Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up

May 24, 2010

I made a contact with a dude yesterday he cut me off in the middle of my spiel and said he couldn't attend to me. He said a few things I couldn't understand and then showed me the handle of the gun he was concealing in his pants. So I tried to be polite and took off. I could have gotten shot! Wouldn't that have been cool?

We went to a little health clinic on Friday so my companion could get vaccinated for swine flu (I was already vaccinated in Leme). While we were waiting in line, a nurse came out of the vaccination room with a syringe so she could administer the vaccination to an old man. The guy didn't seem to realize what was going on, so he sat quietly until the needle entered his arm, which made him shout a quick "Ah!" He did it again when the nurse pushed the medicine in. As she quietly explained that there would be a little prick before she gave him the second shot, he continued to sit in silence. The nurse gave him the shot, and the old man shouted, "Ah!" again. Everyone in line was laughing. The nurse politely assured him that he didn't need to yell like that. The old man replied, almost in tears, "But it hurts!" Poor guy.

That same day, we went downtown to a huge hospital so we could give our bishop a blessing. He has cancer of some kind and has been in the hospital for the last week or so. He specifically asked that we go and give him a blessing, though I still don't know why. The hospital ward that he's in has very strict rules about visitors: only two people can enter his room per day, and they cannot enter together. A senior missionary had already visited the bishop before us that day, so it looked like only one of us would be able to go in. At the last minute, the doctor in charge of the ward allowed the two of us to go in and administer to the bishop. I had just learned that same day how to anoint someone in Portuguese, so I was pretty nervous. Everything turned out fine, though. Our bishop is the kind of person who is always enthusiastic and genuinely interested in what you have to say, so it was a bit disconcerting to see him in such a weakened state.

I bought glasses last p-day. It was crazy because we only went to one glasses store, and I ended up buying the very fist pair that my helper placed on the table. I had already been to a bunch of other places before that, and I never found anything that looked good on me. That's not to say that my glasses are right for me or anything -- they're thick and square and black and plastic. Awesome. I look like such a dork when I wear them, and I love it! They have been helping me a lot: I can see things much better now, and all the snakey girls are staying away now.

Oh, speaking of which, I had my first real snake encounter. I was doing a division with Elder Jeffery, the other American in our district, and we were trying to find an address that I had. We started walking down a street, and a teenage girl passed by us. She was kind of staring at me the whole time, so Elder Jeffery said hi to her to make things less awkward. In response, and without stopping, she said "Nossa, que moço bonito!" (Basically, "Wow, what a handsome boy!") We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out which of the two of us she was talking about.

We only have one progressing investigator right now. His name is João. He was the guy who came to church last week semi-wasted. He accepted baptism, so we have been working with him to help him stop drinking and smoking. He's been doing well so far. But he didn't go to church yesterday.

We taught the first lesson to a few people this week, but they're lazy or they don't get it or their crazy wife is a rude Catholic or something, so none of them went to church yesterday, either. We need to do something to get the work moving faster around here.

My companion is awesome even though he's pretty liberal with the mission rules. My area is awesome, even though we don't have very many good people. My testimony grows every day, as long as I make good use of my study time.

The Church is true!

Eu amo vocês!

Abraço,

Elder Wing-eez

Shout at the world because the world doesn't love you

May 17, 2010

I hit eight months on the mission yesterday! Hooray! Does it feel like it's going fast for you guys? It does for me (sometimes)!

This week went by pretty quickly, and I think it's because we had a few days where we didn't get much work done.

On Wednesday I went to the eye doctor. I've noticed that my vision has gotten worse since I came to Brazil, and it has been bugging me for a while. I'm not blind or anything, but it has been difficult to see things clearly at a distance. So we scheduled an appointment with a doctor for Wednesday and headed downtown after lunch. The visit was pretty routine; the doctor pointed flashlights into my eyes and made me look through weird machines. He had me read letters on the wall and I did well until he screwed everything up and made the letters really small. I didn't do so well then. He told me that I'm not the kind of person who would depend on glasses to be able to see, but that I could use them to help me out. He gave me a prescription. My companion and I spent the next few hours walking through the city and stopping at various glasses stores to see if we could find a good pair for me. I almost bought a really huge pair of black plastic ones, but I wimped out at the last minute. The rest were either too ugly or too expensive, so we're going to go back down there today to try to find some chic specs for me.

On Thursday we walked all over our area to try to visit people, but it was one of those days where no one was home.

