HEEELLLLLLOOOOOOOOO!

sorry, you guys are so far away that i had to shout. anyway, i would love to send you guys cool pictures of all the cool things that i get to see, BUT i can only take pictures INSIDE the ctm. SO, you will mostly just get pictures of my roommates, and the view outside of my room. i'll try to label the pictures better, mom, so you can know what they’re all about. oh, by the way, i won the letter contest most of the weekend, thanks to the ones from jen and jocy. and everyone loved the superman card that came on Friday (postmarked from the 3 of july?! :). it hangs in the room now.

WELL, let me tell you the highlight of my week WAS proselytizing, and i wrote a more detailed account of some of my experiences in the snail mail that i am going to mail today. for an overview, ahem, we talked with and taught about thirty people in the two hours that we had. we gave away 2 Book of Mormons (BOMs), and about thirty pass-a-long cards. we committed everyone we talked with to call the number on the card to either learn more or to receive a BOM (here it abbreviates to: OLDeM). it really was awesome!

to set the stage a little, let me tell you where we went. we went downtown to a street called 'avenua paulista', or something like that. we were told that it is sort of like wall street, only it is super long and has over two million people traffic the street DAILY! that is a lot of people, and we resolved that we would teach all of them. the sidewalks that we preached from were about 20+ feet wide and absolutely FILLED with people. at first it was a little overwhelming, but soon we were running around talking to anyone and everyone that would listen to two americans choke out some broken Portuguese. interestingly enough, we talked to a few people who understood or spoke english. and as cool as that was, the cool part was that it didn’t matter, because we were able to connect with people that we couldn’t really understand. oh yeah, i forgot to mention, it was SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING! it was like they would ask a question, and all we could usually do is have them repeat it a couple of times, then tell them that we had no idea what they said, and continue saying what we had to say. it was just incredible. once, we were talking to this lady, and we had introduced ourselves, and began teaching, when she stopped us and asked us what language were we speaking, and could we please speak portuguese. we said okay, and started again slowly and asked her at the end of each sentence if she understood, and she did. it was pretty funny.

when it was time to get on the bus again, we were all exhausted, and yet thrilled. the power of the work had consumed us, and the testifying had zapped us of energy, but we felt awesome. the language has never come to me so fluidly or clearly. well, i am nearly out of time, but i want you guys to know that i love you and your support! i didn’t get to write any other letters this week, but i promise to reply to peoples letters next week.
eu voces amo,
Elder helland
ps: 'eu te amo' is like 'i love thee', i think. at least we always just use 'voce' instead of 'te'. i guess i am not really sure....[we wrote him “Eu Te Amo” – Elle taught us so I’m sure SHE’S correct…]
pss: sorry no pictures this week. the computers are all screwy.

Como via! - July 24, 2007

Well, its great to get an email from you guys, BUT just so you know, although i technically CAN print out emails, i have to PAY to print. SO, i just end reading it on the screen, which ends up taking 10 to 15 minutes to read all of your great emails. NOT that that is a problem; so i still like getting emails from all three of you. one thing that a couple elder's moms are doing is using a service called Mission ties or some sort of play on words like that. it works like "dearelder" except that is prints here in brazil and mails. it takes like 1 to 2 days for the letter to arrive. i don’t know, maybe you could check it out... [I found the site he was talking about http://www.missionties.com/. I think we'll register and pay the monthly fee then the whole family can use our account to send mail, if you want. Call me and I'll give you the account information]

speaking of paper letters I still have not recieved a LETTER from alyce. really, i love your emails, but i only get to read them once. So the really cool story that Alyce sent me would be great to show the guys, BUT i only got to read it once, and i might never get to read it again. [She sent him a story called, "The First Epistle of the Elders to the Dead Letter Writers" - it's pretty funny, but too long to print here - you can find it on-line]. SO if you could, the occasional letter in paper format would be nice. thx again mom for the great letter and candy.

so, this last week was pretty much the same as the one before: most of the time (e.i. ALL of the thyme) spent in classes, then the more than occasional meal, and sometimes some nighttime basketball to break it all up. this week is a little more exciting - for instance, this friday we get to go proselytizing! we have been working on our short messages in portuguese for the whole last week. my companion has a lot of trouble speaking the language, and he gets depressed-kind-of sometimes, and sometimes we have different priorities (ex: i wanted to go out for the precious 2 hours we have to go outside on p-day, and he wanted to email and then go in and study. humm...)... so i am still getting used to this whole companion thing, we are working hard to be the best missionaries that we can be and that is what is important.

today, our brazilian missionaries left and we were sad. we became such good friends in the last two weeks. last night elder da silva told us a story that we told him, and it brought us to tears. he told the story like this: once upon a time there was a bear, named fuzzy wuzzy.... well, you know the story he told. it was SOO funny because it took us so long to teach him all of the useless english words so he could tell it. sigh. well, i am sending a few pages of my journal home in a system that i came up with. so in a week or so you should get a fat letter with some more interesting anecdotes. sorry i gotta go, i am out of time. you'll get some letters for you, and letters for grandparents. if you’d just mail those to the correct recipients. like i said, i costs a boat load to mail is separately here, and i get a very small allowance.
ate logo-
ELDER adam helland

Our District

Sorry last weeks letter was lame...

