wow! that's a weird thought for a subject!!! that's so crazy!! 8 weeks today i have been out and this is my last p day in any mtc for a very very very long time!!
i don't know where to start... if i ever thought life in provo was fast paced i wasn't even expecting this! first amazing story...i got sent out in the world in a different country with a different language for the first time this week expected to proselyte! it was AMAZING!!! if you guys want to look it up, which i am sure dad will, we went to the MASP aka museo de arte de sau paulo. first impression of our location was really really weird! statues of naked women everywhere!!! kinda weird to be preaching the gospel around that. it was super super funny! me and my companion elder oakey did very well together! he is from springville utah and is a good guy! we were given 6 books of mormon to place around. first person we talked to was one of the best... we had such a great talk with him... in portuguese... and we gave our first book away. i don't remember his name to be honest but after we left him when we walked past him an hour later he was still there reading the book of mormon - still! he was almost done with first nephi. he stopped us and was just in tears and so so so so ready to hear the gospel. we got his address and sent the local missionaries to him! i hope it works out for him so bad! that's the first time that i felt attached to brazil but i will talk about that later... he has my name and my address in america so we will see if i ever get anyting from him. anyway we handed out all 6 of our books and all of them felt like they were more than just a book. another lady we talked to started to cry when we bore testimony of how her sorrows and doubts can be relieved through this gospel. another man we talked to asked if the missionaries could come back tomorrow and teach his family. it was real! i was proselyting!! i was doing real real missionary work and i was so so confident and happy! i have enough portuguese to talk with people about what's most important in life and that's all that matters! it was amazing! i can't wait to go back in a week to the people that i will actually get to keep in touch with!
i am getting so so so attached to brazil! the brazilian missionaries are some of the best friends that i have had in my life! there are two in particular i will tell you about. the first elder castiglioni. he is from sau paulo and will be serving from sau paulo interloagos mission. he and i stayed up many nights talking in portuguese about life and everything. i have never felt so cared for by a stranger before. he left this week to go into the field and for the first time in the mission, i cried. i cried because one of my best friends was leaving! he got our address in america and he said he is going to write a letter to you mom and dad because he has something to tell you... he wouldn't tell me what but i guess look for it!
the second person... elder silva santos is the other missionary i love! he has come from a very very very bad background! very sad! his parents disowned him when he joined the church three years ago. he speaks only the english i taught him and he has slept at friends houses or on the street for the last three years. talk about rough!! but yet the desire of his heart was to serve a mission for what was really important to him. his testimony is amazing but the lessons he taught me were far greater then any lesson i have learned here. i saw him walking down the hall and he had his only pair of shoes on and they were trashed... when i say trashed i mean trashed!! he had no soul on the back and very little in the front... they were hammered. non usable in the usa. but to him they were his mission shoes. he didn't care if he was comfortable... he knew the lord would protect him. i couldn't believe it... how is it that i have three pairs of nice shoes and i could look at him with his torn up shoes... i couldn't do it! it tore at me...and in that moment he taught me the faith and the action i needed to have in order to have heavenly father bless me. he also left this week. the night before he left i gave him a pair of my black shoes. he was so appreciative. he taught me a lesson without using words. one i will never forget.
that night the whole mtc after dinner was talking to each other in the courtyard and taking pictures with everyone leaving. amazing feeling being with brazilians and feeling the love i have for them and they have for us. we all started singing armies of helaman... my favorite song! but we sang it in the only way brazilians know how...in a mosh pit! =) i love this people so much! i have loved them for 7 months... ever since i got my call i was in love but now i get to show that love. i can't even describe to you how hard it will be for me to leave here in two years. i will have my roots uncontrollably planted in so many places! i love this people and this land! i feel like i have known them since before i was born... because i have! i know up in heaven before we came to earth i got my call to the amazing family i belong to now but i also know some brazilian came to me and said "elder excell... i'm getting sent to a non member family, to someone who doesn't know the gospel and they won't. i need you to come find me and help me." and i loved that person so much... now i get to show it! this is my time! this is my mission!
before i end i want to tell you all i love you so much!! dad you have been the best example to me! i am rick excells son and there is no better title. mom i love you so much! you have taught me so many things that i needed here. so many personality traits i have come from you. cassi... you're the best sister ever!! you are my best friend and i love you so much! i can't wait to hug you all but especially you and mom when i come home! ty... you give me hope buddy! if you don't do anything else in your life than prepare for and go on a mission then you will be a hero in my eyes! you already are! i love you all so much!! next week i get to go tell people how their family can be together forever! and i get to tell them of my family that i was so blessed to be a part of and that i will be a part of forever! i couldn't do anything to jeopardize our eternal family! i love you all so much! stay strong and know that you are where you should be!
Showing posts with label CTM Brazil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CTM Brazil. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week 7 and First Days in Brazil!
