A letter to my family in Idaho, written on Monday, August 10, 1970, from Maceió. Despite my repeated pleas in this and earlier letters, I never did receive the postcards I had requested.
Look on page 74 of the June issue of the Improvement Era. The picture in the ad looks just like Dale, or at least as I remember him looking. If Ricks starts school as early as it used to, he should be starting any day now. Que coisa já!
This morning I spent a couple hours reading from the June Era the addresses from the April general conference. Oh, what a special spiritual treat! Truly we can take comfort in the assurance that we are guided by prophets and apostles of the living God. A sad thought entered my mind as I realized that the next general conference talks I’ll be reading will be in the States. The opening remarks of Elder Alma Sonne (on page 86) are particularly poignant to a missionary who soon will be required to leave a people he has so grown to love.
The past week offered no major or critical events—just a lot of routine, hard, enjoyable missionary work. We did a great deal more tracting than we have in several months. And under the hot Maceió sun my nose tried to sunburn. The weekend and today has seen much rain, more than Idaho would ever see in a year.
One last chance. Our branch carnival has been postponed until August 29, which means—if you hurry—that you can still send postcards, if you have not yet done so.
Until another week, may the Lord’s kindest blessings be yours.
Showing posts with label To my family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label To my family. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
38. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written on Monday, June 29, 1970, from Maceió.
Dear family,
Yesterday I received a letter from Mom and was grateful to hear from her and to know that everybody was OK. I hope this letter finds everybody healthy and happy. The past week was rather exciting and full, to wit:
Monday. It was our regular preparation day and also a holiday because of Brazil’s victory over Italy in soccer the day before.
Tuesday. Another holiday, which prevented much work on our part. In the morning we taught a lesson. In the afternoon and evening we went to the farm of one of the member families (about 45 minutes out of town by car) to celebrate the eve of São João’s. We had a big bonfire (a standard São João ingredient) and lots of food and fireworks. It was certainly a wonderful opportunity to get closer to the two families participating.
Wednesday. Today was São João’s Day (John the Baptist’s birthday supposedly). In the evening we held a branch home evening. We had told everybody that a special family from out of town was coming to demonstrate how to hold home evening. In reality the four elders were the family and nobody ever expected what was happening. I was the mother in the family. Everybody enjoyed the evening so much. At the end, following a talent show, we sang a song about Brazil that is so beautiful. Then three of the elders continued singing softly while the remaining elder bore his testimony, expressed his love to the members, mentioned our gratitude and love for Brazil and her wonderful people. The emotion of the moment was electric.
Thursday. Today we helped an elderly couple move into a new house. We cleaned up for them, arranged their furniture like they wanted it, etc. They were grateful for the help.
Friday. In the branch we are starting a project to have everybody reading the Book of Mormon this year. For each family we are making a big colorful reading chart. Our objective is to have them read a little every day instead of a bunch once or twice a week. The reasoning is that daily contact with the scriptures makes it easier to be in touch with the Spirit, because as the promise we make each week at the sacrament table indicates, we are then remembering Christ always so that His Spirit might be with us.
Saturday. Another lesson taught this morning. Today two elders (one of them the zone leader) came from Recife to spend three days with us. Tonight at MIA we had a São João party, again with a campfire and all corn-made food (corn cake, cornbread, corn-on-the-cob, corn pudding, popcorn, etc.). It was fun and we had the biggest turnout since I’ve been here (34 people).
Sunday. Following sacrament meeting we showed a new film out about the Three Witnesses. Fifty-four people attended, the most I’ve seen crowded into our little chapel at once. A fantastic film.
Monday. This morning we played volleyball for a couple hours. About noon six more elders came from Recife, and we held later in the afternoon a zone meeting (with twelve elders present). It was an in¬structive and inspirational session.
Well, this is about an average week in the life of a missionary in Maceió. I really shouldn’t say average, because no week is really average. Each has a personality all its own. Many are the moments and experiences that a missionary would not trade for anything: a member with tears in his eyes thanking you for strengthening his family, a daily testimony meeting with your companion when your hearts and souls share love and testimony, kneeling in nightly prayer and pleading for the welfare of others. It is a marvelous work and a wonder, and I am grateful to be associated in it. I send my love and gratitude to all of you.
P.S. Have a happy Fourth of July. Speaking of holidays, pretty soon I will be 21. Please check soon to see what is necessary to participate in the November election by absentee ballot. Thanx!
Dear family,
Yesterday I received a letter from Mom and was grateful to hear from her and to know that everybody was OK. I hope this letter finds everybody healthy and happy. The past week was rather exciting and full, to wit:
Monday. It was our regular preparation day and also a holiday because of Brazil’s victory over Italy in soccer the day before.
Tuesday. Another holiday, which prevented much work on our part. In the morning we taught a lesson. In the afternoon and evening we went to the farm of one of the member families (about 45 minutes out of town by car) to celebrate the eve of São João’s. We had a big bonfire (a standard São João ingredient) and lots of food and fireworks. It was certainly a wonderful opportunity to get closer to the two families participating.
Wednesday. Today was São João’s Day (John the Baptist’s birthday supposedly). In the evening we held a branch home evening. We had told everybody that a special family from out of town was coming to demonstrate how to hold home evening. In reality the four elders were the family and nobody ever expected what was happening. I was the mother in the family. Everybody enjoyed the evening so much. At the end, following a talent show, we sang a song about Brazil that is so beautiful. Then three of the elders continued singing softly while the remaining elder bore his testimony, expressed his love to the members, mentioned our gratitude and love for Brazil and her wonderful people. The emotion of the moment was electric.
Thursday. Today we helped an elderly couple move into a new house. We cleaned up for them, arranged their furniture like they wanted it, etc. They were grateful for the help.
Friday. In the branch we are starting a project to have everybody reading the Book of Mormon this year. For each family we are making a big colorful reading chart. Our objective is to have them read a little every day instead of a bunch once or twice a week. The reasoning is that daily contact with the scriptures makes it easier to be in touch with the Spirit, because as the promise we make each week at the sacrament table indicates, we are then remembering Christ always so that His Spirit might be with us.
Saturday. Another lesson taught this morning. Today two elders (one of them the zone leader) came from Recife to spend three days with us. Tonight at MIA we had a São João party, again with a campfire and all corn-made food (corn cake, cornbread, corn-on-the-cob, corn pudding, popcorn, etc.). It was fun and we had the biggest turnout since I’ve been here (34 people).
Sunday. Following sacrament meeting we showed a new film out about the Three Witnesses. Fifty-four people attended, the most I’ve seen crowded into our little chapel at once. A fantastic film.
Monday. This morning we played volleyball for a couple hours. About noon six more elders came from Recife, and we held later in the afternoon a zone meeting (with twelve elders present). It was an in¬structive and inspirational session.
Well, this is about an average week in the life of a missionary in Maceió. I really shouldn’t say average, because no week is really average. Each has a personality all its own. Many are the moments and experiences that a missionary would not trade for anything: a member with tears in his eyes thanking you for strengthening his family, a daily testimony meeting with your companion when your hearts and souls share love and testimony, kneeling in nightly prayer and pleading for the welfare of others. It is a marvelous work and a wonder, and I am grateful to be associated in it. I send my love and gratitude to all of you.
