Ok so some pictures – they are pretty self explanatory - one of Zone Conference, one of our baptisms and one of the bat that we killed... He attacked us and we fought him for a good hour until we tired him out and hit him out of the air with a broom and then captured him in a coke bottle... That was an adventure... My comp said it was the most scared he has been in his whole mission. He was screaming so much and so loud. I was laughing the whole time, but we got him. ... and then my comp made us go put him in a completely different neighborhood because he was sure he would return and kill us. Ele via voltar e nos mata cara haha. It was so funny.

November 25, 2009

Hey Family,

Thanks for the e mail and voice messages. I loved them. I wish Monty would of been happier about talkin to me, ha. The lift looks so nice... it sounds like it’s almost fun to change the oil now... now that I’m not there to climb under the cars! Ok my bitterness is out now. So this week we had a couple baptisms fall, which always stinks, but this week we should have two or 3 so I’m excited for that. Thanksgiving is tomorrow right? I guess I won’t know until next week but we’re gonna go to dinner tomorrow for it. My comp can’t believe you guys would do that for us . So thanks... seriously thanks.

This week was the first time in my life I have literally scrounged around for coins (we both did) until we had enough to buy a little bit of bread and some mango pulp;;;; I felt like a homeless person. Multiple times I have eaten just bread. But I like bread.

Oh man, so Brenna also said I have an accent. It’s crazy right now. I’m just starting to be able to actually communicate kinda well, but not the best yet and my English has just takin a beating... When I speak English I always use Port phrases and spelling has just gone out the window. I’m sure you guys know that though. But it’s funny - all part of the experience. At first I was so excited to go learn a new language but there were multiple times on my mission I have just wished I went in the states, but it’s good. And it’s only getting better so I'm glad.

This week ill try and take the voice recorder and have some of our new baptisms talk to you guys too. I’m sure they would love that and I’m sure you guys would too. Their parents are still working on the marriage. It will prob be a couple months at the earliest. They have to get a birth certificate and stuff first. They don’t even know what year they were born and one has to get a divorce first. Then she can marry the guy she lives with... it’s ridiculous. I wish you guys could understand the Bahia culture. It’s unlike anything I had ever heard of... so so lazy people and they just don’t care about anything. Anything that’s any work at all - like getting married - they just don’t do cause its easier not to. Ha.

As for transfers, There’s almost a 100 percent chance I'll stay, and for sure I'll get a new comp so that will be exciting. I'll tell you all about it next week!

I hope the craft fair goes good for you Mom, and for the Hillmans too. Tell them hi for me and tell Sister Nalder thanks for all of her letters and Zach’s e mails. I love them. Can I e mail him or something? I haven’t got to talk to him this whole time.

Anyways’ love you guys. Justin, don’t be a bum. Write your brother! Oh and when I was in Seipp's class, it was just a regular - I think even dumbed down - English class. We didn’t write a book, or even read a book for that matter - at least I didn't. Ha. Good luck bro. I love you. Be good and study the scriptures. It’s not fun starting from scratch, but Pres challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon by Christmas, and so I started over and am making good progress. I should make it and I’m doing it all in Portuguese and actually understand most of it... Crazy huh? Ok take care. As for Christmas, I’m not exactly sure what will happen, but I think the day before I will call you guys and tell you where and when to call me. If I hear anything else, I’ll let ya know.

Loves

November 18, 2009

Hey family,

Thanks for the message (recorded message). I was able to listen to it but I just listened on the computer. So first off I already talked to Elder Weaver about biking and his accident and everything. He is really cool and I’m pretty sure he is going to be training next transfer. I’m excited for him because he is a really good guy and good missionary.

Mom I’m glad your class went well and I’m sure the Wagstaff pics are great. I’m sure Monkey is keeping you busy; I’d sure like to see him dancing, but I don’t know if a video would really work over e mail. Dad that’s cool the car lift is in and going. That should help a lot with the tire changing and stuff.

This week we baptized another 7 kids. All are family and friends with the last weeks 6. They’re all so excited. I have a picture and I brought my camera... but I forgot the battery isn’t in it. It’s at home charging! Oops - next week. But it was a really nice baptism.

I love you all so much I’m kinda pressed for time this week so sorry it’s short but I sent you another voice recording. I’ll ask Pres about the (Hepatitis booster) shot tomorrow at zone conference. I don’t know how to open the voice file on my recorder. And I’ll back up my photos. Maybe next week I can. Love you.

Take care.



(Tim also sent us a voice mail message. Here is a transcription:)

Hey Family,

It’s Elder Anderson. It’s P-Day morning and I remembered last week I think you guys requested some Portuguese. It’s pretty weird just speaking Portuguese to nobody, and speaking when people don’t understand but, I’ll just bear my testimony or something. So Here we go. (He speaks for a while in Portuguese.) So, there you have it – a little Portuguese.

