December 30, 2013

Dear Family,

It was really nice talking with you guys!!!  I really needed it.  It was sweet to actually see Bryson!  You guys all look really good!  I was shocked...kinda with Lexis idea about serving a mission! that would be so cool and good for her.  Ha, Ya its good to know what you believe...i still am learning so much about what I believe.  Those classes are awesome! I cant wait to take them when i get back, you learn soooo much you didnt know before! 

It helped me when Bryson told me that home isnt as great as everyone says and he wished he was still out here.  It reminded me of my desire I had before when I was home and how badly I wanted to be here.  

Thanks for that quote, it is very true.  Ive noticed that somethings have definitley gotten easier, God has strengthened me a ton and given me a ton of help in doing this work.  Ive been opening my mouth alot more now, being the only one that knew the area has brought me many opportunities to lead and alot more responsibility.  Elder Blake really led me along and told me what to do ever mionute of every day and I think I needed this, but they would always take care of everything.  My comp isnt really training me to much now and Ive had to lead out on alot of things with members and lessons, sometimes he will just turn to me and let me begin the lessons. This is tough, i really need to learn the lessons alot better! He is a great teacher and knows alot and for sure leads out sometimes, but not like Elder Blake, I have to do ALOT more! And lots of times I have to do things for our area for them to actually get done, it is kind of annoying.  Its really hard when I have to lead out sometime because I dont understand alot of what people are saying still.  I can understand like all gospel things, like almost everything at church but anything else and its really tough.  It makes the work a little tougher.

But I studied desire this morning, because I wanna increase my desire to help people recieve the gospel and to help my focus increase, It was really cool.  I read in Enos about how he recieved this desire for others to know of this truth and I took some notes and I am going to try applying these things this new year.  He prayed sincerely, repeneted, and applied the atonement.  I am really going to focus on these things this week.

We had something really sad happen this week.  We had three dates for baptism, a dad and his two sons, they were progressing really well until last monday when we got the call from bishop that he passed him in central city and said he was drunk and had a fight with his kids.  He hadnt had  a problem with drinking before so this was tough.  We passed his house the next couple days and only his sons were there...He wasnt home for Christmas.  This made me so sad to see that his kids were there without there dad on Christmas.  We went there like thursday or fri and talked with his son and he told us that his other brother was sent to live with someone else and that he would be leaving too the next day.  So I gave him the little food I had just recieved because he didnt have hardly anything.  This was really hard, I was overwhelmed and couldnt hold back tears as we walked to our next appt, we had invested so much in that family, we gave them ties and members had given them extra clothes because they wanted to look like us for church.  They were so excited.  But  We passed the next day and said bye to him.  By then his dad had arrived and he looked terrible, we talked to him for a bit and he was so sad, he went to his bed in his room we went in and sat and talked with him,  it was so weird, here we were, just two young men trying to help this full grown man, who was without a shirt casue his kids burned all his clothes when he was gone, hes so skinny, curled up in a hungover mess.  We talked with him and left him with a scripture.  He wants to change and still be baptized, but I dont know if it will make up for the loss I feel of not bringing his other kids to the fold with him.  I hope they have another chance to here the gospel.  Ive tried to take what I can from this experience and not linger on it, it only makes me feel terrible, Elder Blake made me promiss I would baptize them and send him pictures. I just think if there was more we could have done, i know in the end, it comes down too how people use the agency they are given with the knowledge they have.  But sometimes you wonder if you couldve done more.

BUT now for some good news!   Those two 12 yr old girls are progressing like crazy.  The walked two hours to and from church with their member friend sunday, theyve read the BOM in two weeks, and almost have read all the pamphlets and made a notebook and were answering the questions in the pamphlets.  They are awesome! the member girl reminds me of Olvivia.  So we will be baptizing them this Saturday and they are really excited about the gospel.  Their prayers they give are better than alot of prayers ive heard from  most members!  The only problem is they can almost never understand me when I talk, and I cant understand them, the girls here speak sooooo fast!

Well we finally recieved money today, im excited to finally have food.  And with the debit card, when I go to the bank and take the money out of the debit card will it take from my account or from the money you guys sent to the bank?  They told me i cant take the money out without my passport last time, idk why the mission office told you to send it there. is their anyway you can get it back if this doesnt work?  Sorry about this. i know its annoying.

Can you guys just send me packages of food every once and a while?  I always need food!  

Ive been working out alot harder in the mornings, bryson inspired me and i made some fake weights like the other elder here.  It actually works pretty good.

And can you send me a CD or two with some good efy or other church music.  Some songs Id like on it if you can are- Nearer my god to thee.  Emmas Song(this is from the CD Nashville tribute to Joseph Smith), -and some sweet missionary music thats mayube a little differnt than just motab, like vocal pt or something.   Just not something thatl make me trunky. ha.   

Thanks for everything and the prayers!  I can Feel it!  

Feliz Ano Novo!

Amo Vocês!

-Elder Grondel III

December 23, 2013

Hey Family!

Well this was an interesting week.

We had the christmas conference and transfers wednesday. It was really cool to see all my buddies from the CTM.  Elder Carter my CTM comp, is doing really good!  I talked with one kid though that was reassigned with me and came here with me, and it sounded like hes been goin through hell...i felt so bad for him, i was really humbled and thankful for how things have been going for me.    The meeting, talent show and dinner went really well, but we didnt get back home until like 12 or 1. ha...little past 9:30.    But my new comp is a BRAZILLIAN! hes really cool and calm.  The other two  in the house are americans, one of them is pretty cool. ha.  But I have been a little overwhlemed, i felt like they left the area in my hands, i have had to guide us to the lunches, and i havent gotten completely lost yet so thats good. 