On Friday I did a division with the other American elder in our district. We had lunch at the stake patriarch's house. The food was great -- she even made us french fries -- but my comp couldn't stomach it. While the patriarch's wife was talking on the phone in the other room, he sprinted to the bathroom and puked his brains out. I figured he wouldn't want to work too much because he was feeling so gross, but we actually got a lot done that day. We made a ton of contacts and made a visit to the lady I baptized, where we gave her photos from her baptism.

We are once again in that stage where we're finding new people to teach. We taught the first lesson to a few new people this week, but only one of them went to church, and he was only partially sober. He kept interrupting during the Gospel Principles class with awkward comments. Between the second and third hours, everyone was mingling in the hallway. A recently returned missionary was talking to me about his mission and stuff, and when he heard that I was from California he mentioned that the San Diego temple is beautiful. Our investigator, João, commented that people say that the light is there. When asked to elaborate, he said that the light that the founder of the Church saw is there. That's what people say, anyway. He doesn't even know what a temple is. He was pretty wasted.

We actually saw him as we were walking to lunch yesterday; he was drinking and reading the paper at a bar. I guess he went straight to the bar after church. I guess the lesson about repentance didn't really register.

I'm having a lot of trouble doing this in English -- can you tell? Sometimes I write things in here or in my journal and become completely lost in the middle of a sentence. Sorry if none of this makes sense.

So that was my week. Not a lot going on lately. We're just trying to find new people. I'm still liking my area and my companion a lot. He told me the other day that he's been feeling pretty trunky, which complicates things. He only has six months left on his mission, so I can't really blame him. We're still working hard, though, which is what matters.

I love you guys and hope all is well back home. The Church is true! Tchau!

luv

booga

Jack of all trades, master of none

May 10, 2010

Hey everyone!

It was so great to talk to all of you yesterday! Even though my time with each of you was short and I couldn't think of a lot to talk about, I really really enjoyed my phone call home. It was nice to remember that you guys (all of us, I guess) are still basically the same despite all the crazy changes that have been happening to everyone.

I guess I don't have too much to say beyond what we talked about yesterday in the phone call. I don't know if I told everyone, but I had my first real baptism on Saturday night ("real" meaning that I was actually at this one). We baptized a lady named Ivanilda who we've been teaching since I got here. Sometimes she says things that are a little weird because she used to go to churches where people just yell and speak in tongues and stuff, but she was definitely ready to be baptized. Honestly, I was kind of taken aback by how fearless she was about the whole thing. She agreed to be baptized a while ago, and nothing has happened to keep her from doing it. She has been going to church alone, which is huge. I was the one who baptized her. I was nervous because it was my first time baptizing anyone, but everything went well. The bishopric confirmed her in sacrament meeting yesterday. It looks like she has every reason to stay firm in the church; we've done everything we could so far, anyway.

Other than that, this week wasn't too exciting. My companion and I helped the first counselor in the bishopric move, and I hurt my back the day after as a result. I'm doing fine now, but those few days were pretty rough.

Oh, I saw another dog die, too. I told Andrew, Sam and Dad on the phone. The dog was hit by a truck right in front of my companion and me. It had run out into the road and saw the truck coming, and it looked like it couldn't decide whether it should finish crossing the street or turn around. So it stayed in the middle of the road and was pulverized by a truck that didn't even slow down. The truck drove off as the dog urinated on itself and began to screech and roll around. It limped off into someone's yard as everyone started coming out of their houses to see why the dog was screaming. I'm pretty sure it didn't survive.

It's a crazy world down here, guys.

I guess I shouldn't end on a downer like that. It was really great to talk to you guys and hear how you're all doing! I miss you!

luvz

boogaz

(I was going to send you guys photos from the baptism but this computer won't let me. Oh well.)

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

Guys, this week went really well. It seems like a lot has happened since I got here, but I think that's just because it can be pretty overwhelming to be in a new area with new people and all that.

My comp's name is Elder Urbani. I think I mentioned it last week, but he's Brazilian. So far things have completely turned around from what it was like with my last companion. Elder Urbani is one of the most calm, patient people I've ever met. He's from the city of São Paulo, so he's not that far from home. He's a really cool guy, and he is somehow also a great missionary. He's good at teaching and he doesn't treat me like an animal, two qualities that I didn't find in my last comp (I'm still pretty bitter about all that).

Unfortunately, I haven't spent that much time with my actual companion. The other dupla in our district work in an area right next to ours. One of the missionaries is American, and the other is Brazilian. They don't get along at all. I have already done a few divisions because they don't like each other and because there were interviews and everything. It's not too bad because I just work and speak English with the American and we have a good time. I've already become fast friends with him and the other elders in our zone. Things are picking up, for sure.

