Mud Everywhere...

Sorry, no pictures this week...Quick shout outs to:Katrine, i still havent gotten your letter, but i sent one to you today. Elder Rau, hope you get the letter. Grandfather!

onnnnnn to the weeek So, this week was transfers! That is the biggest news. However, neither Elder Gouveia nor I was transferred. Another six weeks hooorah! But its all good, hopefully this transfer we will really be able to make some progress in the area.

We have been working really hard to find some good new, strong investigators, and we havent made a ton of progress, but we are seeing other progress with some of the investigators that we have. For example, with one pair of boys who are the sons of a less active member, when we started the lesson with them they didnt want to go to church or read the BoM, but by the end of the lesson they had felt the spirit and had experienced a change of heart, commiting to go! Was pretty cool.

Also, it has been raining like cats and dogs here lately! Seriously, wet feet are the worst! The other shoe hasnt arrived yet, (2 shoes sent in separate boxes) so i still am using my older shoes, and in classic mish style, they have some very excellent holes. The other thing is that there are still a few unpaved roads around here, and it is absolutely ridiculous how much mud i have been in. That darn mud just gets everywhere!!!!

Family? Home Evening

This is the picture from the HUGE family home evening that we had...and yes, the guy in the white DOES look like Jason Statham.

Well, hi y’all!!

First off, shout outs to Elder DeMeester and Amy Jones, you guys sent me letters and will get letters of your own soon!

Also, shout out to the infamous Elder Cruz!!! Hope Balneario is treating you well! Masserio, ainda nao acredito que terminou! Mas, tudo bem, se lembra de nossas conversas e tudo vai ser ok. Serio, voce e david cruz! As meninas te ama, e voce vai achar a sua eleita...talvez no disney kkkk

Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn to the week ...

Well, things have gone pretty interesting this week. First off were interviews with President Cooley on Thursday. It all went smoothly. I really enjoy talking with Presidente and his wife...they are great people and love the missionaries.

After this, the week has been pretty normal. We have been finding some cool new people to teach, and have had some adventures as well. For example, We have had to walk a TON!!!! I am dead tired today haha. We have been hitting up some neighborhoods that are way far away recently.... "I'll go where you want me to go, dear lord, over mountains..."etc. But yeah, its good. We have been able to see some good progress in a few of our investigators. I get soooo happy when people actually follow through on their commitments to us, like praying, or reading, or anything. It really shows who WANTS to know, as opposed to who is just being polite.

Monday, we had an AWESOME FHE with some members, recent converts, and investigators. There were 24 people in attendance! I dont know how everyone fit in the house! I got to give a sweet spiritual thought about the Armor of God (Ephesians 6). It is basically about how we are all in the midst of a war, and how the opposition is always trying to tear us down, but that we have tools, weapons, and armor at our disposal! It is definitely way cool, and has some sweet doctrinal stuff if you look in deeper.

Yesterday I had a fun little ´bible bash´ with a member of another church. They were trying to prove to me that God has stopped being a God of miracles...of course, I did what I have been taught to do...bear your testimony and leave. For those reading, I KNOW that God exists, and that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, that he worked with the children of men anciently and that he still does. I testify that miracles are real, that the gifts of the spirit are true and that there are many great and wonderful things happening around us that we dont even perceive. As I like to teach my investigators, God is not a God of confusion, but a God of love, a God with a pattern, a God that worries actively for our happiness and works in our lives to helps us. I know Christ lives. This is my brief testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Well, I miss you all and hope everything is going well! Get back to health Grandfather! Stay safe Mom and Kels! Study hard Dad (never thought I would get to say that back to you...haha)!

Elder BRiggs

Let's fix Mexican food!!

Me teaching the Brasileiro how to make Mexican food! YAYYYY QUESEDILLAS!!!!!

It is a little strange, the foods that I miss most are

A) Dads cooking of course! yummmmmm flank steak, salmon, etc.

B) Mexican food...oh burrito, where art thou

C) Asian foods...all i want is ONE POTSTICKER

D) American Desserts...aka Cheesecake, Pie, Cookies, Brownies, etc.

HELLOOOOO EVERYOnE!!!!

