"Kinda bummed..."

Well! Before I get all all bummed out about a few things, let me start by being super happy for .... "The Danger". Happy Fathers day big guy! I wish I could Skype with you today like I did with Mrs. Danger but I don´t think that would fly... But all the same, you know I love you way too much and I hope you had a great day just relaxing! 

Also, I guess I will answer those few questions Mom. I really don´t remember too much about either of my grandpas but that doesn´t mean I don´t love them. I remember for my baptism that Grandpa Dale was one of the spotters for when I went under the water and that was rad. I thought for sure Dad was gonna hold me under the water forever :p And then with Dad I don´t even know where to start.... So much to say but I guess I will say this: Dad has taught me how to always choose the right. Always. Ol´Danger grew up without the Gospel in his life but was still a good person. He knew what was right and what was wrong and practically lived an LDS life from what I know. And his living like that has been a huge influence on me because whenever I was tempted to drink or do something lame like that, I always, always, ALWAYS, thought about how Dad didn´t do that kinda stuff and if I did I would get burned bad because I have grown up in the Church. He has taught me how to keep the commandments, like serving a mission. I think it is so awesome Dad was out serving as soon as he could have been when he went on a mission. What a champ! I could honestly just talk about this for hours... Danger, I love you. That is all there is to it. :)

  

So I am kinda bummed because.... I am getting transferred. Yesh, I know I have had tons of time here buts things are going really great right now and I absolutely love this branch. I am going to miss Viçosa so much. I feel like this is the area where I really became a missionary, where I really learned what my purpose is. Of course I had days when I wanted to just leave this place and go somewhere else, but I always loved Viçosa. The members here are amazing and the people are so funny. I am going to miss the President of the branch so much. I really hope that one day I will be able to return here before I head home but, who knows. I am excited for the new area and everything but I pray that the new elder that comes will love Viçosa and work his heart out here. The hardest part about leaving is saying good bye to the members... Last night was rough but it will be for the best. One of my favorite young men gave me a Brasil jersey.... What a stud right? That kid will go places.

  

I am also really going to miss Elder Guerra. He is so wild I can´t even explain it. I can´t tell you how many times he left the gas on the oven on, almost killing us but I love the kid to death. He was a perfect boy to train for me and I am bummed I won´t get to finish training him. He will do great things though here and he told me I have a spot saved next to him at the World Cup in Rio. I am so there. We worked really well together and taught really well together. There was just a flow with us when we were teaching and I am going to miss it... But everything will be okay :)

  

My time in Viçosa ended well. We had a baptism on Saturday and she is great. She is a little nine year old girl who lives with her less-active mom and she is practically a mom herself. The family is just the mom and 5 kids the oldest being the 9 year old. She helps her mom like crazy and it was funny because during Primary she was helping the teacher with the other kids more than learning for herself. She rocks. We also made some really cool contacts that I am bummed I won´t get to teach but everything will go well for sure.

   

I am dying to hear baby news! I hope everything goes smoothly this week and I can´t wait for next week´s e-mail already. I am going to be an uncle! :) Still can´t get over it. I hope you all have something fun planned for this week and you all keep being that happy family I know we are. This is why I am here. I want the families of Brasil to have the same happiness I am lucky enough to have with all of you. Stay sweet....

 

 

Elder Big Almost Uncle!

"Teach, teach, and more teaching"

Family... What up?! The majority of you are all off in awesome places in the country right now so I am hoping you are all relaxing a little bit and catching some sun. I for sure think our family should have a tanning contest this summer... I for sure want to tan the Bat Man symbol on my chest, I just don´t have time for it right now... So bummed.

  

Things were a little wild this past week, once again. That is pretty much just my life in Viçosa now. But I love it. Being busy keeps me from thinking about home or wanting to do disobedient things. I know for a fact that is why the Lord is giving me all this stuff to do right now. It is a blessing but a burden at the same time. But that is the Church right? To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable :p I pretty much got another calling in the branch this week. Elder Guerra and I are now the official Seminary class teachers and I won´t lie, it is a blast. I was extremely nervous in the start because first off, teaching an investigator is completely different than teaching a sem class. Yesh, some of the same techniques apply and stuff but there is a difference. Also, I have taught plenty of classes during church in Portuguese, but it is usually on a subject I know with a vocabulary I know as well. Now I am teaching for two hours every Thursday and Friday night about the Old Testament... Yeah. My knowledge of the Old Testament isn´t the greatest, and trying to read and figure it all out in strange Portuguese doesn´t help. But the Lord blesses those who try their hardest. It is also making our comp study a lot better because we are drawing up real lesson plans and activities and stuff. The one thing I don´t like about it though is it eats up a lot of our time. We can invite gators to come and watch, of course, but it is just not the same environment as teaching in their homes.