Our area is tiny. Rio Preto is a huge city, so there are multiple duplas spread throughout the city. Elder Urbani and I cover a small area right next to the chapel, which is located across the street from our house. It's pretty crazy how different the work is here. I feel confident in inviting people to church because it's right next to everyone's houses and the chapel is gorgeous. It's easily the nicest I've seen so far in Brazil, and it's nicer than some in America. I've only been to church once so far, but it seems like the members here do their part. I'm hoping that we'll be able to work better with them this transfer than when I was in Leme.

I made a contact with a drunk guy carrying stuffed animals. They were rabbits. He didn't give me his address.

I made a contact with an old guy. I asked him if we could come by his house to share a message with him, and he just stood there. I gave him a second before I said the message only takes a little while and it's really special. He stayed quiet. I started making faces at him. I'm going insane.

Killed two cockroaches in the middle of the night this week. I just about peed myself because I was half asleep and they were scurrying all over the place. They almost ran onto my feet.

We sleep outside on the porch here. It reminds me of sleeping out on the balcony back home during the summer. I wish I could send you a picture of what I look at right before I fall asleep each night. The buildings and the windows and even the sky look foreign to me.

We're looking forward to a baptism on Saturday. Reeeeeeeeeeeeally hoping that this one goes through. We've been teaching a nice lady who sincerely wants to join the Church. We're going to help her quit smoking and drinking coffee so she can be baptized on Saturday. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I can't wait to call home THIS WEEK. Oh my gosh it's going to be so gostoso. It's a good thing I'm in my new area because I won't be all bitter and grumpy for the phone call. I hope.

The other two American elders and I are going to Wal Mart after we finish our emails. Even though I think Wal Mart is an evil corporation that's going to ruin the world or something, I am so excited to go. I hear they have those raspberry-filled donuts that Dad used to buy every Saturday night for us. I'm going to buy twelve boxes.

Anyway, I love you guys! Hope everyone is doing well back in the promised land!

luv

booga

Banshee Beat

Boa tarde, everyone!

So, I was transferred.

My last day in Leme was a bit of a fiasco. My companion and I walked across the city to pick up an investigator for church. When we got there, she said she was busy cleaning the house, but she would go. This investigator is really good. Her name is Jamilla, and we found her when we were making contacts this week. She's twenty years old and has two little kids (eek).

Anyway, she agreed to go, but we were going to have a hard time taking her and her two children by foot to the other side of the city. So my companion and I told her we would come back a little later to pick her up. We couldn't call anyone because our cell phone had run out of minutes. We went to a nearby member's house to see if they could give us a ride. No one was home. We walked to another member's house, and no one answered the door (we later found out that they were home). We walked all around that part of town afterwards trying to find a taxi on Sunday. No dice. We finally decided to go back to Jamilla's house and just walk from there.

By the time we left, it was already after 10 o'clock, and sacrament meeting starts at 11. Elder Pantoja was scheduled to give a talk, but it didn't look like we were going to make it. We walked forever and finally made it about halfway to the church when the branch president called us and picked us up. We made it just in time for the sacrament, after which they announced that I would be the final speaker of the day! I hadn't prepared anything because I wasn't supposed to speak that day, but I guess our ward mission leader purposely switched my name with my companion's because I would be leaving that day. I ended up just reading a few scriptures about being of good cheer and bore my testimony. It turned out all right, I guess.

I ate lunch for the last time in Leme and said goodbye to the city. I stayed in the assistants' house last night with a bunch of other elders, and after a five hour bus ride, I made it to my new area. I'm with another Brazilian this transfer. Everyone says he's really cool though, so if I can't get along with them there's probably something wrong with me. A lot of elders said my area is awesome, too. I'm going to be working in a part of Rio Preto (that's not Ribeirão Preto, by the way), which is one of the biggest cities in our mission, I think. My area is called El Dorado. Isn't that cool? The chapel is right next to our house, and it looks so cool. I haven't been inside yet, but it looks like a real Church building. It even has a real-life steeple!

There isn't much to talk about yet because I just got here. I'm hungry, thirsty, dirty, and tired, but I feel good! I remember feeling like this when I got to Leme. It's like I have a fresh new start to try to wrap my head around the mission thing.

I freaking love you guys to death, I swear.

luv

boooooooooooooooga

When life gives me lemons I make lemonade - 4/19/10

So I'm back on my feet and feeling good! My illness-zinho passed after only one day, and I'm feeling a thousand times better now. It was probably just food poisoning or something.

We had zone conference again this week, as well as a division. It was helpful for me to have a slightly unusual week.

