well, as the subject of this email has indicated clearly enough...i have been transferred to a new area called alvorado. it is right in the heart of belo horizonte and seems like a great area. i have heard great rumors that the ward here and the members are awesome and the work will be awesome!
my new companion is from brazil! i have officially gotten my first brazilian companion which will be awesome. this is actually his last transfer on the mission so it will be good to end it together!
the last week has been a great, sad, and sometimes painful week. last thursday after a great pday of just rest and letters, the day before i got a little sick. now before you freak out mom it wasn't that bad...i just got super dizzy and ran a bit of a quick fever so thursday afternoon, after staying out in the street working as long as my equilibrium would let me, i began to get super dizzy so we went back to the house and i crashed for a good hour or two under direction from elder mcguire. i'm not gonna lie, it was weird. as hard as the life in the streets is working... being in the house drove me nuts. i couldn't take it. needless to say two hours later we were back to full power (or at least we pretended) and went to work.
this weekend we walked past my first witch doctors house doing voo doo. it was crazy and i hated it to be honest. i walked past and immediately just got sick in my stomach and had that feeling that said get the heck out of there. so we walked past a little faster than normal. it was always a cool dream of mine to say that i was in a witch doctors house and had to cast out some devils but now i find myself hoping that i never have to get close to it ever again. eck!
this weekend we met a cool kid named caiu and he´s 15 years old. we marked a date with him but then his dad prohibited him from going to church. it was ridiculous. i also broke a fingernail clean off in his house so i bled everywhere. i didn't want him to know tho so i just clenched my hand into a fist and then when we left i showed mcguire and he about died laughing. he said it made alot more sense why i was clenching my fists during the joseph smith story and only using one hand to open my bible! hahaha good story!
this week has also been a bit depressing for more reasons than one. first off, i will miss neide and miltons long awaited wedding. but i have been informed that i will be receiving a good amount of pictures from the wedding! also i had to say good bye to ponte nova. yes, the tears came and sometimes... they didn't leave the eyes but they definitely filled them. as far as i am aware that means i can keep hold of my man card. it was great to look back tho and think of the work that i accomplished and the opportunities that i was blessed to have in the beloved city of ponte nova. it was also really sad to say tchau to elder mcguire. he was a great comp and we had some great times. but it's ok, because just like all stories...one day, over the rainbow, not so far away exists more stories to be written.
i learned a good lesson from maria this week, the one that we baptized a couple weeks back. she told me that it wouldn't be long until we met again. and it was more than just an old lady comment. she knew what she meant when she said that. she knew this would most likely be the last earthly visit we would have but she still said it. what a great testimony of the plan of salvation. how great it is that in all our goodbyes there is a soft whisper of a see you later always!
anyway, my time is running short due to transfers but i hope this week brings a great week to all. and if you want a bit of reading to do read helaman 2:13 and see what the difference can be between a person full of iniquity and a person righteous like captain moroni in alma 48:17. be a captain moroni. the effect you have on humanity for eternities to come is at stake!
i love you all and i hope to hear from you more often. being closer to the city means more accessibility to letters....just saying! ;) thank you to all those who have written and i hope some sort of something has arrived in your mailbox somehow brightening a day a little! i love you all! until we meet again....
elder excell
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Q&A - August 25, 2010
1. Where are you??? Have you been transferred???
i have been transferred and i am now in the area called alvorado which is in the city of belo horizonte. dad, the address to our house: rua 4 #45, bairro sarandi. that should be good enough to at least pull it up on google and see. there is an airport just south of us just for a landmark.
2. If so, who is your new companion? Where is he from?
my new companion is elder maia and he is from here in brazil. he is from the state of ceerá and the city of forteleza. they are getting a temple right now actually.
3. If so, how are you feeling about the transfer so far?
after 2 hours, all seems to be well and it'll be nice to actually learn some portuguese. i have a feeling i am gonna start to just lose my english completely tho...
4. Did you decide how we should handle getting the pictures from your camera card? Is the cable still acting up?
i think i am just gonna keep going for a while with it. this particular lan house doesn't have a modem to hook into accessible so i will try next week and go from there!
5. Have you had the opportunity to play the piano very much?
yes and no...in ponte nova, i always accompanied the hymns in sacrament and played prelude and postlude when possible so i have been able to play a bit...all you young pre-missionaries...keep playing...you'll appreciate it later!
6. What was the worst thing that happened to you this week?
i was transferred. i will miss neide and miltons wedding which tears me up inside but also i had to say goodbye to a lot of people i love. when you guys come get me...you can be sure ponte nova is on the list of stops.
