldn´t mind them thai noodles you make so well.

I just worry that whatever I eat will kill me. I remember that I had to adjust to food here, I wonder if I´ll have to adjust to food there?

Oh, and I want there to be milk. Lots and lots of good old american milk.

Silly me, huh, worry about these things? But that´s how it all rolls, right?

All goes well down here. Send my love to Matt and Megan. Send my love to Katie and her family. Send my love and gratitude to Grampa and the many others who are contributing to my mission (I hope I´ve served in such a way as to deserve your sacrifices). Send Colin on a mission, and send my thanks to my friends for the pictures.

Love,

Bryan

Email - 9/13/10

Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 3:49 PM
Subject: Re: Mid September

Well, without being overly trunky about it, we have officially arrived at my last transfer. Yes, my last six weeks as a full-time missionary. I think I still haven´t really been able to get my head around the concept, that in a few short weeks, all this will come to an end. I mean, this is my life, my world, my work. I don´t know how to do anything but this. Man, and the culture shock I´m gonna pass, huh?

I got my flight plans today. I´ll be going from Goiania to Brasilia, from Brasilia to São Paulo, São Paulo Dallas, and from Dallas, SeaTac. It´s kinda weird to see on paper the end of my mission. But hey, I´ve still got a good six weeks of work ahead of me.

I was transferred to my final area. I will be opening the Vallim de Mello area in Uberaba, Minas Gerais. Funny, huh? My mission is sorta coming full circle. I started in Minas, and went to Aparecida, from Aparecida to Goiania, Goiania to Anapolis, Anapolis Aparecida, Aparecida to Minas. Crazy, huh? Tomorrow I´ll spend the whole day on the bus, since it´s like a 7 hour ride. Fun, huh? I´ll no longer be serving as a Zone Leader, something that comes as a relief (though a bit sad, as I enjoyed my job) but the plus side is that I will, for the fourth time, be training a new missionary. What can I say, when I´m good, I´m good, eh?

I´m sad to leave E. Pimentel´s side. In these past 7 weeks we´ve grown really close one to another, and it´ll be hard to say good-bye. He´s definitely one of my favorite companions to date. Which is hard to say, since I generally like ALL my companions. Our friend, Wislene, is off to the MTC now, too. It was cool to see how someone going to the mission is from the point of view of who´s staying behind. She´ll be an excellent Sister, I´m sure. Heck, the girl managed to seal the deal of a baptism here one time, alone!

I´m excited about opening a new area. I´m going to try and do as Dad´s Trainer did with him, and not let my greenie know that I´m "dying" as the mission slang goes, haha. I don´t think I´ll even tell the members how much time I have. The fun part will be my new Zone. Almost all of them were lead by me at one time or another, and my Zone Leader is none other than my first newbie, E. M. Santos! Funny how these things work out.

What I wouldn´t give to see rain. It hasn´t rained in Goiás since March. Technically we´re in a drought, as it was supposed to have rained already this month. Every day it seems to get hotter. The sun´s so bright that the black pavement turns white. I´m gonna come home blacker than my shoes at this rate, haha.

As for the so very blessed green-beans, I hope the die. Wither and die. We must be able to find something more . . . suitable to the pallat to can, right? I mean, why eat venom, knowing it´s bad for you, when you can eat something healthy? That´s it! Green Beans are against my personal Word of Wisdom.

Hey, sister Lefebvre! It´s been a long time since I´ve heard about her! How´s she doing? And Nicole, that once-upon-a-time terror of my boyhood days? Dude, it must be so weird to see Nicole these days. I mean, I think the last time I saw her I had less than 16 years of age. Wow. Time sure flies, huh? But then again, I´m 22 now, so . . .

(At times it´s hard to know who´s more trunky, me or E. Pimentel. His girlfriend sent him a bunch of pictures this week, and I´ve got to admit, she´s a pretty young woman. I suppose he´s got a reason to be a little distracted with a girl like that back home, hahaha. But hey, it was my choice to not leave a lady waiting for me, and I´m sure that six weeks from now, there´ll be plenty of time to squander my time and attention on women, but at the moment I´ve a debt to pay to the Lord, and a work to finish here, and a ministry to end, so I can´t get too wound up in these "What will I do after?"s)

Oh no, somebody is cooking a meat that smells delicious, and I´ve got a stomach ache and can´t eat. Aww man. Hahaha. Have you ever been hungry and without the slightest desire to eat? That´s me today. Whatcha gonna do, eh?

