37 weeks -freezing!!

Hey guys! 

Do I start every email like that? If so, oh well!

Thank you for keeping me updated on home and especially for these pictures! I think I might actually print them out and keep them with my scriptures or something =D I might look like that guy when I get home, pretty sure my hair has receeded a little bit on the mission...and parts of it are starting to go a little bit blonde.... That story about Joe and Sierra made me actually laugh out loud in the internet cafe haha! I think you guys are all nuts and that's why Sarah wants to be a part of the family too, cuz she's nuts too. 

I didn't even realize that today was Memorial Day, but I did wear my Captain America shirt! So that counts too right? I also read a little bit about the founding of the USA and the importance of the Constitution in Jesus the Chist by James E. Talmage. I think my next study topic in the Book of Mormon is going to be about liberty and freedom and the principles behind them. Another crazy thing about today, it's been a year and a half that Sarah and I have been going out, that's freaking crazy! She hasn't left me yet, so fingers crossed! haha

The week was good, lots more new investigators and the Branch President and his wife visited both of our cities for the first time in over a month and a half. We were really needing people to come to church because they might actually shut our area down soon if we don't find more people to come. But the Lord really did bless us! We had over 30 people come to church between the two cities! I don't think they'll close it if we can keep that up. And yesterday, I drank milk for the first time in 2 months! It was awesome! 

We were also in that other city for a few days and we got to eat lunch at a members house there. They gave us chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes! It was just like at Cracker Barrel and is the closest thing to American food that I've had in a long time! 

And another reminder of home that I had in that city too was that I met the missionary version of Larry! He's from North Carolina and was telling me about another missionary that I know here in the mission. He was asking me about him and then said, "Ele é meu amigo melhor" Translation: He's my good buddy. I almost died laughing when I thought about it. Because after he said it, he was like, "You're my good buddy too, but he is also." And I couldn't help but think of Larry =)

This weekend was FREEZING for us. It was 60ish degrees and we almost died. We were in Pimenta Bueno ad not Rolim de Moura and so we didn't have any of our other clothes besides what we packed for PB...It was so freaking cold haha. I thought my companion was going to die and I was feeling pretty close to the same thing. Not a good sign for when I come home lol. 

Not too much else happening, I will try again to send pictures. 

Love you guys!

Elder Sanderson

*****once again no pictures.  He said his memory card had a virus?? Hope the computer was just goofy. *********

36 weeks -

Holy cow! Sounds like you guys are even busier than I am!

Four parties? I tried to get my companion to go to a birthday party yesterday (maybe a family reunion) instead of going to church, but he wouldn't allow it. I even used logical arguments, mainly that there were more people at that party than we've had at church in 2 weeks between our cities combined. It's hard right now because he is so used to people saying yes, and right now, nobody is saying yes. I'm used to that, that's how most missions in the States are, I had 6 months of no and know how to handle it, he doesn't. He's got almost two years of yes. It's not a good combination when we end up trying to talk about it. However, I'm learning about how important the Pure Love of Christ is! We don't necessarilly have to love everybody, but we have to try. Because if we don't, we just look for ways that we don't like the person or the ways that they annoy you. After that revelation hit me in the face today, I am going to try and look for the good in my companion and not the stuff we don't agree on.

Haha tell Haylee that after Brazil, I might be okay if I never have a summer break again. It's just hot all of the time. Today, I sweat enough to fill a kiddie pool and that was just during lunch. I seriously can't figure out why the Brazilians like to eat hot food. That to me just isn't the smartest thing in the world haha. "It's about 100 degrees today, we should probably cook our food over an open fire in this small room with no windows. Great idea! Then maybe we can serve it right out of the pan into their mouths!" Re-evaluate. Haha, but it's still going good down here =) 

Not too much going on, but right now we're in a different city because we have a zone meeting tomorrow with all of the missionaries in the zone. I'm excited for that because it's really nice to see other missionaries and be able to talk to them instead of my companion 24/7. With other missionaries, we can swap stories, share experiences, etc. But with your companion, you can't do that. You can't even ask how their day was because you know exactly how it was haha. I did here Willie Nelson getting blasted by some guy's radio the other day in his car haha. It was the song where he says, "You were always on my mind" haha my companion didn't even know who Willie Nelson is.  

Please make sure to tell EVERYONE that I said thank you! I can't even express how much it means to me that they are willing to help me out. I won't get mail for another 4 weeks or so, but whether their packages are here or not, I really appreciate even the thought! Always send the letters or packages to the mission office, we aren't allowed to receive them directly, and I honestly don't want to because that is just too much work and too much to chance. But I am definitely excited for the packages! When you send me your guys', send me this stuff too: sun screen! (It's like $25 american dollars a bottle here), bug spray (also really expensive)

Love you guys, think I will definitely send pictures this week!

Elder Sanderson

******He tried to send pictures but once again the computer was a no go. He was frustrated with that.  Prayers he gets a good computer next week!!********

35 weeks & Mothers Day Call :)

It was great to talk to you guys too! We (the missionaries) were on a spiritual high after talking to our families =) we couldn't fall asleep and I promise you that when a missionary talks with his family, it gets him fired up to go back to work! I feel refreshed and ready to keep on keepin' on! I pretty much said evrything I would usually have written in the email haha, but forgive me if this isn't a super long one this week. 

So, my companion and I are going to stay together this transfer. If we stay together for the next six weeks, it will be the longest that I've spent with a companion in 8 months haha, and it will only have been 2 months! Other missionaries stay together for 3 or even 4.5 months sometimes haha. I will definitely learn a lot this transfer and am going to need the blessings of the Lord, but I know that all things are possible with Him!