Zone conference was great, in that it was spiritually renewing and served as a good reminder for why I'm here. The assistants gave a training about the Atonement and how to correctly teach and recite the First Vision. It seems like each Sunday I get burnt out from walking and trying to get into people's houses and being rejected and all that that I lose sight of what my companion and I are really doing. It's always nice to have experiences like I did at conference where I can take myself out of the daily grind of missionary work and realize what I'm doing. I'm hoping that that resolve will carry me through the

week, because I know I'll need it.

This transfer is a short one, so we're entering the last week right now. I will most likely be sending you next week's email from a new LAN house in a new city, sitting next to a new companion. It is possible, but highly unlikely, that I will stay in Leme for another transfer. As much as I like this city and many of the members here, I think I'm ready to leave. It has been really difficult for me this transfer to motivate myself to really give my best. I've made myself a promise at the beginning of each week this week will be better than the last one, but I haven't been completely true to that. I've been discouraged a lot. We don't have any progressing investigators right now, and it's hard for me to remain optimistic about the future.

HOWEVER, I am so grateful to be able to turn to my Heavenly Father in prayer and ask for divine assistance. I am deeply grateful for the scriptures, and for the time I have each day to study them. This is the Lord's work, and it's a pleasure to be one of His authorized servants.

Anyway, this week will be better. I'm not going to let myself slack on making contacts or let my companion drag me around. Regardless of whether or not I leave this city next week, I'm going to make sure that I give it my all.

I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense; I was able to speak English for the first time since the beginning of the month at zone conference, and it was there that I realized that I am inarguably going insane. I'll probably just make animal sounds during my Mother's Day phone call (in three weeks!!!!!!!!!).

We taught the first lesson to a teenager named Ivan. I think he was just being polite when he said we could come in, but we taught him anyway. Although he didn't pay really close attention, he said he would read the Book of Mormon, pray, and go to church with us. Well, he hasn't done any of that. We stopped by his house yesterday before church and his dad or grandpa told us between chuckles that Ivan had gotten home at six in the morning from a bar.

We then went to a member's friend's house to invite him to church. The member who sent us there said that his friend was waiting for us. Well, he wasn't. He was sleeping. His mom shouted at us from the house, "Ele não vai, viu?" ("He's not going to go, all right?" or something like that). So, bummer.

We then went to Lenira's house, that old lady who we've been teaching forever. She said she was "desanimado" (discouraged, or literally, unexcited) about church, and that she didn't want to go that day. She lives practically next door to the church, so it should have been easy to convince her to go. Well, it wasn't. She decided she'd rather stay in her broken home than go to church. So, bummer.

I'm so tired of lazy people. Of course, I can't complain because I'm not much better.

Anyway, I'm doing all right. My companion and I are getting along better now, I think. I'm trying so hard to be patient when he refuses to accept my apologies and when he treats me like a dog and throws my photo album on the floor and blarghblarghblargharahrblahr. But he's all right, I'm still alive, I shouldn't complain, and the Church is true.

I love all of you so much. I just read the Wiggins Family Newsletter and pretty much wanted to jump off a building when I read about all the fun stuff you guys did in Utah. Thank goodness the Bombay House and J Dawgs will still be there after my mission. And it sounds like everyone might be back in Provo when I return to the motherland, so we can just relive the whole experience that you guys had, kay?

Sorry this email sounds negative. I refuse to be pessimistic! I'm so grateful and happy to be here! I love you! This is the Lord's work! The Church is true!

luv

booga

I walked down to the ocean after waking from a nightmare - 4/12/10 [part 2]

Oops. I forgot to attach the photos. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The photos Jeff sent with this email were in a format that I couldn't upload to Blogger. Still working on that!]

The first one is of my last companion and me near the city cemetery. Brazil is unbelievably beautiful when it isn't scarred by all the ugly cities. Anyway. The open green land around the cities here is gorgeous.

The second one is me with my ballin' planner from last transfer. For those of you losers out there who don't know Pokémon well, that's a Psyduck and a Drowzee. I drew a Blastoise and Charizard on my planner for this transfer. Sorry I couldn't figure out how to rotate this one.

Our zone had super p-day this week, which was super lame. Just kidding; I just wanted to say that. It was all right. We played soccer and I showed off my goalie skillz and all the Brazilians practically poo'd themselves when they saw how good I was.

The last one is from an activity we had two weeks ago. We had two chairs on either side of the chapel with a Book of Mormon on each one. My companion read the key words to a scripture mastery scripture, and the two opponents had to find the correct scripture, read the whole thing out loud, and then use these huge squeegees (huh?) to drag a cloth to the other side of the room and score a goal. It was actually a lot of fun.

Sorry the pictures are all huge. Like I said, hopefully this kind of makes up for my boring email this week.

I love you!

Kay bye.