AM letter: September 15th, 2009
Minha Querida Familia!
So this week I decided that instead of spending two hours writing a letter which will have to be transcribed by my mom into text for e-mails, I would spend two hours writing an outline of all of the interesting things I could possible say, and then attempt to cram it all into an e-mail. Hopefully this works! Hopefully you like it! Mom, if not, please tell me to continue sending letters.
Boy boy boy, the last letter I got from everybody got here yesterday, which is like 5 days later than usual. This is because a huge rainstorm blew through, and shut down the city. Woah! Cars were underwater! The nearby canal was overflowing! People were trapped on islands of concrete! The city. Shut. Down. Can you believe the 4th largest city in the world would have this problem? I loved it, though I feel bad for the people. It was slightly apocalyptic. However, it only lasted for about half a day, and after that it wasn’t so bad. However, apparently it drastically slowed down the mail.
Mom, thanks for taking notes of my blessing! I loved getting them. They’re now sitting next to my patriarchal blessing. I have been holding on to a couple sentences I remember from the blessing: that I would have an easy time with the language, that I would enjoy the culture, and that I would have leadership opportunities. However, now that you’ve jogged my memory, I have a whole bunch of other blessings to ponder and keep sacred. I'll remember now to thank God specifically for those things, when they come up in my mission. Sweet. I also love the part about me being able to give many blessings. It's somewhat already come true! I've been able to give two very powerful blessings while I've been here. In one, I was impressed to say something which that Elder later said I couldn’t have known about. Awesome. I love blessings because I feel the spirit so strong even when I'm just participating in laying on hands. I love giving blessings because every time I feel it improves my testimony because I can feel the words coming to me through the Priesthood and through God. I love it.
The twin musical performance was awesome. I was so scared, but I love that I did it now. The other twins are going to separate missions, and unfortunately I haven’t seen them as much since we did the performance. They might’ve left, actually. I do love singing here. We get very much opportunities to sing and to listen to music, and through the spirit I've been able to enjoy them very much. Its like divine entertainment. Though I brought a bunch of songs on my iPod, I find that I've already listened to my Mormon Tabernacle songs ten times more than all the others. Love it. However, singing has been hard recently. My voice was gone for a couple of days, and is slowly coming back. Can't sing! Boy do I try though. Some Elder don’t like that I try. I think I mess them up cause I'm so hoarse right now. Its funny. Portuguese hymns are the bomb though. Especially because we know the hymns in English so well, you can pretty much translate as you go along in Portuguese very easily. It’s a great learning tool I think. That's probably why they make us sing so much.
Elder Connor and his Companion
We are all on a Hero's Journey. You don’t have to be on a mission. I am now simultaneously on a hero's journey here on my mission, on a HJ for my life, on a HJ for eternity. Loops within loops within loops. The phases of the Hero's Journey are as follows: ordinary life, a call to action / rejection of the call, acceptance of the call, entrance into the journey and the new world, the making of friends, enemies, and the overcoming of trials, then there is a last battle in which all you’ve learned pushes you to the belly of the whale / the innermost cavern, the hero achieves victory and reward, but then must return home. The hero dies, then rises with the elixir of life which… heals the wasteland of the ordinary life. Match up the following story of my mission to the above 12 steps: I'm living at home, bored, waiting to do something, I get my mission call! It's scary, but I accept it, and get ready to leave to Brazil. I go on my flight to Brazil, and I'm in a strange new world. Now, I'm having to overcome many challenges, meeting tons of people, gaining friends, not very many enemies, but still it is a growing experience. When in my mission will I have a final battle? Who knows. More to come. Awesome.
The weather has been colder than I thought. Foggy and rainy. I haven’t really needed a sweater or anything, but its odd that its always overcast here. Its winter, so that’s probably the reason. Ill eat it up while I can; I hear it’ll be super hot in a while.
I love the food at the CTM. However, its always the same. That’s my only problem. You'd get tired of huge steaks too if you ate them every day. My favorite things here are the desserts: they serve cinnamon flan cake sometimes, and also some awesome desert called pastels which are filled with chocolate and coconut and fried somehow. Wish I could describe it better. Its different.
