22 September 2010

It was good to hear from both Dad and Lyn this week. Sounds like exciting things are happening in Santa Maria. It sounds like Lizzie is way busy (busier than I was, that’s for sure) but that she’s having a great time. It sounds like she’s involved with pretty much everything.

Things here in the center of Curitiba are going well. We have been having great success motivating the members to give references to the missionaries. As a consequence we are teaching much more with the members, which leads to a much richer (and lasting) conversion. Wagner received the Priesthood two weeks ago, and he already blessed the sacrament last week. He’s looking forward to receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood and going to the temple soon. Priscila has been making a lot of friends at church, and the both of them are really anticipating the day when Yuri, their three-month-old son will come home from church singing Primary songs.

Elder Treasure and I are still really excited to be companions. We’vebeen throwing around a lot of ideas for our area and our zone which we will implement shortly.

My testimony of prayer was strengthened this week when we were late for a lunch appointment. We marked with the sister to eat at 11:30 because we were going to be close by, and she had an appointment at 1:00. Well, we ended up being about 3 miles away at 11:30 when we caught the bus. Normally, the bus would have taken us to a stop about 15 walking minutes from the sister’s house, and we would have arrived at the stop at about 12:00. I was praying during the whole bus trip that we could arrive faster to our destination so as to keep the sister’s trust. Well, it just so happened that an extra bus driver was on the bus and he got off almost exactly where the sister’s street was, and we took advantage of the situation to ask if we could descend, too. To make a long story short, we got to lunch at 12:00, the sister didn’t get mad, and I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers when we do our part.

Until next week,

Elder Floyd

15 September 2010

It’s good to hear that your email’s up-and-running. I felt kind of helpless here in Brazil, but I knew you’d be using it again soon anyway.

This last week wasn’t home to anything amazingly special or extraordinary. Wagner and Priscila were confirmed on Sunday (that’s why I didn’t include significant in the list), and Wagner is full of questions about everything. I like it a lot actually, because he asks intelligent questions. Missionaries often get asked questions that are intended only to confound, not to help someone learn, and Wagner’s questions are even helping me out a lot.

This week we received four more of those “new curriculum” lessons for missionaries. They’re designed to help missionaries teach more effectively, as a missionary’s success if affected both by technique and by the Holy Ghost. That’s not to say that these four lessons are anything new, but they’re being taught in a fresh new way, and it’s already starting to help out Elder Treasure and me in our teaching.

It was cool to hear about stake conference. It’s always refreshing to have a general authority visit. A quick note about the mission choir: It has nowhere near 90 members. We had our first practice today in preparation for Christmas, and I think there were 40-50 missionaries there at the most.

It was great to hear from Bonnie. Tell her I’m looking forward to a good teeth cleaning in February.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

P.S. I went a little overboard on my cookie-making these last two weeks (it was for a good cause) and ended up spending my missionary allowance completely. I used some home funds (about R$10) to buy some basic food. I won’t let it happen again. I know it’s only for emergencies.

8 September 2010

I did get your letter from last week. I hope you got mine. Jay passed

on to me the details of his trip to São Paulo, and it sounds like he

had a great time. I finished off the rest of that “gist card” today

when Elder Treasure and I went to the Alto da Glória Churrascaria.

That is probably the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to. It

stands on the same plot of land as the Couto Pereira Stadium where the

Coritiba (spelled right) soccer team plays.

Wagner and Priscila were baptized last week. It was wonderful to see a

couple making such an important decision together. They are traveling

until tomorrow (yesterday was Independence Day in Brazil), and we will

prepare them over the next few days to receive the Gift of the Holy

Ghost on Sunday.

We had a meeting this morning about the mission Christmas choir. It

looks like we’ll be starting up practices next week. I think I’ll be

directing again.

For more information, please ask Amanda to forward my email to her to you.

Until next week,

Elder Floyd

1 September 2010

Let Dr. Whelan and Bonnie know that a letter is on its way.

This week has been amazing. On Monday, we had a zone conference where Elder Mazzagardi from the Second Quorum of the Seventy, 2nd counselor in the Brasil area presidency, and his wife spoke to a couple of zones. He was doing a mission tour, which I believe he will end tomorrow in Ponta Grossa. It took him four years to get baptized, twice as long as Brigham Young, and he used that story to demonstrate the importance of keeping our area books up-to-date. I was better able to visualize the plan of our Heavenly Father for His missionary work. I think that many times I have only been able to focus on the people that I have been able to lead to the waters of baptism, when in reality the work progresses farther than on missionary, or even one mission president. I just imagined that if all the area books in the world were filled out correctly and updated regularly; in other words, if they were perfect, far more people in the world would be baptized. I'm just kind if sad that I'm starting to learn that in the last 25% of my mission.

