New Mission Presidents Week at the MTC

Okay I have a lot to talk about so I am just going to get right to it. This week has been so amazing. I have honestly never felt the Spirit so much. The mission president seminar was so great and I loved being able to spend a lot of one on one time with my pres. He and his wife are amazing people and I can not wait to be in Brasil with them. I know if I keep praying my visa will come and I will be able to get down there asap. I also had the random oppurtunity to sit down with president/coach Larry Gelwix from Highland rugby and the movie Forever Strong. He just happened to be walking by and Elder Pagatto (the one who knows Gentry) called him over and we talked with him for about a half an hour about how missionaries and presidents are called. It is a amazing process. We all got the chance to bear our testimonies to him (there was about 5 of us) and that was really powerful. If I don't get my visa I would love to go to his mission hahaha. 

For our special devo this week we had Elder Bednar speak to us on becoming Preach My Gospel missionaries, it was an awesome talk. We also had 6 other GA there as well. Holland, Ballard, Anderson, Nielson, and I am blanking on the other two at the moment I will check my notes when I get back. Uh that is gonna bug me. Another great thing about this week is Elder Gabel and I have the chance to meet with some very important lady from Brasil today and we are going to be there with a lot of the presidency from the MTC. There will be four other missionaries with us but it will be pretty intense because I dunno if my Portuguese is all that great yet, better start praying now eh? 

Speaking of Portuguese Elder Gabel and I are on a 2 day no English fast and it is going well. If we say a word in English it is 10 push ups, I have already done 110 and we started last night haha. I will be ripped by the end of my mission. Something else cool about this week is there is a journal here called the Brighton Book and everyone who has gone to Brighton can write in it. It was such a testimony builder to read the testimonies of all of my friends and it just shows that no matter how rough the MTC I can get through it, even tho I love it here haha. I can't wait to write my testimony in there as well and join the ranks with Elder Miller, Smart, Mendal and many others. 

Besides this awesome week things have been going well the language is coming and we are all getting along well. We got to watch "The Testaments" movie on Sunday and we were all just making jokes and enjoying the Spirit there. It reminded me of how our family would be. I am sure if we watched it we would all find some sweet lines to quote. My personal favorite is..." Are you a SPECTOR of the gods?!" hahaha so wild. 

Sorry if this doesn't give enough info but it is hard to talk about all the great things while being timed. It sounds like th family is doing really well and I am excited for all things that are going on. I got Tanner's, Ian's, and Eliza's letters and I will try to write you guys personal ones via e-mail if I have time but if not I need addresses for snail mail. Well I love you all so much you don't even know and I love this Church and this Gospel just as much, cause without it I wouldn't have you in my life. I am going to keep working hard and try my best to be the missionary and the man I need to be. I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

         Elder Big Deal

 

   P.S. They gave us exercise bands when we first came in so of course we made a sling shot out of it.... So cool but not so smart hahahahahahaha

Elder Goo-zy meets Pres & Sister Gonzaga

Things are once again going great here in the MTC. This past week was actually really awesome. I made some major jumps in the language because I no longer had Elder Peterson to fall back on to when I'm struggling so I guess it was a blessing that he got his visa and I didn't.  I do miss him and the other members of my district tho. But I also have another reason why my not getting my visa was a blessing... I got to meet my mission president already! President Gonzaga and his wife are up here for the mission president training this week and I happened to run into them during dinner last night. I could already tell that they were amazing people and I am really excited to be able to work with them. They are from the South part of Brasil and have also never been to Macieo so he said "it will be a new thing for us both" which is true. He and his wife both speak English thank heavens but I tried to speak what little Portuguese I knew with them. He said I did pretty well but I know he was just being nice. They are really touchy people so it took a second to get used to but it is all good. And they call me Elder Goo-zy because the Guh sound doesn't exist in Portuguese. These next two years will be like one long phone call from a tele-marketer haha.
This week is actually really exciting here in the MTC because of the mission president training. There will be a lot of general authorities here so I am sure our next few firesides will be pretty wild, I will tell you all about them next week. I am going to play I spy a general authority so I best be on my toes. I also get to spend all of Friday afternoon with President Gonzaga so I am very excited about that. Maybe I will tell him to make me AP so I can show Ian it is not that big of a deal even tho... I am a big deal! Ha.
Like I said earlier the language is coming along really well. We have 6 "investigators" here so we are always speaking the language. I am doing well when forming sentences and things but I struggle with all of the correct conjugations of the words which I am sure the bros know what it is like.
It sounds like things are going great at home. Dad, Ashley Annen wrote me and said you did an awesome job on your talk in her ward and that she just loves our family, way to be Danger! Mom you are still working on camp.. who knew?! Ha. I am glad your talk went well too. Are they not sick of hearing from the Guzys yet? Ry I am glad you had a good time on trek, I know it was probably miserable but you learn so much from it and it becomes such a testimony builder. Ian good luck with you test tomorrow I know you will do well, I am praying for you bud. Eliza, thanks for the DearElder. I am getting my haircut on Thursday so we will see how that goes. Sorry I haven't sent pictures yet the computer was broken but you should get them at some point this week. Prepare to be blown away... Well I love you all so very much and I hope you all never forget that. Happy Fathers Day once again Dad. You really are the best example for my life and have taught me so much. I hope this week is even better then the last and that everything goes smoothly. Love you all so so so so so much! 