P.S. Have a happy Fourth of July. Speaking of holidays, pretty soon I will be 21. Please check soon to see what is necessary to participate in the November election by absentee ballot. Thanx!
37. To My Family
A letter written from Recife to my family in Nampa, Idaho, dated Tuesday, June 9, 1970.
Dear family,
This is a howdy today from Recife. We left this morning at 6:00 from Maceió to make the four-hour trip to Recife for a zone meeting with the other elders there. And so this is being written from the capital of Brazil’s northeast. During the last week I spent three days in bed due to a bad cold. I was feeling kind of down and was cautioning against catching bronchitis again (like I had last fall). Even now I don’t feel any better but am working on it. There is no need to worry though.
Our little branch here has so many problems to overcome. We have had two MIAs now, both of them successful. It is about the only thing running right thus far. The daughter of the former branch president is the new president of the YWMIA, and she put everything she had into making the first one a success (and it surely was). Then Saturday evening on their way to MIA, her dad said it was the worst MIA he had ever attended. When she got to the church, she came to tell us (the elders) and broke down and bawled. Well, last night, being the evening of fast Sunday, we held a branch preparation meeting—which was the first ever. He (the ex-branch president, named Aldo) complained, feeling that too much responsibility was being put on his family. I explained to him that being the only active complete family in such a small branch they had to expect to be busy. Aldo is now Sunday School superintendent. His wife is branch organist, Primary president, and Relief Society president (by the way, she is the sharpest person in the branch). His daughter is YWMIA president, and a son secretary in the YMMIA. He said that having so much to do, he felt imprisoned by the Church and that he could never miss a Saturday or Sunday meeting.
Oh, such a lack of vision! If he could only catch the picture of what the Church and its programs were all about! For a good member of the Church, or for any member as far as that goes, there should never be a second thought about attending church. It is naturally expected. Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ has significance only for those who are expecting to enter the celestial kingdom. It that is not our goal, there is really no reason to be in the Church. At baptism we made some pretty serious covenants, including seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. That means to me simply that the gospel comes first, before anything else, and that perfection needs to be our daily occupation. The Church is to perfect the Saints. We need every help we can get, every single day if necessary. Oh, if we can only enlarge the vision of the members as to the beauty and fulness of the gospel!
Pray hard for us so we can be true in our callings, faithfully fulfilling our stewardships, as guided by the Spirit. I pray for you. I am so humbly grateful for your love and support. May heaven bless you.
Dear family,
This is a howdy today from Recife. We left this morning at 6:00 from Maceió to make the four-hour trip to Recife for a zone meeting with the other elders there. And so this is being written from the capital of Brazil’s northeast. During the last week I spent three days in bed due to a bad cold. I was feeling kind of down and was cautioning against catching bronchitis again (like I had last fall). Even now I don’t feel any better but am working on it. There is no need to worry though.
Our little branch here has so many problems to overcome. We have had two MIAs now, both of them successful. It is about the only thing running right thus far. The daughter of the former branch president is the new president of the YWMIA, and she put everything she had into making the first one a success (and it surely was). Then Saturday evening on their way to MIA, her dad said it was the worst MIA he had ever attended. When she got to the church, she came to tell us (the elders) and broke down and bawled. Well, last night, being the evening of fast Sunday, we held a branch preparation meeting—which was the first ever. He (the ex-branch president, named Aldo) complained, feeling that too much responsibility was being put on his family. I explained to him that being the only active complete family in such a small branch they had to expect to be busy. Aldo is now Sunday School superintendent. His wife is branch organist, Primary president, and Relief Society president (by the way, she is the sharpest person in the branch). His daughter is YWMIA president, and a son secretary in the YMMIA. He said that having so much to do, he felt imprisoned by the Church and that he could never miss a Saturday or Sunday meeting.
Oh, such a lack of vision! If he could only catch the picture of what the Church and its programs were all about! For a good member of the Church, or for any member as far as that goes, there should never be a second thought about attending church. It is naturally expected. Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ has significance only for those who are expecting to enter the celestial kingdom. It that is not our goal, there is really no reason to be in the Church. At baptism we made some pretty serious covenants, including seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. That means to me simply that the gospel comes first, before anything else, and that perfection needs to be our daily occupation. The Church is to perfect the Saints. We need every help we can get, every single day if necessary. Oh, if we can only enlarge the vision of the members as to the beauty and fulness of the gospel!
Pray hard for us so we can be true in our callings, faithfully fulfilling our stewardships, as guided by the Spirit. I pray for you. I am so humbly grateful for your love and support. May heaven bless you.
32. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written on a bus en route from Rio de Janeiro to Recife on Monday, April 13, 1970, as I was being transferred from Rio de Janeiro to Maceió, Alagoas, in northeastern Brazil.
Dear family,
Please excuse this letter if it starts looking a bit sloppy. I am writ¬ing it on a bus as we are heading out of Rio de Janeiro for parts un¬known. Get out a map and search around for northeastern Brazil (the part that sticks out towards Africa) for a city called Maceió in the state of Alagoas. That will be my new home for the next few months.
We just finished a lunch stop in a town called Muriaé in the state of Minas Gerais. We left Rio at 7:00 this morning and will reach Recife, Pernam¬buco, tomorrow night about 10:30—or, in other words, about a forty-hour trip by bus. This is a big country, and we aren’t even covering half of it. After arriving in Recife we will stay overnight with the elders there, and the next morning (Wednesday) I’ll take a four-hour bus trip to Maceió. My traveling companion is going on to João Pessoa, Paraiba.
There territory we are covering now is quite hilly grassland with occasional patches of farmland. The air smells so fresh and the sky appears so blue here in Minas Gerais. I guess spending an entire year and four months in Rio’s smog and congestion and traffic made me forget what clean air and sky were like. Earlier this morning we traveled through a most beautiful tropical forest while still in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has twenty-two states. Until today I knew only two of them: Guanabara, where the city of Rio de Janeiro is, and the state of Rio de Janeiro. By the end of this trip I will have also been in the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, and Pernambuco.
Last Saturday night I learned I was to be transferred but did not know where. Sunday afternoon I went to the mission home to pick up my tickets and to learn of my new assignment. Later Sunday afternoon, at sacrament meeting, I realized how attached I had become to the branch and its members in the seven months I labored there.
The Brazilians are a warm, emotional people, a people you grow to love very much, and you might imagine, therefore, what an experience it was to say good-bye to all of them. I had served as branch organist most of the seven months and so found myself to be more known than I had ever imagined. It was kind of like being hero of the night. Then after all that I had to pack, and here I am this morning, or rather afternoon now, traveling.
As I consider how quickly the last seven months passed, it causes some concern as to how rapidly the remaining eight months will slip by. How fruitful and productive those months will be is largely mine to determine. Success in missionary work, or probably in any work, is when preparation meets opportunity.