Yesterday was also a great day. We planned a zone meeting where the individual districts had small meetings, and then we met together as a zone to have a training. The missionaries here got really excited, and Elder Treausre and I are trying to realize a rather ambitious goal: make the Zion Zone. Lofty? Yes, but when we shoot higher we perform higher. D&C 97:19 will come to describe our zone:

And the [zones] of the [mission] shall honor her, and shall say: Surely Zion is the [zone] of our God, and surely Zion cannot fall, neither be moved out of her place, for God is there, and the hand of the Lord is there;

Today we went to the Museum of the Expeditionary where can be found many interesting artifacts and stories from Brazil's involvement in World War II. It was really pretty cool. We weren't allowed to take any photos inside, but I got a couple outside with a plane and with a tank. You'll get to see those soon. On a side note, did I ever tell you that when people see Dad's photo in front of Air Force One in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum, they think he's a pilot? If you want, I can lie and tell them he is.

We will be having another zone leader council on Friday. I'll be sure to pass on the great things we learn there.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

25 August 2010

It was 92 degrees is Santa Maria, huh? I think it must be getting near there here in Curitiba, too. The winter here was either the shortest in history, or it'll come back soon. I hope it's the latter.

Transfers went over smoothly. Elder Miguel has been sent to another zone, and I have gotten a new companion: Elder Teasure. He just finished his designation as mission financial secretary, and now we are zone leader companions! If Elder Wright were here, he would get a kick out of that, I think.

There's a problem with my Visa gift card: It doesn't work at any of the stores here. I called the number on the card, but there seems to be nothing I can do from here. Could you guys look into it for me? The number to call (toll free) is 1-866-505-7955. There is also a website: www.giftcardmall.com/idealgift. I spent my money from the biweekly mission allowance because I thought I still had a $50 gift card, so I was left with no money for groceries today. I used my "gringo card", but I'm not making it a habit, I promise!

We're still preparing Luciane for baptism. We're probably going to have her talk to our district leader, Elder Moretti, so that she can feel more comfortable about being baptized this Sunday and not waiting to be baptized together with her daughter (which her ex-husband is impeding).

Also, the mission Christmas choir will be starting up soon. We have a meeting with the assistants in two weeks to discuss what will be going down. I hope I get to direct again, but if not, I'm happy to sing!

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

18 August 2010

Elder Wright is probably eating lunch with President Cordon right now. As of yesterday, I have a new companion until transfers next Wednesday: Elder Miguel from Rio de Janeiro. He been on his mission for five months now and is really excited. Looks like I'm the lone zone leader for a week; I hope there are no emergencies!

We're preparing a woman named Luciane for baptism this Sunday. She got to know the church through her boss, Alexandre Pradeira, who showed up to our sacrament meeting one week and gave us the referral. She also has an eleven-year-old daughter, but because of the wishes of the father (Luciane's ex-husband) she will not be baptized at the same time as Luciane.

Remember Marinei and her family? They ended up throwing me a birthday party last Wednesday night. I took lots of pictures, and you'll be getting those in the next photo CD (yes, I'll send one more before I come home).

It sounds like Dad had a great time on this year's high adventure. I just have one complaint: When I went on high adventures, we didn't have the option of making the trip easier! And I'm grateful for it. I remember that when we went to Mt. Whitney I was dead at the end of the first day. We didn't stop hiking until after dark, and I went straight to bed without eating anything. I'm sure everyone who went remembers the giant shale mountain. I don't know if it was really that big, but my memory makes it about the size of the moon.

There's not much more to report on the work here in Ala 2/Jardim Botânico. I'm sure I'll be staying here for at least the next transfer, and that will keep me here until at least October.

I bought my first souvenir this week. It's just a little glass plaque with Curitiba-PR, BRASIL written on it, but I liked it.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

11 August 2010

I picked up my birthday package at the mission office yesterday. I loved everything that I got. Jay told me in his letter to send him some stuff while he's in São Paulo. He wrote the letter in July, but I didn't get it until yesterday, so that didn't go over well. He did send some cookies from Mr. Cheney Cookies, and those were a welcome treat, especially for my companion.

This week has not been the most interesting week. We went to the Ópera de Arame (Wire Opera House) today, and I took some pictures. I'll make sure to send you those in the next photo CD. I didn't do anything really special for my birthday, but one of the families in the ward made me a little chocolate dessert.