Hi family! it was so nice to hear from you all this week while i was in dallas! it was so good just to hear your voices again and feel of your love!
so i guess that's where i can start off. on the plane to brazil, which was an 11 hour flight from dallas, i was able to sit in between two other elders so i didn't have much of that missionary experience on the plane that everyone talks about! (by the way if my spelling is crazy, i am sorry. i am using a portuguese computer and a portuguese keyboard. its a little different to get used to. haha.) anyway on the flight i tried to sleep as much as possible but that only resulted in about 4 hours so needless to say i am still pretty tired.
when we landed, it was insane! first moments in brazil - i was immediately hit with humidity and according to the brazilians...coldweather...which in idaho means 60 degrees. it was paradise! after we made it through customs which was kinda crazy and really putting my portuguese to the test, we managed to find our driver out of about 200 other drivers. she looked about 14 but she swore she was twenty. after we all got relief from the banheiro, we were on our way. it was also crazy. the streets here are so crazy! most of the time we were on what in idaho we would call a 3 lane street but in brazil that results in being 7 lanes with motorcylces as well as the city with the most cars in the world. insane!! we almost died about 3 times but i think thats just what we think. we were probably really safe in brazils eyes. driving was also such an awesome time because we got to see the city. we got to see what this whole deal is going to be like.
let me first say, i love it!!! absolutely love it!! the people here are so so so nice. now being also realistic it is a very poor place. even the wealthy people here would be considered poverty in america. its very sad to be honest that such good people live in such bad conditions. i feel for them so badly.
it was about an hour drive to the ctm from the airport which wasn't bad at all. i really enjoyed the drive and seeing everything in a different country and in a different language! i loved it. in the ctm, i guess no one told them we were coming until about an hour before we landed so no one was really prepared for us at all. but we had a good orientation (again) and then we got to go out in the city for about an hour. we were led by a guy from the ctm just kind of showing us around but it was so awesome to be out among the people. being around the culture and to see what its really like here. its alot like mexico if you remember with a ton of little shops and street merchants everywhere! the poeple are so nice to missionaries too. after our walk, we had free time the rest of the night which meant we had time to sleep. so i went to sleep early after unpacking and had an awesome sleep last night. i slept without any blankets and the windows open to the city.
my new companions name is elder oakey. he is a cool guy. i saw him a couple times in provo but we both got put together here for the short two weeks we will be here. he is from centerville utah.
today has been p day. my morning started at what would be 2 am your time but 6 here. we were able to go to the sau paulo temple which was awesome! the spirit is the same in every language. i loved the temple. after the temple we got back at about 11 here and we have the rest of the day to go out in the city and shop and eat and do really anything, mission appropriate of course. we wear our missionary uniform out in the city. before this email i went with my new district to a churascuria. very similair to tucanos but 80 times better. it was so delicious. especially because the ctm food is not that good. you know how i dont like rice and beans all that much so its been difficult but i do love it here and i am learning to love the food. the barbeque place was so good. i had guarana from a real glass bottle bottled in brazil and there was a soccer game on with poeple screaming. it was crazy but yet so cool just to be around the people that i have naturally loved for 6 months now!
right now i am in mr. cheneys cookies. its right across the street from the ctm and really kinda funny. a lady from missionties picked me out and said she knew my name because someone wrote to me! =) thanks mom! since its my first time i got free internet and a free cookie which was really good.
all in all not much has happened since my last email. its all gone by so fast but has been so amazing! it seems like at the same time that everything has happened. by the time i write next week i will have proselyted in the streets here and of course it will be in portuguese. i will be one week away from the real thing and i can't wait!!! anyway once again it was so nice to talk to all of you! i can't wait until mothers day when i can call again! i love you all so much!! stay strong this week! dad, good luck in boise. oh, by the way mom, you asked for "stay strong" in portuguese.... fica forte. (fika forch) and as always i love you all! eu amo voces!! until next week! =)
so i guess that's where i can start off. on the plane to brazil, which was an 11 hour flight from dallas, i was able to sit in between two other elders so i didn't have much of that missionary experience on the plane that everyone talks about! (by the way if my spelling is crazy, i am sorry. i am using a portuguese computer and a portuguese keyboard. its a little different to get used to. haha.) anyway on the flight i tried to sleep as much as possible but that only resulted in about 4 hours so needless to say i am still pretty tired.
when we landed, it was insane! first moments in brazil - i was immediately hit with humidity and according to the brazilians...coldweather...which in idaho means 60 degrees. it was paradise! after we made it through customs which was kinda crazy and really putting my portuguese to the test, we managed to find our driver out of about 200 other drivers. she looked about 14 but she swore she was twenty. after we all got relief from the banheiro, we were on our way. it was also crazy. the streets here are so crazy! most of the time we were on what in idaho we would call a 3 lane street but in brazil that results in being 7 lanes with motorcylces as well as the city with the most cars in the world. insane!! we almost died about 3 times but i think thats just what we think. we were probably really safe in brazils eyes. driving was also such an awesome time because we got to see the city. we got to see what this whole deal is going to be like.
