Most favorite.....Least favorite.....

I want snickerdoodels....crabby patties and crackerjacks! That's good that your thumb is getting better.

I heard John Mars was getting Married!!!!! =) That's SO COOL!!! He was always so nervous and timid, but now he's just freekin' sweet! Tell him I said Hi, and Congratulations e mandei uma abraço! I love my brothers especially my team mates in the world of sarcasm and lovely betterness of witty undertaking in a race of supreme supremacy! Epic Phrase - Kyle, Spelling - Darren, so just shut up I already know! lol

 

Life is going well. We almost had a baptism yesterday, but then the day of he got really embarrassed and ran away, so we have to go try and talk to him again. One of our investigators was at church, out of our 10 so that was really disappointing and frustrating and sad. We even went looking for them when they didn't show up and we got nothing! I've just about destroyed another pair of shoes, so now I need to think about getting a pair that will last a year or just trying to buy another pair and hope they last longer, but either way that decision can wait till the shoes actually die. Our washing machine should get here this week, maybe not til next, but I really hope it's this week. Cause rinsing by hand just takes forever! =P

 

Our apartment is a whole lot of diarrhea, but it has a great view. We're living off of pancakes and french toast because with all of our traveling for district meetings, interviews and zone conference butter, eggs, bread, and flour is about all that we can afford. My comp plays music as much as he can, which to be honest I don't enjoy too much.  I like music, but I like to have quiet time when I can just sit and think.  But with his music I can't do that. But if he doesn't have music he gets all bent out of shape so I just let his music go. He's one of those people who always has music going in his head it just never stops. So I let it slide. He's teaching me some new songs on the guitar and how to pick songs. This week we were butting heads a little bit.  It wasn't bad, but it was enough that I recognized that if we let it slide it would develop into a problem, and I was not about to let that happen. So I told him to sit down and we talked. I asked him what I was doing that he didn't like and what he wanted me to do different, but he's just like Johnathan so he didn't really have specifics and then struggled to express himself, but we did not leave the apartment until we were actually understanding what the other was saying and then we kept talking until we figured everything out. We had to speak in English which I wasn't thrilled about, but he was struggling to the point where he stopped talking when we were speaking Português because he couldn't express himself. So I gave in and spoke English with him thinking that it was more important that we were talking and unified than that we were speaking Português.

 

I don't know.  I'm just working and learning.  Every little piece builds into another piece and then develops to include something else. I don't know...mother that's a stupid question how am I supposed to know what my biggest spiritual experience is? One day something is huge the next it's normal--why doesn't everyone know that? How am I supposed to judge any of that =P

 

I'm learning a lot about what I actually like and enjoy and the environment that is comfortable for me. I do not like a messy house--that bothers me.  I enjoy symphonies and guitar, I love Disney movies. I do not like violence or confrontations - unless they are political and revolutionary. and I don't like fighting. I like Shakespear and poetry and cool epic stories and I like to learn and think and I enjoy walking and sitting in Parks and peaceful calming settings. I like to visit cities, but I do not like to live in cities.  I enjoy reading and writing and art, but I don't like pictures.  Which reminds me I want the pictures that we took the day before I left. Please go get them, if you need to take money out of my account to do it, fine I want those pictures! PLEASE!!!! I think that the biggest spiritual learning experience is still occurring and I am currently unable to express how I feel or what is being learned, because at half time you only know what still has to be done, and find yourself without the time to reflect on the game. Reflection comes at the top of the mountain when you've reached the top and can see just how far you've come. The parts that I love most about the Mission are seeing just how protected and guided we are as missionaries, seeing just how much help is constantly around us and watching as our talents are used in the Lords way to help and teach his children, to bring light and understanding to them. I also enjoy learning the scriptures and seeing just how literally applicable they are and the understanding that comes with living what we teach. 

 

And i hate missionaries that come and screw up everything and don't work. I have no patience or tolerance for people who don't work who come to serve and then don't do it. I hate those people. other than that everything else just has it's place. Eu sei que este obra é a obra do Senhor, e que Ele no guiará cada dia para fazer o que Ele ia se Ele tava aqui conosco. Quando aprendemos para confiar Nele temos sempre tuo que presisamos. Ele alementará cada passado que vive, então quanta mais Ele vai alemantar nos sendo nos mais do que passados. Eu sei que vive meu Senhor, que grande paz e alegria vem com este conheçemento. Eu sei que Ele vive.

Até mais agente

Elder Lund

Baby names & A New Area/Companion

legal. His name should not be shadrach benjamin jack joaquim or shane. I like Saxon, but it really doesn't matter what anyone thinks because Dad already has him name chossen and for that reason he's not telling anyone. Why does everyone like shadrach?

 

Okay well we're here in Mococa, my comp and I and e're the only missionaries in the whole city of 80,000 people trying to help our little branch grow. If everyone comes the have a frequencia de 60-75 pessoas. We have a batismo marcado for this Sunday and my comp loves to make apple pie and will make pie for the batismo! =) APPLE PIE MY FAVORITE! =) lol um...cool tory, so like you all remember when mom looks at us and says something like, "if you don't learn how to do this the Lord is going to teach you on your mission" ....yeah um.....my brothers really need to watch out for that because I don't know if the Lord just thinks it's funny or if mom's are supernatural somehow, but Johnathan is curently my comp...I like him, Johnathan don't take it that I'm dissing you in any way, but I don't understand him or how he thinks. He is litterally Johnathan, just with even mre music. The two even look alike. So I'm currently learning how johnathan's mind works and how to work with and understand his person. We live in an apartment that is full of smokers and smoke, but our appartment is clean. We've also taken the place of several slackers who previously pased hrough here so we'v been given te clean up job here. It's going well, just a little bit slow. The city is really big, not huge, but we still on't know every part. And for Reunião do Districto we have to get up at 4 in the morning, get a bus at 4:45 and then travel to one city, where we then get another bus to the city where we have district meeting. and we get there around 8. And we also learne that if you miss te return bus at 11:45 there isn't another bus till 5 and we'll get home in time to go to bed. But the city is really cool and clean and we really like it. 

