Sunday, April 8, 2012

March 5, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Well things are much better than when the week started. So about being sick . . . yeah well, later on Monday I threw up as we got off a bus to visit the ward mission leader and so he took me to the ER and I waited about an hour there before they gave me a list of medications. Then the next day I went to the ER again since the medication didn't do much, waited for 30 minutes, had to get hooked to an IV and get some drug pumped into me, and then had to wait another 30 minutes after that so they could take out the IV and give me another list of medications. (I had so many (doctor prescribed) meds in me that I passed out at home). As I was receiving my last IV, blood started bleeding back into the tube. I was not particularly in the mood at the time to give blood, so I was getting extremely impatient with the whole free health care hospital and the extremely long waits. The good news is that I am perfectly fine now, I have just completely lost my appetite. Literally. And don't worry I am not addicted to any of the medications either.

So that covers my health for this week. And because of my sickness, we weren't able to go out and proselyte as much as we wanted. We only had a total of 4 lessons this week. Two investigators and the other two were with less active members. We did some tracting this week (since we've been white washed) and out of all the contacts we made, we only had two that looked somewhat promising. We will visit them tomorrow. We didn't have any investigators show up yesterday but that doesn't get me down too much. Actually the only thing that is a stumbling block for me is the freaking hills that are all over this place. Hills or mountains, same difference. After this, running around Disneyland will be nothing.

My companions get into a lot of arguments. Most are just friendly debates and rarely are they ever full of contention. But unfortunately it happens at times, so I made a goal (don't know how long this will last) that I will cut down on the whole arguing thing with others. Contention definitely does not leave a good feeling afterwards. Don't get me wrong though, my companion and I are great friends and we get along really well. Most of the time it is just debates between us that become heated eventually because we both have the problem of wanting to be right. I'm working on it.

I have learned how to make pastels, a type of Brazilian food that is fried, and I enjoy them a lot. You take this circular tortilla type of dough thing called a pastel, then you add whatever you want in it, fold it in half, seal it, drop it in hot oil and fry it, and then eat it. I want to lean how to make the actual dough, because I want to come home and show you guys pastels. There are both normal pastels and dessert pastels. Good stuff.

Questions: What is the address to Katrina and Gordon, and what is the address to Michelle and Drew? Does Gordan have a brother or relative that lives in Dallas, Oregon (as in Dallas Texas)? my companion wants to know. Elder ******** and I would like to know, because of a debate we had, how long are the people in Survivor on the island for and how many people are usually on the show? Not to be rude, but why again did Emily get such a short haircut? She doesn't look like a boy, but still...

Well that's it for today. I love you guys! The gospel is true and as President Joseph Fielding Smith (I think) said, sharing the gospel is the purest form of kindness we have today!

Love you all!

Elder Kevin Brady

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

February 27, 2012

Dear Family,

Well it's great to hear how everything is going in Hawaii. I'm sure the play was awesome and everything. Thank you all for celebrating my birthday by eating pineapple ice cream. That sure means a lot to me. Tell all my friends that I say hello to them too. I did wait to open all of my birthday presents and even waited to read the cards as well, until it was actually my birthday. I did open the awesome book of Christmas letters that you sent me mom, before my actual birthday, though. I loved reading the letters and re-reading about my childhood again. I loved the Reese's and peanut butter and syrup too. I thought the gifts were all awesome. And I also liked getting the Ensigns. I love reading the one about the Book of Mormon because it has so many interesting articles and I learned things that I have never really thought about much. Thanks again for the presents and the cards. I did enjoy the small cards too.

This area is very different. It has more hills than any other area I have been in and our house is in the center of the area which is in a small valley between the mountains. The church is on a hill and we need to climb about 50 stairs just to get to it. The area is also in a jungle, so that means that there are a bunch of crazy animals around that I have never seen before. Actually, yesterday, before a meeting, Elder ****** and I found a tarantula in the baptismal font. Elder ******** took a picture of it, and I would have too, but someone stole my camera last week, so I don't have a camera anymore. So for the rest of the mission, I guess I will just borrow my companion's camera to send you guys pictures.

The members here are much different than the rest of my mission. This is probably the first ward where the members actually walk the walk, as they talk the talk. This ward dresses the most modest out of any of the other wards, especially the Young Woman. I was actually surprised. I always thought that because it was a warmer climate, people dressed slightly different here in Brazil. This ward however proved me wrong, considering the fact that Joaçaba is actually one of the hottest cities if not the hottest. I definitely appreciate the modesty.

