It´s the Catalina Wine Mixer!

Hey folks! like always, I dont have alot of time today, since I was transfered out of nowhere! We recieved the call that I was being transfered on Sunday before church, so as soon as church was over I had to pack, say good bye to members and invesigators and then it was off to Londrina. I´m serving in the city, and it´s so different than the country. There in Jacare I could look around and know I was in Brasil, but here in Londrina, it feels like Houston. There´s a Wal-Mart, a Mcdonalds, Pizza hut. My new comp is Elder Rodriguez. He´s from California, and he´s cool so far. We like pretty much all of the same things, so at least we shouldnt be butting heads about the fact that Madonna sucks. I´m staying with the zone leaders in this little tiny house, which makes me happy. It´s a good setup, and with the zl´s always around we´ll have some help. We´re splitting an area with them, and we´re still getting everything squared away right now. So far, I love Londrina, I love the members, and we´ve got a TON of people to teach. Yesterday I went on splits with one of the ZL´s to teach this one woman. We had a member come with us, and after we got done with the lesson, her daughter comes home. To make a long story short, she sings and plays the guitar in a band that plays music very similar to one of my favorite artists, Cat Power (you should look her up, she´s awesome. I recomend "The Greatest"). So, the requirements for "Wife:Celestial type" just got a little more stringent. I have got to have a wife that sings. I dont know why I´m telling you this, other than maybe there´s some lucky lady out there that just might stumble on my blog and see my picture...

 

But on to the Good Stuff.

 

We went around finding all of the inactive members yesterday. A popular excuse here in Londrina is "they moved" or, "I dont live here, I live in a completely different state". Everybody said that yesterday. But, we found this one chick, who is sooo cool. Her name is Luciana, and she was baptized about 3 years ago. She hasnt been to church a whole bunch for certain reasons, but she was so receptive. She remebered everything about what we were talking about, and she´s going to start coming back to church. At the end, she even offered to pray, which suprised me and Elder Rodriguez. I know it dosent sound special to other people, but it´s extremely rare that someone actually offers to pray, and then prays for the Elders while they´re at it. Seriously, Londrina is like Heaven compared to Jacarezinho. But! I´m grateful for the opportunity to learn what a..... not as good area is so I can value a good area. When the Branch President of Jac. found out I was leaving and a new Elder was coming, the first thing he asked Elder Barbosa is "Does he speak better than Elder Standard?" And then, when I´m having lunch with the members here, they percieved very quickly that I wasnt the worlds best at portuguese, but they were so patient. "Dont worry about it, you´ll learn here" was what the said. I know this stuff seems simple, but it makes me so happy. I´m easy to please now. Honestly. Back home, a new gun, or 1000 rounds of ammo, and I´d be happy. Dude, here, give me some new socks. Give me a Twix (they dont have them everywhere here) and I´m happy. I´m not anywhere close to where I want to be as a person yet, but I´m happy of the steps that I´m making. Most of the stuff back that I did back home, it dosent excite me like it used to. Maybe that´ll change when I return, but it´s a friggin blessing right now. Thanks for all of the emails so far. Thanks for all of the help. I love you all. The Gospel is true, It´s been restored! We have a Prophet today that talks with God, so we dont have to worry about the future. That is such a blessing. When the rest of the world is freaking out about the future, we can remain faithful and calm for what lies ahead. God loves us, and He cares for each and every one of you. The Book of Mormon is true. I just got done reading it again, and I promise you in the name Christ that it´s true. I know these things to be true by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

 

Stay Classy,

Elder Standard

 

 

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Message about packages

From the secretaries -

 

 

"The packages are getting taxed. Tell the people sending the packages that the value of the things inside has to be less than $50. Any package with a value more that $50 will be taxed 60%."

 

If anyone is sending a package, dont be completely forthcoming on the value of everything inside.

 

Elder Standard

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Pics

8836 - is a pic of me and Elder Gunnell. Me and the LD went on splits that day in a city called Marilia. Elder Gunnell was in my district in the MTC. Out of the entire city, which consists of about 100,000 people, our two companionships happened upon each other at the same corner. What are the odds (So what was all that one in a million talk?)

 

8828- One of the members here was moving their store to another location, and we helped them. They needed some concrete broken up, and so this is a pic of me breaking concrete up. How I longed for the days of that Milwaukee jackhammer of Dad´s. This is a pic of my better side.

