April 28, 2014

Good morning to y’all:

To start off I would like to say that we just closed an extremely successful transfer here in Canela. To answer your question, Dad, yes, we did get our coveted baptism on Sunday, making it a six-for-six transfer. Not only that, but Elder A. and I also achieved what we like to call a “transfer of excellence.” What that means is that not only did we baptize someone all six weeks, but we also got the week of excellence every week, making it the most successful transfer I have ever had as a missionary.

Unfortunately (I found out just now in the transfer), I have been transferred—for what purpose I do not know. Honestly, that comes as a disappointment. I was really liking this area, and we were having a lot of success. It surprised me too because this means that I will pass through four areas in six months. I feel like I have been thrown around a lot recently. I’m kind of bummed out about it. Oh well, everything has its purpose, right?

Speaking of Tyler, remind him to send me an email from his regular email when he gets a chance (I only have his mission email). I’m glad to hear he got home safely and is doing well. I’m proud of him. He sent me many emails during his mission telling me about his difficulties, and I’m happy knowing that he overcame them.

Man, it seems like every other week I miss some birthday or holiday or something. I’ll throw James a happy birthday email. I liked the photos that you sent. It’s been a while since I had seen DJ. The last time I saw him was when I was at college and he had just got back from a tour and was super thin. How long does he get to stay in the states?

I’ll let you know next week about my new area and companion. My mission has been one heck of a ride so far. I don’t think it will ever slow down either until I finish—at least I hope it doesn’t slow down because it is a lot more fun this way.

Anyway, I am going to wrap it up for now. I love you all. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on Mother’s Day here in a couple of weeks.

In closing (in commemoration of my official 18th month mark, which was last Thursday), I will use the words of Jefferson Starship (with my edit, of course) to finish off my email:

You know, it’s been a long, long road

Since I packed up and left on my own

And I carry a heavy load

Just trying to get back to my home

Now that I’m thinking about my past

I see the months have gone by so fast

And now that I’m almost through

There’s just one thing I’ve got to do:

Find my way back

Find my way back to my home

Find my way back

Find my way back to my home

April 21, 2014

Happy Easters!

As you know, during the summer months here is Brazil it gets hotter than crap so this December we weren't able to enjoy a white Christmas but we were able to enjoy a white Easter (see attached photos). I'm happy to announce that the working here in Canela is progressing and that we had another four baptisms this week. Saturday night we married and baptized a couple (relatives of the first baptisms we had here), and then on Sunday we baptized the sisters of M. (our baptism last week). Also, ElderN.  and Elder A. from the other Canela area baptized two people, resulting in six baptisms this week.

So yeah, last Monday it was stinking cold, but then it warmed up again; now it is really nice. The weather here kind of reminds me of Utah-bipolar. Hopefully the good weather lasts. I'm not excited to go through another winter without modern heating technology (Brazil isn't quite there yet). Hopefully I can find more blankets or something. Nerk. 

This will be the last week of the transfer, Elder A. and I are hoping to baptize next week too, which will mean we we will have baptized six out of six weeks this transfer. He only has three more months left (two more transfers), but I would imagine both of us will stay here for another transfer together (seeing as how we are having success and that both of us opened the area and only have one transfer here). But I don't know. The President is unpredictable sometimes. 

It is strange knowing that Elder Mells is finished. I remember talking to him the night before he left (and throughout the last two years). We have kept in contact the entire time, and I received an email from him today saying that he couldn't believe that he had made it and that he was done. He also said he was super excited (thanks for trunking me out, Mells). Weird. I guess that puts me at the top of the list on that missionary bulletin board at the church. Woot!

So didn't you say that you will have October 8 off? That means we are going to hang out all day and go to Tucanos right? The whole fam-damly? Trunky, I know, but I just had to ask.

So I'm doing just fine. I'm going to have to send in the weekly report to the president, so I'll finish up here. I love you and I look forward to seeing you guys on Mother's Day!

Love,

Elder Morris

April 14, 2014

Blue morning, blue day, why won’t the good weather stay?

Well dang, after a nice week with little rain and lots good weather, I woke up this morning freezing my buns off. I don’t know what happened there, but I think fall has arrived. Looks like it is time to break out the overcoat.

