02/13/2012

Bon dia mundo!!

Tudo Bem? I espero! Muito legal aqui, mas muito diferente! 

Anyway, hello everyone! Im in Brazil! It is so crazy here! Super cool, but way different. Its hard sometimes. I am understand a lot of stuff, certainly not everything though. I cant speak anything either. Everyone is so nice here! They like Americans! I had like 5 people taking pictures of me as we were talking to this drunk man. Pretty funny. Its really humid, but also pours rain randomly. I have come home drenched on many occasions. We only eat almoço here. Beans, rice, and some sort of meat. Its good stuff! We also walk like 11000 miles every day! Yikes! I fed wild monkeys with my hands. I ALMOST got eaten by 3 rabid dogs. Sunburn, bug bites, and a superly internally bruised big toe! I dont have anywhere to put my clothes so im living out of my suicase, thats different. Huge frogs everywhere. It looks like im in the jungle, its crazy! Ive set a few people for baptism. We should be having one the end of thismonth, not sure. There isnt a ton of work being done in this area and I have no clue. I wish I could explain my thought but that certainly isnt going too well. Vou aprender tudo!! I met a bunch of people that know Jacob Youngberg and Jacob Kunzler. Sweet. A bird flew into this house and my companion caught it with his hands. Strange. I think Im done for the week, sorry there isnt a ton. Its really hard right now. REALLY hard. 

-- Elder Lakey

02/07/2012

This Elder is in BRAZIL!!!! Wow. What an extremely long day or two (or however long its been) Let me tell you, SO hard. This is scary. I cant understand anything. They are rambling and I dont understand any of it. I hear that I should be fine in about 6 weeks. The planes werent too bad, but just long. The mission president and his wife are SWEET! I love them! And now to make you jealous...Brazil. is. so. amazing! I LOVE it! IT is SO clean where im at now. VERY green. Super hot today but manageable. Everyone is so friendly. And heres the best part.....today, I fed a bunch of those little itty bitty monkeys out of my hands. No, I wasnt at the zoo. I was walking through the park. Yes, you read correctly. 

Thats all. They just wanted to have me email and tell you im alive. My Pdays are monday. Tomorrow Im going to the temple. SWEET! Tell everyone Im sorry i wasnt able to talk to them. Tell them Im loving playing with the monkeys!!

02/06/2012

To whom it may concern,

 

Hello the greatest people on earth! Its Elder Lakey! Uhhh...Im not in Brazil yet. I know, I know. I promised the next one would be from Brazil. Well, I lied. Im still going, its just the flight doesnt leave until this afternoon! So, I have some time to email. My emotions are pretty strange right now. Im so excited, yet so scared. Im so happy, yet so sad. My mind is going Ballzerko (Thats for you Adam Robert C.) So here me out...Tyrone was supposed to be baptized on Saturday. It didnt happen. It was going to happen all the way up until Saturday morning. We checked in with him on Friday and he was so excited and ready to go. Then Saturday, the weather decided to dump a bunch of snow making it unsafe to drive. What a bummer, huh?! So, I wont have the priveledge of being here to be a part of it. That was a very hard day for me. When I found out I would be leaving 2 days after his baptism, I was certain the Lord kept me in Nebraska for this reason alone. WRONG! The Lord sent a storm. It caught me off guard. I was confused. I was lost. Ive found out, that I dont have to worry about everything the Lord has in store for me. I dont have to worry about His timing and His plans. So, the past few days, my testimony of the Lords Will has been strenghthened . I just have to give my life over to Him.

Ive been running a lot more. We went running Saturday morning in the snow. And then this morning in the 10 degree weather. Its been fun! Not a ton happened this last week. Mainly just transfers. And with my companions being Zone Leaders, I tag along with them and run all the errands they have. For example; Thursday we were driving from 1-10. Yeah, it was a lot. In fact, we had to stay the night up in Sioux City (Which is in Iowa) Yep, Ive been to another state! and South Dakota was right there. Never went over, but I saw it!

We have had some pretty good lessons. And some not so good lessons. Im learning! I took out a new missionary on Wednesday and went proselyting. Uh, hello?! Im 4 weeks in! Im a new missionary myself! It was really good though! I loved it. And it's good to know the President has enough faith in me. Now, if only I could get better with my own faith! I think we could always strenghthen our faith, right? The Super Bowl was yesterday. Everyone was drunk. I was teaching one of the coolest guy ever during the game. He loves sports..but he turned the game off to listen to the truth. WOW. He was drinking a little, but I was touched by his willingness to sacrifice.

I dont really have a ton more to say. Ive been busy this week and not a ton of things going on. EXCEPT IM LEAVING IN A FEW HOURS!!!!! I have really been touched by this area and these people. I love them. Some of my best friends now. I will probably shed a few tears. Scott and Laquesa and their family have some gifts for me. Laquesa told her mom that her best friend was moving. I love them so much. I wish I could be here for their marriage and his baptism. These people have taught me so many life lessons. The biggest one is that we are all children of God. No matter your background, you are still a child of God. We need to love everyone! We dont have to be their best friends, but certainly love them. I hope my love continues to grow. I hope you all have the desire to change if you need to. It brings so much happiness. Love everyone. It will bless not only their life, but yours as well.

 

I love you all! Te-Amo muito!

 

(ps. This awesome black guy is sitting next to me making up his own rap. I thought you would want to know!)

