that’s not at all to say that things are bad here- just that it rains A LOT!! it is pretty much always raining and i like it! :-)
so yep, i am starting to get over the sadness that comes with transfers. last week we had a zone conference, and i saw the sisters that are in my old area now. i asked them about all my old investigators and they gave me bad news and more bad news. i felt sad, because i really had learned to love those people and now there are two new missionaries there that really are just looking at the teaching record that we left. so, after that (it was kind of like "closure" for me) i started the healing process. having a lot of good investigators here helps a lot.
so, in other news i STILL haven’t received those packages. actually, at zone conference i came close to not getting ANYTHING. luckily, i got a letter from another missionary that went home. he told the story of all the surgery he had to get... other than the thin-ness of the letters, zone conference was awesome. i was really far away- we were on a van at 4 AM and the van got us home at 8pm. the van ride was like 5 hours and the conference was worth it. we learned how to extend better commitments and help people keep them. in the way of new cool investigators we have got these three teenagers that we are teaching. they are between 15 and 17 and live pretty close to each other. we found them when we got an address from one of them in the street one day, then like a week later we passed by there and he had his two friends over playing video games. so, we asked them if they’d like to hear a message too. they accepted. now we have taught them a few times and they are cool guys. they are all reading and praying. and the coolest part is that when we read together- THEY UNDERSTAND!! it is SOO cool. usually we have to explain EVERTHING to our investigators. no wonder most of the them don’t read the bible- they don’t understand it. so of course they believe whatever their pastors tell them the interpretation is. they seem to think the pastors have the secret decoder for the bible, to make it mean what they want. anyway, these three really read and understand- and they come up with tough questions. i LOVE IT. investigators that ask questions are the best.
as for my new comp- he is cool. like all people, he is pretty weird about some things, but hey- he is brazilian : ) we get along good, and i really love teaching with him. he is a good teacher because he teaches so sincerely. today, i think that we are going to watch a movie and clean the house- pday favs.
alyce: sounds like alyce it going crazy at school! awesome! good luck with the car situation...
mom- teacher of the year, huh. That’s cool! i guess that’s what happens when you move to just one school : )
dad- this week i got something for you: the other week i was at church and it was a fast sunday, right. and i was sitting there enjoying the testimonies. then one person, tells their conversion story. well, in a ward of converts, with almost nobody that was born in the church, soon everyone was telling part of their "conversion story" as a part of the testimony. it was AWESOME!! you will never know how proud i am to say that my father is a convert. so... i was wondering if you could sort of write me YOUR "story". you know, like your experience with the missionaries and how you felt at church, and what helped you know it was true. (if you could do that in a paper letter, so i could have it, that would also be great) also, for you dad> i thought that you'd like to know that our ringer on our cell phone that is the alarm to wake up in the morning is.. get this.... the outfield! "i don’t want to lose your love, tonight". funny, huh! i don’t know who put it on our phone, but i thought of you.
sorry, the letter isn’t huge, but i am tired and not thinking my A-game right now. also, this computer doesn’t seem to like my camera, so pics of the apartment next week.
love ELDER HELLAND
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
ohwha-ohwhywhy!!!
(that is actually something that the people say here that is a funny change from rio. “oh-why”!)
Howdy dudes and dudettes!
Sorry about the lame letter last week, I was really rushed to type and stuff. So the news is that I am now in minas gerias [another state]. I am just now getting un-lost. We spent the first few days teaching and meeting the old investigators, we have several awesome ones here that are ready for baptism. Elder Pereira was in this area last transfer so he knows that investigators. The problem is that he doesn’t always know where they live. He was here for 6 weeks, but he didn’t learn the streets all that well, so we are learning together. Our area is pretty much just hill. Big hills. Lots of them. Correas had hills, but this… this is different. Really, everything here is built on a steep hill. Actually, I like it.
Now for a little that I learned about my companion this week. His name is moroni, which is to say that he was born in the church. If you ask him where he is from he will say that he is from santa catarina (or something like that- somewhere in the sul) but the truth is that he is from here… rio. He only lived in santa catarina for like 9 months or something, his parents actually live in Niteroi (part of RIO capital). I guess that is just inside the north rio mission. This is his 3 transfer, and he is a great teacher. Now we are finding new investigators to teach, and it is really cool.