 

We were teaching a family the other day and they had been visiting the churc regulary for several months, but then because of some less than exemplary members and bad missionaries they have started to drift away. They haven't been baptized yet, but their desire to be was diminuing. The wife told us that the other day she was praying and aske te Lord to send missionaries to help her family be baptized and get them all excited again. That same day we showe up in the city and then the next day we were introduced to them and started answering their questions. Que Benção, Que Beñção!

 

We're really happy to be here, my comp is teaching me how to play music and I'm teaching him how to talk and express himself. I'm enjoying being here in Mococa.

 

So yeah that's prett much we really like it here in our city all alone working and enjoying our time together, because quite frankly if we didn't enjoy it we wouldn't be having any fun being al alone. lol

 

Okay well you wrote another letter so I'm going to go read and respond to that  and try and I'll find a way to get you all a number to call when you open Johnathan's call and try and set up skype for mothers day. Please call EDY and Richard and ask if they can be there for the call too! =) and tammy can come if she wants I guess since she appears to always be at the house anyways. Don't want to make anyone feel bad, but ask richard and edy please! =)

 

okay love you all

Peace out

Elder Lund

Learning to be Junior

(I broke my thumb playing basketball this week with Kyle's brothers and I told him that we are having another boy @ our house)

Mother Mother Mother...one I'm surprised you played PREGNANT! Secondly I'm surprised that no one stopped you from playing and third, how do you break your thumb? If it's a bounce pass you grab it palm open fingers out, how did you manage to break your thumb? And I want a picture of it!

I might have broken my toe today playing soccer, but that's completely different.

 

Glad everyone got to the house well, hope everything goes well for Spencer and Daniel, I want to see pictures of the baptism. I saw the BYU score...

 

I don't know why Ali is crying.  All that means is that she will still get everything she wants without even so much as asking for it. And I don't know why you're crying either mother.  So just don't!  There is nothing sad about the situation except that my comp was right and I'm going to look stupid, but hey I don't have to tell him right? lol jk I'll tell him on our way out.

 

So story of this week is that I have been tired, down, out of it, lazy, and just sad. Why?  Because I work differently than my comp.  When he's "working" I feel like I'm slacking off and when I'm working he's dying. But he's senior and has the right to direct the work that we do, but it's taking a huge toll on me.  And he is leaving me in a position where I'm losing confidence in my leaders.  All of our investigators are none and it's just a wonderfully exhausting situation. President stopped by this week with the assistants to give a training and I asked President is I could talk to him because I felt that I needed to, and that's when I learned how I was feeling because I sat down with President and told him that I wasn't sure how I was feeling or what I wanted to talk about, but then before I even knew what I was saying everything just came flooding out and I almost lost it in front of him...that would have been embarrassing. He listened and then told me that I was doing the right thing, to just let him direct the work and do absolutely nothing to cause contention. He wants me to be the Perfect Jr. If there is one thing and one thing only that I was not ready for coming into the mission it was to be Jr. It has taken me an entire year to learn how to be Jr. To learn what Jr really means and it is exhausting and this last week I used up every last bit of patience that I had. And I lost it! I did not do anything bad, I did not say anything out loud or do anything unbecoming as a missionary, but I lost it and I didn't have any space one more and I was on the edge.  I was so tired and frustrated with everything.Going into lunch Sunday, I realized that I had to get control of myself again.  We were going into a member's house to eat where they were making a sacrifice to help us and I was on edge. I took a minute and said a prayer, sang a song and went into lunch with a smile on my face and had a great lunch. And now I'm better, but I'm going to use it all again this week being the perfect Jr, giving my opinion and then following his decision. Hopefully, I'll have a little more patience this week, but as for now, I have to go because I'm out of time.

Love you all have a good week

Peace Out!

Elder Lund

A week in the rain....

(I told Kyle that in every prayer, Joshua prays that Kyle will learn the language and teach the gospel well.)

I Love Joshua, He's hilarious!

Well family this week was very educational, and very difficult. It has rained the entire week, which means here in Brazil that no one wants to talk to you or come answer their door. However most will rush you into their house when they see two soaking wet boys standing on their doorstep -- if they actually come to the door that is. lol So this week was difficult, but the story of this week goes like this. We were teaching a woman and her two children, they live in another city.  She is illiterate.  Her children are 8 and 10.  They are unbelievably poor and have no mannerism or level of decency, or etiquette of any kind.making it very difficult to teach-- almost impossible. She also has a crush, at 36 years-old, on my companion and has the attention and comprehension of a child younger than Joshua. So we have to explain everything like we would to the primary and then repeat it another 7 times. We found out Saturday that even doing this she didn't get it. We had the interview Friday.  Our ZL passed her as ready to be baptized, but asked that we return the next day to really get her excited. When we got there her family was visiting, her sister and brother in-law and his daughter. The sister is very catholic and didn't say anything bad or wrong, but neither did she say anything good or helpful. However she did ask for a blessing and we blessed everyone in the house upon their request with a blessing of comfort and it was very spiritual and uplifting and I thought to myself if this doesn't excite her, nothing will. We then taught and answered questions and left an amazing lesson, but still she said I'll go to your church one week and the next I'll go to the catholic church, and she was not of the disposition to be baptized either. We taught and explained and tried to help, but when we left her mind wasn't changed. We called our LZ to say that we wouldn't be having a baptism because my comp didn't want to baptize her with her lack of testimony and from what we saw her obvious incomprehension of everything we had taught. Our LZ was Not Happy and told us that she was ready and we needed to return and get her excited for her baptism! My comp fought a little because we were already back in our city and without a way to return. Our LZ told us to return in the morning before church--to do it then. Neither of us wanted to or agreed with our LZ, but I convinced my companion to pray with me asking for guidance and then helped him to follow through and follow our leaders instructions. Sunday we woke up at 5 in the morning and got ready in our suits and in a cold morning mist walked 2-3 miles to catch a 6:30 bus and at 7 we were in her house again trying to encourage her to come to church, if she wouldn't be baptized to just come to church. After an hour she persisted that she couldn't because she had a cold and we had to leave her behind and go to church. Lesson of the week, when you know that your leaders are wrong, but still do what they ask, they have no way to blame you for their being wrong or that things didn't work out. Neither me nor my comp enjoyed Sunday morning, but the best way to turn the day around is to go home, break your fast, eat 4 cookies and drink a liter of kool-aid! =) after that Sunday was pretty good. lol

I have to go now.  Have a good week and I'll talk to you all next week

Peace Out

Elder Lund

Back to work!!