If you send me a box, there is one more thing I want that I forgot to tell you! I want a Nats hat! It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just one of the normal ones with the W on it. I've really been wanting one since I got here haha and Brazil just so happens to be in short supply. 

Sierra will love BYUI and then realize that BYU is where it's at =p you can tell her I said that! Just like Constance will someday realize that BYUH isn't as good as BYU either! But, I have a lot of friends who have gone to BYUI and they all loved it! 

I agree completely that it was the Spirit that was in my heart and mind when I was speaking with that guy. I was trying to say that, but just decided to agree with you when you said passionate because I don't know if I would've been able to get it out haha. But yes, I will alwys remember that, even wrote it down in my journal that night! I hope to be able to use that experience for many, many years to come. And I'm sure I'll pick some new ones up along the way!

Not too much else going on today, just chillin! I'll see if this computer will let me send you pictues so that everyone can see those black power cookies haha! Randi and Dad got a kick out of those too! 

Love you all!

Elder Sanderson

*******he is not having any luck with pictures the last couple of weeks.  We had a great chat with him.  He looks great. He is great.  He had "the most amazing experience of [his] whole mission" the day before and was able to share it with us.   I don't have time to add it now but I will add it soon.  Here are the pics we took during our phone  call Sunday.******

His tan line from his CTR ring 

Watch tan. Can't see that one as well. 

The fab five 

The three amigos! 

The ipad didn't photograph as well as the laptop.  We will use the laptop again at Christmas. 

He bought these knock off Oreos this week we were cracking up at the name "black power" so odd!  

Fingers crossed his pics work next week! 

34 weeks, transferred

Hey there everybody! 

Another week has passed and i continue to realize how fast the mission is going by. In 6 months it will be November, and in like a year and 3 or 4 months I'll be finishing up my mission. CRAZY! I'm having way too much fun in the sun to even imagine being home. 

One thing I think you all need to be grateful for is internet and a good computer. Every week that we're down here, we have to pay for our internet and you really have to pray to get a good computer. Right now, this keyboard really sucks, so sorry if I don't write too much, it's really hard to type.

So, adventures of Elder Sanderson: I got transferred. What else is new? And it was an emergency transfer, so we have transfers again next week, and I might get transferred again then too. The good news about this one though, is that I got to stay in the same area! I count it as a transfer though because I have a new companion (Elder Housley) and a new city added to my old one. Elder Housley was in the new city before, and I was in Pimenta Bueno (my city), so when we're in his city (Rolim de Moura), he's the boss, but in my city, I'm the boss. Which is hard, because I only had 8 days in that city anyways haha. I don't like the new city as much as Pimenta Bueno, but it's starting to grow on me. We just have to walk a lot farther and don't usually have shade. It's hard here too, because the people we are teaching just don't seem that excited about the Gospel. 

I'm excited to Skype too! We are going to use a member's house, which will be nice, and we'll be able to use the webcam. I make no promises as to how well it will work, but anything is better than nothing right? 

It was a lot of fun being on that last special assignment! Being comp with an AP is hard, but we had fun, and I got to hang out with President a lot more last week. We were in the car with him for about 6 hours on Tuesday and just got to talk about whatever. Mostly, Elder Johansen was talking about deep doctrine, so I couldn't really understand, but Sister Klein made sure to talk to me and bring me into the conversations which was nice! We ate lunch at a really nice restaurant and President paid for us and then some! We were living the good life haha because we ate a ton of food and then he bought us ice cream and candy haha. The restaurant was cowboy themed because that's a big part of the culture in this part of the mission, and they had a couple pictures of Clint Eastwood on the wall haha. 

I found out yesterday, that Pimenta Bueno has had the Church in it's city for only 2 months now, I've been there for a month of that. It's so weird to think about how new the Church is! Most people don't have a clue who we are, but every once in a while, someody will ask, "Vocês são os Mórmons?" (You guys are the Mormons?) and we always answer that we're with the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Not too much else happening, I have a few pics for you guys, but not too many. Three things I need from you though mom:

1. Pin number (make up a code for it before you send it)

2. Change my profile picture on FB. I saw it yesterday at the member's house who we are going to Skype from. He added me as a friend and that's how I saw the pic lol.

3. Change my security settings on there. He was able to look at all of my old profile pics and one of them is me in an ROTC uniform at BYU, don't need people seeing that here. He's a cop, so no worries with him, but the others I don't need seeing that.

Thanks! Have a great week and I'll send some pictures as usual!

Love, 

Elder Sanderson  

Part of our later conversation:

Elder S:

I think I'm gonna train this tranfer to come, I'll find out on Sunday, maybe before we talk. I don't know for sure, but the time is definitely getting close for me to train I think

Me:

That will be exciting and interesting.  I assume you will be training someone newer than you and neither of you will speak fantastic Portuguese :) I am praying for you and know you will have the gift of tongues when you need it most.  Sis Martin shared a quote with me this week.  "There is nothing more powerful than the prayers of a righteous mother." Bam. I have superpowers!  I always knew it!  :) 

Elder S:

Haha of course they'll be newer than me, that's what training is haha. The missionary will be straight out of the MTC (i hope a brazilian) and my job would be to show him how to be a missionary for his first 12 weeks in the field! I really hope he's a brazilian haha

Me: 

We'll pray for that.  

----no pics this week becuase the computer wasn't working well.  He said there wasn't anything too important.  Guess we'll find out next week.  :)