He's home!

Andy arrived right on time  - 11 am on Friday morning!  Miraculously the grandparents' flight from Salt Lake  arrived on time at 11 too!

He is doing great and it's awesome to have him home!

Andy was on a flight with three other 

missionaries from Joao Pessoa.

Last Few Days in Brazil!!!

Hi Everyone! 

This is all happening so fast!!! I thought i was going to be spending my last days in Ducks then 

we received the unexpected news of a mission conference with two general authorities! We had heard 

rumors of Elder Dallin H. Oaks coming to Brasil so we got super excited! Turns out that ELder Oaks 

never made it to Brasil... :( He had a routine surgery done and Elder Packard was too concerned to let him fly so he

gave the no go. BUT we were happy to hear that we would recieve a training from Elder Mazagardi and Elder Christiansen two seveties!!! And the fact that the entire mission would reunite meant that i would see many great companions and friends! Sadly I had to say farewell to my peeps in Ducks earlier than expected,,,Gosh Im going to miss that place...I talked last sunday to my dear Duck ward to say goodbye and that night we had a great baptismal 

meeting for 4 people! We baptized Cristovão´s younger brothers Kevin and Ruan and one of their neighbor friends Igor and they are awesome, Lucas a recent convert of ours helped them out a lot to be integrated well into the church. He is now the Young mens President!!! Elder Gomez and Elder Da Mata they baptized a woman. It was one of the best baptismal meetings of the ward. Totally packed!!! That sunday night or should i say Monday morning 1:30 in the morning we traveld to Joao Pessoa to have the mission conference! It was so good...I ended up staying here in Joao pessoa and had the great priveledge to work in Castelo Branco on monday and tuesday!!! I got to see old friends! They were very surprised that i was still on the mission haha It was SO strange to be back there after more than a year...Gosh today is going to be crazy. I arrived real early as the first in the Mission HQ and just had my last interview with the President which is something i will remember for the rest of my life... I´ll be spending the day with ELder Clawson and Elder Daniels here around Joao Pessoa until 500 is when we need to be at the Presidents house to eat Dinner!  TOm i will be giong to the Temple!!! Yeah!!! For sure i will grab you a schedule!  I love you guys so much! See you Friday!!! 

Love, Elder Andy

Olá a todos e a minha querida Familia!

Well! It sure was nice to see and talk to you guys! Well see most of you guys...Im happy to have heard Grandpa and 

Grandma and Marcus and Grandpa Gerry for a sec...Im sorry to have butchered my english, im sure glad that you guys 

enjoyed Will and I singin to ya guys. I have a really hard time beleiving that tonight is new years eve..2012 to me was 

the quickest year of my life...was it quick for you guys? As I think about the year to come i think about what i would like to 

acomplish, what goals i have in mind...Besides gaining 20 pounds and learning how to play the piano and many other things on my list i think about what goals will be truly meaningful in my life, like finding an eternal companion! haha I thought about new years and all the goals  people make that are not truly significant and are lost within the first month of the year...I think one of the most uncommon goals made in general is to become more like Jesus Christ. If you think about it, if you acheive this goal so many other things in your life improve. It probalbly one of the most uncommon but definalty one of the hardest. My goal is to continue to do the little things i have learned throughout my mission to bring the best out of me. I hope that the Light of Christ continues to burn inside of me to help me acheive my other goals...Moroni at the end of the book of Mormon invites us to make this very goal in our lives, to perfect ourselves through Christ striving with all our might, mind and stregth! I know that Christ lives and that He wants us to come unto Him so that we may be perfected. Im so grateful to have had the blessing and priveledge this past year to invite others to have better lives through Christ. I wish all a wonderful new year and i challenge all to make this goal! Be Christlike and you will find happiness in all things...I love you guys! Happy New Year! Love, Elder ANdy

Christmas Pizza!

On Monday we had a quick email to arrange Skype details...

Cant wait to talk and maybe see you guys! IF we dont SEE each other tomorrow, we will just have to wait one more month...I love you! I hope you guys have a splendid Christmas Eve! Im having a really hard time believing that its the end of the year...This has truly been the Fastest year of my life...As my last Christmas as a representative of our Savior Lord Jesus Christ its a little tough not to get sentimental...Im not sure if im happy our sad...Im sad that i will not be able to invite people to come unto Christ  everyday in the year to come but im happy to know that truly my mission doesnt end and i will be able to invite people to come unto HIM through my example...Until TOM!!! Love. Elder ANdy

Then on Christmas we were blessed to have a great time on Skype with Andy...he got emotional as we asked him how he was feeling about it being his last month in the field...he is so sweet.  Then he and a member who was there with him sang "The First Noel" in Portuguese for us!  Andy bore his testimony in Portuguese too..then we signed off...only to see him in a month!!!

Baptism of Willians!

Special Zone Conference for Christmas!