September 13, 2011

Family! How goes it this week. Sorry again for not getting that letter sent last week, it's right here with this one. We just didn't have time to go to the mail. That's awesome Ross Summers got married. It sounds like all of Garland Valley is getting married haha. That's crazy the church is starting to plan for lock downs! They must know something that could happen in the future! Or just being prepared! They said the last Mission President talked really good and was nice. I love President Klein. He is way cool. I decided I don't want a motorcycle. I've seen so many wrecks here. They are awesome and I will ride the ones we have in the mountain but I want a car. When I arrived here I knew nothing about the mission, but now I know alot and know how it works and how the mission really is and I've realized I love it even more now than the idea I had before. So you know that trip to fingernail painting (mom note: it was actually pedicures) I've read the story several times. ha It's funny every letter I got told about it! That's awesome you fixed lunch for the missionaries and made things that they probably haven't had all the time. Here is watermelon season so practically every meal we eat watermelon! It's good but not as sweet as there, I don't think. But oh man we have a Sister here Nora Ney. She is our absolute favorite lunch! She makes meat, lasagna, salad of this fruit and then either asai juice or cashew. I love her cashew juice. It's so good. We have lunch there tomorrow. I'm excited. All the lunches though are pretty good. We don't have one that we stress about going to. So the photo plan that I came up with is as follows: I will take photos until my card is full then I will copy and burn those photos to a cd then I will send that memory card to you in a normal letter, then you copy and erase all the photos on the card and send it back to me. Then I will keep all the cd's with me and start over. Sounds good? Because e mail here is bad! We went and talked to the guy about ore's. It's going to be awesome. He is going to make it of the foto of Moroni praying and placing the plates in the hole. I think it will be cool. I hope he finishes in time. So one more time I will write Happy Birthday Jeremy and Anniversay Mom and Dad! I had so many people talk to me about September 11 here. It was an event that changed the world. I really felt sincerity when they talked about it. It was neat. But I think thats all for this week. Enjoy the photos that are taped in the planner! I Love You all! Elder Deakin
So I started a few weeks back studying the New Testament with a manual called The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. I Love it so much. It has opened my eyes up to so many things, but that is why my messages are from the Bible. Matt. 10:28 In this world there are many things that can hurt us, bikes, motorcycle wrecks, many things that can hurt our bodies, but Jesus doesn't warn us to be careful of these things for bodies can heal. Instead beware those that can kill the soul. The soul doesn't recover as easy. We need to be aware of spiritual blades that can cut and scar our soul leaving us "spotted" in the world.

September 5, 2011

Family, Hey how goes it this week. Everything is great here! So remember last week how that Elder left and his comp got transferred to another branch here in Itacoatiara, well this week was transfers and after packing up all his things and moving there he was only there for a week and now hes back, but I'm excited cuz he likes to go see things with me. So I really like my comp. He's realy good and helps me the best with my language. He doesn't always correct me if I'm really close like alot of the other Elders do. I fee like my language is good. I can talk really well with practically anything. It's tough at times but I get my point across. Today we don't have a lunch because there is some activity so they gave us money. It's nice. We can stay and study or go out and eat. It doesn't happen alot but when it does we usually eat hamburger and pocket the rest of the money. This last Saturday we had the wedding of Beto & Lucia. It was amazing. The members did everything. This couple is really poor. Their house is a wood shack as is alot of houses in our area, but it was awesome. It almost didn't happen because she wanted more (it was a moment of selfishness) but we convinced her how everyone helped her and how much everyone had done to help already. She was thankful. Then right after I got to baptize her. A wedding and a baptism in 1 day. It was a big day for that family and us. Also there was a party called facanni. It was apparantly really big! Had concerts and things to buy. I got a jersy. It's awesome. It has my name (last) air brushed on the back. With the arrival of the other Elders we got letters. I received 1 from Holly, 1 Grandma Deakin. (I cant ever tell who writes that one cuz it has so many different points of views), but 1 mom 1 Dusty. It was really good to hear from you all! But I will run this to the correios thau I Love You! Elder Deakin
I almost forgot the message! I hope you like them. Alright this message is two quotes
1. "It is not where you are but the direction in which you are going. Not how close to failure or success, but which way you are headed". I really like that because somebody could be right next to success but headed for failure.
2. Happiness comes from without and is dependant on circumstances, blessedness is an inward fountain of joy in the soul itself which no outward circumstance could seriously affect". This one is cool because he describes we don't want happiness in our life we want blessedness and with this comes happiness! I Love You all Tchau!

