Still Learning the Language

The people Here A wonderful the weather is rainy but sunny when it rains its often still sunny, really pretty and muddy.
The fist morning here one of my roomies (roomies?) asked me to do some pull ups, on a bar squished between a door jam and books on either side to add pressure. ha i didn't think it would hold me, but he was just like Jesse, actually he said elder Williams, just do it, it will hold you. i did a few, and the whole think came down. it was pretty funny. I have since then reconstructed the pull up bar, sturdy as a rock.

So I felt like I understood a lot more Portuguese ( when I left the CTM) than i actually do, make sense? well I should say Maceio Portuguese It's different here. they don't even obey the rules! I'm improving every day. I'm great at greeting people... then slowly the conversation goes down hill, pretty funny actually, Oi is easy to say then they respond, at bout 26 million miles an hour and then I can for the most part understand what they say take me a second to respond and then the conversation slowly comes to a stop. It's fun they understand I'm learning, and i get to just laugh with them, at me, I've said some pretty ridiculous things, sometimes they ask me something and i go off on something else completely different.for example the word for baby is bebê and the verb to drink is beber big difference except not really cause the r at the end of a word makes an airy sound which could easily be mistaken as a breath. anyway last night i was talking with some members and i thought they were asking if i drank at the church, or from the church like sacrament or something weird and so i said yeah, i do every week. the real question was have you been a member your whole life, since you were a baby? it took about 5 minutes for me to understand what they were really saying, they don't let me give up.which is good.

The work is going good, My comp is pretty Amazing, he goes home in a couple weeks. I like president and sister Beynon a ton.As for the food here, I eat it. even though 85% of the time it's questionable, because they make you share the same cup, sometimes, and they don't really cook the food all the way through. My mission doesn't serve monkey, but the two things they do serve that I won't be looking forward to are turtle and sea manatee. All I'm going to say is getting all those shots were worth it.

Mom Thanks for your letter this week, very descriptive. I look forward to hearing from you all. Lisa! A BOY! I knew it, how about you name him Lucas Bolzan Casper? ha that was the Name of my ctm instructor. isn't that a funny name? maybe maybe not. I love you all thanks for everything

Tawny! you need to hire a terminatro, get one of those fellows to follow you around and kill all those crazy bugs! you are so Funny! Thanks for the email, I hope your show Is going great I wish you all the luck in the world, and my watch just beeped, I should be sending a letter off your way in a bit.
love love love Elder Williams

Maceio

First off, Macieó is about a billion times beautifullier than Sao Paulo. President and Sister Beynon are great, My new comp, honestly i had to ask him if he was American or not. he is American and his name is elder Neilson. But people ask me if I´m Brazilian, then i speak, and they know.

Anyway. My humble abode, it's not bad the floors are kinda like hard wood floors but replace the wood with cement, and nice green walls that were white from the start. oh and last night i went to brush my teeth and I turned on the light and to my surprise I found about a fahillion giant ants... they scurried out the moldy window though. ha It's good though I slept very well and I love all my roommates.

This morning when I woke up it had been raining hard all night and The rode flooded! haha i think it was knee high or so. I've never seen anything like that, I do everything in Portuguese now my comps good at forcing me to use it all the time which is great, i'll learn faster. Last night after I left the mission home we went straight to our area unloaded our suitcases and then went out to work. Ha my sweet comp likes to put me in situations like hey, this kid has a message for you and then leaves me on my own to speak.

anyway last night we had a cool experience. they just finished a brand new church here, its probably the nicest thing with in a ten mile radius of our house, and it's the nicest church i've seen in Brazil. so we are blessed to have it here, so like i said they finished it last week, its pretty fresh, and as we were walking away from the church back home a man was walking with his son towards the church we said hi, elder neilson asked him how was was doing, he said not well, I'm going to the church to find the pasture because I need help, I have a problem with drugs, Elder neilson told him we could help. so we took about a five minute walk back to his house and taught him the first lesson, it is unreal first of all what this man was living in, and how makeshift his home was the family room was probably 5 by 5 feet and there were sheets blocking our sight from his bedroom and his kids bedroom. I felt so sad but they seem like a happy family, his boy was so funny and playful, and can speak a million times better Portuguese than I, well he committed to come to church and he seemed to have felt the spirit and the best part is, he wants help. I thought that was so neat I was grateful for the experience.
Ha Spongebob is on, opp now Donald duck funny.

