Monday, November 28, 2011

SO, this last week was good, lots of stuff happened. Alot of walking and sweating and drinking of many gallons of water, and guarana, (i´m addicted) and working really hard. We didn´t have much success this week though. Everyone and their dog was never home when when we went to their homes. Very discouraging. But we continued to work hard. I wish I could recount all the crazy things that happened. One thing I will talk about because I thoguht it was funny was I saw a mocoomba animal sacrifice in the road. I think it was a black chicken. So that was funny. But other than that we had a few blessings from the Lord on sunday. Actually they are nothing less than miracles. And now we have a very god perspective baptism for next sunday and an amazing family to teach tonight. So I am very excited for this next week. Also my birthday was good. The members threw me a little surprise birthday party with a cake and stuff. Twas good. Was a great day. It´s been raining here lately. Which is weird. I thought it was supposed to be really hot duiring these months. But aparently here it rains alot. I don´t know why. Anyways, thanksgiving was totally lame. Nobody celebrated it at all. Twas sad for me and I missed all the delicious seasonal foods that we normally have hardcore. Anyways, love you all and miss you tons. 

Until next week,

Love Elder Bender

Members in Spencer's ward threw him a surprise birthday party last Friday!

Birthday Wishes: Spencer's surprise birthday party from some members in his ward.

 

Monday, November 21, 2011

**Spencer's Birthday is Friday, November 25!!**


Here is alright. My companion and I went to Rio today. I was sad that my package hadn´t arrived yet. I was hoping to get it before my birthday but sadly it wasn´t there. But we went to a pizza rodizio and I got hooked up with free OJ and soda. So that was cool. I think it was a mix up though. Oh well. I didn´t know until afterward. Anyways, Things are good. A bit slow but good. We are probably going to be cutting of a bunch of our investigators this week. Because they just aren´t progressing. When I say progressing I mean they arent doing the things they need to do to get answers and testimonies. We´ve told them time and time again and they just don´t do it. Tis sad. But we hope to be meeting alot of really cool people this next week and helping our investigators that we are keeping. Anyways, I don´t know if we are going to be able to get that other house until after the new year. But, I hope that we can. So there at home sounds like things are pretty interesting. Mother of 10 with cancer? Dang that sucks. Hope the family is cool and can get baptized. Thats a major find there in the mission of those sisters. They´ve gotta be doin something right to be finding families like that. The mother sounds like an elect. And if her kids are anything like her then that is totally legit. Oh yes we are walking alot still. No my pants aren't to big yet. they are still normal. We will never have bikes here. And same thing with cars. it´s too dangerous. Way too dangerous. Everyone drives like they are on crack here. Which they probably are. But thats beside the point. I find it kind of funny because they all have to go to a driving school to get a license. Yet everyone still drives like psychos? Makes no sense. So Crack is the only logical explanation. Um water here is apparently bad......but I use that stuff you gave me. Also, our faucet broke last night. So.......it´s kind of hard to get water now. But we always drink water at members houses and stuff and I don´t know if they always filter it so I´ll probably get some kind of worms or a parasite. That´ll be legit. Not. Most of the black people here look at me like I have a gaping wound on my face. Or they ask me dumb questions. It´s kind of annoying sometimes. But it´s funny when they ask my companion instead if he´s from a different country. He gets irritated. Hahaha. Have I told you about makoomba stuff yet? So it´s like voodoo devil worship stuff. it´s all over the place here. People arent afraid to show that they are practicing either. Kind of crazy. They do all sorts of sexual rituals and animal sacrifices and weird crap to invite evil spirits and junk. It´s psycho. But anyways......yeah 6 months went by really fast. Alot has happened in this short period of time but it´s been really good. Oh did I tell you we had a special conference with Elder David A. Bednar of the quorum of the twelve apostles. That was really awesome. I learned a ton. Tell dad to find the two talks by him and read them they are really really good. ``Learning by Faith´´, ``Ask in Faith´´ learned alot during the conference. it was really cool to see him so close and listen to him speak. He truly teaches like the Savior. Simply and yet spiritually. Letting the spirit teach the most. It´s so cool. I know without a doubt He is an Apostle of God. The spirit that he brings with him everywhere is powerful and you can feel that he is the Lord´s chosen servant. Just amazing. Anyways, things are really good. Got alot of work to do and alot to study and learn. And with lots to do there is much to be gained. And so until next week I love you mom, and I love and miss all of the family and friends that will be reading this letter.
Elder Bender

