I am sorry it is taking so long to get the picture, it is a little difficult to find a spot with a nice background that you will like, and my old companion was tired of taking pictures, but I will take a picture here in a praça (park or square) that has very beautiful gardens. But I don´t know if I can send it while I am here because my companion told me the computers don´t work with the cameras. You can tell people I am on my mission really and steer them to the Blog
Well we have had a few changes in the mission, we have a new mission President, Presidente Pizzirani, President Tanner was not realized but had to go back to the US to have surgery on his leg, and He was hoping to be back by December or January. It is interesting the different between Brazilians and American Presidents. Brazilians are more prone to rules, whereas Americans and Especially President Tanner is a lot more calm leaving it up to the missionaries to choose to be obedient and only the rules that anything that will damage our ability to receive the spirit, the reputation of the Church and as a missionary in Missão Brasil Campinas we should not do.
Other things about the mission and Brazil; we receive an allowance like every other mission every 15 days of 90 reais (60-70 dollars) but in some places more expensive 100 reais to 150 reais. Here in São Manuel we get 100 R$, but most of our money goes to transportation on buses. The buses aren’t too expensive, but when you have to travel a lot for meetings and interview it quickly adds up. We get some money for food, but mostly from money members give us to eat.
The food here is wonderful, we do eat rice and beans every time we eat with members, but with other foods too, chicken is very popular because it is cheap, but also beef is really good too. We also drink a lot of soda; I love orange Fanta and Guarana, muito bom. And dad we eat a lot of Ice cream too, it is the same thing in the US and very cheap to.
This is just a little about the mission in Missão Brasil Campinas for you.
I will do my best to take the picture for the plaque soon
Tchau tchau
Elder Sands
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I am so excited for Levi and Julie and for the whole family, and those pictures are so wonderful, even the picture Levi kissed Julie. I am so glad that everyone could make it. Don’t worry about me I can feel a little of the love, spirit, and excitement that occurred; way to go.
Well I have been transferred again and I am about 4 and a half hours away from Campinas, in a small town São Manuel. My new companion is Elder Coelho da Silva, a brasierio, who is a great missionary. The trip over wasn’t as long as your but 4 hours wasn’t that bad, we slept in the house of the Zone leaders last night to catch the bus to São Manuel at 9a.m. This town is pretty old and old in the mission, right now there is branch here and the capela (chapel) is a house, but we well change that pretty soon.
Thank you for the confidence in me, I am always learning to be patient with the process of becoming the best missionary I can be. I have been thinking lately, I haven’t had as much success and other missionary in the field in terms of baptisms. This is a baptizing mission and there are people who really want to be baptised, but were to find them. It is normal to baptize 3, 4, 5 in a week and more in a mouth, but me only two. But these are two, I started really pondering over this, and the scripture in Doctrine and Convents 18 came to mind. “if you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto the children of men and bring just one soul how great should be your Joy, How great shall be your Joy if you can bring many souls unto God” How great shall be my joy with two souls children of heavenly father that are on their way to return to his presence, and After this how much desire I had to really find those people that are ready to receive the gospel, and too to really rely and have trust in the spirit. The thing I have been think has been a little lacking is using the spirit in finding, we have found some elect and it is possible, but now the trick is to develop this.
Thank you much for the pictures and the love, tchau tchau
Elder Sands
Well I have been transferred again and I am about 4 and a half hours away from Campinas, in a small town São Manuel. My new companion is Elder Coelho da Silva, a brasierio, who is a great missionary. The trip over wasn’t as long as your but 4 hours wasn’t that bad, we slept in the house of the Zone leaders last night to catch the bus to São Manuel at 9a.m. This town is pretty old and old in the mission, right now there is branch here and the capela (chapel) is a house, but we well change that pretty soon.
Thank you for the confidence in me, I am always learning to be patient with the process of becoming the best missionary I can be. I have been thinking lately, I haven’t had as much success and other missionary in the field in terms of baptisms. This is a baptizing mission and there are people who really want to be baptised, but were to find them. It is normal to baptize 3, 4, 5 in a week and more in a mouth, but me only two. But these are two, I started really pondering over this, and the scripture in Doctrine and Convents 18 came to mind. “if you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto the children of men and bring just one soul how great should be your Joy, How great shall be your Joy if you can bring many souls unto God” How great shall be my joy with two souls children of heavenly father that are on their way to return to his presence, and After this how much desire I had to really find those people that are ready to receive the gospel, and too to really rely and have trust in the spirit. The thing I have been think has been a little lacking is using the spirit in finding, we have found some elect and it is possible, but now the trick is to develop this.
Thank you much for the pictures and the love, tchau tchau
Elder Sands
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
That you for the letter Julie, and Parabens for your casamento por eternidade (marriage for eternity). Welcome to the family again, and I would love to see some picture of your reception and other events.
This is the last week of my second transfer here in Missão Brasil Campinas, time is never enough to get things done sometimes. Oh and I have exciting news, we are preparing two teenagers for baptism this Sunday and they are different than any other investigators we have had, they expect everything, read all that we have them read and when we asked them about baptism they were sincerely excited for their baptisms.