So here is a quick update for those of you who are following the blog and realize we haven't posted since the end of January.  Kyle had a really rough February.  Almost all of his letters home said, 'Please don't post this.'  So we didn't.  Anyway, things have settled down sufficiently.  So, here is today's letter:

I loled! (I'll assume you understand, but if you don't ask Darren.)
I love Daryl! and Sister Craig! I can see sister Craig's face and hear exactly how she said it! and I miss Edy and Richard! =P Are his papers in yet?
yup....that's Johnathan. lol


(I asked Kyle if he uses questions to teach his investigators or when he is teaching on Sundays.)

Depends on my audience. Lately I've been encountering many people who don't have the religious background or vocabulary to answer the most simple of questions, but I can't lecture unless I'm angry. The principle of learning is Socrates. He is the ultimate teacher and his method is the best way for anyone to truly understand. So I mimic his style. Without problems I ask logical questions and then support their logical answers with scripture. And then when there is a problem I try and use the Socratic method to deduce their problem until only the right answer is in front of them. And then when they don't accept it, I don't understand. lol Some get it, others hold too fastly to family traditions and the fundamentals of their old life.
I can't teach with out questions, it isn't possible. teaching is based entirely upon the understanding and foundation of your audience. If you don't ask questions, how will you know their understanding? If you don't ask questions, how will you know if you've laid a foundation to continue? It's not possible. And by lecturing you will loose even your most understanding of students due to the fact that no human mind can maintain focus without being intrigued.

Cool Mission story, or rather maybe not, My companion and I received a reference from one of the members and meet her for the first time at church. On Divisions, my comp went there twice without me to teach her and then the third time I actually went there. Their lives are horrible! Not their living conditions, while those are bad too, but the children were raised without respect and the mother doesn't know how to be a mother. She looses her temper and gives in to their temper-tantrums to get them to shut up. I couldn't feel the spirit, or teach or do anything. it was horrible, but she was living all the commandments and had been taught everything so we set up an interview. she had the interview and passed, but as leaving no one knew if she was actually ready and she had also been showing the others all of he bills in hopes that they would try and bribe her to be baptized. So no one was too optimistic,  but we decided to wait Saturday and if she came Sunday perhaps it really hit home and she was more prepared than we gave her credit for. Sunday came and she wasn't at church, so Sunday evening we went to go find out why. Apparently Baptism had really gotten to her, because she had wanted all of her children to be baptized and since one if four years old she can't be baptized in our church so she took all three of her children to the catholic church to be baptized instead of coming to our church on the day that the others had marked for her baptism....we very emphatically taught her baptism again and marked another date for two weeks from yesterday...yeah after we got with the other elders we all had a good laugh about that. "Hey did you hear? São Carlos 5 had three baptisms this week! FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!"

The big problem is she doesn't read and has the attention span of a five year old three children that that don't listen to her and fight and sh being 36 or 37 years old has a HUGE CRUSH on my companion, for which he is mortally scared lol It's an interesting situation lol

Hey, no one answered my question, where are the pictures we took the night before I left?
And I think that's all for this week, the Assistance surprised us all this week and showed up at District Meeting with surprise Splits, to which our Zone Leaders were late because they took the wrong buss, but that's about it! lol
Have a good week everyone and take it easy! =)
Peace oUt
Elder Lund

Still working hard.

Well, it has been a while since I have posted Kyle's emails.  We talked for an hour at Christmas.  He sent us some of his poetry.  I decided not to post that.  Then, his next few emails he asked me not to post.  So I didn't.  You should know he is doing well.  He is really growing.  His current companion is really making him stretch and he is having to learn things that are challenging.  So, here is his current letter.  He is learning a lot about himself.  We are seeing an adult emerge.  Way to go Kyle!!  We are proud of you and we love you and all of the work you are doing.  Hang in there!

So I made it a goal for this week to not think anything negative, so here goes my positive streak.
I'm thankful for President Monson's talk on gratitude to give me this wonderful idea, and for President Ezra Taft Benson's talk on pride to help me see any of my stumbling blocks and problems.  I'm thankful for Elder Childers who gave me the talk so that I could read it, and for mission friends whom I can call and speak with and receive the help I need.  I'm thankful for this beautiful land and opportunity that I have to learn another language and immerse myself in someone else's culture.  I'm thankful for friends and family back home who I know are waiting for me and supporting me while I'm here and mostly I'm thankful for a companion who is so much like me that I can learn what a Jerk I was to everyone back home.  I'm thankful for a companion who teaches me the importance of seeking other's aid and not doing it by yourself.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me just how big of a problem pride is in our lives.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me the importance of listening to people and hearing what they're saying.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me the downfalls of bible bashing and fighting.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me talking to others is important to others even if it isn't to you.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me the value of the spirit and the difference in your teaching when you don't have it.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me that one person can't do anything alone.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me the importance of others opinions and the damaging effects when you don't consider them.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me why it is important to not be dependent upon only one part of the gospel.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me what happens when you quit and don't keep going.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me how ugly destructive behavior is and just how offsetting it is to everyone else.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me that just because she's beautiful and might like you, doesn't mean she want's you to take her to church.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me that if you play with a snake it may not bite you, but it wastes the time you could have spent climbing the mountain.  I'm thankful for a companion who shows me that running everywhere isn't the most effective way to do anything because you're probably going to miss a whole lot on the run. And I'm thankful for rain! that doesn't burn my balding head! =) =P
That was a fun letter to write I feel much better.  I can thoroughly attest to what President Monson said that.  If we walk with gratitude in our hearts we will feel it lift us  higher than we ever thought possible, or something along that line =) I hope you all enjoyed my letter as much as I did! =) I hope everyone gets a chance to read it! Especially Sister Craig! =) and all my friends and everyone who has a knack for my beautiful sarcastic responses which are truly heartfelt gratitude for the things the Lord has blessed me with like a quick tongue! Tell Sister Ross I have her letter and ask her if she understands Portuguese and wants a card too or if she'd rather I just write a letter, because If I do say so myself Spanish is weird! Anyways I'm going to go Bye Bye now! =)
Elder Lund