 

8830- No good dead goes unpunished. I was hopping over a ledge to close the gate to our residence for one of the girls that lives here (easy folks, she´s ugly) when I slipped and fell over the ledge. Nobody saw anything happen, so I continued to close the gate, take the long way around and came home to cry in the corner.

 

8832 - Now 20% more Snob!

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I´m just worried about your salvation and stuff...

Hey folks, hope you got your runnin shoes on, because I´ve got alot of ground to cover and not much time (like always). This week was interesting. The week before we had interviews with the President and I told him that I wanted him to look at our numbers, because I was going to give it everything I had, literally. So, the week comes and goes, and I´m just busting my butt to get stuff done. And, lo and behold, this was the WORST week number wise. I think I got better numbers back in Gerogia. Go figure. So, the one week where I talk big and have the Pres look at our numbers, is the one week where everything went wrong. Elder Barbosa´s Asthma started acting up, and so we couldnt do a whole lot. Then, he catches something else and gets sick. Murphy´s law was in full effect last week. But, I learned something very important - Doing your best isnt about numbers. I learned alot, and I knew that whatever happened, I had done my best, and the fault is not mine. It´s just the way things go sometimes.

 

Another thing that´s been happening lately is realizing that I´m here in Brasil. We´ll be walking down the street, and I´ll just stop and think to myself - "Holy crap, I´m in Brasil". You´d think I´d be a little more aware of that, since, ya know, I´m in Brasil and all I do is speak portuguese. But this feels like home now, and sometimes I just get complacent. Riding the bus around, looking out the window, and in some places you´d think you were in Tyler, Texas. Turn the corner and you think you´re in the Amazon. This really hit me two days ago. I was reading the conference edition of the Liahona and I just got done with Elder Richard G. Scott´s talk. I paused, looked at the page, and realized, "holy crap, I just read an entire talk in portuguese". And folks, I didnt just read it, I actually understood enough of it to glean something useful. Just 5 months ago, I was holding the Livro de Mórmon in my hands, and trying to read it, understanding nothing. Now, I´m plowing through the Livro de Mórmon, Gospel principles, and others.

 

I can hardly say what I want to in english, and now, I´m teaching people what their purpose here on the earth is in portuguese!

 

When people ask me how long I´ve been studying portuguese, they think 5-6 years. Then, when I tell them I´ve got about 5 months, they dont believe me. People that have been studying english for 8 years are suprised that I can speak as well I as can for the miniscule amount of time that I have. Dude, seriously, it´s nothing of myself. I give full credit to Heavenly Father. If anyone needs further proof that not only God lives, but that this is His church, and His work, then this is one more drop in the bucket. What do I do to study? I read books. I talk to people in the street. It´s nothing special. It wasnt a $400 program that Nasa uses. I read a book, that we hand out for free to people.

 

I know that I literally can do anything with the help of Heavenly Father. I know that if I humble myself, and have faith, I can literally do anything. In fact, I think humility is the key to almost everything. If you are humble, you can be taught. You can be instructed. Otherwise, if you try to do everything with your own power, you will plateau. You can do alot of things under your own power, but there will come a point where you can do no more. And that is where you will need help. Divine help. It´s like climbing the mountain and reaching the top is only half the journey. For the other half, you need wings.

 

----------------------

 

 

And now, for something completely different -

 

Have I ever said how much I love Texas?

 

Seriously, it´s the best state ever. And I´ll tell you why. Here in a couple of weeks, Jacarezinho, Brasil, will be having a Texas fest.

 

Here, I´ll say that one more time - Here in a couple of weeks, Jacarezinho, Brasil, will be having a Texas fest.

 

I´ll give you some background:

Jacarezinho is a tiny little town, nestled in the hills of B.F.E, Brasil. Where the only people that know about it, are the people that live here. Notwithstanding, they will have a festival to honor and celebrate the awesomeness that is Texas. You never hear about Illinois. Kentucky. Iowa. It´s always Texas. You here alot of New York, but who´s got the festival coming up? Eh?

 

It aint California folks!

 

So yes, there will be pictures, there will be shirts bought. There will be had a merry time by all. Because everyone will be united in the same thing, bowing down to the splendor of Texas. The Texan spirit has reached even that of southen Brasil.

 

So, that´s all for this week.

 

Check yo´self,

Elder Standard

 

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And beneath the man, we find his..nucleus..

