Bryce in Palmas, Tocantins

Good morning all,

Today we're sending email from Palmas, Tocantins. We're at a zone activity here. I don't understand why so many people want to play soccer in this heat, on the one day that we have to rest a little. I have spent the morning so far writing letters and playing piano in the air conditioned chapel. It's supposed to get even hotter than it is now in August and September. I hope I go to a different place before that awful heat comes, but maybe this heat is good for me somehow. 

We still haven't found Marcelo at home this week. I think he went on vacation or something. I really want to talk to him again. We're needing new and more people to teach.

We had to do a lot of traveling today so I didn't have much time to send emails.

Elder Reese and I get to work together today and Wednesday. I'm excited for that. Tomorrow we leave for Brasilia to renew our visas. We come back Thursday.

Have a splendid semana. Thanks for your prayers and fasts.

Love,

Elder Young

Pictures from Porto Nacional

Elder Young and Elder Nascimento

Elder Young and Elder Nascimento with some Youth in Porto Nacional

I could fry bacon and eggs on the asphalt here if I wanted to. It's so hot!

I'm jealous you all got to go to Branson. I always think about the water parks there when I pass a street here that has a little water park with a huge plastic frog in the middle you can climb through. I hope you all enjoyed it and withstood the heat.

Something I think you all would find funny: During church when I'm playing piano, every Sunday the same little 3 year old kid comes up to the piano and starts playing the high keys next to me while. I never have the chance to look up and see who this little kid belongs to, but it always takes 30 seconds for his owner to realize that he has run away and has come to realize his dream of being a piano rock star. It makes me laugh because I remember how many times this happened when I practiced piano at home. Out of all the hours of the day that Brooks and Braxton could play piano, they always chose the few hours that I was practicing to come bang their fists on the top end of the piano. They always managed to play every single tone that wasn't in the key of the song I was playing. I'm glad I learned how to tune out baby fists on the piano so that I could continue playing amid big distractions at church. 

This week Lívia got baptized by her to-be husband, Saulo. 

We took 2 youngins with us to visit an 18yr old, Vanessa, who's visiting church. She has been taught all the lessons and knows the Book of Mormon is true. One thing she didn't have yet was a friend in the church. She made friends with one of the people we took with us to visit her. I hope that as they share thoughts and experiences, Vanessa can let go of the fear she has about baptism. 

Last week we received a referral in the form of a text message from mormon.org. That's never happened before, so we were a little suspicious. Even so, we looked for the address of this Eurivaldo for quite some time. It got dark and we could see the numbers on the houses so we took a few shots in the dark. We knocked on one guys door who let us in without asking us anything. After letting us in, he said "What can I help you with?" We explained the predicament and starting to bater-papo (chat). We got talking about his family and it fluidly led to an opportunity to talk about the restoration. We briefly discussed the restoration and planned to visit him again this week. After we left we thought about continuing our search for this Eurivaldo, but I said I think we found the person we were actually looking for. Later we discovered that Eurivaldo doesn't actually live in the address we were sent in the text message. So, thankyou for whoever sent the message because you led us to find Marcelo, a new investigator.

Love,

Elder Young

Enjoyed watching The Work of Salvation Broadcast

Yesterday we all got to watch the work of salvation broadcast. I loved it. It is so nice to hear the choir and hear Seth Bott playing the organ (he played for Men's Chorus). Everything was so well done and I really enjoyed the videos. If you didn't get to see it, you have to watch it!

This week we had to get some things resolved because some paperwork was never done for a recent convert's baptism. He had to be baptized again this Sunday. Thankfully that's finished. We're now going to focus on setting up Livia's baptism interview. Livia was taught by the last couple of missionaries that were here. She's married to a member, Saulo, and she wants to get baptized.