September 26, 2011 (written 8/28/11)

Family Hey hows it going this week? Great here. I received mail this week so that's really fun! Sounds like you all are staying really busy way up there on the other side of the hemisphere! So to start off I will write concerning your emails/letters. In your e mail you said I need to work on my spelling for baptism because I might have to write it down here. Funny thing is down here they speak portuguese so baPtism isn't even a word :) it's batismo ha. So I got a pretty good laugh at that! :) (mom note: he always spells it with a b and it drives me nuts but I am getting used to it now, I always correct it in these letters) (someday) About Northern Furniture I think you guys should move it next door too. I really think it could help the business alot! I don't really struggle with homesickness anymore. I miss you all alot but I know this is what I need to be doing and we are having alot of success so I need to just be happy! :) I love getting letters here. Its way funny. I received one from you guys that talks about setting up for the pageant then the next one talks about who won. So I get all the info in 1/4 the time haha. But tell me more about Clays mom in the monster truck. She jumped it and stuff or what? Next topic is food! For breakfast bread egg sandwich every morning, but this time I will try cereal, see if I can budget my money to start having that. But then for lunch we have rice, spaghetti noodles, sometimes with cheese and way better then usually a beef or chicken, but the other day we were really liking the beef and asked what it was Deer! So that was cool and new but yeah I haven't eaten nearly as much fruit as you would think, but the ones I have is acai, graviola, cupoasu, bananas. I ate a huge one. I will send fotos. It tasted like celery, inga, tomatoes, potatos, carrots, celery. So really not anything too crazy. But then for dinner bread egg sandwich again, but these last few nights we have been getting pizza froom this really rich member. Oh we also drink terere, it's lime juice drank through some stuff. It's way good! It's healthy for you too! Cleans your colon or something like that haha. Our investigators are awesome. We have 7 babtisms (he hasn't fixed it yet haha) for the next 5 weeks! Our investigator Lucia who will get married this Saturday (Oct 3) is helping find people and talking to alot. She is really helpful. One person she told us about we marked a date for babtism the first lesson! It was awesome. We are so blessed! We only have 1 man/family that we are teaching but men are so hard to find here! Nobody is here cuz there isn't any work. They all work in Manaus! But it's really cool. We started doing divisions this week so thats cool because I go with Fabiano, the guy you have talked to. Like I said we are working 2 areas right now. Itocoutiara (normal) & Pedra Pintada (new). Why do we have a new area 1 1/2 before the transfer? Because one of the missionaries that was here was "emergency transferred". President is cleaning the mission I guess. So now were alone in this house with 2 areas until next Tuesday (the next tansfer) It's cool, we pick the better of the two lunches and it's fun to know the other ward! They have really nice people. We even have a babtism Tuesday there! But when he left he left 1 hamick and a brasilian jersy so I got them both. The hamick is way nice to have here. So funny story I was on divisions with Fabiano and we contacted a reference and after I ran into a investigator and the Bishops daughter. They asked where DaCunha was and I said "nos estamos trabalhardo em dois Ramoms agora e ele esta em Ramo...Pinto? I forgot the name of the ward and that sentance translated to "were working in 2 areas and he is in...pinto is not too good of word. They were laughing so hard I was so embarrassed! But there is your laugh for the week. Spiritual message! This week I started studying the 4 gospels with a manual called The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles. It's so cool. I really look forward to my study time. It's so interesting. This next week I will take better notes on where I learned it but these are some cool points. -Emanual means God is with us. -Because of Mary, Jesus was a rightful heir to David's throne. -Joseph & Mary were cousins. -When the three wisemen went to Jesus he wasn't in the stable and wasn't a baby anymore. -John the baptist is 7 months older than Jesus. -While Herod was killing all kids 2 and under John the baptist was in the same city and his mom took him to the woods and his dad was killed because he wouldn't say where he was. -Jesus was tempted more than we would be able to live through. -God taught Jesus everything because if man did it would be corrupt. -This is my favorite. Remember when the Holy Ghost entered Jesus Christ he descended in the form of a dove. Really he descended in the form of man because that is what he is he can't change, but his descent was dove like! That's all for this week. I Love You all most! Tchau! Elder Deakin send more letters!!