My new comp basically had me plan and direct us the first few days and i still am doing alot,  I dont like being in charge like this.  Ha. especiall when i dont know what im doing.  Ive been really worried that im screwing up and we area losing the people we had because we havent met with them. because they arent there or dont answer.   But we have three baptisms this week, this guy is awesome! he has two sons we are baptizing as well.  This guy has so much faith! he is so elect!   Im really excited.  One little problem is he leaves far away and we have to take the bus, and we only have a couple more days of bus money left.  And we dont get paid for two weeks... idk what we are going to do! we have recieved some lunch money which will help us with bus money, but im excited to see how the Lord makes this turn out. Its kinda interesting when we dont have the means to accomplish something the lord wants us to, that is when milagres happen!  

We had another milagre yesterday.   One girl in the ward taught her three cousins the lessons and two were at church, the other one couldnt cause she has a foot problem but the others came up to my comp and told him they wanted to be baptized...so we have two more baptisms. ha. that was pretty cool. we will meet with their family today to see where they are at.  Alot is going on, we still dont know where we are having skype and stuff, and their are all looking to me to know where everything is and whats is happening.. its nuts.   But i will call with skype probably between 1 and 6 or 7  here.  And we are 6 hours ahead of you guys.

The family of the kid that we baptized didnt go to  church, we passed by after waking up at like 5 and trekking all the way there and we woke them up and they were all awake, and she said the arent going, she wasnt mad but she said they couldnt go,, i tried to talk to her for like 15 20 min but it didnt work...i was sooooo frsutrated!

I started emailng cam! or Elder McRae. So thats sweet, he told me he cried when he got my email. ha. i miss that dude.  But he is doing really good, he said hes basically fluent already.

Happy Birthday Caleb!!!

Amo Voces!!!

-Elder Grondel III

December 16, 2013

Dear Family!

This week was really cool!  We felt the spirit really strong.  We have been working in this one area that we have to take a bus to and its a little poorer, its government housing. But the people are so elect!  We had 5 inv at church sunday! Finally!  We set a date with this guy and two of his kids, he has 2 more but we didnt get to teach them,  we are also teaching another family but the mom usualy works sunday, same with another fam, a guy and his wife, they have already talked to the missionaries before and went to church and they eally liked it but the guy is working sundays.. but the lord wil provide a way!  we are also teaching a 17 yr old kid who is really cool, he lived in ireland for 7 years and can speak english pretty good.  and...We had a baptism this week! My first baptism, but it almost didnt happen... We went to this familys house, the inactive ones with the girl with the one leg because we were preppping thier 9 yr old fo baptism, we went there like every day. andwe were there like an hour and a half before the baptism and they were excited and we told them bishop would píck them up but if he didnt for some reason, call us and take the onhibus...and we had everyone at the church and the font fillled and everything ready and they werent there, bishop called and said they werent at their house...they took the onhibus and didnt call us, and my comp had a feeling to go to the main terminal and look for them, so he went there with the ward  mission lewader and i stayed with an rm. and when they got there he was looking and was about to leave and he had a feeling to ask if he could go in the onhibus terminal and they let him and there they were...just eating some churrasco....like they had all the time in the world!  ha. i was frustrated, but they got them there, it was an hour late, but the baptism happened. it was a little rushed but it was cool. and we made a bomb cake for afterwards...it was sooo goood!

This week was crazy, we had some great lessons and things have really started going together and we are working like crazy.  Some sad news tho..my comp is being transferred...he was only in his last area for one transfer as well...its weird, he was really cool, he has helped me a ton!  His mom sent a christmas package and it had a present for "Elder Blakes comp"..he gave it to me, it is a sweet tie im wearing right now. He has helped me out sooooo much!  The  other two missionaries in our house are leaving too.  So its just me staying in the area..its kinda overwhelming a bit, i only have one transfer and these new guys are gonna ask me where everything is...i still barely know the area and the ward!   I really hope its not me and three brazillians...that would be great for the language, and thats about it..it would be really tough.  We have transfers and our mission christmas conference this wedsneday. Im excited for it, it should be cool.

We had churrasco for lunch yeterday and we ate sooo much, he just kept making more and more meat..i felt so awful today.     

 I have never been as tired as i was this morning, my comp said the same thing too, we had to wake up at 515 yesterday to get out to our investigators houses before church.  it was an intense week.  but we had some success finally!

Their is a family in my ward who has a son in florianopolis and they said he knows bryson and has a picture with him! 

I miss the snow! its been raining alot but i still sweat like crazy. 

Well im really excited/nervous for the next week, a new comp, chrsitmas stuff.  Should be interesting! 

Miss you guys and spending this time of year with the fam.

Amo Vôces!

-Elder Grondel

December 9, 2013

Dear Family!

This week was alright, we talked with alot of people, the mission is big on contacts right now, fala com todo mundo!   So we do alot of that.  We had like 20+ people saying for sure they were going to church , the night before our good investigators changed their mind, even when they promised aqll week and the next morning we woke up early and walked 1000 miles to diferente peoples houses and they werent there or said they couldnt go, even when they didnt have an excuse, this was really rough, weve had like noone coming to church. we have a date for baptism this week, we got an innactive fam back to church and we are going to baptize the son but he didnt go to church.ugh.