You guys might remember Eduardo from Lago Sul. We found another person that's like Eduardo in the way he thinks, but he's even nicer and much more open minded. One day we were walking in the scorching heat and went up to a strangers house to ask for water (one of the best ways to do contacts here). We started talking to her and after we mentioned the Book of Mormon, her husband (who was in the other room listening) came to the door and asked "what is this book?" and many other questions. He asked all the questions you want him to ask. We came back another day and had a very enlightening conversation with him. He had so many questions. He said that for now he is very focused on graduating and on work. (he's a pilot) but he is determined to read this book in August. To us that seems very far away, and I really hope he actually does read it. He is like me in that when he develops interest in something, he goes all out to learn about it. He does things on a project by project basis. I loved the conversation we had with him because it made me think in a bigger picture. He was very open minded and said "I want to know what you guys have to say because you wouldn't leave your country to go walk in this heat for nothing. What you have to say must have value." When we got to the part in the restoration about Joseph Smith he had a lot of questions with regard to the plates and Angel Moroni. He asked "What makes you believe in all this?" It was a perfect opportunity to bare our testimony. I could tell that if I didn't have certainty that all this is true, his comments and questions would have had a pounding effect on my determination. He is truly open minded and is very curious about the Book of Mormon. I really like his way of thinking and can relate to him a lot. He said that when he has questions he will let us know. He welcomed us to pass by whenever we're close to talk and drink water, but as far as the book of Mormon, he is going to wait until after he graduates. I hope that our visits during the week can spark more interest in him to help him put the Book of Mormon on the top of his reading list. I know that even if he doesn't develop more interest now, he at least has a basis of understanding that can be built upon in the future.

Because we are the only two missionaries here for now, we're teaching the other missionaries old investigators. I really enjoyed meeting a few of them this week and resuming their teaching. This week we will focus on Livia and on teaching the investigators of the other missionaries while they're gone.

Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Young

News from Porto Nacional!!

Happy Fathers' Day, Dad!

Braxton said in his email that you got a 3TB hard drive. I don't know how you're going to fill up three TB's. Good luck. Consider it a challenge if you would like.

So now I'm here far away from everything in this hot town of Porto Nacional. It's interesting how the type of people you find varies so much from town to town. This week we got invited in to a few people's houses. How kind of them! I think they invite us in because they themselves can't stand how hot it is outside. It's a plus for us, at least. This place is nicer than Lago Azul, in terms of cleanliness and organization. The chapel isn't too far away and it's easier to do street contacts. When I got here there wasn't much of a teaching group so this week we focused on finding new people so we have appointments during the day. Knocking on doors here is a lot more successful than in other places. We found a lot of new people this week to teach. Hopefully next week will provide results.

Last transfer there were 4 missionaries here. Now it's just me and E. Nascimento. We are trying to contact the other misisonaries' investigators. The addresses here are difficult so we have been working hard to find all these people. One morning we prayed that we would be able to find a girl named Kariane's house. During the afternoon, we were walking around the plaza and a girl sitting on a bench called us over and introduced herself as Kariane. We got to know here and she explained where her house is. Later that night, walking down a road, we saw her again. She told us with even more clear directions where her house is and we marked a day to visit her. We didn't realize how directly our prayer had been answered until we knelt down to pray again before planning for the next day. It was very neat to see receive a direct answer that day.

I'll attach a few pictures from Lago Azul and a few that I took this week.

Love,
Elder Young

Pictures from Porto Nacional

Elder Young is now serving in Porto Nacional                                                                              

Arara sitting in a tree

                                                           

Family in Lago Azul

Elder Young is moving to Porto Nacional in Tocantins!!!

Today I am leaving for Porto Nacional in Tocantins. We will get on a bus at 7pm and get there at 8am tomorrow. Tocantins is the very northern part of the mission. I heard that our mission and the Teresina mission are neighbors. In Tocantins I'll probably get a better taste of how the weather will be for Brandyn.

 

I'm excited to go to Tocantins. It's a little different from the areas in Brasilia and Goiás, from what I've heard. Some people say it feels like a whole different mission. And I'm actually happy about the 13 hour bus ride. Even after riding buses for quite awhile here in Brasilia, I've never gotten tired of them. I still love riding the bus. 13 hours will allow some good sleeping and thinking time.