September 9, 2011 (written 8?23/11)

Familia! Oi tudo bem? So how is everything going this week. I don't know what week it is for you cause this mail system is a joke. But how is it all? I think it's the week before school starts for Cambria & Tyrell! That exciting. When you get this I think you will be back from Park City! That's exciting. How was that? It's weird to talk about things in the future like they already happened. So this week was pretty good. Somehow I caught a cold in this heat so that wasn't very fun, but the week went by really quick so that's good. We have 5 baptism days set up for the next 4 weeks! We have been so blessed with amazing investigators. Our baptism Saturday fell through/kinda. I baptized him but his hand didn't go under, but water entered his mouth and he would not do it again. So that's a kinda crazy experience. We spent one hour talking with him but couldn't do it and I didn't want to force him like his mom was doing saying after this you can ride your bike. So he didn't really have a testimony. So for me I think it's better later on . He can get a testimony and try again. His mom wants the gospel so bad but her husband won't let her so thats sad. Then yesterday a man's wife in our branch died so we spent the last two days doing that. They bury them the very next day isn't that so crazy! Also they just put chairs around the room and the body in a casket with glass above the face, in the middle of the room! Weird. One of the sons got really upset and fell to the floor crying. He was 30. But it was way sad. The saddest thing out here is funerals. But this week we have our "wedding" kinda. They will enter this week and have the ceremony later. It's weird but awesome! The spiritual message for this letter is in D&C 63:7-10 and some people believe that they can only have faith or only join our religion after a great sign, even I out here a few weeks ago struggled with my testimony because I haven't had a grand sign to confirm it, but in the scriptures 2 Nefi (Nephi) 28:30 it says God works line upon line, precept upon precept. I don't need a grand sign I just need to believe in the little things and I do know that this Church is true because of these lines upon lines. So this week I saw the one motorcycle wreck with the ball I told you about in e mail. I woke up and heard screaming, I walked out to our porch right there was a wreck with alcohol and our Districts Presidents son was in a wreck. I saw his sores. Needless to say I no longer want a bike, only a car, safe car ha with 4 wheels for reassurance! So how is Chrys doing with her health? Also tell me more about Jared and Mickells wedding. How did that even come to be I didn't know they had/were friends and your story about your experience at the dentist mom is way funny haha. It made me laugh! (mom wasn't laughing) It's really good to hear that you guys (grandma) is still including Shay in things. Those memories will be good for her on her mission. I hope she is doing lots with Holly too. Way to feed the missionaries. Did you make snacks and treat them good? :) I'm so excited to hear what Elder Scott talked about. Also send me a copy of dads talk if you could. What's Jeremy doing in Idaho? Is that where he got a job? Close to what city? I hope you have a blast at the fair and Park City and all the other things you will do before this letter reaches you ha. I love how dad gives me the update on Boston. The other American Elder here loves Boston too ha. So that's fun. I want a letter from Cambria telling about tennis. Just work hard but HAVE FUN that's the key!! I love you all have a wonderful week. Tchau Elder Deakin Alright so my comp decided to write a letter too so quickly I will write a few more things. Last night we ate at a pizza joint and there was two sets of Americans there. We didn't dare talk to them because they were doing business stuff but it was weird to hear good english again haha. So I will explain a normal day in the life of Elder Deakin 6:30 Wake up, sit out on the porch until Elder DaCunha get up. 6:50 Running (I love to run it gets the blood going) 7:30 Eat breakfast, shower & start laundry (where I take two showers a day I do alot of laundry!) 8:30 Study D&C 9:00 Study Book of Mormon 9:30 Study Bible (New
Testament) 10:00 Companion study where we update to area book (I do, he didn't like to but he wants to use it more now that he sees the benefits) 11:00 Get ready for lunch and walk to the area 12:00 Lunch with a member (rice, beans, noodles, chicken, juice if were lucky, pop (guarana) Oh man I'm good with a fork & knife ha just like dad! (mom note: I have tried to break dad of that Brazilian habit. Now I have two of them, oh no ) 1:00 Language study. I help Elder DaCunha with english and vice versa. He wants to be a pilot so he has to have good english. Then for the rest of the day lessons and other things. Baptisms on Saturday night, Church on Sunday. That's a day in the life haha. But I think that's it for this week! I love you all.