The process I am going through to become a true missionary is coming along, line upon line, lesson upon lesson, conversation upon conversation. Being like Ammon I have learned does not happen overnight but a process, a process that if build upon principles of the gospel and diligence we will become a powerful, successful, Christlike servant of the lord. But and the same time you can be successful day one, when you have the desire, goals, consistently grow and learn, practice, learn from mistakes and struggles, let the Lord mold you into the instrument he want and needs you to be, align your will with his, and work diligently, we are successful.
My Portuguese is becoming better every day, and as I look back at the beginning of this transfer I have progressed a lot. The funny thing is English I harder for me to speak than Portuguese. I say phrases and pronounce words for my Elder Martins my Brazilian companion, but a conversation is difficult. I have seen that as I have worked and only speaking in Portuguese the lord has blessed me with the gift of tongues and has taught me the lessons I needed to learn and still need to learn.
Até mais
Elder Sands
This is the last week of my second transfer here in Missão Brasil Campinas, time is never enough to get things done sometimes. Oh and I have exciting news, we are preparing two teenagers for baptism this Sunday and they are different than any other investigators we have had, they expect everything, read all that we have them read and when we asked them about baptism they were sincerely excited for their baptisms.
The process I am going through to become a true missionary is coming along, line upon line, lesson upon lesson, conversation upon conversation. Being like Ammon I have learned does not happen overnight but a process, a process that if build upon principles of the gospel and diligence we will become a powerful, successful, Christlike servant of the lord. But and the same time you can be successful day one, when you have the desire, goals, consistently grow and learn, practice, learn from mistakes and struggles, let the Lord mold you into the instrument he want and needs you to be, align your will with his, and work diligently, we are successful.
My Portuguese is becoming better every day, and as I look back at the beginning of this transfer I have progressed a lot. The funny thing is English I harder for me to speak than Portuguese. I say phrases and pronounce words for my Elder Martins my Brazilian companion, but a conversation is difficult. I have seen that as I have worked and only speaking in Portuguese the lord has blessed me with the gift of tongues and has taught me the lessons I needed to learn and still need to learn.
Até mais
Elder Sands
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
PARABENS MEU IRMÃO E CUNHADA AMADOS. It is so exciting to see (hear) the joy, love, challenges, success, of your engagement and marriage.
This week has been great! We had the baptism of Adriano and he is truly elect, he was prepare to reacive and live the gospel with are the people that really desire to be baptised. We found another elect family that came and watched Adriano be baptised, and they are learning, and living the gospel. We taught the word of Wisdom yesterday and even though they have some problems with café, fumo (smoking) they sincerely accepted to live this mandamento.
The Mission is exciting and what we do helps share the gospel. My companion is a little energetic and gets excited and works hard with that, and the people we teach feel this excitement and have desire to do but a little lack of the rules of the mission. This is the balance I am trying to find and Improve, to have that excitement, fun, and being friendly but also be 100% obedient, humble, kind, loving and powerful when teaching. The best example of this is Joseph Smith, in the film “Joseph Smith, The prophet of the Restoration”, is perfect to explain this. He had the power and authority and power of a prophet but still played with the kids, had that fun with his fellow brothers, lived with that Christ like optimism and excitement, and joy of the gospel. Many missionaries are fun to be around, are excited, but have a distaste for the rules, and there are missionaries that are completely serious who work hard but don’t make those friendships and the atmospheres of trust that are so very important with working with the members and helping people be baptised. Many people only think you can be one or the other, but there is a balance that is necessary to find. Like all thing I am improving on this. Teaching with love power, conviction, and excitement is also so thing I am working on too.
But one thing that I am learning with Elder Martins is that rules are important and are here for a reason, Missionaries that don’t learn to not only do them, but love them they will not love to keep the commandments when they return home, all things, I am learning, has a time a place, but we have to find those times place and method to use them.
It is so wonderful and excited to see many people in the stake serve missions, this is the joy the gospel brings.
If anyone would like to write me and has a Washington Quarter to please send it with the letter. A brother here has many US Quarter and need this one to complete the collection.
Tchau, tchau
Elder Sands
This week has been great! We had the baptism of Adriano and he is truly elect, he was prepare to reacive and live the gospel with are the people that really desire to be baptised. We found another elect family that came and watched Adriano be baptised, and they are learning, and living the gospel. We taught the word of Wisdom yesterday and even though they have some problems with café, fumo (smoking) they sincerely accepted to live this mandamento.
The Mission is exciting and what we do helps share the gospel. My companion is a little energetic and gets excited and works hard with that, and the people we teach feel this excitement and have desire to do but a little lack of the rules of the mission. This is the balance I am trying to find and Improve, to have that excitement, fun, and being friendly but also be 100% obedient, humble, kind, loving and powerful when teaching. The best example of this is Joseph Smith, in the film “Joseph Smith, The prophet of the Restoration”, is perfect to explain this. He had the power and authority and power of a prophet but still played with the kids, had that fun with his fellow brothers, lived with that Christ like optimism and excitement, and joy of the gospel. Many missionaries are fun to be around, are excited, but have a distaste for the rules, and there are missionaries that are completely serious who work hard but don’t make those friendships and the atmospheres of trust that are so very important with working with the members and helping people be baptised. Many people only think you can be one or the other, but there is a balance that is necessary to find. Like all thing I am improving on this. Teaching with love power, conviction, and excitement is also so thing I am working on too.
