Week 18 Letter

Monday, September 23, 2013

Famlee, 

How are you all?! It sounds like so much is going on at home! A lot of you are playing instruments now, aren’t you? We are going to have a whole band when I get back! Practice hard, it is so good to know how to play an instrument. Here in the mission, we went 2 whole transfers without anyone in the ward who could play the piano. Now we have a sister who can play and our sacrament meetings are so much better and the spirit is much stronger. I could play if I had time to practice the hymns, but as a missionary there is no time for that at all. I wish I would have learned at least the hymns back home. I can play piano alright, but I just can't sit down and play a hymn. So I suggest that you all practice your instruments really well. When you are old like me you'll be glad you did. 

Anyways, things here in the Cove of Heroism are pretty great. I have a new companion, Elder Tucci from Australia. He has an Australian accent for sure, but it isn’t super thick. He does say some funny things though. Even better than his Australian accent though is his India accent. It is so good! So funny... I never put it together that King Julian has an Indian accent until Elder Tucci showed me his Indian accent, and then adjusted it just a bit to be an honest to goodness King Julian accent. It is so funny! He makes me laugh a ton, and he is a good hard worker, so I think it will be a great transfer. 

It is starting to change seasons a bit. Getting windy, and a bit chillier. I didn't have any time to grab a jacket or coat out of my other suitcase to bring here to the island when I first came, so I am a little bit worried... The only thing I have is a cardigan that some old elder left in our house, and let me tell you, it is going to have to get dang cold before I resort to wearing that thing...

Things are changing with the work. We can’t and haven’t talked to those three boys in a long time now. We don’t know what is going on with Eduardo. He didn't show up to a lesson, and then didn't show up to play soccer with us, and he has never missed either. I think his mom cut him off from everything. We are going to try and call him today to show our love and support, but things look bad. He still has 3 years before he can make the decision on his own to be baptized, so I just hope he keeps the flame of his testimony burning bright. 

Well, there are a lot of good things happening here. The hardest thing is getting people to be home when they say they will be to visit them. We walk at least over 10 miles every day getting failed compromisso after failed compromisso (I don’t know what that is in English really. Commitment? I don’t know. Basically just a time to come back to teach). In our conference yesterday they told us that the ratio from contacts to baptisms was at least 312 to 1. So, we are talking to a lot of people trying to find someone who will progress. We have faith and we aren't desanimado.

I love you all so much. Keep doing fun things and telling me about them. I love hearing from you all so much. I can't wait to talk to you at Christmas time!!!!

Com muito amor e suavidade, ;P

Elder Lee 

Dad,

Thanks for the letter. Things here are so good. Elder Tucci and I are going to have a great transfer. It was hard going dry last transfer for baptisms, but I heard a quote yesterday at zone conference I really, really liked. 'Não é importante quanto que tu batizas, mas quem batizas.' I'll translate it from Portuguese, 'It's not how many you baptize, it's who you baptize.'

Our purpose is to baptize, so as missionaries we definitely want to do that. But I know that the Lord sent me here for a reason and if I do everything I need to do I will fulfill my responsibility.

This work is so awesome. I love it. I am scared to already be in my third transfer. I don’t want it to go so fast.

Ok. I need to go. I love you dad. It is really weird to think of you having a cell phone. What kind of phone is it?

Anyways, Love you!

Your son, Elder Lee

Mom,

I didn’t email yesterday because I was on Sao Miguel island for a zone conference all of yesterday, but now I’m back home sweet home. Well, you know. Kind of home =)  We fly to the island. I have flown so much since I’ve come on the mission. I’ve been on at least 10 planes. I'll write Shane. I always make sure to reply to anyone individually who writes me individually. I think it is so awesome Koli is playing trombone!!!!  Usually it the plane is one with propellers, so that is cool. It is a commercial plane though, not some sketchy little thing. It is only a 30 min flight once you are in the air. To Portugal it’s a few hours. it is a thousand plus miles away... Our Pres is always there. My comp and I did lesson practices with him at the conference and did an awesome job, and also got some good advice, so that was good =)

My new comp is awesome, I love him a ton. He does speak with an Australian accent, but not in Portuguese. It sounds like most suitcases were left untouched, just ones with real valuables had things stolen, so I will probably be good. 

