You will lift his body from the shore and bring him home

July 25, 2011

I think I might have already used that line as an email title. Oh well.

So, my mission is officially over. Pretty nuts, huh?

I figure that last week was really my big, final email, so I figured I'd just pop in and say hi to everyone.

I already had my last interview with President Prieto, so that was cool. Tonight all of us missionaries are going to have dinner with President and Sister Prieto and then sleep in a hotel. We have to wake up super early on Tuesday morning to go to the temple in Campinas, after which I will sit in the airport in São Paulo for a good six or seven hours (I'm planning on finishing the Book of Mormon again sometime between São Paulo and California). And then I'll sit on and switch between planes for the next twenty hours, and then (some of) you will see me: greasy, scruffy, and sleep-deprived. But it will be great!

My last week in the field actually ended in a miracle: we baptized! Yup, after not having a single baptism all transfer, everything somehow worked out, and we baptized a woman named Anésia after church! It was actually a crazy insane miracle, but I'll have to tell you all about it when I get home, because I have to go with the other elders so they can buy souvenirs!

I love all of you! See (some of) you in about 48 hours!!

luv

elder wiggins

California, California, here we come

July 18, 2011

So, this is it. Unless I get to send emails next Monday when I leave my area (and even if I can, I don't know if I will), this will be the last email I will send to you guys as a full-time missionary. I will see some of you and talk to the rest of you next week, when President Lindberg will take away my super powers and I'll turn into a normal person again.

Isn't that mind-blowing?

I figure I'll just give you guys a little update now.

I have my flight itinerary here with me this time, so I can tell you exactly how everything is going down: I leave São Paulo at 8:50 PM on Tuesday, July 26th and arrive in Atlanta at 5:55 AM on Wednesday, July 27th (10:05 flight duration). Then I take a plane at 8:15 AM from Atlanta to Salt Lake, where I will land at 10:22 AM (4:07 flight duration). Then I get a plane at 11:10 AM to Burbank, where I will land at 12:13 PM.

It's not included on the flight plan, but it's safe to assume that the next stop (somewhere around 12:18 PM) will be at In-N-Out, right?

So yeah, that's that.

This week was pretty good for us. We have been working with some good investigators and making things happen, but the baptisms just aren't happening. We haven't baptized at all this transfer, which is a real downer. A miracle could happen this week, though, so we'll see.

I had a really cool experience this week that I'd like to share with you. I was on a division in my area with an elder who is in his first transfer. We walked to a really distant part of town to go to an appointment that I had scheduled with a woman that we met on Sunday. We got to her house and she wasn't home. The next appointment that we had to attend to was in an equally distant neighborhood, but in the other direction. We didn't have to make that long walk for a little while, though.

So we decided to knock some doors. The other elder went on one side of the street and I stayed on the other. We tried a few houses with no success. It was hot and we were almost out of time, so I wondered if it was even worth continuing. But I wanted to teach someone, so we kept trying. I came to a house with a blue gate and knocked once. No one came. I waited a minute and knocked again. Nothing.

I bowed my head and offered a silent prayer, asking Heavenly Father to guide us to someone who was ready to receive us. I knocked a third time on the blue gate, waited, and nothing happened. A little disappointed, I moved on to the next house and rang the doorbell. After just a moment, though, someone came to the gate at the last house that I had knocked at. A guy in his twenties opened the gate, I called my comp over, and the guy invited us in before we could even really explain who we are. This guy's name is Marcos, and he has turned out to be a pretty amazing investigator. We taught him about the Restoration of the gospel, and he was really receptive. I went back there later with my normal companion, and we invited him to be baptized. He accepted. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it, and he received an answer! He even went to church yesterday!

It was a really cool experience for me. It's just a shame that he will be baptized after I leave. I don't even care if it was an answer to prayer or simply a coincidence, because Marcos is one of the most promising investigators we've taught for a while.

Anyway, that was this week. I want you guys to know how much I love you (it's a lot)! I'm excited to see all of you!

Now I'm going to bear my testimony. I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I know that he is the Savior of the world, and that he atoned for our sins. I testify that God the Father and His Son appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith and restored the Savior's Church. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only path that leads us to enduring happiness and eternal life. I love being a missionary. I love this work. I know that these things are true.

I LOVE YOU! See you all next week!! A missão e o melhor lugar no mundo!! Amo vocês!

luv

elder wiggins

Sometimes you can't go home; sometimes you're already there

July 11, 2011

Bom dia everyone, como vocês estão?

We had a zone leader council on Tuesday, where my mission president instituted a new standard of excellence (padrão de excelência) in our mission. We used to have to do 160 street contacts a week and get at least 40 addresses from those contacts. And then President made it more specific, where we had to do 160 contacts, with 50 of them being with men, and 60 of them being done knocking doors. And now the new pattern (that's what we call the standard of excellence) doesn't include contacts or addresses. I know this probably doesn't mean much to any of you, but it's actually a pretty huge change in the mission. Now the focus is on finding new families each week that have either accepted an invitation to be baptized or have gone to church; the mission doesn't really care how you find these people, just so long as you find them. I almost wish they had made this change sooner, because it seems pretty awesome.

At the council, I also received my carta trunky (trunky letter), which is what the mission gives you when you're in your last transfer. It has your flight itinerary (!), the schedule for your final interview with President (!), and some other papers about serving faithfully and stuff. Anyway, I forgot to bring my itinerary to the LAN house, so I don't have everything laid out in front of me, but I know that I'll be leaving from the international airport in São Paulo at 8:50 PM on Tuesday, July 26th. From there, I go to Atlanta, where I thiiiiink I should descend at about 6 AM. From there, I go to Salt Lake, and from there to Burbank. I know that I land in Burbank at either 12:13 or 12:31, so I'll get there just in time for us to get some In-N-Out for lunch! But yeah, I will land in Burbank a little after noon on Wednesday, July 27th. And that's that.

This week was pretty normal. We tried desperately to find some new investigators in between the interviews and divisions, but that didn't work out. We helped the stake president move, which was a fun time. There's a girl in the ward who had her mission farewell-but-don't-call-it-a-farewell yesterday, which was a cool reminder of what it was like to leave for the mission -- I feel like I was so naive about things back then. There's a guy from the ward who will be leaving for his mission next week, so we'll have another farewell-but-not-a-farewell, and then it will be my last Sunday here. SO. WEIRD. We're going to sing "Deus Vos Guarde" ("God Be With You Till We Meet Again") each time, I think.

The coolest thing this week was that an inactive older couple named Nelson and Sueli went to church yesterday! We have been visiting them for the past few weeks and trying to get them to come back, but it wasn't working out. They used to be really strong in the Church -- they were even sealed in the temple -- but then they fell away because of a few arguments and misunderstandings. They hadn't been to church for about two years; in fact, Sueli had actually started frequenting the Catholic church nearby, and didn't really want anything to do with the Church. But we kept going by there and really working with Nelson, whose heart was a little softer, and they ended up going to church yesterday! They even showed up early! It was so cool to see them there together after so much time away. I just hope they keep it up.

Anyway, things are going well. I am not trunky. I am just in denial. I am pretending that my mission isn't actually almost over so that the shock of it all will smash into me like a tidal wave on my last day in the field. Looking forward to it!

See you one more time next week! I love you! The Church is so true!

luv

elder wiggins

I think I'm cured; in fact, I'm sure of it

July 4, 2011

Feliz Dia da Independência, pessoal!

Do you guys have big plans for today? We do! It's a little overcast outside, so conditions aren't exactly ideal for a Fourth of July barbecue, but we're going to have one anyway! Another dupla in the zone is putting on a barbecue for everyone, so we're going to head over here later. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I think our barbecue this year will be a Brazilian one -- that means there won't be any hot dogs or hamburgers, just steak, sausage, and maybe some chicken. Vamos ver if it turns out well. I'm going to miss the fireworks this year, but I'll survive.

I had forgotten that today was Independence Day until this morning when my companion blasted the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the national anthem. America! America! God shed His grace on thee! Woo! USA! USA! We're both wearing red and blue ties today to celebrate.