Well, this is me, saying "I´m alive" and "Only 6 more e-mails home, wahahaha!!!"

Love,

Bryan

(SSSOOOO NOT TRUNKY)

Email - 9/6/10

Sent: Monday, September 06, 2010 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: Last of August

Sorry I can´t write more tonight, but, as for usual, I missed my window of time. I am happy to hear all is well, and thanks for the birthday wishes. Next week I´ll let you know how it all went down here in Brazil, and how it was to meet E. Godoi, of the 70. I hope you´re all well and love you all a lot.

Your Son,

Bryan

Email - 8/30/10

Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: Last of August

Well it´s good to hear he´s mellowing out, then, huh? Maybe he won´t try to kill me when I come. Especially since I´ll be coming home in my suit, so he can´t rip it up, as it´s a nice suit (Here´s to hoping it stays nice till November, huh.) Speaking of which, I don´t know when, but you can expect an e-mail here in the future from the Mission with my return flight plans. I don´t know how soon, so don´t get trunky, but I gave your e-mails to the Sec. Fin. to send the plans when they arrive.

I know I need to just get over my own little problems and throw the rest of the burden on the Lord. I always remember what Pres. Tobias said to me once in an interview. He told me that, as a missionary, and as a member, I ought to live happy. If we have to repent, we ought to be happy to repent, as it´s a chance to learn and come closer to Christ. I suppose the anger, whininess and sadness are Satan´s little way of trying to get a hold of me.

So happy I´ll be.

This week is a big fat week for me, as there´s a lot that´s going to happen. We´re working our tails off to have a baptism this week (which is to say, MANY baptisms this week) and also Elder Godoy, an Area Seventy will be visiting our mission this week, and Sunday is, of course, MY BIRTHDAY!!!! WOOHOO!!! I´M GONNA BE OLD!!!!! And also we´ve planned a little fireside for Sunday Night, which is turning out to be freaking awesome.

This Sunday we brought 14 investigators to Church. I felt like the King of Town. It was a good month here in Aparecida, as we ended with 11 baptisms in the month (2 of which were ours) and the month of September is shaping up to be a promising penultimate battle for me.

I´m excited for Friday, when I´ll be in Goiânia with so many of my friends, and as a special treat, on Thursday, we´ll have a few Élders from around the Mission in our house (as you might expect, only the best of the best. Élder Martin, who lived with me and E. Stapler and E. Maxwell. E. Vitorrino, my last comp in Anápolis. E. Challis, and E. Brown, who are from my group on the Mish. This week is gonna rock. All going according to plan, it could be one of the best weeks I´ve had in a long time.

Oh man, I can´t believe it´s already time for the Family Camp-Out at Cougar Lake! Dude, I´ve been out here for a long time, haha. I also can´t believe it´s still snowing up there. I´m gonna die from the cold when I get home. Will Grampa Barney be going this year? If so, send him a big hug from me, okay? I find myself some days all contraried up, y´know. In part, I never want to leave Brasil, because it´s beautiful and wonderous and amazing here, and on the other hand I have the greatest yearning to see my mountains and forests and the ocean again. To feel rain on my face and snow on the ground and see my breath in the cold winter´s air. Can a man live in two places at once?

Man, I know how the Missionaries must have felt. You know that there´s nothing that the missionaries like less than to miss a meal, and when they forget and find out that something went wrong and a lot of food was made for them and that they weren´t there to eat it, you can bet that they generally feel like garbage. I know that I hate hate hate to miss lunch, even when I don´t find it too appetizing, because it´s something that (usually) the sisters have prepared with love as an act of charity towards somebody else´s sons. So don´t be hard on the Elders, as the poor guys probably felt awful about it.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GREEN BEANS!!! As we say down here, "Ecca!" Which means literally, "YUCK!"

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 8/23/10

Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 3:28 PM

We´re working hard to have baptisms every week. The First Presidency seems to be putting a lot of pressure on Brazil to turn over better results. I continue with my goal of 3 a month, but the best would really be 4-5 a month, or one a week. If the Prophet´s putting the heat on us, it must be that the Lord´s putting heat on him. But the funny thing is that honestly, we ARE capable of this. It´s not SO hard to find people who receive baptism here. If we could unite our efforts and conquer our natural men, it would not take long to have a temple here in the MidWest of Brazil. The problem is just that, haha.