Speaking of the new ones- we found a guy named Ruan. He is this 24 to 28 year old man. He has longhair and a few tattoos. His living room had a few movie posters hung up in it.(pirates III and homen aranha III :-) ) We taught this AWESOME lesson to him and he was REALLY exited about the message. Before we even extended any commitments for him to pray to know, he said, “Man, if this book, and this story were true, it would really change my life.”(more-or-less translation) needless to say that he accepted all the commitments to read pray and come to church. Then at the end of the lesson we were trying to schedule a return appointment, and he was telling us about his work schedule. Then he was like, “you guys will think this is pretty funny. … I work as a “show-man”!! Now the word he used in Portuguese was “showman”, and I didn’t know what that meant, and neither apparently did my comp. so elder Pereira asked, and he was like, “uh hang on, I’ll show you”, and then went to the other room. I was thinking that he told us he was a stripper or something, and that is what e. Pereira thought too. We were about to get up and run out the door, when he came back with photo albums. We looked at them and it turns out he is like a clown. A bar-clown. He juggles bottles and blows fire and stuff. It came as such a relief - but that is like something that we can definitely work around.
So that is it for this week. I do miss elder everton. Next week I will have to attach the funniest movie of his first (second actually) bubbly gum bubble. But me and elder Pereira are doing awesome.
Alyce- awesome- byu, hein! LEGAL!! AND WHAT- you killed my car! NOT COOL
Mom-boa sorte com [good luck with] Future City. I’ll pray that the end comes quickly :-)
Dad- you are not a loser face. You’re a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins! :-)
Logan- um feliz aniversario, é o que desejamos pra você. Nossa homenagem aqui via, feliz aniversario pra você! (Musica da missão. Nos contamos pra todas os missionários) [Happy 1st Birthday Greeting!]
New Comp
New Area?
New Area?
Howdy dudes and dudettes!
Sorry about the lame letter last week, I was really rushed to type and stuff. So the news is that I am now in minas gerias [another state]. I am just now getting un-lost. We spent the first few days teaching and meeting the old investigators, we have several awesome ones here that are ready for baptism. Elder Pereira was in this area last transfer so he knows that investigators. The problem is that he doesn’t always know where they live. He was here for 6 weeks, but he didn’t learn the streets all that well, so we are learning together. Our area is pretty much just hill. Big hills. Lots of them. Correas had hills, but this… this is different. Really, everything here is built on a steep hill. Actually, I like it.
Now for a little that I learned about my companion this week. His name is moroni, which is to say that he was born in the church. If you ask him where he is from he will say that he is from santa catarina (or something like that- somewhere in the sul) but the truth is that he is from here… rio. He only lived in santa catarina for like 9 months or something, his parents actually live in Niteroi (part of RIO capital). I guess that is just inside the north rio mission. This is his 3 transfer, and he is a great teacher. Now we are finding new investigators to teach, and it is really cool.
Speaking of the new ones- we found a guy named Ruan. He is this 24 to 28 year old man. He has longhair and a few tattoos. His living room had a few movie posters hung up in it.(pirates III and homen aranha III :-) ) We taught this AWESOME lesson to him and he was REALLY exited about the message. Before we even extended any commitments for him to pray to know, he said, “Man, if this book, and this story were true, it would really change my life.”(more-or-less translation) needless to say that he accepted all the commitments to read pray and come to church. Then at the end of the lesson we were trying to schedule a return appointment, and he was telling us about his work schedule. Then he was like, “you guys will think this is pretty funny. … I work as a “show-man”!! Now the word he used in Portuguese was “showman”, and I didn’t know what that meant, and neither apparently did my comp. so elder Pereira asked, and he was like, “uh hang on, I’ll show you”, and then went to the other room. I was thinking that he told us he was a stripper or something, and that is what e. Pereira thought too. We were about to get up and run out the door, when he came back with photo albums. We looked at them and it turns out he is like a clown. A bar-clown. He juggles bottles and blows fire and stuff. It came as such a relief - but that is like something that we can definitely work around.
So that is it for this week. I do miss elder everton. Next week I will have to attach the funniest movie of his first (second actually) bubbly gum bubble. But me and elder Pereira are doing awesome.