The elders quorum, actually the whole ward, wants to get involved with missionary work as much as possible. I feel kind of bad about it because these past few months since November, they have had some not-very-hardworking missionaries here. But now that me and Elder ****** have arrived, the ward members want to go on divisions every day with us if possible. These people also want to give us references. This area is full of great people, and they are very knowledgeable in the gospel. They also want the Young Men and Women to go proselyting with us to get some missionary experience. This ward is very excited about missionary work. In fact, last night, we split up to go home teaching with the members so that we can get to know everyone.

This Area I can see will be very rewarding because of both the efforts of us missionaries and of the members.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. I love you guys and enjoy your letters. They mean a lot.

Love, Elder Kevin Brady

PS-I woke up this morning not feeling well and I have gotten worse. Hopefully it is nothing big, but if you could just keep me in your prayers that would be great.

February 20, 2012

Hello to my family and friends,

This week, as I may have explained last week, I was with Elder ****** as a companion, and we didn't really do much. We kind of just went to a few members houses and we prepared someone for baptism. We did have another baptism. That was cool. The only thing is, all the members thought it was just a bishop/missionary baptism so no one showed up. It was just six missionaries, the bishop and his wife, and then three other people showed up after the ordinance. Oh, and the family of the girl who was baptized was there too. The big news is I will be transferred again to a completely new area, with a new companion this Wednesday. I will be going to Joaçaba, and my companion will be Elder *******. Cool fact: Elder *********'s dad served a mission in Thailand. So, when it comes to this area, I don't really have too much to say about this week.

So right now, I can't even think of what I'm writing about. Happy late Birthday to Emily. I don't remember if I said that last week. I can't believe I have been here on the mission for 8 1/2 months already.

There was someone that was American that came in our ward today and gave a talk about doing service towards others and how having charity can make us great people. He used the movie Groundhog day as an analogy and how it was about a guy who was completely selfish and then he becomes completely charitable. I thought the talk was pretty good.

That is my report this week. Sorry it's short. I love you guys.

Elder Kevin Brady

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

February 13, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,
I really do not understand people when it comes to food. I don't get why people think that a bowl of fruit for desert is a great treat. That makes no sense to me. How is anything healthy fun to eat? I can't think of anything that is healthy that is fun to eat. Why even have dessert? I fill myself with the main meal, the food that actually tasted good, so why is there a need to have dessert? I don't get it at all. They get so upset here if I don't eat a lot at the main meal, and then they expect me to have room for dessert? What is wrong with people here? And they get upset with me if I don't eat enough! Why get upset? Why not think, "oh well, more for me." When I have missionaries over and they say that they don't like the food or something like that, I will just respond with, "Then don't eat it." If they go home starving, that's their problem. I will not make fish though. I find fish to be the most offensive food to give to missionaries. I am lucky that I haven't had to eat it yet, but I know that if I do, I will only eat two bites, or I will literally throw up. Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don't like fish.
Any way, so I have been switched with a different companion, yet I am in the same area, Rio Tavares. My new companion is Elder ****** and he seems kind of quiet so hopefully we get along. The ward that I am in is very cool, and there is actually an American family that lives here in Brazil, but all of their kids were born here, so they learned Portuguese before English. The dad teaches the cello or something like that, so that is awesome.
The English classes are going well also, and we have a few investigators that are new from them as well, and we gave out 16 Book of Mormons to all of them which is awesome.
Not much else is going on. Just trying to get by. Serving here is great, and I love serving the Lord every day here.
I love you,
Elder Brady

February 6, 2012

Beleza, família (and friends).
Just to let you know, Beleza is slang for what's up in Portuguese. Sounds like you guys have had an interesting week. I don't even know what I did. I forgot it all. Anyway, Michelle is in my prayers as well and I hope everything goes well. But of course, it's the Lord's will and not ours. And yes it is true that I did used to kind of hate the beach (partly because Oregon beaches are rainy and cold), but I always had the choice of going there if ever I wanted to. Now I don't have the choice (if I want to keep the mission rules – and I do).
Not much happened this past week to be honest. Actually, I think the most excitement that I had all week was the English classes we are teaching and having to go on divisions with Elder ********* (one missionary who was in my district at the CTM) and going to the health center for his physical therapy. The rest of the week we went on divisions with the other Elders to learn the area and make contacts. I don't always like making contacts. I used to be afraid, but now it's just boring especially when people don't want to hear our message. But contacting people (strangers) has to be done so we can get to the good parts of the mission and start teaching people.
My companion is cool but there are times when I have no idea what is going on. Sometimes I feel like he and the other couple of missionaries in our area leave me out of the conversations (or maybe its just that I go off into my own world) and so I don't know what is going on. I don't mind, I just go into my own world, or I get my sense of fun with the other Elders in my apartment.
The other Elders are really cool and I enjoy being with them. Elder ******** just got his Christmas package and one of the presents was Pass the Pigs. Remember that game? its the best ever. Now, maybe not this package but the next one...I don't know but if I happened to find pass the pigs in there...My goal in that game is to get piggy back and get kicked out of the game. But, yeah, about the other Elders, we generally talk with each other and hang out at night.
That is all I have for this week. The language is coming slowly as always. I can understand fairly well “if” I concentrate. Emphasis on the "if". Sometimes I feel like my mind has exploded and my concentration has been shot. So that is the hardest thing for me.
Hey, you guys should send photos. I will next week or this week if I have time. Today I don't since someone else is using my camera to get pictures. I have a lot of pictures. I may need to get rid of some and save the good ones.
I love you all!
Elder Kevin Brady

January 30, 2012

Olá Family and Friends.

