Monday, July 18, 2011

July 18, 2011 Letter

Hello,

Here it goes again. Its been a good week here in Brazil. Things are going good. Things are going kinda slow here.. But slow and steady wins the race right? Why rush through life trying to force things?... Its just eternal salvation we´re trying to help them with.... But thats alright. If they dont want to come to church because of the rain, thats alright. Sorry, im kinda complaining, but its tough ya know? We spend all day everyday trying to help them, but they just dont understand the importance. Honestly i dont think i did either before the mission. But that is one thing that I have definitely learned. I understand the importance of the gospel so much more. I realize how short this life is, and also how significant these short years that we live on earth. They determine our eternity. That´s one concept that still blows my mind,...  But its hard because people here dont really seem to realize that there is more to life than drinking beer, smoking, and watching soccer... But we´re trying to help them.

Transfers are next week. Im thinking im going to get transferred. I´ve been here in Setúbal for almost 4 months. I think that my times almost up here. Its hard, because I know this area has potential. I´ve seen it. It´s just hard sometimes. The members, the people, .... things are just slow here sometimes. But i know we have investigators that will get baptized soon. Even if its not in the time frame we want, the Lord has a plan, and it´s a lot better than our selfish desires.

Well, tomorrow will make 6 months on the mission. It really is crazy to me how fast time goes by. A fourth of my mission is already passed. I only have a year and a half left.  Melinda is already a senior companion and has less than a year left. Life is short, and my mission is way short. It really made me reflect and recommit to being the best missionary i can be and help everyone i can in these remaining 18 months. I dont have much time left, even though to you guys it seems like i wont be home forever. Dont worry, I´ll be back... sooner than you think. NO WAIT..... When you think... it´ll just come fast. haha

I got a lot of letters this week. Tell Grandma and Grandpa I sent them letters already. It sounds like they arnt getting my letters.... But if they´re at the cabin I hope they  get forwarded to their cabin... because i sent them to their house in Pueblo... They´ll get them eventually at home. I hope.

I love you all. Hope you all are doing "magical".... I miss you. Be safe , and make good choices.

Love and miss you

Elder Tracy

Monday, July 11, 2011

July 11, 2011 Letter

Dear Family,

This week has been a good one. Kinda rough but still good. It´s good to hear that everyones doing good. Glad everyone had a good fourth of july. Sounds different than mine, but still good. I miss fireworks... It kinda stinks not being able to buy or do any, but it´s ok. In a year and a half we´ll have a giant firework party alright?

Not much real exciting news this week. So i´ll just talk about some things that i think are kinda cool.

The woman we baptized on the 2nd, is so amazing. We stopped by a lot this past week. She is so solid. She´s just absolutely amazing in everyway. She knows everything. She´s even inviting her neighbors to come listen. They arnt really interested in our church, but Maria sure is doing everything she can. The family of one of her sons spent a couple of days at her house. We explained to them what our purpose as missionaries is, what the church is like, stuff like that. Well they left, but a couple days later Maria told us that her son, whose family was there, was going to go to the ward where they live. He´s going to stop smoking and drinking. Wow, right? All of these changes come because of one woman. One amazing woman. If she wouldnt have gotten baptized, this family wouldnt have ever gone to church, her son never wouldve decided that he needs to stop drinking and smoking. Ya know? It´s just amazing how much of a difference one person can have. Sometimes, I know i feel inadequate. Like nothing i do is even helping. But then i see these amazing experiences. These amazing changes that are happing because of the gospel, and it reenergizes me to keep working hard. To keep finding people that the gospel can help. The gospel really is an amazing thing. I love it.

Something else that i absolutely love, is sacrament meetings. Now, more than ever. Because Pedro is passing the sacrament. I absolutley love it. It makes me feel so good inside to see him doing his priesthood duties, to know the priesthood is blessing the lives of that family. I cant even express how excited i am till next June, when that family will go to the temple, recieve their endowments, and be sealed for all time and eternity. I ... I cant even explain how excited i am. I just cant wait. The temple is such a great blessing and in 11 months they will get to experience it. Ahh! Its so great!

We had a family night with a family here in Setubal. They talked about the importance of families. They made paper chains and wrote everyones names on one. Then he had everyone think of something they wanted to do, but not being able to do it with the people you love. Then he hooked them all together. But left it as a chain. Then he connected the first with the last, and explained the importance of the temple. It changes our families from being just some people whos lives are connected, to a family who can be together throughout eternity. Then i got thinking about generations. There´s one family who is sealed, then the kids can be sealed... and it just keeps going. It´s just amazing. It really is. I absolutely love the temple. It´s so amazing.

Those are the coolest things that are happening, or at least what im thinking about right now. Sounds like all´s good back at home. I love you all. Keep up the good work and always remember that we can be together forever through the temple, and doing what the Lord expects of us. SO DONT BE STUPID!... Love ya, haha

Elder Tracy

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

July 4, 2011 Letter

Happy fourth of July! It feels weird... It´s not the same, but it´s good. Yesterday, we had lunch with an American consulate. He made ribs and mashed potatoes and corn bread and pecan pie. It was really good. Not like being at home, but it was still a little 4th of July. It was nice.