7. What was the best thing that happened to you this week?
i was transferred...it's always nice to just start over sometimes. to recapture the fire you need to be better and continue to grow. it will be a tough transfer but the lord often times brings us low so that he can raise us up!
8. Do you have questions for us? maybe....well see if you get an email...i think i can come up with some! (No email came so no questions for us...)
i have been transferred and i am now in the area called alvorado which is in the city of belo horizonte. dad, the address to our house: rua 4 #45, bairro sarandi. that should be good enough to at least pull it up on google and see. there is an airport just south of us just for a landmark.
2. If so, who is your new companion? Where is he from?
my new companion is elder maia and he is from here in brazil. he is from the state of ceerá and the city of forteleza. they are getting a temple right now actually.
3. If so, how are you feeling about the transfer so far?
after 2 hours, all seems to be well and it'll be nice to actually learn some portuguese. i have a feeling i am gonna start to just lose my english completely tho...
4. Did you decide how we should handle getting the pictures from your camera card? Is the cable still acting up?
i think i am just gonna keep going for a while with it. this particular lan house doesn't have a modem to hook into accessible so i will try next week and go from there!
5. Have you had the opportunity to play the piano very much?
yes and no...in ponte nova, i always accompanied the hymns in sacrament and played prelude and postlude when possible so i have been able to play a bit...all you young pre-missionaries...keep playing...you'll appreciate it later!
6. What was the worst thing that happened to you this week?
i was transferred. i will miss neide and miltons wedding which tears me up inside but also i had to say goodbye to a lot of people i love. when you guys come get me...you can be sure ponte nova is on the list of stops.
7. What was the best thing that happened to you this week?
i was transferred...it's always nice to just start over sometimes. to recapture the fire you need to be better and continue to grow. it will be a tough transfer but the lord often times brings us low so that he can raise us up!
8. Do you have questions for us? maybe....well see if you get an email...i think i can come up with some! (No email came so no questions for us...)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
ultima semana no ponte nova?...pode ser (or in Google Translator: last week at the new bridge? can be ...)
wow! another week dead and gone and never to be relived again. it's always funny to sit here and write about the week and just look back at it and wonder how you made it through or how it went so fast. this week was a great week.
last thursday, after doing some last minute shopping before heading back home, i left the keys with elder mcguire and he locked the door and we were off. upon returning, the door would not open at all. the key would not fit at all. after trying everything, and i mean everything from cards to toothpicks to knifes, the door was shut and we were on the porch with all the groceries still. after calling around and realizing that all the locksmiths were closed, we set off to go sleep in the chapel but we finally found one locksmith open 24 hours. 2 and a half minutes later and 50 bucks poorer we were in the house. needless to say i won't be leaving the keys with mcguire anymore! =) that made the first time and the last time he's locking the door! jk!
the weekend was a great one and had quite a bit of success. the work still seems to me to be going slow but i know that i am trying as hard as i can! i figure after you do all you can and you still see nothing...there's more to be done.
this weekend, there was a big giant bike rally in ponte nova, and mom, you can officially let me go to sturgis now. i've seen it all. it was pretty sweet to walk past the park and hear some great 70s 80s and 90s rock and roll...and yes the united states has the corner on all that music. it was great.
on sunday, i had the opportunity to confirm my first member of the church. maria was confirmed a member and received the best birthday present ever on her birthday of the holy ghost! it was great. and yes....in portuguese. one quick side note...it still hasn't hit me yet that i speak another language almost fluently. kinda weird sometimes! also, on sunday we were given the opportunity to talk because the branch forgot to call the last speaker so mcguire and i split the time. up until sunday, my talks in the mission have not been so hot....most of you all know that i love to speak in public but throw in a new language and it shakes me. that was until sunday. i overcame that road block and gave my personal best talk i think in my life! i talked about the excuses we all give the church to not do missionary work and then i read some scriptures to help us all remember the duty we all have to preach the gospel. it went very well. at least i hope that's why the branch was crying...i hope it wasn't my portuguese! =)
the rest of this week has been just full of work, work and work. mcguire had his bday on monday so we are now two 20 year old boys trying to take on satan. his dad also got called to be stake president by russel m nelson. no biggie right!? he's a great comp.
vicente and eva are still just my favorite people here, if i'm allowed to have favorites. i love them. we went to their house on monday and sat down with them but after we left vicente felt so bad for not feeding us that he and his two girls brought us food to our house. they are so awesome! i didn't think that i would find a family on my mission that would be my temporary mom and dad until i met them! i love them!