It is getting a bit colder here, I’ll write more about that in my family letter. 

I was just telling Elder Tucci our adoption story! I am filled with so much joy to hear that those 2 are being adopted, I never really knew if that was really happening. It is such a miracle for those kids. I want to do something that has to do with helping kids for a living. I don’t know. What do you think?

Well, we don’t have investigators that are progressing. honestly, it sucks. But, no worries, that’s the mission. We will find people.

Alright, I am probably going to get going. I love you mom, tell all of the kids how much I love them. Man I miss them all so much. I can’t wait to talk at Christmas. 

Ok, I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Lee

Week 17 Letter

Monday, September 16, 2013

Famlee,

How are you all! I can’t believe another week has already passed by! The days just keep rolling on. They probably aren't going as fast for you kids that have school. I am kind of glad I have some time before I go back to school.

Well, I am staying here in Angra, much to my relief. I get to prolong some tough goodbyes for that much longer. Transfers are weird. I have a new companion now, who has been on the mission for a year and a half. He seems pretty cool, but we'll see how he looks after I work him through a good long day of work ;)

The weather is changing, slowly, but I am starting to notice it is a bit cooler nowadays. It rains a good amount wherever you are in Portugal, and I am not too excited for that, but odds say I won't get any snow this winter. Only a couple areas get snow in Portugal, and my old companion will head to one of those areas on a plane tonight ;) He is excited though, so it's all good. 

Things here are moving forward. We have a few investigators that are progressing well. I hope they keep the commitments we've given them. We will talk to them again this week and find out. 

A week or two ago, Josué, one of the rapazes we baptized, received the priesthood. It was so awesome to see him passing the sacrament to the branch in his shirt and tie! Man, it is times like those that make all of the struggles so worth it. 

It sounds like you all have cool things going on in your lives. Keep staying busy and keep having fun. I love seeing all of the pictures of you. Yesterday I showed our family pics to a recent convert named Elizabet, and she just kept telling me how beautiful you all are. I am so lucky to have you all. 

I finally have all of the stitches out of my arm and hand. I have some scars on my arm, but my hand still isn’t healed up enough to know if it will leave a good scar. The cut went over halfway across my hand, but I don’t know if it will leave a scar like that. We'll just have to see ;) 

Thanks for all of the letters you sent with my package! I loved reading each one! 

Have a great week everybody! Kisses to you all!

Elder Lee

Mom,

My hand is good. They just took out the last of the stitches a few hours ago. I hope it leaves a good scar, but idk... 

I am staying here in Angra! However, Elder Jacobson will be leaving. My new companion is elder Tooche, yup, said just like that ;) he is Australian, but besides that, I don’t know a whole lot about him yet. 

I got the camera, and it is awesome! I will have to upload some of the beautiful pictures it takes.

 Got the package midway through this last week. My new comp has been out a year and a half. Elder Jacobson is heading back to the continent, in the mid north. He will be near the only mountain range in Portugal, right in time for winter ;)

I just got done emailing Chappy. Sounds like he has an awesome time, and I guarantee he is loving the food...

We've been going through a lot of investigators lately. Right now we have three that are making good progress. Marco, his aunt who has a name I can never remember, and Edmundo. They have a lot of potential; I hope we can baptize all three this transfer.

Eduardo is the boy. We have taught him all the lessons and he is really just waiting on his mom. But Edmundo is a man with something like 60 years. He is really cool. He has had a lot of different experiences with religion, and I hope we can help him find an answer for himself that this church is the only true one. 

