Instrument in the Lord's hand

Hey Family,
It's good to hear that everything is going great back at home. To answer your questions; yes, I did get your package. I got it pretty quick. Thanks for the shirts, my comp' loves his. Ummm I'm not sure what I want for Christmas. I'll come up with a list and pass it to you next week. I will have a new companion by Christmas for sure, but honestly if it's a Brazilian, what I get will be his anyway. They think everything is theirs. Ha Ha Its funny.
Well, this week we really really worked hard. I'm about dead. We started working in a neighborhood that has never been worked in. We taught some killer lessons and had some people promise God that they would come to church. But what do you know, when Sunday comes around, nadda nõs temos 0 pesquisadores na capela. Frustraiting! You work your face off trying to help people and they can't even keep a promise they made with the Lord. It's hard because my companion likes to chastise people. Kinda makes them feel like dirt, so we burn through investigators like crazy. I'm not sure if they aren't progressing because it's just not there time or they don't like Elder Adriano. But he's my companion... gotta love him.
One of the lessons we taught was with a family who loved our message. I pulled out a picture of us that you sent me. (The one that Tiffany took) I showed them my family, just to let them know that I'm human, and I talked about each and every one of you and how the Gospel had blessed our lives as a family. Ha Ha, yes even you Dad. That was the first lesson that I felt like a instrument in the Lord's hand and it felt great.
That's all the stories I've got. Just working hard and looking for results. AZ is still hot? Dang. Its starting to get pretty got here about 104 with 100% humidity. So ya, ha ha, its pretty muggy but I'm pretty used to it, so it doesn't bother me to much.
:) I love you guys,
Elder Manis

Bernadette

Hey Guys,
This week has been getting better... not too much better, but things are progressing. Elder Adriano hasn't taught me how to make [cook] anything cool yet, ha ha. I still do most of the cooking, which isn't that hard, just throw the noodles in some boiling water. Ha Ha My leg is doing fine. It wasn't that bad in the first place, just some scratches.
Well this week we really hit the ground running. We started working in a neighborhood that we had never been to before. It was good. We got into a lot of houses, and taught a lot of good people. We had 15 people promise God in prayer that they would go to church with us on Sunday, but when it came around, none of them showed up. It was kind of depressing to have worked my tail off all week with these new people and see no results. But we did have a good investigator show. Her name is Bernadette. She has been to church 3 times now and is just now getting the hang of singing the hymns. She is progressing well, we have a date marked for baptism on Oct 3. I really think she is an elect. It's awesome to see her progress when I teach her, just kinda see her eyes open and say "Ya... this is true." It's sweet, because she gives us chocolate at almost every lesson. She is a nice lady.
Well, I'm sorry to say that that's about it for missionary work for this week. But this week I have been studying a lot about baptism and covenants. And I have really begun to realize how big a promise to God it is... it's no joke. I also got really temple sick. I'm not sure why, I just miss being able to go to the house of the Lord and feel His Spirit and just relax. I guess after seeing all the iniquity in the small town I'm in, and all of the churches, just took a tole on me. I want to go to my temple.
On other news, next month is going on 6 month for me... that's crazy.. I just left.
I gots to go guys.
I love you and pray for you every day,
Elder Manis

RUN!

Hi :)
Well, to answer your questions - First: my new companion is Elder Adriano. He is from Sao Paulo, he is 22 and he only has 2 transfers left in his mission. It was a little shock to my system at first. The first few days where hard...I mean hard. Just being with a new companion and having to remember where everyone lives and stuff like that, it was just a little stressful I guess you could say.
But I figured out how much Portuguese I know. I surprised myself. But at the same time, I am like....dang, I've got so much more to learn. But it's OK, I am at the point where I can understand just about everything. However, when I try to talk I get mixed up, but at the same time just this week I have learned how to speak without thinking. I don't know if that makes sense, but I just stop thinking and talk.. Sabe?
Well, along with being shocked because of transfers myself, so were our investigators. Some of them didn't really like the change. Some of the members of the church/ward as well. But it will all be better in time I guess.
We have a good investigator, her name is Bernadette. She is about 50ish years old. She is progressing well and we have a baptism date set for next week, so we will see what happens. We aren't sure if she is progressing because she really knows the church is true, or if its just because she like the missionaries. It's kind of hard to tell at times but I think she is progressing because she sees that she needs the Gospel in her life. Also, this week we had to cut one of our best investigators... because we found out he has 2 wives! Ya, I know, crazy huh? But I guess its common it this state of Brazil :(.
The funny story for this week is I was bitten by a dog haha. There is a dog that lives on this street by our house and every time we pass him he chases us. But the other night there was construction on that street so I figured he wouldn't be there. We were walking all quiet when we passed one of the huge work trucks and heard a growl. I just yelled RUN! Well, I guess you can say I didn't run fast enough and the pit bull got me on the calf. Its not that bad, Mom don't worry, I don't have rabies. We got it checked out and stuff.
Other than that things are going great. It's good to hear about Wyatt's team kickin' butt. That's how that Red Mountain rolls haha. My language skills are improving everyday. I started studying the Book of Mormon it Portuguese. I study in Portuguese only, and Portuguese is now in my dreams. But I'm not speaking Portuguese - its everyone else. Ha Ha
The work is progressing.
I love you guys,
Elder Manis