Yesterday my heart swelled with gratitude as I realized that both branches were individually stronger and larger than the single branch I came to seven months ago. To see in such a short time the building of the kingdom and the strengthening of Zion is most gratifying.
Next Sunday, which I will be missing, is another district quarterly conference, at which at attendance of 1,400 is expected. The goal in January was 1,000, and some 1,150 Saints attended. The Lord’s work is going forward! Learning of new stakes in Lima, Peru, and Tokyo, Japan, made me happy. An article in the last Liahona said that before the end of 1970 there could likely be nine or ten new stakes in Brazil, São Paulo’s two stakes becoming two or three more, with stakes also in seven other cities, one of which could be Rio. The Church is growing faster in Brazil than in any other nation of the world except the United States! Wow! It is exciting and humbling to be a partner with destiny.
Look on page 24 of the February 1970 Improvement Era. Have you ever seen a more beautiful picture of Sister McKay?
May the choicest blessings of heaven be yours. Smile and be happy. Until some other time, tchau.
Dear family,
Please excuse this letter if it starts looking a bit sloppy. I am writ¬ing it on a bus as we are heading out of Rio de Janeiro for parts un¬known. Get out a map and search around for northeastern Brazil (the part that sticks out towards Africa) for a city called Maceió in the state of Alagoas. That will be my new home for the next few months.
We just finished a lunch stop in a town called Muriaé in the state of Minas Gerais. We left Rio at 7:00 this morning and will reach Recife, Pernam¬buco, tomorrow night about 10:30—or, in other words, about a forty-hour trip by bus. This is a big country, and we aren’t even covering half of it. After arriving in Recife we will stay overnight with the elders there, and the next morning (Wednesday) I’ll take a four-hour bus trip to Maceió. My traveling companion is going on to João Pessoa, Paraiba.
There territory we are covering now is quite hilly grassland with occasional patches of farmland. The air smells so fresh and the sky appears so blue here in Minas Gerais. I guess spending an entire year and four months in Rio’s smog and congestion and traffic made me forget what clean air and sky were like. Earlier this morning we traveled through a most beautiful tropical forest while still in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has twenty-two states. Until today I knew only two of them: Guanabara, where the city of Rio de Janeiro is, and the state of Rio de Janeiro. By the end of this trip I will have also been in the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, and Pernambuco.
Last Saturday night I learned I was to be transferred but did not know where. Sunday afternoon I went to the mission home to pick up my tickets and to learn of my new assignment. Later Sunday afternoon, at sacrament meeting, I realized how attached I had become to the branch and its members in the seven months I labored there.
The Brazilians are a warm, emotional people, a people you grow to love very much, and you might imagine, therefore, what an experience it was to say good-bye to all of them. I had served as branch organist most of the seven months and so found myself to be more known than I had ever imagined. It was kind of like being hero of the night. Then after all that I had to pack, and here I am this morning, or rather afternoon now, traveling.
As I consider how quickly the last seven months passed, it causes some concern as to how rapidly the remaining eight months will slip by. How fruitful and productive those months will be is largely mine to determine. Success in missionary work, or probably in any work, is when preparation meets opportunity.
Yesterday my heart swelled with gratitude as I realized that both branches were individually stronger and larger than the single branch I came to seven months ago. To see in such a short time the building of the kingdom and the strengthening of Zion is most gratifying.
Next Sunday, which I will be missing, is another district quarterly conference, at which at attendance of 1,400 is expected. The goal in January was 1,000, and some 1,150 Saints attended. The Lord’s work is going forward! Learning of new stakes in Lima, Peru, and Tokyo, Japan, made me happy. An article in the last Liahona said that before the end of 1970 there could likely be nine or ten new stakes in Brazil, São Paulo’s two stakes becoming two or three more, with stakes also in seven other cities, one of which could be Rio. The Church is growing faster in Brazil than in any other nation of the world except the United States! Wow! It is exciting and humbling to be a partner with destiny.
Look on page 24 of the February 1970 Improvement Era. Have you ever seen a more beautiful picture of Sister McKay?
May the choicest blessings of heaven be yours. Smile and be happy. Until some other time, tchau.
29. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written from the Ramos area of Rio de Janeiro in Monday, January 26, 1970.
Dear family,
Once again I have seen the miracle of happiness happen in the lives of those who accept and live the gospel. The family we baptized a week ago are now different people, now living a new life. They are so happy at the church that they would like to spend their whole time there. It is certainly humbling to realize how much they think of my companion and me. To them we are what perfection is. What a great responsibility is ours not to injure their new and growing faith! She asked me to express to you the next time I wrote home her love and gratitude, especially to you Mom. She thinks you must be the luckiest, happiest parents in the world.
Zion is growing here in Rio. The branch we are serving in is to be divided shortly. You can understand why considering that in January alone forty converts were baptized into that branch. At the district conference last week the official number in attendance was 1,100, one hundred more than the goal President Johnson set for us to start thinking about becoming a stake. The Meier Branch, in which we labor, had 340 members and seventy nonmember visitors in attendance. As soon as the branch is divided, one of the branches will begin building a new chapel.
The weather has been remarkably good for summer—so far. Today is trying to rain.
This Friday we will be holding again zone conference. That is always a special experience.
Thanks for all your love and support. I hope this letter finds you all in health and happiness.
P.S. Could you find and send pictures of the Salt Lake Temple? Post cards would be great. Thanx!
Dear family,
Once again I have seen the miracle of happiness happen in the lives of those who accept and live the gospel. The family we baptized a week ago are now different people, now living a new life. They are so happy at the church that they would like to spend their whole time there. It is certainly humbling to realize how much they think of my companion and me. To them we are what perfection is. What a great responsibility is ours not to injure their new and growing faith! She asked me to express to you the next time I wrote home her love and gratitude, especially to you Mom. She thinks you must be the luckiest, happiest parents in the world.
Zion is growing here in Rio. The branch we are serving in is to be divided shortly. You can understand why considering that in January alone forty converts were baptized into that branch. At the district conference last week the official number in attendance was 1,100, one hundred more than the goal President Johnson set for us to start thinking about becoming a stake. The Meier Branch, in which we labor, had 340 members and seventy nonmember visitors in attendance. As soon as the branch is divided, one of the branches will begin building a new chapel.
The weather has been remarkably good for summer—so far. Today is trying to rain.
This Friday we will be holding again zone conference. That is always a special experience.
Thanks for all your love and support. I hope this letter finds you all in health and happiness.
P.S. Could you find and send pictures of the Salt Lake Temple? Post cards would be great. Thanx!
27. To My Family
A short note to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written from the Ramos area in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, December 15, 1969.
Dear family,
Time is short. This is a quick note only. A Christmas greeting comes under separate cover. Saturday we baptized a man a member of the Church that we had taught during the past three weeks. His wife has not yet joined because she cannot read and because health has prevented her attendance at church. She does have somewhat of a testimony already though. They are such sweet wonderful people that love us to pieces.
Also Saturday a thief came into our room while we were sleeping and stole two pairs of pants and our two watches. I guess he thought the pants had money in the pockets. They didn’t. The only thing that makes me feel bad is that it was Dad’s watch.