Whaddup homies, I dont have alot of time to write today. Elder Lima got transfered out of nowhere, so I´m chillin here in Ourinhos with Elder Santana. We both have the same amount of time, but he´s brazilian, so he can kinda speak portugues ;P We taught a lesson last night, after getting lost. Ourinhos is a quase big town, about 100,000 people, and Elder Santana only has 12 days in the city, so we took some unplanned detours along the way. It was friggin cold too, nossa it was cold. I didnt know that I was going to be staying with Santana for the night, so I didnt bring anything. All I had was my scriptures. So yes, people, the Gospel is the most important thing in the world, but cold weather gear is nice too. Anyways, for the lesson, everything just flowed. I´ve been studying/praying hardcore for the language to come. I´ve given up on english, and it´s only portugues from here on out. Ít´s so awe-

 

Oi, this just in - I just found out who my new comp will be - Elder Barbosa. Now, if I could only find Keira Knightley I´d be set....

Back to your regularly scheduled program -

 

-some because I can see the Lord´s hand in helping me with the language. I´m showing desire, and He´s answering in kind. People, I know that God Lives, and that He is our Heavenly Father. He cares about us, and what happens to us. I know He is there, watching over every single one of you. It will always be amazing to be how the Creator of the Universe knows every single one of us by name, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. I dont want anyone to worry about my down here in Brasil. I´m being taken care of. I want for nothing. Thanks again for all that you´ve done for me, I love you all. I might get to write later, but if not, God be with you till we meet again.

 

Elder Standard

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Break the wrist, walk away

I just want to express myself through the art of dance, Mike.

 

So in about 4 days, I will hit my first landmark on the missionary timeline - 6 months. I´ve already got the tie picked out to burn and everything. I cant believe it´s already here, and time is slipping through my hands faster than I can comprehend. I waited my entire life for these 2 years, and I´m already a quarter of the way done! It´s unreal. I´m glad I at least get 2 years, instead of a year and a half like the Seesters. This week was crazy. I seriously have never used my legs this much in my life. Between soccer, walking everywhere, and learning how to dance last night (rule book dont say nothing bout dancin!). Seriously, if we´re not playing soccer with an actual ball, it´s the rocks in the street, or a coconut that fell from a tree, or some kinda trash. The goal is to kick it through your comps legs when he takes a step. I think Miles played something similar, but I´m not sure. And then, the fact that we walk everywhere. This is one of the things that I love about Brasil. Even if people have a car, they´ll still walk. There´s hardly any fat people down here, because of this. So, our little city of Jacarezinho is full of hills. It´s seriously uphill both ways (back in my day..). So, by the time Í come home, I should have a nice little keester, and a nice pair of legs. In the next package I get I need someone to send a pedometer so I can see how many miles we walk a day. And, to top it all off, I learned how to dance Forro last night (pron Foho). The church asked Elder Lima to help teach because that type of dance was created in the section of the country he´s from. Turn´s out he´s actually really good, and he´s a good teacher too, so that helped. Since I cant touch girls, I had a guy partner - easy folks, it´s only gay if you make eye contact ;) - a 15 yr old kid named Gustava (we call him Gu-Gu). So yeah, by the time we were done, my calves were friggin burnin, and then we had to walk the 2 miles (uphill) back to the apartment. I was friggin wore out.

 

 

My mother gave it to me before she died. It was her lucky machete. You can have it.

 

