February 6, 2012
Griswalds!  So this letter I will only talk about 3 things.  The members, the area and my comp.  But lets start with the comp.  So his name is Andre Santi, he is from Argentina.  This part was easy to learn.  The hard was his mom is fighting cancer and last week he got to call home because she was having a surgery.  She's almost beat it, but the surgery got postponed because they didn't have an anathesiologist (the shot guy ha), but he is super cool.  His accent is pretty funny argen. doesn't use their mouth to talk so his pronuynciation is funny, but I'm learning spanish also now. haha.  It's really close but the area here is really cool.  Full of mud, trees and brick roads.  It really is way beautiful.  Full of trees but rains every day.  We walk with umbrellas even if we don't see 1 could because it will rain.  The man that lives below us is a story to share after the mission ha.  So they go and steal a cow and bring it back to cut it behind our house haha.  But he is really nice!  But now for the members they are great.  We get fed so much I'm gaining weight!  But they really are nice and care about us like in Itacoatiara, but not Manaus ha.  All in all I'm really loving this rea and really loving the work.  We struggle finding men and that is always our focus, but if we find a woman or anybody that asks to be baptised, we baptise ha!  But I hope all is well and the message today is Ether 2:23  Jesus asks what do you want that I do?  We have to propose solutions to Christ if we expect him to solve them.  I started the Book of Mormon again.  We hae to read it before July so see if you can beat me this time!  Tchau!  Elder Deakin 

January 30, 2012
Family!  Hey!  How goes it?  Just got done talking to you guys (e mail) and w/dad the interenet seemed to be really slow and with mom the store seems to be doing well!  But this week was alright, kinda slow but good!  The area is really hard, starting to die right down to nothing but Bishops starting to wake the members up. but this week we have our first wedding!  Woot!  Finally after so much work we can have a little reward!  But me & my comp get along well.  But yeah, were out of money again we do too much towards the front and at the end we dont have much ha.  We never pass hungry, just not luxury ha.  But to respond to the weeks letter, Cambria congrats on the green hand.  I loved FFA.  I thought it was way fun and regret not taking more from them!  But really this week was nothing special.  1 more week in the field.  I got 10 months now and doing great, also got a letter from Holly w/fotos from Parker & Dereks missions.  Made me kinda miss a cold mission, but I'm here in the forest so can't complain ha.  But that's it for this week.  I hope all is great and spiritual message!  Alright so this message is from the History of the Church that I'm studying.  Elder Patten was the first apostle martyred in this dispensation.  He was known to Joseph as wanting to die as a myrter and in the Mormon War he received his wish and later at his funeral the prophet said "very emotional and great thoughfully said "to Elder Patten's body when a man with your faith asks something of the Lord he generally gives it."    
I don't really know what you can apply with that but I really love the story.  I think it shows alot of Joseph and those apostles but I hope you all have a wonderful week!  Tchau!  Elder Deakin 
p.s.  Do we want Mitt to win?  Is he good or what is he saying about changes

January 24, 2012
Family!  Well this week was just 1 more week, nothing exciting happened.  We did have one young man show up in Church so that was cool.  He is a musician for another church but he's interested in learning, so it was cool to have him there.  This area is really hard!  The only thing that can really make it better is if the members step up, otherwise nothing more will happen so lets see! (mom note:  do our Elders feel this way about us in Utah?) We got cussed by our Bishop's wife for calling a lady that wasn't the Relief Society President to help with our weddings.  We have to call those people we know will help!  But this lady called the Bishop's wife to ask to help and the Bishop's wife said I cant your not the person that can ask it has to be the Pres.!  AHHH!  Stop being Dumb!  When SOMEONE Asks for Help...HELP!! (mom note:  we could probably all learn from this experience)  Well, that all my frustrating problems for the week ha, so until next week enjoy these mini reais!  Tchau love you all!  Elder Deakin

January 16, 2012
Family!  Sorry it took so long to write (ya mom apologizes for taking so long to blog again!), but I'll be better again, but these last two weeks were good.  The work is unending w/very small signs of progress.   Except for our dates we have marked were not having any more success.  Knock knock knock but nothing...but were still going strong!  So exciting experiences my rain jacket got stolen Sunday in church!  So that was awesome!  I hope it turns up this Sunday but my hopes are slim!  Things with my comp are going really good.  We have worked out all the bumps and now its just work!  So last Sunday I had the opportunity-challenge to translate for a german millionaire from a mix of english/spanish to portugues.  He is trying to get the member to work with him.  It was super confusing because I didn't know anything that was going on.  I told them I don't want anything to do, I will just translate but it was a neat experience.  But really there hasn't been anything new that happened, nothing exciting just alot of no's.  But oh, I started a new study its using "the history of the church in the fullest of times".  This manual is really cool!  It's full of crazy things that happened in the first of the church!  Like one is the very first time Brigham Young met Pres. Joseph Smith.  Young gave the prayer in the meeting and Young started to talk in another language.  Joseph prophesied that Brigham will be Prophet!  Crazy!  But nothing more for this week.  Take Care.  I Love You!  Tchau!  Elder Deakin