 

I haven't met my new companion yet. I'll meet him tomorrow. His name is Elder Nascimento.

Elder Reese will be in my zone again, which I'm excited about.

 

I don't have much time today, but know that all is well and great in this Brazilian state.

 

Love,

Elder Young

The beginning of summer!

Since last Sunday, Rosa has been confirmed and given a calling. She is the new visiting teacher leader. During her 30 membership in her previous church, she coordinated many service projects and was always out and about helping hospitals and people who didn't have food. This calling is perfect for her. She is a little worried about how to fulfill all her responsibilities, but is ready for the challenge. She has already introduced us to many of her friends, one of which went to church with her yesterday and is reading the Book of Mormon and Principles of the Gospel at home. It is a relief to us that Nilza, Rosa's friend, already has a friend to accompany her at church. Rosa is very helpful in accompanying visitors each Sunday. It was neat to hear Rosa help us teach Nilza on Friday. Rosa explained that just about a month ago, she was in the same position as her friend, asking tons of questions, having many doubts, but wanting to learn more. Rosa is progressing very quickly and is making good friends in the ward. I hope this pattern can continue with full force when Elder Lima and I aren't here anymore.

Railene, a new investigator I mentioned last week is very smart and understands everything we teach. She has already received an answer to her prayers about the message of the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. She really wants to go to church but has to baby sit every Sunday. She tried to get time of Sunday morning but there was no one to substitute so she couldn't come. We're going to teach her this week with a member that we think will be a good friend for her in the ward.

Last week was stake conference and I want to list a few things I liked hearing from Elder Costa's talk. 

- He mentioned the effect that the media continues to have on our society and recommended that anything you wouldn't watch or listen to with your son or daughter in the room, you too shouldn't watch.

- He conveyed the importance of acting at home how we act in the temple. Speak softly with one another and treat others as you would if you were both in the temple.

- Make time in your day to meditate, or think about the things that matter most, and to plan your future actions. God knows the past and the future. We are striving to be like him, so why not plan and strive to know the future.

- Read, discover, and know. You may not be able to travel the world as a boy, but you can travel the world reading books before you travel the world physically. 

Transfers are in one week. I hope I stay here, but we'll see.

Enjoy the beginning of summer!!!

Love,

Elder Young

Rosa Joins the Church!

Good afternoon family,

I have 2 recent events to relate--they're both great.

First, we received two references from the mission office and visited them both right away. One is a girl named Railene who works with a member of the church. The other is Marlene, a lady who works cleaning all the chapels around Brasilia and Goias. She has many friends that are members of the church. 

I really enjoy trading companions for one day and working with other missionaries. Elder Dos Santos and I are in the same district and so we get to work together every now and then. We spent Tuesday visiting Railene and Marlene. We taught Marlene the message entitled "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." I learned so much about how the spirit works in a well set up teaching environment. I noticed that everything we learned in District Meeting that morning was put to practice in that lesson with Marlene and I could see the effectiveness in the teaching techniques we applied. I learned so much listening and watching Elder Dos Santos teach, and his discernment and patience allowed us to teach with one voice. I wish I could have written down everything that went through my head during the lesson. Marlene felt what we wanted her to feel and asked all the perfect questions we wanted to hear. The lesson was incredible.

Second, after many hindrances, everything finally worked out and Rosa got baptized Sunday afternoon! I wish I could relate her whole story in full, including our story with her, leading up to this point in time, in a way that you could all understand how it feels. Elder B. Gomes, who interviewed her a few weeks ago, said that Rosa is the most prepared person he's ever interviewed. 