I Learned alot this week about  our purpose as missionaries, the first thing it says is that we are to invite others to come unto christ...this is exaclty it, we invite so much we bear testimony and promise blessings but they still have agency and this can be soooo frustrating sometimes, becuae we know what is best for them but we cant for them... that was satans plan. 

I want to thank you dad for sending your talk that week, it really helped me, especially the part about handing our life over to the Lord, because we really are. We give him everything. My knee  feels better but still hurts here and there and my knees are neccessary for me to accompish any of my goals in life, so i put trust in him that I will be taken care of.  Whenever I find my self thinking about if my knee is gonna be destroyed after the mission and if my goals will be demolished I tell myself that He is in control, He will do with me what He see´s is best. Its difficult to accept alot of the time, but He does know whats best.

We had a massive zone division this week and i went to another área with a brasilian and we like didnt talk at all, haha. I tried tho!   it was sooooo HOTTT!,  i want your weather!

Thanks for the scritpture and advice, I have been studying alot about Faith lately.  it helps!

Its sad to hear that tumwater lost to lynden again!   Dang, my comps school, Timpview, won the state championship again this year.   we are both pumped to hear about the BYU UW game!

Are people being mean to Jake???  is that what the problem is?  Gosh that makes me mad.  Tell him to keep his head up, sometimes you just have to ignore everyone, be quiet and get respect with your pads.  Wrestling is gonna be good for Jake to get past the mental toughness barriers.  I wish I wouldve wrestled my junior and sênior year.(confession)

The language is really difficult but i can understand more here and there.  We started an english class  this past wednesday for free for everyone because we have four americans in this city., a sly way of doing missionary work.  We had a decente turn out, i didnt do much cause i know almost nothing, so i just helped these two little kids with some words and then by the end they were teaching me português.  It was cool tho!

Im so out of shape already, i did little knee excersizes to day and im sooo sore!   We have a bunch of gyms near us and my comp and i talked to one and we might get a membership next transfer, idk, im reallllllyyy tired in the mornings!]

Caleb the only Little Drummer Boy in the band???       Oh Bella I remember my first Zambonie...          Looks like you guys had fun at the christmas party!   I Always love those, we will have a big mission talento show and thing in a week or two for christmas! Im pumped.

I miss you guys!  I heard we get fed a ton hear during Natal so i hope thats true, im gonna need to drown my sorrows of not being home for christmas with a bunch of food :)  

16 days till Skype!

Amo Vôces!

-Elder Grondel III

December 2, 2013

Dear Family!

This week was alot better!

Thanks for the prayers! It truly helps! I felt alot better.

I had my first interview with the prresident and it was kinda tough with the language barrier. but he gave me a blessing and the spirit was so strong, he said some really cool things, i couldnt understand it all which was annoying because he said some awesome things but idk what context it was in and stuff, it was so cool! he is awesome!

Tell zach we watched the go getter!!!  ha. and my comp took it to a whole other level later that night when we were contacting... ha. it was cool.

Well we had almost all forgot about thanksgiviving, ha, its hard to talk too much about that stuff out here.  But we always eat a ton here. Im glad to here thanksgiving went well for you guys!  I would glady eat all the left overs!   Yesterday we ate so much...a massive lunch, then at a less actives house they fed us more then we had a family night and ate more.. we only eat a small breakfast sometimes and almoco and we never eat dinner so it was kinda nice. ha. I almost puked i ate so much.

Well our baptismal date fell through she called us and said she didnt want any more meetings but my comp  pretended he couldnt hear her over the phone so when we had divisions, he and the ZL went ther and talked to her...Idk really now how it all is, but she hasnt answered us and didnt come to church. That really sucked.  We have this goal as a mission to have  a white christmas and have everyone baptize on the 14, i have faith we can do it, but idk how.  I dont wanna be the ones to not baptize...

ha...i luv ya levi but...you had that one coming for a while! 

Ha, i just died laughing when i read that!  im glad you guys are alright!

I thought a little about austin this week, thats really sad, i wish i couldve heard what zack and steve said about it.

Its getting really hot here... im sweating so much!!!

ive learned i have alot of things to work on, im really negative and im good at pointing out other peoples flaws and jjudging others.   Im really trying ot work on these things.  I need more faith when we talk to someone, sometimes when we talk to people and i think how weird they probably think we are and theyll never be interested in this.  even though time and time again my judgement is proved wrong.

We had a nice family we met one night and we sprinted to catch them and they were cool but when we went to there house, the dad just wanted to bible bash. I was so sad, their whole family is gonna suffer because the dad is to stubborn to pull his head out.  But they did an intense prayer for us to realize the truth before we left. so that was nice...

I went on a division with the ZL and it was cool, we had a drunk guy  all over us, i thought i was gonna have to pull and east vally on him...but i restrained.

Well thank you for the support and the updates! I love hearing about those things, i will finish reading all the email when i get back today.   Go T-Birds!  Im so pumped for them!

NGUNNGU

Amo Voces!

-Elder Grondel III

November 25,2013

Dear Grondels!

 

Ya right, I knew you would forget about me when Bryson got home! Ha. JKJK Its all good!  Thanks for the email this week.