Thanks so Much for the E-mails, Dad thanks for the advise
Mom thanks for the package, i loved it, I read something in the ensign saying people who love each other but are distanced can still grow closer to each other as they grow closer to Christ, I find it too be true. Thanks for telling me about the blessing mom, that sounds so so sweet, I'm glad you two had that experience, tell Jason for me. Lisa and Ace that I believe the babe will be a girl. I love you all thanks for the support.

Did I tell you guys the i pod came! on Sunday night, Thank Paulo for me if you can.
And TAWNY you did such an awesome job on it , wow. thanks. perfect. I wish you would've placed some photos of you on it though but really Thanks so much tawny.
AAAANNNNDD Thanks for The emails, I got your letter package too the day before i left the ctm of the church history trip! it was so so awesome thank you! tell your Mom thanks too I loved hearing from her, I sent a letter with sister linford for you two. kinda short i had little time so my apologies but thanks so much, the emails and everything. BYU H would be so cool, keep me posted ok . I love you hope your week is great.

Last Week in the CTM

Mom! that's sweet you got a calling in the young women, now you don't have to worry about Lauren when she goes camping, but, a downside to that is it leaves me to worry about the both of you! I'm happy for you though, good to know you guys are livin it up in Lehi, Lauren I didn't get any electronic mail from you this week, I know you are doing good though i hope your summer is great, its flying by. I keep trying to picture what you guys are up to every Sunday, what your days are like, everything changed when i left, strange. You are doing good at keeping me updated mom. I'm glad you enjoyed the letter, and the picture.
Thanks for sending the i pod with Paulo, Maybe try hard to get a hold of him, I'd really love to get my hands on that thing, thanks again Tawny for taking care of the music!

so I leave in 5 days! so so excited, It hit me yesterday, right before i was supposed to say the prayer in large group meeting, that i was leaving all these guys and i kinda got a little bit saddened and distracted, so before i knew it I was supposed to say the opening prayer in Portuguese and i thought it wasn't a big deal cause i can pray, anyway (t), I began praying and paused long enough to make it awkward , a lot of the missionaries peeked when that happened, and i was just smiling really big, I didn't really notice i paused for so long but i was so sidetracked by the thought of leaving these guys, any way i finished the prayer asked for the spirit to be with us twice and closed it. i didn't notice how strange it was until my district brought it up with me. haha pretty embarrassing. I thought i would share that story because you told me about Cindy's experience with the gift of tongues, mine was the opposite, but only cause i wasn't focused at the moment, I've learned so much and i know the Lord will help me learn all i need to In the field. the language is coming, i can communicate i think i have said that a lot but I've learned the grammar the MTC has to give i just need to learn to apply it which i'll have to do in 1 week. wish me luck. Thanks for everything Mom, I love you very much, and the rest of you know i love you too right? Lisa, Ace, Easton, Lauren, Dad. Dad i didn't get any advise, I sure love you I hope all is well i have a letter shooting your way, the Brazilian mail system is so sweet. I haven't sent it yet, I may have to send it in Maceio. But it´ll come.

Logan! thanks for including me in your email, and for the pep talk, I love you hope all is well, That's the second time I've heard from you in months, It made me so excited. Johnny, I hope you got my letter you sound like you are having a great time, are you talking any different? probably. I love you both.

Chad 3 weeeeeks! not long at all you sound like you are having a sweet time traveling, I'm not so far ahead of you but I can give you the advise i get everyday, be obedient, and strive to be Christlike, and planning is so important, you know all that i'm sure, I´m happy to hear you are doing so good.

Ryan, thanks for saying hi it's good to hear from you, good luck at School, 27th sound like a big day. I miss you and I'm glad you are doing good.