this week could be the last week elder excell see's in ponte nova. don't ask me where that transfer went! it flew by! this transfer ends my first 25% of the mission in the field. where did that go? who knows! i can't believe it. life is flying but we are the pilots! if i have to say good bye to this area and this companionship it will be sad. i told myself i wouldn't cry on my mission saying good bye to people but i feel so much a part of this city. i know it better than my own hometown. i know the people down the street better than any others. i have come to the conclusion it's because i see it all with my gospel eyes. i see the man sweeping the sidewalk as my brother. i see the streets as all of our temporary lives here on earth before we can meet in heaven afterwards. it has really helped me to think about the heavenly eyes we all need to use when we look at others and the world around us. this city, if this is my last week here, will never leave my heart. it's concreted itself deeper within me than i ever thought possible.
the lesson learned this week...our lives are the same... and when we try to love those around us...when we see them as family....when we see the eternal plan and the part we share in it together, it becomes a part of us. those around us, when seen with these kind of eyes can not be forgotten.
i love ponte nova and everyone that i have had the great opportunity to meet. from the corrieos ladies to the drunk man on noah's ark. i consider myself as them... pontenovense - (like a rigby-ite, or pocatellan). as i end this epistle, i hope you will all remember the person next to you is your family and remember that there is a plan to be together with that family forever. my name is elder excell and i hereby close mine epistle!
elder excell!
i love you all! have a great week!
last thursday, after doing some last minute shopping before heading back home, i left the keys with elder mcguire and he locked the door and we were off. upon returning, the door would not open at all. the key would not fit at all. after trying everything, and i mean everything from cards to toothpicks to knifes, the door was shut and we were on the porch with all the groceries still. after calling around and realizing that all the locksmiths were closed, we set off to go sleep in the chapel but we finally found one locksmith open 24 hours. 2 and a half minutes later and 50 bucks poorer we were in the house. needless to say i won't be leaving the keys with mcguire anymore! =) that made the first time and the last time he's locking the door! jk!
the weekend was a great one and had quite a bit of success. the work still seems to me to be going slow but i know that i am trying as hard as i can! i figure after you do all you can and you still see nothing...there's more to be done.
this weekend, there was a big giant bike rally in ponte nova, and mom, you can officially let me go to sturgis now. i've seen it all. it was pretty sweet to walk past the park and hear some great 70s 80s and 90s rock and roll...and yes the united states has the corner on all that music. it was great.
on sunday, i had the opportunity to confirm my first member of the church. maria was confirmed a member and received the best birthday present ever on her birthday of the holy ghost! it was great. and yes....in portuguese. one quick side note...it still hasn't hit me yet that i speak another language almost fluently. kinda weird sometimes! also, on sunday we were given the opportunity to talk because the branch forgot to call the last speaker so mcguire and i split the time. up until sunday, my talks in the mission have not been so hot....most of you all know that i love to speak in public but throw in a new language and it shakes me. that was until sunday. i overcame that road block and gave my personal best talk i think in my life! i talked about the excuses we all give the church to not do missionary work and then i read some scriptures to help us all remember the duty we all have to preach the gospel. it went very well. at least i hope that's why the branch was crying...i hope it wasn't my portuguese! =)
the rest of this week has been just full of work, work and work. mcguire had his bday on monday so we are now two 20 year old boys trying to take on satan. his dad also got called to be stake president by russel m nelson. no biggie right!? he's a great comp.
vicente and eva are still just my favorite people here, if i'm allowed to have favorites. i love them. we went to their house on monday and sat down with them but after we left vicente felt so bad for not feeding us that he and his two girls brought us food to our house. they are so awesome! i didn't think that i would find a family on my mission that would be my temporary mom and dad until i met them! i love them!
this week could be the last week elder excell see's in ponte nova. don't ask me where that transfer went! it flew by! this transfer ends my first 25% of the mission in the field. where did that go? who knows! i can't believe it. life is flying but we are the pilots! if i have to say good bye to this area and this companionship it will be sad. i told myself i wouldn't cry on my mission saying good bye to people but i feel so much a part of this city. i know it better than my own hometown. i know the people down the street better than any others. i have come to the conclusion it's because i see it all with my gospel eyes. i see the man sweeping the sidewalk as my brother. i see the streets as all of our temporary lives here on earth before we can meet in heaven afterwards. it has really helped me to think about the heavenly eyes we all need to use when we look at others and the world around us. this city, if this is my last week here, will never leave my heart. it's concreted itself deeper within me than i ever thought possible.
the lesson learned this week...our lives are the same... and when we try to love those around us...when we see them as family....when we see the eternal plan and the part we share in it together, it becomes a part of us. those around us, when seen with these kind of eyes can not be forgotten.
i love ponte nova and everyone that i have had the great opportunity to meet. from the corrieos ladies to the drunk man on noah's ark. i consider myself as them... pontenovense - (like a rigby-ite, or pocatellan). as i end this epistle, i hope you will all remember the person next to you is your family and remember that there is a plan to be together with that family forever. my name is elder excell and i hereby close mine epistle!
elder excell!
i love you all! have a great week!