 

~Elder Lakey

02/01/2012

Whats up America?!? (And Slovakia)

 

Im writing this..still in Omaha Nebraska. But, its time to let you all know that I have recieved my Visa and will be on my way to Brasil on Monday the 6th!!! YAY! And some more awesome news, we have a baptism this Saturday!!! So, the Lord kept me here for Tyrone's baptism! Sweeeet! Today is transfer day. There are a lot of changes going on, mainly because 8 new missionaries came in and 0 left. That means at least 4 new areas are opening! So, this past week we did a lot of moving. I left Omaha and drove out to Oneill, which is about 3 hours away, and all I saw was flat land and corn fields! There is real Nebraska! There wasnt a ton that happened this past week. Meeka came to church! (I love this girl!) So happy for her! Scott is still set for baptism! and, we hit the standards 2 weeks in a row and well on our way to it this week as well!! Yeah, lots of work going on right now! Story: We have been teaching Dave and Kathy. All along, Ive thought Dave was using us for money to buy drugs and booze and that was confirmed. Yesterday, we went to see them and he didnt want to talk to us. Kathy was sitting on the porch with a knife. She was crying and told us that he beats her. Burned the Book of Mormon. He makes her "whore herself" and then beats her and steals the money for drugs. She showed us all the scars and said she would get beat up once we left. As we were leaving, she pleaded with us to call Domestic Violence...well, we got our branch president to do it so we didnt have to be involved. We wont be going back there. Scary stuff though! We met these two awesome evangelists and LOVE talking with us! Cant wait to see them again. Ive been getting pictures with a few people!

 

The following is a story that uses some risky language. If you dont want to read, Skip down!!!

The other day, we were tracting. We met this guy and he told us how he didnt want to change. Well, we got talking and he started to tell us some of his past problems that he changed through Gods love. He said, and I quote him... "I used to get 3 or 4 women and would sex them. And sometimes, men would come and I would bang them too"........ Enough said. I got nervous. The end.

 

Conestoga, you have to love it! The church is true whereever you are. God helps you no matter what stage of life you are in. True happiness comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Theres no other way! I love what Im doing. I love my Lord and Savior. I love you all. Thank you for everything!

 

My next email will be coming from the southern hemisphere. BRAZIL, HERE I COME!!!!!!

 

Love you all,

~Elder Lakey

01/23/2012

Hello my dear readers!

 

Its week...12? or 13? I dont even know. It feels like maybe week 5. But Im still here in Omaha!! I was thinking the other day...I turned my mission papers in almost a year ago!! (And still not in my assigned place) But hey, I have faith I will be there soon! And plus, Im really enjoying it here in Omaha! This past week, there has been a lot of really weird things take place, but more spiritual this week. Here we go:

Story 1: Right after emailing last week, we had an appointment with a random referral named Tyron. We recieved it from the mission office. Well, we headed over at 12 (the time it said to come by) and nobody answered. Is this is a surprise in my area? No, not at all. But as we turned around, a sketchy man was walking up behind us. It was his house! We thought it was Tyron so we asked and found out his name was Dave Perry. Dave Perry was an investigator about a month ago that was set for baptism and one day, his house was empty. Nothing there. He moved into Tyron's house!!! Well, the first thing he said was "Now that you know where I live, you can come teach me and pick me up for church" uhhhh, woah! Gods hand? Referral from God? Yes. It truly was.

Story 2: Its been about -1000 degrees this past week. I wear two pairs of socks and sweats underneath my suit pants and I still freeze!! But we went tracting and not much success. We went up to this one house and it had a sign posted on the door "Missionaries will be EATEN"...well, we had to see how he was going to eat us!!! So we knocked. He answered and was terrified of us! He gave a little scream and said "No....NO!!!!" And shut the door. I couldnt stop laughing for a while!

Story 3: Plain and simple...A 50 year old drug woman said I was really attractive and hit on me. Good thing she was drunk or I would have called the police!!

Story 4: I got really sick on Wednesday. Not good at all. I almost stayed home that night but I had team-ups with the Branch President. I endured and found much success. Meeka Mays!! She is SO COOL! We had a powerful lesson and we just read 3rd Nephi 11 and I testified and she was just bawling. I set her for baptism! Hopefully she keeps progresing. We took her to the trail Center and had a great time there!

Story 5: Scott Kemp. He is set for baptism. We took him to the Trail center and on a Church Tour and he loved it! He knows its true. I probably will leave before his baptism which is a bummer, but I love him and his family! He son Larry copies everything I do! And his daughter Talia colored me a picture! They are amazing!

Story 6: I met Ron Artest's cousin, Shayla Cribbs.

Story 7: I met the funniest pimp ever! He bought his suit from Goodwill and it was ripped. His bling had to have been from the quarter machine things and the grocery stores. And he thought he was the coolest man on Earth! He was hammered, but it was so funny! I love the people out here!!

Story 8: Last story. The mission president sets goals/standards for the mission. They are really tough to get all of them but we got them this week!!! Yesterday, we needed one more lesson with a member present and had 3 appointments! They all fell through. But I knew we were to get one. So I was directed to go to Anna James house and she is a less active member and her husband just so happened to be home who isnt a member. We got our last lesson with a member present. Truly directed by the Spirit of the Lord.

Thats my past week. Lots of ups and downs but more than rewarding!! Hopefully next week my email will be coming from Brazil! I love you all. You keep me going! Thanks for everything!

 

Until Next Week,

~Elder Lakey Love Shack (My companion calls me that now..I guess...)