3/26/2012

Ryken did not write but here are some parts from our letter:

Oh, transfers are in 2 days. I will have a new companion!!! Did you google where my area is? We also got a new ward mission leader! Super aweome guy, and speaks english! Skin is well. More freckles. Evenm under the arm. no Acne problems. Some good yummy blisters on the feet, but who cares! Not I! Send anything? I dont think so. Letters. Some candy stuff. peanut butter...you know, the essentials!! haha :) IVe found some yummy food. Fresh bread. And also some guava crumble cake stuff. Super good! And really cheap.  The language slowly gets better. I understand a ton, even outside of the gospel! I can read a bunch! Talking is hard. The other day, i just fell on my bed, and talked to my pillow in English for awhile. You have no clue how comforting it was. Just to get my thoughts out...to a pillow! Its hard. Never thought it would be this hard, but its getting better! 2 more months until mothers day! Cant wait! Hopefully by then, I will be able to speak a little bit. Are you getting my pictures or no? How is the president election? how are people doing? Any awesome new movies? Is salem growing? Hows the ward doing? Hope all is well mom. Love you tons! This week Ive really gained a love for the scriptures. They are marked up everywhere! Cant wait until I finish, the next time I read it through..its going to be awesome! I ordered a SWEET scripture case! I will send a picture next week. One of my favorite scriptures right now...Alma 31:38!! Super cool!
Love you. Keep on keeping on! Cant wait until next monday! We are down to like...80ish weeks or something! Youre the best ever! Never forget it. And never forget that I love you!

3/19/2012

Ryken did not write to the blog today, but here is a part of the letter he wrote to us!

I will share one real quick...we have a goal to make 140 contacts every week. It was sunday and I needed 39 more!!! LONG day but i kept talking and talking. As we were walking back, I needed one more but it was late and nobody was out. I couldnt find anyone. I said a prayer to just get one more contact to make the goal. I could see our house but I knew that God would anser. NOBODY was out. I looked on all side streets and behind me and everything. But a biker!! He was coming right to me but I tried talking but he just flew by. I wasnt happy. I turned around to scold him and guess what? Someone was directly behind me. I have NO clue how that happened! But I made the goal. Wow, huh?!?!

3/12/2012

Dear World,
Another week down already. Its almost transfers again. Ive been here longer than I was in Nebraska. WOAH! Time is starting to fly! I need to apologize for not telling you about whats going on here! Lets begin. Curitiba Brasil is sweet! Its a really nice city and quite rich. It is the model city of the world! It supposedly has the best bus system in the world as well (even though ive been in two bus crashes already!) BUT, Im not in Curitiba! Im in a city called Sao Jose Dos Pinhais. Im in the Jardim Ipe ward. My companion is Elder Nascimento. He is a native from a town up in Northeast Brazil. He has a strong accent but all is well. He doesnt know any English except a few slang words. This makes it incredibly difficult to communicate when I have questions, but people say that this is the best way to learn. I am now comfortable talking to anyone about the gospel. Its hard to understand outside of that, but Im working on it. Its slowly starting to come. The mission president was once asked how missionaries can better learn the language in the first couple months. He responded ´Just survive´. Thats what Im doing right now! The area im in is one of the poorest in the mission. Ive seen some things that are tough to watch and talk about. Its sad but incredibly humbling. Some houses are made with random board planks and about the size of my room. And a FAMILY lives in it. Yet, the people are so happy and grateful for what they have. Lets all learn a lesson from them! The kids love tofly kites. EVERYWHERE! The powerlines are littered with kites. Its pretty cool! Ive seen my fair share of breast feeding...uhh..yeah. My area is also one of the biggest in the mission. LOTS of walking. Some houses it takes over an hour of a very fast paced walking. We have met some awesome people and families. It is hard to baptize for the cause of people not being married. I eat lots of beans, rice, and bread. The other day, we were walking to a house and there were 2 cows in the front yard of a house eating the shrubery. uhhhh...I had to look twice. And then again. And then a few more times. I wish I would have gotten a picture! There are soccer fields everywhere! One of these days, Im going to play! The kids play in the ´streets´ as well as cricket. Its pretty awesome! Chocolate pizza is the best thing so far. I think Im going to a Brazillian meat house thing next week!!!!! Am I excited? No. My clothes are getting super dirty. The washing mashine doesnt really work at all so hand washing it is! My apartment is fairly small but plenty large enough. This week, ants decided to take over. Thousands! Grrr. And a fair amount of mold. But hey, its a ton better than other homes Ive been in. My bed is obnoxiously skweaky but I sleep just wonderfully! Everyone here plays extremely loud music and usually, its in English. Its been very hot this week. One of these days, I think it will cool down. No stories to tell this week. Look forward to next week!!! I love you all!

--Elder Lakey

3/5/2012

Hello Northern Hemisphere!

I know I havent written in a long time and I apologize. Things have been extremely demanding on me and have had a few health problems but all is well. Brazil is crazy! In both ways! Best thing thus far..chocolate pizza!! and, Corn flavored Ice Cream. Weird, I know but super good! Its hot. Our washing machine broke. Lots of strange things happen everyday. Like the gigantic beetle in church. HUGE!! There are some sweet thunderstorms! Just lots of strange things. A miracle happened. Ive seen a few. But this one in particular...Maria and Leonice have been going to church for 10ish years. The missionaries have been visiting them for that long as well. But, they cant stop smoking and drinking coffee. My first day here, I invited them to be baptized and they accepted. They continued in their bad habits but one week before, they just stopped. They felt something they never felt before and decided to go cold turkey. They said Im a very big influence in their life and decision. I didnt even know! Their health declined a little bit but were able to be baptized on Saturday!!! They ward is blown away with what happened. I was asked to speak at the baptism. Its strange how I can communicate with these people. Its a whole new world and its slowly starting to not feel like a new world. Awesome, huh? Oh, Scott and Laquesa from Nebraska were married on Valentines day and baptized. Wow. I love them so much! I miss them. I dont have much more to say. Its March already? Strange. Things are...going. Better each new day. I will write next week and let you all know what happened. Thanks for everything. The church is true. It truly is that simple. I love you all!!

Àte Segunda que vem!
Um Abraço,
--Elder Lakey

2/20/2012