In three more days I mark the year point of being in Brazil. You know what that means? I will be home soon. Time is running out. Have a merry holiday season and may God bless you ever more richly.
Dear family,
Time is short. This is a quick note only. A Christmas greeting comes under separate cover. Saturday we baptized a man a member of the Church that we had taught during the past three weeks. His wife has not yet joined because she cannot read and because health has prevented her attendance at church. She does have somewhat of a testimony already though. They are such sweet wonderful people that love us to pieces.
Also Saturday a thief came into our room while we were sleeping and stole two pairs of pants and our two watches. I guess he thought the pants had money in the pockets. They didn’t. The only thing that makes me feel bad is that it was Dad’s watch.
In three more days I mark the year point of being in Brazil. You know what that means? I will be home soon. Time is running out. Have a merry holiday season and may God bless you ever more richly.
26. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written from the Ramos area of Rio de Janeiro on Monday, October 27, 1969.
Dear family,
Actually I should probably not tell you, because it will just make you worry, but I need to let you know how things are going. For the past two weeks I have had a rather heavy cold hanging on. Today the doctor diagnosed it as a bronchial infection, commonly called bronchitis. He prescribed all the necessary medicine, which should have me well within four or five days (by the time you receive this letter).
Also I had another toe operation this morning. The toenail that was removed last December started causing infection again and so the doctor thought it best to remove it again. The reason was not because it was ingrown, as everybody thought, but because of some sort of fungus in the toenail. For the next thirty to forty days I have a medicine to take that is supposed to eliminate that.
Other than all that, I am feeling great. It is great being a missionary. Saturday my companion and I had the opportunity to baptize and confirm a man we had taught during the preceding three weeks. His baptism was a wonderful occasion and topped off the marvelous experiences had working with him.
One special blessing from being district leader is the responsibility to interview every candidate for baptism within the district. Every time is a new and different experience.
On Wednesday or Thursday of this week I will receive a new companion fresh from the States. My present companion, Elder Edward Staker, from Mount Pleasant, Utah, leaves this evening for Vitória, a city eight or nine hours by bus from Rio. He has been my companion since mid-September, having arrived in Brazil two weeks before then. He will be a good missionary, I am confident, because he is a hard worker and dedicated.
Every month each district in the mission is rated in relationship to all the others according to a scale determined by number of baptisms, number of hours worked, number of people contacted, and number of lessons taught. The Ramos District was rated in September, after I had presided over it as district leader for two weeks, as thirteenth out of twenty-five. For October we lead the mission as number one on the list. Our baptismal goal was nine people for the month, and the district baptized fourteen. The big challenge now is to remain faithful, spiritual, hard working, and continue seeking for the Lord’s blessings for these good people.
Thanks for all you are and mean to me. Your support and love are very real forces. I want to express my gratitude and love to you, especially Dad and Mom, for the “good life” to which I was introduced. A lady we taught yesterday asked me to send her congratulations and an abraço to my mother for the fine job she did in raising such a good son. I don’t deserve it, but my mother does, so I promised that I would.
May heaven bless you richly.
Dear family,
Actually I should probably not tell you, because it will just make you worry, but I need to let you know how things are going. For the past two weeks I have had a rather heavy cold hanging on. Today the doctor diagnosed it as a bronchial infection, commonly called bronchitis. He prescribed all the necessary medicine, which should have me well within four or five days (by the time you receive this letter).
Also I had another toe operation this morning. The toenail that was removed last December started causing infection again and so the doctor thought it best to remove it again. The reason was not because it was ingrown, as everybody thought, but because of some sort of fungus in the toenail. For the next thirty to forty days I have a medicine to take that is supposed to eliminate that.
Other than all that, I am feeling great. It is great being a missionary. Saturday my companion and I had the opportunity to baptize and confirm a man we had taught during the preceding three weeks. His baptism was a wonderful occasion and topped off the marvelous experiences had working with him.
One special blessing from being district leader is the responsibility to interview every candidate for baptism within the district. Every time is a new and different experience.
On Wednesday or Thursday of this week I will receive a new companion fresh from the States. My present companion, Elder Edward Staker, from Mount Pleasant, Utah, leaves this evening for Vitória, a city eight or nine hours by bus from Rio. He has been my companion since mid-September, having arrived in Brazil two weeks before then. He will be a good missionary, I am confident, because he is a hard worker and dedicated.
Every month each district in the mission is rated in relationship to all the others according to a scale determined by number of baptisms, number of hours worked, number of people contacted, and number of lessons taught. The Ramos District was rated in September, after I had presided over it as district leader for two weeks, as thirteenth out of twenty-five. For October we lead the mission as number one on the list. Our baptismal goal was nine people for the month, and the district baptized fourteen. The big challenge now is to remain faithful, spiritual, hard working, and continue seeking for the Lord’s blessings for these good people.
Thanks for all you are and mean to me. Your support and love are very real forces. I want to express my gratitude and love to you, especially Dad and Mom, for the “good life” to which I was introduced. A lady we taught yesterday asked me to send her congratulations and an abraço to my mother for the fine job she did in raising such a good son. I don’t deserve it, but my mother does, so I promised that I would.
May heaven bless you richly.
25. To My Family
An excerpt from a letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written from the Ramos area of Rio de Janeiro on Monday, October 20, 1969. In my journal I prefaced the letter with this explanation, “I wrote a letter to my family today and pretty much reported on the quarterly district conference and the goals President Johnson outlined. I continued:”
At the conference I saw again many wonderful friends from other branches I have worked in. Especially good to see is that every family I have helped baptize is active and progressing in the Church. Following the conference I had the wonderful opportunity to baptize a lady and her daughter we taught while working in the mission office. The father and son of this family we baptized in August. It was simply thrilling to see this lady finally enter the waters of baptism. Next Saturday we will baptize one more man we have just finished teaching.
I do not like to be the ungrateful type, and I am the first to recognize that any and all success we are meeting here is due directly to the Lord and the workings of His Holy Spirit on the hearts of men. This is His work, not man’s. It is the Holy Ghost that converts, not us. We are such unworthy servants.
Thanks for your support, love, and prayers. I love to receive your letters. Don’t forget us in your prayers. May heaven’s blessings be with you.
At the conference I saw again many wonderful friends from other branches I have worked in. Especially good to see is that every family I have helped baptize is active and progressing in the Church. Following the conference I had the wonderful opportunity to baptize a lady and her daughter we taught while working in the mission office. The father and son of this family we baptized in August. It was simply thrilling to see this lady finally enter the waters of baptism. Next Saturday we will baptize one more man we have just finished teaching.
I do not like to be the ungrateful type, and I am the first to recognize that any and all success we are meeting here is due directly to the Lord and the workings of His Holy Spirit on the hearts of men. This is His work, not man’s. It is the Holy Ghost that converts, not us. We are such unworthy servants.
Thanks for your support, love, and prayers. I love to receive your letters. Don’t forget us in your prayers. May heaven’s blessings be with you.
23. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written in the mission office in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, July 21, 1969, two days after my twentieth birthday and one day after man’s historic first step on the moon.
