Monday, December 29, 2014

day 243 It's about 85 degrees here!

So like the title says its flippen hot here and i sweat about every minute so i dont know how i havent lost about 30 LBS just from that but whatever. This week was just so fast and went like a blur so i dont really know what to say. We went to alot of peoples houses and most of our plans fell but we went to some other houses and got some good lessons from this so that was good! So the BIG shakeup with the mission has yet to be revealed to me so i dont know why! But thats about it that i can remember so love you all and have a good week!!

-- 
Love Elder Smith

Questions:

Just so I can have it written down in an email and not have to rely on my memory...Elder N. Pearce? or Pierce? Your companion is from? He's been out how many months? And he's been there for 6 transfers?  How old is he?
Its Elder N. Pearce from Tennesse out a year and 4 been here for 3 transfers 19

Are you glad to be transferred? or sad?
its whatever

Since it was an emergency transfer...did you get to say goodbye to everyone you wanted?
sortof but not really 

Do you like your new companion? (not going on the blog)
yes

Do you like having an American companion? Isn't this your first? besides the mtc ones...
Yep its nice

Does that member that let you skype have a family?
Yup three kids

Favorite area so far?
Nova Veneza

Did you eat anything special on Christmas?
Nope not really 

When you say obrigado...do you sometimes shorten it just to obri?  When that member handed you the chocolate milk, I thought I heard only obri...but perhaps you said that whole thing but the last part of the word fell off and I couldn't hear it.
Say the whole thing

If you could describe the Brazilian people in one word or a couple words...what would that be?
Strange

 Atop the highest point in Botucatu
Singing in the park!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

day 237 odd transfer

nothing happened this week but i got emergency transferred and now im in Botucatu with Elder N. Pearce and this area is HUGE and has a TON OF HILLS and im fat... welcome to the jungle!!!

-- Love Elder Smith

(I was totally worried for a couple days because of this.  There were a total of 40 missionaries that were ET'd.  There is no word as to why yet)


Monday, December 15, 2014

day 229

Hey Y'all how goes things there in the cold Utah jk i heard it wasnt too cold this past week but its still colder then here. Its flippen hot here its going to get even hotter here in a little bit like in January it'll get up to 45 degrees celcius so the winter months that you have will be the hottest months here so be lucky that you have the cold!! I hate sweating like a beast everyday. Its the worst!! 

But Jens HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR YOU my brother!!! 

I want to go to Gmas house with y'all. 

Thats cool i miss our Christmas tradition of tipping the waitress alot of mula!!! 

I just sent the package today it'll prolly get to you in 6 weeks or so. 

Yea the fact that im here right now and not in the states is increível!! Im thankfull for the BOM cuz i finished it for the first time yesterday and then i went to my room and prayed and within about 5 min i got a response of its truthfulness!! Its amazing the things that the BOM can do for us in our times of need! If you need help look to the Scriptures and you will always have an answere!! Thats the cool thing about this church, there are always answeres tied to everything you have to ask!! I love this gospel and all the plans that Heavenly Father has for us!! 

Love you guys!!

#The Book Is Blue 
  The Church is True
  And Jesus Is a Mormon

-- 
With Love Elder Smith


Questions:
do they have three kings day (like the shoe thing?...like hispanics do? 
Nopes 

Who has been your favorite companion so far?
My first one out in the mission field

Do you have plans for us for Christmas? skyping? or just phone? 
Yup so ill be skyping on the 25th at  my moms house and then to another members house to eat some good 
food

I guess this is the last week before C hristmas to get the package I sent to you.  Sorry it'll probably be late.
I'm okay with a late package!!  

Monday, December 8, 2014

day 222

so my computor crashed and im really mad cuz i had a good LONG message written for you and then the computor crashed!!! UGGGHHHH im so mad!! ohh well. So this week was pretty good we did a splits with the Assistants and that was good it got me out of my slump so im getting back in tune with the teaching and spirit to be able to teach with it!! But two weeks ago was transfere week and i forgot to tell you guys but i stayed and am with the same comp. But i dont know what else to write...im sorry im pretty lame i need to write better!! But that was this week so peace out and i love you all so much!! cant wait to see y'all at christmas time!!!

Love Elder Smith

Monday, December 1, 2014

day 215 7 months!

So this week for me was pretty rushed. I didnt really do much it was really difficult cuz we had to go to three other cities to do some baptismal interviews and interviews with the mission president and then more baptismal interviews so it was pretty rushed with that and then on the weekend we did some cool things and sunday we did a cool activity that taught us more then the members who came. It was pretty cool. This week will be better though cuz we are trying to focus on a couple families that we are teaching and so we are doing our best to get them ready for baptism in some time in December. But thats about it for this week!