But i do have a fairly good excuse, and here it is in the short narrative form: AHEM... last week after signing to the missionary email service, i immediately typed a quick letter for you guys and sent it. then i started writing another, more meatier letter. it was great, i typed for 30 min solid, several pages were involved. then, as i went to send it, i lost it. ALL of it. sorry. well, the plane ride was... hmmm ... good? ill have to write you a snail mail letter with the whole narrative for that. ( it was on last weeks email but.. well you know) As for letters received from you guys, i have only got the candy laden one from mom, and the cool letters from grandma jones and jen. THX a bunch. mail here is more than a matter of bragging. he who gets the most mail IS KING. so thanks for the help, i won that day.(some other guy also got two, but the candy put me over the top.) WELL, i went to the campinas temple again today. it really is awesome. Everyone there is always talking to me in Portuguese, and i am always like, "desculpe, nao falo portuguese. nao entenge." actually, i like that i am always being mistaken for a brasileiro. my companion, elder harmon, is really great. ill try to get a picture of us to you. he Really REALLY likes to study and plan and set goals, which is perfect, because those are all weaknesses of mine. we share a room with four other missionaries, 2 americans, two brasilieros. they are all awesome. Elders Labrum (short and blond) and Cangelosi (dark hair) are the americans. Labrum is the DL for our district (dist 27b). all of our dist. going to rio. 12 of us in all, and we are all so excited. the other two are elder silva and .... elder silva. Same names, not related at all. there are TONs of brazilian missionaries with that last name here. the food here is awesome. i told alyce that i eat fresh pineapple every day. i drink tropical fruit juice with every meal. i ALSO eat beans and rice A whole lot. i try to try everything that they serve, but some of the stuff is... well all i can say is that i hope that i dont run into that stuff out in the field at dinner at someone’s house. so, food is great. the city looks so foreign. and it is, but... it really is so weird. Sao paulo is huge, ridiculously big. i'll send a picture. the ctm is pretty big too. there are about 350 missionaries here. Eu voces amo- Elder adam helland P.S. i am almost out of time, so... i mailed another letter today. in it is one for jen and g-ma jones. it would cost me another couple bucks to mail them in seperate envelopes, sooo, thanks for the help in delivering those. i really, have so very very little time to write here at the ctm. the bus to and from the temple is it, and then 45 min here at the email cafe. the computers here are slow and the keyboards are goofy, so MOM if you could please edit correct this letter, that would be the best. (smile) thanks! ill write next week!

Here are a few pictures Adam attached:

View from Adam's CTM window

1st "Snail Mail" letter

We received our FIRST letter in the mail from Adam today! I'm guessing he wrote this the day he arrived - 7-4-07. :-)

Hey Guys!

First off – all those pink notes are awesome! [little notes we wrote to him and hid in his clothes and suitcase] They were falling out of everything. Out of politeness, my companion and roommates stared quizzically, but didn’t ask a thing. Speaking of them, my companion is Elder Harmon from Oregon. The rest of my roommates are also headed to Rio. In fact, my whole district (27B) is bound for Rio. I guess I should fill you in on the rest of the flight. The 5 of us (Me, Elders Ryan & Meacham, and the sisters) sat all spread apart on the plane. It was a LONG flight. In Atlanta (the airport was HUGE) we met 22 other missionaries. Turns out over half of the 27 are going to Rio. In Atlanta our plane had mechanical problems, so were delayed an hour and a 1/2! We got on at 9:40 PM and then enjoyed the LONGEST flight of ALL TIME! 9 ½ hour flight, and I had ZERO leg room, the lady next to me spoke no English, fell asleep so I couldn’t get out to go to the bathroom. It is SO hard to sleep sitting up, even harder when you have to pee, I mean - urinate! The meals we got were so small – fasting would have been better! We arrived at 8:30 AM (here) but didn’t get baggage and clear customs till 10:30. In the end, we got to the MTC (CTM) at 12:00. We got an abbreviated lunch and then several orientations, dinner was good – beans and rice. Then they gave us the night off to unpack, do assignments, write, read, shower, play B-ball. I can’t wait to go to sleep…so I can wake up and start figuring this ‘Pork-A-Geez’ stuff out. It is awesome here. I will e-mail either on Tues. or Wed. (hopefully!), then you can e-mail me. If I don’t get to it, here are the instructions for snail mail [see below]. Well, I’ve been awake and in the same clothes for 35 + hours – time to hit the hay – Write Soon.