Elder Big Deal

 P.S. Mother... If I do end up sending a suit home do you have a preference to which one it would be? That is all I can think for right now sorry if this e-mail is short!

Working on having shifty eyes....

Oi tudo bem?!
   That is pretty much the most common greeting in Portuguese and I love it! Things are going great here I am really starting to get lost in the work, cause there is so much of it, but I love it anyway. I honestly cannot get over how I have the oppurtunity to feel the Spirit everywhere I go, it is super addicting.
    The language is coming along well. I am learning all of the concepts really well I just struggle with actually applying them while talking which I am sure will come with time and faith but I am just frustrated that I don't have it perfect yet but I'll have to get over that haha. My teachers help a lot and now that it is just down to myself and Elder Gabel, who is pretty much exactly like Chris Brown, I am sure I will be able to learn a lot better.
   The rest of my district left today which was kinda of hard because we really just started getting really close with each other and working well with each other. And the fact that they are lucky enough to go to Brasil is hard too, but I will get there when the Lord needs me to be and I just need to have faith in Him and keep working my hardest and I know the blessings will come. The two elders that just left were amazing missionaries. My old comp, Elder Peterson looked a lot like Elder Miller so it kinda sketched me out a bit but it was all good. Elder Peterson and I would love to have discussions about the Gospel and rules cause we had different opinions on things and they were so fun, we would break out the BOM to try to prove our points it was just fun to do cause we both like to argue. Elder Page also left and he was from Lehi Utah and a total redneck but probably has one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard and he was such an example to me and I know he is going to be one of those missionaries everyone wants to work with. The two sisters in my district, Sister Nelson and Sister Thompson are absolutely golden and kept us in line a lot which was good. We actually had the chance to give them blessings last night and I gave my first blessing ever to Sister Nelson and that was an absolutely awesome exprience. But since they all left it will now just be Elder Gabel and I in the district which is fine with me but if one of us gets a visa before the other does I have no idea how that will work out. But I am now officially the only missionary in the MTC who is going to Maceio or even knows anything about it. I have yet to meet someone who has been there. I call it the mystery mission and only mysterious people get to go there so I better start working on having shifty eyes...
   Visa wise.... Uh. You guys more then likely won't hear anything before I do. What happens is when it comes they will just call me to the travel office to let me know that I have it and will give me my flight plans there and will most likely ship out the Tuesday after I get it. So every time the intercom beeps Elder Gabel and I look to the heavens in hope that it will say our name. It said Elder Cashing Smith the other day and I just about lost it. Who else has a name like mine?!
   It sounds like the family is just as busy as ever. I am excited for the oppurtunity Trent and Eliza have and I am sure he is going to love it up there. That just means Tanner and Ian have to be the new Halo players in the family for awhile. Ryley, I heard you are doing soccer workouts again and that is awesome. I have never told you this but I would kill to have the chance you have but then again... you are a better player then I. Did I just say that out loud? You better save this e-mail. Ian, Ondra is pretty much the coolest person I have ever met and every time we talk it just hits me how true the Church really is. He was excited he got a letter from you and wants you to come to a TRC if you can. Danger I am glad your first talk went well. Did you give Bishop Tingey a call out about how when he spoke in our ward it was so boring the lights had to go out? Haha oh snap. Happy Fathers Day as well this week. I have made the call that June should just be known as "Danger Month" I think that would be pretty cool. Mom you sound just as busy as ever and I know that is how you love things so I am sure you are as happy as can be right now. I already know camp this year is going to be great because of the effort you put into it and you never do anything only "pretty good." If I could get the name and website of the blog that would be nice so I can give it to my teachers and friends when I leave here.
   Well I am pretty sure that is about it on my side of things. I am good food wise for awhile, Elder Page left a lot of things behind but I will let you know. I am getting a lot of mail which is great. "Flynn" Alan Nielson wrote me and  I about wet myself. He is going to be a great missionary.  We haven't had anyone too wild come and speak to us yet but I spread the rumor every week that "The Monsoon" is hitting the MTC, haha memories. Well I love you all so much and I can't listen to "Families Can Be Together Forever" without almost thinking about crying, it is like I love you guys... weird. But stay happy and stay positive and know that there is nowhere I would rather be, besides Brazil, right now. I love you all once again.