(Next week, I'll find out all the details of his vague letter...what with his cool things and cool activity.)

Love Elder Smith

questions:
Got any questions about anyone?
Nope not at the moment

what did you do on Thanksgiving?
Nothing cuz i forgot about it...

How many miles do you walk/or ride the bus everyday on average?
I think walking about 7 Miles per day and the bus not alot cuz im always broked!!

What did you mission president ask you about this last time?  How often do you get to see him?
Just the normal things you happy doing the right things and stuff like that. Almost every transfer

How far away is the mission home from where you are?
About 1 hour

Today is your click day!!! 7 months!  doing anything?  (I originally typed 6 months...and then actually counted on my fingers...it was 7...where did a whole month go!)  I can't believe it!
I Know i didnt ever realize that i hit 7 months It really Flu

How many people in an average ward?
About 100, 150 is a big ward

Monday, November 24, 2014

day 208

So i dont know if i already told you but my mission is doing a thing called White Christmas where each set of missionaries will baptize one family a man, woman and kids. So President Canuto has challenged us to get at least ONE family for the date of December 20th but now Pres. Canuto moved the date for the 27th so idk if we have to find another fam or what i just emailed him and asked him. But back to the family, It was a contact that Elder Jimenez and Elder Cortez did when they first got here and they just wanted a burger, so they passed about six little food carts on the side of the road, and they went to this one called Pedróka. Then they asked for their food and the food guy made it and then after when they were eating the food guy asked them who they were and what their job was and they talked about the church the normal stuff that we do when we make a first contact with and he said come to my house this coming Monday and we'll make dinner and we'll talk a little more. 

So that Monday they went to his house and they just talked they didnt teach a lesson or anything just friends, then when i got here he invited us over again for dinner and we went and we ate and he came out with a FLIPPEN BOOK OF MORMON me and Elder Jiménez looked at each other with a sign of Baptism in our eyes!! IT was flippen cool!! Then we talked a little about the BOM and then we had to go cuz of the time it was almost 9:30 and we went back home and we talked and said we gotta baptize this dude!! 

So these past couple weeks he's been progressing without us even teaching him. He said that he read the story of Ammon and he said he prayed and asked God if this is true?So this last week we went to his house for a REAL lesson he told us that he already knew that the Church is TRUE and the B.O.M. is TRUE so after the lesson we invited him to be baptized on the20th of December AND HE ACCEPTED and now we just gotta marry this guy with his wife!!! So hopefully that can happen in the next week or two. 

But thats about all from me "The Restorationer" 
Elder Smith



questions:
do they have a children's program there? where they sing/do parts the whole time (we're having ours today)?
Nopes the wards here are just a liiiiittle too small to do that!

in the last picture that you sent with your companion and a huge big group of people sitting on benches...what you doing?  is it church? 
Its an activity that we do every Thursday that we do a big cool lesson and stuff and this was a lesson on the Three Kingdoms so we all were in white and in a room and the people had to choose which rooms they wanted to go into. We had good rooms and bad rooms and a point system where they would go to the Kingdoms. It was pretty cool!!

what you going to do today for pday?
Teach People!! We slept in till about 8 and we cleaned the house and stuff and then went and ait Pizza Cones pretty good!!

Will you be eating/celebrating anything/anyone for Thanksgiving?
Nopes the people here dont do that...

Best thing about your companion? 
He's with me and we just mesh together

Do you live with 3 other elders?
Yup one from St. George Elder David, and one from porta alegre Elder Cortez.

Are you friends with any sisters?
Well I am pretty famous in the mission...The only Elder SMITH

Monday, November 17, 2014

day 201

So this week wasn't a whole lot of activity but it was good we didnt do all that much but we did alot of classes. 
Since last week we started every day of the week having a class so on tuesday we have a music class and then on wednesday we have an English class then on Thursday we have Integration night, then on Friday we have a spanish class, then on Saturday we have English again and then right after we have drama class which is pretty gay nobody goes and we have to wait till someone shows up which like 5 people show up and they want to do a peice but nobody is consistant in coming so idk if we'll do it... But other then that this week has been pretty chill...


Love Elder Smith


questions:
This week the RS is planning an activity for the missionaries in our ward.  Is there anything you'd like specifically from them?  Would you like people to write testimonies in books of mormon? the little kinds?​
Idk whatever i guess...

Can you use Portuguese boms?  the ones I sent?
If you can get little ones in Portuguese that would be flippen awesome 

Do they celebrate thanksgiving there? or have some sort of thanksgiving holiday?
Nopes...