Q&A - August 18, 2010
1. Do you think you'll still be in Ponte Nova on September 5th for the wedding?
....that remains to be seen but i really really hope so! it would be sad if not but the lord knows what he does and as always i'll go where he wants me to go!
2. When are transfers?
transfers are next week...
3. What are the plans for today's pday?
sleep! i need to still catch up on it from a couple weeks of big things happening! i'll write some good letters too!
4. What is your favorite scripture and why?
phew...i don't even know where to start. i have seriously a list started in my journal...a whole page of them. the one that comes to mind right now is matthew 10:39...great mission reminder scripture!
5. Any questions for us?
1. can i get a real street address for bethani casper?
2. can you send me any blog comments people put up? it would be cool to see...
3. when you get a chance however it may come...can you send paul cardall the christmas box...it's mission approved music and i would love to have it. if you can send it through email that would be awesome...however it works out would be greatly appreciated!
4. where is the house of the extreme makeover gonna be at? where in poky?
5. whitney james is getting married!!?!?!?! wow!
6. any other relationship changes latey...weston? he better wait for me to get home!
7. how was brax's first week out in the real world?
8. how much is a dozen white eggs in the states?
....that remains to be seen but i really really hope so! it would be sad if not but the lord knows what he does and as always i'll go where he wants me to go!
2. When are transfers?
transfers are next week...
3. What are the plans for today's pday?
sleep! i need to still catch up on it from a couple weeks of big things happening! i'll write some good letters too!
4. What is your favorite scripture and why?
phew...i don't even know where to start. i have seriously a list started in my journal...a whole page of them. the one that comes to mind right now is matthew 10:39...great mission reminder scripture!
5. Any questions for us?
1. can i get a real street address for bethani casper?
2. can you send me any blog comments people put up? it would be cool to see...
3. when you get a chance however it may come...can you send paul cardall the christmas box...it's mission approved music and i would love to have it. if you can send it through email that would be awesome...however it works out would be greatly appreciated!
4. where is the house of the extreme makeover gonna be at? where in poky?
5. whitney james is getting married!!?!?!?! wow!
6. any other relationship changes latey...weston? he better wait for me to get home!
7. how was brax's first week out in the real world?
8. how much is a dozen white eggs in the states?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Pictures
noodles for lunch!
the companionship of all companionships, elder excell and elder mcguire
maria, baptized aug 8, 2010
bday cake...mom, this is the brazilian version
Ponte Nova - version 3.4
can anyone believe the time is flying as fast as it is? as weird as it may be to some of you, and including myself, i will be hitting 7 months since i have been away from all you beautiful folks! that's insane in my point of view! this week has been a great week tho. coming back from zone conference last week with a lot of energy to just put our shoulder to the wheel and push a long. we definitely pushed tho that's for sure!
last p day was really nice because we just kinda took a break and wrote some letters and just loved the company of each other. i love elder mcguire. we have some of the greatest talks. alright, i guess it's just like one big giant talk, but i love the kid! we are very very good friends and there was definitely more than a companionship in mind when heavenly father put us together!
this week we made our own recipe for tortillas, because contrary to popular belief, these people here do not have the same diet as mexicans. so we made our own, and all of the sudden, we feel like we have the world at our fingertips! you can make anything with a good ol' tortilla. we've been busy at work. oh, and p.s., if anyone has a good recipe for mango salsa, which i'm sure someone does, please send it. we are in the land of mangoes.
that does bring up an interesting point. there are a lot of things that i thought they would have here that they just don't have. for example, tortillas, tortilla chips, pepsi products besides pepsi cola, peanut butter, potato chips, lemons, chili peppers, ranch or salad dressing in general, barbecue, and they don't even have pepper at most places. it's a different culture for sure.
oh, i need to add in here, due to the popularity of the question, how to pronounce the portuguese j and the best way to describe it is it's pretty close to english but more soft. the letter j here is pronounced jota but the j sounds like shzhshzhota. kinda.