Saturday I received one of the best birthday presents any person could ever receive—we held a baptism service, and I baptized a lady and her eight-year-old son members of the Church. It was exactly three weeks ago yesterday that we first spoke with her about the Church, but she had been prepared and when the message of the Restoration came she gladly answered. You cannot imagine how fantastic she is.
Yesterday in the district quarterly conference (a district is like a stake, except still part of a mission) she was sustained as first counselor in the MIA presidency of both the district and mission. That is pretty good progression, considering she was only a member one day. Her name is Maria Yolanda de Souza and her son’s name is Marcos, also a fantastic little kid. Someday he will be a bishop or stake president here in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, as you can imagine the happiness that comes to a young man when he sees someone embracing the gospel, you can understand how thrilled I was to receive such an honor as a birthday gift.
As I mentioned, yesterday were the concluding sessions of the quarterly district conference of the Rio de Janeiro District. The Saints from the states of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, and Espírito Santo (study your maps) all gathered in the district center chapel. It is always a thrill to meet with the Saints assembled in conference. It is just as great to hear members of the Church stand and sing “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” and “Come, Come, Ye Saints” in Portuguese as in English, or any other language, I suppose. The gospel is the same in any language and in any corner of the earth. Before and after conference I was able to see again many of the members from the Petrópolis Branch (where I first labored) and renew those friendships.
Yesterday, July 20, man first stepped onto the moon. A dream of centuries has been realized within sixty-six years after man’s first heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk on that December morning in 1903. In just a lifetime fantasy has become reality. What will that many more years bring? We are living in an exciting age, in adventurous times.
In two weeks, on August 2, is my companion’s twentieth birthday (his name is Monte Stewart). Like a good companion’s family should, you ought to send him a birthday card or short note saying Happy Birthday. I would appreciate it. Thanks for everything. So long for now.
Saturday I received one of the best birthday presents any person could ever receive—we held a baptism service, and I baptized a lady and her eight-year-old son members of the Church. It was exactly three weeks ago yesterday that we first spoke with her about the Church, but she had been prepared and when the message of the Restoration came she gladly answered. You cannot imagine how fantastic she is.
Yesterday in the district quarterly conference (a district is like a stake, except still part of a mission) she was sustained as first counselor in the MIA presidency of both the district and mission. That is pretty good progression, considering she was only a member one day. Her name is Maria Yolanda de Souza and her son’s name is Marcos, also a fantastic little kid. Someday he will be a bishop or stake president here in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, as you can imagine the happiness that comes to a young man when he sees someone embracing the gospel, you can understand how thrilled I was to receive such an honor as a birthday gift.
As I mentioned, yesterday were the concluding sessions of the quarterly district conference of the Rio de Janeiro District. The Saints from the states of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, and Espírito Santo (study your maps) all gathered in the district center chapel. It is always a thrill to meet with the Saints assembled in conference. It is just as great to hear members of the Church stand and sing “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” and “Come, Come, Ye Saints” in Portuguese as in English, or any other language, I suppose. The gospel is the same in any language and in any corner of the earth. Before and after conference I was able to see again many of the members from the Petrópolis Branch (where I first labored) and renew those friendships.
Yesterday, July 20, man first stepped onto the moon. A dream of centuries has been realized within sixty-six years after man’s first heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk on that December morning in 1903. In just a lifetime fantasy has become reality. What will that many more years bring? We are living in an exciting age, in adventurous times.
In two weeks, on August 2, is my companion’s twentieth birthday (his name is Monte Stewart). Like a good companion’s family should, you ought to send him a birthday card or short note saying Happy Birthday. I would appreciate it. Thanks for everything. So long for now.
20. To My Family
A letter to my family in Idaho, written in the mission office in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, April 28, 1969.
Here it is almost another new month and, proverbially, time continues pushing onward. At times it is nearly frightening to see life slipping away so quickly and upon us devolves the responsibility to use it wisely and effectively. Life cannot be hoarded or saved away or guarded. To really live we need to give life away to others freely and unselfishly, not counting the gifts we give to brighten other lives, to lessen others’ worries, to lighten others’ loads. Happiness, the end and design of our existence, is promised to us, is ours if we lose ourselves in the service of others.
No word has reached me yet as to whether or not you received the tape I sent at the end of March. I certainly hope it has arrived by now and you have had the opportunity to listen to it and are planning to return it with your recorded voices soon. This reminds me of another thing: I have no pictures of the family with me here in Brazil and could use them at times. Did you happen to take any pictures when everyone was gathered at Thanksgiving? You might send some sort of something to me.
For nearly a month we have been working with a wonderful family of ten people, teaching them, praying and fasting for them and with them, struggling to help them appreciate the beauty of the gospel message. Yesterday at Sunday School he told us he was ready to be baptized and that he and his wife and the four oldest children (those over eight) would be baptized next Saturday. That certainly made us happy. If only I could share with you what a neat family they are and how the gospel has already literally changed their lives for better!
I am more amazed each new day at how the gospel touches peoples’ lives, changes their hearts. In any part of the world—whether Brazil or Samoa or Germany or Idaho or Vietnam—the gospel is working miracles in the lives of the simple and the meek and the humble people of the earth. It is simply marvelous to see the great brotherhood that the priesthood binds together in every land. Love and peace and joy are the fruits of true religion. There is a prophet upon the earth in our day (I sometimes think we do not really appreciate what that means), and he is speaking with God, and the Lord is speaking through him to us as a Church and to the world at large.
At the last general conference of the Church the Prophet again emphasized the home and its importance to all of this. Unfortunately, we only hear about what he said and have not been able to read it, but his life and his teachings have emphasized this theme for years—by word and example. Why? Because we need it so badly? The Lord has commanded us to make our homes a heaven on earth. But He has also commanded us to be perfect like He is, and it is impossible to comply with that important commandment, as possible as it is to be perfect, unless we can live the “little” things. The Lord has told us to have weekly family home evenings and yet the Church response has been discouragingly low, especially is it noticeable in places like here in Brazil. But the families obeying this commandment are reaping richly the rewards and are walking close to perfection.
An assurance of exaltation is possible in this life. We are commanded to make our calling and election sure, to become perfect before the Lord. If you will search the Doctrine and Covenants, you can see that we are expected to see the Lord in this life, in the flesh. That is a fantastic promise and a glorious one. We are here to walk and live by the Spirit, not trust in the arm of flesh.
Except for Jerry, it has been quite a significant time since I have heard from anybody. Probably the mail systems are just slow. As usually happens, mail may come tomorrow or Wednesday—always coming soon after I write and say I am not receiving anything. Thanks for your support and your faithfulness and interests in my behalf. And so until next month, I say good-bye once again. May the Lord bless you with every needful blessing. My love and prayers remember you. May the elephant of happiness stomp heavily on your toes.
Here it is almost another new month and, proverbially, time continues pushing onward. At times it is nearly frightening to see life slipping away so quickly and upon us devolves the responsibility to use it wisely and effectively. Life cannot be hoarded or saved away or guarded. To really live we need to give life away to others freely and unselfishly, not counting the gifts we give to brighten other lives, to lessen others’ worries, to lighten others’ loads. Happiness, the end and design of our existence, is promised to us, is ours if we lose ourselves in the service of others.
