March 31,2014

Dear meus queridos irmãos!

This week was really rushed, their has been this family going to church forever in our ward but the mom cant baptize cause she isnt married and doenst want to, because her husband is nuts and hates church...he said his church is alcohol and his god is alcohol. haha. but the other elders here have been teaching them forever and have tried to at least baptize the kids for months now.  But we went there this week because they are our investigators now and we taught a lesson my comp planned that was sweet and marked a date for this week and baptized her this past saturday! ha.  it was pretty cool! 

We went to Shirley and she is having some troubles, a stupid pastor talked to dener and stuff, they arent to shaken but we are going to have to completely QUEIMAR some of the ideas that have been put in her head about church...we will do it with love.  She was wondering if you could send clothes for dafine...she has 4 years, but idk if any of bellas clothes would fit her. she said she would pay up to 100 reis...about 40 45 dollars i think. because stuff is expensive here. i told her maybe it wouldnt be worth the price but i would check. 

oh man....645...  and so it begins.. ha

The other young man that was preparing for a mission that was in a coma died saturday night. So things have been a little rough for the stake here.

 I got chills when reading jakes talk. i used to work out like crazy to that speech. ha. i bet his talk was bomb!

Jake? a perfect kid? hasnt he always been? ha.  i cant beleive hes freakin driving everywhere...PLEASE BE SMART! ha.

Ha. Sometimes I dont feel like im changing at all, but idk. i feel the same, just more stressed and tired all the time! ha

But i have had many wonderful experiences of seeing peoples lives change and seeing the lord strengthen me and carry me through every day, like when i was working at the valley in the mornings...he carried my body there every day!  

Thats sweet they are geting ready to head down to utah.  im sure they will love it there!   dang. he got buff fast. ha. Confession-i had a dream last night that him and i were going to the valley to work out, and i was way small but, it was tight...i was so pumped. ha

Im so stoked for lex!!! Shes doing so many cool things!   give her a heads up...cam asked me for her email because he has a bud that has "questions about uvu" ha. 

OH!  my camera charger broke... im only able to send a picture because the lan house has a adaptor for the memory card. my battery on my camera is slowly dying.

im not sure how general conference will be, i know they showeda recording of  the womens session yesterday. but IM SO PUMPED! i cant beleive its already GC again!  

We actually didnt get a ton of rain like i hoped...they have actually got a lot less rain this year and people are suffering a bit because of it.  Nelsons daughter told me that she saw on the news that washington got a ton of rain, but idk. its funny how much they show stuff of the US here on the news.

Thanks for your prayers! its keeping me going.

I love you guys. Miss ya a bunch!

-Elder Grondel III

March 24, 2014

Dear family,

DAD THATS SO SICK!!!  PARA BENS!!! you have got to be the busiest guy on the planet!!! Good luck during sacrament mom! :)   i can already see dad up on the stand threatening the kids with hand motions and facial expressions..hahaha just like coach hines!

Thats sweet you guys will work together, thatll make it a bit easier..or harder...idk. ha

Well we went and talked to that lady, and it turned out we didnt say anything all is good between us,  Bishop is so tight!

But i have had plenty of opportunities to apologize to my comp, especially every once and a while when im wrong and ive defended myself to the death and then i have to apolopgize...thats probably the suckiest thing ever.

Thats crazy, i remember getting trained at the valley...feels like yesterday. Dang.   thats good for him tho, he can save alot of  money for his mission in two years :)

Thats sweet caleb!  youre gonna get so good. thats the best thing to do.  we all get owned when we are starting...i still get owned here and there in the mission field.

olivia keep dancing!!!!! i remember watching you a couple years ago...you were super good!

The big sluggers, levi and gerritt.,, i bet you guys are tearing it up, home runs all day eryday!

Dang, tell grandma and granpa i love them, i pray for them and their health alot.

 thats sooo cool! i was wondering how Chuck was doing. that is the most amazing thing that he had that opportuniy...WOW! mysterious ways for sure.

Ya i freakin love the atonement and studying about it. 

is that the same talk you sent me?  i think its the one i printed off last week and read...it was really good!!! Oh jakey jake....be wise! what can i say more?

