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