17 February 2010

Sounds like Dad knows what he´s doing: ice-cream cake is always the
way to go, and I know Lyn will agree with that  :)  .

I really like the new MyLDSMail. The old service was run directly on
church servers, and each missionary only had 50 MB of space, but now
that it's being run on Google servers, I don't have to worry anymore
about running out of space: After one year, I'm only using 38 of my
alotted 7422 MB.

It also sounds like to Ward BBQ went great. I've never eaten meat
injected with garlic butter, but now I'm curious. Also, I would like
to at least SEE Vinnie alive when I get home, but it doesn't look that
he wants the same thing. I don't understand, did he LIKE the taste of
the snail poison?

I'm also sorry that I didn't get a happy birthday off last week. I'm
not very good about getting these kinds of things out *before* the
special day, just *on* the special day. I promise that I was thinking
about you a lot yesterday. I'm afraid that I don't have much a
birthday present to give you, but  a story will have to do:

The Church puts on campouts in Brazil dring Carnaval (crazy Brazilian
holiday, but tame in Curitiba) to get the youth and young single
adults away from the bad atmosphere. Gustavo, on of the twin sons of
our investigators went on the campout last Friday. He came back
yesterday and only had good things to say. He made a lot of friends,
and Sunday turned out to be a very spiritual day for him. Now he's
sompletely ready to be baptized. Not to mention his "angel" who he
hung out with too much while he was there. According to the members,
she's the daughter of the only shotgun-owner in Curitiba.

Outside of that, not much to report. I'm very happy to be here in Rio
Bonito. Friday will make it one year since I entered the MTC in Provo.
"Tempo voa," as the phrase goes in Protuguese.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

11 February 2010

As you can see, I have a new e-mail address because of the change. Be sure to send e-mails from now on to daniel.floyd@myldsmail.net.

10 February 2010

Letters received since last I wrote:
    1 from the Santa Maria 5th Ward (with photo)

I don’t have much time to write because I used a lot of my time trying to figure out how to update my MyLDSMail to the new system. Apparently, the record number on my temple recommend of wrong, and it won’t let me do anything. If you can let me know soon what my record number is, it will be a great help.

To answer your questions:

I have not taken a “nasty spill” (ie. “fallen down”) since I’ve been in Brazil. I don’t know where this question comes from.

I miss all American cold cereals.

Are you serious? I have not clogged up a toilet.

My English scriptures are doing fine. I’d like to know if I can use my “gringo card” to buy some new Portuguese scriptures the next time I go to the temple.

I was doing fine with bugs until I came to Rio Bonito. If we leave the window open at night, I get eaten alive. I found that out because it was unbearably hot for the last week. Yesterday and today t has been raining.

I don’t have a carbon monoxide monitor, but I don’t think it’s likely we’ll all die in our apartment.

Things are pretty much the same in Rio Bonito. Delaír will not be baptized as planned. She has decided she doesn’t want to give up coffee. That happens sometimes. We have not stopped dropping by to teach her, but it is evident that true conversion has not happened 100%. We’ll continue doing all we can to change that, but ultimately she has her agency too.

Sorry that I don’t have more time. Blame MyLDSMail. Please let me know as soon as possible about the record number. If the number on my recommend is right, it means we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands: It would appear my name isn’t written in the book of life.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

3 February 2010

Letters received since last I wrote:
    1 email from Uncle Jerry
    1 email from Don Moore

The work is continuing in Rio Bonito (that’s something I don’t say every week). It sounds like there is no lack of rain where you are. It hasn’t rained good here for three or four days, and I have learned that it is the rain that helps keep things cool around here. It’s a good thing that we have a fan in our room.

Elder Ribeiro will go to his sister’s wedding tomorrow night, and I will stay in Rio Bonito with a member to continue working. Outside of that, there really isn’t much to report about what is going on here. We didn’t have a baptism last week, but we’re working hard to prepare some of the other investigators we are teaching.

Also, transfers were today. Looks like Elder Ribeiro will be staying with me until he leaves on the 10th of March. I don’t know what will happen in between then and transfers on the 18th.

Without Lyn’s emails, I seem to be lost as to questions to answer. It sounds like the leadership conference that Dad and Amanda went to was pretty cool. I also got a letter off to Erika. Let her dad know.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

27 January 2010

Letters received sinca last I wrote:
    1 from Bishop Cheney
    1 email from Uncle Jerry
    1 email from Sister Hildegard

I like how Lyn writes in Spanish when I am serving in a Portuguese-speaking country. That’s okay, “el gripe” is “o gripe” in Portuguese, so I understood.