Well this week we had a tragedy...a boy in the other ward in our chapel was supposed to leave for his mission this tuesday, the same mission that his brother served in!  Everyone was so excited!  He has relatives in our ward and everyone basically knows everyone because church is at the same time so everyone was pumped. saturday, him and another boy planning to go on the misson were on a motorbike and they hit a semi truck and the one that was supposed to leave died and the other is in a coma.  Everyone is devastated, they cancelled church and had a funeral there. we had a ton of investigators that we were planning on bring to church. we went to another chapel in the city for church, but we didnt get any of our investigators there, it was really sad. for everyone...I talked to this kid two days before he died...he was so pumped. it was a weird experience. BUT!  Stefani was confirmed!!! in the other ward...thank freakin goodness. that was such a releiving moment!

We had two divisions this week, two days in a row, and it wore me out. One day i was with a greenie from argentina in my area and he was very hard to understand, ha.  This week kicked my butt,  im gonna sleep today for sure.

Im praying a ton right now for patience and love. my buddy and i used to vent to eachother but hes gone and now it just builds up in me and i almost lose it sometimes!!! ha. im really trying to apply the enabling power i my life. :)

Well i miss you guys a ton! hope all is well. the ward is gonna be blessed by big D a ton!

Chow!

-Elder Grondel III

March 17, 2014

Dear Family,

Well another week flew by, the conference was sweet! a guy from the 70 talked with us and it was really cool.  I got to see my buddies!  My comp from the mtc Elder Carter is still in the same area and hes good, i saw Elder Blake, meu pai!  he was my first trainer, hes a zone leader now and doing awesome.  But noone came to fill the spots of the other missionaries  in our  area but President said 2 more will arrive in a few weeks, its strange, people coming in the middle of the transfer, but it will be nice, because we are working all over the place right now because we have to keep working with all the people the other elders left for us and so its crazy, but we are coping.  

So stefani showed up to sacrament meeting at 11.29.  church ends at 11.30.   The stake president was there and he didnt alow her to get confirmed.  yesterday was stake conference.  so hopefully this week it will happen.   Nelson is super firm still.  He went to stake conference by himself because his daughter less active didnt want to go. ha.  he is awesome.  we will go to their house tonight for dinner and to teach his daughters husband/boyfriend.  they arent married but have kids and stuff. it should be cool.

Sooo....yesterday after stake conference a lady in the ward came up to us and said she was very upset at us because we were saying bad things about her family.  And she wanted us to pass her house this week.  I couldnt think the rest of the day,  its freakin tearing me up that i was called here to help gods kingdom grow and here i am destroying it.  Idk what was said or if it was us. i feel awful, i hope we didnt completely destroy the ward-misionary relationship. We will go their first thing tonight, and hopefully get all this sorted out.  

We had lunch at a family house yesterday, and the dad reminds me alot of dad, he is alwyas on his ipad and super tight he made a bunch of churrasco for us. i respect this guy a ton, and i asked him what he would do if he offended someone, and he said just ask for forgiveness, he said even if the person doesnt forgive you youve done your part. so i guess thats basically all we can do.

My comp isnt to sstressed...idk why.  its killing me.

So this week was pretty tough for me with all thats been happening but i did a fast and have been continually asking for help through the enabling power of the atonement..  we did find an awesome family we are teaching now tho. 

Thats crazy they are changing the ward i hope it all turns out alright! We cant lose the ottons!!!  no!!!!

I hope grandma billie is all good! i will pray for them,   Well thats good landon and addi are there to help. i hope he gets in to school there, thatd be a good fit for him.

I bought a knee brace, but it just made it ache more.  my knee will survive to just walk...but if i do anything more if i tried to cut or anything close to a "football move", it would crumble under neath me. ..but it can do the work and thats all i need for now. 

Happy birthday Jacob!!!!  The ottons told me you are gettin big..But i doubt it...prove me wrong!!! Love you bro...hold to the rod!

I like the analogy of the atonement!  i will use that for sure.  Dang, you guys are changing alot at home.  its about time you guys cleaned up my mess! ha.  but...sorry about that...im more calm and loving now... :) 

I love you guys a ton and miss you a ton!  Thanks for the prayers.