Alyce- awesome- byu, hein! LEGAL!! AND WHAT- you killed my car! NOT COOL
Mom-boa sorte com [good luck with] Future City. I’ll pray that the end comes quickly :-)
Dad- you are not a loser face. You’re a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins! :-)
Logan- um feliz aniversario, é o que desejamos pra você. Nossa homenagem aqui via, feliz aniversario pra você! (Musica da missão. Nos contamos pra todas os missionários) [Happy 1st Birthday Greeting!]
Old Comp
New Comp
New Area?
New Area?
Saturday, January 12, 2008
is it senhor or senior... either way i guess...
well, that’s the big news- i am now a senior companion! i got transferred out of correas to this area called bairu in juis de fora. my junior is this new brazilian missionary that, too, doesn’t speak ANY english. it feels weird to be senior to this other missionary , when i only have a transfer or two more than him on the mission. so here we are two newbies lost in juiz de fora! :) yeah, that came as quite the surprise in transfer meeting when president called that out. i was like, "oh-no, this is not funny." all of the other guys that were in my ctm district came to me afterwards and made fun of me. of the 12 of us now, 2 of us are seniors and one went home for health problems. now about my new comp. : his name is elder peirera (or something like that) i can’t really remember where he is from or anything. we have only been together less that a day. i do remember that his first name is moroni! my new apartment is cool, pretty big. the problem is that all my clothes are dirty because i didn’t do any before that move.
well, sorry, i don’t have much time to write today, i will write more next week.
love elder helland
ps. thx jay for the letter- foi a unica! i got the package from gma jones, thx!! i haven’t mailed in forever- i will try to do it this week!
well, sorry, i don’t have much time to write today, i will write more next week.
love elder helland
ps. thx jay for the letter- foi a unica! i got the package from gma jones, thx!! i haven’t mailed in forever- i will try to do it this week!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
feliz ano novo!
Whoa- happy 2008 to you guys too! Just so you know, it was 2008 here FIRST! Ha ha! Actually, it was a pretty long night. I just wanted to sleep like regular, because walking all day up and down mountains makes me tired. BUT, a certain brazilian that lives with me was excited pra caramba for the new year. So, 10:30 rolled around and i hit the hay, only to be awoken at 11:30, because he wanted to go out and see the fireworks. He finally got me out of bed and we got downstairs to see the explosions. I noted that there is a BIG difference in the fireworks THERE (USA) and HERE. There, they have selected places that professionals light big fireworks. Here, they sell those things to the public and everyone does their own from the roof of their house. IT WAS SO LOUD!!! Explosions EVERYWHERE! So this went on for about an hour and i was asleep again by 12:30. So that was it for new year, other than that it was a regular day. (well, actually, there were A LOT more drunks that usual, those guys are a bunch of fun!)
As far as new investigators go- we are teaching this english teacher and her father. she came to church this last Sunday, and it was pretty good. Our stake president came and took the Sunday school to tour the new chapel, so she got to see it. (the new chapel is awesome- i will have to send pictures!(next week, if i don’t get transferred) the only bad thing was that we have this crazy old woman in our ward that decided to talk to her the whole time on the tour. This wacky lady was talking about all kinds of stuff. When i found them, she was talking about the temple- to our BRAND NEW investigator! I interrupted and tried to steer the conversation to something more suitable. Later i came back, and she was talking about excommunication. I was like: “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” So i hope that this doesn’t affect our investigator in a bad way. I think that we are going to start giving lessons to the members after lunch about how to talk to investigators and nonmembers. Algums sao sem jeito!
Now replies:
Alyce: you looked gorgeous in those fotos! And that jacket was pretty sweet!
Mom: no packages yet, but maybe i should sent the thank yous anyway :-) loved talking to you too. It was the most fun i have had on a p-day!
