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