Thats so sad to hear what happened with austin. I feel so bad for them.  He is in a better place tho, I know the ward will take good care of his family.

 

Well we are still working with our investigaotr, she has a lil probalem with the word of wisdom. But she is awesome.  We went to a bunch of ohuses before church and called people the night before and noone came to church, my comp was really depressed, they even had a ride for one of our investigators and they didnt come.  People say yes to everything here so its hard to tell who is serious sometimes. so that was sad this week. The other companionship is having like a baptism every week, and investigaotrs at church. Im not comparing!...just sayin. ha

This was a tough week, i am so freakin exhausted, but im making sure im always up at 630. Ive been trying to do 100 push ups and situps a day, my comp works out like crazy, he has a pull up bar i use a little bit. He had a comp from centralia who gave it to him.

 

We get fed really well by the members here, its usually really good. We had churrasco a couple times this week its like their barbecue, and its really good!  Ha, lots of people think im from Brazil, they say i have a brazillian face, not an american face. Ha. I havent gotten to tan yet, we have had some rain, and i guess the rainy season is starting up pretty soon.  I had a humbling experience the other day, we went to this less actives house and it was in a reeeallly poor area and the girl had one fake leg, and her mom was with her, and she was just the happiest girl in the world and thier house was barely a house to be honest, and the mom started crying it was crazy to see these people in these circumstanes and the girl was so happy! wow.

 

Well the lenguage is really difficult, i will probably complain about that for a while. ha. but it really is frustrating.  My comp and i are really trying to be exactly obedient.  He is a good guy.  He is really positive and it helps me cause ive been really homesick here. Weird. im 20, im not supposed to get homesick.  I get overwhelmed alot with the time, I hate being the beginer, I just wanna be good!  The culture the people the language the walking the expectations, AGHH! It kills me sometimes.  This is definately a testing period for me, wether I will shrink or blossom. Im so grateful for the atonement, and the enabling power of the atonement. I need it right now, thats the only way to get through times like these.

 

But thank you for all the help, I heard you called the mission office.  Thank you! I will try and do that today. 

 

Go tbirds!  They are in the semis??? thats crazy I wish I could be there to see.   NGUNNGU.  Jake could end up playing in a state championship if someone gets hurt, be prepared!   

That stinks byu lost, almost the same score as last year.  Ha, two more years and i know someone who can help out in the middle, if his knee gets better.

 

If you can throw my little pin drive in the package too thatd be sweet if not its ok. it should be in my old back pack.

Well I love and miss you guys! i hope everything goes well up there and you arent having to much fun without me!

i am going to print your talk off and read it later for inspiration, thanks DAD!

Amo Vôces!

 

-Elder Grondel III

 

 

 

November 18, 2013

Hey Family,

I loved the pictures! Thats so cool he is still baptizing.  Like a boss.

Well i thought the presidency told you, but we emailed last week on wednesday because we had a member come on our regular pday, which is Monday.  So we got to email again this week. I thouight that might happen.  But its all good!

Its been pretty rough out here, the language is killin me.  It was so nice in vegas because i could communicate with ppl and be there friend and, not to sound cocky, but i could rock the lessons in english...im so bad in portugeuse, my comp teaches alot and talks with them alot while i just sit and look like an idiot.  then when its my turn to talk, i stumble over every word. im basically useless.  There is so much to learn with the language I dont even know where to start! 

We set a baptismal date last night and i completely ruined my part of the lesson but my comp rocked it so she said yes, we get to prepare her for baptism now! That was exciting.

I feel like we just wacked Black Hills 54-6 but i missed a ton of tackles.  

My comp and I are doing this personal sanctification thing and its cool.  We did a fast and that was sooo hard. no water for 24 hours here?! that was fricken tough. we right down all the things we do or think that keep the spirit away. theirs alot! ha.

Jacob- Keep being tough! I wanna see your pic up in the weight room one day

Caleb- Sounds like your doing good but stay away from those 8th grade girls! Dont catch all the fish in the lake!

Olivia-i miss you! be smart and stay away from boys! 

Levi-Sounded like you had a great football season! Now its the offseason, time to get to work and get buff.  JK. just dont play to much of the new COD!

Gerritt-i miss you dude!  keep being awesome, I cant wait for you to school me on rollerblades!

Bella- I miss you! keep being a pretty princess and be nice! 

so we were in goiania all day last wednesday for visa stuff and we had to get this package and it wieghed like 5.5 kg and costed a ton!!! just an fyi.   But I need some deoderant as well in the package. and anything eelse bryson thinks I need.

Amo Vôces!

hope to hear from you guys next week, or next year, or sometime!

-Elder Grondel III

November 13, 2013

Hey Family!

Well Im finally in Brasil! Its really cool.  My trainer is awesome, he is working my tail off!  My first full day I had 16 contacts...He says Fala com TUDO MUNDO!!!  and we really do. its tough sometimes, when i ask for there adress and stuff i cant understand the names cause they talk so fast and their weird names, so its annoying, my tranier tries to help me.  He is from Provo, UT and has gone to every BYU home game since he was 4 or 5. ha. so we talk about that. Hes a cool guy. He is so freakin bold sauce. We talk with everyone and he pushes people pretty hard. Ha.  Weve had some cool lesson and some rough ones.  One family just laughed at me the whole time I was teaching and bearing testimony, even the mom was laughing at me! It was really tough.  I havent really gotten to homesick until I got here. Im trying to focus on the work and the people and not myself.  Vegas was so chill, I have alot more responsibility here.  We are in a house of 4 Americans, my comp really pushes me to speak Portugeuse.  Im trying, but sometimes its sooo frustrating. 