Anyway, this week was pretty normal. I'm convinced that this city is trying to kill me, though. I have never gotten sick so many times in a single place than here in Araraquara. This week I had a pretty serious head cold. I still do, actually. Sister Prieto told me to take Allegra-D, so I'm reminded of the Sheffields every time I take my medicine. I can't tell if it's making much of a difference, though, because I'm still horribly congested. And the foot doctor told me before that my toe isn't healing because of my cold (it seems like I've had a cold off and on for the past month or so). So there's that. Also, I think I have athlete's foot. Yeah.

But the work must go on! This week ended in disappointment because one of our most promising investigators, a thirty-ish year old woman named Simone, was interviewed, and even though she passed, she wants to wait some more time to be baptized. But then she doesn't want to schedule a baptismal date. So, yeah. And we've already taught her everything, so I don't really know what we're going to do with her now. I just hope things work out!

I went to my last fast and testimony meeting in Brasil yesterday. Weird. I bore my testimony.

Something cool is happening that I don't think I've told you guys about yet: a guy named Einstein has been investigating the Church for a few months now. I think I mentioned him before -- he was found as some of the old elders were knocking doors. He couldn't get baptized, though, because he isn't married. And as odd as it seems, his "wife" was the one who didn't want to go through the process of making their marriage legal. She's also not too interested in the Church, so that might have something to do with it. Anyway, for whatever reason, Einstein's wife came around, and they have already paid for and scheduled the wedding. The "wedding" is really just going to be the signing of the documents, but we're planning to have a lunch for them and then baptize Einstein (and hopefully his wife and son) later that day! The only bummer is that the earliest they could schedule the marriage process was on the 30th of July, which will be a mere three days after I leave Brasil. I really wish I could be here for the wedding and baptism, but I guess it's more important that it happens at all. Cool, though, huh?

Anyway, that's that. I hope you guys all have a great Fourth of July and a great week! I love you! The Church is true!

America,

Elder Wiggins

It's just your accidental death

June 27, 2011

Good morning, everyone!

This week was pretty normal. Luckily, we didn't have any sicknesses or other such things get in the way of our work (although I think I might have a foot fungus), so our week was pretty normal.

President Prieto called me on Tuesday morning when we were getting ready for district meeting and had a pretty serious talk with me. He was just encouraging me to give everything I have to the work and not worry about home or anything. He said I need to give my blood to the work, and that I should be dying from exhaustion on my last day in the mission. And then, he said, I can get on the airplane and rest. It was good to have a little wake-up call (no pun intended), because this phase of my mission has proven to be pretty crazy emotionally.

I'm trying to stay focused on the work, but it's hard sometimes, not so much because I want to go home or anything, but because it's already tough to work for the right reasons as a zone leader. I find it difficult, anyway. You have to be an example in everything, which means that key indicators that represent your work have to be pretty much perfect every week. It's hard, gente. But I'm doing my best to work as hard as I can and still maintain the right perspective. It's easy to fall into a routine and forget about the miracle that is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have been teaching a woman named Simone for the past few weeks. She's dating a less-active member who we're also helping to come back to church. Almost every lesson we've had there has been pretty powerful. I don't know why, but I feel like the Spirit was strong in each one. We taught the Law of Chastity and tithing last week and then watched The Restoration. During the movie and afterwards when we were bearing our testimonies, the Spirit was so strong. I have learned to cherish those moments, when I feel such a sense of peace and security that the gospel is true. On the mission, sometimes things just seem so clear. It's like, of course it's all true!

We're working a lot and all that. Things are going well, and I'm happy. I love you guys!

Um abraço!

luv

elder asas ("wings" in portuguese)

We just want to emote 'til we're dead

June 20, 2011

Good morning, everyone! Tá tudo bem aí?

This week was pretty quiet for me, because I have been kind of deaf the whole time (see attached photo). I was unable to hear anything out of my left ear when I woke up last Monday. We went to a little health clinic, and it turns out that both of my ears are pretty clogged up. So that's kind of nasty. Anyway, the doctor gave me some ear drops that I've been using, but they just make the ear wax softer so you can flush it out. And because we went to a little health clinic, there isn't really anything else we can do there. We managed to find an ear, nose, and throat doctor, and on Thursday we scheduled an appointment with him, but he unfortunately couldn't attend to me until today. So I'm going there today at 11:30 to hopefully get my ears unplugged. It's a good thing, too, because it felt like I had earplugs in all week. I can't tell when I'm muttering or yelling, so I probably freaked out a few investigators when I shouted out our whole lesson. Sorry!

Our week was pretty normal; we walked and worked and taught. It seems like we have had some kind of setback every week for the past month or so. One of us gets sick, or we lose a day of work because we have to go to a conference in Ribeirão, or something of that sort. This week was the ears thing. I'm hoping that this coming week will be free of annoying little hold ups.

The ward had a festa junina on Saturday night, which was pretty cool. It's a tradition in Brasil to have parties in the fall / winter part of the year where they basically celebrate being rednecks...? It's hard to explain, and it doesn't help that it's a completely bizarre idea. Basically, people dress up in flannel shirts and overalls and draw freckles and beards on their faces, and they leave really loud hick music playing in the background and serve all kinds of traditional Brasilian "caipira" (hillbilly) foods. Pretty much all the food has some kind of corn in it. They serve popcorn, a delicious sweet corn dessert called canjica, hot dogs, cake, caldo (it's basically split pea soup without the peas), and a hot drink that's kind of like Mom's Christmas punch, but without the orange and pineapple juice. The ward's party turned out really well. There were a ton of non-members there, and we had a little stand set up with pamphlets, pass along cards, and copies of the Book of Mormon to give out. And the ward had a trampoline and a big astro jump slide for the kids, and some little events to pass the time. They made the four elders that were there (including yours truly) participate in a potato sack race. I lost because my potato sack fell down. Bummer.

Anyway, that's pretty much it! Oh, I'm the ward pianist again. I guess all the people who they could count on before to play in sacrament meeting all have stake callings now. So now I get to play again! Woo!

But yeah, things are going well. I'm still in denial that this is my last transfer! I'm not getting trunky! Never! I love you guys!!

luv

elder wiggins

Dear shadow, alive and well

June 13, 2011

Hey família! How are all you guys doing?!

So, the big news from this week is that transfers were today. Elder Woolley and I both stayed here, so that's not too exciting. The only reason why this transfer is important is because it will be my last one! Yeah, I can't believe it, but my mission will be over in six weeks. How did that happen? Anyway, it was kind of a relief to find out about transfers because now I know where I'll be and who will be my comp when my mission ends. Elder Woolley is a great missionary and we get along well, so I'm excited. I have been doing well so far on not getting trunky, and I think I can keep it up. To be completely honest, the part of me that wants to go home is a lot smaller and a lot quieter than the part of me that wants to be a missionary. I love being a missionary! And the more I remember about what it means to be a normal person in the States, the less I want to go back. I love the protection and the Spirit that comes from being a missionary and keeping the mission rules. I am afraid of losing that support net after the mission.

Mas, em fim. I'm just trying not to think about the end too much. I still have six weeks, anyway! I think my comp and I are going to make a goal not to talk about home at all this transfer. And we were thinking about only speaking Portuguese to each other, but I don't know if that one will hold up. We'll see.

For my companion and me, this week was kind of a porcaria (that means it was bad). We just had a string of really lackluster days, so our week just kind of fell apart. The zone did well though, and part of the reason why we weren't able to work so much is because we had to do some baptismal interviews, so that wasn't exactly a bad thing.

The coolest thing ever happened this week, though. So. When I was in my last area, that one little city called Américo Brasiliense that's right next door to where I am now, we baptized that one couple who I talked about a lot, Fernando and Cristiane. There son, also named Fernando, was at the time studying and living in Utah. He was already a member of the Church. Anyway, we baptized the parents, but the thirteen-year-old daughter Natália, didn't want to be baptized. Well, I got transferred from there and two new missionaries started working in Américo. One of those elders is from São Paulo, and his name is Elder Alves. He spent his last transfer in Américo, and throughout all this time, it seemed like Natália wasn't ever going to progress. AND THEN, pretty much out of nowhere, she decided she wanted to be baptized! Honestly, I still don't know what changed, but as far as I'm concerned, it was a miracle. Elder Alves baptized Natália last night on his last day in the mission, and that family is now complete in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. I love them so much! I attached a photo of the family with me and Elder Nobre, who was my companion in Américo.