Dad: my little skiing boy! Sounds like you guys had fun. Yup, you’ll have to take me when i get home! (snowboarding?:) )
Love elder helland
E-mail from Elder Everton:
hi helland family thank you for the gifts . i liked them a lot. i saw your picture in colorado and it was very beautiful. now i´m so close to finish my mission ´cause now i´m in my last week but it was very good work with elder helland .he´s a good missionary. he´s close to kill me . so feliz ano novo
elder everton
As far as new investigators go- we are teaching this english teacher and her father. she came to church this last Sunday, and it was pretty good. Our stake president came and took the Sunday school to tour the new chapel, so she got to see it. (the new chapel is awesome- i will have to send pictures!(next week, if i don’t get transferred) the only bad thing was that we have this crazy old woman in our ward that decided to talk to her the whole time on the tour. This wacky lady was talking about all kinds of stuff. When i found them, she was talking about the temple- to our BRAND NEW investigator! I interrupted and tried to steer the conversation to something more suitable. Later i came back, and she was talking about excommunication. I was like: “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” So i hope that this doesn’t affect our investigator in a bad way. I think that we are going to start giving lessons to the members after lunch about how to talk to investigators and nonmembers. Algums sao sem jeito!
Now replies:
Alyce: you looked gorgeous in those fotos! And that jacket was pretty sweet!
Mom: no packages yet, but maybe i should sent the thank yous anyway :-) loved talking to you too. It was the most fun i have had on a p-day!
Dad: my little skiing boy! Sounds like you guys had fun. Yup, you’ll have to take me when i get home! (snowboarding?:) )
Love elder helland
E-mail from Elder Everton:
hi helland family thank you for the gifts . i liked them a lot. i saw your picture in colorado and it was very beautiful. now i´m so close to finish my mission ´cause now i´m in my last week but it was very good work with elder helland .he´s a good missionary. he´s close to kill me . so feliz ano novo
elder everton
happy holidays - 12-26-07
E-mail sent 12-26-07 - Sorry it's taken SOOO long for me to post this! :-)
all of you guys sounded exhausted and sad that christmas was over. To be honest- i hardly saw it coming, and it was here so fast, that things are just back to normal again. I think that the video is of our ward party last week, so that is our ward. Then some pictures of my area.
Well, like you know, we were at my bishop’s house for christmas lunch. It was good, but by that time i was still filled from churrasco the night before. So we ate enough to be polite. (which in brasil is TWO PLATES FULL- i thought i would explode. Any less than two plates means that you didn’t like the food, i guess, because they ALWAYS say, “pega mais elder, pega mais... voce gostou? Entao, come mais!” (take more, take more, you liked it right?, then eat more.) it is one of those tricky situations that we have EVERYDAY and is why i will probably come home fat. :-)
Anyway, after lunch, elder everton REALLY REALLY has been wanting to go to this “waterfall” in our area. I didn’t want to go because there are always people swimming there, and swimming in brazil means brazilian swimsuits- which are DISGUSTING- both for the men and women. Also, it would mean a long bus ride, and i wanted to write a few letters during p-day. Well, i relented, as a part of the “learning to love my brother as myself” campaign for this week. So we went. We got way out there, and all the other people got off the bus. Elder everton asks the bus driver if this is it. He says, YEP, this is it. So we get off. And there it is, the anticipated ... creek. It is this little river that runs over the rocks: think slide rock. So here we are. We look at it for 3 or 4 minutes and decide that this was a waste of time and money. I take a few pictures to record the lameness of the trip, and then we return to the bus stop. All this takes place in about 20 min tops. We didn’t know the bus schedule there, and it turns out the it only comes EVERY TWO HOURS. So we waited FOREVER (1.5 hrs) , before we gave up and started walking home. The walk would be about 2 hours. We got to the next city and started to wait for the bus there, hoping that it ran more frequently. Then this purple van stops in front of us and asks if we want a ride to Correas. “Uhmmm, sure.” So we get in and the man says: do you remember me? “uhmmm, yeah...” he looked familiar, but the answer should have been no. Turns out he was just this contact we made one day, and somehow he recognized us in “civilian” clothes. So, we got a free ride home, and got home much faster.
So I included a picture of this place, it really wasn’t all that lame, but seeing as how we can’t swim, just look, it got old fast.
Mom- about charity. I don’t really think there is a secret. I have to study something different everyday to help me with Elder E. One thing that helped me this week was a couple of entries in true to the faith. (see adversity and charity) the article on adversity really helps a lot. But the truth is that like Cap. Moroni, the same tactic doesn’t win every battle. You’ve got to be creative and have something new everyday to win. “The only thing that is constant is trust in God” really, read the article, i really liked it.
Dad- thanks for the thoughtfulness, and not getting me sick. Sick as a missionary would be miserable. Remember, no TV, comfy couch, ice cream for me. Tell, grampa to “get better!” for me. .... i also sent them a letter, i hope they get it soon.
