5-17-2010 Letter Home

In the Land of the Giant Castle!

Hey everybody! Oh my freaking gosh guys! I am in a new area with a new companion! You have no idea how I am excited I am right now, how positive and energetic I am feeling. This last week was tough, especially how Elder Peres and I were thinking about family so much after Mother's Day, especially
because we knew we both probably would leave in a couple of days. We started focusing on just leaving our area well off, you know, passing by the homes of the inactive members we had helped, preparing our investigators for new missionaries. So Saturday night FINALLY came and just like we thought would happen, first of all, our District Leader arrived late, and, just like we thought would happen, he tried to prank us that we were both staying until I told him he wouldn't get a drop of the Coca-Cola I had bought if I figured out he was joking around with me, so he gave in and gave me the news! I've been transferred! I have a new area and a new companion!
I will be serving for at least the next six weeks in Veneza, in the Castalão Stake, which is just two stakes north of Maracanau, closer to the coast, more urban. I'm finally going to work in Fortaleza for the first time in Mission Brazil Fortaleza! My companion is Elder Reis, who is part of the group of Elder Matias and Elder Carvalho. I am getting to know their group so well, seeing as I spent the last three months living with Elder Bernal, also of their group. Very cool!

This week was defined by Sunday. After Church, we started making the rounds of all of the members that we had befriended, getting addresses and phone numbers and crying a bit. Oh man, guys, I feel so blessed... the last day of a missionary in an area defines how well he left the area, because you see the members and your investigators react to the news of your imminent departure... there were a lot of tears with some
families we had befriended. Lots of pictures taken. Oh man, the Cearenses like to get emotional in situations like these. I never knew how much everyone loved me here. People in the ward I had spent very little time with wanted to thank me for everything I did and promise to keep contact and everything... it was an awesome experience. I became really, really sad actually having to leave everyone. When I left Juazeiro,
I felt kind of the same way, but its not the same... that was after only one transfer. After four transfers in Maracanau, people became really attached to me and man, I am just so grateful I've been able to make so many friends here. I have quite a few homes away from home now, a lot of people want me to pass by with the family after my mission, and they've promised their houses and transportation and tons of different benefits in order to encourage me, it was all very awesome.

Today I woke up at 5:30 to start packing finally and I just barely got everything inside of my bags. Whew, its getting tough to pack because I have received so many things over the last six months in the field. At 10:30 I arrived at my new house here in Veneza, and we all headed off to the LANhouse. So really, I have only seen the apartment I will be staying at. It's at the fourth story of a big apartment complex and we can see the whole city from our window! The airport, the city stadium, its really cool. Elder Reis seems really cool, kind of quiet but I think we'll get along together. I will also be living with Elder Holmes and Elder Da Silva, who both have eight months on the mission (arrived one transfer after me). It looks like its going to be great!

Unfortunately, the computer I grabbed at the LANhouse doesn't have a USB port. Whah-whah-whahhh...
No photos this time, gente. Next time. ;) I have a lot of them.

Freak, you guys, thanks for all the awesome letters!  I'm super excited about this transfer and the rest of the mission, its going to be great, I'm so happy about everything and so positive right now. Lynsey,  thanks so much about the news from your life. EFY is going to be awesome! Mom, Kaitlin, Dad, I love you so much!
Connor, have a good last week of the transfer. I'm doing the Ten Scrolls thing every day, kinda difficult but I haven't missed one day. I like it, my kinda thing!

Love you all!
- Elder Brendon Carpenter

5-10-2010 Letter Home

I got the whole world... in my hands
 
Hello world!

Last night was the best, I had an amazing conversation with my family including my brother Connor serving in Mission Brazil Porto Alegre Norte. Thank you so much everyone, I am very grateful for all of the things you said, all the words of comfort and love and, just everything really left me feeling warm inside. I love you guys, and I hope you have a great week, hope the call didn't leave anyone sad, you know. I am so glad to be on my mission and to have the privilege to preach the gospel here and I am learning alot, my testimony is growing substantially and the Spirit is guiding me more and more every day. The Church is true and it has a power and authority that can't be found in any other place in the world.

This week was pretty normal, I can't say there was a lot more to tell. We are teaching some new investigators that I really feel good about. I also had my interview with President Batt and it looks like there is a high probability I will leave Maracanau this next Monday, so I am getting ready to leave behind my friends here and preparing myself for a lot of change. I am also getting a package ready which I will send this week back home! It has Brazilian food and a copy of my journal, should provide material for many family home evening, haha.

I love you all, once again! I can't say it enough! Thanks for everything! Have a great week and I will reveal lots of cool news the next time I e-mail all of you!

