Monday, Sept 2nd

My companion is good. He is Brazilian. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out but I am just grateful that he follows the rules and has a desire to serve. Communication is rough at times but I just shrug my shoulders and laugh. 

The houses are way different here. I am in the city. If you want to look it up on google, it is called Nova Esperanca, Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Nova Esperanca is the neighborhood, Goiania is the city, Goias is the state, and Brazil. They have streets and within the streets they have Quadras and then they have lots. There is no space between each house, just a concrete wall.  Everything is concrete. I will try to take pictures and show you. 

This week we had lunch in a different city and it was so nice to get out of. Brazil is pretty but I think our Colorado Rocky Mtns still win!  Then again, I haven't seen a whole lot of Brazil yet. 

This week I had cool experience. I was really down about the language and thinking about how I am not effective because I can't share very in depth doctrine or answer questions well and stuff like that. I was thinking about how much better it would be to serve in an English speaking mission and that I could jump right in.  I was pretty sad. I was happy to be here, but just really down. Then a half hour later, we were knocking doors and some guy sitting on the street started talking to me. They were easy questions and I was able to respond. He asked me how long I had been studying Portuguese and I replied (2 months). Then he held up 10 fingers and said "I have been studying English for 10 years". And that he was waiting for a really long time to be able to speak to someone in English. I was so happy!!! I taught him the first lesson in English and it felt so good! He believed everything I taught him. I don't know if he will be baptized or not. Right now he has a tough time praying but I was so happy that God loves me so much and blessed me with that miracle. 

Because of that, I have a greater desire to learn Portuguese, I am more patient, and I know that eventually I will be able to say everything I want to say to my future investigators. 

So the biggest thing I have learned so far is patience. And that I need to work hard now with the knowledge that I do have. I know that my vocab will increase over time and it will get better. But I am living in the now and I will try to utilize every minute I have. 

That is cool to hear you had a Brazillian over the other night! Learn some Portuguese from her so we will be able to talk when I get home!

Thanks for sending mail! I am excited to receive it!  

I love all very much! Thanks for being awesome and supporting me! 

Elder Wild

August 26, 2013

Hello family!

This week was way awesome! Very hard, but awesome. The greatest thing I learned was patience. It is very hard to just sit in a lesson and not say a lot, but I know that my time will come when I will be able to speak more in the lessons. Other Americans said that they were silent the first 2 months of their mission. I am able to talk to people in the streets, get their contact information, etc.  My companion and I go on opposite sides of the street and get more doors knocked in less time. He trusts me to talk to people! It is really cool when people let me in and I get to turn around and call my companion over and we get to go teach. Such a cool feeling!! 

Lessons I am teaching a week... not sure the exact number, but around 6 a day. About 4 of those are just from knocking doors, and the other are for investigators or less actives. It changes every day but I am always staying busy and working as hard as I can. 

This week we had 9 investigators come to church! It was really awesome! The only problem is that many families have been together for many years, and have kids, yet they are not married. It is expensive to get married in Brazil so people just don't. When we teach them about the law of chastity, they agree to get married, but it is always delayed because in Brazil, you have to wait one month to get married. Right now we need 3 weddings to happen. 

This week we went to a members house for lunch, who lives 1 hour walk away, but it was way worth it. They are the coolest family, and the mom and dad were baptized a little less than a year ago. They have two little kids that are super cool and fun to play with. I have learned it is easiest to talk to babies cause we can talk to and understand each other. haha. 

But anyway, it gave me inspiration to work hard to find families to teach.  I want to see families be together forever cause they have to gospel in their life. The dad of the family has the Melchizedek priesthood and he is such a cool guy. 

I am eating fine. It is a bit different here. I eat once a day, but it is a very big meal. It is rice, beans, some kind of meat, and normally a salad of some sort. I like it very much! The other day some member paid for us to go to a bbq. That was amazing! I really like the food here and I haven't gotten sick yet... knock on wood. 

I dont have a lot of time left, but I love seeing the miracles of the mission. The other day we gave a blessing to a girl that has bad depression. We gave her a blessing of comfort and I could just feel the priesthood power working! Such a good feeling! 

I love you a lot and I hope you have a wonderful week!!  Thanks for working hard for me to be here!

I know that you love me too! I got your letter this week about Brady's stories! Pretty cool and very inspiring!  We only get mail once a month. So it really is snail mail... hahaha 

Love you all!

Elder Wild