Police- WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Skiing?! AWESOME! Have fun with that. Take pictures and now you can SEND ME some.
Well, i loved talking to guys yesterday; it was a bunch of fun. I didn’t really get trunky at all. Well, i got to go, but i will write a little more later today
Love elder helland
Adam’s e-mail to Pres. Brinton
Merry Christmas!
president, thank you SO MUCH for the help and support during interviews. it really helped a lot to feel the spirit there testify to me that whatever the trial is, it is for my good. (d&c 122:5-7) one thing that i studied the next day in personal study, that has helped me a lot in working with elder everton, was the article in "true to the faith" under adversity. [smile], i know that sounds a little severe, but it really, REALLY helped. it had five questions to ask myself whenever i felt down or stressed because of our companionship. the truth is that things have gotten harder since then, and without the strength that i felt with you and in personal study, it would be tougher. elder everton thinks that the end of his mission means obedience isn’t important, but i am working with him to be more obedient. i am also working with our new district leader, elder wilson. (who, by the way, is AWESOME)
anyway, thanks for the help, love, and prayers. I AM SO HAPPY to be a missionary, and this happiness comes because i am in the service of others, and NOT because of exterior conditions. you told me to do ALL that i can do to have the spirit with me ALWAYS, and it has changed my perspective and helped me a lot. now i have TWO constant companions. (D&C 123:...the last verse, i think, really was great. so was that part about, "waste and wear out our lives")
love elder helland
This is the waterfall they visited:
This must be Petropolis
The second counselor's little girl - they spent Christmas Eve as their home
all of you guys sounded exhausted and sad that christmas was over. To be honest- i hardly saw it coming, and it was here so fast, that things are just back to normal again. I think that the video is of our ward party last week, so that is our ward. Then some pictures of my area.
Well, like you know, we were at my bishop’s house for christmas lunch. It was good, but by that time i was still filled from churrasco the night before. So we ate enough to be polite. (which in brasil is TWO PLATES FULL- i thought i would explode. Any less than two plates means that you didn’t like the food, i guess, because they ALWAYS say, “pega mais elder, pega mais... voce gostou? Entao, come mais!” (take more, take more, you liked it right?, then eat more.) it is one of those tricky situations that we have EVERYDAY and is why i will probably come home fat. :-)
Anyway, after lunch, elder everton REALLY REALLY has been wanting to go to this “waterfall” in our area. I didn’t want to go because there are always people swimming there, and swimming in brazil means brazilian swimsuits- which are DISGUSTING- both for the men and women. Also, it would mean a long bus ride, and i wanted to write a few letters during p-day. Well, i relented, as a part of the “learning to love my brother as myself” campaign for this week. So we went. We got way out there, and all the other people got off the bus. Elder everton asks the bus driver if this is it. He says, YEP, this is it. So we get off. And there it is, the anticipated ... creek. It is this little river that runs over the rocks: think slide rock. So here we are. We look at it for 3 or 4 minutes and decide that this was a waste of time and money. I take a few pictures to record the lameness of the trip, and then we return to the bus stop. All this takes place in about 20 min tops. We didn’t know the bus schedule there, and it turns out the it only comes EVERY TWO HOURS. So we waited FOREVER (1.5 hrs) , before we gave up and started walking home. The walk would be about 2 hours. We got to the next city and started to wait for the bus there, hoping that it ran more frequently. Then this purple van stops in front of us and asks if we want a ride to Correas. “Uhmmm, sure.” So we get in and the man says: do you remember me? “uhmmm, yeah...” he looked familiar, but the answer should have been no. Turns out he was just this contact we made one day, and somehow he recognized us in “civilian” clothes. So, we got a free ride home, and got home much faster.
So I included a picture of this place, it really wasn’t all that lame, but seeing as how we can’t swim, just look, it got old fast.
Mom- about charity. I don’t really think there is a secret. I have to study something different everyday to help me with Elder E. One thing that helped me this week was a couple of entries in true to the faith. (see adversity and charity) the article on adversity really helps a lot. But the truth is that like Cap. Moroni, the same tactic doesn’t win every battle. You’ve got to be creative and have something new everyday to win. “The only thing that is constant is trust in God” really, read the article, i really liked it.