This week was pretty good. We went and we baptized 7 more youth on that street. It was really cool. The same are all related and friends with the 6 kids we baptized last week. It was real neat. The families were there again. We started working on the marriage of the parents so they can get baptized. And They’re super excited. The family’s the best. Every time we go all the kids run and they hug us and then the parents always cook us dinner before we leave. She says “Oh I can imagine how hard it is serving a mission like this and not having so much money.” So she always cooks us dinner. It’s always really good. She’s always trying to give us money, give us crackers, give us food. They’re really cool, they know the Church is true. They’ve looked at a lot of different churches, and she always just says things about how they don’t have the full truth and how she knows this is the only church that has the full truth. She knows the Book of Mormon’s true. She said her husband – he’s always has wanted to find a church but he’s been real hesitant because all the other churches here are just for money. The pastors just want money. In fact one of the biggest churches here – the owner just got arrested for smuggling tons of money from the church. So he never felt good in a church, and she said the first time he ever witnessed a baptism or even went into a church was with our church. And she said she knew that was a blessing from God. It’s just been real neat. They’re a real cool family. So we baptized all them and confirmed them. And, just been working. It’s been good. I hope everything’s been going good with you guys. Talk to you later.

??? Amo o ??? (I love you in Brazilian? Maybe?) Tchau. (Spelling?)

These photos courtesy of Brenna. Thanks Brenna!

November 11, 2009

Hey family how’s it going? Things are going well here. Zone conference got moved to the 19th so President came and did interviews yesterday. That was fun. He took us out to lunch and ice cream after. I did get my packages and letters so thanks so much.

I bet the car lift has been a project but that will be really neat when it’s all said and done. Mom sounds like your picture class is going well.

Okay I don’t have too much time but this week we baptized and confirmed those 6 young men, and they still call me Dad ha. And there families came. There were 16 people there to watch and none were members so that was sad but it was so cool. And the best part was that all 16 - yes 16 people - all went home in ONE car hahaha - a little 4 seater 2 door car - 16 grown people! I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought it was physically impossible but I was wrong! But these families are so great; they know it’s the true church. The parents are all working on getting married so they can get baptized but it’s not so easy to get married here because these people don’t even know when they wore born. Seriously they have no idea. They don’t have birth certificates or anything, so it’s hard but we’re working with them. They said one time they took a class about how our church is about the devil and it taught so many bad things, but yesterday she said “but no, I just know that that is Satan working against OUR church because it’s the one true church with the priesthood - and a prophet.”

Here are some really, really basic things I have learned about the church that we teach that I had just never thought about. 1) This is the exact church that Jesus Christ started when he was on the earth. If a church doesn’t have a prophet at it’s head, as was Jesus Cristo in that time, and 12 apostles and the priesthood... then it’s not the church of Jesus Cristo. It’s that simple.

So yeah I love you guys and miss you. I’ll try and send the voice clip now. Love you. Chow.

November 4, 2009

Hey family,

This week went really well... except our baptisms fell... but this week we have been teaching two families and so many young men, and they all loved the church so much. But the parents aren’t legally married so we’re working on getting that done but this week we will baptize all the young men we have been teaching. I think we will have 7 or 8 maybe. Six young men one young lady and a 40 year old woman we have been teaching too. These kids are so funny and cool. When they see us walking into there neighborhood they all run grab there Book of Mormons and run to the house were we teach. It’s funny. One of them told me I look just like his dad before his dad died... but the kid is black as night so I don’t know where he is getting that I look like him, ha but now he just calls me Dad. He is funny.

That’s cool about the lathe, those dang chips... its a constant battle never ending. I’m glad trunk or treat went well... no one does anything for celebrating here; they just don’t work... these people look for any reason not to work they’re so lazy ha. But I want pics of everyone’s costumes and especially of monster’s (Monty’s). The turkey shoot should be fun .. I don’t know though because every year something else came up and I missed it ha but anyways should be fun. Does Justin get to go? He probably has something else going on too... but its not like he can hit anything anyways :) ha. Yes mom I wash my clothes and I make my bed every day... right before I go to bed. Because there is no way in the world I’m gonna let my body touch that mattress. It’s bad. I’m glad your camera class is going well. and I’m glad Monty is being trouble for Kimbo and Jared but I’d rather have a happy baby than a crying one. I wanna play with him so bad. I always get in trouble at church too cause all the kids sit by me and draw in my planner and stuff and they aren’t so quiet and people always give me dirty looks ha, but their parents love me at least.

My companion is teaching me to think like a senior comp which is good. I’m really starting to really care about the people we are teaching. Like I think of them before I think about anything else. It’s been really good. I love my comp; he is my brother. I think he will go to school in the U.S. I hope so. You guys would love him too. He told me the conversion story of his family. He was baptized at age 10, but his parents weren’t. But he got to baptize his mom about 2 years before his mission and his dad about 5 months before he left on his mission. They are both doing so well he said. He and his mom went through the temple for their first times together. I thought that was neat. But yeah everything is going well. I’ll reply to your questions e mail now. Ha you guys make me laugh. your engineer e mails... numbered and everything ha.

Love you all. Take care.