Monday, November 14, 2011

So this week has been really long. I thought it would never come to an end. And I felt like it had been forever since I was able to email. Crazy. So this thursday we get to have a special mission conference with Elder David A. Bednar. So that should be way cool. Looking forward to that. Gonna get schooled. Oh so here in Caxias our ward mission leader is obcessed with Family History. Everything is about Family History with him. But it´s good because he´s getting alot of younger people educated. Hey you should learn how to do all that stuff on the new family search website. Talk with Cheryle Vore about it. I´m sure she´d be able to help you out. It´s actually way easy. You´d have no problems with it at all. Um, Also it´s flippin hot here. And there are so many hills. Trindade was really flat. Here it´s really hilly. I walk up some of the steepest hills I´ve ever been on here. I´m surprised that cars even can drive up them without flipping over and sliding down the hill. But anyways, my new companion is cool. He´s really nice and mellow. He speaks alot of english too because he lived in the States for like 3 years or something with his Uncle or uncles. HE has many that live in Utah. But anyways, we live with the zone leaders at the moment, but we are waiting on approval to move into our own place and in our own area. Yup we live in a completely different area. So we have to walk or take the bus to our area everyday. Which sucks. Because it´s either pay money which we don´t have much of, or walk in the really hot sun a long way to our area. But oh well. We get plenty of water. I am recognized as an american everyday here, whereas in Trindade people thought I was a brazillian from the south. Sucks because people ask me dumb questions all the time just to get me to speak. It´s annoying. Because they arent interested in the gospel, they just want to know for sure if I am american or not. Lame. I think it´s because there are so many black people here. There really aren´t many light skinned people here. There in Trindade there were alot more. But here it´s alot of dark people. But, this new area should be cool. We already have alot of work to do each day and we got like 3 new investigators for free on sunday. they just showed up. Twas legit. Anyways, things are good. I´m a bit sad that I won´t be getting my package before my birthday, but I guess I will get everything on christmas. If anyone is going to write or send me anything make sure they send it all early so that it gets here in time. And tell them not to worry I won´t get it before christmas, we don´t have a conference where we´ll get mail until then. Anyways, well I don´t have a ton of time today because the LZ´s want to play soccer at the church otherwise I would send photos of me and my new comp. But thank you for all the photos and stuff, love you all and miss you.

Monday, October 31, 2011

As far as things here, things are goin alright. Things have been way better with my comp. I had situation arise that made it really easy to talk to him about all that stuff and this last week was really good. We worked really hard and he didn´t have any trouble with his health. I prayed that he would be blessed with health if we worked hard. And he hasn´t had any problems so definitely an answer to my prayers. 

We almost had a baptism yesterday but it fell through because the guy hurt his leg or foot playing soccer, so he was unable to be there, but this next week we´ll baptize him for sure. And this next sunday we have another possible. A 16 year old girl that we found through one of our previous investigators. It´s a pretty cool story. So because we were working hard and pounding the pavement we were in the right place at the right time and we crosssed paths with two guys we had talked to and taught before. They were on their way to go skate with their friends at their friend´s house. They invited us to come along so we did. When we got there there were three other people there skateboarding in the street. We introduced ourselves and one of our buddies told the other three that I skateboard. They then wanted to see me skate. So I did. They were thoroughly impressed. And a little bit later my comp arranged for a lesson right then with 4 of them. Was sweet! so we taught the four of them. And one in particular Joice, really wanted to go to church on sunday. And she did. We went and got her and brought her to church and we even got two young women to befriend her and help her out and she really liked church and now the young women even have some things planned this we. So things should move along fairly quickly now. It´s going to be a great week. We got alot of work to do and it´s going to be good.  

Love ya, Elder Bender