First things first, I have to give a shout out to THE TRIPLE A!!! AKA Amanda Krulish ... CONGRATULATIONS! However, if you do not send me an invite (even though I will not be able to make it) I will be a little upset...but yes, I am anxiously waiting that letter with all the details!

CONGRATS KAIT!!!! Glad the weather was perfect and the guy was tall, dark and handsome (according to my spies). Much happiness to you!

Chelsea Caldwell’s wedding invite? Ask her if she has sent me one ... you can tell her that I am over the moon happy for her, sincerely, but will be angry if I’m not invited!! Haha

Gosh, so many people getting married! The life of a mishie I guess, right?

Congratulations to grandfather for staying alive! Haha, I’m glad that it is all going great. Ex-Elder Anderson said that Grandfather was as ornery and mean as ever, so I’m glad that he is coming to a full recovery!

Thanks for the address from Bethanie! I was wondering where she had gone...she sent me an email at the very beginning of the mission, but forgot to include an address...

Also, shout out to the traveling bunches of the family and friends! STAY SAFE

ONNNNNNNNN TO THE WEEK

So, this week wasn’t alll that eventful, but it had its interesting parts. Thursday was zone conference, and the rest of the week was dedicated to finding some people. We have finally been able to get back into contact with an investigator name Fernanda....she is definitely the story. So, it has been over a year that she is investigating the church. She has gotten close to baptism more than a few times, and then pulled back at the last moment. Just recently, she was going to be baptized again, but pulled out, again. We discovered that it was because she is now pregnant! Over the course of the last month, she hasnt gone back to church, and has had lots of long talks with the bishop, lots of stuff. But, Saturday, we were able to get in and start talking to her again! She is a head case, but doing better. She will be getting married to the father (a recent convert) here in two months, with baptism (cross your fingers) soon after.

Also, we had ward conference this Sunday...it was great! Best of all was that there were 13 investigators in attendance! I was blown right out of the water..it was great! There are some really cool stories too.

One investigator of ours, Marriete, has really been having some tough times. For the past year she has been trying to investigate the church, but she lives WAY far away and lives in pretty humbling conditions. However, just recently we were able to finally get into contact with her through some members. Now, she finally got to church! She went to the member´s house at 1 in the morning Saturday night, no one heard her knocking on the door, and ended up NOT giving up and instead sleeping in the entrance way. She went to church with the members and ended up seeing miracles in her life. Namely, she has been able to find a place to live, and the bishop helped her get her daughter back! She has now accepted a date for baptism...how exciting.

Other than this, the other investigators are all pretty normal. We have got some good ones that are reading the Book of Mormon, going to church, and really progressing. It is so rewarding to see people take what you teach, implement in their lives, and then see God bless them with what they have been waiting for...I LOVE THE MISSION

Hope all is well at home!

miss ya guys!

Bryan

July 8, 2009 - Best Division

(Lots of editorial comments this week from your guest blograma!)

This picture was taken on the slide at a playground. Hey! We all have to play sometime!


First off, I am sooo glad that Grandfather is doing well! Gosh, when I was reading about the sudden surgery and everything I was like, why didnt you guys tell me? But, Im glad that everything got resolved. I loved the part where grandfather was just ready to cuss you out for not being there sooner, lol, I miss you guys a ton. (Grandfather Jim Bean had heart surgery on Monday; we hadn’t told Bry until it was successfully over & done with; they wouldn't let me in to ICU the morning after until 8:30 - GF didn't know the rules!)

Also, before other stuff I want to give a shout out to Braydon for the pics and the awesome email! Thanks for the advice bud!

Also, shout outs to Grandmother for the awesome letter! I am sending one back to you stat.

I sent grandfather a letter about a week or two ago...so you guys can look forward to that sometime soon

Gosh, you must be feeling all technological and stuff! Doing my blog!!! WOOOAHA! You are probably one of the only grandmas in the world that knows how to do that! Haha, but thanks a ton GJ, really helps me a lot! I love getting your emails every week. Grandfather sent a ton! I will have to respond to one or two today haha. (Yes, Grandma Jeanie, aka GJ, is temporarily the blog guru, and I left his comments in hoping his other friends and fans would smile.)