Final email before Christmas :-)

Mother, I gave you all the information you need to handle it online.  Wasn't that what you asked for? yeah I probaly can get online, but idk what I'm doing.  I have to pay to use internet, and if I don't remember every piece of information I won't know what to do... I left all the info with you. I hadn't written yet because I'm in Ribeirão Preto. I'm singing for part of the Christmas conference and President wanted everyone participating to come early and practice.

 

Mother skype is simple.  First you log in, second you have a list of people on the left hand side of the window.  If you click on one of them it brings up all interactions you have with them front and center. At the bottom of the window you have a space to type words.  If  you type and then hit enter it acts as an Instant messenger program. At the top of the same screen, you should have three green buttons to the right of the contact list and below the personal information that should appear at the top of the window.  One of them should say video conference or video call and this button is free and you can converse with anyone who has skype and if they don't have a web cam it will appear as a phone call because it will be without video, but the video is not necessary to have the conversation and Christmas leave skype up all day. I'll try to call you before hand and tell you about what hour we will be calling, but your time it should be between 10 and 2 O'clock, because I know Brazilinas I will not give you a specific time because when you go to leave their houses they implore you to stay and eat more or whatever they're doing and it literally take about 40 minuets to leave a members house =P

 

My Christmas Present to you all will not be coming the way I had hoped due to money and shipping and time none of which I have.  But I have been given permision by the president whom I personally asked to go on facebook and post your present for you all and you will most likely receive it after the conference call =p lol

Mother, the Lord told you to send the package at a certain time to ensure that it would arrive here for my Christmas.  Were you obedient?  If you were, why doubt ye the Lord, and what He is capable of doing? In short, what does your heart tell you?

 

The Lord always blesses us when we do our part, and if Elders are teaching and not baptizing, then they aren't teaching well and if they aren't teaching well it is because the Spirit cannot adequately work with them for what ever fault they have yet to take care of.  If they will humbly go to the Lord and earnestly seek His will they will have success, and if they will not--culpa deles. My companion and I have had limited success because we have been working to clean the inside of the cup first as I touched upon last week, but we are doing much better this week and my hopes are high that we will yet have more success here in this transfer. Do your best to do everyting you can, go as far up the field as you can and after you've gone 90 yards and given it your all, the Lord will see the other ten.

 

The only other thing that has really happened, is that into my hands has fallen one of the most enriched talks I have ever seen delievered. It was not suprisng to me that everything the talk tried to address I had already been thouroughly taught in my own home, but the little sentences have sent my mind flying in all diferent philisophical directions has been almost completely uncomprehendable. I will be sending dad a copy of the talk as soon as I can get a copy of it. It is my belief that he already knows and understands the contents, for the most part if not in it's entirety, but I thought that he might like a copy as well so have to go now so I hope you all have a good day, you all take it easy enjoy Christmas and I'll see you - family - on Christmas day.

 

Peace Out

Elder Lund

Kyle,

How has your week gone?  Is the work progressing?  What are your plans for Christmas?  For my first Christmas, the entire district was invited to a member's home and we had dinner and played games all day.
How do you like having Christmas in the heat of the summer?

I hope things are going well.

Love you,

Dad

It's awful! Fortunately the lord know the desires of our hearts even before we do and he has put me in one of the coldest cities on the mission and we regularly get rain here and when it's raining it's kinda cold sometimes really cold so in a small way it's like home. I like it. So Christmas eve we are all going to a members house for dinner on the other side of the city, then our LZs want us to all sleep at their house, but none of my district wants to so after dinner we're all going to come home, and then Christmas day, we have lunch at a members house and then we will go to another members house and make cobbler with them, and we received permission from president to watch a charlie brown Christmas too so we will watch that with their family and then for Christmas dinner we will be at another members house...lol and we be skyping from leandros house also ...so those are our Christmas day plans lol right now I'm in Ribierão Preto because we have the Christmas conference tomorrow and we'll have the whole mission together...=) also mom's package got here, it's in the office so I'll be taking it home tomorrow and opening it in the privacy of my house  lol without the entire world wondering what I got. and i have very thankful and very sad....you sent everything we need to make fudge, but  have come to the point where even the least amount of milk drives me crazy, so we may be taking the fudge and making it for leandro and his family also since I will be unable to eat it, but other will enjoy the present. and if you sent toffee I don't know if it has milk or not so I will be eating that and if it does it will be a transgression not a sin and there is no time for you to tell me cause  will have eaten it before you can return my letter1 wuahhahaha lol I WIN!

Love ya dad

bye bye

Kyle

This week was.......

CRAP!  President has had a new fabulous idea and has offered a reward for the zone that can do the best work this month. Everything is given points and whoever has the most points at the end of the transfer will get to win an opportunity to have an all you can eat pizza buffet  and watch Toy Story 3 with the President and his wife. Why is this bad? Well, I have been with two comps-both Brazilians-who lied about their numbers to make the goal and have their picture put up online for everyone to see. And so now with an added bonus at the end it is only going to make that worse. My Birthday was quite pleasant and I will leave it at that for now =) However, I was sick for two and a half days this week and am still not back to one hundred percent because I had the pleasure of working thorugh it anyways which was utterly miserable!  None of our investigators were at church and the ones who were at church last week wouldn't see us this week. 