let me first say, i love it!!! absolutely love it!! the people here are so so so nice. now being also realistic it is a very poor place. even the wealthy people here would be considered poverty in america. its very sad to be honest that such good people live in such bad conditions. i feel for them so badly.
it was about an hour drive to the ctm from the airport which wasn't bad at all. i really enjoyed the drive and seeing everything in a different country and in a different language! i loved it. in the ctm, i guess no one told them we were coming until about an hour before we landed so no one was really prepared for us at all. but we had a good orientation (again) and then we got to go out in the city for about an hour. we were led by a guy from the ctm just kind of showing us around but it was so awesome to be out among the people. being around the culture and to see what its really like here. its alot like mexico if you remember with a ton of little shops and street merchants everywhere! the poeple are so nice to missionaries too. after our walk, we had free time the rest of the night which meant we had time to sleep. so i went to sleep early after unpacking and had an awesome sleep last night. i slept without any blankets and the windows open to the city.
my new companions name is elder oakey. he is a cool guy. i saw him a couple times in provo but we both got put together here for the short two weeks we will be here. he is from centerville utah.
today has been p day. my morning started at what would be 2 am your time but 6 here. we were able to go to the sau paulo temple which was awesome! the spirit is the same in every language. i loved the temple. after the temple we got back at about 11 here and we have the rest of the day to go out in the city and shop and eat and do really anything, mission appropriate of course. we wear our missionary uniform out in the city. before this email i went with my new district to a churascuria. very similair to tucanos but 80 times better. it was so delicious. especially because the ctm food is not that good. you know how i dont like rice and beans all that much so its been difficult but i do love it here and i am learning to love the food. the barbeque place was so good. i had guarana from a real glass bottle bottled in brazil and there was a soccer game on with poeple screaming. it was crazy but yet so cool just to be around the people that i have naturally loved for 6 months now!
right now i am in mr. cheneys cookies. its right across the street from the ctm and really kinda funny. a lady from missionties picked me out and said she knew my name because someone wrote to me! =) thanks mom! since its my first time i got free internet and a free cookie which was really good.
all in all not much has happened since my last email. its all gone by so fast but has been so amazing! it seems like at the same time that everything has happened. by the time i write next week i will have proselyted in the streets here and of course it will be in portuguese. i will be one week away from the real thing and i can't wait!!! anyway once again it was so nice to talk to all of you! i can't wait until mothers day when i can call again! i love you all so much!! stay strong this week! dad, good luck in boise. oh, by the way mom, you asked for "stay strong" in portuguese.... fica forte. (fika forch) and as always i love you all! eu amo voces!! until next week! =)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Safely in Sao Paulo
Dear Parents,
We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.
They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.
The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.
Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.
We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.
Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”
Please accept our love,
President and Sister Clark
We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.
They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.
The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.
Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.
We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.
Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”
Please accept our love,
President and Sister Clark
In Brazil, at last...
"Hi Mom! It finally came - I got my visa! I'm going to Brazil!" We received the call on Friday night and his excitement was apparent. He informed us in the short five minutes that he had to talk that he would be leaving on Monday morning and would arrive in Sao Paulo on Tuesday morning and that he would be able to call home during a four hour layover in Dallas. It was great to hear his voice and I couldn't wait to be able to talk to him a little more and find out how he's really doing.
I started making a list of all the things I wanted to talk to him about and as we spoke, it didn't take long to hear in his voice that he really is doing great. He sounds wonderful! One of the main things that he expressed to me was his gratitude for the time that he's had to really figure out what is important in life and his desires to make those things his priority. He is anxious and excited and ready to take on this new adventure before him!!
His flight landed at 9:07 am, which is 5:07 am here. I imagine he is exhausted but he's made it safely to Brazil! He will spend 2 more weeks in the CTM (Center for Training Missionaries) in Sao Paulo and will then head to Belo Horizonte for his first assignment. Stay strong, Elder Excell!!
I started making a list of all the things I wanted to talk to him about and as we spoke, it didn't take long to hear in his voice that he really is doing great. He sounds wonderful! One of the main things that he expressed to me was his gratitude for the time that he's had to really figure out what is important in life and his desires to make those things his priority. He is anxious and excited and ready to take on this new adventure before him!!
His flight landed at 9:07 am, which is 5:07 am here. I imagine he is exhausted but he's made it safely to Brazil! He will spend 2 more weeks in the CTM (Center for Training Missionaries) in Sao Paulo and will then head to Belo Horizonte for his first assignment. Stay strong, Elder Excell!!
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