Here he comes!

Tyler is arriving home on Friday.  He'll have his homecoming talk on April 17.  Our church is at 9 a.m.  On April 16 we'll have a little gathering to celebrate his return, probably at the park across from our house later in the evening.  

4 days left!

Well this is it!!! The last one... I dont know what to think to be honest this week has been a little weird cuz like we have been working alot and it just doesnt feel like im going home yet... But now has started the anxiety i only sleped like 4 hours last night and i just dont know what to do now... I have all my bags packed and ready to go to Piracicaba and do what i need to do there and GO HOME!!!! I dont know how i shoud be feeling... Its kinda weird... The Branch President asked me to give my Last and final testemony on the mission yesterday it was strainge!! Im going up to Piracicaba on Wednesday morning to eat lunch with Pres. and have the last interview of the mission... Then i head off on Thursdayafternoon to the Airport THEN IM HOMEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! hehehe I cant wait to see all you peeps and the rest of the Fam then get to work as Scofeild Scout Camp Aquatics Director WOooHoooo (maybe if all goes well on friday the 9th) If all goes well which i hope it will... But thats about it ohh and today imma go to Sumare to see some of my first area peeps and see how they are and hug them all!!! So ill see you guys in four days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- 

Love Elder Smith

​questions:

What are you going to do this week?!!

Today im going to Sumare to see some old friends!!

What are some of your thoughts as your heading out?  Bittersweet I bet.

IDK what to think its weird!!!!

What's the schedule for heading back to the mission home?

Wednesday i will go to Piracicaba in the morning and eat lunch with Pres. and then go visit peeps from Piracicba!!

Have Monica and Virgilio left already?

Yes i think they might even be in Utah at this time but idk!! Send her a FB message and ask her Voces estao aqui em Utah ainda 

11 days left

So this week FLU like it was SUPER fast i didnt even see it go by!!!! Holy moly only 10 days till i get o hug you guys!! I cant wait for the moment that we see each other in the Airport!!! its going to be CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like i dont even know what imma do when i see you guys!!! Some one here asked me who i was going to hug first and i said whoevers in my front!!!! haha well aside from that the week was super good!!! We dont really have very many people pregressing but we are going on a rescue mission basicly to see if the members that are on out list really live at that address or if they moved and stuff like that!! We have met lots of cool people that have fallen awasy from the church for silly reasons but others have reasons that dont really even make sence like they had a dance in the cultral hall and then next morning they had to clean up stuff and didnt like the disoganization of it all...stupid things like that...haha is funny...and then there are others that have reasons that are sort of logical like one ladie didnt really understand the purpose of the Gorments and the Why she had to use them... so we are going back there this week and going to try and explain it to her to see if she will come back to our church but we'll see...other then that not much to do... fun times...

-- 

Love Elder Smith

Questions
How are you a better person from serving a mission?

Idk i think i have a better understanding of the world and how not to be of it and to be a better member missionary!!

Is today going to be the last time you write? Or do I get 1 more week?

One more email!!!!

Who are you going to miss the most from there?

Lots of peeps not just some but TONS

When is your mission president's time up? Aren't you glad you only had 1?

He goes home in July and yes i dont know if i would have liked that...

How is that family doing? Any other prospects?

Like i said we are focusing on the rescue mission... not really progressing but we'll see

Favorite food from your whole mission?

Feijoada (black beans with a whole bunch of meat and stuff) Super good!!!

What food do you miss that I make?

COSTA VIDA!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to hug you baby.

#METOO

18 days left!

Man this thing about going home is super weird it hasn't really hit me yet that im actually going home like its almost like a joke... I dont know what imma do after this life on the mission... I feel soo unprepaired to come in to the real world and do real people stuff!!! Its kinda freaking me out but at the same time im ready for it!!! 

But this week was fun it was my comps Birthday and we had some fun i gave him a hotdog cake cuz he didnt tell anyone it was his b-day... so i made him a hotdog with the ranch sauce that you sent me for christmas. 

This week went by super super fast we did lots of stuff we hung out with a family alot this week and also did lots of other stuff this family is super cool their names are Christiane and Eider and they have two little girls Eveline and Alice we went to their house almost every day this week to talk with them and to give them the Recent convert lesson that we have to give to them. We marked on saturday an FHE with them the cathlic fam and another girl that we found the day before and when we got there they hadnt even gotten home yet so we waited a little bit and then they got there and we saw them and 2 other cars behind them and we thought wow this is gunna be a BIG FHE but then everyone started coming out and we saw people with beer coming to the house and we looked at each other like ohh fech well this sucks so we didnt really have an FHE we had a PHE (party home evening) but it was fun the members didnt drink only eider family from his side drank so that was okay not even our investegators drank but then we went home and now its monday!! Today we helped a single mom clean and empty her little 4 foot pool filled with rain water so it was Dross, then we ait lunch and now we are here... that was the summary of our week...