Tawny! the text, I have an explanation for it in my letter this week ha!Thanks thanks thanks for the email love you, hope you are having a great day.

MTC-CTM did you know it is backwards down here?

The center of training missionaries. hmmm Mom thanks for the email, you asked me about 26 different times how I'm doing, so good. I miss everyone one but I'm learning a ton! and i feel happy, it's trying, but so good for me. So Mom I am doing great, I can't believe i leave so soon,it's sorta like a fast version of high school here, I know this place so well, I'm excited to leave but it's kinda sad. But not too too sad you asked how i was eating and how the food is, well, I think i already told you but I miss your cooking so much, I love breakfast though i eat an apple, granola and some yogurt, and every other meal i eat something so no need to worry, my allergies are alright considering this is the most polluted city in the world,no need to worry, i think I've gained 5 pounds, i don't know exactly where it went but I'll keep you updated, a lot off kids are going bald here too, because of the pollution, stress, and lack of vitamins in the food and little exercise, which is alarming... i think i'll be fine though, and the air is clean in Maceio.

I'm great mom thanks for asking. did you ever send my i pod? there is no sign of it, bummer bummer bummer that's ok though. you said you were sending a package to the mission home could you place some of those instant breakfast drinks in it, and some more vitamins.
This last week i didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just studying and that is about it. but i go proselyting for the last time on Friday not the last but the last while at the CTM. I'll let you know how that goes! Dad thanks for the advise, lauren your letters make me smile i love you very much, Mom thanks for everything. Ryan, there is a kid here just like Tanner Trounce, so funny i like him.Tawny! thanks for the email! I hope all is well, you are flying through school way to go. love you all thanks for the support
ps Aunt Linda sent this to me telling me how close my mission was to being over, I thought it was so funny.

It goes like this-

MTC time is double because you have to work so hard and learn the language, so it is already December, but you can't count December because it is Christmas, well then you have the New Year which is a week and then it is Valentines Day, St Pats Day and then Easter -so that is really a month put together. spring is sooo fast that it is really a week and then you have summer- which is July so you will have been out a year in another two weeks--
so Funny tell the Allen's hi for me.

July 30, 2008

so this last week we went proselyting on Friday as you all know, and i bet you are just dying to find out how it went. Right? well here you go we were released in a different area this time, I felt a lot more confident in attempting to communicate with people, there was even one guy who spoke with us for about 10 minutes, gladly accepted the BOM and our message and even hugged me when i was done. but as we know there is opposition in all things, if there is a man that nice in Sao Paulo there has got to be another on the other end of the spectrum. i don't know if there has to be but there is, some old, seemingly kind, fellow was so eager to get his hands on o livro de Mormon that he didn't even have time to listen to the message. still cool though that he was interested enough to take one, he walked about 20 steps and threw it into the road. I know that's just a small taste of the rejection I'll be getting in the field, and they tell us not to worry about it but i worry, cause of you mom, on Sunday during church I began to think about that guy, and i felt so bad for him. I hope that someday, someone can touch him and soften his heart, or at least get him to stop ripping books out of peoples hands haha well that was the best and the worst of what happened on Friday everyone else was in between, it was such a good experience. I know the MTC like the back of my hand, I'm getting excited to get out of here on the 19th even though i have so much to learn still, that will be hard but so worth it.
Mom thanks for the email and all the support you show me I love you very much, don't worry about Lauren too much, she'll be fine tell brad I'm happy for his decision to follow his heart. Lauren thanks for your email, I can't go to your blog but thanks for telling me all about it, Ryan! good to hear from you, I'm glad all is well thanks for putting me at the top of your list. Tawny thanks thanks for the quick line i hope you are doing so good. I love and miss you all.
bye

Hi There!