But one thing that I am learning with Elder Martins is that rules are important and are here for a reason, Missionaries that don’t learn to not only do them, but love them they will not love to keep the commandments when they return home, all things, I am learning, has a time a place, but we have to find those times place and method to use them.
It is so wonderful and excited to see many people in the stake serve missions, this is the joy the gospel brings.
If anyone would like to write me and has a Washington Quarter to please send it with the letter. A brother here has many US Quarter and need this one to complete the collection.
Tchau, tchau
Elder Sands
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Oi Familia tudo bem? Como vocês estão.
I sound like you had a wonderful time I hope Acea, sometimes things aren’t perfect, but we can still find that joy and learn from things. Things are always good If we want them to be, happiness and joy is a choice we make not is circumstances we find ourselves in. for my I would much rather have that hope and fun rather than looking for things we don’t like.
The work is moving forward here in Itatiba. This city is the city of hills, and hills, and a small hill in the near distance, but one thing is my strength is increasing, and some times and the rate of my ability to speak Portuguese. I also have really exciting news, we are helping another wonderful brother enter the waters of baptism on Saturday night. It is exciting because he can now progress, sentir este felicidade and receber the holy ghost sempre (always). We have found people, taught people, brought people to church, but only those who are truly prepared and elect have the desire to know for themselves if these things are true and a desire to be baptised. We haven’t had a lot of baptisms but I know that these two people are firm and truly have a desire to live the gospel and that brings me much joy.
My Mission life in the first few months really is the ground I am building my mission off of, every day I truly realize that I don’t do things that great, I have many weaknesses, and I have my own challenges as well. With teaching, every time I teach I realize I can do better and need to do better, some time I feel like I haven’t learn anything. But the one thing that is hard is teaching in Portuguese and no one understands, they look at you funny and my companion then re-explains everything I just said. But I am grateful for this; to break me down so that I can be molded into the instrument the Lord can then thrash the wheat of the harvest. I learn and improve from these things; some Elders I see don’t learn from their weaknesses and never improve. I know in whom I can really trust, that he has strengthened me and continues to strengthen me and is slowly but surely making my weaknesses become strong.
One thing I have been really focusing on is teaching with much more excitement, power and effective ness with questions, scriptures and love to. One great example I learn from a lot is the gospel principles teaches in the Ward. She is Italian and shows that excitement that makes me feel like that we can baptize hundreds. This is what I am working on, and I can see how much I have improved in just a few months, this is exciting and oh if I can just show you these people and where they were and where they are going then people will realize how great this work is.
Até next week, tchau tchau
Elder Sands
I sound like you had a wonderful time I hope Acea, sometimes things aren’t perfect, but we can still find that joy and learn from things. Things are always good If we want them to be, happiness and joy is a choice we make not is circumstances we find ourselves in. for my I would much rather have that hope and fun rather than looking for things we don’t like.
The work is moving forward here in Itatiba. This city is the city of hills, and hills, and a small hill in the near distance, but one thing is my strength is increasing, and some times and the rate of my ability to speak Portuguese. I also have really exciting news, we are helping another wonderful brother enter the waters of baptism on Saturday night. It is exciting because he can now progress, sentir este felicidade and receber the holy ghost sempre (always). We have found people, taught people, brought people to church, but only those who are truly prepared and elect have the desire to know for themselves if these things are true and a desire to be baptised. We haven’t had a lot of baptisms but I know that these two people are firm and truly have a desire to live the gospel and that brings me much joy.
My Mission life in the first few months really is the ground I am building my mission off of, every day I truly realize that I don’t do things that great, I have many weaknesses, and I have my own challenges as well. With teaching, every time I teach I realize I can do better and need to do better, some time I feel like I haven’t learn anything. But the one thing that is hard is teaching in Portuguese and no one understands, they look at you funny and my companion then re-explains everything I just said. But I am grateful for this; to break me down so that I can be molded into the instrument the Lord can then thrash the wheat of the harvest. I learn and improve from these things; some Elders I see don’t learn from their weaknesses and never improve. I know in whom I can really trust, that he has strengthened me and continues to strengthen me and is slowly but surely making my weaknesses become strong.
One thing I have been really focusing on is teaching with much more excitement, power and effective ness with questions, scriptures and love to. One great example I learn from a lot is the gospel principles teaches in the Ward. She is Italian and shows that excitement that makes me feel like that we can baptize hundreds. This is what I am working on, and I can see how much I have improved in just a few months, this is exciting and oh if I can just show you these people and where they were and where they are going then people will realize how great this work is.
Até next week, tchau tchau
Elder Sands
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