 

Good news, we are still alive! Christmas is almost ready to be mailed to you all and I have been invited by a member in the branch here, along with the other missionaries, to skype for my Christmas call which would mean that if Johnathan has skype and father and mother get skype on the computer than I can talk to everyone and see you all on Christmas day, which to say the least would be pretty sweet! I think that's about it for this week.  Being sick is really aweful and things have to go up some time. um... I hope all my brothers are doing well and having fun preparing for Christmas--my sister as well.

 

Fun experience...kinda, Irma Renata is a wonderful blessed daughter of God who always feeds us and refuses to let us leave until she has to roll us out of her house. One day she will be a member of the church but she isn't yet for a few personal reasons, but she has recieved answers many times that the church is true she just hasn't recognized them has her answers in full. But she was talking and she has a northern accent so I don't understand a thing she says, but I was trying desperately to pay attention to her and help her in some way, both Elder Davis and I were. However it was increasingly difficult because my comp was continuously flirting with one of her two very beautiful twin daughters.  I was growing increasingly frustrated with him and then with Elder Davis' comp as well who eventually  joined with the daughter and my comp. And through my frustration, lack of understanding her northern accent I just could not think of any way to help her. As I said in my heart, "how do we help her?  She is trying to reach out to us but I just don't know what to do.." the words, -Elder Davis has a scripture came clearly to my mind and I turned to find him with an open Book of Mormon and I said, "Elder Davis do you have a scripture for us?"

 

He later told me that  he didn't want to share the scripture but when he heard me ask, he heard -Elder Davis you have a scripture for us -- rather than what I actually said and we shared the scripture and it was very helpful to her and then we went home a danced in the rain =) This has been a condensed version because I'm running out of time to I will talk to you all later and hope you all have a good week and a better one than I had last week..lol  But that really isn't hard to do, so you should have all succeeded lol

Peace Out!

Elder lund

Two Peas in a Pod.

Today you get my letter first and then Kyle's response:

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost, 1923

I thought you might want to read the original.  President Monson LOVES good literature and has memorized many, many poems and quotes, and scriptures.  Robert Frost actually wrote the words you attributed to President Monson.  Robert Frost is my favorite poet.  Here is my very, very favorite poem and the one I chose to include in our family scrap-booking pages this year.  It is called the Road Less Traveled.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

That is my all-time favorite and the one that helps me to remember that when I travel roads less taken, within the gospel parameters, by the world particularly, it will make all the difference.

So.....I loved the quote that came to your mind from the President of SVU.  Yes, you are right!!  The experiences we have are what make us into who we are and who we need to be.  Without the pain and loneliness, we cannot truly appreciate the joy and love of friendship and companionship.  And then, because we have experienced the opposite, we revel and bask in the warmth of those who really complete us and help us to reach for the divine potential within us and push us to be better than who we are.  I know that is why I love your father so much.  He will not allow me to be less than I am and his perception of where I am or where he thinks I should be drives me to improve.  It is still a painful process sometimes, because it is growth and challenge, but I am more than 100 times better a person today than I was when we were married.  And I can pretty much handle others disappointment in me, but if I receive it from your father....oooh ouch!!  That hurts!!  Then I try to fix it.

I hope you are enjoying your new companion.  I'm sure you have sat up nights laughing and laughing (hopefully not, you've been working too hard instead.)  Also, I was wrong, Sam comes home in FEBRUARY!!!!  No joke!!

What cool holidays does Brazil celebrate??  KK, love you buddy!!

And here is my birthday song for you!!---Happy, happy birthday Kylee dear, happy days will come to you all year.  If I had one wish than it would be, That we could be together for your 20th birthday!!  We hope you have a fabulous day!!  happy 20th Kyle!! 

Love you, love you!
Mom

I don't know if you knew this or not, but Robert Frost is My favorite poet and the road less traveled has been my favorite poem since I read it sophomore year of high school in English class! =) I LOVE THAT POEM!!!! =) Yeas my new companion is awesome! we have been having a lot of fun this week and I have worked harder this week than I have any other week, because I've been the one planning since I know the area and where we need to go. and He's technically senior, but this is his first transfer as senior so he's still a little bit slow on somethings and I've done more than he has in some areas so I'm enjoying it because we work as equals, but I've been more the senior because I know the people and area, which I have really enjoyed setting my own pace and working and not following. I know it's important to know how to follow, but it's awful following =P

 

I have two main questions to ask. When I was little there were two movies that I watched a lot. One was about an otter and a little girl and it was really sad...=( but really funny too. Then the other was a Christmas movie about a little stuffed bear it was a cartoon and the only scene I can remember is a delivery truck driving away and the narrator saying, "One stop away from where lost socks end up," or something like that =P What two movies are these? Do you know? So far the only holidays that I know are Christmas and carnival....lol um...We had two more baptisms this week and it's my birthday and I really don't know what else to say. lol I sunburned my head when I cut my hair too short and now it's disgustingly flaky and my comp and I saw one of the most deadly snakes in the world this week for which there is no cure. But it looked like a worm, but its a good thing we didn't pick it up like we wanted to. lol It's called the blind snake or something like that.  Idk in English but I have to go before my time runs out take it easy and have a good one!

love you all bye =)

Elder Lund

More Growth and Development

This week has been good, it went by kinda slow. I have many time found myself is situations where I feel all alone, where my comps don't talk to me all day where no one on the streets want to talk to us, where none of my friends are near by and I walk through the day waiting for the hour I can go home and have someone to talk to in my dreams where I'm back with friends and family and constatnly have someone by my side. I never went anywhere without friends, and everywhere I've gone I've always looked for new ones and so I have really struggled when I feel left on my own without anyone who wants to be standing by my side. I know the Lord is always by my side, but walking alone by faith isn't the same as laughing with a friend or a brother. I was praying one night very sad and upset at how alone I had been. And the words of a letter I had recieved from the president of SVU came to mind.  He had quoted President Hinkley when he said, "the road of a leader is a long and lonely road to travel, it is hard and difficult. But if the leader doesn't travel it he will never become the leader he needs to be, the imovable rock that his follwers will need and look to." Everything has a point and a purpose and everything is set in preparation for what is yet to come. I don't usually like to talk about what is happening because it is hard and difficult and walking it is hard enough without talking about it too. I'd rather smile and laugh--find jokes to tell and songs to sing.  You do that the best you can and work with all your might, but if you don't laugh when the road hits it's end all you're going to have is a miserable memory.  If you can find something to laugh about then in the end you'll have a story to tell. So I tell my stories and keep the rock to myself. No one want to hear about those anyways. lol

