June 24th letter

Yeah!

So, our Mission President changed our email time from 120 to 90 mins, so maybe there have been missionaries who've been spending their whole preparation day on the computer, or perhaps he sees it as a waste of time to spend that long on the computer. He actually wanted it to be only 1 hour, but the missionaries who are his assistants didn't like that idea!

We weren't able to watch the missionary broadcast because we thought it was just a regional thing and we had to go home and do planning. I didn't even know that there was a broadcast until after church when a member called us to ask us to pass by at night during it and return a tie Elder Christiansen had borrowed. But that's good that you guys liked it! Go out there and find someone to baptize!

So this week, we had people come to church! It was interesting because we were searching these last few weeks for people in one neighborhood over there, one over here, but really the one neighborhood with the elect right now are right here next to the church building [near where they live]! Working next to the church almost never fails! We just were trying hard to work with some people here and there, but as we were doing contacts we found more people here close by. Also on sexta-feira [Friday] we felt like we should knock doors on the same street as the church building and we met a few cool people. We ended up teaching an elderly lady and her daughter who runs a beauty salon, and the mom attended church (her name is Ruth). We also taught a group of three teenager guys...it was a spiritual lesson and two of them went to church yesterday, so that was cool.

In Brazil the youth of the church really stand out. Because from what I've seen it is very common for the girls to wear immodest clothing and the guys to listen to Braslian Funk (basically the worst music in the universe) and drink and smoke and stuff. And the Law of Chastity is also a big problem. So, to see a youth keeping God's standards is cool - it's something for which the youth in Brasil are sometimes admired, but too often teased by their peers.

Yeash, our time is already esgotou [gone] so until next week! Eu AMO vocês [I love you guys]!
Elder Bradford

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Pics from our aula de inglês [English course they're teaching - looks like AJ is the 'pin-the-sticker-on-the-missionary']

June 17th letter

Hello guys!

So, the fact that I sent a good letter last week means that this week I can slack, right? hehehe, actually our mission president cut our internet time (I mean, the Lord suggested that we spend less time on the internet to receive more blessings), and it's hard with reading all of the letters, sending out a few, sending the key teaching indicators, writing the president, reading the weekly mission newsletter, and today I'm going to make a document to help me as district leader. Which reminds me that I forgot to mention, I'm a district leader now. I'm a bit stressed.

So, to respond to your questions real quick -- Elder (Tanner) Nelson and I are in the same zone, but different missionary district and stake. In regard to having a preference of an American or Brasilian companion, I'm not sure yet. I like having an American companion because we can relate more and understand each other's jokes a little more. But, with a Brasilian companion I can improve my Portuguese a lot. In regard to the Campinas Temple [about 30 mins from his boarding],we'll be able to attend with it being somewhat nearby, but I don't know when it will be, I think we'll go there in a couple months.

In regard to Iracy, who I mentioned in my last email...so we called her Saturday night and she told us that she wouldn't be able to go, but that she'll go next week. We are teaching this guy named Bruno who smokes marijuana and cocaine. We taught him the first lesson and he liked it, he read but understood very little, and hasn't yet attended church, but we'll work with him and see. Please pray for him! He needs a lot of help!

Thanks for the prayers! Have an awesome week!
Elder Bradford

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Pics are from the churrasco [like a barbecue] that we did earlier today.

First Week in West Campinas

Olá família!

Elder Painter, Elder Permann, me, and Elder Nelson at transfers

I was transferred to Campinas Ala 3 [3rd Ward]! So I'm stayin' here in the Campinas Mission! [a new Piracicaba Mission is being added, which takes in the West half of the Campinas Mission]. I was worried that I would be separated from all of my missionary friends, but Elder Hill is here (he's my Zone Leader now), Elder Zacheu stayed in Vinhedo (and he's training right now! I HAVE A NETO! [a grandson, as in two 'generations' of missionaries]), Elder Sânio stayed, Elder Gaines went to Jundiaí, Elder Alencar stayed in Jundiaí. Elder Tanner Nelson's area is right by ours. Unfortunately for me, Elder McCann and Elder Mora will go to the new mission, but we'll stay in contact.

Me and Elder Christiansen. Wow, I'm really short

In my new area I'm finishing up the training of Elder Christiansen, who came into the mission with the same group as Elder Nelson. He's from Elizabeth, Colorado. He's a really good guy. He's super humble and willing to learn.

So we spent this last week walking a lot. And not teaching a lot. The area's not very big, but there was one family to visit on one side of the area and another on the other side, 1 hour away. One of the families ended up actually living beyond our area boundaries, so another set of missionaries will be teach them, and the other family didn't attend church, so we're starting from almost zero. This is a new and interesting experience, to start from nothing. It's overwhelming, because the decisions in the first few days, about where to go and who to teach, are very crucial because we will start to grow a teaching group and it needs to be close to the church or close to a member at least. By the way, we live right near the church, so that's awesome! Also it is really different working here inside Campinas. It a loooot harder to find someone who will listen to us or let us enter in their house. But I have a lot of respect for the missionaries in the States. It's even harder there with those cold-hearted Americans :-).

