The softening filter of experience - Ponte Nova

well, this week was yet just another great week in the world of a missionary. pretty awesome life to be honest. i never know how to start these emails so i'm sorry that that is the best start i've got. i'll try to come up with a funny joke next time or something!

so, this week we ate something else pretty weird. it's become normal is the bad news. i really hope i like good food still when i get home. anyway, this stuff is called canjica. also known as corn soup with roasted peanuts and cinnamon rice soup stuff put together. it's good except for the texture of half hard half soft corn and peanuts that kind of have the texture of vomit coming back up. hence, we call it vomit soup. it's not bad once you get used to it.

we had another rat hunt this week! that was awesome! (see attached picture and possible video if it goes thru.) this rat was a bit smaller but definitely bigger than we needed in our house so we had to dispose. the only bad news is that this one bled a bit which was kinda gross. don't worry tho...we have yet to get to the savage level of things and start eating our kills. =)

i met the second oldest man in my life this week. it's just crazy how it was within a week of meeting the guy from noah's ark! anyway this guy is 130 years old and has 46 kids. but don't worry he only has 3 grandkids. the weird part is this guy was not inebriated. just a little crazy. always good for a good laugh tho. i'm still searching for where the magnet is on my body that attracts crazy people and drunks.

i also learned a valuable lesson of naming your children. we are working to marry an awesome couple named neide and milton who are in their mid 60's and are just like our grandma and grandpa. this week neide told us about where her name comes from. so i guess when she was born her mom had the name neide picked out already and everything was ready to go. well, in brasil, you have to register your kids after birth in the cartorio or in other words the city hall basically. so neide's, then brand new dad, took neide to the nearest city, since they lived in the country, to get registered. unfortunately, on the way he got a little sidetracked and became drunk that night and lost the paper with the childs name on it. he proceeded to the city hall with the child the next morning after having a great hangover and when asked the name of the child he couldn't remember so he responded with the name that came to mind of antonia. knowing the mother of the child was illiterate, he brought home the certificate and all was well with the new family of the child named "neide" supposedly. imagine the surprise when 5 years later the literate cousins came to town and found the childs name was antonia. but it was too late - the name had already stuck. moral of the story: don't name your child under the influence. your wife will not be happy.

so this week was fast sunday and we had a great meeting including an amazing testimony by james, the 8 year old kid who was baptized 3 months ago. he got up and in the best way an 8 year old can, he said "im so grateful to be here because my life used to be trash, but since the missionaries taught me i am clean and i am happy all the time!" wow! how simpler could it have been put! now the great lesson learned... james lives an hour and a half walking distance from the church. his parents are non members. his usual ride to church is in the district presidency who was out of town that week so james, being the great example he is, called himself a taxi and got to church sunday on his own. i almost cried seeing james get out of the taxi and pay for it himself and proceed to walk into the chapel scriptures in hand and wearing a giant smile! what an example! what a sacrifice for james to make. the sacrifice of an 8 year old was extremely touching! reminded me of abraham and issac. what a great story of sacrifice. made me ask the question to myself that i think all of us should ask frequently... am i willing to make a sacrifice to do what is right?

i've learned recently that reading the book of mormon or other books of the church is not just a "fill the bucket" technique of learning. it's not just to fill our mind with the knowledge but rather it lights the fire to just want to learn and learn and learn! i find myself with a never ending list of things i want to know and want to study. the book of mormon is incredible! and there is a whole world of knowledge out there to be gathered and once you get it, there will be more!

i also have become very familiar with the idea that our heavenly father loves us and knows us extremely well. i do have bad news with this information and knowledge i've gathered. bad news first: i regret to inform the human race that this life will be difficult. now the "great news": the gospel of jesus christ is here to stay! there is always help waiting for you if you find yourself in a rut. there is always a way to escape your pains! there is a way out physically and mentally for you to know this. first mentally. 1 cor 10:13 he will never give us more than we can handle. 1 nephi 3:7 there is a way prepared and d&c 84:88 he will send his angels round about you to help! what a great mental pacifier! now for the physical help sent to you. often times we hear the phrase "get a grip" in our world today and i would like to pass on the advice. get a grip on the iron rod. get a grip on your scriptures. they are proof that god loves you! it's interesting to me that in lehi's vision everyone is overcome by the dark mist of satan but those with a good grip on the rod will not be lost! our life has a purpose. the lessons you learn now are learned for your future opportunity. i know that christ is our life line and that he is always waiting - arms opened for us. i know that he is the only begotten of our father in heaven who loves us. he came from his celestial mansion to the telestial world to save us! what a sacrifice for him and what a great sacrifice that he gave for us! i know that jospeh smith was a prophet of god and that heavenly father and jesus christ appeared to him responding to a simple simple question of where the truth was. i know heavenly father still responds to our prayers today. i know the book of mormon is proof of gods love. i know that i am a small part in the work and glory of god. i know the truth is being spread in this dispensation that joseph smith restored and that it is not a lie. he did not die a liar. i know thomas s monson loves us and is the prophet today who speaks as the mouthpiece of god. i know this church is true and is being directed by the will of the lord and that the fight is started and the truth is spreading and changing lives everywhere. i know the fight will be won by the courageous! be on that side, i urge all of you!

i love this work and i will continue to live this gospel because i know it is the true path of eternal happiness! i love you all and i am so happy to have the family i have and the support team i do! i hope and pray that we all can have the courage to always do what is right and never give up! until next wonderful wednesday!

Elder Excell

ps. write me! =)