Im in a city just North of goiania called Anapolis.  I guess its in the world record book for having the most different churches.  My trainer and I have opened up a new area,sorta,ther was two missionaries here but they just added two more, my comp and I, to the ward, I feel bad, the people have to feed us so much food.  I eat alot at lunch, i like having the big meal in the middle of the day, it helps me stay full all day.

On Monday we had the area President come and it was pretty cool, my comp translated most of it for me,but I didnt understand it all.  My mission President is cool, we had dinner at his house the first night and it was good. 

We had a miracle last night!  We were teaching a guy we contacted and right after the prayer, his really good friend, A MEMBER knocked on the door and he sat in with us for the lesson! It was sweet! Best one weve had yet!

Lots of people let us teach them here but lots of them alreay have there church.  Im getting better at understanding people, but I really struggle with the language, There is so much to learn, I wonder if I will ever learn it!   Its gonna take alot of work, I kept this artcile with me called the enabling power of the Atonement by Elder Bednar, Its really good, the reddeming power is talked about alot but not as much the enabling power,  Its so cool to see what blessings and help are waiting for us!  I am gonna have to completely trust on the Lord, there is no way I can learn this language on my own.

HAHA.  Ya Bryson is exaclty right!  I havent freakin stopped sweating since I got here!!!   Its not like just a good sweat, Im constantly pouring sweating out of every pore like a fire house!!! Its so nasty.   

Your prayers have been holding my knee together!  There was one day it was killing me and I was praying reallly hard and we got home and my comp gave me a knee brace i had forgotten his last comp gave to him early that day.  Its 

been helping alot.  

For my package i need a few things...More protien please :)  and razors mach 3 gillette. and some peanut butter. I left my PB in Las Vegas. OH! My debit card isnt working! Please help me with that, he had to buy everything for me lastweek. A scripture case would be nice, like two, one for my regulkar size bible and one for my regular size BOM...(my portugeuse scriptures) There is a kid in my ward who is serving in Florianopolis right now and I met a kid at the mission comferene who knew Bryson from the MTC, he said he wrestled him there. HA. Good to hear Hunter and Tyler are Okay, I hope everything is good for them. Hope they find those other missionaries.

Time to go sweat somemore and spread the word!

Amo Vôces!

miss you guys a ton!

-Elder Grondel III

October 28, 2013

Hey!

 

It's good to hear everything that's happening!  Sounds like fun stuff back home!

 

So we had our first baptism, it went really smooth! my talk was short and sweet.  It was exciting!  We have another one set for an investigator that's been one for a while but hes just so busy, so we taught him once and we set the date for nov 9.  He had a date previously but it didn't work out so we hope this one does!

 

My freakin comp from the CTM emailed me, he got his VISA!!! what the hek. Ha.  Guess my work here isn't done.  We haven't been able to meet with our 19 year old investigator, he called us a week ago and said he was losing his fire and wanted to meet so we planned and it didn't happen so its been WAYYYY to long. Its frustrating because he was doing so well!  We met with the Black lady and her husband again who are really strong baptisit type Christians and we brought this old guy with us who has served mission basically his whole life since being converted and they clicked really well, we completely abandoned our lesson we planned and talked about the BOM and it was sooooo cool. She was crying and loved meeting with us. The first time we met with her she started off by saying that she didn't want us wasting our time with someone who already has a good relationship with God and didn't need it and we asked her what her expectations were and she said she was expecting us to try and convert her and that she was NOT going to convert because she likes the path she is on but she is willing to here our message. HA.  And then after this last lesson she shouted, "If God wants me to be a Mormon I'll be a Mormon!"  She has the greatest desire I have ever seen to just find then truth and willingness to do whatever God wants of her and she has such an open mind and heart.  Dang, It was soooo cool!  And I guess she is a Gladys Knight FINATIC! So we got here some VIP tickets to the front row of The Gladys Fireside choir testimony show thingy next week!  And there is a black lady in our ward who was converted because of this show, so we are hoping the same happens with our Investigaor!!! It's so exciting to see the work happening!

 

Our DL and ZL's went to a training from the mission leaders of the church and said it was crazy! They are training us on new ways of teaching and stuff, and they talked a lot about how missionary work is gonna be a lot of online stuff, and we had to take a survey about preach my gospel last week.  So we are guessin they are making a new manual for missionaries...but IDK. They said that the gospel is being preached to every nation right now and that's being done through the internet, it doesn't say missionaries have to physically be in those countries, and after the gospel is preached to all nations, the end will come.  It's crazy this is such an exciting time for missionary work.  They said the missionary conference that happened in June or something, (I didn't see it) but they said it was just as monumentous a moment in church history as the first vision and the restoration are.  CRAZY! 

 

Im so glad you guys are still missionaries.  I always wondered why you would go and talk to the investigators that came to church all the time and stuff and invite certain families over. You guys were such a great example to me.  I am so grateful I have parents who have continued doing missionary work!  I now see how badly as missionaries we want members to befriend these people! It's vital!  I wish I understood how much more of a missionary I could have been back home, maybe it's just something you have to experience. Thank you for your example!