No word has reached me yet as to whether or not you received the tape I sent at the end of March. I certainly hope it has arrived by now and you have had the opportunity to listen to it and are planning to return it with your recorded voices soon. This reminds me of another thing: I have no pictures of the family with me here in Brazil and could use them at times. Did you happen to take any pictures when everyone was gathered at Thanksgiving? You might send some sort of something to me.
For nearly a month we have been working with a wonderful family of ten people, teaching them, praying and fasting for them and with them, struggling to help them appreciate the beauty of the gospel message. Yesterday at Sunday School he told us he was ready to be baptized and that he and his wife and the four oldest children (those over eight) would be baptized next Saturday. That certainly made us happy. If only I could share with you what a neat family they are and how the gospel has already literally changed their lives for better!
I am more amazed each new day at how the gospel touches peoples’ lives, changes their hearts. In any part of the world—whether Brazil or Samoa or Germany or Idaho or Vietnam—the gospel is working miracles in the lives of the simple and the meek and the humble people of the earth. It is simply marvelous to see the great brotherhood that the priesthood binds together in every land. Love and peace and joy are the fruits of true religion. There is a prophet upon the earth in our day (I sometimes think we do not really appreciate what that means), and he is speaking with God, and the Lord is speaking through him to us as a Church and to the world at large.
At the last general conference of the Church the Prophet again emphasized the home and its importance to all of this. Unfortunately, we only hear about what he said and have not been able to read it, but his life and his teachings have emphasized this theme for years—by word and example. Why? Because we need it so badly? The Lord has commanded us to make our homes a heaven on earth. But He has also commanded us to be perfect like He is, and it is impossible to comply with that important commandment, as possible as it is to be perfect, unless we can live the “little” things. The Lord has told us to have weekly family home evenings and yet the Church response has been discouragingly low, especially is it noticeable in places like here in Brazil. But the families obeying this commandment are reaping richly the rewards and are walking close to perfection.
An assurance of exaltation is possible in this life. We are commanded to make our calling and election sure, to become perfect before the Lord. If you will search the Doctrine and Covenants, you can see that we are expected to see the Lord in this life, in the flesh. That is a fantastic promise and a glorious one. We are here to walk and live by the Spirit, not trust in the arm of flesh.
Except for Jerry, it has been quite a significant time since I have heard from anybody. Probably the mail systems are just slow. As usually happens, mail may come tomorrow or Wednesday—always coming soon after I write and say I am not receiving anything. Thanks for your support and your faithfulness and interests in my behalf. And so until next month, I say good-bye once again. May the Lord bless you with every needful blessing. My love and prayers remember you. May the elephant of happiness stomp heavily on your toes.
19. To My Family
A letter to my family in Nampa, Idaho, written in the mission office in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, March 31, 1969.
Well, here it is the end of another month and time pushes relentlessly onward. Within the next week will be realized some of the greatest—if not the greatest—anniversaries ever commemorated by man. This is an exciting time of year. April 6 we recognize as the date of the Savior’s birth and as the foundation date of the Church in this dispensation. Appropriately enough, the Church will be assembled in another annual general conference—declaring to the world the glorious message of the gospel and its restoration.
This year Easter happens to fall on April 6 (probably the date of the first Easter), and we pause in profound remembrance of the triumphant victory over death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As with Job we can confidently exclaim: “I know that my Redeemer lives” (see Job 19:25).
President McKay lists a testimony of the divinity of Christ and of this latter-day work as among our greatest possessions. And so it is. My knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that the gospel has been restored, that we can behold the Savior even in this life—which knowledge is but revelation from God Himself—all these lend to life purpose, dignity, and peace.
Last Monday I prepared and sent you a tape instead of a letter. I hope you have already received it. When you borrow a tape recorder to play it—if you haven’t yet—find one that plays 1f speed because that was what it was recorded on. You might dig out my little tape recorder (without messing up the box of stuff that it is in) if you want to buy new batteries. However, I do not know what speed it plays. To return the tape, send it airmail first-class. If the cost is not too prohibitive, you could even send it registered just to make sure (although this is just an added precaution and not really essential). On the outside write: TAPE WITHOUT VALUE / FITA SEM VALOR.
Thanks for the letters. Mom and Jerry are the most faithful in that department. Since you realize I keep pretty busy here, I hope you share all these letters with Ray and Sheryl and with Gene and Cheryl. I cannot write them each as often as I would like.
To answer a few questions from Mom’s letter: No, we do not live in the mission home now, although we eat our noon meal there every day. We are living with a nonmember Brazilian family a few blocks away. The dona (landlady) certainly is nice to us—like last night she happened to find the Tabernacle Choir program on the radio and came and told us and had us listen and fixed us some hot chocolate and cake. She is always doing things like that.
Prices are still running about the same. The cruzeiro is inflating pretty fast. When I came in December a U.S. dollar equaled 3.02 new cruzeiros (NCR$). Already it is at NCR$3.97 (or a cruzeiro novo equals about 25 cents). The bill I am including is worth about ¼ cent. The Americans here call it 10 beans because that is probably about all it is worth. The largest denomination printed (10,000 cruzeiros or 10 cruzeiros novos) is about $2.50 in U.S. value.
The stamp on the outside of some of my letters—Leia o Livro de Mormon, o livro mais interessante no mundo—simply means, “Read the Book of Mormon, the most interesting book in the world.” There you just learned a little bit of Portuguese.
The name of the Church in Portuguese is A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias, this differing from the name in Spanish, La Iglesia de Jesuscristo do Los Santos de Los Últimos Dias. Brazilians can both read and listen to Spanish and understand over eighty percent of it, but Spanish-speaking people cannot understand Portuguese. The grammar of the two languages is similar, although Portuguese is somewhat more complex. In reality the Portuguese language is probably closer to Italian. I can understand a person speaking Spanish—yet it sounds like Portuguese being spoken with a serious speech impediment because of the differing pronunciation.
As in the United States, German was nearly the national language in Brazil. In the U.S. the Continental Congress decided by only one vote to remain with English rather than change to German. That was how close we were to being German-speaking. German would have been the language now of half the people of South America had not it been banned by the Brazilian government during World War II because of anti-Kraut sentiments.
Well, both time and space are gone again. And so until next week, may the Lord be with and bless you.
Well, here it is the end of another month and time pushes relentlessly onward. Within the next week will be realized some of the greatest—if not the greatest—anniversaries ever commemorated by man. This is an exciting time of year. April 6 we recognize as the date of the Savior’s birth and as the foundation date of the Church in this dispensation. Appropriately enough, the Church will be assembled in another annual general conference—declaring to the world the glorious message of the gospel and its restoration.
This year Easter happens to fall on April 6 (probably the date of the first Easter), and we pause in profound remembrance of the triumphant victory over death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As with Job we can confidently exclaim: “I know that my Redeemer lives” (see Job 19:25).