September 6, 2011 written 8/18/11

Family, Just a quick note because my comp is writing a letter to his family so I decided I would hurry and write one too. So this week was awesome. I hated the first of it I was so so so!!! homesick but after receiving a blessing from Elder Da Cunha I felt a lot better. It's still really hard but I know this is where I'm supposed to be and I really do love it out here. So last Saturday I had the opportunity of giving my first baptism. It was an amazingly spiritualy experience. I felt so happy afterwards, kinda like I was being cleaned too ya know? It was amazing! And we have 5 dates marked for the next 4 weeks crazy huh!! I don't know why I struggle so much I'm so blessed!! I still have the craziest desires, ha I want to go to yellowstone and family. I don't know, I think its/well I know its I just want to go somewhere with you all. This would be alot easier if I could talk with you all and share the experiences and you could be here and witness it with me! But I'm being blessed. So how is life in Garland. How is everyones health? I have a stupid cold so thats not very fun! I don't know how I caught a cold when it's never below 80 ha. This next week is Zone Conference so I will have the opportunity to bear my testimony to my zone/district, all 8 of us. Thats when I wish I was in the City to get to know other Elders more! Then I would have more people to talk to, more friends and all that. So this letter will probably take forever to get to you. I don't understand why U.S. can send a letter 2 weeks but Brazil takes months! Why is it not the same distance? Does Brazil not know a shortcut? I don't know, it's stupid you guys aren't getting letters. I really hope you start soon! I love you all take care Tchau Elder Deakin Oh one last thing one of the best advice you have given me is just keep smiling...even when it's the fakeist it still helps so much to just keep smiling! :) so when your having a bad day just put on a smile :) So he's still not done so I will write more ha. So in the back of the portuguese bible there is spaces for notes but it doesn't have a topical guide so I borrowed a paper with alot of topics and wrote them all there. It's pretty cool now. I'm going to go through and mark the ones that I really like. So it's August you are probably getting ready to start school for Cambria and thinking about the trip to Park City! That sounds really fun. When I get back we need to go on a trip somewhere haha. I'm still undecided if I want you to come pick me up or not. Here in this area there really isn't anything to see. I think it would be cooler to return during the World Cup because the stadium would be done and there would be alot of things to do. But that's down the road a ways. I'm really excited for General Conference. You guys should go and I will try to spot you in the crowd! For the Fourth of July I saw President Kirkland. It was awesome. But one of my favorite things to study is the Liahona. It is full of wonderful stories that really help me! Oh scripture of the week. Alright so we will do two this week because I really like them both. 1. Matt. 10:16 talks about missionary work. I just remembered I used this last week so 2. Matt. 10:32-34 The first two 32-33 go well together. That we need to remember that we have a testimony and with that testimony we have a responsibility! Then in 34 comes the cannons ha. Our message as Latter Day Saints isn't to bring peace to those that are living without the goespel, not to tell them they are fine...it's to say arreppenda-se (repent)!! and open your eyes to the Lord for only if we change and live our lives with his teachings we will be saved!! This is my message :) I Love You All!