Tell Amanda she can have the Nintendo DS. It’s not like I’ll be using it for a while. I’m just curious to know what happened to the one she had. I just about fell out of my chair laughing when I read the story about Elizabeth’s driving experience, but now I’m afraid I won’t have a car when I get back.

Thanks for writing about Erika. I wrote a letter, but never got a response. I’ll write again this week.

Answers:

What temple clothes did I buy? Pants, shoes, a tie, and ceremonial clothing. They looked at me kind of weird when I told them my parents already sent socks for my birthday.

I have stepped in dog poop one time on my mission, about two weeks ago.

I really can’t remember what Jay’s BBQ tastes like, but I think it’s closer to the BBQ where he served.

No, I am not going to be into all things Brazilian when I get home, but I am looking forward to watching a few television programs.

I have yet to see regular Reese’s here, but it may exist in other large cities.

It sounds like Dad had a great time at the temple. Yes, President Araújo keeps us informed about Haiti. The news reports here are about the Brazilians who died.

The work here in Rio Bonito is going great! Jesse received the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday and Dandara got baptized after the block. How we found her makes a great story. I was on a split with Elder Garder from Atlanta, one of our zone leaders, and we showed up for an appointment with a woman we talked with on the street. A boy came to the gate and told us she was taking a shower, and Elder Gardner asked him for the name of the neighbor. He said it was Dandara. We clapped hands at the neighbor’s house and asked for Dandara. A woman invited us in and went to find her. Here’s where I though Elder Gardner had gone crazy. When Dandara came in, he said “Lembra da gente?!” which would be translated, “Remember us?” We came to discover that she was taught by sisters near the beach (where everybody goes during the Christmas season). If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is.

Well, that’s about it for this week. It rains here every day now in the afternoon, but it’s hot beforehand and afterwards. Also, we might be moving to live in our area. President Araújo gave us permission to look for a house.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

20 January 2010

Rio Bonito is not a separate city or town. It is part of Curitiba. If you look up “Campo de Santana, Curitiba”, you should get a good look at Rio Bonito. “Campo de Santana” is the name of the city district; “Rio Bonito” is really the name of a housing development, but everyone uses it to refer the area at large.

It was good to hear that the freecyle activity went alright. Sounds like everyone should have a cleaner garage now. It’s been raining a lot here, too, as I said on the phone. It looks like it rained pretty hard here today, but we were at the temple, so we didn’t get caught in it.

Elder Ribeiro and I had our first baptism together on Sunday! Jesse was baptized after the church block, and he will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost the Sunday. We’re also preparing Dandara, a sixteen-year-old single mother, to be baptized this Sunday. There’s another example of someone who has been prepared by the Lord. Unfortunately her mother is not as interested, but we’re still trying.

Sorry that I can’t be home for your birthday this year, Dad, but I’ll be there next year. I’m afraid all I can send is some good stories. I’ll try to keep track of what goes on over the next few weeks.

Also, you may have noticed a R$20 debit from the checking account. Last Wednesday I went to buy temple clothes.

That’s all about it there is to report right now. Little miracles that have happened lately? I would say Jesse’s baptism was a miracle. We exercised our faith and did all we could to prepare him, but he only decided to be baptized the day before it happened.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Amanda and Jennifer lately. I home they’re doing alright along with Aaron, Justin, and William.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

14 January 2010

Rio Bonito is really a great place. You wouldn’t believe the number of people here who are ready to be baptized with a little preparation. We have random people coming up to us on the street and asking us questions and accepting a visit from us. We´re preparing a great guy named Jessei right now for baptism.

Oh, sorry I didn’t get an email out yesterday. MyLDSMail wasn’t working, and I’ve been given permission to use the internet for just 30 minutes today. I guess I’ll start off by answering your questions:

Living conditions here are pretty much normal. We live in a good-sized apartment with two other missionaries: our zone leaders.

Something I thought Brazil would be but isn’t? Hotter! That really only goes for this area of the country because it has some places that stay hot all year round, but here it doesn’t get so hot you have to stop in the shade to cool down.

I have been scared at least once since I got here, but nothing abnormal. Have you ever been scared in the United States?

I don’t think I’ll respond to number three. If you’re familiar with the term “trunky”, it’s themed around that.

The first think I’ll eat when I get back to California? I have a looooong time to think about that, but right now I’m thinking a tri-tip dinner or an American hamburger.

