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Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Come on in, the water´s fine

Hey, yesterday was Bauru´s stupid b-day, and so being Brasil, everything shuts down. What´s the point of a holiday if everything you want to do is closed? There´s some things about this country that I cant stand, and other things that I love.

 

I´ve been having a crazy week for dreams. I´ve killed flying bat people with my pen, I´ve come home. I´ve drank Dr. Pepper. Ive done everything. The one dream that I had though about coming home scared me. I didnt want to. I was standing there in the shooting range with a rifle in my hands. And I remember thinking "Well, this is cool, but it´s not as cool as the mission." I woke up and realized that this thing will end, but I didnt want it to, ya know? I´m torn. One part of me wants to stay out here forever, and the other part wants to come home and get going with my life. Oh well, there´s a time and place for it all.

 

We baptised this week also. We found 2 people on friday, and baptized them on Sunday. At first the parents didnt want them to be baptized. So, they didnt let them go to church that Sunday. WHen we found out that they werent going to come, we grabbed a member and zoomed over to their house. We get there and say a quick but fervent prayer and then went in. I had a huge headache, but the Spirit was strong there, and the parents didnt have a problem. Now, the parents want to be baptized, and everyhting[s going great with the family. It was a miracle, and I havent stopped saying thanks since that day. We´ve got a TON of people lined up for baptism for the next week also, and the week after that. We´re going to try to just keep going and see what happens. Funny thing about the baptism - Elder Buttars fell down the stairs and got all wet. And then when he went to pull the plug, it didnt come out and he cut his finger on the wire. So - all of his baptismal clothing has these little red bloodstains, and it does NOT come out. If you dont get it out immediately, then you´re toast.

 

But this week was amazing. The Assistantes came and did a division with us for a few days, and I got to see one of my really good friends Elder Thiago. I love this kid to death. It was cool getting to see how he had progessed and everything since I last saw him a year ago.

 

It´s already August. That´s nuts. I´m not a fan of this whole "time-flying-faster-than-I-can-count" stuff.

 

I love you all. Sorry if I keep missing your emails or not responding. Everything is a blur now. It seems like I come to the internet place almost everyday to write you.

 

One more thing - I finished the Book of Mormon again. I love this book. It truly is a miracle. It´s just so simple, and there´s no way that anyone could chalk it up to Joseph Smith. He wasnt that smart. This book is true simply because everytime I read it, I feel the Spirit. How could God testify of a false book?

 

I love you all, and invite all of you to read from the scriptures daily. You will gain power to resist temptation, and you will find that everything flows better in your life. I can attest to this as I do the same thing and recieve the same blessings.

Elder Standard

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Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

One more week...

This week flew by. It was the fastest week in my life. I dont remember a thing, and I couldnt tell you anything about it. There was soooo much stuff that happened. On monday I talked to Miles, which was awesome. I´m so proud of him and cant wait to see him after the mish. Then on tuesday and wednesday there was a conferance which was awesome. I was with President and I recieved so many revelations for my area it´s amazing. So many good things are starting to happen in my area and I´m glad to be here. My comp is getting a little annoying, but I just try to understand that he´s new and hasnt had time to really learn a whole lot yet. Here in a couple of weeks there´s going to be transfers, and anything could happen. The zone leaders told me that I could be transfered, but Elder Machado has been here since he started, almost 6 months here in a couple of days. So, we´ll just wait and see. The coolest thing that happened this week is that we gave a blessing to a man who we´ve been teaching since I´ve been here. He has a problem with smoking and drinking and couldnt stop by himself. So, we gave him a blessing and yesterday when we took him to church he looked over at me and said "Hey, Standard, I dont have the desire to smoke anymore." I just sat there staring at him and and finally said "parabens cara!" Which translated would be "congratulations dude!". I knew that if we gave him that blessing he would be healed, but I knew it also depended on him. But, lo and behold it worked. We´re working on his whole family now, since that was the only thing holding them back.
 
We´re seeing a whole bunch of miracles happening here in this area, and the members are starting to take part in the work, which is REALLY going to help. 1 out of 1,000 that we find alone will be baptized, but 600 out of 1000 will be baptized if the members help us so we´re pumping up the members to help us alot here. I snagged a whole bunch of ideas from that conferance, and we´re already putting them into practice here and seeing results. My mindset has completely changed, and the only thing I think about now is the work. Literally every single moment is spent thinking about what I can do to conquer this area and help the Lord here.
 
Talking with Miles was awesome, and one of the first things he told me was that I talked with an accent and a little faster than normal, so that made me happy. I´m glad he´s doing good, and he´s only going to do better from now on.
 