Elder Wright is going home a week early, so I'm not sure what will happen with me. I hope the area doesn't close for a week.

Congrats to Lizzie for passing her driving test. She did better than I did, apparently. She can drive us home from the airport in six months (no, I'm not trunky).

Jay told be something interesting about the last 25% of my mission. He said it should be the best part, and I'm going to do my best to make that a reality.

I hope Dad comes back alright with lots of good stories.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

4 August 2010

Thanks for the happy birthday wishes. I feel like I'm going to be an old fart. Of all the presents I could ask for in the world, I must say that the best I could ask for is probably going to happen: a baptism! Mateus (11-years-old) was baptized on Sunday and will be confirmed this coming Sunday. We are also preparing a girl named Isabel to be baptized this Sunday. She's 19, but her parents are very against the Church, so she has an inner conflict whether to go through with the baptism or not. I think she's going to do it. I know the Lord blesses those who follow his commandments, and I'm sure he will take good care of her when she decides to keep this commandment.

Tell Elizabeth not to drive off the curb when she leaves the DMV during her driving test. In high school, I had a friend who did that and they failed him right off at the start. If it's any consolation to her or to the drivers of California, you are allowed 15 errors, if I remember correctly, and I made 13. I think I was equally as close on the written exam.

I'll try sending Jay a letter in São Paulo this week. We'll see if it gets there while he's still there.

I'm really at a blank to write anything else. It's really cold here today. Remember that email I sent a year ago that gave the five different descriptions of the cold? Here it is to review for the cold season this year:

I thought of many ways to start this letters, but all of them have to do with the number of times to write the word "cold".

COLD. If you use it one time, it seems much more profound and solid. Also, it doesn't sound like it escaped the mouth of a raving lunatic. However, it is very short.

Cold . . . COLD! This brings shivers to the bones of the readers, but unlike the previous attempt sounds like Old Man Jenkins escaped the loony bin.

Cold, cold, cold. This sounds like I'm really not having a good time doing missionary work. You would probably picture me shaking my head back and forth in a depressive mood.

Cold, cold, cold, cold. Now my mind is thinking of nothing but the temperature. Better get me reading or teaching, and fast!

Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold. Here is the last, and the one I chose to use. I don't know what Jay was thinking when he said it wasn't that cold. I've never been so cold for so long in my life. Not that I'm complaining or anything, just expressing the fact. The cold here is more profound, I think, because of the humidity. I believe it was -4°C this morning, probably 0°C in our house. There is no internal heating, and none of the windows and doors seal all the way, so there's nothing you can do about it. However, everything is nice and toasty under the covers in bed.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

28 July 2010

Looks like you had a great time at the Donny and Marie concert. I tried finding some kind of evidence that one of Lyn's friends had edited you guys in, but it looks clean. Lyn always liked them (meaning Donny) so much. What I really want is a video of Dad singing on stage with Marie. Then I'll believe it!

Things have been going very well here in Ala 2/Jardim Botânico. Camila, who was baptized a week and a half ago, was confirmed this Sunday. Mari and her family are already strong members of the Church. They received their temple recommends on Monday and will be going to the temple next Thursday to do baptisms for the dead. And yes, they're still feeding us a ton. We're preparing a boy named Mateus to be baptized this Sunday. He's really excited, and he's even more excited to pass the sacrament in a year when he turns twelve.

I think I forgot to tell you that Eliseu's wake was baptized recently. Remember Eliseu? From Guarapuava? I received the good news when Elder S. Costa sent me an email a couple of weeks ago.

I'm excited to hear about what goes on during the high adventure. Where are you going this year? Here on the mission I'm always telling stories about our high adventures. It helps that I have a photo of Dad and me on top of Mount Whitney. Please don't kill yourself, but it seems like you never do. You said that last year you were starting the feel the pains of hiking with age, so we'll see what happens this year.

President Cordon is learning Portuguese really fast. If missionaries get the gift of tongues, imagine the mission president! We had interviews with him on Monday, and I did my first interview in English of my entire mission! He's going to be a great mission president; I'm sure of it.

Thanks for all the prayers. It means a lot to me to know that I'm thought of.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

21 July 2010

President Cordon informed us on Monday that there is a new mission web site where you can all look at photos and such. We don't have permission to look at it, but I hope it's great!