Wow, now that he´s been to church a few times, it just lacks the Elders grab him by the neck and chuck him in the waters. Let them know I want to see the photos, haha. Today baptism, tomorrow sealing, and, at the end, a new Quorum Pres.

Thanks for the advice, Dad. I´d say that´s more or less what I´m going through now. I´m struggling against myself to not succumb to the temptation to rest, to sleep in, to give over to the hungers of my body, and having a tough time finding courage to fast in this blazing heat. I have to deal constantly with a rag-tag band of Elders who have desire from "Little" to "None" in terms of baptizing, and who don´t exactly seem to remember that Jesus Christ could be coming any minute now. I don´t have any problems with my companion, but I feel that I´m failing him. I feel that I´m failing my zone, and that I´m failing myself. I suppose that now is really the time that I need to put myself to the pedals and work the rest of myself away.

I´ve been feeling lately like I´ve been erasing myself. I don´t remember any musics I listened to before the mission, and I can´t recall where I left off in TV and books and secular study I´ve absolutely blanked. At first I feared this, that all my talents and learning and likes and ways were slowly fading away. But as I stare into my soul and see that big black stain of sin, I know it´s for the best. As Pres. Hinckley said, if we want to be happy, we need to lose ourselves in the work. And I´d rather lose the man I was, and all that made him, what I liked, and the many things I didn´t like about him, than live forever condemned in the man I was. If I have to take a spiritual pencil and erase myself so that The Lord can start me over from scratch, so be it. I´d rather be a different me and be exalted than be condemned as the man I was.

Thanks Dad, for your example. Thank you for having chosen to be a missionary, and having been faithful on your mission. I never once needed another man to be my example, save Christ, than you. I´m so grateful for you having shown me the way, so that one day, my sons can serve missions as you and I did. Your decision to serve a mission helped me make mine, and serving my mission has helped me, and helps me to be the man I need to be.

Love,

Bryan

Email - 8/23/10

Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 2:49 PM

Man, I miss having a dog in the house. It´s always so much fun when you can play with them and hug them and squeeze them. The only hugs I´ve had for a long time now are from missionaries. I´m sorta starting to miss some things back home. Not that I´m not happy here, but these last few weeks have at times been frought with difficulties at times and with a bit of hastle. Really all this stress would be no problem if I could have just 10 minutes to myself to deal with my OWN problems, but hey, you know how it goes, you only solve your own problems solving first the problems of others.

Recently I´ve been a bit whiny to myself, haha. I´m not sure what the big deal is with me lately. If I´m just getting worn out, or if I´m tired of being a leader in a time when not everybody wants to do what is right, or if I myself am just giving room to the enemy of my soul. I don´t know. There are days when I just want things to be the good old way they were for so much time on my mission. When I want all that fun and union to come back, but some times I think that maybe it´s just MY attitude that´s all wrong.

But I´m just whining a bit much. I am stronger than these little problems, and the ones I can´t solve, The Lord will help me to solve. I have to work on those 6 Christ-like attributes, that´s all.

Dona Maria was baptized this Saturday, and confirmed this Sunday, making her officially the oldest baptism in the history of the mission. Clocking in at a wonderful 103 years of age, Dona Maria managed to walk into the font, and with all the spunk I´ve ever seen, managed to crack a few jokes here and there as I and E. Pimentel helped her in the water. As I said the prayer, and lowered her in, she went with little complaint. Afterward she managed to even joke about how she felt the water (which was kinda cold) was too hot. During the special musical number, where we sang If You Could Hie to Kolob in Portuguese and English, to our surprise, she hummed along, as though she already knew the song, and then told us about how she was seeing three bright lights behind us, and many others in the rest of the room.

It was, to say the least, a very spiritual night. She said in her interview that she saw a man in white sitting by my companion´s side, and at the night´s end, we were told by one of the bretheren, "If not for you two, she would not have been able to receive baptism on this side of the veil."

Wow that´s weird about Darllen. She´s a convert of a friend of mine. No I don´t have a problem with you talking with her. It´s . . . weird, but I mean, she´s a good kid and all that jazz. She basically found out about Facebook one day and went and got lost in the internet universe, you know how all that goes, right? Just don´t putup any naked baby pictures of me, okay?