​You look so good in all your pictures and very nice harmonizing with the singing!  Is one of those your companion?  they all speak english?
The ones in the video all speak English cuz we're both Americans and a chileno who learned English 

what is the temperature there right now?
Flippen hot!!!!!!!!

would you EVER need a jacket/coat?
Nopes doubt it!

In one of the pictures you're crouching down on a street...is that water flooding? fire? what?​
It was raining for currumba like MAD but its good cuz were low on water.

You made the cake that I sent you?  Is that your little oven?  Does it work just as good as ours?  You put 20 candles on?  fun times! 
hahaa good joke mom nothing here will work as good as the one we have at home...





Monday, November 10, 2014

day 194 the big two OHHH

So as ya'll know i did 20 years this Friday and i'm really feeling it on the mish... getting up and feeling like your back is going to snap cuz its so sore...Going to bed with your whole foot in a blister and telling your younger comps to calm down its not fun!!! I dont want to get old its not going to be fun. 
 So this week we did alot but most of our appointments fell but we did better then we planed to do so that was the good part!! We found out that one of our investigators is REALLY reading the BOM we went to his house and we asked him if he read and he told us about the story of ammon and he is really liking it but he hasn't come to Flippen church yet so thats going to be our next focus with him and the next one is the family that i told you about last week they are going to read and pray and if they feel like they got an answere they are going to be baptised. I dont know the date we're going to set for them but we'll pray and find out that "little" detail!! We had stake confrence too and Pres. Canuto came and spoke and it was just a complete BURN session with a little of aloe vera on the side to cool it down!!! He talked alot about that the missionaries are here for them and that they should be here for us too!! So that was pretty good! 

Thats fun that you went to Park city. I miss all the people in the soccer world that we live in... Dad tell the office peps that i say Hi!!! Mom if you see Rick (the bus driver) tell him I say Hi also.

Thats all Love Elder Smith

questions:
why were you called up to the pulpit? Elder Joseph?  And why was that funny?  cause she couldn't remember your name or it was close to joseph smith and you're elder smith?  
Sister canuto called a bunch of missionaries up to read a schripture and give an answere to the question she had for us. And alot of people in the Mish call me Elder Joseph just cuz of smith so thats just a funny joke in the mission cuz im the only Smith here

do people say your name like the latin people do ...like elder es-smith
Yup and the say it Esmitch

I'm so curious what you thought of all the stuff in your box?
I liked all of the things especially the little BOMs those things are sick!!!

What did you do for your birthday? Did anyone sing for you?
Not much in the morning my roommates woke me up and sang for me then i made a cake at night and we ait it for breakfast the next morning with the FROSTING YUMMMMM!!

Any questions for me?
Not that i can think of a the moment

I asked you what you were going to do for pday last week and you mentioned that you wanted to play soccer and your companion wanted to get a cane sugar drink...can't you do both? or would you just have to choose one activity?  what did you end up doing?
We ended up doing both so that was fun we went to the little street stand and baught some suger cane drink and then we went the the church and played a little 

What's different about this city than the last?
Its a whole flippen city!!! My oher was just a little neighborhood in the city

What're you going to do today?
Going to hang out till 5 then go to our Ward Mission leaders house and eat the brazillian version of Navahoo tacos

Are you happy?
YESSSS!!!!!!

Anything you wished for in the box that didn't come?
Nopes im happy 

What were you glad that came?  take any pictures?
The whole box!!!! i took one of my cake!!



Monday, November 3, 2014

day 187

Hey Fam, This week was great i have a lot of stories to tell but little time i'll save some stories for next week.
The reason i have Elder Joseph is cuz this week we had zone confrence and Sister Canuto called me up to the pulpit using the name Elder Joseph it was really funny!!! 

This week we did some power training from Pres. Canuto where we bless the house and ask each of the members of the family if Jesus Christ was in front of your face what would you ask him?? And most of them say peace and happines and stuff like that and we did the prayer with the power of the preisthood and stuff and the ladie ended up crying and her husband too they could be a great baptism for this ward if we could get them thrown in the water in the next two weeks!! 

But thats about it from Elder Joseph ;) 
Peace


questions:

last letter you mentioned that being sick on the mish is the worst...when I've asked about you being sick, you said that you hadn't gotten sick yet...have you been?  I'm sorry...it is the worst!
not been sick yet

when have you felt the spirit this week?
The story above

how do you get around town?
Busses or my feets

who cuts your hair now?
My neighboor is a barber and he cuts for free too (non Member)

does Christian write you? or Jens?
Nopes their lame

Does anyone know it's your birthday this week? 
I DOOOOOOOO and my comps and the mish sends a letter to the whole mish with the birthdays of the week so i dont know...

