Flood

HOLA!!!!

So about the package you are sending, we got a little info about how to send it. On the list of things that you write, don't write things that you can only buy in the US because we will have to pay to receive the package as well. So putting like candies... sheets.... toys would be ideal. Because its been happening a lot that missionaries are paying 100 reals to pick up a package which is kinda crazy. :) But anything else you want to put in there is awesome... food.... little toys anything is awesome maybe one of those head massager things that looks like a spider :) Thanks a ton for doing all of this! And I was thinking about Jesus the Christ but We should wait on that because I have some friends going home that might give me their Jesus the Christ :) YOUR THE BEST!

So this week I found out some pretty cool things! First of all I have this buddy Elder Jay that just went home last week and I was talking to some other missionaries about him and found out some interesting things. Did you know that Parents can pick missionaries up from their missions? They cant stay longer than their mission allows but parents can come and be with us for the last week of our mission! I was hearing about Elder Jay who is from Washington. His parents came for the last week and they actually did missionary work with him. He said that they went around and did some tracting and taught a couple lessons. His parents would talk and he would translate! ///they had a really cool experience where without the translation his parents understood what the investigator said. Prettty cool. But So they did a little missionary work and they were also allowed to go around and visit all of his previous areas with his parents. I think it was pretty awesome! I was just thinking about you meeting our baptisms and our members just in my first area would be so awesome! But just a little heads up.... I have no idea how mush it is to do all of that its gotta be pretty spendy but just letting you guys know, in case you might want to start learning Portuguese ;) ha

Also this week on Thursday we were going around to all of our appointments and it was sunny and hot. We got out of a house and it started pouring! And when people say that it rains in POURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT was ridiculous! We were lucky to be close to a snack shop. We camped out in there for a bit but it just started raining harder and harder!!! I tried to take some pictures of the rain but not too many because I didn't want to ruin my camera. But The streets were rivers in 15 min! and we were walking home and there was seriously white water in the streets from all of the rain! And our way to our house was FLOODED with water! So there is a picture, where the water was at one point was almost to our knees!!! IN THE STREET! It was crazy! I was really grateful that I bought covers for my scriptures because without them they would of been soaked! And I have some news about the waterproof socks we bought.... I think they should say water proof for rain in the U.S. haha I told my comp that my feet should be dry when we got home. I took my shoe off and my sock was soaked in and out! ha But we were wading through 2 feet of water so.... ya. It was a good day though. I love the rain and playing in the water! My companion also has this thing for killing frogs.... and he hit a new record of 6 frogs that night! ha It was crazy how many frogs came out! /but this week was an awesome week of work, and we will hopefully have two more baptisms this weekend! I am super excited for them! I love finding the people here that really want to change their lives and be members.

But it sounds like everything at home is going great! with all the valentines, and dancing and love in the air! And Danielle breaking it out on the dance floor! sounds pretty awesome! But I love you all and I cant wait to hear from you next week!

Love Elder Heath!!!

With love, from Fortaleza

Happy Valentines DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think Valentines day isn't that big of a deal when you are a missionary ha We had an elder get a package from his girlfriend and she sent heart suckers and so that was our Valentine's day! YES!!!!!!!!! /

So I have a couple ideas before I start my week. MOM! That is so awesome that you are reaching out to the families that are not so active in our ward and trying to help them re activate! You are completely right! It is definitely not easy! But a way I have found out to get people excited for church is through activities. Doing joint family home evenings and doing things that they like gets people to realize that you can be a member and still have fun. The other week there was this lady Ana Maria that stopped going to church. And she makes popsicles for a living. So we spent our P day helping her make popsicles all day and conversing all day. We then left here with a scripture to read and pray about. And that helped her a lot, and she is going to church again! But it is not easy work. I always remember a devotional that we watched in the CTM about Jeffery R Holland and he was talking about tracting and trying to talk with families and when everything is falling through and nothing is going the way that you want it.......Stop go buy an ice cream cone.... the continue working! :) I apply this alot here :) But keep trying, you are doing awesome!