E. Hale is getting transferred

Oi!
Hey guys,
Mom, good thing you wrote something about money because I need it. Ha Ha I'm starving out here.  Raman noodles for every meal isn't working anymore.  I know I can take money out of my savings so if you can move some money to my savings that would be great. I'm going to the bank tomorrow so if you can do it soon that would be great.

Well, as for everything else, its getting better.  The language is still choppy.  Elder Hale says I need to stop thinking so much.  He says when I just talk, I speak it good, but when I try to think about it I mess up.  He says, "Just be a Brazilian in your mind.  You're just chillin' on the beach in flip flops and flying a kite.  When you think like that, you can talk."  So it has been getting better but it's hard.  

Also, I found out that today is my last day with Elder Hale.  He is getting transferred.  So I'm a little scared about that, but I think I'm ready for it.  He was an amazing missionary, and I learned a lot from him.  It's going to be hard getting stuck with a Brazzie, but I can do it. 

As for Daniel, he doesn't want anything to do with the Church.  He is so blind, so we forgot him and really worked hard this week.  Just forgot everything and busted our butts.  We were so caught up in the work, we didn't see our blessings 'till Sunday.  When we had 6 new investigators in the capela.  It was a surprise, it was just like... Dang!  We worked hard and the Lord did the rest, it was great.

The weather is hot.  I'm used to it, so it doesn't bother me any.  I'm used to sweating all the time.  But I'm so wiped out by the end of the day. 

It's good to here that Red Mountaña is kickin' some butt.  Today is Brazil's Independence Day, and all the Missionaries in Vitoria got to march in the parade.  It was so cool.  Ha Ha Brazil loves Americans. But we were right behind a marching band and they were playing the drum line stuff, so it just put me back on the [football] field hearing the band play.  I got goose bumps.  It was cool, they were so good.
That's all I have for this week.  The work is hard but that's what you get for being here in the most religious state of Brazil. Espirito Santo means Holy Ghost.  But I'm still working hard, sometimes all I can do is love the people, and that's not hard at all.

Love ya guys,

I love this work

Oi Familia, como voces estão?

Well, this week has gotten a lot better.  I'm just getting over being sick, so I'm feeling a lot better now that I have some food in my stomach.  It stopped raining too.  It has been raining for the past 2 weeks.  Now the sun is out and its really humid.  But I don't mind it, we are right next to the ocean so we get a good ocean breeze every once in a while so its not too bad.  I'm not sure if it's the water that made me sick.  I'm past the point of caring and I just drink the water that they give me.  

Well you wanted to know what I do all day, so here we go.

We wake up and exercise at 6:30a I usually just do push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups so its nothing amazing.  Then at 7:30a we make breakfast, which is usually just chocolate milk...because we is poor :) ... Then its personal scripture study at 8:00a, then companion scripture study at 9:00a.  Then language study at 10:00a.  Then at 11:00a we walk to lunch which is about an hour's walk everyday.  Lunch goes to about 2:00p, then we go to work.  Clapping (knocking) doors and teaching people 'till 9:00p.  Then we come home and plan for the next day. 

So ya, that's about it.  Hard work and tons of walking. Ha Ha.

This week has been a good week for us.  We have found a lot of new investigators and we had 6 of them in the Capela este Semana.  It was good to have everyone there.  One of the guys we brought was Daniel, we contacted him and just invited him to church, and sure enough he came.  He knew the Bible really well and was into all the lessons.  Later that night we went to his house to just follow up on how he thought church went.  When we showed up all he said was, "Let's go. We are going to my church tonight."  So out of respect, we went with him to the Quadrangular Church which is one of the many Apostasies around here.  I walked in not knowing what to expect, and when we got there I saw 800 people.  800 people is 2 stakes worth in the LDS church [down here], my heart sunk. Here are 800 people in this building that are so blinded by the works of man.  It was so sad to see their pastor screaming and everyone saying ..SIM JESUS.. they are so blind.  It made me realize how cunning the adversary is.  He will stop at nothing to get people to fall away in his traps.  It also made my testimony grow.  Even in our ward building with a billion crying babies and kids running around, our meetings still have the quiet Spirit of the Lord present.  Being in this meeting with 800 people without the Spirit made me so grateful for what we are blessed with.  I know this Church is true.  I have no divide in my heart.  This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ and I am so grateful to put this name tag on everyday that has His name on it, and to represent Him.  I love every second of it.  I love getting rejected, I feed off of it because, it makes the one person that is willing to listen that much more important to me.  I love this work, missionary work isn't easy because salvation isn't a cheap experience.