 

Ive been fed really well!  after our lesson that we set a date at, a member that went with us took us to pizza hut, (his son played corner at Utah State for two years and is still on scholarship but helps as a trainer because he messed his knees up)  But he gave us pizza and we were so hungry we went home and ate it then we had a dinner about an hour later with a lady from el Salvador and she started putting food on plates and I thought that was the plate she was gonna put in the middle of the table for each of us to scoop the food off of, but then she made three of them!!!! My plate was massive and I wasn't even feeling hungry.... then she put huge pieces of chicken on them... I ate it all!!! :) I was proud of myself and I ate desert! Ha.  But I was prepred because earlier that week I did thw two pound challenge at a place called cheeburger cheeburger.  This burger was huge!!!!  Put my brazillian comp did it so I had to...I almost threw up, but I did it and I got my picture on the wall! Theirs a couple missionaries up there, a family here takes all of them there, they are awesome.

 

Well besides getting fat, things are pretty good, we have transfers a week from today.  My knee started killing me this week, I could barely walk. Don't call the mission lady please!!! I went way to hard on it last pday. im just gonna lay there today.  I always think Im just gonna stand there and play pass, But that is never the case, I cant hold myself back so Im just gonna have to do nothing today.   My crown is back on.

 

 

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!! President just called....I GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Wow....Im so pumped!  I leave next Monday!!!!!  ya, definitely don't call the mission lady about my knee.  I don't care if I can never play football again, I just wanna get to Brazil and do what I was called to do!!!!!!!   AGH!!!  My brazillian comp and I are freaking out right now.

 

Well I love you guys and miss you a ton!  I will call you next week at the airport! :)

 

Amo Voces!

 

-Elder Grondel III        -Brazil Bound!!!

October 21, 2013

Hey Fam!

 

So another week flew bye.  Brittons married?! that was quick.... well congrats for them!

We got a txt on last Monday night from this Woman who is a member and weve been teaching her 12 yr old son, she said he was ready to be baptized! So that's kinda cool, his younger brother was baptized and he always comes to church so it was just a matter of time, so the Baptism is this Saturday, he asked me to give the talk about the Holy Ghost.  It was funny because we taught him a couple days before that and he said no to baptism and we tried to help him but he kept saying no then we got that txt on Monday! so that was awesome!

 

We have been meeting with that 19 yr old and he is awesome! He feel happy and said he felt comforted and a blanket around him when we meet with him. Ha. We were like, that's the spirit dude!!!  he came to a baptism with us last week, hes golden. His family life is tough so that wears him out.  But he is a really cool guy!

 

Oh, my crown came off like 2 weeks ago...I have to go to the dentist this wed. Ha. I feel bad, ive just been a medical mess for the mission lady down here. And that thing I got in my stomach from taking to much Ibuprofen my senior is happening again, but its getting better since ive stopped taking it...weird huh,

 

Levi that's awesome! I wish I could see you tearing it up!  Keep working hard!

 

Im so sad to hear about Bryson not going to BYU....that's so lame. We were supposed to win a Nat'l Championship there!!!   My ZL went to Utah State and He said it was Awesome and a ton of fun, I guess their student section was ranked like #4 a while ago, they get rowdy!  Sounds like Brysons thing.

 

I miss Lexi! my ZL asked for her Address, I haven't given it out yet because she isn't on a mission.  JK!  She needs to do whats best for her, she just cant get married till I get back! Same with Bryson!  I pray for her every day!  she has so much potential!

 

That's so crazy Hannah is taking the discussion, good for her!

 

I was so close to killing one of my comps the other day...He drives us INSANE!  I am studying and praying for patience and love ...and im really praying for my VISA!

 

I used to be able to be chill and just go with the flow, but that's because I didn't care about much, but out here I actually care and so I get frustrated about a lot of things, I have definitely felt the Lord softening my heart and helping me forgive and forget a lot!!! Because I know the work cant be done if I have those bad feelings.

 

I went to the Doctors for a check up on my knee and its feeling better and he said it could take a few months but now that its getting better it should continue to get better but I need to continue to be careful on it.   A thought came to me that maybe part of the reason im here is so I can get my knee better by riding in a car all day instead of going to Brazil and walking on it all day everyday.   Im ready now tho, I want my visa!!!

 

We have a really cool thing happening here soon, Gladys Knight is coming to our Stake center with her Choir and she is going to talk about her conversion story and her testimony, she is apparently a very powerful speaker, it's perfect because we are teaching a Black Woman who is pretty well known preacher lady who loves Jesus, and she loves Gladys, so we are hoping that will help.  We are telling everyone to bring nonmembers and that you have to or else you don't get tickets. Ha.  but I guess in the past they get like 200 plus refferls after these things! It's Nov. 7,Idk if I will still be here but im excited for it!

 

So, confession time.  We were at the Ward mission leaders house and after correlation I asked about the BYU game he said he was watching before we got there and we went to check the score, and watched like two maybe three plays...I watched KVN and someone else sack the QB and whose the linebacker #34?  and I saw Taysom Hill just bout get his head ripped off on a facemask!  I got so pumped...I wanted to sit down and watch it so bad! then he turned Cinderella back on for his daughter, she was crying. Ha.  but he txted us later and told us the score! Go COUGS!!!

 

IDK about the journal, whatever you think works best. I trust you.

 

That's crazy Olivia!  you will enjoy YW! There are really fun activities!  You're such a great example to Bella, maybe one day she will be as nice as you...maybe

 

Gerritt I saw a kid with your same helmet! made me think of you! miss you man!