On Monday she told us that she had no doubt she wanted to be baptized and wanted it to be Saturday night. We had planned to have the baptism on Saturday, but learned that there were stake meetings being held that night and that the chapel couldn't be used for the baptism. It looked like Sunday wouldn't work either, but we found time for everyone to come and the baptism was well planned and went very well. As Elder Lima and Rosa got in the water it started to sprinkle and the lights flickered lightly. Before the meeting ended, almost everyone bore their testimony and expressed their feelings to Rosa about baptism and about the gospel. I'm glad to see that she is making friends with the members and that the members are very willing to help her be integrated into the ward.  After everyone went home and Elder Lima and I emptied the baptismal font and cleaned up and left the church, I saw one of the coolest sun sets ever. It was a very low light of pink. I tried to take a picture of it but realized that my camera couldn't capture what I saw. I thought about how my experience is a good reminder to me that baptism isn't just something that we do and take a picture of to remember. The picture can't capture the feelings you felt. You have to record that memory by reliving it over and over as you continue to keep the covenants you make. As you keep the covenants you make at baptism, you keep that wonderful feeling with you. 

Thank you for your prayers. I enjoy attributing the wonderful things that happen daily--and the trials--to prayers that you saying at home.

Good luck on finals! Enjoy no more school!

Love,

Elder Young

Elder Young and Rosa at the Bus station

Elder Young at Rosa's baptism

Elder Young working hard !!

Happy Birthday Blake from Elder Young!

I thought that after doing the same kind of work each day for almost a year it would be easier to remember everything I did during the week to tell you all on Monday. Great things happen everyday, and hard things happen everyday.

As it has now become custom for me just to write a good explanation of a few things instead of a bunch of little things, I'll first share a quote I found this week in one of Neal Maxwell's talks. 

"The cavity that suffering carves into our soul will one day be the receptical of joy...How infinite Christ's capacity for joy is"

All that we suffer is for our own good. However and somehow, many times even after experiencing much suffering and realizing how true the above quote is, we forget this. It is helpful to hear this reminder every once in a while.

Also, this week I noticed, upon looking back, teaching techniques that Dad and Mom used that I am learning to use as I teach investigators. I can tell that Dad learned valuable things on his mission that he used to bless our family as a parent. To give a few examples, I remember that after my baseball games in particular, that Dad would often ask me 3 things I did well and 2 things that I could improve on. I remember some days that I really wasn't in the mood to answer, and after much thinking I came up with all 5 things. Then Dad would help me discover how I could improve those 2 things. This is similar to techniques used in an efficient companion inventory (when you sit with your companion and discuss what is going well and what could be better). Also, when we read the scriptures as a family at night, Mom and Dad would ask questions that made us think and helped us pay attention and get valuable learning out of the scriptures. There is a section in Preach My Gospel that is dedicated to this kind of questioning and upon applying it, I've learned well its efficiency. I remember that Mom and Dad do weekly planning with . I always thought it was funny when I asked Mom or Dad for something and they said they would help me after they finished planning with each other. It is a good thing they planned out the week because there were so many sports and music activities that had to be remembered and attended. As missionaries we have to plan out every week in detail for it to go smoothly and to have success. It has been really neat to reflect on how I have been blessed in our family because of the things that Mom and Dad do that are so directly related to what Dad probably learned on his mission. My perspective has been improved on many things within the last year or so. 

Thanks for the emails! Have a good week!

Love,

Elder Young

Elder Young in Brazil!!!

Elder Young with ward members that own the farm

New Pictures from Elder Young !!!!

Rosa's Granddaughters

Rosa's Granddaughter

Brazil Farm

Brazilian Tractor

Brazilian Farm

A farm Elder Young visited

Wonderful Mothers Day Skype with Elder Young

It was great to see your blurry faces yesterday through the mysterious way of strange miracle magic that is the inter web. It's a happy problem that everyone can't fit in the video frame. Thanks for the songs and the good questions. Next time I'll try to have some questions for you guys. 