This week was good. Im happy. I really am. I promise. But, some highlights.

We got a new mission president as well. It was kinda a weird day. Elder Hocker and I went to the mission office earlier that day to get a prescription filled for E. Hocker. But it was weird. He said he´d been crying a lot, his son was crying. Just a lot of tears. Then, later we went to the airport to great the new mission president. It was a really cool experience. There were like 40 or 50 missionaries. We all started singing the mission hymn when we walked through the gate. Everyone in the airport was staring, but we didn't care. It was super cool. So, new mission president. Exciting stuff.

Next, we had a baptism... It was a real miracle. We had been earlier and she was kinda hesitant. She had a problem with "her man"... The father of her children. She said she would get baptized. So, the ZL´s came and interviewed her. Her name is Maria. But, she said she didn't want to. She had some real doubts. But they did the interview anyways. Everything was good. Then the Zone Leader, Elder Labrum, told her to pray that night and ask if she should really get baptized tomorrow or wait a week. So we went back the next morning and asked how it went. She said no. Ugh, i died a little inside right then. It was awful. But we talked to her a little. We found out that she had a debt. One of her children died and so she owes 3000 Reais. So this man helps pay 200 a month. And she´s scared that he´ll stop helping. But we told her that we cant fear anyone else except God. she just has to do what´s right and the Lord will help. So she thought, and then said that she´d get baptized. It was a real miracle. She just left everything that she had... She doesn't know whats going to happen, but she has so much faith to get baptized. To leave everything to do what she knows is right. It was amazing. She´s such a sweet lady too. It was really awesome. So cool. It made me think that i cant worry about other people. Just do whats right. Just do what the Lord wants me to do.

Well... don't know what else to say. The work is going really good. We have some people to teach, and the members are getting more excited about the work. They´re inviting a lot of their friends to be taught. It´s really exciting.

Well, that's about it. The work is good. I love you all.  I miss you and hope everything is going good. Talk to you next week. Love ya.

Elder Tracy.

Monday, June 27, 2011

June 27, 2011 Letter

Lets see, what else..... Oh ya. Last Monday, our pday. We spent the whole day with one of our investigators. His name is Diego. We walked along the beach, helped him with English, and just talked. Then we went and got açai, and went to teach him. Then he bought us dinner. So it was great. There´s a real problem if we´re spending our pdays with investigators and they don't get baptized right? But anyway, it was a little late, it was 9:30. So we started booking it home. But it´s on the other side of our area, so buy the time we got home it was like 10:15. But, what really makes me mad are the members that drive by and yell, "Oi Elderes! Horário!" Like yelling at us for being on the street. But hello!!!  You know the rules, why don't you pull over and say., "hey elders, its a little late, can i help out by giving you a ride home?" Is that too hard? Ugh, just wish some people here were a little more helpful, and a little less nagging. But, ya. That's me on my soapbox. Sorry.

So this week has been a little rough. It was a holiday on Thursday called São João. Some holiday celebrating John the Baptist. They all build fires in the streets, do fireworks all night long, eat a lot, A LOT, of corn, and drink a lot of beer. Plus, the parties are a lot bigger in the interior, cities like Gravatá or Caruaru. So, everybody leaves the beach, and travels 2 or 3 hours to go to these parties. So there weren't really a lot of people here. It was weird. We´d walk down the streets and they´d be empty. Really weird. But hey, they´re having fun right?

That's about it. Just a lot of missionary work. Sometimes its really tough to be a missionary. Life would just be easier at home. But, I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I know its where the Lord wants me to be. So that's where I am. I can only do what I can, but that's what I´ll do. I love being a missionary. Knowing that there are so many people out there that i can help, that need me..... It just makes me want to be the best missionary i can. I don't know how to explain it. Its just a different feeling than im used to. But its great. I love it. I know this church is true. I love it. And i love and miss you all. Keep being your good ol´ selves.

Elder Tracy

Thursday, June 23, 2011

June 20, 2011 Letter

Dear Everyone,

Another week come and gone.  So yesterday was my 5 month mark! Yay for 5 months...... haha

Ok. This week has been a little tough. I have a new companion, Elder Hocker, so i have to kinda show the area and find people to teach and stuff. So its been different. I'm used to Paiva telling me what we´re going to do. We´re trying to find new people. It´s hard. There are a lot of big buildings that we cant just go knock, or clap, door to door. So we got like 50 pamphlets of the plan of salvation and wrote our phone number, the address of the church, stuff like that, and left it with the gate keeper guys. Hopefully someone calls us. That´d be great.

We´ve been teaching Maria this week. She still has a problem with her "husband".. But we´re getting through it, and we remarked her baptism for this Saturday. She´s an amazing woman, she´s just used to a different lifestyle. Everyone in Brazil is. It´s so different. But i can see the gospel really changing her life.