 

Bella! Im jelous of your room,  mine room here isn't as pretty as yours.

 

Caleb- I hope 8th grade is being to rough on you! how is football?

 

Jacob- I read this thing today about the Youth in the church, it said the Lord is truly hastening His work!  and He has called the Youth to action! Their is a purpose for why He has saved you to be a youth of this generation!  Don't let the evils of the world and high school pull you away from your TRUE purpose!  Doesn't mean you cant have fun though! I hope your wrist gets better and you can get back out to reppin the 35!

 

I hope Landon is doing well in Utah! We helped a guy move that was like exactly Landon, he had 4 million guns just like him too. and the werid shoes and the beard, it was weird.

 

Well I miss you guys a ton!

 

The church is true! I have seen so many miracles in the short time ive been out here. it's crazy!

 

Amo voces!

 

-Elder Grondel III

 

October 14,2013

Dear fam!

JACOB PUT A CLUB ON IT!!!  Haha

Sorry to hear about that tho, it sounds like it sucks, I freakin hate injuries, my knee feels a little better it cracks and popsalot. So i pop alot of Ibuprofen.  Always seems to do the trick., that and a little adrenalin.

Well we had a great week this week!  the blessings just came flowing in! We started teaching a Brazillian family of four that my comp tracted out a while ago, the dad is from Rio, and the Mom is from Goiania! How about that huh?  We brought two members with us who both speak portugeause, one of them was from brazil, and they got along really well.  It was my first like real lesson, i got to recite the 1st vision in English and it had been kinda rough when I practiced it, but it came out perfectly when I recited it in the lesson! It was so cool! The spirit was strong!   

We also talked to that 19 year old kid again, and he is so prepared, he has had some interesting experiences and we talked to him for a while  that night and we gave him a chapt to read and he read that and the intro and the testimony and the witnesses.  Hes a really coo guy,  then...he came to church!!! I was so pumped! it was only stake conference and he made the last hour but it was awesome!!!  I know his twin brother on a mish has been praying so hard for him.  Our mission President and his wife were there and they spoke to the whole stake, we were so lucky! They are trying this new program thing for easier member missionary work, its a 4 step thing, and it apparently has worked really well in other areas so they introduced that and gave the stake a 6 week challenge! The members here have been doing great work, they are awesome and are really excited to help us out! Missionary work cannot be done without the members!!!

I was at a door and the TV caught my eye, and I saw Utah beat Stanford!!! I freaked out and my comps were like "calm down! theirs ppl watching!"  ha, oops. neither of them understand the importance of that...silly comps. 

Their has been a little butting heads in the tripanionship, me and my brazillian comp are trying to have so much patience, we keep reminding eachother to pray for patience cause we know if we think ill thoughts or anything towards our comp than the spirit will leave...and you CANNOT teach without the spirit.  So we are trying so hard, I feel bad sometimes cause we talk about him in portugeuse, so he cant understand, its funny. but WRONG!  I have alot to work on! I got mad the other day and , I lost patience and then I get more mad that I cant just let things go....so ive been studying alot about charity and patience and humility, Broab sent me some cool suff aobut that. Tell him thanks for me!..and the comp who makes us both insane is like 5'2''  and a baby so we could easily dismember him...agh!

I had to go get a new police letter down for my visa  down by the strip, at the metro police station. We just happened to sit next to some brazillians and my comp spoke with them and they asked about the book we had so he shared that with them! i could sorta understand...i didnt say much. Ha.  Its scary speaking portugeause to people who are real brazillians! dang.   But we got the letter and took it to the mission office so I hope that means my visa is gettin close!   

Well I love and miss you guys!!!  It's so good to hear whats happeing at home! Bryson has already written me more times than I wrote him on his mish...Ima Selfish guy.

Amo Voces!

-Elder Grondel III

October 7, 2013

Dear Fam!

 

Hopefully I don't delete this again.  But things are going pretty good!  I went to the Doctors today and he said he thinks its just a pulled muscle where my quad meets the top of my knee and I also have some fluid in my knee. but he just said to take it easy take a bunch of Ibuprofen and stretch. He said he didn't notice anything bad.  I was SOOOOO relieved, I am going to Brazil no matter what!!!    I see him again in two weeks.  He was a cool guy.

 

Lexi emailed me and I was able to email her back!  It was awesome to hear from her and see that thing you sent me. Ha. I miss her!  She needs some good friends, or something.  I hate hearing that shes lonely cause i know how bad that can suck.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEVI!  That gun is soooo sick! It's like the one from COD.  IDK what youre wining about.  I think  it's just your thing you do...ha.

 

Well conference was AWESOME!  I loved the Saturday session WAY more than the Sunday sesh.  I wish they would've flipped it cause I know NOBODY watches it on Saturday. My comp didn't even know the sat sesh existed till he got on his mish. HA.  Their was a ton of great talks about MEMBER-MISSIONARY work.  We missionaries are so lucky to have them reinforce that right now.  The members here are great tho, they feed us, come on visits and help a ton!  We went over to a families on sunday and they fed us breakfast and lunch during conference, felt just like home, their were two crazy kids, one little girl younger than bells kept trying to climb on me...AWKWARD!   But i liked Hollands talk on Saturday night about Depression, I felt that one was really inspired! for ppl that felt how I did a year and a half ago.  I feel that conference helped us out a lot!  My brazillian comp is only 18, he came out in march and he is on fire and wants to work, I get along really well with him.  We got the Fire from conference I think we needed.   Im really excited for this week.