I forgot to tell you last week to thank Sister Ross for me, and tell Sister Craig that her christmas and seminary class will most likely be comming later than hoped for. I wasn't transfered this week but my comp was and now I'm with Elder Anderson, who is an American and I was with him a lot of divisions back in Rio Preto.  So I'm excited!  I really like the kid. I really don't have anything eles to say today.  This week wasn't full of many stories. lol Take it easy everyone  have a good one and enjoy the road you're on. You'll all hopefully be hearing from me around Christmas time, and I'll see you all before you know it. =) Just keep moving forward it's all you can do. I have miles to go Before I sleep and Promises to keep ~ President Monson

Peace Out EVryone

Elder Lund

ps I'll be sending you the number for the Christmas call soon. I can't call you guys so you'll have to figure out some way to handle that =)

Bibiddy Bobbidy Booped..

Then we got Bibiddy Bobbidy Booped by the magic man. ssssssssssssssssssssoooooooo yeah.....um...I can't tell you much about this week because I can't.  One day you'll all find out, but not today =) We didn't have a baptism this week. I didn't even know the training was world wide and came from Salt Lake, and no we probably can't watch it, there's just no time...=P

Please tell Sister Craig that I just got her letter that she sent at the begining of October, with your letter and Jacob's letter too. I just got those this week and Please tell Sister Craig that I'm working of something really speciall for her class.

The only other thing I really have to say is that I certainly hope that you're not baptizing a lot of people.  If you are, you might need to go ans speak with Bishop Edmonds....and I'm really surprised Dad didn't say anything...lol

Quesions, how much time do James and Sam have on their missions? I don't remember when they left....My comp really wants a hat, and wanted me to ask you if you could buy him one and send it down here, he said he'd pay me back, but after I thought about it, That doesn't really get the money back to you at all and the postage is probably a lot too, but I told him I'd ask. um....

Pretty much I haven't laughed this hard since I was with Elder Bernards, And you will all love me, and this week was really up and down but it'll all be good and once again I have a short letter. sorry everyone, but you'll all understand soon. =)

Peace Out and Take it easy

Elder Lund

Still strugglin'...

This week was.....yeah I don't want to talk about it. My comp isn't talking to me cause he's mad at me, and he's mad at me because I didn't understand a rule and then I had broken it before and he didn't say anything so I thought I understood the rule, but then when I broke it again, he got mad at me and now he isn't talking to me. We had three baptisms this week. I can't even tell you who they are...well I kinda can, but I've only visited them twice, but apparently my comp and his previous companion taught them a lot, but I dont think one of them wanted to be baptized so it was difficult for me.  And pretty much life is just a whole lot of....nothing dad wants me writing to everyone....so...yeah...I really don't have anything else to say about our work.

 

We get to go buy food today! That will be nice.  I have a sweet idea for Christmas that I'm going to try and pull off. My Birthday is in a month. Happy thoughts. lol

 

Johnathan really isn't comming home for Christmas?  Well that's a whole lot of nothing dad wants me to write everyone....

 

So I really miss everyone too! =P And your pictures are in Ribeirão Preito right now so I'll get those when someone brings them to Franca. I have been writing a lot of cool things like poems and stories. And Elder Nelson and I have been debating a lot about comics. Pretty much we're at the conclusion that they need to redo the X-men series keeping Origins.  Batman was Epically amazzing, Ironman kicked trash, but we disagree about Spiderman.  We both liked the first one, but he thought that the third one had too many villans and I hated the emo crap they had in it. The second one I don't remember too well but he liked it and I remember not liking all of it, but I don't remember why....We talked mostly about X-men. Pretty much they needed to do character development better.  They need to remake the first one and make Sabertooth look like Wolverine and how he does in Origins, and as far as the others go they need to include the main characters that they excluded in the movies, namely Gambit, The Beast, Rouge needs a bigger part and they can't kill Sabertooth in the first movie, and only Wolverine has to be the one to kill Sabertooth, not Cyclopse.

 

You know what I really like---Mountains. And serving a mission is a lot like climbing a mountain. There are a lot of times when you just want to quit and go home. And life is hard and miserable.  But you keep climibing up because you know that once you get to the top, the sight and sense of accomplishment will make every cut and scratch, every fall and sharp rock worth every mile of it. So you drudge on one step at a time trying not to fall and trying to hold on.  Doing your best and climbing to hopefully accomplish something and the whole way up trying to sing a song or find something to laugh at to make the climb more enjoyable. But once you reach the top, you'll understand why you did it and you'll know it was all worth it and you'd do it all again, all just to get to the top.

I didn't tell you all my epiphany last week on elders! I must tell you all this! So I was thinking as I was sitting on the toilet, why is it that Elders go strait home and get married so quickly and the answer came.  Kyle, have you ever know a time in your life when you were happier being as miserable as you are now? No I don't believe I do. When you go home are you going to be misserable? No life will be good. In otherwords, when Elders come home, life is too perfect!  And over the course of the last two years they have come to associate misery with happiness. When they are miserably serving their missions they're happily passing the time away. So in thier minds they need problems to be happy. So they come home and when everything is just too perfect they turn to women so they can have problems again and when they find someone who creates a lot of problems then they marry her so that their problems can last and they can be miserably happy for the rest of their lives! =) Well that's the story of my life for this week and now I'm going to go fishing! Take it easy everyone.  Enjoy life and remember to have a good time!  Love you all! =) Peace out!
Elder Lund

The Story of my Life:

So the story of my life can be described as such, I regularly have these epically amazzing awsome incredible ideas occur in my brain that I can't resist. These epically amazzing ideas are followed by smaller stupid ideas to help make the great epic ideas more epic! These small stupid ideas are encourage by groups of friends who are edged on by the prospect of seeing soemthing really funny. Then these small stupid funny ideas are followed by consequences... Many people have and will look at me and ask, "didn't you learn anything from the first few stupid ideas that you had and the consequences they brought you?" My response, "Why yes, I learned that a week after the consequences they make for great stories. And I have a lot of great stories! =)

 

So that bomb thing sounds just like...awesome....lol Yeah I like Joe! =) So pretty much everytime anyone here in Brazil says try, the missionaries respond, "The Devil, tries!"