Anyways.........the week!!!!!!!

So, there arent a lot of new things going on. It was actually a pretty normal week here in Sao Roque. The only waayy new thing was that i had a three day division with Elder Romero, my zone leader. We christened it the best division ever. It was pretty epic. We ate the fourth best pizza of Brazil (a place called Port alfba.....sooooo good). Also we had some good lessons, took some pics, and we went to the center of Sao Paulo! Was definitely an exciting couple of days. After that, Sunday was pretty normal and yeah, good good stuff.

The good news this week is that my comp, Elder Gouveia, has been doing pretty good. We have been able to really get to talking and make a good friendship! He has also been able to teach me some way cool stuff, that I will have to share in person when I get home.

Monday and Tuesday we walked, a lot! Like, seriously, i dont know how my legs are still alive! Definitely one more point to the Word of Wisdom! But seriously, it was pretty nuts. What was crazier is that the distance that usually takes us about an hour took only like twenty minutes....crazy things happen when you are on the Lords errand. We have been able to find some cool new people recently, some people that really need help to get their lives back on track. I really look forward to being able to help them..this is the best part, to see people change, to watch them grow in knowledge, in confidence, in faith, and in power. We all have it in our hands to do what we want with our lives, so sometimes we seem to forget that.

Everything is possible with the Lord on our side. Our duty is to remember that He is there, that He is by our side, and that we are His friends. Temos que conhecê-lo, pessoalmente. É possível, realmente. (My translation is something like "We have the best division. Really. Positively.")

I love you GJ! Thanks for the help! Give Grandfather a kick in the shins or something
like that - hahah.

Your favorite PERSON south of the equator ;)
(I usually call him my favorite grandson over 6 feet tall)

July1 2009 Carol

First picture, that my friends, is a SMALL brazilian avocado...WHAT?? If the first thing that came into your head was "What the Heck??" you are correct .... the seed of the avocados here are the size of the avocados in the states, same great taste though.

Second picture, baptism of Carol!

July 1, 2009

Shout outs to Brayden and Daniel Stewart (i loved the vocab refresh)! I got your letters this week and I will send you letters tomorrow! Thanks guys! Thanks for the info from Sean´s blog! I am still waiting for a reply from him though, maybe email or maybe a letter....just taking forever...six months since I wrote him!

Onnnnnnnnnnnnn to the week. Well, things went pretty well this week actually. Let me see.... We spent a LOT of time in the other city of our area, Mairinque. We just have more investigators there than we do here in Sao Roque. Actually, it was all going pretty well. We have been able to see some real progress with one of our most difficult investigators, Alexandre. I think I described his case last week, but it has been a long time that he knows the church, as his parents are both members. However, he has problems with everything....Law of Chastity, Drinking, Smoking, Drugs. yeah, fun. But, now he is really committed to being baptized and changing his life. I think the turning point was the baptism that we had last week, it was a great experience. He has even gone as far to seek out the bishop on his own and everything! It has been really really cool to see.

As I just mentioned, we had a BAPTISM this week! Woot!! Carol is now officially a member! Like I said above, it was a great baptism. There were tons of people there to support, just everything went beautifully. I was very excited and happy. Now, we have Benedita´s other zilliion relatives to work with haha.

As for the rest of the week, things were pretty normal. We were able to find a couple cool new investigators. One was way cool that happened yesterday. After lunch we just decided to knock doors in the neighborhood. We ended up teaching this lady a five minute lesson on the street, then she gushed her life story to us, telling us things that she said even her family doesn’t know...always a fun bit. Then we did some fun random service for her. We basically cleaned her entryway and driveway. Was cool. She was way excited and way happy. I think there is a lot of potential in that family, especially since her daughter is going to have a baby soon! yay plan of salvation.

Elder Gouveia has been doing a lot better. The only problem is that he has gotten a bit sick the past few days. However, he is a lot better today, and a lot happier now! I am actually amazed by the progress that has been made. Keep praying for us and for his cause!

Oh, the other announcement, Harry Potter 6 is coming out in two weeks and I won’t be able to watch it! OH THE AGONY hahah, oh well, I will see it in 14 months.

Squig