I love you guys and I pray for ya every night,
Elda Manis

Gripe

Hey Family,

Funny thing that you start your e-mail to me with "Have you been eating good?"...... This week has been the hardest week on the mission yet.  It started out last week that I got ..."Gripe"... What they [the Brazilians] call the flu.  Then it turned into the stomach flu.  Everything I eat I throw up, EVERYTHING.. even if its just a cracker, it comes up.  So I basically haven't eaten anything this week..just within the week I think have lost about 12 pounds.  It has just been a hard week spiritually, mentally and physically.  I feel so weak walking up the hills, like I'm going to die. Ha Ha  That's all our area is is hills, its been hard.  It is offensive to the people if you don't eat [the food they provide] so I eat hoping that it will stay down.  But 20 min. later walking down the street, I yack.  My companion tells me I should just take a day off to relax and give my body some rest.  I say, "Heck No, I can't rest.  I only have 2 years here, and if it keeps going as fast as it is now, one day of rest will be a big waist." I just suck it up and keep moving.  

Elder Hale is so cool.  He is really like a brother.  We like all the same things.  So Mom, to answer your question about  Elder Hale he is basically me but about 3 inches shorter.  HaHa

This week has been a hard week spiritually like I said before.  Our investigators that have been progressing, just decided to not work this week.  We had to cut this family that I thought we where going to baptize for sure.  It was so depressing, they know the Church is true, they have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  They just don't want to give up watching soccer on Sunday to go to church.  It's just hard because I have worked as hard as i can, with my crappy Portuguese, and spiritually drained myself for these people but they just don't want to change.  But what can you do sometimes you've got to cut an elect.  It's hard to do but sometimes it's what you gotta do.
Well family, everything is going great.  Besides being so sick in the gut,  I'm still working hard don't worry.
As for sending packages, I'm not to sure what the easiest way is.  I don't even get mail every week. I get it about every 4 weeks.
But put stickers of Jesus on the package so people won't open it.

Love ya guys,

POSO USAR SUA BANHERO?

Oi rapaz,
Its good to hear all about home and how you guys are having fun. Ha Ha.

Well, this week has been a really hard week for us.  A lot of our prime investigators that we had lessons marked (scheduled) with, fell through.  They were either at work or just didn't have time [to see us] so that was really hard on us for the first couple of days.  On Tuesday I went on splits with some other missionaries.  (The AP's) [Assistant to the President] It was fun and a humbling too.  I went on splits with Elder Crapo, funny name I know, but even funnier is that we went to school together.  He lives in Brock Perry's old neighborhood, and we were in the same Seminary class, but he graduated in '07 so he only has 4 months left of his mission.  It was fun but it was also humbling because I had to be the senior companion for that day and I didn't realize how much I lean on Elder Hale for stuff, like directions.  We got lost a couple of times but we made it fun.  

Another thing we have been doing this week is getting people to promise God in their prayers that they will come to church with us.  Because when they promise the missionaries.....random guys that they just met, they probably won't keep the promise.  So we started them promising the Lord, and I'll be... it worked.... they showed up to church.  

This week's church was kinda crazy 3 people in the ward died and they all had their funeral after the Sacrament Meeting. So it was kinda crazy. One of the guy's who died was attending his mom's viewing and afterwards he was crossing the street in front of the church and got hit by a car.  So...Ya... you  can still see the blood splats on the ground.  Its nasty.

OK so are you ready for some funny stuff.....

This week on Thursday we ate lunch at this Irmas house and she had half a foot.  It was nasty.  It looked like a horses hoof. Ha Ha. Anyway, after we ate there we went to work clapping doors and I was talking to this one lady that wouldn't let us in.  Randomly Elder Hale said "POSO USAR SUA BANHERO?", meaning "Can I use your bathroom?"  I looked at him, he was all sweaty and doing a pee dance.  She said  "No."  He looked at me and said, 'Dude I gotta poo!!"  I started laughing and I said, "OK, lets go to a store."  But he wanted to go home which was a 5 minute walk.  So we started to walk and we got to about a block from the house and he starts walking all crazy and I asked him, "Hale, you OK?"  He said, "It hurts." I asked,  "What?" and he said... "My rectum."  I was trying so hard not to laugh, so I ran ahead and unlocked the door for him.  He sprinted up the stairs and ran to the bathroom.  I walked in laughing soooo hard because I heard the shower going. Ha Ha! When he came out all he said was, "I didn't make it."  So yes, meu companiero fez um cocõ no calsas dele. (He pooped his pants) I felt so bad for him but I was laughing so hard. It's probably going to happen to me someday.
Well I hope next week will go better for us.
Love you all