this week we were successful in marking neide and miltons wedding date for the 5th of september! what a giant step. we got enough money to be able to finish up the costs and mark it! i'm so stoked for them. they are just so stoked to get baptized in the only true church. neide often says when people ask her if she is changing religion, she responds, no i found religion! that's what's up neide! you tell 'em!
this weekend, we had a baptism for maria assumpção da silva! she is a 76 year old rock star! she's awesome! let me just give you a sneak peek at the world of maria. on thursday when we taught her and invited for baptism, we both felt like it was gonna have to wait another week and then when mcguire opened his mouth he started to say "do you think.." in a real soft uncorageous way, but then he stopped and said "maria, you know it's true. will you be baptized?" and immediately, she knew and was baptized that sunday! on saturday she had her interview and she is kinda old and forgetful, so she was ready for us to come get her, but then her neighbor told her she didn't have church today so she got changed again and started to work in the yard, so when we came to get her she wasn't ready but then she changed and off we went. while walking there, she said her neighbor was a malignant spirit of the devil tempting her! hilarious! then later that day, we went to go check up on her and she had locked herself in the house and lost the keys so we said a prayer and she found them. but she did however tell us she was always like saint peter and held on to her keys. haha, get it, cause christ gave peter the keys! hilarious! but she cussed out the devil pretty good for hiding her keys! she's a hoot! i love her! it will be great to have the opportunity to chill with her in the celestial kingdom lounge!
anyway, sunday was great because of the baptism and then we had a manhunt going out in the city with a good group of members trying to find all the less actives. it was pretty successful!
anyway, it's been a great week with some good food and some great memories. it's kind of brought me back to think about the purpose of our life and how we measure this earthly life. i've come to the conclusion that life is not measured by minutes and hours, but by moments, and moments are made by those who choose to make them. make your minutes moments because moments are what we remember. i don't know if it's the being far away from home, but the only thing i am now remembering is the memories and particularly with my family. the minutes passed then and didn't mean much, but my family memories and friend moments mean everything to me right now. i have a pretty good feeling too that if we keep the moments good ones right now, the life after will be a lot more pleasant. make a moment with your family tonight. it's worth it!
i love my family with all my heart and i love this work with all my heart. it will be a great week again only because i plan on making it one. another thought to ponder...life is what we make it out to be. so yes, very literally, we control our hope and destiny.
i love you all! can't wait to hear from you all again! have a great week!
elder excell
last p day was really nice because we just kinda took a break and wrote some letters and just loved the company of each other. i love elder mcguire. we have some of the greatest talks. alright, i guess it's just like one big giant talk, but i love the kid! we are very very good friends and there was definitely more than a companionship in mind when heavenly father put us together!
this week we made our own recipe for tortillas, because contrary to popular belief, these people here do not have the same diet as mexicans. so we made our own, and all of the sudden, we feel like we have the world at our fingertips! you can make anything with a good ol' tortilla. we've been busy at work. oh, and p.s., if anyone has a good recipe for mango salsa, which i'm sure someone does, please send it. we are in the land of mangoes.
that does bring up an interesting point. there are a lot of things that i thought they would have here that they just don't have. for example, tortillas, tortilla chips, pepsi products besides pepsi cola, peanut butter, potato chips, lemons, chili peppers, ranch or salad dressing in general, barbecue, and they don't even have pepper at most places. it's a different culture for sure.
oh, i need to add in here, due to the popularity of the question, how to pronounce the portuguese j and the best way to describe it is it's pretty close to english but more soft. the letter j here is pronounced jota but the j sounds like shzhshzhota. kinda.
this week we were successful in marking neide and miltons wedding date for the 5th of september! what a giant step. we got enough money to be able to finish up the costs and mark it! i'm so stoked for them. they are just so stoked to get baptized in the only true church. neide often says when people ask her if she is changing religion, she responds, no i found religion! that's what's up neide! you tell 'em!
this weekend, we had a baptism for maria assumpção da silva! she is a 76 year old rock star! she's awesome! let me just give you a sneak peek at the world of maria. on thursday when we taught her and invited for baptism, we both felt like it was gonna have to wait another week and then when mcguire opened his mouth he started to say "do you think.." in a real soft uncorageous way, but then he stopped and said "maria, you know it's true. will you be baptized?" and immediately, she knew and was baptized that sunday! on saturday she had her interview and she is kinda old and forgetful, so she was ready for us to come get her, but then her neighbor told her she didn't have church today so she got changed again and started to work in the yard, so when we came to get her she wasn't ready but then she changed and off we went. while walking there, she said her neighbor was a malignant spirit of the devil tempting her! hilarious! then later that day, we went to go check up on her and she had locked herself in the house and lost the keys so we said a prayer and she found them. but she did however tell us she was always like saint peter and held on to her keys. haha, get it, cause christ gave peter the keys! hilarious! but she cussed out the devil pretty good for hiding her keys! she's a hoot! i love her! it will be great to have the opportunity to chill with her in the celestial kingdom lounge!