Planning on doing anything for it?
WORK WORK WORK WORK SLEEP(HA) 

Did your package come? do you have to go get it from the mission home or do they forward it to your place?
Yups itll get to me on tuesday 

What are you planning on doing today for pday?
IDK I wanna go kick the ball but my comp wants to get suger cane drinks so IDK

Monday, October 27, 2014

day 180

Good morning to all and to all a good morning!! This week went by a little slower then i wanted it to but its all good!! Im sorry that you didnt have such a good week either that sucks being sick and its worst on the mish! 



questions:
do they have halloween? or what is similar there for them?
nope

are you pretty good about managing your time?  I'm not always good at this.
yup im good 

has anyone written you beside us?
not this week but yes

what do you miss most about merica?  :)
everything and my truck

were the gomez' pretty good cooks? 
yea i like them 

Monday, October 20, 2014

day 173

I'm having fun here in Araras theres alot of cool things to do here and lots of awesome opportunities for teaching. We arent really doing much now only cuz we are just now getting ajusted and stuff like that! but we didnt really do much this week.
Thats about it...

Peace Elder Smith

questions:
What is the new city like?  more farmy? or more citylike?
i live in the middle of the city and its lots of cities and junk

What is the favoriteist city to be called to?  
São Juão de Boa Vista cuz its the nicest area to go play in 

Is there a richer area? a poorer area?
Here there is and thats the other Elders' area so i get the poor areas...

Do you ever go sightseeing on your pdays?  See anything really special in brazil?
We might go today on the way to the church to kick around

where is your new companion from?
Chillie

Name?
Elder Jiménez

How long out?
7 months

Are there any cars on your mission? except perhaps in the mission home?
nopes

Monday, October 13, 2014

day 166 Transfers

I'm leaving Nova Venaza and going to Araras Rio Claro!! So this is a bitter-sweet moment... 
i dont want to leave my people here in Nova Veneza!! :( Im really going to miss this place!! The people here i really love them and im really going to miss it here!! But the journey continues in Rio Claro. The sweet part is im leaving Campello and Im going to be with a hispanic from Chilie. Idk how well that's going to help my Portuguese but we'll see how it goes... 

Its Blazing hot here and im dying of heat is it too much to ask for a little snow!?!?! 

This week went pretty well we went to Matão on wednesday and did a baptism interview and then went home thursday 

we did a service project with helping a member build his roof cuz its one of the last things that he needs to do to finish his house so we did that for almost the whole day then on friday we did the same thing with the service project 

then saturday we went to Matão again for the baptism! It was really cool to be a wittness watching, the Elder had to do it 3 times cuz her hand kept staying out. 

Then sunday was good we had lunch with the Gomez's. It was flippen good then we had a training meeting about an activity that'll happen in november so i just chilled and did nothing cuz i wont be here... 

then today imma pack my bags and get outa here early tomorrow morning and go to Piracicaba to meet my new comp!
Thats about it y'all peace love and the Lord
Elder Smith

Best thing you atethe best thing i've eaten this week would have to be i dont remeber pie...
Worst thing you ate this week
 the worst thing i've eaten this week would have to be i dont remember cake...
have you been sick at all?
nope but both of my comps have been sick so i dont know why i havent...

Monday, October 6, 2014

day 159 Conference Week!

Howdy Y'all 
so this week went by super fast i dont even remember what really happened but ill try my best to remember some things!
The talk about "Which way do you face" was one of my Favs too! Lynn G. Robbins
This week we got a "Familia de OURO" a Golden Family!! Their names are pretty cool Kilnaiany, Kilciany, Kiuany Francisco and the mom i dont remember her name...

But tomorrow we have a lesson marked with them and we are going to mark a date for their Baptism!!!! But the sad part is, is that they havent been to church yet and they have to go at least once to be Baptised and this coming week is transfere week and im pretty sure im going to be leaving and going somewhere else so i wont be able to see them get baptised soo sad ;( 

I got to watch Confrence in English and Portugese too but other then that not much else happened!!
Love Elder Smith

questions:
Did you get to watch conference live?  Did you get to hear the portuguese guy talk?  Don't you think that's awesome that they're talking in their own languages?  I thought it was pretty cool...
Yea i did and it was in English for me and the other American Elders and whoever else wanted to watch in English!

