Letter #11

Dear Family,

Nossa! What a week! Not even a week when you really think about it, about 4 days! Here in the arid land of Tupã we've dived head first into missionary work. Our days are long and there´s a lot of walking but really it's not bad at all. I sweat. A lot. I think I've tallied 5 comments over the profuseness of my sweating so far. And I eat a lot, but it isn't super exciting as it is, quite literally, all rice and beans. Ahh, but life is good.

We have several challenges here, common to missionary work I´m sure. We are in the process of getting a new house, hopefully by Tuesday, and then we will have to move all our dressers, washing machines and stoves, etc, over to that house. It appears to be a nice house though and is bem perto, very close; ) to the chapel. We haven´t had much luck this week with the people that we are teaching, keeping commitments and such. Still, not necessarily for any reason, I´m so excited for THIS week. I don't know why. I do know that Lord is on our side, and what better companion can you have than that! Our work this week will pay off, I feel it.

I hope you enjoyed General Conference. In the last three months or so my deep love for the words of the prophets has increased ten-fold, as I searched for and found guidance and answers to pressing questions in my life. There is nothing that can bring the guidance of the spirit into our lives and fill us with the love of our heavenly father. I am still in shock over the announcement about missionaries! I´m sure that in the upcoming months and years we will begin to see here, in the field, the effects of this prophetic announcement: ) I can't go into detail about each talk, but I´ll give you my top 5 next week as I don't have my notes here now. Elder Cook's opening talk blew me away. I loved Elder Nelson´s talk, and hope that the members everywhere will take his invitation to their friends: Talk to the missionaries. We did miss a couple of talks as we were trying to locate the investigators who had committed to come, so I haven´t heard all of them yet, and we weren't allowed to watch the Priesthood session because it started at 9, which is almost missionary bedtime. If you could send along the conference Ensign when it arrives it will be treasured, in English of course. What I really discovered, in certainty, this week was how much I can learn from the words of the prophets that applies now, to me, to my problems and to my day. They are such a blessing and a comfort, and a source for learning.

What else? Well, this week was election week in Tupã and the hordes were out in full force. Car horns blaring through the day of voting, and really blaring on the night that I presume the winner was announced. While in America they saturate the media with political propaganda, here they quite literally fill the streets and sky with it in the form of jingles blaring from boomboxes on cars, giant posters vying for attention and, millions, MILLLIONS, of pamphlets, flyers, cards dumped out of cars on doorsteps and in gutters. The streets are a foot high in the town´s political candidates. This morning I swept out a garbage bag full of them that had flown, or been thrown into our house. Hopefully the fervor will die down this week.

I also discovered my favorite post-proselyting treat. On the way home we stop occasionally at a Sorveteria (Think Ice Cream) and grab some cheap, heavenly cold, sorvete. So far I've tried the flavors of condensed milk, sky blue, guava, strawberry, and mint. All delicious. That sounds like a lot but we've only gone twice so far.

I´m really working hard on how to involve the members more in missionary work here. If you have any ideas send them my way! But we teach English on Saturday and I want to make that activity as exciting as I can, and hopefully, something will come from it. Right now we do actually have an investigator who we met there.

I played the piano for a member´s baptism on Saturday, after they found out I could. Its a great blessing as only one other person in the district (stake) can play it and he´s in the presidency. I ´m sure I´ll be using this gift frequently.

Fact: Missions are hard, they are hot, and the food´s not as good. But they are a blessing and a commandment for us who have so very very much. They bless our lives, as in Elder Bednar´s talk, by deepening our conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need this conversion and it comes as a great comfort to us when times are difficult, when we are backed up against the wall of faith. Do you know that it is true? Would you put all you have on the line for it? I know it is. The veil is indeed thin here in humble Tupã, and I am blessed to see what really matters. Your family, your character and the gospel. Be assured that when we know this, we will have more joy,and more peace than seems possible in our circumstances. Like the cleansing scent of flowers that floats down through Tupã´s streets, over the garbage, over the sewage, and immorality and drugs and violence. Stick to it! I love you, love you, love you, Be safe, and don't be afraid to share the gospel with everyone! : )

Your son, and brother,

Tanner

p.s.- I can see all the blogs and pictures on the computers now, and its fantastic: ) I don't know about the pdf, because I couldn't open it in the CTM but I did get Hunter´s letter, thank you very much. I don´t know if we are allowed to send pictures by email but Elder Parker has told me no, so for now that´s good enough for me. Obedience! One tip I've learned to make sure things sent to Brasil get to Brasil: plaster them with stickers of the Virgin Mary.  I look forward to the package, and I assure you it will bring smiles to my face. But I don't need it to know how much you love me! I know that already.