"Do, or Do Not! There is no try!"

 

And no Brazil doesn't celebrate halloween, or anything like it, but I believe that previous missionaries have converted the Franca members because they are going to do something tomorrow kind like it, but I'm pretty sure they're gonna give away candy...not ask for it...very anti-American! lol

 

So you tell me about Darren and the first thing that came to my mind was my taller brother running down a corridor and running into a wall, and then I thought hey, maybe it looked a little like Napolian Dynomite and before I even finished reading what you had written I started laughing really loud and it was really funny! lol I want a picture of that! lol I bet it looks really funny too! I love you D, but I just cant see how it's not funny.  If anyone else had done it you and I both would be laughing especailly if it had been me!! lol

 

Okay if you send me paperwork I'll work on it.

 

Work here is going slowly, we really don't have any progressing investigators which I'm not used to.  So I'm trying to figure out how to turn what have become social calls back into lessons and scripture study, but it's going slowly =P and since I spent so much time debating with my father, I really don't have time to write anything else becaue I have to go email President. Sorry. Hope you enjoy the letter and my many sarcasticly rude remarks that flew to personal emails today, because I sure DID! =)  Love you all

Até Mais

Elder Lund

A Breath of Fresh Air.......Transfers!

Yes you do, apparently if you don't send it now I'll get it in March. Every Elder is having their packages sent now. So that was a good call. Also I forgot to ask for two things if they fit with everything. I would love HONEY! in one of those little squeeze bears or three or four of em lol. If you can send it honey comb would be ammazxzing and roasted almonds. =) Once again though I don't expect everything just more ideas =)

 

Well this week was the longest week ever! I did talk to President about everything in interviews and afterward he burned the crap out of my companion and after that my companion didn't talk to me for the rest of the week. He then proceeded to try and make as many last minuet changes as possible and exclude me whenever we had members around, and especially when we had investigators. He also sent me on divisions which he got to last more than the expected time so I wound up in Mirassole for three days with one shirt one pair of pants and two garments until I could get back to my area. I also didn't get to say goodbye to anyone personally because he was angry and didn't want to do anything I wanted to do. So to say the least when I heard that I was being transferred, and it was official, I raised my arms and yelled, "WWWHHOOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH!"

 

It did make me sad to go though because I Love Anchieta but there is no way |I could do another 6 weeks with him! I did get up in testimony meeting and tell everyone how glad I was to be there and how much I love them all, but there were people that were really special that weren't at church and I didn't get to say anything to them before I left....I spent Saturday night singing the song from Winnie the Pooh's Grand Adventure when he misses Christopher Robin and is singing to the stars in the tree cause that's pretty much how I felt for most of the week.

 

BUT Elder B Anderson received in his package a bottle of honey in a bear and we were together in Mirassole, and I thought to myself, "Kyle when was the last time you had a honey sandwich? idk. goll, I was probably 10....Kyle You need a honey sandwich again! Okay!" I I went and got some Bread and stuff and Elder B Anderson and I made home made rootbeer floats and honey sandwiches and laughed the night away! =) I pretty much ate the entire bottle of honey in one night! fortunetly for me he was okay with that. =)

 

AND On my way to my new area I got to see Elders Larett and Lau, who are some of my favorite people in the whole world!! They're the elders I was in the CTM with and It was so good to see them! =) Elder Lau has been called as the new financial secretary and Elder Larett in in Ribierão Preto. it was really great to see them again! =) And Now I'm in a new house that's bigger, with a new companion who everyone has said works hard and obeys the rules and our house is CLEAN!!!!!! I'm in Franca now! Aeroporto 2, is the name of our branch and everyone who I trust has told me it's one of the best places in the Mission! =) So I'm very excited to be here glad to be away from my old companion and ready to get back to work since we didn't work at all last week. But we did have the Baptisms Marcela and her two sons were the last baptisms I had in Anchieta. I taught them for two months with 5 other Elders and I was so happy when they got baptized! they were really great! =) well that's pretty much been my life. Summary of Anchieta, In one of the strongest wards I have ever seen with some of the best people I have ever meet we had 8 baptisms with 1 family, 4 of whom can or already have received the priesthood, and more stories than I have time to write. All thanks to the blessings of the Lord.

 

Hey, I know someone else who didn't like reading when he started...lol I love you Jojo!

Yupe, that's Spencer, I also know someone else who's explosive, he's My little brother, we're two of a kind! =) Love ya shorty! That's nifty...I have no interest in the cello but boa sorte Ally! =) love ya little sis! Daniel! I Love you too! Cause AR's ligit 2 ligit to quit! love ya Jacob and ...yeah....|I don't believe that last part...=P Love ya D Tell Dr. Cody I said HI Back and I said Hi to everyone else too! =) I'm going to send you a picture and some words later if it's okay so you can make me Christmas cards and send them to ppl cause I really don't have the time to do that....and would you mind checking on my bank account for me I've had to use my card when our mission had problems getting missionary's the monthly money and for my medicine as well....I have received reimbursements from the mission for the medicine, but that all goes to the mission account so I'd like to know how much I still have on the card. and I have no idea where I left my tie, I thought it was in the trunk of Dad's car...anyways I've got to go now talk to you all late, take it easy and remember to laugh cause if your not laughing your not living!

Até Mais

Elder Lund

Transfers coming up...