 

The work here is really slow, their isn't a ton interested, and the ones that are, seem to be SUPER busy.  It's tough, like we almost had all zeros for our stats this past week,  we visit a ton of less actives and have members help out, the members are so willing! So we all fasted for the area this week and we are already seeing results! I had an AWESOME experience.  Later last night we had to go pick up some stuff  PR cause my comp is DL and we came back to the apsartment cause the ZLs needed to pick them up and after we gave them the Records we had ten minutes before Language Study, so we decided to go out and go to this families house that Ive really wanted to get a hold of, he was my first contact and  we went there and knocked then knocked again and we were walking to the car and I was like I really feel like we need to ring the doorbell,,but it was late my comp was like naw lets go, we got to the car and I was like dude i really feel it, he was like is it the spirit? and i was like IDK! idk when hes talking or if its just me, so we sat for a sec then we went back up to the door and rang and sat for a couple seconds, then a car pulled up....IT WAS HIM! we were in the car about to leave, we would've driven right past him!  The spirit didn't say wait, he said ring the door bell cause he knew how we would react and it would cause us to wait longer. We talked to this guy, hes 19 and his twin brother is on a mish in Mexico. Hes a really cool guy! It went pretty well.  Ive been praying sooooo hard to recognize the Spirit this past week and studying it in PMG.  Cause that's how you are supposed to do the work, by the Spirit!  I remember what President Monson said about the Spirit, he said to find out if it is the spirit then act on it!  And that's what was going through my head when we were in the car about to leave!  So it felt soo good to see that finally pay off!

 

The Lord's timing is perfect, if theirs anything ive learned in my life it's that.  It doesn't mean you wont get frustrated or discouraged while waiting on the Lords timing, but we can have Faith that if we are doing our best, the Lord will provide, Like nephi said, the lord provides a way for you to do what He has commanded!  It is so easy to get discouraged, im constantly getting discouraged out here but we can know that  "He does visit his Children in their afllictions" Whether its a struggle we are going through or like me, trying to recognize the spirit,(which i suck at) as we do our best, we can trust that the Lord will bless us...IN HIS TIMING!

 

Thanks Bryson, We just read that thing in the hand book the other day about how visiting family is completely against church policy....oops! Ha.

 

well i miss you guys a ton! Go Cougs! 

 

-Amo Voces!

 

-Elder Grondel III

 

 

September 29, 2013

Hey Family!

I just wrote you a long email and somehow deleted it. it took me forever. gosh dangit.

Well this week has been crazy, I finally got a pday!  Im in a place called springmountain, its the springmounatin stake and im in the windmill ward, each ward has their own missionaries, its pretty cool.

It s awesome to hear Bryson is home!  Thats crazy.

So our area is really spread out, we have a car which is a blessing because my knee was dying with just the little walking we weve been doing.  This week was alot of visiting less actives and finding people.  FINDING=Tracting.   

Tracting is pretty tough.  Missionary work sperates you so much from the rest of the world.  It's weird going from the MTC where everyone is a missionary to the world where noone is a missionary.  And now we are the weird ones.  It's hard accepting the fact that you are gonna be a "weirdo mormon" to everyone else for the next two years. But its the only way to do the work.  I have so much to learn! I wanna work hard but i have no idea how to work so that's annoying.

I hope Jake get's better!  HA. root canl is tough. Be strong dude and get back on the field!  I love showing little kids the pictures of Bella cause they love all that dressup stuff too, they think its funny.    Keep up the good work Caleb!

Olivia BOYS ARE STUPID....IDK why noone ever figures it out.   LOVE YA!

Thats annoying Tenino has to be like that.  Levi was a beast when I watched last year!

Well  our place is really nice! we have a gym and went there three times last week. Ill try to send some pics. 

I have no idea what im doing most the time, my two senior comps just tell me what to do most the time.  I love it here but I wanna go to Brazil and get going in potrugeuse and stuff.  My brazillian comp is helping me a ton with the language.

It's a hard transition, I dont know what im doing most the time, our ward mission leader is a good guy but he can make you feel like an idiot alot.  Our Elders Quorum leader is a BOSS, he is like DAD and Zach Abott combined!  He stresses hometeaching and that helps out alot!  

The members are AWESOME! Weve been fed really well and had a ton of fast food.

Well  sorry its shorter, i cant remember what all I put in the last one that I freakin deleted.

Whats lexis address?

MISS YOU GUYS!

Amo Voces!

-Elder Grondel III

September 19, 2013

Dear Family!!!

IDK if any of you had guesses or anything but we all just got our temporary reassignments!

I will be serving in the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission!!!

Im the only one in my district going there, but that kid we saw in Seattle (Elder Fry) who is going to Goiania with me got reassigned to the same mission! I guess we are just meant to be together.

But I have to be at the travel office at 430AM.  My flight leaves at 840AM and I arrive there at 858 (i guess its an hour difference...or just an 18 minute flight, JK)   

So if I call it will be at around 730 there, cause if I call in Las Vegas I might not have much time if they are there to pick me up on time.  I might call you when I get there too and that would be at 9.\

Is this the same mission the Wildes live in?!?

Amo Voces!

-Elder Grondel III