Yogurt huh? Dude, what I wouldn´t give to eat home-made food again. I´m so tired of the 70% ham and pale sickly white cheese sandwhiches for lunch, or the rice and beans and beans and rice and AGH. I mean, I love the food here, but when it comes to variety, you only have fruit to excite you, because the rest of what´s consumed down here? Ayayaya. But yeah.

This week was an excellent week for us. I hope this week that´s starting is as promising as this one. Love you all and take care,

Bryan.

Email - 8/16/10

Sent: Monday, August 16, 2010 2:42 PM

NOSSA. 4 am!? That´s no good. I would never, ever, ever want to get up at that time. That´s the kind of hour of the day that really breaks a guy. Our dog is crazy, huh? Does he still sleep in his crate, or does he have a cushion to sleep on.
We´re gonna baptize the oldest woman in church history!!! WOOHOO!!! She went to church this Sunday and loved it so much that she even DANCED to the HYMNS! Dude, you have to see this lady, mom; She´s absolutely a riot. I die from laughter every time we teach here. Crazy old coot, but I love her. We asked her, "Dona Maria, how long ago were you born?" "Dunno, my son, musta been a million years ago." I love it.
I don´t even know who this kid is. The name Mobley looks familiar, but I really don´t know who he is. But I´m glad to know I broke the 6-year curse that hung over our ward for sending missionaries. And the best part is that while these poor little kids are all suffering and knocking on doors, I´ll be dating and living the good life. Suckers, hahaha.

Oh, I´ve decided. I want a really big, really sour green apple when I come home. And apple cider, nice and hot. And jam. And hot home made bread with butter and honey. And I dunno, some kind of delicious meat and vegetable and dunno what else.


Gotta split. Pray for us, please. Pray that we don´t cede to temptation, that our investigators harken unto our words, and the words of the Spirit. Pray for my companion, his grandmother passed away. Pray for us, we´re praying for you.

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 8/10/10

Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 11:37 AM

Would you believe me if I told you that, even looking at that picture, I have no idea where you are? I guess it m ust make part of the Daffodil Parade, probably in Orting. But I dunno. OH NO THE GIRL AT THE COMP BESIDE ME IS TRYING TO SING IN ENGLISH. HAHAHAHAHA. IT B URNS MY EARS. ITS NIRVANA THAT SHE´S TRYING TO SING.

Sorry.

Would you believe me if I told you that I´v e been eating rice and beans for two years, and the only things I want to eat when I come home are mexican food or asian food, which contain rice and beans? Funny how, you change to the point where you can´t see past this. I dunno how I´ll live without Goianian food. There are so many things I have been eating here for so much time in my life that I don´t even know how I will be able to survive without Them. Guarana, Açai, Acerola, Maracuja, Churrasco, I canpt even begin to think about it, haha.

I´ve been thinking a lot these days about what I´d like to talk about when I get home. I forget, will be speaking the Sunday I come back, or only to the youth in November? Does the Bishopric have a request, or am I free to choose the topic? If free to choose the topic, I don´t know. I know that I´d love to talk a little about less-active members, and I´d like to talk about the Atonement, but whatever they want me to talk about, I can spin it my way, if they have some assignment or another.

We´re planning an activity here in our Ward, maybe on my Birthday, to have Fireside, and a baptism, with music, and singing, and it´s still rather vague, but we´ve been practicing the hymn already. We´re thinking on singing "Oh How Lovely Was the Morning" To the Tune of "Come Thou Fount" and "If You Could Hie to Kolob" In English and Portuguese. It´s really turning out pretty well I think.

There are days when I feel sort of tired, being a leader in the church. There are times when It´s taxing to have to help so many along, when it feels like a burden, because no one, not even myself, seems capable of doing the smallest things that I ask, or that the Lord requires of us. At times I look around me and feel like the whole boat is sinking and I haven´t the slightest idea how to make it stop. But I guess that is, in part the point. I´m not the one who will make it stop. Who makes it stop is the Lord, and I need to trust more in him, and be more worthy of His trust. Nevertheless, there are days when I wonder how The Prophet and the Apostles handle it all. Because it´s no easy thing, saving the souls of the children of men. It´s not easy to save, in or out of the church. Oh what I would give if I could just take some of the weight off my shoulders, but then, at times I don´t even know if I´ve faith enough to let the Lord shoulder my burdens. It´s funny. You can preach, preach, preach about how the atonement heals. You can use it to heal the lives of others. But when it comes time to heal your own life with it, that´s where the difficulty comes.