That same day something happened that I´ll never forget. Earlier in the day, we stopped at a members house to get some water. We had been working in the area, and our apointment fell through. So after we got the water we were chillin for a few minutes in the front yard talking to the wife, because the entire family is a member except for her. So there we were, in the front yard, when the Rurais bus goes by and drops off the workers. Rurais is a company that makes sugar cane, and they´ve got alot of sugar cane fields where we are, and alot of the people that live in Jacarezinho work for Rurais. So it was nothin special when it went by, other than the fact that it kicked up alot of dust. Next thing I know this big black guy is coming up to us. He had obviously been drinking, and he was 4 sheets to the wind by the time he got to us. He comes right up to me, and starts talking. He talked real slow, so I was able to understand him. We talked for a few seconds, and then he moves onto Elder Lima. They talk for a few seconds, and then he turns back to me. He makes out like he´s going to leave, so I offer him my hand. He takes it, and just keeps holding on. Most people here in Brasil give you the dead fish, but this dude had a death grip on my hand, and he´s just staring at me. He´s still got his machete in his left hand, and I´m thinking about what I´m gunna do if he goes ape-snit and starts swinging. Now for the ladies, I´ll give you some background. There´s an unofficial amount of time that a hand shake is supposed to last between men. It´s usually around 2.67 seconds and then the shake is over. This is universal, or so I thought. So there we are, locked hands, and so I give him the "ok, handshake´s over pal" squeeze. He´s still hanging on. I´m lost at this point. Next thing I know, he drops the machete and cradles my arm that he´s holding like a teddy bear. He just breaks down at this point. He starts to weep, and pulls me in for a hug. I´m 6´1" and this dude´s gotta be 6´4", and when he wraps his arm around me, his armpit is right under my nose. Keep in mind this dude had been working in the sugar cane fields all day and smelt like a bar. I felt like Edward Norton in Fight Club when Meatloaf pulls him in for a hug, and he´s just smothered (it´s ok Cornelius, you can cry). We do this for what felt like an eternity, and then he releases me. He continues to stare at me, and then he says "when I look in your eyes, I see Jesus". My first thought was "Yeah, you´ve had way too much to drink". He then pulls me back in for a hug, a little shorter this time, and then he takes off. Elder Lima told me this is the life of a Missionary, and that kinda stuff happens all the time. Yay. Alcohol is bad folks, mmmkay?

 

This week was also a benchmark for another reason. I realized my nothingness. It was during a lesson, and Elder Lima was teaching. This dude´s a pro, he´s like a one-man army, like Charlton Heston in "Omega Man." You ever see it? Beauty...

 

Anyways, so the thought came to me "ya know, he would probably do better teaching without me." And I realized that Elder Lima didnt need me, like I needed him. And, then another thought came to me, God dosent really need me, like I need Him. But, He knows that this will help me more than anything I could ever do, so He´s giving me this chance. It´s just like all of the commandments and the laws that He´s given us. It´s not because God likes robots that cant have any fun, it´s because He knows what the consquences would be if we didnt follow them. Like it says in 2 Nefi 26:24 - He doeth not anything, save it be for the benefit of the world; for He loveth the world. People think that Latter day Saints cant have any fun because of all of the "restrictions" that we have. Are you serious? How backwards is this? You cant seem to have fun without drinking, drugs, and sex. Three things! You only have three things! I´ve got the rest of the world!

 

Anyways folks, I´m outtie for this week.

 

Eu amo ya´ll,

Elder Standard

 

You dont have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a Body.

C.S. Lewis

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My name is Elder Standard, and I approve this message

Whaddup folks! This is going out to everyone on the list, I want to see how everyone´s Mother´s day was. Elderes, Sisteres, Family, Friends, let me know!

 

It is friggin cold here (I can hear Miles laughing from here), and it´s hard for my hands to type these letters right now, but I´m sure I´ll manage. This week has been a roller coaster, ups and downs, and it was over before I knew it. It´s already Pday again, and I´m sitting here thinking about what I want to say to you. So, for starters - I love you, and I am grateful for everything that you´ve done for me. If you´re reading this it´s because you´ve changed my life in some way, and I wanted to continue talking to you. I am so grateful for the blessings that I´ve recieved in my family, my friends, my leaders, and my fellow missionaries. I dont know why I´ve been blessed so much, and the only thing I can come up with is because I´m supposed to help others, where much is given much is required and all that. I´ve been so blessed to be a member of the only true church on the face of the earth. To have this knowledge, that God has called another Prophet, just like He´s always done (amos 3:7), to lead and guide us. Because God is our Heavenly Father, and He loves us. He cares about us just as much as He cared about the people in ancient times. I cant understand why people would think that He would be any different now than He´s always been. They all know that He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Yet they shake their heads when we tell them that He has once again reached out to His children, and restored the sacred ordinances of Baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and others. Because without these ordinances, we cannot return to live with Him (John 3:5). People even get mad at us, people throw stuff at us on the street, spit on us, because we teach the truth. But, I guess I´m in good company, because not only has every other Apostle, every other Prophet, felt what it´s like, but the Son Of God Himself was rejected also for teaching the truth. I dont understand it. In a talk I heard from Elder Holland in the MTC he said that I will ask myself why this has to be so hard. This is the truth, we have the truth, and you´d think people would be knocking our doors to hear about it. God has called another Prophet in our day! The saving ordinances of the Gospel have been restored! We can return home to live with our Heavenly Father! And that´s not all! He´s given us soooo many tools to help us. The Book Of Mormon, which works with the Bible to create one powerful testimony of Jesus Christ, has been brought to pass to help us understand more about God, and Jesus Christ. We even tell people "Hey, dont take our word for it, ask God if what we´re saying is true, and He will answer you." Ask yourself, right now, what kind of church will teach you about something, and then tell you to pray to God if it´s true. Who else does this? Why do we do it? Because we are the true Church of Jesus Christ.