I can say that I am officially loving this area and loving working with Elder A. By far the best thing about being a zone leader is to have a companion who, like you, knows how to work, knows the techniques, is obedient and wants to baptize. When two Elders like this are put together, miracles happen. We had another baptism this week, and we are marked to have another four or five next week. It’s fantastic and I’m excited to be working in Canela.

We are currently working with two families that we are preparing for baptism. We will marry a couple this week and baptize them along with the other children of that couple in the picture that I sent. I am hoping that I can stay here with Elder A. for at least another transfer.

Yeah, I got to know President Wright’s son last week. That was pretty cool. He is a really nice guy, and we talked for a good 15 minutes. I helped his son do a street contact and give out a friendship card (I think that is what it is called). He lives in Lehi.

I saw the pics of our new family member. That is totally exciting. I hope that Emily is doing well. C-section probably isn’t fun.

So now I have a trunky question: What will be the first thing that we will do as a family when I get back?

Ha ha, anyway, I gotta go. I love ya’ll!

Until next week,

Love,

Elder Morris

April 7, 2014

Happy spring April weather to you,

This week was another good one. “Estávamos na correria,” as they say here in Brazil. Basically that means that we were super busy. I wasn’t able to watch all of the conference talks (I missed the first one on Saturday and part of the first one on Sunday because of baptismal interviews). Of the talks that I did see, I enjoyed. I liked Elder Aidukaitis’s talk (he personally dubbed his talk in Portuguese) and that of President Monson about love. I’m looking forward to watching next conference because it will be the last thing I do in Brazil. Crazy, huh?

We had a couple of baptisms this week (see photos), and Elder A. and I are rocking it here in Canela. I love this area, and I hope I get to stay here for at least one more transfer.

I miss the family conference traditions. I think that I will miss the next one by two days, but nothing is permanent. Maybe I’ll make it home a little bit earlier. Who knows?

Well, I gotta send in the weekly report to the assistants, so I’m going to have to run. I love you all. Until next week!

Elder Morris

April 1, 2014

April 1, 2014

So, Elder A. was hit by a car yesterday and I’m currently with him here in the hospital. Blah, blah, blah. April fools!

All right, usually I would start this email saying something about the mission or baptisms or whatnot, but I will start by saying WHAT DA HECK? Boston is coming to Utah with the Doobies? And I’m going to miss the show by two months. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Sigh, major bummer. Send me some pics, I guess.

Anyway, mental breakdown to the side, I’m doing well. I like it here in Canela. We baptized again, next week we will go see the Parque do Caracol, and I’m coming up on my 18-month mark. So far so good. I’m still learning a lot from the ex AP, and I had forgotten how much better it is to live with four elders instead of two. I am liking this area a lot, and I hope I can stay here for at least another transfer. I have been moved around a lot recently.

This week we baptized the mother of the children we baptized last week. We got the week of excellence, and we already have people lined up to be baptized this week too. The branch president here is great, and he supports us in everything we do. The members give rides to our investigators, there are activities regularly in the ward, the members like us, etc. This might turn out to be one of my favorite areas. I’m already enjoying it quite a bit.

I saw all of the pics of my new niece. She looks like a beautiful bundle of pure joy. What day was she born? I’m totally jelly. Now everyone will forget about me for sure now that there is a new member in the family. Oh well. I guess I’ll just have to find someone else to baptize—not much else I can do, I suppose. Isn’t Emily’s honey bunches of oats coming soon too? Talk about trunky. It is weird how much is happening back home. It makes me feel like singing with Joe Walsh, “Everybody’s different, but I haven’t changed.”

So yesterday was the last day of the month of March and the mission had a goal of 209 baptisms for the month (which would be a record breaker for our mission). We closed Sunday with 206, which means we needed three more to get the goal. So yesterday Elder A. and I took off running all over the zone looking for people who had potential to be baptized so that we could interview them. We spent the whole day doing that (thus my lack of emailing) and, at the end of the day we ended up in the area Sao Fransisco de Paulo, where Elder D., my former zone leader from Novo Hamburger, is currently working. He had a few people who had potential, so we interviewed them and, after heading to a nearby river (see photos), we baptized them—all three of them, that’s right, three. You know, it kind of feels good being part of the team that saves the day.

Well, that is about it. I gotta go.

Love to all,

Elder Morris