Okay, an experience to share with you guys. Uhh, there were a few. Thursday we went to contact a huge list of member families that haven't attended church for awhile, and among a bunch of people who moved or weren't home or don't want anything to do with the church, we found Iracy. It was kind of funny because we knocked on her door and she yelled 'Who is it?!?', and Elder Christiansen responded with his heavy American accent 'Eu sou Elder Crestionsan e samos michionarious dah igreija de diesus crestou' [I am Elder Crestionsan and samos michionarious dah church to the diesus crestou] and she didn't understand a word, I tried to clarify but she kept yelling 'Fala direito! Fala direito!' which means something like 'speak clearly'. She opened the door and gave an 'oh' when she saw us dois americanos perdidos [two 'lost' Americans]. Shes an older lady and one who's right to the point and still busies herself with various hobbies. We introduced ourselves and asked if she was Iracy, she confirmed and told us that she was making dinner. Ok, can we come another day? Come Sunday afternoon. Okay, tchau [bye].

So, Sunday afternoon we knocked, she answered and muttered 'ah, you guys came'. She invited us in and the first thing we noticed was the many paintings of landscape, one entire wall of the living room was painted with a vista of a waterfall and a sunset behind it. I saw a half-finished painting and asked her if she painted. "ah, eu faço uma pintura de vez em quando" [ah, I do a painting from time to time]. We sat down and immediately she said "so you guys are from the Church of Latter-day saints?" We respond, "yes". She says, "well, I have something to tell you. I don't believe in Joseph Smith because he's not in the Bible. I only follow the Bible and that's why I left your church. I heard about how he's not in the Bible and that's why I left." Ok, so to sum it up I pulled out the Livro de Mórmon [Book of Mormon] and asked her "have you read this book?" She says "No, I don't even know what it is." Huh. So I was thinking, what on earth am I going to say. I started to explain about Isaiah 29:11-12, and she asked "What is the 'book'?" taking me by surprise. I picked up the Livro de Mórmon "it's this right here". "How much is it?" "It's free." "Huh, who's Mormon?" So I explained about Mormon and the plates and what it had to do with verse 12 in Isaiah, then I was like trying to explain verse 11 which is a little more complicated. I showed the picture of Moroni with the plates and started to explain about how one part was sealed and she interrupts "So, Moroni was Joseph Smith's son?" "No, Mormon was Moroni's father..." Okay, that wasn't working so I started to bear my testimony to keep it simple and she interrupted again out of the blue "Okay, I'll go, I'll go to your church. When do you guys have your worship?" "Uh, Sunday morning." "What time does it start?" "9am until noon." "Okay leave it to me, I will go this Sunday. Is there someone who lives close by who's also going?" We mentioned a member who lives on the next street and she said "Okay, tell her to pass by here 8:00 Sunday morning. Will you guys tell her to pass by?" Startled, we replied that we would and she stood up to accompany us out the door.

Elder Christiansen and I looked at each other like, what just happened. At the door I remembered to give her something to read. "Do you like to read?" "Yes, I do." We pulled out a Livro de Mórmon and she asked "How much is it?" "It's free." "No, it's not." "No, it's free, everything we give is free." "I'll have to give you something for it. Bring the book to church and I'll give you $5. Can't I give $5 to the church?" "Well... yeah, but it would be a donation, we don't accept money for the Livro de Mórmon." "Okay, I'll have to bring my tithing to church too." She accepted the book and already started to read. I marked the introduction and Mosiah 2-5 for her. Then we said goodbye and left.

Okay, that's it for this week. AMO Vocês! TCHAU! [LOVE you! BYE]
Elder Bradford

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Google Streets view of the church building for the Campinas 3rd Ward

The view from our window in our study room

Our first day of work together!! yeahhhHH!HH!H!!

Final Week in Vinhedo

Helllloooww Família!

I'm being transferred! I don't know where yet! Tomorrow, I'll find out if it's my destiny to stay here in Missão Brasil Campinas, or if I'm headed to the new Piracicaba mission! Also, Elder Zacheu will train a greenie [new missionary]! Yes, I was shocked, but he's super qualified...I know I didn't train him perfectly, but he's doing well and knows how to work. Also, Elder Gaines [another missionary in his apartment] is being transferred, which was even more surprising because he's only been in Vinhedo for one transfer.

I'm actually going to miss Vinhedo a lot. We've had a lot of success here. We've made a lot of friends. We've had a lot of trials. I have a lot of people to say goodbye to today. People who I may never see again during this life. There's Eurico and Simone and their family, Diógenes and Leia, Hiago and his family, Gabriel, Christian, Mazinho and Angela, Bishop Iglezia and his family...I hope there's time to talk to everyone.

I'm doing good, and I've learned a good deal here in Vinhedo, especially from Elder Zacheu. It was a little intimidating to train this young guy who already knows a good part about missionary work. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but he's a good guy who's out here for the right reasons. I've learned a lot about my own faults and what I can do to improve. There is really nothing like the mission to show you how imperfect you are! I was thinking about that. I think one success about the whole idea of the mission is that there is a clear bar placed waaay above our heads that we are expected to reach. We learn of others who reached that bar by reading their stories in the scriptures, and by studying the life of our Savior, the One who established the bar through his example. We learn how to reach the bar by applying the stuff in PMG [Preach My Gospel guide] and the missionary manual. I've never had such a high bar than when on this mission. And it's awesome because we see ourselves growing. Most don't actually touch the bar, but all missionaries end up growing. And it's the growth that matters.

Okay, have a great week!
Elder Bradgeefordgee

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AJ near central Vinhedo at Praça José Von Zuben square and 'The Fountain of Friendship'. The globe rotates on a column of water and has fiber-optic lights highlighting Brazil and Italy to pay tribute to the immigrants who built the history of Vinhedo.