September 28, 2010 - Letter Home

The Chase is On!

I thought Chase had left already! But that's super awesome that he's on his way, he'll be back in no time. 
I'm really quickly realizing how short two years really is: I'm already at 13 months down! 
Honestly, the difference is in just really buckling down and striving for success and the ability to help people, 
and it just flies. I don't know where this last month went.

Alex and Maria

Awesome President Photo

Camilla Smiles

Candid Camera

Ernesto

Feijao and family

Feijao Missionary Taxi Service

Feijaos last goodbye

Fernanda and family

Jairo and family

Joao and Margaret

Jorge and family

Juarez and Eliziane

Iani

Lil' Artur

Little more of Alex

Moacir

More Fejaio

President Sergio Eltonenos

Rogerio and family

Suzette's Family

I am in Elizabete again! Awesome! The area had been without missionaries and I got sent in to reclaim it from sisters! My companion is freaking awesome, Elder F. Ribeiro, brazilian from Sao Paulo, convert of 3 years, really cool guy and it'll be cool to work with him for this next transfer. We did manage to clean up the apartment in Rio Pardo (somewhat) for the sisters. :)

"Psycho companion - haha!"

"yeah, we're cool!"

That's great that you're keeping time to go to the temple. I'm feeling super blessed because I thought I wouldn't come back to an area close to the temple for a long time after I left Elizabete, and what's more, with a companion who hasn't gone in the last 3 months (These are the 2 requirements to go to the temple in our mission). But it happened! Elder F. Ribeiro arrived to the mission just one transfer ago so he hasn't been to the Porto Alegre temple yet, something I'll gladly help him out with! I'm super excited to go next P-day (but this and the fact that next week is a holiday may mean no e-mail... :(* ) !!! I love love love the temple! We've got to plan to go to the temple all of us together as a family soon after we come back! That would be sweet!

Gauchos!

Man, Mom, good job on reading the Old Testament! Last week I finished reading Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price in Portuguese. The PoGP is awesome! I loved the stories about Adam and Eve and Enoch in Moses! Such cool insights, especially relating to the temple! 
Loved it. Now I'm on to the New Testament. I wanted to read all the standard works in Portuguese while I was here, but I don't know if it'll work out with the Old Testament. We'll see what happens.

Very interesting to read the scripture stories (old testament especially) with an eye to how it relates to Christ. It made me remember the often stated phrase in our 1st lesson that all the prophets sent before Christ testified of Him. It would be interesting to try to go out and prove that! I'm going to integrate this into my own study. I love love love the scriptures. I'm (pretty much) regularily waking up at 5:30 to just an hour of straight reading in. In my normal study time I try to focus on the lessons, Preach my Gospel, and investigator needs. Love it. :)  

My washing machine...

"Let me teach you a lesson here"...

"What am I doing here?..."

"Yeah, we wash plates..."

"Your friendly neighborhood missionary."

My journal is looking pretty sad. I probably most definitely won't need another one. Getting to entries of week or two week gaps. :( Honestly I'm having a lot of trouble 1. finding the time every night to write and 2. having stuff to write about. I just need to make a habit about it. I'm gonna get on top of this.

I pretty much always have dreams with you guys. If not all of you, definitely with Brendon. I think that the more that I stop thinking about my family and focus on the work, the more you guys keep popping up in my sleep. Hmmm, that's a little sad, but also nice. The other day I dreamed that we could come back home just for Christmas, but I wasn't enjoying it because I realized that I'd have to come back here after. Honestly, I think even my subconscious mind can't fathom that I'm ever going to leave my mission life. It will be very odd to come home.

I love you so much! Thank you for writing me every week! It's always such a treat :).

Love you,

Elder Connor Carpenter
  
Hey guys! I had to do a bit of non-e-mail computer work this pday, so sorry for the small week update! I know it's ridiculous because of all the good news I've got! I have returned to Elizabete, and my new companion has only 1 transfer in the field, but is super awesome and prepared and is already becoming a quick friend, Elder F. Ribeiro. Leaving Rio Pardo was hard, but it was so awesome that our last day, the members threw a HUGE party for us, 2 churrascos! A lot of the photos I sent are from that party. 

A little Overboard!

#&˘G$!I spilled orange juice on my pants!

Nice hat!

"Gimme that pillow, girl!"

"...but like, seriously!"

I stayed in Rio Pardo only 6 weeks, but I truly feel like the people I met and the things I did their were all planned out. So glad for the experience, and I bet I'll go back to that area later. I already miss Elder Simmons like crazy.

Last Supper

At the train station for transfers I saw a bunch of old friends, it was awesome. I saw Elder Feller (my ctm companion) for the first time in a year, and it was fun to chill and tell stories and see how awesome our portuguese was. I also saw two of my old companions, Elder K. Silva and Elder Carvalho, who are now home. Man that was awesome! Some of my greatest victories are the friendships I managed to make with those companions, and it was an almost tearful goodbye.

Oak tree fall hard

Companions of Winters Past

good weather for chimarrao up here!

This was not a good idea!

Now I'm here in Elizabete again, which is a little odd. People are happy to see me, but not as much as I had thought. Actually, they all didn't know why the missionaries had left, and had assumed that it was because the missionaries had done something wrong. We're building up the confidence of the members now, through pure, clean, work in the bundle. Elder Ribeiro and I are more than capable. But it'll be another transfer of building up the teaching pool from nothing. Good, I got used to knocking doors in Rio Pardo. Haha.

"The spirit of the chapel, haha"

"We've got to go back!"

Love you guys! You are all so awesome and I love the letters! Have a good week! Tchau!

Connor