July 13, 2015

Dear Family,

Well, my last week came and went, i tried to leave everything i had left on the field, we were able to set a new record for each of us with 16 lessons with member!  I had an awesome birthday party! their was a ton of cake and i even got presents!

I feel so old...haha

Oh Bella stay healthy my dear!

Ha, i sure hope thats the case with my knee...

Ya it´d probably be good to meet with the Stake President on Friday, but if not i can go out with the missionaries and do missionary work in my home town!!! how cool would that be?!

Im really excited about my topic, i hope i can nail. it´ll be difficult giving a talk in English, but itll be interesting!  

Ya i went back to my old area to do baptismal interviews and the ward was having a party and they wanted to take some pictures with me. ha. theirs a really cool party they do this time of year, but i will tell you all about it when i get back.

only 75?!   YES!!! its gonna be "COLD"  according to a brazillian! ha.  

 Well, these 2 years past so quickly, i dont know where the time went,but i hope i was able to do all the Lord wanted of me.

It´s a werid feeling, my comp always asks me if its hit me yet that im going home, and i always tell him "not really, maybe after church it will" or "when i start packing my bags"  but its such a foreign thought...leaving the mission.  I get really sad sometimes thinking about what im leaving, you wish you could help just a little more, or bear your testimony just one more time, but the time ends. Its really strange.  I dont know what the future holds in store for me, i dont know how many more blessings there are to come, because i and my family have received more than i feel like i deserved in these past two years.  I thank the Lord for every second i had out here...every ounce of strength he provdided for me to keep going and finish "Minha Grande Missão".  This Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer, He knows us perfectly, he can heal and strengthen us beyond our own capacity.  Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.  Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet of our Heavenly Father.

I love you all.

See you in 4 days! 

-Elder Grondel

June 29, 2015

Hey Family,

This week was alright.  

Ya, we heard about the gay thing, their were groups here in Brazil celebrating it as well. Super Gay

(dont put this in the blog)

Thats great that the summer heat started up there!  its winter here right now and its in the 80´s during the day! but at night and in the morning it gets a tad bit chilly.

Thats great that everyone is going on missions!

Those cinnamon roles are looking bomb...

he sounds like a cool dude lex!  

This week we found this really cool young kid, he has 17 years old and we were walking to somewhere because all our appointments fell through and we just decided to stop and knocked his door on saturday and we were with another young man from the ward making visits and he taught with us and went and got the kid for church the next day,  When i was reciting the 1st vision in the first lesson he said, "wait!" and he left into another room, and i was like great! another distraction during the 1st vision! always happens!  but then he came to us with the first lesson pamflet opened to the page that has the first vision and was like "look its right here! i fouind this panmflet this week and read it!" this pamflet was super old and a little torn, we were shocked! this kid is super cool and is already being integrated really well!

The couple unfortunately wont be able to get married until after im gone...dang it.

but whats important is that they will be baptized!

Well have a great summer!

Be Safe!   Love you Guys!

-Elder Grondel

June 22, 2015

Ya sorry about that email, it was my week to put the numbers of the zone and all that stuff in the computer and it left me with super short time. But this weeks is my comps turn! ha.

But HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!!!  your are the best dad ive ever heard!  i may only be half the missionary you were but with me thats more than i could ask!

Well this week was cool! we had stake conference! and im still in the same stake in goiania that ive been in for 8 months so i was able to see some people form the wards i passed. it was wonderful to see them and to see recent converts super firm still!  Its an amazing and humbly feeling to see them going by themselves and grabbing the iron rod so firmly.  You think "how did God use an instrument like me to do that?!"  in spite of our weeknesse the Lord can strengthen us beyond our own power.

President Kuceki and Sister Kuceki gave amazing talks at conference yesterday that touched alot of people, President Kuceki is one of the most spiritually inspired people i know, im super grateful to be able to have learned from him, he speaks with so much power.