January 4, 2012

Family Hey so this letter will be the first for a while because it was Christmas and New Years and I really didn't have any time so sorry, but your reading this one so I won't miss another week for a while now! So starting with before Christmas we had our Christmas party where we went to Centro Instrucao de guirrada selva (instruction center for forrest warfare). So President related alot of their trainings for us but we got to take a 20 min. jungle walk then ate really good food and ate fruit and juices. Then we got to dig out larva from a branch and eat that haha. I almost lost it! It was bad but then we got to attempt to grab snakes, but one kid in my group was a girl and didn't do it, but wasted so much time that I didn't get to so yeah, I was mad. But oh well. Then Christmas was fun. We went to the church and saw that someone already deleted skype so that wasn't good, so it went well but was full of stress haha. Then one week passed by and it was New Years which I can't believe I'm in the last week of this transfer, holy cow! That passed by so fast! So if I'm transferred I'll explain how the house is. We have 2 rooms for sleeping, 1 entrance room, 1 dirty kitchen/wash room and 1 bathroom and 1 ironing room, but we don't have beds so we sleep on a mattress on the floor ha woot experiences haha. So I got alot of stuff for Christmas. I received 2 from mom and dad, 1 from Chan, 1 from Holly which was way nice of her. The k'nex was super fun and I've already done Chan's puzzle. It took 10 min. haha, but it was fun. (mom says: she didn't send a picture so it would be harder, obviously that didn't work) I got the wood puzzle all figured out too haha, but it was fun! Alright, so I keep forgetting how to do it haha, so it's continually fun haha. A good toy for short term memory people ha. So as I told you I finished the Book of Mormon before Christmas so it was like 6 months I think. So at the Christmas activity I found out that one of our people in Itacoatiara who returned to the church was called 2nd Counselor to the President! So that's cool! To pronounce Itacoatiara say it like It-a-co-watch-e-a-da try that, I think you should get it now. (Mom's note: when we were skyping I said something about that city and he didn't have a clue what I was saying until finally I said the first city you were in then he said Oh, so that is why he is giving me a lesson on how to say it)haha So right now we have 3 weddings planned and 4 dates marked but we have one more potential wedding and baptism so were being blessed right now. Were working hard, but you have to. Oh about the buzz fliers you got me "he doesn't fly he falls in style"! haha So at lunch the other day had a chance to try the inside fat part to the bone of a cow foot, was called tuterio and man was that really bad! I really almost lost it that time! But all in all the area is good, the comps always there by me and the suns close to keep us tan! I love you all, have a wonderful week! Elder Deakin D&C 135:3 Joseph Smith's the Man! Jacob 1:12 Though this scripture is short and undetailed we can remember one trait about the glorious, strong, brave, valiant, righteous, Prophet Nephi...that he too was just a man, like us, therefore we too can perform miracles and be like him.

December 25, 2011

Familia! Merry Christmas! Hey how goes it this week? So....transfers! It's old news but I will be transfered to Zona Central (where the mission home is, where da Cunha got transferred to). So I am pretty sad I have to leave this town, but it's cool to see a new area! So as I'm leaving, the whole town is throwing me lanches w/cake and food. Sorry this letter is short today, I'm super busy getting this package sent! Have a great day. I Love You all! Oh also Merry Christmas!!

Garland 4th Ward! I hope you all are enjoying this cold Christmas season. I'm enjoying this hot Christmas weather! You all might not enjoy the snow 100% but it's not Christmas without it! I would also like to thank you for all the letters and especially all the prayers for the missionaries. This work isn't possible w/o the help and the prayers of all the members. Also like to thank you all for the help and teachings you have given me in my life. Each member/leader has made a significant impact on my life and I thank you all for that! And with the Christmas season here I would like to challenge you all to read the Christmas story in the Bible and learn more about our Savior that we have designated a day for. Remember the true meaning of Christmas. Help those who stand in need of help. With each new ward/branch I enter I can see those members who truly are disciples of Christ, testifying of Him in their actions, and I know that each of you truly are His disciples. Also, I challenge you to watch the video on LDS.org about Christmas (as missionaries we make alot of challenges haha) But as a last note, I really would like to thank you all again for all the help and prayers! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season! Stay warm! Elder Deakin Reading assignment: St. Matt Chap 1 & 2, St. John 1:10-12, Zechariah 2:6 (santa lives)