this last week we taught the first lesson in Portuguese in companionships to members of the church, just as practice, but it was a pretty big deal, and tough we did well though and it was another marker on how much we have learned and need to learn humbling yet uplifting i guess you could say. On Sunday I spoke about Knowledge I want to share a quote from it well from Dallin H. Oaks he is explaining how we can know the church is true. "while not capable of scientific proof, it is still important. The idea that all important knowledge is based on scientific evidence is simply untrue." I think that is rather enlightening I always have to have facts, to explain everything, but I am learning more and more each day that feelings are a way of KNOWING something I know i love my family, I know this church is true and I´m almost out of time that can be proven, bad example , but it´s true I have to head out. I love you mom I got your package the one with lotion and cornuts haha, Lauren I want to hear about the trek and your testimony will you write it out for me? Lisa the picture didn´t work keep trying and thanks for the email and your support tell ace that i say I'm just in Brazil, and easton give him a love for me. Tawny! i got your package too! thanks for the rings, what on earth! so nice I will give the ring to a good man, I'm so glad the trip was a bast fill me in on what exactly is going on! The mail strike is over you are right! so that's good so good so were the emails you can be expecting letters who do you think I am? . I love you all! I go proselyting this Friday again just so you know I will tell you what happens.
Elder Williams

One Month Out

They do go by thats for sure, so this last week i went to a train station in downtown São Paulo. not door knocking. just walking in a busy area. We were let go for like 2 to 3 hours and we were just supposed to meet people on the street and give them a short lesson. this was last friday, morning when we went. the same white van that they brought us here from the airport,drove us to the station and let us go out with our companion. stopping people on the street is kind of out of my personality but I didn't feel like it was so strange, I definitely feel like I have a good reason to stop them. So the first man elder Peck and I approached was Probably about 60 or more and I told him That I had a something to share with him, kindly he listened and was patient with me and my Portuguese but i got the message across and he seemed very interested, he took the book of MOrmon and flipped through it as he walked away, not a huge deal, who knows what will happen to him, this was just an exersise to get comfortable talking with people in the language but it certainly was a good feeling, having somebody listen. elder Peck got the next guy and wasn't so lucky we switched off giving the message and after a lot of rejection we gave out two more Books of Mormon its hard work, but It was so much better than sitting in class all day, but also it´s so humbling cause we all have so far to go until we can speak the language. Guess what! I forgot to tell you last week, one of the guys in my district, his name is Elder Duke, is best friends with Landon Finter, we discovered that probably two weeks in and thought it was so funny, Landon had told him about me a few times and do you remember how we were going to get together before we left, but it never worked out? Because either one of us always had something come up, well Elder Duke would´ve been with him and I would've known him before I came. neat huh? I want you all to know that I´m learning alot and i love you all, I'm obedient and im doing my best. and yes I do get to play a little piano every once in a while and we all mess around elder Howard the one i told you reminded me of Kirby, he is teaching me a little bit more about the piano which is sweet of him, he is so funny. i love everyone in my district, we have the biggest one here, and we are all cramped in a little room all day and surprisingly we all get along so well and there aren't really any fights sometimes a little contention but what can you do. Mom I miss you very much and i love you, Dad thanks for the advise, keep it coming I love it, and i love you , Lisa way to go on the baby! i already knew but that's pretty stinking exciting, She or he better know who i am when i get back. Lauren, your teeth look great, have fun at the trek.
Tawny, I hope you are doing good! I don't get letters and i don't know if mine are going out cause the Brazilian Mailmen are nutso but I´m sending them I really hope you are getting them, they keep saying they are on strike. but Have fun on your trip! I don't know when exactly you are going but tell me all about it, and you can email me i just cant write back. so if that is ever easier feel free. well i love you all talk to you next week

Hey

I don't know how much time i have so this might be cut short and the computer is being weird. you asked about my companion. . .Elder Peck lets just say he is from the smallest town in Idaho, 13 kids in his graduating class and he hasn't had too much social contact. he is a good kid though i like him, but when you are with someone you aren't used to and the only thing you have in common is that you left on a mission the same day it can get hard but I'm sure it's hard for him to get along with me too, it's just kinda awkward sometimes because he doesn't ever get my jokes. Like for example, I'll say something like, "how about we skip class today and go out for a night on the town. . ." response, "i don't think we should do that elder." i don't know. I love him.