Dad- thanks for the thoughtfulness, and not getting me sick. Sick as a missionary would be miserable. Remember, no TV, comfy couch, ice cream for me. Tell, grampa to “get better!” for me. .... i also sent them a letter, i hope they get it soon.
Police- WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Skiing?! AWESOME! Have fun with that. Take pictures and now you can SEND ME some.
Well, i loved talking to guys yesterday; it was a bunch of fun. I didn’t really get trunky at all. Well, i got to go, but i will write a little more later today
Love elder helland
Adam’s e-mail to Pres. Brinton
Merry Christmas!
president, thank you SO MUCH for the help and support during interviews. it really helped a lot to feel the spirit there testify to me that whatever the trial is, it is for my good. (d&c 122:5-7) one thing that i studied the next day in personal study, that has helped me a lot in working with elder everton, was the article in "true to the faith" under adversity. [smile], i know that sounds a little severe, but it really, REALLY helped. it had five questions to ask myself whenever i felt down or stressed because of our companionship. the truth is that things have gotten harder since then, and without the strength that i felt with you and in personal study, it would be tougher. elder everton thinks that the end of his mission means obedience isn’t important, but i am working with him to be more obedient. i am also working with our new district leader, elder wilson. (who, by the way, is AWESOME)
anyway, thanks for the help, love, and prayers. I AM SO HAPPY to be a missionary, and this happiness comes because i am in the service of others, and NOT because of exterior conditions. you told me to do ALL that i can do to have the spirit with me ALWAYS, and it has changed my perspective and helped me a lot. now i have TWO constant companions. (D&C 123:...the last verse, i think, really was great. so was that part about, "waste and wear out our lives")
love elder helland
This is the waterfall they visited:
This must be Petropolis
The second counselor's little girl - they spent Christmas Eve as their home
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
papai noel! "o que voce quer para natal, minino?"
I don't mean this in a mean way, but ... the week before Christmas and all i got was this little group letter? (written in third person?... mom!?) Thanks, though for the letter- if there had been NO letter i might have cried :-).
Well, sounds like things are all christmasy there, AWESOME! It is hot and humid here, and the only relief is when it rains. But, when it rains, it pours...
so... I sent you a piece of the letter that pres brinton sends every week, the part about “the phone call”! well, what happened is this: right now, i don’t think anyone has invited us over for christmas, so... i don’t know what we are going to do. Also, p-day has been moved to christmas, so i won’t be working until 6:00 PM. (i think that part was in portuguese) , so SURE, you can call me at 9 or 10 AM. I will just be sitting there waiting. :-)
I PROMISE- for sure this time that i will send all those forgotten letters that i wrote and haven’t sent. There are a TON of them! As for the work here- things are slow. We don’t have anyone who is chomping at the bit to get baptized or anything, we DO have a lot of new people that we are teaching along with the few old good ones.
We taught this family yesterday, and the father didn’t really want to participate in the lesson, but we NEEDED him so that we could teach. So we convinced him to stay. He seemed to like the lesson, and at the end we asked him to offer the closing prayer. He had never really gone to church or prayed in front of anyone before, so we helped him with the prayer. It was beautiful, heartfelt and sincere. A rare prayer to hear done here, because it wasn’t tainted with all the “senhor-meu pai”s that the crentes use, and it wasn’t memorized like the catholics. It was truly a man talking with his God, for perhaps the first time. At the end of the prayer, i looked at the wife, who is true-blue-evangelical, and she was crying. She was so excited that her husband listened to something “church-y” and prayed. Her husband was really neat too. Like when we were about to explain about apostasy and move into joseph smith, he stops us and asks: “but why are there SO many churches today? Why don’t they teach the same thing? Isn’t there just ONE jesus, then why does everyone talk about him different?” we said that we had just the answer for him; that a young boy once had the same questions, and that was why we are here. Truly, it was a lesson different that most. Later the wife too, softened and said, in not so many words that if HE would follow this church, so would she. And they have a pretty big family too, so it was a great day.
So, that scripture that you sent was the scripture of the week for me [scriptures on charity]. I am always thinking that there has got to be something more that i can do to be a better missionary, and we always read about how faith is necessary to be the kind of missionary like alma and his brothers, to move mountains, and more importantly to move people. But, like paul says, all this and no charity, it means nothing. I can love and desire to help ALL of the people in my area, i can try to develop the faith to be that instrument of power for the Lord, but if i can’t truly love my companion, it is all in vain. So, i am working on it.
