Week 63 Letter

Friday, Aug 15, 2014

Famlee!

Hey everybody, how are you all? I am great. This week has been the most different week of my mission... but really cool too. I am a part of the team that keeps the mission afloat. I just got done talking to president (he came into my office to talk to me, which was a little bit backwards... hahaha) and he told me that I would be staying here in the office. I was hoping I might get to go back out into the field this Monday for the beginning of the new transfer, but I am going to stay here in the office until I am better. However, he told me that this didn't mean I would be here the whole 6 weeks. He says he wants to get me back out there ASAP, so as soon as I am good to go, I am out of here, regardless of what week of the transfer we are in. But he did give me some good advice too. He said this is a very unique call as a missionary, one that almost no other missionary understands. Being one of the few who works to keep a mission going is special. He told me to take advantage of it, and I will.

Well, not much to tell. Adventures still happen here in the office but they are different. I'm sure things are going to be pretty crazy the next few days. We need to start planning all of the travels of all the missionaries being transferred. Bus, train, airplane, metro, taxi, everything. And it is a big transfer. Lots of missionaries moving around. So there will probably lots to tell next week. 

This week we had 1 good day that we got to spend 7pm to 9pm proselyting. It felt so good! I went crazy! I don't do so well walking with these horrible crutches, so we decided to knock a giant apartment building in a wealthier neighborhood. We started at the very top, level 13, and started knocking. Well, half way through we were experiencing Matthew 19:24 pretty severely, all rejection, Elder Braga's back had been bothering him, and we were all dead tired, but I told them that I still felt good about the building. We kept knocking. 

Not one person listened to us in the entire building, 13 floors, and 4 doors on each... until the very last door. A woman named Laura opened the door. She was very nice and interested as well. We testified, and prayed with her. We have an appointment for tonight that I hope goes really well. The experience just testified to me that God looks out for all his children. Us, the tired beaten missionaries, and Laura, the lost lamb. It sure was neat. 

Okay, well, I sure love y'all. Congratulations Shane and Heather! I almost forgot about that... You guys are awesome! You'll have to send me a tie from the wedding =) This will be 2 weddings missed on the mission... wow! Life doesn't stop back home while I'm on the mission, that's for sure!

Hugs and kisses,

Elder Lee

PS, Here's a funny picture that Elder Lima drew of our district when I was in Bragança... hahaha, thought it was good.

PPS- Funny quote from a Portuguese... almost forgot. This one comes from elder Braga. He's a missionary, but he is from Portugal, so it counts. 

After we finished proselyting the day we found Laura he said, "Lesson learned." 

I responded, "Endure to the end?"

He said, "No. Start on the bottom." 

Hey Mom,

The ankle is progressively getting better. The pain has gone down. Life is good. Weird. I miss regular missionary work. We only got to do real proselyting for about 2 hours last week, and I went insane. We knocked a giant apartment building at the very end of the night. Elder Braga wasn't too sure about it, because he had hurt his back and we were all dead from the crazy hours. But we knocked every door, getting rejected every time (It was a wealthier apartment building). Until the very last door, a really cool lady opened the door and let us talk with her. Hopefully we have time to get there tonight, but we are about to go crazy on transfer stuff. More sleepless nights to come. Just got word today (Office privileges) that I will be staying here. However, I think it is just until the foot is better. Might not be the entire transfer. I don't know. 

How is Koli? What's wrong with him? Does he have asthma? That is super scary. I am worried.  Keep a really close eye on him, don't let him be alone.

I can't believe Shane is getting married. That sucks. Well, no, it is a really good thing, but weird. Did heather serve in Brazil by the way?

Ahhh. I am a little stressed. I'm good though. This weekend will be insane. Lots of missionaries travelling all over the place. Hopefully we don't lose any. Pray for me. 

Don't know if you're awake, but sure would like to talk to you =)

 I think the Elder who replaced me is doing alright. The area was dead for 2 years, but then we started it on fire again, so I hope it doesn't die again. Not much is going on here. Been working on putting baptismal records into the system. We are about to start working on the travels for all the missionaries for the transfer. Looks like we are going to miss another P-day =/   Well, so far on p-day we haven't done anything. This week or last. But it is normal. Clean house, shop, write home, go do something fun if there is time. Our apartment is 7 floors above the office, really close. But I have both eaten and slept in the office... hahaha 

President and Sister Fluckiger live in a beautiful house about 15 minutes from the office. I was there the other day for the first time since my first day in Portugal, and that was really weird.  I did see the family movie. It was really good =) I don’t have speakers... what music did you use? New stuff? I might not know it. There were a lot of circles, but it really was good. I loved that picture of Koli and Ryan upside-down over him. Can you send that to me? Also the pics of the family with Shane and Heather? Those were funny =)  

President and Sis Fluckiger’s kids are married off. I don’t know how many grandkids. Something like 10-15 I think.  Dad is going to do what President Fluckiger did. He was called as a 70 and then later a mission president.  

I already made the connection with Elder Eddington. We didn’t figure out how we are related though. He is from Utah so...  It is still sunny. But Lisboa isn’t as hot has Bragança.  Did you guys already buy a new car?  

I ate cereal for lunch today. I can't wait to eat American cereal.  I call these chocolate toe nails. They are supposed to be like little scoop things, but they look like toenails. They are really hard. They don't have, like, poufy cereal. Just hard cereal.  And, I’m still not a man, don’t worry. Everyone still tells me I look like I'm 15. But that’s just because Portuguese kids have beards with 13 years. 

Oh, hey, did I tell you I should be getting a reimbursement after all this time for the stuff I had stolen? Apparently they are now just deciding how they will pay me. I don't know how long that is going to take, but it has already been a while.  Hahaha...

How is butterscotch? How are the cats? Is Cebu still gimpy?  Well I have to go.  I love you and I will talk to you again next week.  I am going to go teach Laura!

Hugs and Kisses to the kids,

Elder Lee