First off, no I don't get letters from any of my friends who are on missions. I would like to receive them, like Elder Brady and Elder Craft, but so far I don't have anything. Sounds like things are kind of busy for everyone. I can't believe Tessa woke up to a flooded house. I remember when our basement flooded. Dad got a bit "concerned" about that. Michelle is in my prayers and I hope everything turns out to be fine. We just have to keep on pushing. I liked Scott's letter about the DVD “17 Miracles.” That is a great movie. I am grateful that I do not have to go through all that the pioneers went through, but I am also grateful for what they did for us.

This new area is really nice and yet irritating at the same time. Our area is the south of the Island of Florianópolis, and it is very beautiful, but the beach is almost always in sight, and I miss the beach so much. I get upset about that a lot. ;) I am also in the center of Florianópolis as well. I like the city too. I feel that I would like to live in the city after my mission. Country is cool for only a few days, but after that it just gets boring, since there is nothing to do. On a mission we have things to do all the time. But when I am serving in the country, I noticed that P-Days are just boring.

My companion is pretty cool and he helps correct my Portuguese whenever I speak wrong. He is Brazilian. He is learning English as well, since it is the rule on the mission. So I correct his English whenever he speaks wrong. It works out. We made a goal that I will know how to teach the first lesson completely by the end of this transfer so that I will not need any more help with that. A lot of the time he is on the phone since he is the AP so while he is doing that back at the apartment, I go and hang out with the other staff in the apartment. Elder *****, Elder **** and Elder *****. Elder ***** is from Oregon, and the others I think are from Utah. Something like that. They are pretty cool.

When I first arrived in the area, I had to help out with all of the transfers. The first few days I got very little sleep. I am guessing that is why right now I have a Sinus infection. One thing I learned about the missionary staff very fast is that they get very little sleep. My companion and I will be moving to a different apartment very soon because it will be better for us to stay closer to our area. Unfortunately we will be downsizing tremendously because the staff apartment is very big. Actually, it's bigger than it needs to be.

That's my report for this week. Not much about investigators since we haven't been able to teach anyone yet. I think I will be sending out handwritten letters today for everyone so look out.

Love you all,

Elder Kevin Brady

Monday, January 30, 2012

January 23, 2012

Dear family and friends,

That is so awesome that it snowed. I´m getting sunburned over here in Chapecó. It seems that every time me and Elder **** walk on the streets, we have direct sunlight, but when we are not walking, the sun is behind the clouds. Rarely is it the other way around. It is great to hear that the Seminary Broadcast thing went well. And again, congratulations to Danny and his new wife. At my wedding reception, I won't have a wedding cake, but I will have a wedding pizza. I will talk to Papa Murphy's about this. The bottom layer will be quadruple stuffed, the second will be triple stuffed, and the top will be double stuffed. All, of course, will be meat lovers and they will be layered with some type of cheese, preferably with the color white. And the other foods, will be some sort of snack foods. No fruits. Vegetables maybe if there were sandwiches. And congratulations to Katrina and Gordon and family for the upcoming baby.

This week went well. We had a baptism and wedding. The wedding started at eight at night, and the baptism was who knows when, afterwards. Then I gave a talk yesterday about Heavenly Father, because I will be going to a new area. That lasted about 3 minutes since I was nervous and still don't know the language too well.

Yes I will be going to a new area again, this will be the 5th area I have been in, and will be the 4th Zone. I will be going to Florianópolis (south part, which I heard is the very rich and German part of the country), and I will be companions with the Assistant to the President. So apparently, President Fernandez wants me to be fluent as soon by the end of this transfer. But at least I get to see the capital of Santa Catarina. I don't know how long I will stay in that area though. So today, I am just trying to get packed as soon as possible so that I can make the bus tonight at 10:00. It will be almost a 12 hour bus ride to florianópolis. Fun fun.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the daughter of our investigators who just got baptized just went to church yesterday and she is now taking the lessons. It's been an interesting couple of weeks here...

So that is my update for what has happened and what will happen. I am still enjoying studying and I am still enjoying being here on the mission. I love you guys.

Love,
Elder Kevin Brady