Tomorrow we have interviews. I LOVE interviews, and it is so sad to see missionaries that don’t like them. Missionaries only are afraid of the president if they aren’t doing their best. Because, the best is all he asks, right? It just kills me to talk to missionaries that DONT UNDERSTAND. But, love right?, that is the answer.
So, i gotta scram, talk to you on Tuesday.
Love, elder helland
Letter from Elder Everton (Adam's companion):
hi helland family . thanks for the letter . i have one brother and 5 sister . but only my youngest sister and i are member of the church . i was baptized to almost 4 years ago and i ´m so happy to be a member of the church of jesus christ . i love all my mission and i´m very close to finish my mission but the best part of the mission is when you see a person that you helped been baptized. i ´m so grateful unto the lord to have this opportunity to serve a mission . have a good merry christmas
Well, sounds like things are all christmasy there, AWESOME! It is hot and humid here, and the only relief is when it rains. But, when it rains, it pours...
so... I sent you a piece of the letter that pres brinton sends every week, the part about “the phone call”! well, what happened is this: right now, i don’t think anyone has invited us over for christmas, so... i don’t know what we are going to do. Also, p-day has been moved to christmas, so i won’t be working until 6:00 PM. (i think that part was in portuguese) , so SURE, you can call me at 9 or 10 AM. I will just be sitting there waiting. :-)
I PROMISE- for sure this time that i will send all those forgotten letters that i wrote and haven’t sent. There are a TON of them! As for the work here- things are slow. We don’t have anyone who is chomping at the bit to get baptized or anything, we DO have a lot of new people that we are teaching along with the few old good ones.
We taught this family yesterday, and the father didn’t really want to participate in the lesson, but we NEEDED him so that we could teach. So we convinced him to stay. He seemed to like the lesson, and at the end we asked him to offer the closing prayer. He had never really gone to church or prayed in front of anyone before, so we helped him with the prayer. It was beautiful, heartfelt and sincere. A rare prayer to hear done here, because it wasn’t tainted with all the “senhor-meu pai”s that the crentes use, and it wasn’t memorized like the catholics. It was truly a man talking with his God, for perhaps the first time. At the end of the prayer, i looked at the wife, who is true-blue-evangelical, and she was crying. She was so excited that her husband listened to something “church-y” and prayed. Her husband was really neat too. Like when we were about to explain about apostasy and move into joseph smith, he stops us and asks: “but why are there SO many churches today? Why don’t they teach the same thing? Isn’t there just ONE jesus, then why does everyone talk about him different?” we said that we had just the answer for him; that a young boy once had the same questions, and that was why we are here. Truly, it was a lesson different that most. Later the wife too, softened and said, in not so many words that if HE would follow this church, so would she. And they have a pretty big family too, so it was a great day.
So, that scripture that you sent was the scripture of the week for me [scriptures on charity]. I am always thinking that there has got to be something more that i can do to be a better missionary, and we always read about how faith is necessary to be the kind of missionary like alma and his brothers, to move mountains, and more importantly to move people. But, like paul says, all this and no charity, it means nothing. I can love and desire to help ALL of the people in my area, i can try to develop the faith to be that instrument of power for the Lord, but if i can’t truly love my companion, it is all in vain. So, i am working on it.
Tomorrow we have interviews. I LOVE interviews, and it is so sad to see missionaries that don’t like them. Missionaries only are afraid of the president if they aren’t doing their best. Because, the best is all he asks, right? It just kills me to talk to missionaries that DONT UNDERSTAND. But, love right?, that is the answer.
So, i gotta scram, talk to you on Tuesday.
