The last 2 weeks of missionary updates :)

December 3rd, 2012

Online Chat with Elder Heath!!

Branden: Good morning mom and dad! This week my keyboard has a question mark!!! ??? ha How is everyone?

Dad: Good Morning, We are wonderful.  I will go gather mom and Trevor.  Dad

Branden:  Awesome! Sorry it took a little long for us to get to the lan house. We did a deep clean of our house this morning. President Souza is coming to our house this week!  And I am trying to start a habit of exercises so I jumped rope and did some arm workouts! 

Dad and Mom:  Mom and I are here now.  How has your week been?  Have you read our original e-mail?  Will you be able to print the essay questions or will you need to write them down?  What is the Ian House?  Do other missionaries live there?  Or is it an internet cafe type place?  Good job with the exercising.  Are you having a zone conference with Pres. Souza?  How long do you have to be on the computer?

Branden:  My morning has been awesome! Thanks a ton for the essay questions! I will be able to print them out to work on them. The questions are a little different this year with the choice of 5 characteristics  And yes I read the e mail! Sounds like Tony´s  ordination was awesome! He even blessed the sacrament! I really cant wait to see tony again and see the difference in him. It almost doesn't seem real that he is so active! I wish I could give him a huge hug! Did Cameron enjoy it? Did you tell him hi for me?

Mom:  I told Cameron that you are excited to see him when you get home.  I guess that is kind of like telling him hi!  He looks really good and seems to be happy.  He was excited to have the gluten free bread and cookies I made.  Alex was too.  They are both really doing well.

Branden:  Ya, it is a internet cafe. ha We have one hour to be on the computer, and ya, we have our Christmas conference with Pres. Souza this week! Together with a talent show that will take place!  This week will be packed! On Tuesday we are traveling to Fortaleza on the bus, then Friday we are giving the zone conference, with the trainings and everything. Then on Sunday we have district conference! It will be a busy week!

Mom:Are you participating in the talent show? It sounds like life as a zone leader is quite different for you.  Are you still going out and visiting investigators?

Branden:  I will play a song on the guitar.. or a melody of four songs. Two in Portuguese and two in English put together! Ya, Life as a zone leader is different. We work in our area still! Oh ya! But lots of times we need to put others in priority

Branden:  So we do lots of divisions to help the other areas. Our area is very strong and is ready to become a ward. We have all the men active and enough people at church, but the other areas in our zone are needing a little more to become a ward. And then we can make a STAKE here in JUAZEIRO!!!!!!!!

Dad:  Putting others first is a good lesson to be learning.  Will you get to be on a nice bus for the ride to Fortaleza or a not so nice bus?  Then will Pres. Souza come back with you to your area?  

Branden:  Oh ya, we get the luxury bus!!!! Our seats are practicably beds! and there is Air conditioning! We will come back by bus. It would be nice to come with Presidente Souza, but they fly. So we will leave before them and arrive after them! haha is everyone there?

Dad:  Sounds like you are doing great work to make the members stronger.  Do you have any baptisms coming up?  How much are you teaching or talking at these zone and district conferences?  How is the Portuguese?  Are you feeling fluent?  There was a question on the application about other languages spoken and we will need to indicate that you are proficient in Portuguese.

Dad:  Just mom and I.  Trevor wanted to get up, but he is growing and needs alot of sleep.  His alarm has gone off but he is still in bed.  Danielle was up until 3 a.m. working on English literature homework.

Dad:  I am going to let mom take over so I can go get showered and ready for work.  I love you and look forward to talking to you on Christmas.  Keep up the great work and remember even though you are busy to do the important things like praying and studying your scriptures.  We are very proud of you and the valiant missionary you are.

Branden:  We had one baptism this last week, and we have two men that will be baptized this week. we are very blessed here in our area. at the conferences we give the training to the missionaries and so it is usually two hours hat we talk. I am getting better and better in Portuguese every day, but I am fluent. That would be awesome to put that I speak two languages. 

Branden:  Thanks! Good luck at work! My time is just about out too.... 

Mom:  How awesome to be baptizing future priesthood holders.  Do you like being a leader and being up in front of everyone teaching others?  I would imagine you do like it. 

Branden:  I love it. But not because I am in front of others, but you learn so much more when you have the opportunity to teach. You really find out what you are capable of. And it is very satisfying to see others apply what you taught, and have it work! Its awesome!

Mom:  So, are we ok with "talking" to you on the computer? We aren't breaking any rules are we?

Branden:  no, I already asked Presidente. Don't worry. But my time is out! I love you all and I hope you have the best week ever!

Mom:  It sounds like you are a natural leader!  You are a lot like your dad in that way!  He has a very natural ability to know what to say and how to say it.

Branden:  Give a big hug to everyone for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are all the best! three weeks and we will talk!

Mom: I love you too!!!

December 10th, 2012 

Hello family!

First off, I am sending one of the questions that I answered for Cassie to look at. There probably are spelling errors, but its good!!!

And Sister Reynolds wants to get in contact with mom, and maybe when they go to the temple visit everyone! That is my companions family! They are really awesome and you will love them!!! He is one of my favorite companions and so I know you all will love his family!

Early this morning we got up to go on an adventure! We grabbed a trail and ran up it! It was sooooo steep it was a crazy workout. But there is a man ( Padre Cicero) That created the city juazeiro. So there is a statue of him at the top of a mountain that we visited. It is a hard hike, and people believe that if you hike up the hill, and walk around the statue three times you are cured. I don't believe that but if you walk up the mountain everyday you sure would be in good shape! There were tons of beautiful flowers and jungle on the way! I love Brazilian trees! The best thin too, is we got to the top and I bought tons of coconut water that was really cheap, and we chugged it all1!!! oh ya!!!!!!

We came back down that grabbed the best açai I have eaten in my life!!! It is made with the actual fruit, so it is really fresh!

In our branch we don't do everything but we have to teach lesson sometimes because someone forgot. Or give talks because someone forgot but it is pretty normal.

Yes we passed with flying colors our clean inspection! Our house was super clean! We are applying a Japanese organization called 5-S that works really well.

And we will spend time with members on Christmas night at a FHE. It should be really fun! We are going to a family that we re activated!!!!

This week we had a family of 6 come to church! They loved it and they got to know the members really well!!!!! We then had an awesome baptismal meeting after the meetings. Two couples were baptised and a man that is looking to get married! I love baptismal services that are big!!!! 

We had a Christmas conference that was awesome too! Presidente and Sister Souza told us lots of stories of their christmas´ and I was stuck in the thoughts of home for a bit! remembering all of the wonderful times we have had during the seasons! I love Christmas sooooo much!!!!!

So the talk of skype came up in a meeting with presidente, so skype might be possible. I will let everyone know next week! What time is best for everyone to talk? If we use skype it will be on the 24th. By phone will be 25th. So if you all could send me the best times for everyone on these two dates that would be great!

I love you all and wish you all a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Elder Heath