And Dad That is funny that you passed by that best western. And running by the bridge I don't remember seeing a wave as I was running. I think that is probably because I was dying along that path. ha Clinging on to the trees to keep on my feet. ha That is cool that you are in the same place I was just a couple of months ago. And yes, I heard yesterday that Whitney Housten died! We were at a members house and he showed us some pictures of here and man she looked like she was in bad shape! We did a tribute to whitney housten in one of my pictures that I sent. AND I......WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! haha

Trev! That is awesome that you gave a talk in priesthood! Man you are growing up so fast! How did it go? Im sure it was awesome! And you are going to your first dance!!! That is so exciting! So I have a little advice! My first dances I can remember like it was yesterday! I was scared out of my mind! I remember going to the dances and thinking to myself.....ok I will ask a girl to dance.... wait wait..... nothing ha and the reason that I was scared to dance is because I thought that the girls would say no.... So here is my advice for you. Girls will not say no if you ask them to dance. I know that for a fact! I have talked to many girls about it and they always say that they were waiting for someone to ask them to dance. So you just gotta ask the girls and know that they want to dance with you! Plus your a super stud so who doesn't want to dance with you! And there is also a trick that I used to do with girls. After every dance twirl the girl! If you do even something small like that, it is super fun and it makes the girls laugh! haha

Well I am sending a letter this week in the mail But I love all of you and until next week!

Elder Heath!

And in the package I would like a bed sheet with elastic for a twin. to wrap around the mattress, and also some heath candy bars :) That and the things from last week... the photos.

in the pictures we got a guitar this week and we caught 4 cockroaches in the pouches of my comp and the whitney housten tribute! haha

Updates from Brazil

Thanks a ton for the letter this week dad! I love hearing of all of the awesome things that are happening at home! I am also glad that you guys got my letters! I will be sending one tomorrow too for the request of mom :) I will start to try writing a letter every week here for you. So then you guys can know a little more that is going on here in Fortaleza. It is a little difficult for me summerizing everything that has happened in one e mail. And I like talking about what is happening at home. ut I will try to talk more about themish :) But real quick, that is awesome that you guys went and played tennis together! I cant wait to come ack to our tennis pro family! Danielle, sounds like you are going to be ruling the court this year! And if you are getting more power then you had when we played.... LOOK OUT! :) never e afraid to use that power... ut remember... with great power comes great responsability! :) ha And Dad you are starting up churchball again! That is super awesome! I have missed basketball a ton! I have not seen one basketball hoop in brasil yet! I heard there is a court aout 2 hours away in another area.... but thats it! Keep it up playing against those young guys that think they are good! Show them how the heaths play ball! ha And trev, keep it up with your scouting! Sounds like you are dominating! Scouts is a really good learning experience, and if you come to brazil it come in handy! We have to build huts to sleep in.... descend form mountains to get to lessons, catch fish and animals to eat! ha Those I pods are also sounding like a good investment! Dad learning angry birds and being ale to skype each other is pretty cool!

So here in Brasil! First off, the news on the temple is that in aout 2 years the temple will e uilt. (By the way, on this key board, the `B`` is stuck. Sorry if words dont have B´´s in them) But we have heard form members that the temple will be finished before my two years are up on the mission and also that it will e longer. So Im just hoping that it will be done before I leave! I think that would be really cool to be ale to visit the temple before I come home. I guess we will see!

Man, This week has been really interesting with the new transfer and everything. So im not sure if the whole country of brasil is like this but right around 12 in the afternoon until 3 EVERYONE DISAPPEARS!!! It didnt effect us really during training (first 2 transfers) because we were studying at that time. But now that we are out teaching at that time it is weird! It is seriously like a ghost town. We were walking around, and Resturants are closed...and markets are closed... at LUNCH TIME! Elder Matos says that it was like this in all of his areas too. Because lunch is the time when everyone is home together and when people have breaks form work. ut normally everyone is sleeping. We were contacting some references and almost all of the houses, we were waking people up. ha It is super different. And also the kids dont start school until after lunch. Talk aout sleeping in! And they only have school for 4 hours and 30 min! I was like what!! What happened in the USA? We have 6 hours and it starts at 7 in the morning? ha but it was good!

I had a really cool experience this week too! I got a little taste of training! There is an elder that just got into the field this last tuesday! And we did a division and so I got to help him study and we got to go out and do work together! It rought back a lot of memories that really were not that long ago. It was a really cool experience switching roles, and not being the one trained and training. I think Elder Matos is one of the best trainers in the field and it was such a blessing for me to have him as my first comp. Because I felt completely ready and while we were teaching we had some really awesome lessons. Elder Davis and I had an awesome day together and I cant wait until I can train someone on the mission! He said that he has family that lives in kennewick too.... Do you know any Davis``? he is from colorado. cool connection! But I know that I have received so much hep and that over these last three months I have been in the hands of our lord, and he has helped me every step of the way on my mission! I know that God lives and that he really does answer prayers.

I love you all,

Elder Heath

Also in a package I have a couple of things I could use. I wrote them down at home and forgot the list. One was a rubiks cube ha and some other things I will write next week :) Also some pictures ... of my baptism, with danielle and trev shooting guns, snowboarding, the trek, wakeboarding, and photos with the family. I think you can find most of them on my facebook but I will write more things next week :) thanks a ton! Love you guys!