Boa Semana pra vocês!

-Elder Grondel III

March 9, 2-14

 Denner's Birthday

 Stephanie's Baptism

Nelson's Baptism

Dear Family!

We had a pretty cool week this past week.  That young women we are teaching went to that efy thing, here it is called fsy. And i guess it was like the same exact thing, so you can imagine how pumped up the teens are here and how excited she was when she got back!  She said she was like the most popular one there because she wasnt a member and everyone told her she was the prettiest, so she loved it...ha.  So a ton of people came to the baptism!  the directors of the fsy announced it on facebook and they came to the baptism and spoke.  a boy she met in the fsy baptised her. but she didnt make it in time to church so she didnt get confirmed....aghh! but she will get confirmed soon.  And the state president came to the baptism and the two bishops of thew wards,  because she is frquenting the other ward with a friend but lives in our area.    We also had the baptism of Nelson the same day, he is an older guy and the dad of a less active, we started teaching him thinking he hadnt been to church, so we marked a date for after two weeks (they need two sunday to be baptized)  but we heard that he frequented the church a ton of times before when it was a branch!!! we were soooo stoked!!!! so wednesday we changed the date to this saturday and baptized him!  haha. he was so ready! i love him!   it was an honor to batpize him... he was so excited he got to the baptism like 1.5 hours early!  He has such a strong testimony, he grew so fast in the gospel, everyone did a good job of making him feel included in the baptism

Wel we heard about transfers.....i will STAY!  mais uma! with my same comp.  i had a feeling when i got here that i would stay for a while.  We heard a rumor that it might be just us two in this area but we dont know yet, the other two in the house were transferred.  they are two americans and one arrived with me and we always like vent to eachother because we are experiencing like the same things, haha so i will miss that dude. nohomo.

This past week was carnival and there was noone in the streets and it rained a freeakin ton!!! destroyed my planner, thank goodness imdone with it.  ha. their was massive rivers in the streets, we got soaked.   The thunder and lightneing here is like none other...its so powerful!  it shakes your soul! 

I dont like that everything is changing! at home! dang.   Thats awesome you guys are playing baseball, my favorite sport!  brincadeira...but thats pretty sweet!  dang im pumped for bryson!  he looks freakin huge.  i hope i can get buff again when i get back. ha.  i arm wrestled this dude yesterday in our ward, hes a younger married guy and reminds me alot of bryson, hes jacked too,   and he manhandled me, ha.  his arms are massive...  my shoulder/arm are killing me today. ha.

Bryson will love school! he will meet alot of young virutous daughters of god...

why are they moving back to cali?...i dont like that.  but whatevr.

Well i think im gonna go buy a knee brace finally today and maybe start jump roping a bit.  i bought an ice pack last week. 

I will mail a letter to grandma and grandpa grondel today.  did you guys ever get my letter?

ha i forgot about the stanley cup. go wings!    

Thanks bryson for the info!  that really helps, anything from another missionary is golden.  what are some good things to eat here or quick things to make?   

Weve seen a lot of miricales and people change! im so greatful for this opportunity!  This next transfer will be interesting, im learning alot of patience and to listen more and to love.    

we have a mission conference this wed and thurs in goiania, im pumped to see all my buds! and it should be really spiritual as well!

Dad i will play hockey and golf with you for sure!!!  Happy Birthday BIG-D!   I love you. thanks for being such a good example and not letting me slack off to much in life, its really paying off out here.

I love you guys!!!   gots to go!     

-Elder Grondel III 

March 3, 2014

Dear Family!

Sorry i didnt get to read the letter that was in the package until after i emailed.  But tell corrine thanks a ton! Allthe other elders want  my music on their pin drives.

Tell bryson to keep being annoying to the coaches...it helps. 

the new boook is sweet! its just for our mission,but it ha alot of talks about how to improve missionary work and teaching and a study guide thing.  its really tight.