Monday and Tuesday were training days for the leadership of the Brazil Curitiba Mission. All district leaders, zone leaders, and trainers in Curitiba and Paranaguá went to the mission office to receive part of a course of trainings recently approved by Church authorities. According to President Cordon, the training is going on all around the world, but I'm not sure if it takes place on the same day. Those who have served missions recently know about the Preach My Gospel DVDs. With these new trainings, the Church has released an additional DVD. We talked about the doctrine of Christ, helping investigators to pray, helping them to feel and understand the Holy Ghost, and using the Book of Mormon as a converting tool. Apparently, there are four more subjects to be discussed, but we won't go to that training until the beginning of August.

The training about the Book of Mormon was my favorite. Preach My Gospel has a chapter dedicated to the importance of the Book of Mormon as a latter-day converting tool. I've always loved talking about the Book of Mormon with investigators because it is the most basic proof we have that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is God's Church on the earth. I'm short on time, but I'd like to tell you that I know the Book of Mormon is true. The same God that inspired the Bible also inspired the Book of Mormon. I have no doubt that it's true. I asked God long ago if it was true, and he responded to my prayer. Anyone can know it's true. They only have to read a little and then ask God. He knows that it's true, and He'll tell you so.

Congrats to Vinnie for being the Ward Pet Star. It looks like he's not as retarded as we thought. I'll take more pictures like the ones Lyn suggested, too.

I suggest that everyone take a look at the new Mormon.org if you haven't already done so. It's a great missionary tool.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

14 July 2010

I received my new debit card. I made an ATM transaction today to activate it, as the telephone number for activating it was for use in the United States.

Things have been going pretty smoothly around here with President Cordon. We had a great zone conference on Thursday where his family and he bore their testimonies. Sister Cordon and he came here with their seventeen-year-old daughter and their thirteen-year-old son. They ahve more older children that are still in the states. He talked a lot about his own desire to follow the counsels of the prophets and apostles regarding his stewardship of this mission, and I'm pretty excited about that. There will now be a zone conference only every two transfers and an interview every trimester. He says they'll be using the extra time to go out and teach together with the missionaries. I'm really excited about that. He lives close by to us, so we'll be calling him a lot if he's up for it.

Three from the Mari/Bárbara household were confirmed on Sunday. Mari will be confirmed this coming Sunday because she had to work on short notice last Sunday. That family continues to amaze me with their faith and their diligence.

We're preparing a girl named Kamila for baptism this coming Sunday. She's already prepared and she feels really good about her decision.

So the Child's family up and went to Colorado, huh? That was something I wasn't expecting. Daniel was the only Young Men's president I had outside of Dad.

I'm also excited to see the new-and-improved front bathroom. Send me some photos when you're through. Speaking of photos, did you ever get the photo CD I sent home?

That's all that's new this week. We had transfers today, and Elder Wright and I will be staying together for six more weeks.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

7 July 2010

I've got three minutes to write. No, I wasn't slacking off. No, their wasn't a huge email from President Cordon (there wasn't any). I was writing to Aunt Dar and to Jennifer.

Mari, Bárbara, Maria Julia, and Carolina were baptized on Sunday. They will be confirmed this Sunday. We are also preparaing a girl named Kamila to be baptized this Sunday. I will be meeting President and Sister Cordon tomorrow at our zone conference. It sounds like he's a real great guy.

I got an email today from Elder S. Costa, my second companion. Apparently, he'll be getting married here in two months. It's been almost a year since he went home.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

P.S. I didn't get an email from the family. Just wanted to let you know in case it was an accident.

30 June 2010

And I won't be receiving any for two weeks, because they're trying to keep us out of the mission office while the new mission president settles in.

I'm full of bittersweet feelings right now. I just finished writing my first weekly email to President Araújo. I'm not sure if he's leaving today or tomorrow, but I know that President Cordon will be arriving tomorrow. He goes nothing. President Araújo said that entering the mission field as a mission president is like being thrown onto a moving train. The general authorities pat you on the back and then shove you on, and it's your job to get accustomed. I'm sure that's a perfect metaphor, so we'll be doing allow e can to make President Cordon know that this is the best mission in the world!

I was going to take out a little bit of money on the debit card like Dad suggested, but the bank didn't authorize it. Looks like they lied about that little June 30th detail.

To answer Lyn's questions:

There are 16 missionaries in our zone (including us) and 8 areas (one companionship per area).

We haven't bought dry ice yet because it's really far away from our house. We're planning to go right now or next week.

I like my companion. Generally, zone leaders are not "fubekas" (slackers), and the same goes for my companion. Elder Wright is great, but I have never been so loaded with work in my life. The work, really, is just talking with the district leaders daily to make sure everything is a-okay.