- Elder Brendon Carpenter

 

5-03-2010 Letter Home

 
And the band begins to play... 

Hey everybody! Man this week flew by. This week I was really pumped up by Elder Holland's presence on Monday.  On Tuesday we had a division with the Zone Leaders and I spent the day with my good friend Elder Coelho in Novo Maracanau, just thirty minutes away. Elder Coelho (Elder Rabbit in Portuguese) is a really cool guy, he joined the Church just a year before he left for his mission and he's just the prime example of a cool humble Brazilian. We had an awesome day, I just felt like such a powerful missionary with him. I was understanding Portuguese almost perfectly, I didn't have to repeat myself at any time to anyone, I was testifying with the Spirit, making contacts... we found some good investigators there and one woman started crying after we introduced the Book of Mormon to her and told her that she could find a happiness that she's never felt before. I don't know, it was just the perfect day for a missionary. After reflecting on it a bit, I think it was because I was with Elder Coelho and I was able to be the kind of missionary I want to be, a missionary that builds people up and doesn't tear people down.

These last two months have been really difficult guys.  Right now I am just praying for a change, I don't know what else to do, ya know, to fix the situation. My day with Elder Coelho showed me that really, I know how to be an effective, spiritual missionary. I've just gotta keep chugging along and trust the Lord that I am here learning something I need for the rest of my life.

Hey Connor, I liked the description of the umbrella sheath, haha, that's cool. It's raining quite a bit here so I am always carrying an umbrella. When it rains here we'll have a huge downpour for like five minutes and then it'll clear up all the sudden, its really bizarre. You have to see it to believe it. One of the Elders here made chimarrao one time, its good stuff, but its hot by the time we wake up at 6:30, many days, so I wouldn't want to make it every morning.
Parabens, meu amigo, for reading the Book of Mormon completely in Portuguese!!! That's awesome. I'm jealous, yo. I'll have to do that at some point in my mission. I mean, I'm reading exclusively in Portuguese now in the scriptures but I am not reading cover to cover, if you know what I mean. Kind of makes it a little different.

Hey Kaitlin! Thank you so much for teaching me some Japanese! One of the Elders I am living with, Elder Bernal, is Japanese-Hawaiian and he's really cool! I'll have to speak some Japanese to him tonight! Woah!!! You're going to turn 15 that's CRAZY! Wow, you are growing really fast Kaitlin. Can you believe you are going to go to High School soon? You're awesome Kaitlin, I love you so much. I want to hold you in my arms and hug you, Kate! Hey, Summer break is coming soon, do you know what you are going to do this summer? Thanks for the letter Kaitlin, love ya a bunch!

Hey Lyns! Yeah, I have been having a lot of family dreams too. I miss you guys more and more as time flies by.  I remember when you got into high school and were just that spunky freshman running around the place doin' musical stuff, and now you are almost a senior! So weird, right, getting older in High School? I love ya a bunch, Lynsey, can't wait to talk to you this week for the Mother's Day call!

Hey Mom!! Yeah, I am missing you guys to death as well. Every night and every morning I take a good look at the family picture on my desk or the photos on my iPod and just think about all of you living your lives back in Cali. Its so strange we've been apart for so long and I haven't even gotten to the halfway point. I love you so much Mom! Mother's Day is almost here!
It's weird, I'm still in the same area, it doesn't feel like too much has changed, you know?  I want to go to the temple so badly! I really miss going there with all of you, that was so fun when we had the whole family
for baptisms for the dead, remember that day?

Dad! Happy Birthday yo! How was it? Man, I was thinking a lot about you this week. I want to save it for the phone call though... I know its going to be Mother's Day but I want to talk to all of you quite a bit. In short, I am very grateful for everything you've done for me, Dad, and I'm sorry if I haven't recognized it before. Truly, my life is a miracle... after seeing so many sad families here, I am truly grateful to know that in my family, for some reason every thing worked out perfectly. I love you Dad. I'll talk to you soon.

Well, about the call... here's the deal guys, let's see if Connor has any restrictions before I give you a definite time. I can't wait! Its going to be awesome!

Shoot, time got spent up at the Lanhouse, so I'll finish this up.

I love you guys! Talk to you on Mother's Day! Have a great week until then!

Your beloved son, brother, and friend,
Elder Brendon Carpenter

My towel disintegrated! I bought a new one, don't worry. That's what happens, kids, when you don't wash the only towel you use everyday twice a day!  No, just kidding, I washed my towel a couple times, haha. 

My desk is really messy because we're cleaning the house once again. 

I met my "brother" on the mission, Elder Willoughby (he was trained by my trainer Elder Carvalho as well), at the conference with Elder Holland and we took a "Family Picture". 

There's some pictures with members as well.