anyway, sunday was great because of the baptism and then we had a manhunt going out in the city with a good group of members trying to find all the less actives. it was pretty successful!
anyway, it's been a great week with some good food and some great memories. it's kind of brought me back to think about the purpose of our life and how we measure this earthly life. i've come to the conclusion that life is not measured by minutes and hours, but by moments, and moments are made by those who choose to make them. make your minutes moments because moments are what we remember. i don't know if it's the being far away from home, but the only thing i am now remembering is the memories and particularly with my family. the minutes passed then and didn't mean much, but my family memories and friend moments mean everything to me right now. i have a pretty good feeling too that if we keep the moments good ones right now, the life after will be a lot more pleasant. make a moment with your family tonight. it's worth it!
i love my family with all my heart and i love this work with all my heart. it will be a great week again only because i plan on making it one. another thought to ponder...life is what we make it out to be. so yes, very literally, we control our hope and destiny.
i love you all! can't wait to hear from you all again! have a great week!
elder excell
Q&A - August 11, 2010
1. You talked about fishing in a shirt and tie last week in your email. Does that mean that you wear your dress clothes even on pday if you go out in public? Are you wearing your dress clothes this very moment?
ya, we aren't allowed to wear normal clothes in this mission outside of our homes. so ya my normal clothes don't get much use! right now i'm in mission attire.
2. Will the changes that you mentioned about zone conferences and other meetings affect how often you are able to get your mail now? If so, do you know yet how often you will be able to get your mail?
i mean, as far as we know, yes. the only problem is, here in ponte nova, the only time we see missionaries, besides ourselves in the mirror, is at zone conference. normally, people will have their district bring them mail if someone goes into bh but we don't have that luxury so we will be getting mail less often i think...who knows yet tho?
3. Do the changes affect how often transfers will happen?
transfers are still every six weeks.
4. How often does President Parrella visit your area?
so far he has been here once since i've been here. we are literally in the middle of nowhere so we are 4 hours from the closest missionary. it takes a good chunk of a day to visit ponte nova.
5. What have you been studying lately during your personal study time?
lately, i have been reading jesus the christ and pregar meu evangelho...preach my gospel. never enough time tho to actually study everything i want to.
6. Do you have questions for us this week?
1. what is imdb saying about the green zone with matt damon?
2. what type of banana do we eat in the united states?
3. how are the journals coming?
4. what's everyone in the family's favorite scripture and why?
ya, we aren't allowed to wear normal clothes in this mission outside of our homes. so ya my normal clothes don't get much use! right now i'm in mission attire.
2. Will the changes that you mentioned about zone conferences and other meetings affect how often you are able to get your mail now? If so, do you know yet how often you will be able to get your mail?
i mean, as far as we know, yes. the only problem is, here in ponte nova, the only time we see missionaries, besides ourselves in the mirror, is at zone conference. normally, people will have their district bring them mail if someone goes into bh but we don't have that luxury so we will be getting mail less often i think...who knows yet tho?
3. Do the changes affect how often transfers will happen?
transfers are still every six weeks.
4. How often does President Parrella visit your area?
so far he has been here once since i've been here. we are literally in the middle of nowhere so we are 4 hours from the closest missionary. it takes a good chunk of a day to visit ponte nova.
5. What have you been studying lately during your personal study time?
lately, i have been reading jesus the christ and pregar meu evangelho...preach my gospel. never enough time tho to actually study everything i want to.
6. Do you have questions for us this week?
1. what is imdb saying about the green zone with matt damon?
2. what type of banana do we eat in the united states?
3. how are the journals coming?