Anyway, that was easily the highlight of the week. As far as the rest of things for now, yes it is stressful to be a zone leader. We had a zone leader council this week with all the mission leadership, and it stressed me out pretty hard. It's like, the mission was already hard enough before I had to worry about training missionaries and solving their problems and getting perfect numbers every week and all that. But it's good. Learning, growth, discomfort. It's all part of it.

I am so excited to be able to work for six more weeks out here. The mission is paradise! It's so hard, but I love it! I know that the Church is true! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, and He loves me. His restored gospel is the only way to true, enduring happiness. What a blessing it is to be able to share it with others! I love you guys! Have a great week!

luv

elder wiggins

PS The other photo is of my zone. Just for fun.

Making funny faces with me in the mirror of the bathroom

Here are some photos for you guyz:

1. Elder Carlos A. Godoy and me. My hair looks kind of greasy because I put some hair grease stuff in it that day.

2. Elder Woolley received chocolate chip cookie mix in a package, so we took advantage of our house arrest on Saturday and made some treats.

3. Rubik's Cube: solved.

4. We ordered pizza on Saturday night! nom nom nom nom

Hope you liked them!

And all day it seems we been in between a past and future time

June 6, 2011

Good morning, pessoal, tudo bem!

It may be hard to believe, but we were held back again this week by an illness. This time it was my companion's turn: starting Wednesday night, his throat became very sore. He almost completely lost his voice, and over the next few days went through the chills, a fever, a runny nose, a stuffy nose, and a headache. We spent practically the whole week in the house, which isn't as nice as it might sound. My comp spent a lot of time sleeping, and I read in the Book of Mormon, listened to General Conference talks, and took naps. I was kind of anxious to get out and work, but sometimes there's just nothing you can do. Oh, and now I'm starting to get a stuffy nose and sore throat. Hope it goes by fast!

Needless to say, it was a slow week.

The highlight of the week was on Thursday. We had a special conference in Ribeirão Preto called a Mission Tour. We usually have one or two a year. This time, Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the First Quorum of Seventy came and spoke. It was really inspirational and effective. It was cool, too, because my very first zone conference on my mission was actually a Mission Tour, and Elder Godoy was the guest at that conference as well! Of course, at that time I could hardly even understand what he was saying, so it was cool to be able to understand every word he said and really be edified by what he taught us. A good part of his training was actually the exact same thing that he had taught at the first Mission Tour, but this time I felt like his counsel was something that I could actually apply to my work; you don't really feel like that when you're brand new on the mission and just struggling to survive.

Anyway, his training was really good. He talked about his conversion, and how it's dangerous to judge people too easily. He was baptized when he was sixteen, and I guess he had really long hair and was kind of a hippie at the time. A member friend had originally invited Elder Godoy's sister to a ward activity because she fit the Mormon standards better -- I guess she looked more like what people think a Mormon should look like. And his sister brought Elder Godoy along to the activity. His sister, to this day, politely refuses to investigate the Church. But Elder Godoy, who no one really thought would even be interested in the Church, was baptized (with no family support), served a mission, got married in the temple, served as a mission president, and is now a general authority. He counseled us not to judge too quickly because behind that person who seems hopeless could be standing a general authority. You really never know.

Hopefully we'll be able to finish the transfer up strong and without any more sicknesses. Speaking of which, I will be starting my last transfer next week. I don't want you guys to think I'm trunky, because I'm not, but that's pretty nuts, right?

I had a crazy dream last night where I basically suffered a nervous breakdown because some people that I baptized in my last area aren't being as strong in the Church as I want them to, and because a member from one of my other areas was talking as I offered a prayer in front of his family. I remember freaking out and yelling and running back to the house, and then my comp had to calm me down.

That said, I had a dream on Saturday night that I got out of bed, walked into the bathroom, and went number one. The dream seemed so real that I woke up right after patting myself down to see if I had wet the bed. Luckily, my pants were dry.

Meaning, I don't know what these dreams mean. I'm going nuts, maybe? Sei lá.

Anyway, things are good out here. President is letting missionaries watch one Disney movie per month if the entire zone reaches there baptismal goal. Last month, our zone got our goal (12 baptisms, or an average of 1 per missionary), so we're going to watch the new Tron movie later today and go to a pizza rodízio. Life is good!

But more importantly, the Church is true! I love being a missionary, de verdade! I love all of you and hope that all is well!

luv

elder wiggins

Penniless and tired with your hair grown long

May 23, 2011

Bom dia, família! How are you guys all doing this morning?

So, this last week, I got sick. Like, pretty sick mesmo. On Monday evening, after coming home from work, my companion and I ordered lanches, which are basically just hamburgers. We both got X-tudos (that means they put everything on it), so my burger had ground beef, bacon, hot dog, a fried egg, lettuce, onion, and tomato. Well, something in there just didn't want to cooperate. We ate at around 9 o'clock, planned, and went to bed. I was woken up at 3:30 in the morning by some horrible stomach pains, and I immediately went to the bathroom. I spent the next eight hours or so struggling with nausea, vomiting, and Montezuma's revenge. It was awful. Eventually I was able to speak with the mission doctor and get some medicine prescribed. Another dupla of missionaries came by the house because we were going to do a division, so they went to the pharmacy and got my medicine. I took the medicine and slept like a baby for the rest of the day and most of Wednesday. On Thursday, I was able to leave the house, but I was still feeling pretty weak, but I'm all better now.

That burger almost killed me! I weighed myself on Thursday, and I had lost about seven pounds in two days! I think I've gained it all back though, because my body had hardly any water in it at the time.

The rest of the week was pretty normal. We're just working and teaching and helping people get ready to be baptized.

Do you guys have any questions about anything? I don't know what kind of stuff you want to hear about, because everything out here has become so normal. Like, I doubt you're too interested with how the zone is doing, or what my ward's missionary work-related goals are. So, what do you want to know about?

How are things going back home? Is everyone gearing up for the summer / Brazilian winter? Any plans yet?

Well, I'm doing just fine and dandy. I'm just trying to do my best to keep my head above water and stay focused. I'm not trunky!

I love you guys! I hope all is well! The Church is true!

luv

elder wiggins

Crayon angels, songs are slightly out of tune

May 16, 2011

Hey fambily, tudo bem!

So, I'm kind of getting the hang of things in my new area now. Elder Woolley and I are getting along really well and working hard. We have a lot of good investigators that we're teaching, too, and some are getting close to baptism.

We were knocking doors last week when Elder Woolley found a kid named Carlos, who invited us in. Carlos is 15, and we ended up teaching him, his grandma, and his 21-year-old cousin, Maurício. It turns out that Maurício was really curious about the message we shared. He went to church last Sunday. Yesterday, Carlos, Maurício, and their other cousin Marcos all went to church practically by themselves. It was awesome! Maurício seems especially interested, and his baptism is scheduled for this Saturday. The other two should be baptized next week. We're working hard with them to help them keep the commandments and continue to feel the Spirit. They're really good, though. It was cool to have members help us out while they were at church, too; they were guys sitting with them and helping them out the whole time, which was nice. It makes a big difference to be in a big ward with a lot of returned missionaries. It seems like they get it a little better, you know?

Einstein (yeah, that's his name -- cool, huh?) and Jaqueline are a couple that the elders found while knocking doors a good two months or so ago. Einstein is from Rio de Janeiro and is one of the most alegre (joyful, I guess?) guys I've ever met. He loves the missionaries. Jaqueline went to church for the first time yesterday (!), and she liked it a lot. They were having some marital problems, but they're getting better and better. Actually, that's one of the big obstacles blocking either of them from getting baptized: they're not married. And in Brasil, it's not so easy to get married. It's a pretty complicated process that yields no government benefits, so most people don't even bother. Einstein and Jaqueline are progressing nicely, though. We just need to get them married and help them with a few other little issues.

Rodrigo, Carla, Junior, Isabela, and Isadora are an amazing family that Elder Woolley and his last comp found a long time ago, too. They are one of those families, you know? Like, they are so obviously prepared for the gospel, it seems like a miracle that they aren't already members. The only problem is that things keep coming up on Sunday mornings, so they still haven't been to church. They already know a bunch of members, too, because we have taught them with members multiple times. Unfortunately, it's getting to the point where we might need to let them go for now. I really hope they turn around, though, because they are an incredible family.