We have a couple that we are teaching that has been being taught for a while and theey got back from their 1 month trip and are really excited to get married and be baptized! i really hope we can mark their marriage before i leave!  They are so elect!  The man read the Book of Mormon everyday while they were traveling!

I would love to help out with both teams, i think itll  help meas well to get back in touch with the game before heading down to BYU.  I will for sure teach levi and gerritts team, but depending how my knee is and what my job hours will be will determine what i will be able to do.  I wanna get working as soon  as i get back.  Did you already schedule my doctros appiontment for me?    Ha, we watched a bit of "Meet the Mormons" at a members house before lunch yesterday...and the football part was killer!

Congrats on your studies mom and dad! you guys are amazing!

Yes jake!  im so pumped for you to go! i wish i could go with you guys to help out!  Enjoy it and look to feel the spirit.

Hey, idont know what byson brought home from brazil, but if you guys have any requests let me know!

Love you guys!

Have a great week!

-Elder Grondel

June 15, 2015

Dear Family!

Well they cut our email time down again...so itll be short.... lame.  Good thing i only got 4 more....HA!

Well we had an amazing baptism this week!  A man that has known the church for 12 years was finally baptized.  The prayers and faithfulness of his wife and daughter finally paid off! it was known as the miracle here! ha

 Well Gerritt thats freakin awesome bud! youre such a stud! 

Well i love you guys! have a great week!

-Elder Grondel!

June 8, 2015

Hey Family!

Congrats Jake!  You´re a BEAST brutha! just keep going hard, we will for sure hit up institute together.  The best thing you can do to prepare for the mish is complete your responsibility as a priest. dude you gotta go to the Y bro!!!  thats where its at.

This week was pretty good  for us, it was the week of transfers, so it was a little slow in the zone...but NO EXCUSES!

My comp from chile was transfered and now my comp is Elder Cheney from Maryland, he is super tight. I really like working with him, He will go home in August, right after me.  We got here together in Brasil the same day, so its weird to see how much has happened since then.

Careful Lex, hes a dangerous one. ha. jk, last time i saw him...2 years ago...he was a good guy. Just be smart.  Thats cool hes gonna keep playin!   That ticks me off that she has been treeted that way by Freaken returned missionaries.  Seeing what missionaries do out here and the experiences they have, and then to know what they did to her after there missions infuriates me. Freaken Fubecas que vão queimar nos fins do inferno!!!  

Dang, Park City Dad?!  What job is this?!?! haha.   It looks awesome there. 

YES LANDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   YOU DID IT!  Keep it up bro, you have no idea of the eternal blessings you will recieve.  Say hi to Addi for me too! 

Dude Caleb thats awesome bro!  ha, theres a kid here in our ward and his bro plays for Barcelona, that just won the championship Sunday, and he flew in today. i will try and snag a pic with him,  OH, and if you have any requests of soccer jerseys, tell me so i can buy them before i leave!

Atta boy gerritt! youre an animal,  ha. Looks like you guys had fun at NW trek! i think bear was cowering in youre presence!

Levi you´re looking buff man! ha

Olivia, thats awesome! you look like a pro! 

Bella is as cute as ever!

Wow, everyone is all grown up..thats so weird.

Ya for sure see if she can move the date of the open house, it´d be cool to do it together.

I finished the book  "A marvelous Work and a Wonder" this week, in the end it talks alot about the fruits of Joseph Smith.  INCRIVEL!

I also had a wonderful experience bearing my testimony about Joseph Smith, i love bearing my testimony about him, i feel like i have got to know him a little better as i have studied about him on the mission.   I remember when my comp passed the lesson to me after he finished teaching the Restoration this week,  and i felt such a grateful feeling for being able to bear my testimony of him, i felt the spirit testify at least to me, that he was a prophet.  An amazing feeling i will never forget.  I can feel that these moments are winding down, and i love being able to testify of this every chance i get. I know Christ called him to restablish His church on the earth in these last days. I " thank thee o God for a Prophet!"