Cant wait to see you guys and be home with ya'll. 

Christian get my Stang ready for me (just start her and see if she still starts!!) plz

Jens prep yourself for ultimate workout when i get home!!!!!

questions:

How is your sweet catholic family progressing?

Yea so they are still like hooked to the catholic church its sad to see them not know/understand then gospel of Jesus Christ.

Who has been your favorite companion so far?

Elder N. Pearce by far the best 6 weeks ever

25 days left

So this week we did lots of stuff we went to a new neighborhood to knock doors and we didnt find one person who was intrested so that was bad... but we have a family that we are teaching that are super catholic but we showed them the restoration video and the wife cried and we are going to go back there this week!! We have lots of cool members in this area so its going to be a good last transfere!!! I like Elder Diaz hes a funny dude!!!

Wll thats it for this week!! Love ya'll lots 

#23daystillimtherehuggingyouguys #needtostartgettinggoodathashtags... 

-- 

Love Elder Smith

How's the work going? Got just one more investigator? Push hard!

going just dandy lots of DOORS

Like your companion? Can you send me a picture of you two?

yes i do hes super cool and chill

When is Monica coming? And how long is their stay?

I think that they are going to be there the 28th or 29th until the 6th

How are you getting along with your companion?

super well hes super funny!! Super cool 

32 days left

thursday 31st 9:10 pm to atlanta 5:50 am leave 8:05 SLC 10:25 friday morning

HERRRROOO So i just called the secretary of mission and asked him the final itinerary for my return! So i will leave here SP at 9:10 pm and arive in Georgia at 5:50 am then leave for SLC and arrive at 10:25 am.

Any ways This week was pretty good we are opening an area and so we dont have ppl to teach so its just knocking doors!! I now do not like the sound of clapping hands cuz thats what we do to knock doors but i know that im just helping to build up the foundation here in Hortolandia. Other than that its been cool with Elder Diaz. He is acctually American and his parents are from Columbia so hes American, Colombian. 

Super cool cant wait to see you guys!!!

-- 

Love Elder Smith

Questions
How long has your new companion been out?

1 Year and 7 months 

How's it been with him?

Super cool he is super funny so we get along just great!!!

What is different about your new area?

Its a little bit more poor people so its easier to get in houses 

What people are you teaching?

One dude named Neto (grandson) funny But hes a cool dude that is looking to be Baptised so we'll see what his fiancé says about getting married sooner than planed !!

Are you collecting recipes?

Sort of

37 days left

Yea so this week i received my last confirmation on when im coming home, March 30th i will be flying out from SP, to Atlanta to, SLC and ill be in SLC around 10:40ish in the morning. Im super excited to come back to my family, but im super sad to leave my Brasilian family. I know i will come back and see them, but its just one thing that i know that has it to happen!! But today is transferes and guess what!!!!!! IM going to die in a completely strange area which i did NOT want to do!!!!! But gotta do what ya gotta do... But im going to Hortolandia the "land of the Garden" Im going to be comps with Elder Dias "Days" Hes a hispanic born in USA and moved to wherever hes from... 

imma die happy working in a new are and hopefully Baptising!!! So this week we moved from our old freaking house and we moved to another New (old) house New for us but old for the house like the age!!!! But other than that that was our week!!
-- 

Love Elder Smith

questions:

Do they in Brazil eat a ton of rice and beans?  Or is that just spanish cultures?  Is there something that they eat with every meal?

Yea we have Rice and Beans FOR EVERY MEAL!!!

Have you eaten anything like brownies there?

Yes there is a bakery that is for rich ppl and they have Brownies there

Tell me your service opportunity...what service opportunities you think you could be doing if you haven't been doing any?  Remember that's your specialty!!!

does it count for myself?? and other missionaries???

So are you moving to be safer and away from your neighbor?

As well but its just a flippen old house

Tell me about your fhe lessons you taught to the recent converts?

So this family is super like "falling apart and so we got together to do a familys are together forever messege so that was cool to help them!!!