Picture questions:
why Elder Marquies? what's special?
Cuz he and i are just buds dont know why i sent that
Why Elder Pearce?  what's special?
He was the first American i met here in the mish
Why Elder Meira?  what's special?
He was a good friend when he was here and he got transfered
I see you have a picture of Elder Bandiera (he's your bestie right?) but where are you and what are you drinking? (pink drink)
We were doing splits and at my house and drinking a milk shake we made from frozen milk and Toddy whick is a chocolate powder mix

And the fence picture?  what's special?  or why you take dat picture?
cuz we were going to lunch and we got lost and we had to go throught the fence
There is a picture of a smaller group of missionaries (most of them are sisters!) where are you?
This was at the Mission Tour with Elder Antunes of the 70's
And I LOVE your sweet smile, you're sooo guapo!  I love the picture of all the missionaries...is that your whole zone?
No thats Mission Tour and its three different zones same with the question above
What's happening with the Sumare sign?  Just to show where you are?
No thats the border between my Mission and Campinas Mission
And the group of fuzzy (picture is quite blurry) elders, where are you, why are you there? etc.
We were at the house of Matão doing splits
Oh and you said that you sent a video or a couple videos..don't see them yet.
I'll try and send them tonigh with Fran
Are most things that you buy in the store in English?
Nopers most thing are in portugese Even the OREOS

Monday, September 29, 2014

day 152

Hey Y'all,
Thats pretty crazy about the Earth Quake!!  (Brian and I went to Alaska for a week and had a little shake up while in the hotel 6.2er) When i get back i want to be a tour bus driver for the tour of alaska for the reason of the scenery and the money i heard they make BANK.
So this week was pretty good,
Monday we didnt really do anything,

Tuesday we had another set of missionaries come to our area so we had to go to their house and help them set up all their stuff cuz its a brand new house and all brand new stuff so we helped them with that.

Wednesday we had District meeting and we went to that, then on the way to the buses a ladies car had broken in the middle of the road and we stopped and helped her with that and luckily Elder Rosa is a mechanic so he knew what to do we were there for about an hour fixing this car in the middle of the road and i didnt know anything about what had happened so i just directed traffic. Boy are these drivers thick headed they dont pay attention to signs telling them the roads closed, so after about an hour of working in the hot 90 degree weather, the ice cream shop that we were close to offered us to wash our hands and then when we were all done they offered us some ice cream FREE!!! You dont know how greatfull i was for that!!! It was so flippen hot!!

Thursday we went to the new Elders' area and make the split of our area and theirs so that was that.


Friday Work Work Work


Saturday "       "       " 


Sunday    "      "       "

Today prolly nothin
I sent two pics and one video of my district and the other is some soulution for my contacts thats really good it makes my lens' super soft after almost like new!! The video is Irmão Nicasio (Boi) He is super cool and we spend almost three hours there just listening to him talk and answering questions about stuff and hes just super cool
Thats pretty much it so tchau for now until next week!!
Elder Smith (aka) Joseph

questions:
In Hawaii, when we went, they had something called malasadas (little doughy, donuty things, they can have cream inside them too).  They said they were portuguese, but I wondered if they possibly had them there...I know it's not portugal but perhaps??  I absolutely loved them...I would go back JUST for those.  Pretty sure you would love them too.
I just asked my comp and he has no idea what it is...?

What was great about this week?
The free Ice Cream

Favorite part in the book of mormon?
The part of Alma of all the wars

Favorite food?
The lasagna here they put in some other stuff then we do!!

Name two things you're grateful for?  I'm grateful for you!
E-mails from amazing people and for Patience.









Monday, September 22, 2014

day 145 I ei familia E pessoas!!!

So this week was a little better. We did splits with the Elders from Matão so that was fun the first one was with Elder Bandeira we went to Boi's house and chilled there for a while then after that we did made some milk-shakes from frozen milk, the milk here is super terrible but put a little chocolate in it and your good We then did  a split with Elder Chipana. He is a bit more serious then i am so we didnt really do anything fun just walked around and visited members and stuff cuz i dont like other people teaching my peoples.
Dad drove a bus?? I want to hear about this!!!
WOW thats soo sad about Rebecca I hope that she can still do the mission.
Man why do you have to go to Alaska w/out me?!?
Well Peace out
Elder Smith 

questions

Is the weather changing at all?
The weather is getting alot hotter!!!

Best meal you had this week? with who?
Was yesterday with the Bishop, He

How did the exchanges go with your bestie in the zone?
It was the break i needed its above too

Are things better with your companion? same? worse?
more or less better

Best moment this week?
Tuesday we did exchanges with Elder Bandeira

Have you bought anything special?
I have to send yall a package with some cool soda in it. 

Anything special coming up?
General Confrence is whats coming up!!! other then that not much.