We haven’t seen the other rapazes yet. Even though we are on an island, we have a pretty big area; it covers almost half of the island. It is a lot bigger than the area you all live in. I hope Wilson pulls through. He hasn’t talked to us at all, he is kind of ignoring us I think =/ also, yeah, today is Pday, but we haven’t really done anything yet because it is only 1 o clock. Studies in the morning, pday starts at 11, and then some packing and unpacking. But now we are here =)

My comp is already here, yeah, in the library. He has been in the Acores before, but on São Miguel, not Terceira. Elder Jacobson flies out tonight around eight.  He doesn’t have a lot of an accent, Portugal has worked it out of him a little I think. I need to get going on a family letter, I haven’t really started yet. How many hours will Ali work when school starts?

I don't hear from Shane very much. I haven't gotten an email from him this whole last transfer and I only got one from him in the transfer before. I want to hear things from him!  Hey, do you think Cameron will be gone on his mission by the time I get back?  Man, I’m not going to see him in so long! Will you make sure he (cam) emails me this next week? I just want to know what’s going on with him and stuff. I want to visit him in his mission when I get done with mine, but I guess it depends on where he is at... 

Alright, well, I should wrap up.  I love you too! I sent Shiloh a letter last week, but I sent it to her address, not Scotts, the one she usually emails me from. So if you talk to her sometime, make sure she knows.

I love ya! Bye!

Danny my man,

How are you? I can’t believe it is your birthday already!! You are getting so old! I see a lot of pictures of you playing soccer and doing other things, and I just can't believe how lucky I am to have you as my brother. You are so cool, I want to be more like you. I tell everybody here all about you, and they all think you are so awesome. They don't even know how awesome you are, but I do. 

I hope you are having fun in school. I don’t know you're new teacher, but I hope you like her, and I hope you are learning a lot. 

I am so glad that we got to have lots of fun together before I left on the mission, and I am excited to have a lot more fun with you after the mission. Don't grow up too fast; being young is a good thing. 

Man, I love you so much. I am so excited to when I can see your face on the computer on Christmas!

Have fun, play hard, and have the BEST BEST BEST birthday EVER!!!

Love, 

Tony
                      

                     II  II  II  II II

                    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

                   IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

                 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII               Happy Birthday Danny!! Here is a cake for you!

               IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

              IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

             IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

            IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Dad,

Things here are pretty awesome. We are chippin away at it, and it has been a lot of work and a lot of fun too. Transfers are going to be easier than they could have been, I am losing my trainer, but I do get to stay in the area, and I think my new companion is pretty cool, so I am excited. It is a bit of a shock though, because your right. These first transfers have been my entire mission so far, so the changes are weird. I don't know. I watched elder Jacobson say goodbye to a lot of people, and it just made me scared for when I am going to have to do the same. I already want to come back after the mission, but I think every returned missionary wants to do that, but it doesn't happen very often. Plus, I really want to spend as much time with the family as possible around school and stuff, so it looks like I should just really take advantage of every moment I have while I am here.

We didn't baptize last transfer, which was disappointing, especially since we came really close with a few people. Sometimes I worry that I could be fulfilling my purpose as a missionary better. Our purpose starts by saying that our purpose 'is to invite others to come unto Christ'. We do a lot of inviting, but I guess because we are having trouble baptizing, I am questioning myself a little.But like Elder Holland said in my favorite talk of his, 'salvation is not an easy experience' and that we aren't going to 'catch an amonia from standing in the baptismal font all day'. I just need to focus on how I can improve, and do that. I will do everything I can, the Lord will do everything he can, but at some point it is left to the agency of the person.

I am happy. I am loving the mission. I hope it will slow down a little bit for me like is has for you, because I don't want it to be over anytime soon.

I am glad to hear that things are doing well at home. I pray a lot for the family, and I know that Heavenly Father hears the prayers of the missionaries.

Keep going strong. Send the family my love. Keep the Seahawks winning.

Love,

Elder Lee

*But still, an airlock!*

Pictures from Terceira

I received these pictures in my dropbox today.  Tony must have had a zone meeting.  He says he and his companion download pictures to dropbox on the church computer during his zone or training meetings because it takes sooooo long to download pictures.  I love getting his pictures.  It is so beautiful there.

 So, I don't so much love getting these kinds of pics :<

 Is this suppose to be the same moon I was seeing on that particular night?

Amazing that he is just there, and I am here...