Love, elder helland
Letter from Elder Everton (Adam's companion):
hi helland family . thanks for the letter . i have one brother and 5 sister . but only my youngest sister and i are member of the church . i was baptized to almost 4 years ago and i ´m so happy to be a member of the church of jesus christ . i love all my mission and i´m very close to finish my mission but the best part of the mission is when you see a person that you helped been baptized. i ´m so grateful unto the lord to have this opportunity to serve a mission . have a good merry christmas
Monday, December 17, 2007
Christmas letter from Pres. Brinton
MISSÃO BRASIL RIO DE JANEIRO
Av. das Américas, 1155 Salas 502/503
Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro, RJ
CEP 22631-000 Brasil
Fone: (21) 2111-9243/ 2111-9244
Fax: (21) 2493-6237
2014750@ldschurch.org
Dear Helland Family,
Christmas is our favorite time of year. It is a wonderful opportunity to think of the many gifts that we enjoy in our lives. We are grateful for the gift of the baby born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, and for the greater gift of his sacrifice upon the cross for the redemption of our sins, and the equally great gift of overcoming death through His resurrection. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission with your son. What a priceless gift you have given to us! When we arrived in this mission we knew that we would develop an affection for the missionaries who served with us, but we did not understand how much we would grow to love them.
We are grateful for the values that you instilled in him before he arrived here--a desire to search the scriptures, a desire to love other people, a desire to work hard, a desire to have new experiences, and a desire to know his Father in Heaven. We are grateful for the habits that you instilled in him as he was growing up—the discipline to get up at 6:30 a.m., the ability to live within a budget, and the skills to keep his apartment clean. (Some of these things we are still perfecting.) Most of all, we are grateful for the love you have for him and the support you show him through the letters you write and the prayers you offer in his behalf. Of course, you will have an opportunity to talk with your son on Christmas day. Believe us, he is looking forward to this opportunity. The missionary handbook gives this direction to your son, “Take care that these calls do not pull your thoughts away from your service or create a financial problem for your family. Keep them short (preferably no longer than 30 or 40 minutes).” Let your son share the excitement of his missionary experiences with you and try to avoid conversations that will make him homesick.
Av. das Américas, 1155 Salas 502/503
Barra da Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro, RJ
CEP 22631-000 Brasil
Fone: (21) 2111-9243/ 2111-9244
Fax: (21) 2493-6237
2014750@ldschurch.org
Dear Helland Family,
Christmas is our favorite time of year. It is a wonderful opportunity to think of the many gifts that we enjoy in our lives. We are grateful for the gift of the baby born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, and for the greater gift of his sacrifice upon the cross for the redemption of our sins, and the equally great gift of overcoming death through His resurrection. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission with your son. What a priceless gift you have given to us! When we arrived in this mission we knew that we would develop an affection for the missionaries who served with us, but we did not understand how much we would grow to love them.
We are grateful for the values that you instilled in him before he arrived here--a desire to search the scriptures, a desire to love other people, a desire to work hard, a desire to have new experiences, and a desire to know his Father in Heaven. We are grateful for the habits that you instilled in him as he was growing up—the discipline to get up at 6:30 a.m., the ability to live within a budget, and the skills to keep his apartment clean. (Some of these things we are still perfecting.) Most of all, we are grateful for the love you have for him and the support you show him through the letters you write and the prayers you offer in his behalf. Of course, you will have an opportunity to talk with your son on Christmas day. Believe us, he is looking forward to this opportunity. The missionary handbook gives this direction to your son, “Take care that these calls do not pull your thoughts away from your service or create a financial problem for your family. Keep them short (preferably no longer than 30 or 40 minutes).” Let your son share the excitement of his missionary experiences with you and try to avoid conversations that will make him homesick.
He is performing a great work here among the people in Rio de Janeiro and is well loved by the members of the church and the people he is teaching. We recently talked with the missionaries about the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob, chapter 5. In the 72nd verse, we read “And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their might; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.” We often think of this verse when we think of these fine young men and women performing their work. They are His servants and they are laboring with their might and the Lord is laboring with them. They are truly among the “noble and great ones,” chosen before they were born to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the humble and pure in heart.
Along with them, we testify that God, our Heavenly Father lives, that He sent His Son to live and die for all men. We know that Jesus Christ lives again as a resurrected being and that in the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith actually saw God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Through him, the Lord restored the fullness of His gospel. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God and this book is tangible proof that he was a prophet. We have faith in the promise given by Moroni that if any person will read the Book of Mormon, having faith in Christ and pray with a sincere heart, that the Lord will answer that prayer with an assurance that the book is true.
Merry Christmas! We wish you peace, and love and joy at this time of year.
Sincerely,
President Brinton Sister Brinton
Sincerely,
President Brinton Sister Brinton
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