I suppose that maybe I´m just impatient, who knows?

Gotta split.

Love,

Bryan

PS

Had to take out R$ because I needed to clean my suit, and while it only cost some 23, the stupid bank machine only let me take out 50. But meh.

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

Email - 8/2/10

Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 1:50 PM

Yeah, there are a lot of things these days that are requiring a lot of getting used to. For example, we had a surprise, mission-wide transfer on Thursday. E. Clark is in Uberlandia with E. Maxwell now, and my 20th companion is E. Pimentel! The whole of our mission is changing, and not always for the better. Not that the changes coming from our leaders happen to be wrong, or bad, but there are changes happening amongst the missionaries as well. I feel some days like the Apostles must have felt when the Apostasy began. Sometimes I see missionaries I never would have believed to be capable of doing the wrong are the first to rise up and do it. Some days I see fights between missionaries, and all too often I hear one or another speak ill of the other. The worst is when I find myself less than I know I can be. I love this mission and these missionaries, but sometimes, I don´t even know how to handle my own personal weaknesses, let alone the problems created by others!

But I suppose that´s where faith comes in, isn´t it? All things are in the Lord´s hands. And I know He can and will cure us of this sickness, as He in times of old cured me of my sicknesses. I longed with a great longing to participate in this work, and I have never been so happy and felt so rewarded as I have in this last year and 9 months, but I must admit, I´ve seen eanough things on the mission to really change who I am. I left home with one vision, exceedingly narrow, of the universe. Now I see another, and perhaps I find it a bit too broad some days.

But I´m just whining, really. What have I to complain of? Everyday I work to better the lives and eternities of the people around me. I have the support of generations long gone and yet to come behind me. The Lord walks at my side when I am righteous, and corrects me powerfully when I am wrong. It´s not that the Lord prohibits me from error, but rather that He watches me so that, when I´m erring, I don´t go too far. How humbling it is to represent the Lord, and have absolute perfection as the standard of excellence! Even when I´m doing my best, I never come so close to Him, yet even when I´m doing wrong, He, by the grace of His Atonement, never lets me go too far.

Love you all, and am doing well. Hope I´m bringing honor to the family name. Never have I had a time in my life so full as this. Some days I wish I could have you all here, seeing me. Other days I´d really rather not, haaha. I guess you wouldn´t understand the most part anyway, as it´s all in portuguese.

Gotta split, much to do still tonight.

Love,

Bryan

Another Email - 7/27/10

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 12:50 PM

Well it´s good to know you´re working hard, huh? Saturday we built a park as part of the Helping Hands project. It was a lot of fun, though it sort of ate our day and work time to pieces. I´m looking at these shots and the shots from last week, and the only people I recognize are you, Br. Van Duyn, and Br. Palmer. I won´t even know anyone back home when I get their. I´ll have to do like Abraham, seek the fathers´ blessings, and then head off to a promised land, hahah.

Well I don´t know much about Enoch, our about Zion, but I know that on the Mission what´s mine is yours, MORE OR LESS. There are some things which remain absolutely mine and absolutely yours. For example. My bed. My garments. My scriptures. My clothes. My CDs. But Our food. Our room. Our ties. Our teaching supplies. Our baptisms. Our money. Our dishsoap. Our dirty dishes.

I also know that as a missionary, our vision is the following: As many people as come into Zion, the better. But as soon as they come into Zion, we´re going to do everything to make them feel like they never want to leave again. And as many people as leave Zion, we´re willing to do anything to make them come home again. Economics have never really been something to us, I guess. I suppose the vision my leaders are giving me is more of winning a war, and the one yours are giving you are more geared toward living a lifestyle.

At times I feel almost hypocritical. I want to bring souls to Christ so much I really come to hunger and thirst for it. It becomes almost a drug to me, to see people´s lives be saved, and the more I do it, the more I want. But other days I see members commit the greatest attrocity and abomination and insanity and apostasy in Zion that I´d love to be the first to grab them by the shirt and throw them out the front gate. But I dunno. It´s often been my nature to follow Christ in the hour he overturned all those tables in the temple, instead of when he said come unto me, ALL ye ends of the earth.