Are you ok with Julia singing a solo for your homecoming day?

YES that would be amazing

What are you most looking forward to coming home?

Driving!!! and having money!!

You know the picture on the top of your blog?  Have you even seen that anywhere in  your mission?

Negative never seen it dont know where its from...

Is there anything you would tell Courtney Child about her missionary in Teresina?  Like advice wise?  Or what to send him?

Its super HOT and Humide there!! My first comp is from around there. Its a good place. Super receptive so she can be sure that hes going to be treated super well!!! Dont worry about him being hungry.

45 days left

Hey guys so im not trunky at ALL im just getting all these phone calls from the office asking me stuff about my flights and my airpoirt that i want to go to and stuff like that!!! I tried to get the Provo airport but Provo doesnt have flights from Georgia to get but SLC is cool beans!! So ill be going from São Paulo to Atlanta to SLC prolly at like 10ish or so. Any ways our week was pretty fun we did lots of door contacts and we didnt really get much out of it but whatevs. This week we are going to move into our new house!!!

So this week we had a special episode of cops in front of our very own house, our neighbor George, he is kinda a druggy and one night we heard him and his wife (GF) (housemate) fighting and we heard lots of YELLING AND breaking of things so that was kinda scary but like at 9:30 at night the cops pulled up right in front of our house for another reason like it wasnt even for our neighbors but then at like 10:00 our neighbor comes out and starts yelling at the cops ant then they start yelling at hime and twlling him to go back inside and then George starts yelling just KILL me just kill me and itll all be over. That was kinda scary so we just sat back at the far room and just listened to it the rest of the night!! Kinda scary but its a good thing we are moving!!!

But thats about it for this week!!
-- 

Love Elder Smith

questions:

Does Brazil celebrate Valentine's day? or have a similar holiday?

June 12th is when they have their day.

What are you going to do today?

we have an FHE with a recent convert!! Fun

49 days left

Hey guys how you doing is your boyfriend gettin you mike and ikes? Do you like Mike and Ikes??? HAHAHAHA funny!! Well this week went soooo fast we did lots of stuff like work and work and more work!!! I got my death call on monday saying that i would be going home on the 30th of march and that i would be home on the 31st at like 9 am or somthing like that idk times yet but soon soon we will know!! We were working with a family here but we went there yesterday and i asked what they wanted from us and they said just to learn more about us!! I asked if that would change anything in their lives or if it was just studies with us!! And they said just to get to know we have no intentions of moving relegion!! So that sucks!!!

That was our week!!!

-- 

Love Elder Smith

questions:

are you allowed to sleep on pday? 

Yes we can do whatever!!

Do you have work at all on pday?

as of 6pm we have to on the street

when is the next holiday there?

we just had carnaval so thats why we're emailing today!! 

what is the season like now?  summer?

HOT HOT HOT HOT super summer. Gunna be one of the hottest of recorded history!!! 

what do you think is the thing you miss most?

The food and the people and speaking Portuguese  

Got a date yet?  Get your death call?

Got it on monday and its March 30th

59 days left (more more accurate date)

For lack of other title good sleep is cuz we have started sleeping in the living room instead of in our room cuz its more airish and nicer!!! This week went by super fast we did lots of stuff and had lots of fun!!! We did lots of things with little results but thats how it is here we are working really hard to get someone to teach but they are all sooooo not interested but we are doing what we need and waiting to find that ONE  to put in the  so we are just going to keep searching !!!!

 I always like listening to Bro Eckstein speak hes just so good!!! 

Im super excited to get home and see you guys but i still gots some work to do here so dont worry bout me imma kick this missions butt before i go home!!!! 

-- 

Love Elder Smith

Questions:

What're you going to do today?  Laundry?  Hair cuts?

Yes YEs and sleep!!!!!!!!

Do you get to see Monica or Virgillio?

almost like weekly about i talked to Monica about when i was going home so that we can see each other there!!!!

Favorite thing about your companion?

He's a dork so it makes it fun

Favorite dessert that you've had there?  I hope you're keeping/getting recipes!!?

imma learn a couple recipes for desserts and stuff!!!

71 days left

HEY guys so this week went by SUPER fast it was super cool to see how fast things are going!!! I am getting super trucky because my house mates are going home soon too but im still kicking these door's butts!!!! We are doing lots of hard work!!! We have fun doing it too cuz we have to include some words that we have to say in the contact so it makes it more fun to do them!!! FUUUNNNN for Christian and Jules that'll be cool for the fam Jens your losing Bro get on that marrage thingy... But im looking forward to these last 66 days!!! Its going to be SUPER fun!!!