August 24, 2011 (written Aug. 8)

Family! Hey how's it going today!? Everything is great. Time is starting to fly by alot faster now that we have alot of investigators and lessons. Next Friday I will have been in the field 1 month! Wow, the homesick is getting better, still pretty tough in the mornings but when I start focusing on the work it all gets better. So this week we were supposed to have a baptism for Viviani but she wanted to postpone it. She called and we were like no way! Why, but after explanation we understand so we moved it to this Saturday. We have an investigator whose brother is a member and grandparents. We are teaching the two daughters and hopefully the dad this week. They are awesomelly accepting to the gospel. But one day we got a phone call from President Antamio (branch Pres.) saying that she could be possessed and for us to run over. We got all dressed and ran and then we almost were then President called and said its a medical issue. It's when they get seizures. I don't remember the name. So we were at a lunch at Brother Marios house and the daughters needed help with english, so I helped. I've taught alot of people some english especially Elder Douglas Da Cunha. That's my comps full name. So Saturday we were in Bairro da Paz for lunch so we started our fast out there and then yesterday (sunday) we had lunch there so two times walking to there on 1 fast (7 miles) When we got back Saturday night I had to drink a little water. I wasn't feeling good but I feel the Lord understood. It was 40 c Saturday! and the day before that like 42 o, 43 o. Hotttt! I knew it was going to be hot here but holy cow it is unbearable. So hot! I sweat so much! I'm down 2 kilos (4 pounds) I don't know why, I think I eat alot! Oh well, hopefully I don't lose too much more. (mom note: all the walking and sweating, I don't think he's going to be gaining too much) So we set 3 baptism dates this week so thats awesome and I think next week we will set 4 or more, but we need to do more contacting. We started making our contacts alot more simple so they don't take as long and we can talk to more people. So President was here Wednesday to bring our ZL & DL back from a leadership meeting. He asked me to do an example of teaching. I think he was impressed. So when I was walking to Bairro de Paz (our area really far away) and I saw a grasshopper 6" long. Huge, he got squished but was really big and bright green. I love the members here. They are so helpful and so involved in the work. Its crazy the difference. So your treats are here mom & I see why you only sit on the couch and eat bonbon's because they are way good! If only I knew I would've joined you haha (mom note: he is such a tease, but I always tell the family that's all I do everyday haha) So we had a fireside last Tuesday about working. He played a cool video called where good thoughts come from. Its some guy drawing a process of thoughts. You guys should look it up (it's in english). So you can tell Cambria to forget about the motorcycle and focus on the hardtop and to get dad involved to find one for the jeep, a good nice one! For cheap ha! You have 2 winters. I received one of your letters dated May 2010. It was funny. So how was Vegas? I will never miss another family trip! The mission teaches you alot of things that are important most and things that don't really matter. Last night me and Elder Da Cunha were talking about what we wanted to be and he really got me thinking. He has a great passion to be a pilot and he said yeah I know it's way hard but I can't live life knowing I didn't try. He made me question the eyedoctor and maybe think more of mechanical engineer. It's going to take alot of prayer and soul searching during the mission and after to get this figured out. So right now it 7:20 and I have sweat running down my face! Hot! You guys can't comprehend how hot it is here haha. But whats new with you all? Hows my jeep? How's out back? How's the artichoke plant? How's Chandlies new house? Tell me more, oh wait, I get nothing haha JK. I get mail more than I thought but it will be a while til I get more. We have no reason to go into Manaus I don't think. So I'm going to start sending a scripture or thought with each letter because I don't know what else to say ha. So this one is in Matthew 10:16 this is the "ninja" of the church and its talking about missionaries! I think it's awesome!! Share one with me. Also I'me sending this one none priority see how much longer it is. So I spent the morning cleaning the apartment waiting for everyone to wake up. So every morning I wake up @ 12:30 & 5:30 then 6:30. It's so weird! Everyday, every single one! It's crazy! How's the Brigham Temple coming? Do you have a date that it will be done? How's the grandparents? I write to Judy & Vern but I need to write one to Bob too, probably next week. I need to reply to Chrys. Maybe I'll just say thanks for the letters and keep them coming and you can pass that on for me haha. But p-days go by slow because we don't do much. I love staying busy then I don't think about you all too much (get home sick!) But it's good I Love you all. I love being a missionary. Miss you all! Tchau! Elder Deakin
One last cool thing that I just found in the scriptures. You know my plaque scripture..Matt. 5: 14-16 look at 3 Nefi (Nephi) 12:14-16 It's awesome. When I found it I really was excited!! I Love You all. Hae a wonderful week.