We had zone counsel this week, where all the zone leaders go to Ribeirão Preto and receive training from President and the assistants. I had never been before, so it was interesting to see the mission from a slightly new point of view. It seems like the further you get up in mission leadership, though, the more you see the numbers and the harder it is to see the people. I'm trying to learn what I can and maintain a good perspective on things.

I feel like I don't have that much to say, but I think it's because we're just going, you know? Like, we're just moving forward every day and not stopping. My companion is really humble and tranquilo, but he's a hard worker. We're just kind of quietly steamrolling forward and giving everything we have to the Lord, and He is blessing us a lot. I'm doing my best to keep moving up and not allow myself to flat line. It seems like it gets harder and harder to keep progressing as time moves on out here. The more time you get on the mission, the easier it is to just coast along, so I'm trying to avoid that. And things are going well! Tudo está bem!

I love all of you so much! I hope you're doing well!

--Elder Wiggins

And when I sat behind the drum set, your heartbeat's what I tried to play

May 9, 2011

So, I guess none of us has very much to say after yesterday. It was good to talk to you guys! I was a little bummed because the video didn't work out, but that's all right. I enjoyed chatting with you guys a bit, and it was cool to see all the little (big) sobrinhos.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

Because I don't have much to say beyond the stuff we talked about yesterday, I'll just send you guys some recent photos.

The first one is of me and my comp from the MTC, Elder Woodhouse. We took that photo at my last zone conference a few weeks ago.

The second is of me just being my super enthusiastic missionary self in the middle of nowhere. Glasses + watch = nerd.

The third is of me and my new companion practicing the first lesson during comp study. Our mission president and his wife were our "investigators".

So, that's the mission. My new area's big, and we walk a lot. My new companion is a good dude. Kind of reminds me of Jon Vandermark. I'm doing well! I love you guys!

luv

elder wiggins

I know there is a big scary world out there just waiting for me

May 2, 2011

So, the big news of the week: I got transferred!

After two transfers together, my companion and I were both taken out of Américo. But we were both transferred within the same zone, so not much has changed. The area that I was in is a tiny city right next to a really big city called Araraquara. I left the little city, and now I'm in the big city. I'm going to be working in the Araraquara second ward (Ala 2), which is by far the biggest ward in the stake. My new companion is named Elder Woolley. He is actually from the same group as me, so we were in the MTC together and everything. I never got to know him really well in the MTC because we were in different groups, so it will be cool to work with him here. My last comp, Elder Nobre, is going to be in a ward right next to mine, which is cool.

Also, I'm a zone leader now.

So yeah, things are changing. I'm starting my second-to-last transfer, which blows my mind. I could very well be with my last companion in my last area, but I don't know for sure yet. I'm excited to see these changes happen because I need to stay on my toes. If I had stayed in my last area, it probably would have been easier to be lazy and not make the most of the time I have left out here. It was hard to say goodbye to Américo, but I think it was good for us to leave. I feel like my companion and I got there, did everything we could do, and bailed out. It will be cool to be so close to it, though.

Also, I get to call home this week. I still don't know for sure how it's all going to work out because we have a meeting with the stake president and a fireside that our mission president is giving that evening, so it's going to be really nuts.

Anyway, that's what's going on. This week was pretty blah. The only exciting thing that's happening is transfers.

I love you! I hope you're all doing well! Talk to you soon!

luv

o élder wiggins

People say that you'll die faster than without water

April 25, 2011

So, apparently everyone has iPhones back home now, huh? I swear, every email I receive is "sent from my iPhone". Goodness sakes.

This week was nuts. I went to my last zone conference ever on Tuesday, where I bore my final testimony. It was surreal, in part because I never thought I would actually bear my final testimony, and partly because I still have two transfers out here! But the mission is only going to have zone conference once every three months now, so I had to do it this time. What an insane experience! I remember when I got to the mission that the guys bearing their final testimonies seemed so old and spiritually mature. I don't really feel like I made it to the same level as them, but maybe I have and I just don't know it. Your perspective changes a lot as time goes by on the mission.

This week was a week of baptisms. As district leader, I interviewed two investigators that the other pair of missionaries in my district were teaching. Oddly enough, they both wanted me to baptize them. It's kind of a paint to have to go to another city and back on a bus multiple times in a week, but that's what it takes sometimes! So after doing a division to interview those investigators, we did another division so I could baptize them! I only slept in my house in Américo twice this week. Nuts.

On another day, I also did an interview for the zone leaders, and their investigator passed. It was actually pretty embarrassing because I forgot to ask the lady the fourth baptismal interview question, which is usually the most awkward one. So as we were leaving her house, I realized that I had messed up, and we went aside from everyone and finished the interview really quick. Awwwwwwkward.

Elder Nobre and I baptized a sweet little 9-year-old girl this week. She's actually a member's daughter, but for one reason or another wasn't baptized when she was eight, so she counted as a convert baptism. And remember that baptism that I messed up with a few weeks back? I baptized a member's eight-year-old kid, but a tiny part of his forehead didn't go under the water, so he had to be baptized again. Anyway, he was all nervous and scared on that day, so he wouldn't do it again then. And everyone made a big scene and I looked like a bobo standing in that little above ground pool. So, I baptized him again yesterday. He's a shy kid, so he was nervous this time, too, but everything worked out. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do the baptism a second time if he didn't go under, so I practically touched his back on the bottom of the baptismal font.

Trunky report of the day: I call home in just under two weeks! We're having transfers at the end of this week, so I don't know if I'll be here or not for Mother's Day. If I don't get transferred, though, I'll probably call the day after Mother's Day so that I can use Skype from the LAN house. Everything kind of depends on whether or not I get transferred. Like always, I'll call the day before to set things up, though.

I finished the Book of Mormon in Portuguese this week, which was wonderful. The last chapters of the Book of Mormon are so powerful! At zone conference, President Prieto challenged the whole mission to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover next transfer, so it looks like I'll be starting all over again soon. I think I'm going to read it in English, though.

Araraquara is actually really close to São Carlos, so after we finish up here at the LAN house, Elder Gillespie and I are going to take a bus to São Carlos and visit members from our old area. It's going to be a blast, especially because that area has been closed to missionaries for the last two months or so. Should be fun!

I love you guys! The Church is true! I love being a missionary!

luv

elder wiggins

I will be with you when you lose your breath

April 18, 2011

Good morning from Américo Brasiliense! How is everyone doing today?

Crazy news: we baptized and confirmed this week! There's this couple named Cristiane and Fernando that I've mentioned in past emails. Their son is a member who's currently living in Utah with an ex-Sister's family. About a million missionaries have come to know and teach them over the past few years, and for whatever reason, they finally accepted the commitment of baptism! It was so awesome, because they had become one of those nonmember families that loves the missionaries but doesn't really have any intention to investigate the Church. But then everything worked out, and now we baptized a family! I learned that the Lord, and not the missionaries, prepares people to learn about and accept the gospel. We just did what we're supposed to do, Cristiane and Fernando did what they needed to do, and the Lord did the rest.

I just remembered that there are three people getting baptized in the photos that I'm sending. The woman who's a bit older is Fernando's mother, who was also baptized. She lives in a nearby city, though, so we didn't have anything to do with her conversion. In a crazy turn of events, she was gradually converted in large part because of a sister who made phone calls to her from the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission because Fernando (the member kid who's living in Utah) gave his grandma's address to some sisters. It's nuts how all of this fell into place -- it was a miracle, really.

And now for something completely different: I will be bearing my final testimony at my last zone conference ever tomorrow. My mission president is only going to hold zone conference once every three months or so, so the next zone conference will occur shortly after I go home. I guess it's a little silly to bear your final testimony three months before you go home, but it's still somewhat significant, I think. It's crazy to think that the end is coming. I'm trying not to think about it and just dedicate everything to the Lord, and it's working so far. I haven't even been thinking that much about home lately.

So, the mission goes on. This week was insanely stressful because of the baptism (I probably aged twenty years on Saturday night), but it was a good week of work. My comp and I are doing well. I wear shoes now! Woo! And I'm almost done with the Book of Mormon.