Elder Big Deal

The MTC just got a little bit harder

I just sent my email to you and like 10 minutes later my entire district except Elder Gabel and I got their visas.  They leave next Tuesday.  So good luck to them but the MTC just got a little bit harder.  Well back to work.  Talk to you next week.  Love you!

Elder Guzy

Spanish is Portuguese for babies

Hey fam,

  I hate this stupid timed e-mail. I just lost ten minutes cause the computer had issues. I am going to try as much as I can so if my e-mail just ends you know why.

     First off i dunno if I said anything last time about Gentrys call, that is awesome he totally fits that mission, can you try to get me his address? Congrats to Danger on the new calling I think that is awesome just be sure to throw in a lot of Dave jokes when you talk k?

     But things are pretty normal here. Just working on the language and making some progress I can understand most of the time what people are saying if the are talking about the gospel but anything after that and I am just lost. So the subject title is true. I carry flashcards with me everywhere just trying to learn new words and get all of the conjugations down. I spend my gym time playing soccer if we are outside and I love it, I just play with the ball a lot and it is just a good time. If we are in the gym I play volleyball which is the 2nd coolest sport here. Playing soccer really makes me wanna go to Brazil and play down there. Have you heard of anything visa wise on your side? I haven't heard much here yet besides other missionaries getting theirs. Mine could legit show up at anytime and I could be be outta here which would be sweet. I think I would have an easier time with the language if I was forced to learn it.

   

   Mom, good luck to you with all your camp stuff I hope that it is going well and i am sure you will make it amazing just like everything else you do.

   Dad, I already gave you a shout out so... just keep being dangerous. And I think the missile will be in good hands with Cam. I did put all of my money into the bank but I have gotten more checks since I have been here so I will send thoase soon.

   Tanner, spanish is Portuguese for babies just letting you know. :)

   Trent, I play soccer with all the missionaries who are speaking Hatian-Creole and they love me cause I know like two phrases so send me some more?

   Ian, I see Ondra everyday. We are super close and I love talking to him about everything. He is just the perfect example of how true the church really is. And he is soooo much cooler then you.

   Ryley, we sang Come Thou Fount on Sunday and I just thought of you of course. You make that song so pretty I hope you know that. I would love for you to see what it is like when we sing Called to Serve, it is wild.

   Eliza, I am going to be getting a haircut soon. Wish me luck.

   Holli, make fun of Ian a lot for me and beat him in Mario Kart at least once a day.

 

I see a lot of people I know here it is quite awesome. Elder Tyler Talbot came in on Wednesday and we have caught up so that is sweet. Elder Walker left on Monday so I miss him already. I get plenty of letters in the mail, but please update the FB with my DearElder stuff, that would be the best i believe, and just my normal MTC address. Well I am sorry this letter is so all over the place but I am being timed I hope this is enough for everyone. Thanks so much for the package that was awesome. The tapito is being put to great use. Some Cheez-its might be nice tho... and some t-bell... oh how I miss the sweet t-bell. Well That is about it for this week, sorry once again. I love you all so much and know that Heavenly Father is watching over you while I am gone.

 

 

Elder Big DL ;)

 

Ps My district calls me a player cause of all the girls that write me.... I love this place! Hahaha oh and I met someone from PA who knows Gentry.. Small world eh?