Mom, good job on the plum jelly! I think its so cool you're still learning stuff. Intelligence is the glory of god. Continue learning about the world and you'll continue loving it. Keep up the exercising as well! I'm doing push ups and volleyball and crunches every day! I'm gonna be ripped! You can too!
Glad Dad is doing well, I'm so thankful for him and the effort he is making to support all of us. Just gotta keep the spirit and the Lord will lead us in our paths, despite whether they be good or bad. You’ve just got to find comfort in the fact that it’s the path the Lord wants you in. I'm praying for you Dad. I love you.
I just found the last card you hid, yesterday! It was Kaitlin's, and it was in my study journal. It was so awesome. It took me three weeks to find it! You guys are awesome. I go through those cards everyday before bed.
Lynsey, I'm glad you're having a good time this year! Maybe though, it’s the fact that you worked so hard last year, and got stronger, so now this year seems easy, though it may not actually be easy. Cool. I'm doing the same thing here in the CTM; it gets harder, but I'm getting stronger too. So its okay. Just don’t sweat it too much and enjoy the opportunity to push yourself. That’s hard to do, but I it has worked very well for me. I love that you're reading the Scarlet Letter. I really liked that book. As you read, keep in mind how glorious the atonement is. Without Christ, tragedies like those that occur in the book occur. That story is the testament to the need of a Savior. Perhaps you could use that in an essay? Heh, that'd be hard, but it’d be awesome. I love literature. Keep writing me about the books you are reading! Perhaps I can give some pointers or something.
Kaitlin, I love you! I'm just doing language classes in Brazil. No teaching real people yet. But in 5 weeks I will! It'll be awesome. Tell me about the things you learned this week! Especially what words you learned in Japanese! I love learning languages now, so send me stuff you know!
Family, will you do something for me? Will you try to read some of the Book of Mormon every day? A chapter, a page, or even a verse. Anything helps. I promise as you do this that you'll have the spirit with you, which will act as a personal Liahona for you in your life. No matter where it leads you, it will be for your benefit. I testify that by the Spirit we can do great things, and it will lead us to joy in the end.
Nick and Zach! Reading this? Just want to do a quick shout out. You'll love being in the MTC. It's so awesome. You can prepare just by reading scriptures, and making sure you give meaningful prayers whenever you pray. Pray to know about anything you are questioning. I know you'll receive the truth as an answer if you do this.
Family: I love ya. I'm so thankful for you in my life. Thank you so much for your words. It helps me so much.
Unfortunately, I’ve run far far past the time allocating to me to send my letter. Whoops. Uploading videos has caused me to far overshoot this time. I apologize that you wont be getting a letter later: apparently I can't type quick enough to fit an hour outline into an email. Shoot. Here's the rest, I'll leave the details up to your imaginations.
So let me tell you about this last week very quickly. Last week was hard: I got sick, and classes were hard, and I was super homesick. I got over it though, and now I'm loving being here more than ever. I hope that cycle continues so I can enjoy the work even more. I love the scriptures now. Just entertainment for me now. Now I know what Dad was talking about. Okay, I'm getting kicked off! Sorry! Bye! Tchau. Later!
I know the Gospel is true! Love love love love!
Connor
Written letter received later.....
09-15-2009
Mom, Dad, Lynsey, Kaitlin!
I felt bad about not getting to write all that I wanted to today. So you get a letter after all! Hurrah! I’m going to try to continue exactly where I left off in my email.
Okay, I am going to write about a bunch of details of my life here in Brasil. Sorry if I get a bit choppy.
So I already mentioned that this last week was hard for me. Headache, sore throat, homesick, class finally getting difficult. I had a moment in class where I thought (I am ashamed to say) “What am I doing here?” I was amused at this thought, because it was so unexpected and not according to the pattern of positive thinking that I’ve established. Secretly, I was glad that I finally had something to work out of. It was a difficult, monotonous week, but on the 12th we had a fireside that night, and all the missionaries who were leaving that week stood up and sang “If You Could Hie to Kolob” and changed the last verse to be Brasil-missionary specific. I had a wave of comfort and euphoria, and since then, I have been physically somewhat better, and my difficulties have been the same, but in a strange way, I am happy for it. Happy for the opportunity to endure such trials because the Lord knows I can handle it. Also, I may or may not have said already: I haven’t felt like I was on my mission, or was a missionary, since I got here. Until I heard that song, that is.