-- 

Love Elder Smith

Questions

If there was 1 value that you learned growing up in our family...what was it? I need an answer today. It's for my class.

To not be a cry baby to resolve my problems with the people that i have a problem with first us then go to higher authority!! (mom dad)

How is the flooding?

already gone down a ton!!!!

Are we going to get an itinerary of your flight home yet? It seems like with the other boys we got it already. I can't really remember.

here in a month or so ill get my Death call and then ill let you know!!!

How did your testimony mtg. Go?  I bet it was sad...

i basically cried and so did almost everyone else that was going home!!

How many more weeks before your companion goes home?

29 days 3 weeks today!!!!

What was your service opportunity this week?

We did nothing...

Funny story? Must state one now. You've had a week.

haha well thats gunna be hard today we were playing if you love your neighbor and it was a super fun game we played with the zone!! Kinda lame but its what i can remember...sorry

79 days left

Yup so this week was pretty much hard...my comp has a way of working and mine is another way and i DONT like the way he works at ALL so i guess we will have to co-operate with the way we work so thats okay!! This week was SUPER rainy LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN almost everyday we walked in wet shoes so today i dicided to use my black toe shoes today!! About a month ago i sent in my application for Scofeild and i told them that i wont be home till april and they emailed me and asked if i could do an interview on the 20th of Febuary and i told him that i was on the mission so lets see how that goes!!! But other then that i am giving my last testimony on Thursday on the multi-zone so thats kinda nerve wrecking!! Thats kinda it for this week!

Look up Rio De Piracicaba and look what happened to our city 

--

Love Elder Smith

Questions
You've been with your new companion for a week now...how's he been? Do you miss your old one? Where'd he go?

Not like i would like but we'll have to work things out... better cuz he is normal kinda He went to São pedro

Since you're both going home soon do you get any work done? Don't let your focus leave you.

Yea we are working super hard!!!

Service opportunity this week?

None we might move houses cuz ours is super old

Did the piracicaba river flood?

OHHH YEA 

Did you find someone new to teach?

Nope

Tell me a funny story. It's ok if you have to think about it...I'll wait. (I meant right then and there...not next week!)

Do you have a good supportive ward? Do you do fun activities with them? Do you just have 1 ward you're in charge of? Or several?

My ward is just one and kinda helpfull if we have ppl at church they help alot but like the work is all us and its just 1 ward

When people die there...how do they do funerals? Have you experienced that? (I asked because in Christian's mission they sort of have a funeral last about a week)

IDK ive never been to a funeral but i would think they are the same as the states!!!

86 days left

Hey so today is Transferes, we got them early today and Elder Gordillo is leaving!!!! I'm staying!!!! I like it here...the area isn't too good but the ppl here are pretty cool!!! My new comp is Elder Villasboas from mato grosso Brasil!! I'm going to kill him this this transfere (kill=end mission) then i die so i've only gots two more transferes i think i'll die here but lets see!! Im happy about this!!

-- 

Love Elder Smith

How is your potential investigator?

Well we dont really have him anymore cuz he works alot!! 

What are you going to do today?

Nothing sleep

When are transfers?

today

Think you'll stay there for the rest of the time?

prolly

Get your bank situated?

going tody to see!!

93 days left

hu flungpu 
hahaha thats my username for almost everything!! So this week went by pretty fast which was good cuz NOBODY was at home this whole week!!! Our numbers sucked but it was expected so its all good!! This week we havent had ONE new investigator untill yesterday!! We were knocking doors and i knocked on one HUGE house like it was twice our house and thats HUGE here!!! He came to the door and i did the contact and i asked him if he had 20ish min and he said that we could come in and so we got our first 1st lesson in almost a month.. yea here is hard!! But a side from that our week was good!! 

-- 

Love Elder Smith

What is your service opportunity this week?

didnt really have one everyone was traveling

Do you think this might be your last area?

I dont know Pres could take me out on my last Transfer

How are things with your companion going?  Exercising patience everyday?

rough but well we are working a ton and hes going alright Patience every hour...!!! hehee 

Are you near any bodies of water?  Could you go fishing on a pday if you wanted?

Theres a big River here but we cant fish...

Do you think it rains almost everyday there?

This week rained a TON 

What was your favorite teaching experience this week?

that dude that i told about above!!