Like I said, everything is going great around here. I think that I may come back in a few years and open a cookie shop. Land is cheap here. Our rent is only R$250/month.

Give my congratulations to Amanda. I’m out of time. I ate at a “churrascaria” yesterday. If you look up “Frangão” on Google, I think they have a website.

Until next week,
Élder Floyd

P.S. Everyone thinks it's really cool that we live close to Hollywood and Disneyland.

6 January 2010

I didn’t spend New Year’s in Novo Mundo. On Thursday night I received a call that I was involved in another emergency transfer. The next day at 6:00 PM I was at the mission office with about ten other missionaries. The Americans have been having trouble getting their visas, and many are stuck there in the Provo MTC. Two of them were lucky enough to get theirs, and they were shipped off directly to Curitiba. Two other missionaries became their companions (and one of their original companions took my place in Novo Mundo). At the same time, two short-term missionaries from Curitiba were called into service, and I received Elder Ribeiro from Colombo, Curitiba as my companion.

We have been sent to Rio Bonito (“Beautiful River”), a branch that had been closed this last transfer due to lack of missionaries. It is still within the city limits of Curitiba. Wow, it is really different to show up in an area where there is no missionary to show you the town or continue the work that has been going on. The last Elders here left some small notes, but for the most part, we’re starting from scratch, and things here are going great! We’re teaching A LOT of people, and many of them are very excited to hear about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It has also been an interesting experience working with a new missionary, especially when he is short-term( he’ll be leaving to serve in the Porto Alegre Brazil Mission in March) and a Brazilian. I find it difficult to use many of the tactics that Elder Cacio used with me because I had a language and a culture to learn. Elder Ribeiro, on the other hand, already knows everything about that, but things are still going great.

Outside of that, not much is different. The work is still going strong. I’m trying to adapt to a new area. It’s really interesting because this area is almost entire homes. Very few people actually work IN Rio Bonito. Everyone leave during the day and returns at night.

I’m glad to hear that everything went great with Dad’s trip to visit Jennifer, Aaron, Justin, and William. I can’t believe that Aaron is already 10 and Justin is already 8. I hope there’s still time to watch them grow up.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

30 December 2009

The phone call went great!

It looks like we’ve been given 30 minutes of e-mail today. I’m pretty sure that means that I won’t be sending an email home on Friday. Before I forget, I want to respond to all of Lyn’s questions to sent two weeks ago:

1. I have not seen a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant since I left Santa Maria; only McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway.

2. I wouldn’t say that there are very many street vendors here, just some guys that sell ice-cream. Oh, there’s this really annoying car that drives around all day long playing some advertising to sell some “sonhos” (a popular pastry here).

3. The last time I gave a talk in church was six weeks ago, my first Sunday with Elder Reis. I was given 24 hours to prepare.

4. I have not bought any souvenirs yet, as I said on the phone.

5. The sister missionaries do not have cars.

6. Before Christmastime, I’d say we got very little requests to go deliver a Book of Mormon or Finding Faith in Christ DVD. We’ve gotten about 5 requests in the last month.

I must admit that I don’t have much to report this week, especially since I only have 30 minutes. We are still working hard, but it’s difficult to find many people at home because they’re all travelling. Lyn keeps wanting to know about Rosangela, who’s trying to stop smoking, and this is to let you know that we’re still working with her. She will not be baptized this week.

I hope that everything is still fine at home. Dad should be in Texas right now if I am not mistaken. It was good to hear from Amanda, too. And, before I forget: “I miss Lizzie.”

Until next week,
Élder Daniel Floyd

23 December 2009

A wonderful Christmas package showed up on Friday! Let me say: thank you, thank you, thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever received a better Christmas present. Elder Reis still can’t imagine why I am so happy about a can-opener, but that’s okay. Thank you, too, for all of the Institute manuals. I have already started using them during personal study. The tie was a neat little surprise, too. I love the tie-clip. Also, thank you for all the M&M’s. The plain chocolate ones made themselves into a batch of cookies, and as you can imagine, those disappeared pretty quick.

As stated in my previous email, I don’t have much time this week, but we’ll get to talk more on Friday. According to Dad’s email, it looks like everything should go fine with the phone call. Remember, I’ll give you a few rings when I finish talking with Mom. Please don’t pick up: I’ll be calling from our local chapel.

And speaking of that: yes, I am still in Novo Mundo, It looks like I’ll be here at least until February. Elder Reis is still here, too.

I can’t wait until Friday. To everyone with whom I will not speak directly on Friday: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Until Friday,
Elder Daniel Floyd