To close, here's a scripture that everyone probably knows that I like a lot:

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God" (Ether 12:4).

Faith points to the future! A real application of the gospel of Jesus Christ makes the world a better place, even if that world is only as big as the one person you helped. The Church is true, and I love being a missionary. The Savior lives, and he loves us. I love you!

--Elder Wiggins

P.S. If I look fat in either of the pictures, it's just the angle of the photo. Ahem.

Gray light, new day leaks through the window

April 11, 2011

Hey guys!

This week in Américo Brasiliense was pretty slow. We actually spent a good amount of time going to and coming from Araraquara because I finally wised up and went to a foot doctor (that's "podólogo" in Portuguese; I don't remember what it is in English) in the city. The mission's health plan apparently doesn't cover podólogos, so I had to pay 60 reais for her to cut my toe up again. It was completely worth it, though. She cut the side of my toenail that had become ingrown since my surgery in December and took out that part of the nail. It didn't hurt because she numbed it somehow, and as soon as we got back home that day, I was already allowed to use shoes! I guess I stopped updating you guys on the sandals situation, but I had been using black socks and sandals for a good couple months until a nurse at the health clinic told me to use flip flops. So I was using flip flops for the last week and a half or so. And then, in one day, the foot doctor fixed everything. Like, I'm wearing shoes right now. It is so awesome! I'm like a real missionary again!

So yeah, it looks like I'll be good for at least the rest of my mission as long as I don't mess something up and cut my toenails weird. I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about such a frustratingly stupid problem anymore.

I also got my package from Mom. Thank you! It was really nice to get all that Easter candy and stuff!

As far as the work is concerned here, it's going slow. Like, really slow. I don't know what it is, but it just seems like something is in our way. I don't get it, but we're going to work hard to get new people to teach. Because we don't have hardly anyone right now. My mission president is instituting a new standard in the mission where we need to knock at least 75 doors a week. I have never particularly enjoyed knocking doors, nor have I had any success with knocking doors, so I'm just trying to swallow my pride and trust in my mission president. We'll see if anything comes of it this week.

I'm almost done with the Book of Mormon in Portuguese. I was originally reading ten pages a day so that I could finish it last transfer, but it turned out to be a pretty lofty goal. So now I'm reading five pages a day, and I'll finish before the end of this transfer. I'm currently reading in Mormon, where it talks about how the Nephites and Lamanites became wicked. Something that I noticed as I've been reading, especially in the early chapters of 3 Nephi and these chapters in Mormon, is that the Lord always, even until the very last moment, allows people to repent of their sins and be purified by the Atonement. It struck me how merciful God is, and how the power of the Atonement is applicable even to people who commit the most horrible of sins. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone can repent always. It's so amazing!

I love all of you! I hope you're doing well! The Church is true!

luv

Elder Wiggins

The images stuck in your head

April 4, 2011

So, general conference was wonderful. I didn't get to watch the whole thing because we weren't able to get it in English on Saturday because of technical problems, but I got to watch the Priesthood Session and both sessions on Sunday. It was so good! Seriously, every single talk was so powerful and spiritually moving. I loved how every time general conference comes around, I feel a renewed sense of duty and a desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ more fully and more diligently. I hope you guys enjoyed it, too!

I took care of my BYU registration. President gave me permission to go on BYU's website on Friday and just take care of everything myself. I'm taking an English class (for the Civilization requirement), Portuguese, New Testament, Biology, and Physical Science. Assuming I don't screw anything up, I will be just about done with my generals at the end of this semester, so I guess I'll have to figure out what I want to major in soon. I also have to figure out where I want to live and with whom, and where to work and everything, but I'm trying not to let any of this stuff distract me. But anyway, as far as registration for classes is concerned, I'm all set.

That's really all that happened this week. We were just working hard until conference came, and now it has passed. Not much else to talk about, so I won't bother.

I hope you're all doing well! Let me know what's going on in your lives! I love you! The Church is true!

luv

elder wiggins

I woke up with this song in my head this morning

March 28, 2011

Hey família.

This week was pretty normal. We walked a lot. My companion came down with a pretty strong cold, took some medicine, and got better. Somewhere in there, I also got pretty sick, but I too took some medicine and got better. We lost a day of work because of that.

We're just kind of putting our li'l shoulders to the whill and pushun' right along (read that in Jimmy Stewart's voice).

Dadal and Elen were both confirmed at sacrament meeting yesterday. Woo! Things are moving out here. And they're both strong and firm in the church now. They really were converted de verdade. It has been really cool to participate in their conversion, even in such a small way.

Last night we had dinner with Cristiane and Fernando, that couple I mentioned a few weeks ago whose son is currently living in Utah. They've been going to church for the last few weeks in another ward, and we haven't had very much contact with them since they were just kind of being our friends instead of actually investigating the Church. I still don't really know how it happened, but Fernando expressed interest last night in being baptized. We started chatting about the Church and why they have been going and everything, and he just kind of blurted it out. Cristiane is a little more hesitant because she doesn't think she's ready to change yet. Buuuuuut, now they have agreed to let us go by there with the clear intent to prepare them for baptism. This could be huge. I think it would be awesome if their son baptized them when he comes home next month. We'll see what happens.

That's pretty much it for this week. We're just trying to find new people to teach and stuff. I'll try to think of something more interesting to write about next week, kay?

Oh, I have to register for BYU classes on Friday. My mission president said I could just do it all here, but I don't know what I want to study or major in or anything, and I'm a little stressed out and nervous about signing up for classes. Any help?

I'll send you guys a few photos to make this email cooler.

The first one is of me making a matter-of-fact, Jim-from-The-Office face when I made a year and six months.

The second one is from when we were walking back to Américo from a nearby city called Santa Lúcia. We ended up getting a ride from a member who drove by.

Okay, I love you guys! The Church is true! I'm happy, and I hope you are too!

luv

elder wiggins

From one morning to the next

March 21, 2011

Today is Américo Brasiliense's anniversary, so the whole city is shut down. My comp and I took the bus to Araraquara, ate at Subway (there's one close by, can you believe it?!), and now we're doing the email thing. How are all you guys doing back home? I imagine that it's starting to warm up a little bit back in the real world, but here in the Matrix it's starting to cool off.

Big news this week: Transfers are today! Woo! But my companion and I are both staying in Américo, so it turned out pretty anticlimactic; actually, almost our entire zone stayed where they were, so there's that. Elder Harris, my companion from around Christmastime who is now a financial secretary, called me at 6:40 this morning and told me I was being emergency transferred. But then it turned out to be an unsavory joke. So, we're all still here.

Much bigger news: we baptized yesterday! Woo! Na verdade, for the first time in my mission, we baptized two people on the same day! We baptized Dadal, that woman that I mentioned last week, and a fifteen-year-old girl named Elen.

It was actually pretty insane because Dadal has a bunch of family members in the Church and has seen tons of missionaries come and go over the years. She has even been to General Conference (only two more weeks, by the way!) and to some branch activities here. I honestly don't know what we did differently than any other elders -- if we did anything differently in the first place -- I guess Dadal's time to get baptized had simply come. Dunno. It was really cool, though.

It's also pretty cool how we came into contact with Elen. We were just walking around the city and making contacts during our first or second week here, and I walked by a big morena lady (is it politically incorrect to call her "black"? I don't remember anymore) and said hi to her. She said hello back and was so nice that I just kind of did a 180 and contacted her. That lady's name is Maria (surprise), and Elen is her granddaughter. It turns out that Elen already knew quite a few of the branch members, so it all worked out really well. And now we're going to try to go after the rest of the family. It's just hard because their family, just like everyone else's, is not very united; at least, it's almost impossible to find everyone at home at the same time.

There was actually a third baptism yesterday, but it kind of fell apart. And I still kind of feel like it was my fault. There's a family in the branch whose son Lucas is eight years old and still hadn't been baptized. We had to go and teach him a few things so he could get baptized this week. I'm guessing he chose me to baptize him because there's no father in the family; I don't know why else he would have picked me. Anyway, we were the last ones in the "baptismal font" (it's a small, above-ground pool) yesterday. The water was pretty cold, and when I baptized Lucas, a tiny little part of his head didn't quite go under. And I think he got water up his nose. Anyway, we had to do it again, but as soon as he came out of the water, he said he didn't want to do it again and everyone tried to convince him to just do it really fast but he just wouldn't and I felt really embarrassed and I'm sorry! Anyway, I guess someone will have to baptize him this coming Sunday.