  

We also had a miracle baptism go down on Saturday. I honestly have no idea how it all happened but everything just went perfect, except for the actual service because I was unprepared. His name is Rafael and we have been teaching him pretty much since I got here in Viçosa. We had stopped teaching him for awhile, but then after about a month or so he came up to us and told us that he was ready to be baptized. He told us this on Friday night though and he wanted to be baptized the next day so Elder Finch and to come in early the next morning to give his interview and I was super nervous Rafa wasn´t going to show up but luckily everything went well.

  

I am doing really well though here. Like I said earlier, I think the Lord is keeping me really busy because if I wasn't I would just go crazy. We have transfer calls this Saturday and I am 99% sure I will be staying one more with Guerra but we will see. I love Viçosa but it would be nice to have a change. I am nervous though that I won't even know how to do normal missionary work after I leave here because we have to do other things. But I know the Lord has a reason for me to be here this long.

  

That sums it all up. We didn´t almost die this week which was a blessing. My comp and I are getting along great. We have another baptism lined up for this Saturday and this is the week of the month when the members give us lunch the most... So excited! I am just staying positive and trying to better myself as much as I can. I have so many weaknesses and so many things I need to improve on but it will all come with time.

   

I am not gonna lie I was a little bummed when I read that there wasn´t a new Guzy in the family but I am sure the date will be here soon. I honestly think I might be more excited than Tanner and Brik... I legit just smile every time I think about the same bundle of joy that will soon light up the family... Grandpa Danger.... That sounds so rad!!! I love you all and I hope you have another great week. :)

Elder Sem Teacher

P.S. I guess this is what I get for being such a little punk all those years in Sem right? I shoulda known better....

"I am Tired"

Hahaha I really have no other way to put it this week. I am legit just so tired. But then I got online here and I have these absolutely amazing e-mails from you all. Ryley, your e-mail had me laughing so hard. By far one of the best letters I have gotten on the mish. So thank you so so much. And then it sounds like tons is going on in the next few weeks for the Guzy family and that just makes me so happy. I can´t believe there won´t be a Guzy at Brighton anymore... Weird. I miss that school so much and I am so happy Ryley had an amazing senior year there. Your letters really just gave me so much energy though which was much needed so thank you :)

   

So we had Zone Conference this week and that is one of the reasons I am tired, because it is always just a really spiritual experience... you all know how it works and then 3 hour bus ride takes it outta me. Also, President burned us all pretty bad on some stuff and that always makes the weight of the work just a little heavier though. It was a fun conference though, because my boy got to bear his testimony in front of everyone and in the middle of it he starts crying and says, "My companion is wonderful. I know he fell from the heavens to be my trainer." So I have been taking a lot of ruckus for that from all the other missionaries. Also some of my very best friends in the entire mission gave their leaving testimonies, one being Elder Finch. It is going to be really rough to see them all go, but I know they will do good things back at home and the mission will continue on doing what it needs to do. I just hope one day I can be the type of missionary they were. Also, Sister Gonzaga showed a video of a whole bunch of missionaries going home and it totally trunked everyone out. I just sat there laughing though because I was remembering watching Tanner and Ian go down the exact same escalator knowing exactly how those families feel. I just hope that when I do that mom will have a bag of T-bell for me ;)

   

Also this week was tiring because of the work here in the branch. I am literally acting as the 1st counselor to the president here because he is always out of town. It is really cool because I am learning so much about the Church and the importance of the Priesthood in the Church, but at the same time it makes it really hard to do normal missionary work. We are doing all the visits, teaching both hours at church on Sundays, more than likely we'll have to start being the seminary teachers because one of out strongest members/ seminary teacher moved to Maceió this week, and still trying to do normal missionary work. It is wild. But it is exactly like I told you guys over Skype, every night I go to sleep just beat, and then every morning I wake up with the same silly smile on my face thinking, "Yeah let´s do it again!" Hahaha I love this work. :)

  

On top of all this... Brasil beat the U.S. 4-1, what is the deal guys? Can´t take a little Brazilian heat? But then Brasil went and lost to Mexico 2-0... Yeah we weren´t happy at all about that. And also... I totally saved my comp's life. We were helping one of our members with his garden behind the church and my comp didn´t know that one of the cement blocks above the water box was faulty. Right as he stepped on to it I jumped and pushed him out of the way and the block fell into the deep mysterious abyss. I sent a picture for you guys :) 

I think that sums it all up.... besides the fact that I love you guys way too much and this church is true.... No matter how rough the work is. It is true. It is that easy. I love and miss you and hope you have a great week full of laughter and dreams.....

 

 

Elder Big Deal

 

P.S. For those of you who are going to be in Cali.... go check out the chili beans stores!!