On the 13th in our Priesthood meeting, our branch president also gave a lesson on how, in the preexistence we were called to serve a mission in Brasil. Look Jeremiah 1:5 to see how this is true. We were all preordained for this. I loved it. Wanted to give a “Hoorah!” right after. So needless to say, despite having a headache and sniffles right now…. I’m pumped. Bring it on! (Mom, I’m not too sick. Lots of people here have it way worse than me. Winter months, they say.)
Elder Brendon, Elder Getz (a friend from high school!) and Elder Connor
I’ll give one short experience before I move on to more entertaining and practical details. So after the fireside on the 12th, we had a district meeting, 8 elders, 3 sisters. I had just had that spiritual experience, but I hadn’t yet put it into words or even thoughts. I knew that I would have to give my testimony in District Meeting though. It was the only thing I could think, and it kept nagging at me, “Share your testimony, share your testimony”. This went on for 15 minutes while the District Leader took care of news and business. Finally, I raised my hand, and said I had something I wanted to say. I had no idea what words to say before I stood up, but as soon as I did, I talked for about 10 minutes straight, on becoming a missionary, on fulfilling the yearning to bring souls to Christ, on our divine calling and how we should live every day in the CTM as if it were our last day there. It was probably the most I’ve ever felt the spirit talk through me. I’m still astounded that it happened. We’ve been having some obedience and attitude and unity issues, and I feel that it was very important for my district to hear those words. Even if no one listened, though, it totally testified to me the power and reality of the spirit. I love being a missionary. Anyone can receive that kind of experience, but it is so much easier when you are being held to a higher standard to actually live it. Cool.
Okay, now for some funny details of my day-to-day activities. In bullet-point-list-style!
*Sao Paulo is a maze of crooked streets and crammed storefronts. And it’s not flat. At all. Awesome.
*Favorite P-day eats? Avacado smoothies followed by choco-coconut fried pastels (with an okay glass of lukewarm milk)
*Our district stays up late telling stories and I love it. Dad, you’re a big hit in my district!
*Just had an awesome conversation with some new Brasilians. Understood everything and understood how to respond quickly! (They were probably speaking slowly and easily for us though.) :) Brasilians rock!
* Our district is unfortunately called ”the sick district” or “the district that needs to be quarantined”. Haha. Doctor’s solution for each one of us? Snort warm salt water. It’s so unnatural, but it freaking works. You feel like you’re drowning. It’s embarrassing to do it alone because you start tearing up and every orifice of your mouth leaks and the noise is hilarious. So we do it as a whole district. And it’s freaking hilarious. 8 guys submitting themselves to this ridiculous prescription. Haha! The whole bathroom clears out when we go in. But we’re all laughing as we simulate drowning, because it’s so gross. I think it’s kinda fun now. “Ya gonna go snort?” is a common question, and we all have salt packets in our pockets. Funny detail…
*All the lights here are on motion sensors. They go off after a couple of minutes if no one is there. So we always are trying to sneak past them. The goal? Make it through the stairs and down the hall to your room without being sensored. Nobody has done it yet, but we’re getting closer everyday. It’s fun. We look forward to it after meetings.
*Brendon and I have been handing back and forth a piece of paper for the past couple of days, whenever we pass each other in the halls. We can only draw a couple of things before passing it back. It’s fun. We’ve got quite masterpiece going on so far. Nice to interact with him a bit more than is usually possible.
*I’d like to mail you guys my Ipod at some point so you can put a bunch more stuff on. The rules are much less restrictive than I thought. Guys play Coldplay here. I want more. I’ve listened to everything a million times. Possible? We’ll talk. It’d be a nice Christmas or birthday present.
*Out of time and out of paper! I love you guys and you’ll hear from me soon! Be good! Love love love!
From Con!
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