Elder Gillespie always said that there's no such thing as a perfect baptism, and it's really true. The little fiasco with Lucas kind of put a damper on the two baptisms we did have. But now I'm deciding to try and just shake it off. Sei lá.

Did you guys know that President Obama is in Brasil? He was, anyway. Don't know if he still is. People have been talking about it quite a bit.

Anyway, that was this week. Oh, I also made a year and six months this week. But I think I talked about that in my last email. It wasn't that big a deal. I have been on my mission for a long time.

That's all. I love you guys! Tchauzão!

booga

Man, it passes right by me, it's behind me, now it's gone

March 14, 2011

Oi família, tudo bem! How are you guys doing today?

This week was pretty great, I think. Our work here in Américo has been improving a lot. It helps that the rain has stopped -- I had never seen so much water in my life! And it stopped at just the right time, because the umbrella that I bought about two weeks ago is already destroyed. Bummer. Anyway, it has been much easier for us to get around and teach people, and we actually have some investigators that are progressing.

Dadal is the mother of two young girls who are members of the Church, and she is also related to a few other members of the branch. The branch president challenged her to be baptized, so we have been teaching her like crazy. And she accepted baptism for this Sunday! Woo! She's going to be interviewed on Thursday! Woo!

Cristiane and Fernando are a thirtysomething couple who have been taught a few times by multiple missionaries over the course of the last few years. They have a sixteen-year-old son who is a member and currently living in UTAH. I guess he managed to get a six-month visa and has been there since November. He loves os States so much that he wants to study at BYU after he graduates. Fernando and Cristiane are about the nicest people I've ever met -- I have still have never been to their house without being offered dinner. We're trying to help them progress and gain testimonies and get baptized and all that other important stuff. It's hard to teach them because they are already the missionaries' permanent friends, but we'll see what happens.

So yeah, I'm still the branch organist. I want to start giving piano lessons to people, but it's hard to find the time for that kind of thing. I have been getting Mococa flashbacks (that was my first area) because the organ here is the same piece of junk that they had there. It's not even a full keyboard; it's kind of split in the middle and stacked crookedly one half on top of the other. And it sounds like an old Nintendo. But the members of the branch here sing nice and loud, so you can hardly notice that the accompaniment sounds like an old Megaman soundtrack.

All is well comigo. We're working hard and getting stuff done. Don't tell anyone, but in two days I will hit the year and a half mark on my mission. Does that just blow your mind into a million pieces?! I'm trying not to think about time, because I don't want to go home. Also, when do I need to register for BYU? Tell me if you want, or don't.

I love you! The Church is true!

luv

booga

I am waiting 'til I don't know when, 'cause I'm sure it's gonna happen then

March 7, 2011

This week was nuts, sabe porquê? Because it hasn't stopped raining for the last eight days. I don't know what rainy days are like for missionaries who have cars, but for us walkers it's kind of a pain. Like, it's really, really hard to do missionary work in the rain because there aren't any people in the street to talk to, and when you get to people's houses, they don't want to let you in because you're all wet. My raincoat has been getting some good exercise. My companion and I were kind of imprisoned for a while because neither of us had umbrellas -- I accidentally left mine in Birigui, my last area. We both bought cool umbrellas with the little hook handle at the bottom and a huge metal spike at the top.

Anyway, the work has been going really slow. I'm in a good mood today, but this week was kind of a downer. Our current investigators are all getting really flaky with us, and we're not really finding any new ones. The members here are really cool, though, and I'm liking our area a lot. I'm still getting used to having a big area. In the last three areas that I worked in, you could go from one end to the other pretty quickly. Here in Américo, we have to be smart about how we plan because it takes forever to get from one place to another.

I'm a little behind on my Livro de Mórmon reading. I've been meaning to finish Alma for a few days now. Fun fact: "Alma" means "soul" in Portuguese. That's kind of cool, right? Anyway, I've been pounding through the war chapters lately. It isn't the easiest part of the Book of Mormon because there is so much discussion about strategy and defensive tactics and stuff, but it's still interesting. I was impressed by how often it talks about how the Nephites were successful in battle because they prepared themselves beforehand and were dressed in strong armor. And I love the story of the two thousand stripling warriors (duh), even though reading about them makes me miss Mom.

Elder Nobre and I are still getting along well. I'm glad to have him as my companion. He has a way of talking to people and getting them to like us that I just don't have. I guess I still need to learn how to come out of my shell. Que saco.

So yeah, this week was pretty uneventful. I'm doing well, though, and I'm happy. Trying to stay focused. Trying to talk to strangers. I love you guys, and I hope you're doing well! The Church is true, sabia?

luv

elder wiggins

Somebody lurks in the shadows

February 28, 2011

Good morning, família! How is everyone doing? Well? Okay. Let me tell you a little bit about my life.

So, my area. Américo Brasiliense is really small. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the city that I'm in has around 30 thousand residents. It's almost like a separate district / village thing from the nearest big city. Anyway, my companion and I are the only missionaries in the whole city. And even though we aren't working in a big city, the area itself is pretty huge for one pair of missionaries. I haven't been in an area that was even near as big as this one since my second area. We have been walking a lot.

The Church, like I mentioned before, isn't reeeeally strong here, but so far it seems like the branch is pretty vibrant and energetic. We're really working hard toward the goal of turning the branch into a ward, because in so doing, they can get their own chapel. That would be awesome. The members that we've met have been really cool. The branch president is awesome. He's the first bishop / branch president that I've had who seems to have a good amount of experience and really knows what he's doing. For the first time, I feel like I'm really working with the branch leadership because they want us to. It's cool!

My companion, Elder Nobre, is nuts. He's actually really funny, and we've been getting along well. He has the kind of trademark Brazilian sem vergonha way about him, meaning that he likes to joke around and stuff. But he hasn't been too obnoxious or anything, and he has made me laugh more than any other companion I've had so far. I'm going to start being a little more chato with him and get on his case about making contacts and stuff. We just need to tighten the screws here and there, and things will improve a lot.

I am forgetting how to speak English.

So, anyone remember Elder Gillespie? Probably not. He was my companion for three transfers in São Carlos, and now he's my zone leader. So that's fun. We were actually going to go to Araraquara last night and sleep over at the zone leaders' house, but it started pouring rain, so we're still here. Anyway, it's cool to have friends in the mission.

I'm sending home a couple photos for you guys. The first one is from my last day in Birigüi. This sweet little Japanese lady and her daughter lived next to us there, and they have a giant pit bull named Killer (in English). That's me and him.

The second is of my companion and me. The sunsets here are amazing, although I'm not sure if you can tell just from this photo.

The last one is of my comp living out his dream with a two-liter of Fanta Uva (grape). Look at the bottle's lid.

Okay, I think that's enough for this week. I love you all so darn much! The Church is true!

luv

elder wings

I know someday we'll be happy again

February 21, 2011

Hey everybody!

So, my first week in Américo was pretty good, I think. I have been really stressed out, actually. The area is cool, though.

Like I said, my companion and I got here together, so we have been spending the whole week trying to figure out what to do here. The last elders who were here had quite a few investigators that they were managing to take to church, so we're trying to pick up where they left off.

We taught a lady named Maria every day this week. She is addicted to cigarettes and coffee, so we're helping her stop. We invited her to be baptized, and she accepted. But then we talked about the law of chastity and found out that she's not married. Also, her "husband" is always away from home, and he only comes back for five days at a time. So we're hoping that they will at least want to get married. Who knows. She didn't go to church on Sunday because she slept at someone else's house (or she told her nephew to tell us that), so there's that.

There's another lady named Rosilda who is also progressing nicely. She's a sweet lady who the other elders were teaching, and she also accepted baptism this week. She, too, is addicted to coffee. And she didn't go to church this week. Hrmph.

My companion's a cool guy. He's short and plump and has a huge head. And he's from Tocantíns, and no one is from Tocantíns. He's really tranquilo, though, and we've been getting along well. He only has six months on the mission, and his other two comps were hard (read: bums), so I'm trying to help him learn how to be a missionary. Like, how to actually be a missionary. And it's working out!