The family that you all saw yesterday helps a lot with missionary work. Maria Lúcia (the mom) suggested that we fast for Rosa last week. She called us one morning and said she had thought a lot about Rosa the night before. At the end of the day we left someone's house and headed toward our next appointment when we both stopped and had the thought that even though we had someone planned for 7, we should visit Rosa. She was very thankful that we had come when we did. She had a lot of doubts and needed to talk to us. She is more than half way through the Book of Mormon and is loving it. Many things keep coming up to stop her from going to church, but she's still progressing. 

Every week we are finding new people to teach but none of them are progressing. But I know that as we continue to work hard we'll be doing our part.

I like the idea that Brandyn presented about the ugly tie game. I'm going to talk to the Elders Quorum about the idea. I think they'll like it a lot.

I sent a few pictures.

I don't know why you would want a picture of a farm, but I went to a farm to eat at a member's house and took pictures because you all like pictures. The others are of Rosa's grandchildren. They are very photogenic and like me to take pictures of them. They're a lot of fun.

Have a wistful week,

Elder Young

Cinco de Mayo

(Bryce didn't have much time to write this week, but this is what he sent in answering a letter from us)

I'm pretty sure there is a mission in between Brasilia and Teresina. It would be really cool if you flew down to get me after my mission. And of course even better if we could see Brandyn.

Speaking of Indian tribes, I met a missionary here that is friends with a chief of an Indian tribe. He told me some cool stories. He also told me about neat spiritual experiences. In Brazil there are many people from the tribe of Manasseh's. I have observed that many people here receive answers to prayers through dreams. It has made me wonder about the characteristics of the Manasseh's tribe. (their spiritual sensibility)

Thank you for taking the time to write that experience. I have learned that experiences like the one you described are the medium through which we can learn all things, including the mysteries of God. It also affirms that experiences of a like nature which I have had in the past (and unfortunately haven't recorded) are real revelations. I have a notebook of a bunch of gospel "musings" and one of them is "how did we get to know our heavenly parents so well? What kinds of experiences did we have with them? Was our progress of a similar nature to our progress on earth?" I love knowing that after we die and see God again, we will be astounded at how well we actually know him. (I forgot who said that) 

It's a big blessing to get glimpses of what eternal joy is like and it makes me want to do everything possible to go to the celestial kingdom. 

This Sunday in Elders Quorum, the president (Paulo), with whom I've made a great relationship, told the quorum that Saturday night as he was about to sleep, he had a very strong impression that he needed to write a few things down. He brought what he wrote to elders quorum on Sunday. He requested a report of the home teaching done in the month of April. Almost no one had done any visits (one of the problems in the ward). He spoke with the spirit in reminding the quorum of their duty in God's work. I have never seen a righteous reprimand so powerful ( I thought about Alma and Samuel the Lamanite, and Abinadi) before. I could feel the spirit very strongly listening to his words. I knew that he had received revelation for the quorum and that God was speaking through him in telling the quorum that they need to get to work. Paulo is a big example to me. He stands up for what should be done when no one else does. He's one of the reasons that the ward is continuing to exist. 

Recently I've been learning how integrated the spirit is in every little thing. And as I notice how active the spirit is in the small things, he helps me to make a difference in small little things. (such as greeting someone on Sunday that needs to be greeted or writing down something that I don't even know what I'll use it for until much later) 

Much Love,

Elder Young

Bryce is sooo excited that Brandyn will also be serving in Brazil!!

First off, BRANDYN SERIOUSLY?!?! BRAZILLLLLLLLL?! I'm over excited. I don't know if I'll be able to think about anything else this week. I almost didn't believe it until I saw the video that Ben sent me. (Thanks Ben). I loved watching the video and I can't wait for Brandyn to come visit. This is crazy.

Unfortunately, Rosa got sick this weekend and could hardly get out of bed Sunday morning. The baptism will be next week. She was in a lot of pain and asked for a priesthood blessing that afternoon. About 30 minutes after we gave her a blessing and left she called to tell us that all the pain went away and that she was feeling a lot better. I'm very excited for her. She is also very excited and wants everyone to meet the missionaries, haha. She is super funny. Her daughters have heard parts of our conversations over the past weeks and are developing an interest.

