A Seventy, Telephone call with my family and More about Brazil!

Uma Sententa, Ligação com minha familia e Mais sobre Brasil!

Tudo Bom Tudo Mundo! Como Vocês estão!?

 

Last week was really good and Im doing fantastic, a little trunque(home sick), but what missionary is not, seriously, Im feeling more home sick than usual because I had the opportunity to talk with my family on Monday and it was so good to hear their voices and to see thier faces for a couple seconds. We tried to skype but that didnt work out, the internet connection was very slow and it crashed in the lan house I was in becuase of the rain...but luckily I was able to use the church phone and talk to my family after a lot of frustrating attempts, It really was a blessing to talk to them because at first the church phone connection was falling through whenever we started to talk. Anyways talking to them was super and made my week, I feel kinda bad though, I felt like I didnt share enough about Brasil and my experiences, I was having a hard time speaking english! Was freaking me out! And I was totally blanking on all the things I wanted to share, Gosh Im really worried how my next phone call will be at Christmas time if i was having trouble now, I think maybe a will write down what im going to say before hand. I guess most of my experiences to be described the best will have to wait until I get home...Will be unreal...

 

Anyways we had a surprise Mission Conference last Friday in Natal because Elder Arauja from the Quorom of the Seventy came to our mission and wanted to speak to us Missionaries. He is a big husky and deep voiced man(sort of reminded me of my brother Marcus, but Brazilian) and he gave an awesome powerful discussion from what I understood. Picture Elder Jeffery R. Holland but with a deep Brazilian Accent speaking portuguese. 

 

So something my companion Elder G. Costa said to a family we were teaching, which was really profound and true to me already, He said, ``throughout your mission you really learn more about the importance of families and how much they should mean to you...``
That thought struck me deep down, and on the bus ride back to Mossoró from Natal, which is a 4 to 6 hour ride, I had a lot of time to think to myself becuase all the other Elderes were sleeping and I had just recieved an whole envelope all for myself of letters to read, which was freaking awesome and pretty funny when i was handed the letters becuase i was inside the chapel of the church in Natal in front of my friend Elder Welch and the look on his face full of jealousy  was pretty funny and I wanted to shout ``halleluhah`` but i didnt want to make him feel any worse...haha So I had a really thoughtful 2 hours to myself while looking out to the greenest of plains of various trees and shrubery of Brazil...So i thought to myself...What is the most important thing you value in your life? And What is your highest priority you striving to achieve for your life? What do i most desire in my life? Im a wanting and doing things just for  the happiness of myself or for others...I started to think about my family a lot and what they mean to me...They mean everything to me now...Honestly something really personal with my Combined family we were really struggling to live together, but now i feel like we are a lot closer then a lot of blood related families...and I can not wait to get home and embrace them and stregthen my realationship with them even more which I have missed for these past years...Family is not the defenition of blood relation, its how you feel and the connection you have...Love your family like there  is no tomorrow even at times when it is very difficult. Before its sad to think I was very eager to leave home for college when i was thinking about it but now my thoughts are the exact opposite. haha You just try leaving your family for a long time and you will know how i feel...

 

So about my thoughts of Brasil, I love this Country! really sincerely I do, there is something about it i cant describe for you that you just have to experience for yourself. The language is so beautiful when you can speak it. The people are so humble. The food and the culture is so defined. The people here enjoy the simple things of life and people truly cherish each others company and have just one on one or group conversations all the time instead of needing some sort of electronic enternainment. The kids here especially enjoy the simple things. Like just playin in the rain. Gosh i really want to tell you more but im out of time. I miss you guys like crazy but I cant tell you how much happiness i am feeling meeting new people and learning so many new things and touching peoples lives...