We found an elect family on Friday: Mare, Bárbara, Maria Júlia, and Caroline. They already went to church on Sunday and received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true. I loved Mare's example in praying to God and receiving an answer that the book is true, because she actually looked for the answer. She didn't just pray and wait for something to happen. She looked for the answer in everything that was happening in her life . . . and she found it. On Monday, we were thinking a lot about them, and we had this thought that we should go visit them, even though we didn't have an appointment marked until Tuesday. We showed up, taught about the Word of Wisdom, and felt the Spirit prompt us to invite them to be baptized this Sunday, which we did. And they all accepted! Had we not heeded to the promptings of the Spirit, I don't know what would have happened, but I know they (and we) were blessed for having done that. Now, we're preparing a baptism of a wonderful family.

Your story really touched me, Lyn. I don't think I've ever heard you bear a testimony like that before, and it was wonderful. You blessed the life of that woman, and *someone* blessed you.

The mission choir will be singing at our next zone conference. I'll be directing a song (yet to be chosen, probably from the musical presentation we did last month).

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

23 June 2010

Just to pass on a note of security to you, I'd like to pass on a part of the email that President Araújo sent to us this week:

If someone in your family is posting your messages on a blog with your name, your relatives should be alert and know that anyone around the world can read it. This week we had an incident where one missionary wrote something in his email to his family about an investigator. The missionary's family unwittingly put the text of the email on his blog on the internet. It just happened that the investigator found the blog, read the text, and became greatly offended with what the missionary had written. Be careful! Please, be obedient and careful with these things.

I'm sure you're doing a great job; I just wanted to pass that on.

So, you finally got the letter. I thought it would get to you sooner or later. Things aren't much different than they were before, just that I have to deal with a lot more problems now (things that arise between companionships and the like). And Dad was right, that doesn't mean I get to drive a car.

Things this week have gone pretty smoothly. No baptisms to report, but we're teaching a lot of good people. I don't know if you know, but the World Cup is going on right now in South Africa. The missionaries aren't allowed to watch it, even the Brazil games, and it has been an interesting experience. You really do find elect people while the game is going on. There are a lot more people here than I thought that don't give a hoot about soccer.

Thanks for Jennifer's email address. Amanda sent me her updated one, too. I'll be writing them soon.

Can you let me know when you get the photo CD? If you want clarification on some of the photos, just send me a small copy with questions.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

P.S. President Araújo has asked us to include the following message from Sister Araújo and him:

Dear family,

Sister Araújo and I want to express our gratitude and respect for you, parents and relatives of our dear missionaries. It has been an honor to work with Elder Floyd here in the mission. We learn, we laugh (sometimes we cry), and we work together in this great work.

We share our testimony that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. We are on the right path and need to endure to the end.

We are ending our mission, but your son will always be in our hearts.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
President and Sister Araújo

16 June 2010

Sorry that I didn't get an email off yesterday. We had a conference with President Araújo that lasted from 9:30 - 5:00, and we didn't get back in our area until 6 (when p-day ends).

Thanks for the advice about putting yeast in the root beer. We drank a little bit on Friday morning . . . and threw the rest out. Yes, it did get fizzy, but it had this horrible taste of yeast. I'll just wait until we can find some dry ice. President Araújo told us we could find some in a market near here.

This week has been another one of those not-too-eventful ones. It's difficult to fill up a letter and not repeat the same things. Yesterday we had a great conference. We went to Barigui Park and did a lot of fun activities. All of them were themed for missionary service. I really liked one: the tug-of-war. Our goal was to pull the whole other team over to our side. It was a little hard because we had to keeping pulling for a while to get every member of the other team over to our side. Something I thought personally but that wasn't shared out loud was that that experience related to our teaching families. Many times a missionary focuses so much on preparing one member of a family for baptism he forgets about the rest of the family. We know that the fundamental unit of the Church is the family, so our goal should be to baptize whole families whenever possible. Just as the tug-of-war didn't stop when the first team member crossed the boundary, so should teaching not stop when the first family member crosses the line. Elder Wright and I are now super-excited to find whole families to bring into the Church.

As for the ceremony up at Lake Isabella, there's not one thing I could say that Dad couldn't say better. I'm just sorry that I can't be there with everyone. Let them know how I'm doing, but don't take the focus off of why they're really there.

Until next week,
Elder Floyd

P.S. I don't have Leslie's email address, so there's no way I can send her a copy of this email.