Something kinda cool is last Monday we were teaching Diego in the house of the ward mission leader in Setubal 1. There were also 6 Americans there for a study abroad program. They all had served missions in Brazil so it was like a lesson with 8 missionaries. But at the end, my heart started beating fast and my face got really hot, and i felt like inviting him to be baptized. I was a little confused because we´ve asked him 2 weeks in a row and he´s always said he´s not ready. But i asked him anyway. And..... he still said that he´s not ready. Kinda a letdown huh? But he said something interesting. He said he´s thought a lot about his baptism. He´s just looking for a bigger something. And he doesn't know if the bigger something will come before or after his baptism. But he´s really a good guy, and he´s progressing a lot. I know he didn't accept the invitation to be baptized, but i know there was a reason i had the feeling to invite him. And I'm glad i followed that feeling.

But ya, other than that just another week in the service of the Lord. It´s great. I'm really loving my mission. It´s super hard at times, I get really tired at times, but i know that this church is true. I know that I'm here helping people have the greatest thing they can have on this earth, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It´s amazing and i love it.

I love you all. Keep being the great people you are.

Elder Tracy

Thursday, June 16, 2011

June 13, 2011 Letter

Dear Everyone,

Sounds like things are going really good at home. Well another week.... It was a great one. This week we focused a lot on Pedro. 2 weeks ago he finally accepted baptism after 3 years of missionaries. He went to catholic school and was a catholic priest. He was searching for the truth and was really trying to do good with his life. Anyways, his whole family are members... his wife, and his son. So it was really exciting when he accepted. So this last week was foccused a lot around him, making sure his questions, doubts were gone. But honestly he didnt have many. He´d been taught by missionaries for 3 years so he was pretty darn solid. The only question he had was where he could get garments... It was great. But his baptism was on Saturday. It was really something. We went there at 2 to help the family with food and such. THen went back at 5 to clean the font and set up more. The font didnt fill up very fast, and Pedro is a big guy, so we had to speed up the process by filling it up with buckets. And who says missionaries dont do a lot with their arms? Phew.... But the baptism was something special. There were like 50 people there. It was so cool. He had his son Aeron baptize him. WHen he came out of the water they hugged for about a minute. It was so cool!! The spirit was so strong. Then after, Pedro and Aerlani both bore their testimonies about family and all the missionaries that helped throughout those 3 years. It felt good to know that we were able to have a part and to finish and really help that family even more. Im really excited too, because in one year i get to go to their sealing in the temple! It´s going to be so cool!

Well thats basically the week...... except... TRANSFERS!!!

AND..............................................................................

im staying in Setubal. But Paiva got transfered. He´s going to be a Zone Leader in Olinda for his last transfer. Remember earlier when i said i was pretty sure i was getting transfered and he was staying and training? Well after that he and President had a little chat and Paiva told him that he couldnt do it. He needed someone to help push, or drag, him. So thats what happened. Ok so the part you all want to know. My new companion is Elder Hocker. He´s from Idaho Falls, and he laughed when i said Dad was from (Ririe?) But he´s good. Hes been out for almost a year. Im looking forward to get to know him.

Well thats about it. Things on the mission are great. I love it. I can already see it changing my life. Its great.

I love you all. Think about you lots, but not too much...

Elder Tracy

Monday, June 6, 2011

June 6, 2011 Letter

Dear Family,

Sounds like things are good at home.  Well, this has been a good week. The most exciting news is we had a 2 baptisms, and marked 2 more. It´s been a busy week, teaching them everyday and such. We had stake conference this weekend so we had the baptism in the morning. They´re usually at night here, so it was different. But it was good. 2 young women, Leila and Estefani. Im trying to send a picture, I´ll work on that later.

This week will be busy as well. Tonight we´re going to mark another baptism for Diego. He´s a referal from Setubal 1. He´s 21 and our ward mission leader found him on the beach playing soccer. They talked, and he came to church the next day. He also came to stake conference, which was cool because it was in a different city. But ya, Diego is cool. He´s been coming to our english classes too. We teach the bishop and now Diego every wednesday night. It´s good. They learn english, and i piece together grammer principles. It helps me to understand better. It also is a great missionary tool. 2 weeks ago we were in the bishops office, and Diego started asking questions about the prophet, because of the pictures. Then we started talking about it. It just opens lots of doors for teaching. It´s great.

The other 2 marked for this Sunday are Maria, the awesome lady I told you about before, and a man named Pedro. Pedro has been going to church for about 3 years. His wife is a member, his son is a member, ... he´s just been postponing for ever. But last Monday we went there and invited him. It was great. The silence after you ask is crucial. It gives a chance for the spirit to tell them it´s true. He looked around and nobody said anything. And he accepted! It was a great night! So ya, 3 baptisms this Sunday, hopefully. 2 Men, and 1 Woman. It will be great.

Next monday is transfers. Im pretty sure im going to be transfered.... Mostly because President Emerick called Paiva. First he asked him what he wanted to do his last transfer, then he told him what will probably happen next transfer, disregarding whatever Paiva said earlier, so I´m not really sure why he asked. But, Paiva will stay in Setubal and train again, which means I´ll be transfered somewhere else. Im excited. I´m really looking forward to the new experience. New companion, hopefully someone who doesnt speak any english so i can learn more, new area, just new everything. It will be great.

Not much else to say. Life is good here. Love you all.

Elder Tracy