The Church isn't very strong here; like I said last week, we meet in a house, and there's only a branch here. Oddly enough, though, church attendance in the branch here is actually higher than it was in my last ward, and the members seem a lot more willing and excited to help with the missionary work. And there are teenagers in the branch here! So far, the members have been really cool.

What else? I'm still wearing socks and sandals. I tried to wear shoes one day and it hurt like heck.

I made a goal to read the rest of the Book of Mormon in Portuguese this transfer, which will be pretty tough because this is a five-week transfer. I have to read at least ten pages a day to keep up, and I'm loving it! I'm just getting to some of my favorite chapters now: Alma 32-ish to Alma 43-ish. Reading the Book of Mormon so much has really helped my testimony grow. I feel like I can testify to people of the truthfulness of that book now more than ever. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God because I have read it, pondered the teachings that it contains, and asked God if it's true. I received an answer to my prayers, and every time I read in the Book of Mormon, I feel the Spirit so strongly.

And that's all that matters!

I love you guys with all of my heart.

Tchau!

Elder Wiggins

This town is full of monsters

February 14, 2011

I know that my email to you guys will look the same this week, but now it has a special scent of Américo Brasiliense. That's right: I was transferred today. That means that I'm in some scary new place with a scary new guy with no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going.

Sometimes the mission is scary.

I took a bus from Birigui to Ribeirão Preto at 11:50 last night. We made it to Ribeirão at around 5:30 this morning, and then I took another bus to get to here. I'm exhausted.

My new area is a little city called Américo Brasiliense, which is easily the weirdest name for a city that I've seen yet on my mission. It's basically a part of a bigger city called Araraquara (say that ten times fast), which is where the rest of the stake is located. The irmão who drove us here passed by the church on the way to the house. Actually, it's not really a church. It's more like a tiny little house on a corner. I still haven't gone in, but it looks teeeeeeeny tiny from the outside. I hear the Church has already purchased the spot for a chapel, so we need to work really hard to turn the branch into a ward. Or something.

My new companion's name is Elder Nobre. He's Brazilian. We don't really know each other yet, so I don't have much to report there. We're getting whitewashed in this area (that means we're both getting transferred here at the same time), so we both have a lot to learn.

Oh, the area that I just left is closed now. Actually, the last area I had been to before that was also closed this transfer. The mission is really struggling to keep areas open because there are so few new missionaries getting here. I'm bummed because we just baptized Franciele, and now she won't have the missionaries' support to keep her going.

It was hard to say goodbye. It seems like every time I get transferred, I see how much I came to love the place that I lived in, in spite of all the heartaches and difficulties. Like, I was pulling my hair out trying to get something to happen in my last area, but even still, I bawled as sacrament meeting was ending.

Funny story: I interviewed a 40-ish-year-old lady and her two little sons this week for baptism. They all passed and were baptized on Saturday. I found out later that the lady thought I was so flippin' beautiful that she couldn't even look at me during the interview because she was getting embarrassed. And then she asked me to baptize her. So I did! Woo!

Don't worry, though -- she would have been baptized either way. And I am still just another ugly dude.

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day! And Happy Birthday (yesterday), Mom!! I love you!

Beijos

Elder Wiggins

We don't want to grow up, but we have to grow up

February 7, 2011

This week was kind of rough.

It seems like in the mission field, every once in a while you have one of those days where nothing happens. Like, you don't get rejected more than usual or have any really negative experiences -- you just go from the beginning of the day to the end, and when you get there, you don't really have anything to show for the last 24 hours. We had four of those in a row this week. Somehow we just kept having days where nothing happened. It has been so hard to try to get things moving in this area again.

Things are all right, though.

We had zone conference on Tuesday, which was wonderful. It gave me that spiritual boost, at least for a little while, that I needed to come back to Birigui and work. The assistants showed us a really cool video that shows the step by step process of making a vase out of a lump of clay, with the point being that we need to be flexible in the Lord's hands and allow Him to shape us. The mission leaders really know how to get you excited about missionary work.

Also, we found another rat in our house; actually, I think it was a mouse. My companion and I bought rat poison a few days ago to try to kill it gently, but that didn't work. We ended up killing it by force! I went out behind our house to wash one of my shirts, and my companion had left a blanket in the basin out there. When I pulled the blanket out, I saw some rate droppings in the sink, along with a little piece of the rat poison. Knowing that the rat had to be around there somewhere, I gave the blanket a good shake, and out fell the rat. Of course, I started screaming like a little girl as the rat scurried under our washing machine. My comp ended up killing it because it got stuck under there. So, yeah. It was pretty nasty. I could send you a picture of it, but I don't think that's necessary. I'll show you guys some other time.

Some of you guys sent me some questions to answer, so I guess I'll just answer them in here since I never have anything interesting to say. Here we go:

What is the best and worst thing about having companions?

The best part about having a companion is that you always have someone around to help you out when things get rough. That includes when you're going through a rough patch emotionally, when you're in the middle of a lesson, or when you just want to talk to someone. Actually, that's also kind of the worst part about having a companion: you always have someone around, even when you just want to be alone. I've gotten lucky with my companions though, so I can't really complain.

Are you able to wear short sleeved shirts in the hot weather?

Yeah, we only wear short sleeved shirts. I gave one of my long sleeved shirts to a 17-year-old recent convert here so he could go to church in nice clothes. He hasn't been to church since I gave it to him though (sad face). Also, if we had to wear long sleeved shirts in this weather, I would die. From melting.

Do you need/want anything American?

American deodorant is the best thing in the world. And I like American candy, crackers (Cheez Its!), and cereal. But I don't need anything, Brazilian or American.

What is your favorite gospel principle to teach or study?

I love studying about the Atonement and various Christlike attributes. I usually read a lot of Chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel (it's the one about Christlike attributes) when things are getting rough. Also, deep doctrine.

How do you like being in a leadership role ALL THE TIME? Is it becoming more second nature? (Does it ever get easier talking to strangers?)

I still feel like I haven't gotten used to being a district leader. It really hasn't been that different than being a senior companion, which probably means that I'm a pretty lousy district leader. I don't know. I like having the opportunity to talk to other missionaries and try to help them. I usually can think of multiple experiences from my mission that could help them out, which makes me realize that I actually have had strengthening experiences out here, which makes me happy. I like it. And yeah, it does get easier talking to strangers. At least, it does in Portuguese.

Do you have cars, bikes or just your legs for transportation?

I have ridden in a car a handful of times on my mission, but it's usually been in situations where members drove us the rest of the way as we were walking to church on Sunday or something. We don't have cars or bikes. No one in my mission does. We just have our feet! Also, because of my toe, I walk with socks and sandals now. Que chique!

Do you, like most missionaries I have talked to, have issues with sister missionaries?

Sisters are cool! Sometimes!

Do you ever get to go to the temple?

No. There isn't a temple in my mission, so I haven't been to the temple since I was in the CTM over a year ago. I miss going there.

What is your favorite Brazilian thing?

I don't know if any of you have heard of guaraná, but it's the best thing in the world. It's a soda that we drink all the time out here, and it has the flavor of a native Brazilian fruit called guaraná (duh). Every city has a different brand of guaraná, practically. My favorite brands are the national ones, though: Antarctica (probably the only brand you'll find back home), and Kuat (Coca-Cola's brand). Suuuuuuper good.

I also love natural fruit juice, which you can get in a lot of places out here. Like, they toss some fruit in a blender with sugar, ice, and a little water, blend it up and serve it. So good. I'll make you guys some guava and orange juice after the mission.

How do Brazilians handle sarcasm? Do they have any form of it?

Yeah, people are sarcastic, but I don't think it's as common as back home. Now that I think about it, I think American culture kind of encourages sarcasm and cynicism. Sometimes I say things sarcastically to my Brazilian companion and he looks at me like I'm an idiot. So...

How well do you speak Portuguese by now?

I can get by all right. There are still a bajillion things that I don't know, and there are a lot of other Americans in the mission who speak better than me, but I can understand everything that people say (except for a new word here and there), and I can usually get my point across when I need to. I have dreamed in Portuguese quite a few times, so there's that. Sei lá, cara.

Have you had anything particularly freaky to eat lately?