I´m not worried about home anymore, or what´s gunna happen after the mission. I know that everything will work out for my good, and that the knowledge that I´ve gained out here will help me out in the "world". I´ve become at peace with everything, and some of the things that really used to bother me dont anymore. There´s been some huge changes in my life lately, and I know the Lord is here with me. He´s answered all of my prayers, and I´ve learned that He will continue to do that for me for as long as I live. I know that He lives, and that He knows me and loves me. There´s not any doubt anymore. Í know that He´s as much for ya´ll as He is for me, and I just want ya´ll to know that.

I love you all, and know that I´m praying for you all. Please do the right thing. Always. There´s so much happiness that can be had, and the only kind of peace that matters comes from God. Strive for these things and pray to the Lord God that He blesses you with these things.

 

Tchau,

Elder Standard

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Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

And lest Elder Standard should be exalted on high....

Hey folks, I´m sorry I havent written in a while. I´ve been super busy with everything, especially this week. We´ve had zone conferance, we´ve been doing a ton of divisions because of a WIA Missionary, and then I went to the hospital myself on Saturday. But, I´m back on top of the world, and the work is coming along great. Transfers are tomorrow, and my comp and I are staying. Elder Machado is an awesome Elder, and I´m glad to be working with him. He already knows soooooo much more than I did when I first started, so I dont have to worry too much, which is nice. But, the other two Elders in our house are leaving. Their area is closing and they´ll be moving to different areas. I´m glad and not. Glad, because now our house will stay cleaner and it wont have to be a battle to get a shower. But, on the other hand I love living with four missionarys. It´s alot of fun and I´ve done it just about my entire mission. During zone conferance I got to see my very first companion here on the mission, Elder Olsen. We were comps in the MTC, and then he got his visa and we havent seen each other since. So, a year later, we finally get to see each other. Plus, Elder Munk was with him, who is my brother from another mother. Literally, all of us had to have been really good friends before this life, because I literally feel joy just being around those cats. I got to see Elder Bower, my all time favorite companion, one more time because he´s assistant now and everytime I go to Londrina for something we always hang out.

 

This week was kinda hard, work wise. With everything going on and being sick and all that crap, but we´re chuggin along, and we´ve got some peeps lined up for baptism here soon. I´ll keep you updated.

 

One thing that I wanted to add is something I´ve been applying to myself alot recently. In the Book of Mormon we learn from Nephi that we should apply all scriptures to us, personally. So, I´ve been doing this alot lately, and it´s really been helping me out. One of the scriptures that really made a differance was II corinthians 12:7-10. I challenge all of you to do the same thing. It truly changes everything.

 

Angela, I´ve gotten your letters. I promise I will respond! I´m horrible with emails, and I´m even worse with hand written letters.

Ashley, I finally made that cake you sent. I ate most of it for breakfast.....That´s how we do it here in Brasil.

For all of you in Tomball, I got the Christmas letters. I appreciate it alot!

 

And for the rest of you -

 

I love you all. This work is true!!! I cant say it enough. The Book of Mormon is the word of God! This is the only true church on the face of the earth! That´s a pretty big thing to say, but I know it´s true because the Holy Ghost made it manifest to me. No power on earth can take this testimony away from me.

 

Elder Standard

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Gotta get that dirt off ya shoulders

Hey folks!

Just a quickie email, sorry I dont have time to write everything this
week, there was ALOT happen. But, I´m writing to let you know that I
will no longer be writing to everyone of you individually. In an
effort to be more obedient and to focus solely on the task at hand, I
will only be writing family members and the Mission President. I know
that through my efforts to do this I will help you more than the way I
have been doing it. I thank you all for your suppport and I love you
all. If you want to keep checking in on my weekly emails, you can go
to my blog, which I created before my mission for this very purpose.
Here is the link:
http://elderstandard.blogspot.com/

You can save it in your favorites (because I know you just LOVE to
read my emails) and voila, you are instantly plugged into the Elder
Standard pipeline.

I love you all, and I hope to see you after the mission.
Elder Standard
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Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

60% of the time it works everytime

Hey folks,

Today during personal study I was thinking about what I read in Jesus
The Christ about the pre-mortal council. I then pulled out my
patriarchal blessing and read and pondered. While I was thinking about
the pre-existance I thought about my choice to follow Christ. To
follow the plan of the Father. I have no clue what was said or how the
meeting was conducted, but I know that I chose to follow Christ. I
accepted to do that thousands of years ago, and it is my plan and
desire to do so now. Mate Standard will follow Christ. Before the
foundation of this world was laid I had already made my decision. I
knew the good, and I knew the bad. I dont know if I knew everything
perfectly, but I knew enough to make an everlasting and eternal
decision. I knew that this state would be tough, that it would be
almost impossibler to overcome. The stakes were so high that some of
us were not going to make it back to the presence of the Father.

But I chose anyway.