4. what's everyone in the family's favorite scripture and why?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I'm 20? - Ponte Nova
well, another week done and gone! once again i have no idea where that went and how it just managed to fly by. although, i did get a sweet quote from grandma that i loved that said "life flies by but you are the pilot!" i loved it. a good thought.
so this week, once again, has been full of plenty of adventures and plenty of those moments where you just can't help but be thankful for the life you were given here on earth and the knowledge of the gospel!
last pday we went fishing! it was awesome! we never got anything but hey, what's the true point of fishing? to get something or to just enjoy the scenery and the company. we headed out after a great day of emails and all and got on a bus that gets just up above town a bit and we threw our lines in and went at it. it was so nice to sit on the rocks with a guaraná in hand and just swap some good stories with elder mcguire! i love the kid! he's my favorite companion so far and we are just having a great time together! i think a ton of people must have just been laughing their butts off looking at the two white kids in white shirts and ties trying to fish brazilian style! it was a lot of fun!
on friday we got chased by dogs! that was a great story! it all started after about 4hours of getting doors slammed to the face and so we decided it was time to take about a 15 minute breather. close to the road we were knocking on doors, we found a kind of brush area with a ravine and on the top of the hill was a radio tower, so while we were out walking in the brush, just enjoying a good hiking trail, we heard a giant bloodhound at the top of the hill guarding the tower. didn't think much of it because of the 10 foot deep ravine between us so we thought we were safe but then we heard him start to come, and of course, this just has to happen right when it is starting to get dark and visibility is minimal. elder mcguire and i just look at each other and scream simultaneously "run!!" so off we went, running through the brush and the tall grass and sage brush with our feet just happening to hit every rut in the ground. simultaneously, we both ate dirt, and man i would have loved to have this on tape because we just rolled right out of it and kept trucking. it would've been pretty spectacular to see. so after we thought we were free from the dog, we stopped and caught our breath for about 3 seconds and then we heard him coming again and we booked it out of there. we looked like quite the pair running into the street again just covered in dust and limping on home. it was a great time!
my birthday was sunday. weird! we had a great time and i got some sweet presents thanks to some birthday souvenir money. i bought some official cruzeiros workout pants. i know that sounds ridiculous but i love them! we also made two cakes. one brazilian and one american and yes the american one was better! cream cheese frosting and all! delicious! oh and family...that card was my absolute favorite! loved it!
zone conference was this week which is always awesome! they are switching some things up though. we only have zone conference every 3 months now and also some other kinds of leadership meetings and all. it's a different system for the whole church, not just us, so we'll see how it goes. you just kind of trust in the fact that we have a prophet that talks to god and knows how we should be doing our thing! it's new, and to be honest not my favorite, but probably cause it's new. we'll see. change is good right!?
i had another interview with president parrella! i love that guy! i walk out of every interview with a new desire to just do it. just go at it. it's awesome! i'm so glad i'm here.
as far as the spiritual experiences this week - i've learned a little more about the importance of today. we have a word in portuguese called "moley" (phonetically) and it means soft literally, or just kind of lazy. i learned the words if and when are just moley words! words for slackers. many times we find ourselves saying "if this happens then i'll be good". what a slacker thing to say i decided! we need to eliminate the if's in our lives today. not tomorrow, to see if it will happen but do something about it today. when you read in the scriptures you see that we need to choose this day who we are. we need to repent today and not put it off. the devils biggest technique is putting it off and not doing things now. satan sure does take people down with drugs and everything, but i think his biggest tool is the word later or tomorrow. don't leave for tomorrow what you could do today. i'm learning very fast that time is limited for all of us. we only get one shot at this life and it will end. don't put off things necessary for later. today is the day. carpe diem, as they used to say. vive hoje, as they say here. we all can be better today and we should strive to do so. the way to be better has already been laid out and it wasn't by someone who waited to do so when it was convenient for him. follow the map today. the treasure truly awaits!
i love being a missionary and i hope everyone knows that! i love it here and there is no better place in the world! my time can't be better spent than this work! thank you all so much for your letters and help! i love you all! thanks for cheering in my stadium and know that i am in the front row of all of yours!
elder excell
so this week, once again, has been full of plenty of adventures and plenty of those moments where you just can't help but be thankful for the life you were given here on earth and the knowledge of the gospel!
last pday we went fishing! it was awesome! we never got anything but hey, what's the true point of fishing? to get something or to just enjoy the scenery and the company. we headed out after a great day of emails and all and got on a bus that gets just up above town a bit and we threw our lines in and went at it. it was so nice to sit on the rocks with a guaraná in hand and just swap some good stories with elder mcguire! i love the kid! he's my favorite companion so far and we are just having a great time together! i think a ton of people must have just been laughing their butts off looking at the two white kids in white shirts and ties trying to fish brazilian style! it was a lot of fun!