President McKay lists a testimony of the divinity of Christ and of this latter-day work as among our greatest possessions. And so it is. My knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that the gospel has been restored, that we can behold the Savior even in this life—which knowledge is but revelation from God Himself—all these lend to life purpose, dignity, and peace.
Last Monday I prepared and sent you a tape instead of a letter. I hope you have already received it. When you borrow a tape recorder to play it—if you haven’t yet—find one that plays 1f speed because that was what it was recorded on. You might dig out my little tape recorder (without messing up the box of stuff that it is in) if you want to buy new batteries. However, I do not know what speed it plays. To return the tape, send it airmail first-class. If the cost is not too prohibitive, you could even send it registered just to make sure (although this is just an added precaution and not really essential). On the outside write: TAPE WITHOUT VALUE / FITA SEM VALOR.
Thanks for the letters. Mom and Jerry are the most faithful in that department. Since you realize I keep pretty busy here, I hope you share all these letters with Ray and Sheryl and with Gene and Cheryl. I cannot write them each as often as I would like.
To answer a few questions from Mom’s letter: No, we do not live in the mission home now, although we eat our noon meal there every day. We are living with a nonmember Brazilian family a few blocks away. The dona (landlady) certainly is nice to us—like last night she happened to find the Tabernacle Choir program on the radio and came and told us and had us listen and fixed us some hot chocolate and cake. She is always doing things like that.
Prices are still running about the same. The cruzeiro is inflating pretty fast. When I came in December a U.S. dollar equaled 3.02 new cruzeiros (NCR$). Already it is at NCR$3.97 (or a cruzeiro novo equals about 25 cents). The bill I am including is worth about ¼ cent. The Americans here call it 10 beans because that is probably about all it is worth. The largest denomination printed (10,000 cruzeiros or 10 cruzeiros novos) is about $2.50 in U.S. value.
The stamp on the outside of some of my letters—Leia o Livro de Mormon, o livro mais interessante no mundo—simply means, “Read the Book of Mormon, the most interesting book in the world.” There you just learned a little bit of Portuguese.
The name of the Church in Portuguese is A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias, this differing from the name in Spanish, La Iglesia de Jesuscristo do Los Santos de Los Últimos Dias. Brazilians can both read and listen to Spanish and understand over eighty percent of it, but Spanish-speaking people cannot understand Portuguese. The grammar of the two languages is similar, although Portuguese is somewhat more complex. In reality the Portuguese language is probably closer to Italian. I can understand a person speaking Spanish—yet it sounds like Portuguese being spoken with a serious speech impediment because of the differing pronunciation.
As in the United States, German was nearly the national language in Brazil. In the U.S. the Continental Congress decided by only one vote to remain with English rather than change to German. That was how close we were to being German-speaking. German would have been the language now of half the people of South America had not it been banned by the Brazilian government during World War II because of anti-Kraut sentiments.
Well, both time and space are gone again. And so until next week, may the Lord be with and bless you.
15. To My Family at Christmastime
A Christmas letter to my family in Idaho written from the mission home in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, December 23, 1968.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you. I was planning on sending a distinctive Brazilian card or something to you for the holidays, but due to the happenings of the past week that became impossible. I am writing this from a bed in the mission home here in Rio—more of that later, now I will tell you of more exciting things.
The three hours at the airport, saying good-bye to everybody, seemed more like ten minutes. Especially when it was time to leave, everything was a hectic rush. When we reached Denver we were late and thought we had missed connections, but the other plane was likewise late. There wasn’t any snow in Denver. When we finally did leave we were an hour behind time. Almost all the way across the country a cloud covering prevented seeing anything below. As we approached New York’s Kennedy International we were in a forty-minute holding pat¬tern waiting for a landing spot. The skies were literally thick as flies with other craft above and below us in holding patterns. That indicates how much air traffic there is in New York. Anyway, our frequent circles over the city offered a fantastic view of the billions of lights sparkling below, a breath-taking view indeed.
By the time we finally got off the plane it was 6:50, leaving only forty minutes before our next flight was to leave! We had no passports yet and had no idea where the VARIG airlines building was (it turned out to be about 1½ miles from the United building where we deplaned). The only thing that saved us was that Elder [David] Babbel’s family was there to see him, and his father had called a limousine to rush us over to VARIG. Well, making a long story short, we just barely made the plane, but our luggage didn’t. That made all kinds of fun going through customs in Brazil.
We landed in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday morning at 7:30 and President and Sister Hal Johnson and some of the elders on the mission staff were there to meet us. Most of that day was spent being fingerprinted, photographed, visiting the embassy, and such. President Johnson interviewed each of us and then as a group we had an orientation meeting with him and Sister Johnson.
We were supposed to have left for our assignments that night but couldn’t because we had no luggage. Thursday morning we spent six hours and a half getting our baggage through customs at the airport. After all that, we returned to the mission office, where President Johnson told us where we were going. Two of us went to a city in the interior near Brasília, five went north 1,700 miles to Recife and João Pessoa, and one went to Petrópolis—a city in the mountains about 1½ hours from Rio by bus (probably fifty or sixty miles), the only cool place in the whole north mission. The president of the republic has a summer residence there. This is the city I will be working in first. My companion and I are the only two elders there. The branch has about 140 members. I am told Petrópolis was once mostly German, but now nobody speaks German there.
Thursday night I took a bus all alone to Petrópolis. After spending the night there, my companion and I returned to Rio the next day. Friday afternoon I had my right big toe operated on and the nail completely removed. The other foot is all right. Since then I have been just laying around here in the mission office leading an easy life—listening to Brazilian radio (which is mostly American music, sung in English), being fed grand meals three times a day, getting plenty of rest, and getting lots of studying done. I just finished reading all of Talmage’s Jesus the Christ, which I started only Saturday. There is no need to worry about anything because I am in good hands.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. That is so hard to believe, partly I suppose because we are here sweltering in the heat of summer. The Christmas tree here in the mission office is just like Jerry’s miniature tree that looks like a pine and a fern all in one, except that it is about six feet tall. They grow naturally here. Christmas Day all the missionaries that are at all close to the mission office will be here for a big dinner and such. Hopefully by the day following Christmas I will be able to return to Petrópolis.
Elder Michael Dean Slade, my companion from Las Vegas, is branch president and district leader. He was transferred to Petrópolis one week before I arrived. The branch was in such a mess that the entire first week he spent in getting it in order and had no time for missionary work. By the time he leaves for home February 7, he is supposed to have trained local membership to run the branch and a junior companion, me, to be able to be a senior companion if necessary (and it just might be).
Well, I should close now. Have a most prosperous new year and, though it will be late, merry Christmas also. Remember me in your prayers.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you. I was planning on sending a distinctive Brazilian card or something to you for the holidays, but due to the happenings of the past week that became impossible. I am writing this from a bed in the mission home here in Rio—more of that later, now I will tell you of more exciting things.