Okay, so My favorite talk was hands down Elder Uchtdorf's. Why because my companion is lucky to be alive right now with how frustrated he's made me over the last 5 weeks and he has no idea how close to dieing he has really come. President Uchtodorf's talk reminded me that I'm not going to be perfect in following any of the rules ever, perfection is the goal, but I cant let my frustration stop me from having a good time and having the spirit with me. The only thing I can do is play the hand I've been dealt the best I can and then pray the lord forgives my short comings and makes up the rest. However transfers end this week, and hopefully things will improve. Whether that means change or not, I don't know. But we have interviews with our President on Wednesday and there are some things that I will be talking to the President about. So This week we had two more baptisms, Vinicius and Gilereamy, 10 and 9 years old. They are the two sons of Marcella who will be baptized as well this Wednesday! I'm so Excited for her and her family! I've been working with them for two months with three different companions, teaching and bring to activities, and spending time with their family. And they're finally ready! =) I'm so excited! her husband will need some more time, but I think in a few years he will come around as well. =) She has stopped smoking and is making her way through the BoM from start to finish and has been attending church for about a month and an half and now she has friends in the church as well, and I just can't even begin to say how happy I am for her and her two sons! =)
Summary of this week was Conference, Baptism and ASTHMA! =P three days this week I was completely out of everything because of my Asthma, I cleaned the house and Have been struggling with breathing ever since. two days I couldn't even walk to the door or do dishes without being out of breath. The Doctor in São Paulo has me on Medication and an inhaler, but it's different than an American inhaler, and I would really like an American albuterol inhaler that is very strong! If you could some how have Jeff prescribe one for me and send it down here I would Love IT! If you do send it down here, do NOT mark it on the Box when you send it. They may confiscate it or make me pay a few hundred R$ to get it and the inhalers down here are very expensive and harder to use.
I do have my Christmas list if you would like it, Side note if when you send a box the contents add up to more than 50 dollars I will have to pay ridiculous taxes for the box and it would have been a waste. For Christmas I would like Barley! they don't have it down here and I would love some barley. If you send 50 dollars worth of Barley I would Love you! however then nothing else would fit in the box. The other things I can't gt down here are deodorant, and shaving cream. If you send deodorant I would like either Nike degree or right guard stick, my Old Spice stains my garments blue...=P I also REALLYYY want three other things Cosmo, Fudge and toffee! Would be AMAZING! =) as would socks garments and ties, especially my purple tie you got me for Christmas last year, but I left it in Dad's car after our trip to Oregon and didn't bring it to Brazil with me...=P Razor blades would also be nice. Now I don't want you to send all of these things, these are just some Ideas that I would really like and enjoy. There is one request though that I really really really want, but I want it for my Birthday and I will Probably end up buying it here in Brazil. I want the Lion King on DVD with English and Portuguese languages. There is a bookstore here in town where some of the members think I can go and get it and then have it sent to my house until I come home. and I know it's in Disney's vault but I really want it to be waiting for me when I get home and next year I want the second Lion King. So I'm going to go and see if I can find those today for my Birthday and then have them sent to the house to wait for me! =)
Anyways that's enough about what I want to indulge myself with. Please Send the Barley and inhaler! And thank you for the Pictures! =) This week has been really frustrating because of my Asthma and then while I'm studying my companion watches movies and listens to hard music and it's been really frustrating, but it's all good. But we do only have one more week until the transfer is over and I've been hanging out with Elder Campbell a lot, neither of our comps wanted to go to Conference Saturday so I went with Elder Campbell and  we've been together for most of the week end....I was going to say something else too, but I can't remember...It'll probably come back to me as soon as I get off. Oh well, hope everything is going well for every one Love you all, take it easy and have a good one and no I still haven't received your letters lol
Elder Lund

Conference is COMING!!

lol ur silly! Well your letter was really long, but i was happy when I realized that most of it was a conference talk I've alreay read twice so I didn't have to read all of it =) because now I have time to respond lol =) Love ya mom, However, I will NOT be watching conference in Portuguese, they will have an english transmition set up for me to listen to. We were taught very specifically in the CTM NOT to study in Portuguese unless you're studying the language because other wise you spend more time translating and working with Portuguese then you would listening to the Spirit and understanding. So that will be in English for me! =)

That's ligit that Dad spoke with Joe Cherry in sacrament meeting. Man that was forever ago!  The last time I saw Joe, I was at Aaronic Priesthood encampment just before my senior year of high school. That's ligit! I had to talk in Sacrament Meeting too, only mine was the week before I just didn't tell you cause I was not in a talking mood then. But that went well. I was supposed to talk for 10 minuets but I spoke for 20. I like talking it's fun. It was really good for me, I had been really nervous because I still don't conjugate everything the way it should be and portugues is all about accent so I can say the words and conjugate perfectly and some people still won't understand what I'm saying, And then once I hit a word I can't translate and can't simplify I get really stuck too, but I was sitting during the sacrament trying to figure out how to communicate everything I wanted to say and a picture came to my mind. I saw myself playing basketball trying my hardest with all the fury I could muster and falling short, and then I saw myself playing without a care because I loved the game and saw myslef doing amazing things. Then I heard the words Dad would say, "Play the Game." with the addition you play it because it's what you love to do not because you want to be good at it. So I stopped caring, started smiling and when it was my turn I stood up and spoke for ten minuets more than I was supposed to and gave a talk just like it was in english. It was ligit! "the only thing anyone can do, is get on your knees and pray. Then get up and get to work" ~President Hinkley.

One of my favorite quotes is, "A musician must make Music, and artist must Paint, and a poet must Write. If these needs are not meet the person feels restless, on edge, tense and lacking something." ~Manslow.  It doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, we need to be who we are. You can't be somthing your not, and trying to be will only lead to a life of disappontments. I love when we were watching the Incredibles and Dad pointed out that it doesn't matter what's going on around us we're always happier when we act like who we are. Who we were before we came to earth.

 

Well I have to go, my time is just about up. Take it easy and remember to take the side road once in a while just to see where it goes. Love you all!

 

Elder Lund

New Address

Missão Ribeirão Preto

Rua São Sebastião, 1003

Centro

Ribeirão Preto – Sp

14015-040

MTC Photos

Kyle's MTC Photos

Kyle's missionary photos (MTC)