This week we found some awesome people.  We were walking ot this members hous after lunch one day and this lady was carying this huge tv, ha, and she had a bunch of little kids with her. so i was like hey do you need some help?  and shes like ya!  i asked where they were headedand where they had come from....she had been carrying it sooo far! ha and it was pretty stinkin heavy for me! ha but as we were talking it turns out she already talked with missionarys before she said the elders helped her move before. and she had gone to church and loved it,and she says right now her and her husband want to find a church for their family to teach thier kids. and she came to church with us this sunday with three crazy kids,she said her husband was more excited to go than her! but he had to work...turns out they arent married, but thats fixable.   We have found some awesome people that are so ready for baptism! whoever stays here for the next transfer will batizar até o pó!!!   we actually planned tobaptize stefani two weeks ago...she was ready but she wanted to get to know the church more so we planned to baptize  her this past week but the bishop from the other ward invited her to this thing called fsy...its bvasically efy for the youth during carnival! so thats sweet but we cant baptize her until later this week when she gets back.   The work is awesome here! 

My qustion about sunday was answered!i went on a division with the zone leader after theinterviews and it was sweet!  he taught me  sooooo stinkin much!  this dude is sooo legit., i lived with him my first transfer here when he was the disrtictleader,he knows how to get crap done. 

We will find out this weekend who was transferred.  and transfer and the mission tour are next week. Should be pretty dang sweet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS FOR BRYSON E OLIVIA!!!   Love you guys! 

We were at a members house for lunch this week, and he had a buddy their and we were all talkin with him and three of us are americans and he said to us that i have the least accent out of all of us! ha ...and one of the other Elders already has over a year and a half on the mish...haha.  So that was gratifying to hear.   i get so frustrated with this language sometimes. im understanding allot more now but sometimes i dont catch a couple of words here and there and thats messes me up. but its getting better.

Jacob! PARA FRICKEN BEINS POR VOCE!!!  thats sick.  DO SEMINARY AND SCRIPTURE MASTERY!!!  i didnt do like any of that and im paying for it now.  its so easy to do just a scritpure a week and if pays off so much!

well i gotta go! love you guys!!!   feel free to send whatever typesof treats you would like :)

-Elder Grondel III

February 24, 2014

Dear Fam!

MUITO OBRIGADO FOR THE PACKAGE!!!!  ITS FREAKIN BOMB!  you sent alot of toys, ha. The elders were laughing at me....until they saw all the chacolate!!!!  haha  The music is soooo good...THANK YOU! you met my every request.  

This week we had a meeting in Goiania with some of the zones that are close to goiania.  It was really sweet!  Our mission made this book to accompany PMG and its really awesome!  President said to everyone to stop reading the other books and read this first.  Im liking it alot.  we have been told we need to improve our teaching...alot.  So im really focusing on how i can do better with that and teaching by the spirit. 

I think we will have interviews this week and those meetings are always cool as well, we gettin a big boost spiritually. 

Well the 17 year old girl we are teaching, Estefani, is doing really good, she has been to church 3 times and is continuing to progress very well., the bishop is helping a ton!!! he is awesome!

i heard form landon the other day, it was good to hear that they are doing good. they just need to go to church!!!  ha.   Its been a little cold here as well with lots of rain and clouds...i love it! i can sleep so well!  but the sun returned today again...i hope i can sleep today. ha

Sunday was so powerfull, they totally called out the parents on their responsibities, it was really cool, it was spiritual and nice, but very powerful. They talked about spending time with kids and helping them.

Thats so cool jake, your gonna love it there...until you have to be there at 430...ha.    Caleb is such a clutch player...i remember he did that in baseball too... i will never forget that game! it was just a little leauge game but was SOOO intense and  he was so focused for a little kid and took his team to victory. He is awesome to watch.

Do you think you could sent me a peice of paper laminated with the quote by abraham lincoln abhout being a leader  thats says something like, to convince anyone to do something, you first need to convince them you are their friend.  Just like a small piece of paper laminated in the next package, whenever you send it.  

And a docrtinal question for Bryson... how do you teach the sabbath day holy,  cause in the portugeuse bible it says saturday...ive heard alot of explanantions but i dont quite understand how to explain its actually Domingo. 

Uhm, i always like food, cookies, sweeedish fish, snacks.   I dont need anything specific right now, just the faith of ammon and  the power of paul. 

I love you guys!   miss you a ton! 

  

-Elder Grondel III