The three hours at the airport, saying good-bye to everybody, seemed more like ten minutes. Especially when it was time to leave, everything was a hectic rush. When we reached Denver we were late and thought we had missed connections, but the other plane was likewise late. There wasn’t any snow in Denver. When we finally did leave we were an hour behind time. Almost all the way across the country a cloud covering prevented seeing anything below. As we approached New York’s Kennedy International we were in a forty-minute holding pat¬tern waiting for a landing spot. The skies were literally thick as flies with other craft above and below us in holding patterns. That indicates how much air traffic there is in New York. Anyway, our frequent circles over the city offered a fantastic view of the billions of lights sparkling below, a breath-taking view indeed.
By the time we finally got off the plane it was 6:50, leaving only forty minutes before our next flight was to leave! We had no passports yet and had no idea where the VARIG airlines building was (it turned out to be about 1½ miles from the United building where we deplaned). The only thing that saved us was that Elder [David] Babbel’s family was there to see him, and his father had called a limousine to rush us over to VARIG. Well, making a long story short, we just barely made the plane, but our luggage didn’t. That made all kinds of fun going through customs in Brazil.
We landed in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday morning at 7:30 and President and Sister Hal Johnson and some of the elders on the mission staff were there to meet us. Most of that day was spent being fingerprinted, photographed, visiting the embassy, and such. President Johnson interviewed each of us and then as a group we had an orientation meeting with him and Sister Johnson.
We were supposed to have left for our assignments that night but couldn’t because we had no luggage. Thursday morning we spent six hours and a half getting our baggage through customs at the airport. After all that, we returned to the mission office, where President Johnson told us where we were going. Two of us went to a city in the interior near Brasília, five went north 1,700 miles to Recife and João Pessoa, and one went to Petrópolis—a city in the mountains about 1½ hours from Rio by bus (probably fifty or sixty miles), the only cool place in the whole north mission. The president of the republic has a summer residence there. This is the city I will be working in first. My companion and I are the only two elders there. The branch has about 140 members. I am told Petrópolis was once mostly German, but now nobody speaks German there.
Thursday night I took a bus all alone to Petrópolis. After spending the night there, my companion and I returned to Rio the next day. Friday afternoon I had my right big toe operated on and the nail completely removed. The other foot is all right. Since then I have been just laying around here in the mission office leading an easy life—listening to Brazilian radio (which is mostly American music, sung in English), being fed grand meals three times a day, getting plenty of rest, and getting lots of studying done. I just finished reading all of Talmage’s Jesus the Christ, which I started only Saturday. There is no need to worry about anything because I am in good hands.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. That is so hard to believe, partly I suppose because we are here sweltering in the heat of summer. The Christmas tree here in the mission office is just like Jerry’s miniature tree that looks like a pine and a fern all in one, except that it is about six feet tall. They grow naturally here. Christmas Day all the missionaries that are at all close to the mission office will be here for a big dinner and such. Hopefully by the day following Christmas I will be able to return to Petrópolis.
Elder Michael Dean Slade, my companion from Las Vegas, is branch president and district leader. He was transferred to Petrópolis one week before I arrived. The branch was in such a mess that the entire first week he spent in getting it in order and had no time for missionary work. By the time he leaves for home February 7, he is supposed to have trained local membership to run the branch and a junior companion, me, to be able to be a senior companion if necessary (and it just might be).
Well, I should close now. Have a most prosperous new year and, though it will be late, merry Christmas also. Remember me in your prayers.
14. To My Family at Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving Day letter sent to my family in Nampa, Idaho, from the Language Training Mission in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, November 28, 1968.
The wise author of Ecclesiastes has written: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Today is the season of thanksgiving, a moment when we step out of our regular busy-a-day lives to consider those things in life that are really important, a time when we draw a little closer to our Father in Heaven because there is the realization that all we have, all we are, all we can be is because of Him, the giver of all.
Now you are gathered as a family. A good family is one of the choicest blessings heaven can offer. Take a few moments to consider that. And if we want we make those relationships eternal. That is what I want, and I challenge all of you to help work for it. To Dad and Mother we owe our love, our devotion, our obedience. They have given us life and love and a home, and that is a debt we can never fully repay.
In thinking of Thanksgiving I made a list of those 100 things I am most grateful for. It is not my intent to bore you with them all, but I will share a few. I am humbled at the realization of how richly I have been blessed. I do not understand why, for I am certainly blessed beyond any worthiness of mine, but I thank God for it. The windows of heaven have been opened in my life. Chiefly is the gospel, the Savior’s tremendous sacrifice for each of us, the great love God has us-ward, testimonies, the Spirit’s influence in our lives, and the growth possible in the priesthood and within the Church. And then there is freedom, families, parents, friends, children, health, the beauties of nature, talents and abilities, opportunities to learn and to serve. All these things are what life is all about, really about.
The Prophet has spoken of these things. He said: “With all my soul, I plead with members of the Church and with people everywhere, to think more about the gospel; more about the developing of the spirit within; to devote more time to the real things in life, and less time to those things which will perish” (Conference Report, Apr. 1968, 144).
Enough of this epistle. It is hoped in this small way my sprit can participate with you this day, though I be absent in body. I hope this makes nobody homesick, for me we are too busy to ever worry about that. I leave with you all my love, my gratitude for all your support, and the knowledge I have that Christ lives and loves us and that this is His work and glory in which we are engaged. In His holy name I offer these few thoughts and ask His blessing upon all of you.
The wise author of Ecclesiastes has written: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Today is the season of thanksgiving, a moment when we step out of our regular busy-a-day lives to consider those things in life that are really important, a time when we draw a little closer to our Father in Heaven because there is the realization that all we have, all we are, all we can be is because of Him, the giver of all.
Now you are gathered as a family. A good family is one of the choicest blessings heaven can offer. Take a few moments to consider that. And if we want we make those relationships eternal. That is what I want, and I challenge all of you to help work for it. To Dad and Mother we owe our love, our devotion, our obedience. They have given us life and love and a home, and that is a debt we can never fully repay.
In thinking of Thanksgiving I made a list of those 100 things I am most grateful for. It is not my intent to bore you with them all, but I will share a few. I am humbled at the realization of how richly I have been blessed. I do not understand why, for I am certainly blessed beyond any worthiness of mine, but I thank God for it. The windows of heaven have been opened in my life. Chiefly is the gospel, the Savior’s tremendous sacrifice for each of us, the great love God has us-ward, testimonies, the Spirit’s influence in our lives, and the growth possible in the priesthood and within the Church. And then there is freedom, families, parents, friends, children, health, the beauties of nature, talents and abilities, opportunities to learn and to serve. All these things are what life is all about, really about.
The Prophet has spoken of these things. He said: “With all my soul, I plead with members of the Church and with people everywhere, to think more about the gospel; more about the developing of the spirit within; to devote more time to the real things in life, and less time to those things which will perish” (Conference Report, Apr. 1968, 144).
Enough of this epistle. It is hoped in this small way my sprit can participate with you this day, though I be absent in body. I hope this makes nobody homesick, for me we are too busy to ever worry about that. I leave with you all my love, my gratitude for all your support, and the knowledge I have that Christ lives and loves us and that this is His work and glory in which we are engaged. In His holy name I offer these few thoughts and ask His blessing upon all of you.
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