I'm learning a ton! everyday they just cram more and more into you. I went to the Campinas temple today, so pretty. The language is tough, I'm understanding it but there is quite a process to it, hmmm I was blessed with a really cool district though all the kids i came with said they met you at the airport mom, did you go a little crazy? I bet you did, but they were happy to meet you, elder plazier is in my district but he was only my flight companion, he is super funny once he opens up to you . I love the Brazilians, They are close talkers and always want to have a good time, i'll send some pictures. one of the boys in my room is from the amazon, he and his mom were just recently converted and they are working on the rest of his family.

well mom, i would absolutely love my i pod and those speakers and a charger. leave mine and Steven's music on it and if you could maybe give it to tawny and she could put some church music on there, and just leave anything else that's pretty on there ok? I love you all so much. sorry this is kinda short i got wasted on internet time but you are all in my prayers. thanks for all the support. thanks for the stories Lauren, I'm glad the wedding was wonderful. sorry i couldn't help move> the Christensen's were so sweet to help tell them I'm grateful. Dad i expect another letter, i love you. I'll fill you in more next week.
Elder Williams
ps these shirts aren't wrinkle free, and i really miss your cooking mom. as Linda would say peace love and chill

First Companion

We thought you would enjoy seeing a picture of your fine missionary sons,

Companions Elders Peck and Williams.

Thanks for the Alarm!

Well, i made it! It´s been a good slow first week, I get up every morning at 5:45. . . make up for the time difference and that's about when i used to go to bed! but i get up at that time to go run then i get ready, study and pray, go to a long day of class and eat, read and pray some more. It,s crazy only a week has passsed by, i feel like i have been gone forever. I can see how it flies by though, it is going faster and faster each day. I had a neat experience yesterday, I had the chance to give an elder a blessing in my district, it was a very straight forward and direct blessing, i promised him things that i myself couldn´t possibly promise. he wanted a blessing because he felt un worthy. it was strange that he trusted me so much to tell me how he was feeling, cause im not even his comp. but i talked with him for a bit, he didn,t go inot detail cause we aren´t supposed to but i got the idea of what he was trying to say. i didn;t have any answers he had done some bad things, but i gave him a blessing, and in the blessing i had the impression to promise him that he would be able to serve an honorable full time mission, not in those exact words but something like that. anyway (tawny if you are reading notice the lack of s) he had an interview with the President, elder Makey is staying, i think they had to call a higher authority and it was a pretty big deal but the lord knows that he has truly repented in his heart. I think you have to be so brave to confess something like that on your mission! he is a great kid. Mom, i hope you are doing alright with out me. i wrote up a letter for you guys today but i can,t send in i dont have your address. i am having a hard time trying to find the apostrophe key. lauren, i hope the move to lehi wasn´t too much of a shock for you, i bet you miss me so much! thanks again for the letter in my suit pocket pretty cute, let me know whats up with besser. Lisa Ace and Easton i hope you guys are all well and i expect some sort of communication from you three in the next couple years i feel like you guys have a tendency to forget about me. Dad send me some letters, i miss you and i love you, and i hope to hear from you soon. I love you all so much and i am praying for you.


love love love
Elder Williams

ps i need steven and ryan´s addresses as well.
pps the alarm doesnt work, i never wake up to it! my roommates hate me.
ppps its very windy at night.

Your Great Missionary Son

Your son is having a great experience here and is enjoying his companion and

district. He is well and happy. We took this picture just this morning in
our office. He hopes you will be able to send him some special hand lotion
from the dermatologist. Thanks for raising such a fine son.
Love,
Sister
Joanne Linford

Your Missionary Son Has Arrived Safely

Dear Parents,

We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.

They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.
The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.

The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife.

We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.

Important information is attached for communicating with your missionary through letters and other mail while at the MTC. Your missionary's district is 25-A and the mail box number is 18.Too many packages are arriving after the missionary has left to the field, so we ask that you send a package only in the first 4 weeks and after that send any packages to his or her mission home.

We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.

Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”

Please accept our love,

President and Sister Woodward
Brazil

Saying Goodbye

June 17, 2008

The Setting Apart

June 16, 2008

The Farewell

June 15, 2008

The Call...