But on the Mission we often say one to another the following, in response to a "Elder, can I use this?" "Elder, you don´t even need to ask. Didn´t we make a covenant in the Temple to do this?" Many are the times I can remember that my mind has been pointed to the Temple. We ought always seek to live what we promised before God in His House.

It´s only fair to seek riches. Jacob said that you could. But Christ reminds us that before we seek after these things on this earth, we ought to seek His Kingdom. So for me, I´ll worry about money as a priority only AFTER I know, with all certainty, that my wife and I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise to exaltation for all eternity.

Gotta run, love lots,

Bryan.

PS.

Congrats on 30 years of marriage! Here´s to 30 times 30 times 30 more!!!

Email - 7/27/10

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 12:35 PM

The July-Fest, as it roughly translates, was pretty great. I´ll have to show you the videos some day. Our ward´s youth really put their best into it and it came out really well. As for what we ate, we ate canjica, which is a kind of corn drink with hominy corn in the midst, corn cake, popcorn, and corn on the cob, with the usual Goianinho, or Little Goian Guarana. The funny part was seeing who didn´t dance, but came dressed in their costume anyway. Our friend, Wislene, came dressed up looking especially hill-billy. Elder Clark and I were sure to tease, haha.

50 years is actually a sign of really slow progress, if you think about it, since in 50 years we only have managed 2 stakes, while in other places in Brazil, we manage to put together stakes in a matter of 5-10 years at the most. There is a lot of apostasy for us to fight, in and out of the Church, but Christ is at the helm, so one day, even if it be the very Last, there will be a temple here.

We baptized Janaina this week! It was a very well attended baptismal service, and it was a beautiful way to end the week. We held the baptism at sun-set, and we had reps from the Bishopric and Ref-Soc as well. E. Clark and I sang in English, Be Still My Soul, which always gives that extra ZEST to a baptism. The kids love it, haha. It was really rewarding for us, this baptism. Janaina is a wonderful person, and through her baptism her boyfriend has started to come back to church, and the two of them are great people. It´s funny, when E. Clark and I went there, I always felt like I was back home with my friends.

Sunday we had a big deal happen in our ward, too, as Wislene got her mission call! Wislene is a recent-convert of about 2 years now, who was baptized by E. Viera, one of the APs a few months back. To make a long story short, she´s a young woman whose testimony has grown greatly, and who has been a great help to us here in the ward, always showing us people she knew, and fellowshipping the people we teach. E. Clark and I met her a few months back (Re: LAST YEAR) when she served a small-time mission. She had to overcome literal opposition from the Bishop, who happened to be of that "Women shouldn´t serve missions" attitude, but finally got her call to serve in São Paulo.

Today we had a Zone activity, which was awesome. We played volleyball and had a barbecue. I continue to suck at all physical activities.

So we went off to the waterfalls last week, me, E. Clark, and a few of the youths of the ward, and it was absolutely beautiful. A tiny bit less safe than I´d imagined, as we walked basically INSIDE the fall, but it was a lot of fun. I´ll send the pics next week. I totally biffed and forgot them at home.
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It´s always nice to have someone taking specific care of the lunches. Usually, things go great here. This week we got some more or less bad luck. Sunday a less-active sister was to give it, though she seems to have disappeared. Monday the family who gives every Monday unmarked with us, though the Ref. Soc forgot to notify us. Tuesday there is no lunch, as it´s Preparation Day. Wednesday we´ll be receiving money. Thursday, too. Friday nobody marked, so we´ll have to schedule, and I believe Saturday might be money, too.

But I don´t complain. I´ve already been in situations WAAAAAAY tighter than this one. Remind me one
day to tell you about when I ate lunch made by a recent-convert´s brother´s BOYfriend. That was awkward.

This week I so didn´t get even a 4th of my studies done. I dunno how I´m going to study all my books before the end of the mission. There´s so much to do and see and read and think and write and register that really, I have no idea how I´ll pull it off.


Gotta get going, I need to write Dad soon, and sorry for not sending letters last week. I had no time as we got home really late from the waterfall.

Love,

Bryan