 

And yet, people dont want it. I seriously dont get it. Eternal Joy, eternal progression, eternal families are what´s promised. People can be happier than they´ve ever been, and it´s free! You dont have to pay a single dollar. In fact, we´ll even come to you. Kids, who are just starting their lives, are giving it all up, to come and teach you. I gave up everything I loved, and if you knew me, you knew how hard it was for me to do that. I gave up everything to come to Brasil, and to teach as many people as I can. If you knew me, you knew I loved three things -

 

Girls (nuff said)

Guns (I slightly prefer guns to girls because they only make noise when you want them to, and you can buy silencers when they get too loud)

Music (Norma Jean, Tool, City and Colour, Deftones, Cat Power, and others)

 

And out here, I cant flirt with girls, I cant even touch guns, and I cant listen to music. I always had music, driving, chilling, working, whatever. I always had a gun on me to, and here, I cant even carry a knife. The girls here are GORGEOUS and I cant even talk to them. Why did I do this? I even paid money to do this. I gave it all up because I know it´s true. I came out on a mission later than most, I fought real hard to be here. Some of my leaders back home had given up on me, but I never lost sight. I knew what I needed to do, and it was going to take everything that I had to make it. And the battle isnt over, it´s still raging. But I know why I´m here. I know why I´m in Brasil. I´m here because my brothers and sisters, who, having never met them, I love. I love them with all of my heart, and I would do anything for them. I want them to have the same blessings that I enjoy, and more. I know that through the Atonement (sacrifice) of Jesus Christ we can be healed of anything that´s ever happened to us. I know, personally, that Christ is our Saviour, He is our Redeemer, and His sacrifice is real. His grace is sufficient for all weaknesses. This is my message to the world. It all comes back to Jesus Christ. Everything comes back to Christ. Everything comes back to His Gospel, His sacrifice. It´s not about Mormons VS. (insert apostasy church here). It´s about right and wrong. It´s about Good vs. Evil. All this help we´ve been given, prophets, families, scriptures, it´s all here to help us accept that Jesus Christ is our Saviour. The Prophets have authority to administer the ordinances of the Gospel which help us to not only return to our Heavenly Father, but the Atonement of Jesus Christ can heal everything. Families help teach the Gospel, through the scriptures we learn more about who He was, and what His purpose is. Luke 4:18 is probably my favorite scripture out of the entire new testament. Just some background, Jesus is reading from the book of Isaiah -

 

 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

 

This is Jesus Christ´ purpose. Why did He do this? Well here´s what Alma 7:11-13 says about it -

 

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

  12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

 

(emphasis mine)

 

He did this so that He can succor His people according to their infirmities. What does the word succor mean? To run to someone´s aid. Because He took upon Himself my sins, your sins, and everyone else´s sins that´s ever lived, will live, or is living, He knows how to help us. How to heal us. When someone hurts us, or when we hurt someone else, it dosent have to remain. It dosent have to be brought up again for the 1000th time, it can be washed away, and according to ezekiel 18:21-22 they wont even be mentioned! What a blessing! All of the stuff that I´m ashamed I did, that I wish I´d never done, wont even be mentioned if I repent, and turn to the Lord.

 

This is why I´m here in Brasil. This is why I gave up everything that I loved. To let others know of this knowledge. That we can be freed from our sins. They can be washed away. We dont have to hang onto them, we dont have to feel the shame and the guilt of a past mistake if we repent. It dosent matter what you´ve done, because He´s already suffered for it. in Only our Church can offer this, because only our Church has the proper Priesthood authority to administer the ordinances of the Gospel. This is why I wear a tie everyday, this is why I can deal with rocks being thrown at me, because I know it´s true. I promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that it´s true. And the only thing you have to do to know is to pray directly to God, your Heavenly Father, if these things are true. I know that He will answer you. Because He loves us, and He wants to us to follow the path back to Him. He will not lead you astray. The way is prepared, the help is there, it just depends on you if you accept it.

 

I testify that these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Standard

 

 

 

 

 

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