Adriano, a less active that we found on an old list of members, came to church on Sunday. We had passed by his house to visit him on Thursday and he mentioned that this week he felt like he should start reading the scriptures again. We're planning on visiting him with a member this week.

We have been inviting virtually everyone we talk to to various "family nights" at members' houses. This week there will be many church activities and we're hoping this will give the ward a jumpstart because things are moving kind of slowly. I'm very thankful for the strong families who act as pillars in this ward. We can always count on them to help us.

Things are picking up, and I'm looking forward to the prospect of the next few weeks. I'll be here for at least another 6 weeks with E. Lima, and for that I am thankful.

I feel like I should mention a short thought/connection I found while studying this week. It is about Alma 32 and 1 Nephi 8 from the Book of Mormon. I was reading Alma 32 and one led word to another, which led to different chapter, which led to a big stream of ideas that I tried to write down.

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When considered together, Alma's discourse on faith (Alma 32), and Lehi's vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi 8) shed more light on the subject of faith and of enduring to the end. Alma compares the rewards of faith to a tree's fruit. The "experiment of faith" to which Alma refers can conveniently be likened to the sraight and narrow path that leads to the tree of life that Lehi saw.

Alma invited the poor and humbled Zoramites to "awake and arouse [their] faculties, even to an experiment upon [his] words and exercise a particle of faith." In Lehi's vision, an angel invited Lehi to follow him (an exercise of faith). He then describes his experience that followed an exercise of his faith (verses 7-12). Notice that it wasn't easy, and that he first had to travel in darkness.

Evident from the joy with which Lehi describes the fruit of the tree of life and with which Alma describes the fruit of faith, the fruits they describe are of similar nature. We can see from the account of Lehi that he got to taste the fruit because he exercised his faith first. Alma emphasizes this very exercise of faith. By holding to the iron rod which accompanies the straight and narrow path, we are, simultaneously trying the experiment that Alma counsels us to try.

The fruitful comparison goes even a little further:

The poor and humbled Zoramites were despised of all men because of their poverty and coarseness of their apparel. They were cast out of the synagogues which they had labored abundantly to build with their own hands. "They were esteemed as filthiness."

They can be likened to those who partook of the fruit in Lehi's vision and were mocked by the people "both old and young, both male and female" whose dress was "exceedingly fine."

These two groups of people represent those who are willng to humble themselves, willing to try an experiment upon the words of the prophets. If they do so, they will partake of the fruit that fills the soul with exceedingly great joy, that is desirable above all other fruit (1 Nephi 8:12) which is "most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all which is white, yea, and pure above all which is pure." If they do so they "shall feast upon this fruit" even until being filled. (Alma 32:42)

If you follow the example of the poor and humbled Zoramites and of Sariah, Sam, and Nephi in seeking after the fruit of the tree of life, "Then my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and longsuffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you" (Alma 32:43)

There will always be those who mock and point their fingers at those who partake of the fruit. In Lehi's vision there were some who partook of the fruit and then fell away because they were ashamed. (1 Nephi 8:24-28)

We can choose whether we will continue in our experiment of faith by enduring to the end, or if we will be ashamed and wander off and lose ourselves in "strange roads" (verse 32). For those who endure to the end, Alma and Lehi promise the fruit of the tree of life, or eternal life. In Christ's words to the Nephites he promised eternal life to those who look unto him and endure to the end. (3 Nephi 15:9)

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I really enjoy how the stories in the Book of Mormon compliment so well the speeches given by the prophets. Examining them together generates a lot of instructive connections.

I still feel like I'm free-falling because of the news that Brandyn will come to Brazil in September. It seems so far away, but it will come quicker than fox's grab (his R move) on super smash bro's.

Thanks for the many pictures. And thanks for the Easter package! 

A delightful week to all!

Love,
Elder Young