This, to me, is a testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ. That, in
spite of all the pain and the problems, of me constantly falling down,
that I would have a way to get back up. That I would have help and
strength beyond my own. That there would be someone bigger than all of
this to help me find my way back home. Jesus Christ is the way. The
Gospel is the way, and it was restored in our days by the prophet
Joseph Smith. Yes, I will follow Christ and do what the Saviour asks
of me. There will be no second-guessing, no what-ifs. I have made my
decision and nother under the heavens will remove me from my place.

All of you made the same decision that I made. Back before the dawn of
time. So, what are you going to do now? Are you going to continue with
your decision or will you change teams half-way through the game? On
one hand we have life, and the other death. Make the choice this very
instant, because we do not have the time to waste.

I love all of you, and I hope you choose the good part.
Elder Standard

--
Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

no subject

Hey folks, here I am, once again.

There was ALOT that happened this week. I almost cant believe that it
all got crammed into just seven days. So, here´s a quickie backstory -

Me and my comp got into, multiple times. One day I asked him straight
up what he didnt like about me and it all came out. After everything
that he said about me I couldnt work with him anymore. It wouldnt have
been good for our investigators or our area. We had to do divisions
and I went with another Elder in his area. Of course, Presidente was
called during all of this. It wasnt until a few days later that we got
a call from him. We did a conferance and it was just me and my comp
and President on the phone. Now, President just came from the Church
Educational System, so he knows the scriptures forwards and backwards.
So, the first thing President has me and my comp do is open the
scriptures. We do a mini scripture chase with President expounding on
all of it while we flip to more scriptures. After a couple of
scriptures I got so ashamed and afraid to flip to the next one. I knew
the Lord was guiding President and He was just burning us left and
right. That was one of the most humbling days I´ve ever had in my
entire life. Near the end of the phone call President promised to us
that we will become good friends. In my usual prideful manner I just
scoffed. I thought that there was NO way that we would ever be
friends, not after everything that was said. Even after all of the
scriptures I still didnt believe that it would happen. I was doubting
all the way until President asked each of us to pray. First my
companion Elder Alves prayed, and then me, and then finally President
prayed.

And here´s the miracle.

After we prayed, Prez asked for us to forgive one another and to start
over. To look past the others faults, the differences. I just felt
this feeling of peace come over, and that everything would be ok. I
still doubted a little, but after I got off the phone with President I
went and said another prayer. One of the most fervent prayers of my
life. Asking, no, pleading with my Heavenly Father to help me to do
this. I knew it wouldnt be easy, even after talking with President,
even after praying, and for this reason I needed alot of help. I
pleaded for strength, for humility, for guidance. After the prayer the
same feeling of peace came back to me, but stronger. Now, ya´ll
remember that scripture in John, when Jesus says that He will leave
His peace, and not the peace of the world? I experienced that peace.
The peace of God is unlike anything you´ve ever felt. Because you
KNOW, without a doubt, that everything will work out, regardless of
what happens. I could have been walking to the gallows at that moment
and I wouldnt have feared a thing. I KNOW that God lives. I KNOW that
He loves us. After that moment the only thing I wanted to do was ask
forgiveness from Elder Alves and just hug him.

And, that´s exactly what we did. After that moment I knew that
everything would work out, and that the Lord was watching out for us.
This happened on friday or saturday, I cant remember right now. And,
until now, we´ve been getting along great. We´ve been teaching some
awesome families, and we had a slew of peóple in the church yesterday.

So, here´s the lesson that I learned. Once again, humility is the key.
Prayer and fasting are two of the strongest tools that we have in our
arsenal. I promise you, right now, that you if are passing through a
trial, and if you want help, then to pray and fast. I promise you that
you will recieve help and strength. I´ve been awed and amazed this
week, in more than one way.

Sei que Deus vive. Sei que Ele nos ama, e que ele fica preocupado
conosco. Sei que quando nos temos problemas em nossas vidas, Ele está
lá. Por meio da Expiação de Cristo todos nos podemos vencer nos mesmo.
Há realmente uma maneira de fortelecer-se. Há uma maneira de voltar à
presença de nosso Pai. Cristo é esta maneira. Ele é o caminho. Só por
meio Dele que nos podemos ter felicidade em nossas vidas, e, mais do
que só felicidade, mas alegria. Podemos ter paz, podemos ter a paz que
vem por meio do Espirito Santo. Esta paz que trancende qual quer outra
coisa no mundo. Sei que estas coisas são verdadeiras. Sei porque estou
vendo com meus própios olhos. Eu não posso negar as coisas que estou
vendo. Em nome de Jesus Cristo, ámem.

Elder Standard

Missão Brasil Londrina
Av. Higienópolis 1100 sala 61
Londrina, PR
CEP:86020-911

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.