on friday we got chased by dogs! that was a great story! it all started after about 4hours of getting doors slammed to the face and so we decided it was time to take about a 15 minute breather. close to the road we were knocking on doors, we found a kind of brush area with a ravine and on the top of the hill was a radio tower, so while we were out walking in the brush, just enjoying a good hiking trail, we heard a giant bloodhound at the top of the hill guarding the tower. didn't think much of it because of the 10 foot deep ravine between us so we thought we were safe but then we heard him start to come, and of course, this just has to happen right when it is starting to get dark and visibility is minimal. elder mcguire and i just look at each other and scream simultaneously "run!!" so off we went, running through the brush and the tall grass and sage brush with our feet just happening to hit every rut in the ground. simultaneously, we both ate dirt, and man i would have loved to have this on tape because we just rolled right out of it and kept trucking. it would've been pretty spectacular to see. so after we thought we were free from the dog, we stopped and caught our breath for about 3 seconds and then we heard him coming again and we booked it out of there. we looked like quite the pair running into the street again just covered in dust and limping on home. it was a great time!
my birthday was sunday. weird! we had a great time and i got some sweet presents thanks to some birthday souvenir money. i bought some official cruzeiros workout pants. i know that sounds ridiculous but i love them! we also made two cakes. one brazilian and one american and yes the american one was better! cream cheese frosting and all! delicious! oh and family...that card was my absolute favorite! loved it!
zone conference was this week which is always awesome! they are switching some things up though. we only have zone conference every 3 months now and also some other kinds of leadership meetings and all. it's a different system for the whole church, not just us, so we'll see how it goes. you just kind of trust in the fact that we have a prophet that talks to god and knows how we should be doing our thing! it's new, and to be honest not my favorite, but probably cause it's new. we'll see. change is good right!?
i had another interview with president parrella! i love that guy! i walk out of every interview with a new desire to just do it. just go at it. it's awesome! i'm so glad i'm here.
as far as the spiritual experiences this week - i've learned a little more about the importance of today. we have a word in portuguese called "moley" (phonetically) and it means soft literally, or just kind of lazy. i learned the words if and when are just moley words! words for slackers. many times we find ourselves saying "if this happens then i'll be good". what a slacker thing to say i decided! we need to eliminate the if's in our lives today. not tomorrow, to see if it will happen but do something about it today. when you read in the scriptures you see that we need to choose this day who we are. we need to repent today and not put it off. the devils biggest technique is putting it off and not doing things now. satan sure does take people down with drugs and everything, but i think his biggest tool is the word later or tomorrow. don't leave for tomorrow what you could do today. i'm learning very fast that time is limited for all of us. we only get one shot at this life and it will end. don't put off things necessary for later. today is the day. carpe diem, as they used to say. vive hoje, as they say here. we all can be better today and we should strive to do so. the way to be better has already been laid out and it wasn't by someone who waited to do so when it was convenient for him. follow the map today. the treasure truly awaits!
i love being a missionary and i hope everyone knows that! i love it here and there is no better place in the world! my time can't be better spent than this work! thank you all so much for your letters and help! i love you all! thanks for cheering in my stadium and know that i am in the front row of all of yours!
elder excell
Q&A - August 4, 2010
1. How was your birthday?? Do you feel "one year older and wiser too" ?? How did you celebrate?
well, it was a fast sunday and so celebration was a bit of a minimum on the actual day but on saturday we made a good cake and then this morning we made the cake i got at zone conference from you guys!!! i loved it. it's already been attacked!
2. Did you enjoy your day of fishing last Pday? Did you catch many fish?
well, we got nothing but it was a great day of just straight relaxing!
3. Was zone conference yesterday?
yes!
4. Just wondering if you got the package we sent you and if you were able to get your mail?
yes and i'll talk about it in the letter
5. Are you keeping your apartment cleaner since the major cleaning job you did on it a couple weeks ago?
it's still spic and span!
6. What was the highlight of your week?
interview with president! it was an awesome 15 minutes. there were so many great things that happened tho! i loved the whole week!
well, it was a fast sunday and so celebration was a bit of a minimum on the actual day but on saturday we made a good cake and then this morning we made the cake i got at zone conference from you guys!!! i loved it. it's already been attacked!
2. Did you enjoy your day of fishing last Pday? Did you catch many fish?
well, we got nothing but it was a great day of just straight relaxing!
3. Was zone conference yesterday?
yes!
4. Just wondering if you got the package we sent you and if you were able to get your mail?
yes and i'll talk about it in the letter
5. Are you keeping your apartment cleaner since the major cleaning job you did on it a couple weeks ago?
it's still spic and span!
6. What was the highlight of your week?
interview with president! it was an awesome 15 minutes. there were so many great things that happened tho! i loved the whole week!
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