Love,
Elder Helland

These mailing instructions are included on his first blog message – Gone Fishin’
FYI – It takes 10 days for him to receive a package using the GLOBAL PRIORITY ENVELOPES from the Post Office – flat rate - $11.00

WHoa!!! I made it and it IS aWESoME!!

Here's Adam's first e-mail from the MTC (They call it CTM in Brazil). Hopefully his next e-mail will be longer! :-)

WOW, there is so much that i could tell you... but i will start with the email rules. i know that we thought that i was NOT going to get to email in the CTM (missionary training center), well... we were wrong. So, here’s the deal: i can check my email once a week (in the CTM that is on tuesday) and be on the computer for 45 min. i can receive email from my family and send email to my family, just you guys and alyce. (though, REAL mail is fun too) ALSO, We are only allowed to WRITE letters on Pday so the letters people get will probably be short and sweet cause i dont have much time to write, mail, do laundry, go to the temple(6 hr trip total!), AND eat. so thats that.

Safe Arrival

Yippee! Today we received an e-mail from the wife of the MTC President. Thought we'd share:

Dear Parents,
Your son or daughter arrived here safely at the Brazil MTC this morning. They were greeted, and are now moving in and resting, and then they will have lunch. This afternoon they will attend an orientation meeting and meet with the doctor about immunizations, etc. Then they will go for a short walk around the neighborhood with a teacher. Tomorrow they will learn how to pray in Portuguese. The food here is very good. There are always two kinds of meat or chicken, a hot vegetable, beans and rice, fresh salad vegetables, a variety of fruit, a dessert, a popsicle, and lots of Brazilian juices and other drinks. They can eat all they want. We are so happy to have them here ready to serve and help the people of Brazil. It would be wonderful if you could pick them up at the end of their mission. You can then relate to them the rest of their life about their experiences here. It will be worth the time and expense. They will be able to e-mail you on either Tuesday or Wednesday which ever day is their P-day. They go to the temple that morning and e-mail you during the afternoon. Attached is the information for mailing letters and other mail to your missionary while he or she is at the MTC. Thank you for sharing them for this time. May you be blessed in their absence.

Love, Phyllis Cardon, wife of the MTC President

*She also sent some important info. on mailing to the MTC. See "Gone Fishin' posting for that added info. :-)

UP, UP, and AWAY!

Today we took Adam to the airport and got to see him off at the gate (thx to Mom's tears)!

New Companions?
There were two other Elders and two Sisters all heading to Brazil!

See ya in two!

Gone Fishin'

"19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matt. 4:19

I leave on the third July, and will be gone for two whole years. Although I imagine that anyone who reads this, probably already knew that, it was needed anyway.
Now, the next point that arises is the question of how to reach me. I brainstormed for a while, did a little research, ate two bowls of Wheaties, and talked to my mom about other possible ideas, then I came up with this: a nearly comprehensive list of ways to reach me. Some are electronic, others are the "old school"-nearly archaic method- pen and paper sort, but both are good and will be very GRATEFULLY recieved. So, here they are:

1) Using "Dear Elder" - Here's the website: http://www.dearelder.com/index/inc_name/home - find the "select a mission" (he's at the Brazil MTC for approximatley 62 days - entering on July 4) then follow the directions for writing the letter. The letters will be sent through the church's pouch mail system which is only sent out once a week. This way is FREE. :-)

2) Using "Pouch Mail" - This would be sending your letter to Salt Lake City and they would send it through the pouch system. This way would cost you US Postage fees only. Here's the address:
Elder Adam Harrison Helland
Brazil MTC
Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150
USA

3) Mailing directly to the MTC - Here is the address (you'll need this info. if you use "Dear Elder" also)
Elder Adam Harrison Helland
Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission
Brazil Missionary Training Center
Rua Padre Antonio D'Angelo 121
Casa Verde
02516-040 Sao Paulo SP
Brazil

A note from the MTC President about sending packages to the MTC:
"To send anything to your missionary while he or she is in the MTC use a GLOBAL PRIORITY ENVELOPE obtained at any U.S. Post Office. Global Priority Envelopes arrive quickly and safely to Brazil. The flat rate is $11.00. DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY: FEDEX, DHL, UPS, ETC. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING EXCEPT GLOBAL PRIORITY ENVELOPES!! "

Also:
"Do not send any mail to your missionary using the MTC address after he or she has been in Brazil for seven weeks. After your missionary has been in the Brazil MTC for seven weeks, send all mail directly to the mission home of the mission to which your son or daughter has been called. (see address below)"

4) When he gets out of the MTC, here is the address of the mission home:
Elder Adam Harrison Helland
Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission
Av. das Americas, 1155, Salas 502/503
Barra de Tijuca
22631-000-Rio de Janeiro-RJ
BRAZIL

*This would be the address you would send packages to once he leaves the MTC. We'll keep you posted!