Lately, no. Being in the state of São Paulo means that the food we eat is usually pretty mild. Did I ever tell you guys about when I ate liver? I probably did since I never eat anything that weird.

Have you ever bashed with a minister/leader of another church?

We did lose about an hour this week because this old Jehovah's Witness wanted to chat with us. I have contacted some pastors before,and I kiiiiiiiiiiind of bashed with one a few months ago. It's kind of a waste of time, though, so I usually try to avoid it. A Catholic guy got pretty mad at me and my comp the other day because we talked a little about the Great Apostasy. He was kind of out of his mind.

Well, those questions made my email super long this week. Sorry if it got boring! I love you guys so dang much! The Church is true!

luv

boooooga

Mon, January 31, 2011 10:31:12 AM They don't know where and they don't know when it's coming

January 31, 2011

Hey, everyone!

So, remember that girl, Franciele, that I talked about last week? The one that we have been teaching forever? We baptized her on Friday! Wooooooo!

I still kind of can't believe that it happened. I have been teaching her since I was with my last companion more than a month ago. Most missionaries probably would have let her go a while ago, but we didn't give up on her! This week was actually really cool because of it. Preach My Gospel says that we should contact all of our investigators daily. Sometimes that's kind of impossible because a lot of the people we teach out here don't even realize that they are investigating the church. But anyway, we visited Franciele at the end of every day this week, and it seemed like the lessons we had there were spiritual enough to make up for the lackluster days. I love teaching people who at least kind of comprehend what you're telling them, especially if they appreciate the value of your message. It doesn't happen often, viu!

But yeah, we're kind of starting from zero now because Franciele was baptized. There are basically four stages in missionary work: finding people, teaching people, baptizing people, and strengthening recent converts. I have definitely spent the majority of my mission in the first two stages, but tudo bem. We're starting the whole cycle over again now. I think it's mostly because of the month or so that I was stuck in the house -- the work stopped for all that time, so we have to do everything we can to warm things back up and try to find someone new out here.

I'm attaching a photo from the baptism. Hope you like it.

Do you guys have any questions you want me to answer? I feel like I have run out of things to say in my emails home, probably because I've grown so used to being a missionary that things that are weird to you guys aren't weird to me anymore. For example, yesterday I contacted this round little old lady carrying a gardening hoe and a weird, gnarled root that she had just dug up somewhere. I just went up to her and we started chatting as if we had known each other for years. And, you know, that kind of stuff is normal now.

I guess my life has changed a lot.

Anyway, I'm doing well enough. I'm melting out here because of the heat. I don't know if I've ever felt so hot in my life. It is devilishly hot here. Also, I have a tanline on my feet because I walk around in flip flops all day. I don't know when I'll be able to wear real shoes again.

Anyway.

I love all of you so flippin' much! Thank you for writing me -- I appreciate it! The Church is true!

--Elder Wings

You've gotta be laid back -- rock to obscurity

January 24, 2011

Oi família, tudo bem!

So, good news: I can walk again! I went to the doctor on Thursday night and he took a look at it. He asked me if it was hurting, and when I said it wasn't, he decided I could walk again. He wrote me up a prescription that I still haven't picked up, so my toe will probably get infected and swollen and stuff, but I'm all like wutevs about it. We chatted for a little bit about America and stuff. And then I invited him to church. Good visit.

Anyway, I'm still wearing flip flops everywhere (like, even when I'm dressed like a missionary and teaching people and stuff), but at least I can get out of the house now. I was going so crazy in there, guys. Like, it was honestly kind of nice for the first few days to be able to relax and take naps and stuff, but that passed very quickly. I have learned that as a missionary, if you're not working, you have no purpose. There was nothing to do in the house during all this, so I have really been itching to go back to work. And now I just can't wait 'til I can wear shoes again. That will be a glorious day.

I actually spent most of this week in Ribeirão Preto. That's the biggest city in my mission, and it also houses the mission headquarters. This week we had a special conference for all of the zone and district leaders in the mission. I went from Birigüi to Ribeirão with another elder in my zone. We went there on Tuesday and didn't get back until Thursday evening because we didn't have money to buy our bus passes. I got to hang out in the new office for a while and chat with my last companion, who became a financial secretary at transfers. I had a good time at the conference and everything, but I felt a little discouraged because I wasn't working at the time. I've been feeling pretty useless lately. Things are better now, though, and I'm excited to go back to work now.

We had a really special teaching experience yesterday. Remember Franciele, that girl that we have been teaching for a good two months or more now? She was supposed to be baptized on Saturday, but it didn't really work out. It seems like she has gotten a little too much of the Church too quickly, so we decided yesterday to teach her the very basics. The mission is putting into practice a teaching method where we draw a timeline and explain the Restoration in context and use visuals to help people understand better. We took a member from the LZs ward to help us teach Franciele. He served his mission around the same time as Andrew and is really good at just talking to people. We all walked over to the chapel and taught Franciele there. Using a whiteboard, we were able to illustrate the Restoration in such a way that it was very simple and easy to understand. As we explained things, Franciele asked questions and we were able to settle her doubts and make her understand things better. We bore our testimonies, and the Spirit was strong.

After the lesson, Franciele said she wanted to see the baptismal font (that's a good sign). As we showed her around the chapel and chatted, she kept saying that she felt really happy and at peace with things (also a good sign). We were going to leave the church, but it started raining. The four of us were just standing in front of the chapel and waiting for things to calm down. The member who was with us, kind of out of nowhere, asked Franciele what hymn she wanted him to play at her baptism. And then he asked what time it was going to be on Saturday. And just kind of like that, she accepted baptism and now it's going to be on this Saturday at seven o'clock. I still don't really know what changed her mind about it, but I don't care. Franciele's getting baptized! Hooray! Finally!

I don't know if I adequately described that experience. I kind of feel like a caveman chizzling gibberish into a cave wall when I write in English. I not speak English more.

Anyway, that's what's going on! I love you guys! I love being a missionary! The Church is true!

Your son/brother/brother-in-law/uncle(?),

Elder Wiggins

Right coast, wrong coast, drifting round and round

January 17, 2011

Well, I'm still not working. I am going a little crazy from staying in the house all the time -- it feels like it has been so long since I was a regular missionary -- but everything's going well enough. My companion, Elder Ramos (HAH-moze), is a cool guy, but I think he's going a little crazy, too. We're both going a little crazy. If it weren't for the scriptures and my handy little chessboard, we already would have gone very crazy by now.

My toe is getting better, though, and I should be able to go back to work this Thursday. I hope.

The biggest news from this week is actually very big news indeed. My zone had our transfer-ly interviews with the mission president this week, so I talked to him about how college is going to work and everything. My group is supposed to go home on September 7th, which is the week after BYU starts. I told President that I'm here to serve my mission and I'll go home whenever I need to, but he said I could go home a little early to go back to school. He was thinking about giving me ten or fifteen days between getting home and starting college, but he didn't have his calendar with him at the time, so he left it in the air. Basically, I would stay for two or three weeks in my last transfer and then go home in the middle of it. Then, a few days later, he called me and asked what I thought about going home with the group before me, meaning that I'd go home a transfer early. By so doing, he said I will get to go home with a group of missionaries instead of going by myself, I can go through the temple one more time, I will go home at transfers instead of going in the middle of one, and I'll have a little more time to be with the family before going back to college!

Soooooo I'm coming home on July 27th. I'll basically have the month of August to transition into post-mission life and all that.

I can't believe how fast this mission thing is flying by. I made a year and four months yesterday, which blows my mind. I wish I could actually be out there in the white field and thrust in my sickle with my might and stuff. But I guess I just need to learn patience from this ordeal.

We're hoping to baptize a girl named Franciele this week. We have been teaching her for a long time now, and my companion taught her last night with one of our zone leaders, and apparently the visit went really well. She is worried that if she joins the church her family will abandon her. É complicado. We're praying hard and doing what we can to visit her regularly, and I hope and pray that everything will work out with her. As far as I'm concerned, if she gets baptized, my time in this area has been validated. So keep your fingers crossed!

Anyway, that's what's going on in Birigüi, São Paulo, Brasil. I hope things are going well in your respective places in the America.

I love you guys! The Church is true!

Elder Wiggins