Well, these past two weeks have been straight sun, its in the 80´s and its winter here... but we had alot of appointments fall through and ended up walking a ton and knocking doors, one day we were walking and we saw a young guy sitten on the sidewalk all by himself, he looked super lonely, so we did a contact with him, and he was super interested, we passed by the next day, and it was an amazing lesson, he lives in a super humble place, and as we entered he quickly hurried to the couch to clear all the stuff so we could sit down and apologized forthe humble residence. as we started to teach  he had some things in his past that he was really wanting to change, and we just taught about Faith, Repentance and Baptism,"The Gate" :)  and the spirit was so strong, we invited him and he accepted a date for baptism.  In the end of the lesson he offered such a humble prayer, you could truly feel the sincereity of him.  This sunday he went to church and loved it!  we have taken members there and he is progressing very well.

Well have a great week! 

Love you all!

-Elder Grondel

June 1, 2015

Elder Grondel's Zone

This week was alright. we had alot of freakin sun, but its nice because its already gone by 5 oclock. ill get back super red.  We had a zone conference with president and it went really well.  We made zone shirts! everyone was pretty excited. Elder Smith will go home this week and so will Elder Inman my my last two comps.  Today starts my last transfer on the mission. But i will work until the last minute, in my interview with president it finaly starting hitting me that my mission was coming to an end. Next freaking month i´ll be home. You can be sure that i will leave it all on the field!    My comp was transfered but i will stay and die in this area with my new comp Elder Cheney! 

I loved that talk that president uthcdorf gave! we got the Liahona from the conference this week, and it was the first talk i studied, i did a study of it together with my patriartical blessing. it was wonderful!  

I heard that L Tom Perry passed away this week, He looked so good in conference, it surprised me alot. He was a wonderful apostle and left a wonderful example for all of us.

Well I love you guys! Have a great week!

-Elder Grondel

May 25, 2015

Goodmorning fam!

This week is the big week, we are hoping for every area to have a baptism, so far things are looking pretty good, we just have a few that dont have one yet, but they have possibilities so we will pray, excersize our faith together with our works!

Ive gotten alot better, i got sick near the beginning of the transer and ive just started getting my forces back now, i havent let up, its just been a harder battle because of the sickness. An integration night is basicaly like a big family night!  We had even more people this past week as well! 

The members are helping a ton! we had a miracle this week, our elders quorum president wanted to visit an investigator of ours with us and so we tried everything to mark with the invetigator but he said it woulnt work, and we tried to think of others to pass by to take advantage of having a membrer and it didnt work out, and then we almost called the member and canceled the visit then my comp remembered a man we havent passed by in a bit, he is the husband of a member and has been going to church off and on for over 12 years and never has accepted a date for baptism. But he said we could pass by and teach, and so we went there with the elders quorum president and the man said he had some questions, and we asked him what it was, and he said it wasnt anything about the book of mormon but he wanted to know, how does someone get baptized in the church....and there fell a great silence in the room....my comp and the member both looked at me...and i was just as cabobled as them, but i just started talking trying to not scream of excitement, and the words came out of my mouth, and we started reviewing the baptismal questions, and after finishing, we told him, "alright, according to the requirements that Jesus established for someone to be baptized, you are ready..."  and then we invited him, and once again a great silence fell in the room along with a really strong spirit for a few minutes as he looked at the ground thinking....and after a little bit he looked up and said..."what time will it be?"  we said whatever time you want, and he said " alright lets mark the baptism"    the whole ward, even members from other wards are super excited about his baptism! the bishop went there this week, i went there on a division with the second counselor of the stake and he is super excited and progressing really well.  His wife was bapptized 12 years ago on June 15 and his date is marked for the 13 of June, to make it even more special. Everyone is saying, "MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN!"  It was such a great experience!

Oh, and the recent convert who lost her job got a job the day after being confirmed last week that is for mon-fri and pays way better! she was sooo happy, and we were too. "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" what a true promess.  Milagres são reais! 

Well have a great week family!!!

Love you guys!

-Elder Grondel