31 October 2011 - answers to our emails

Q. (from dad) Have you received any of our packages?

A. I got the Halloween one and I don't know if I said it, but I got one with popcorn and crystal light.

Q. (from dad) How are you doing with the language?

A. My new goal with the language is to study with no English helps. I've almost done the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price and I finished the last half of the Old Testament. While I'm doing this, I'm marking the scriptures and doing study activities (such as charting out the kings in the book of Ether). It's going well. And I'm starting to remember Spanish! Some little things just floated back into my head!

Q. (from mom) Did you get your Halloween package?

A. Oh my goodness yes!

That package was nice and we are actually celebrating Halloween today. We're all dressed up today. Since we have to wear missionary clothes, the four of us traded name tags. This year for Halloween, I'm Elder Bittencourt (ahhhhh! French!!!). I know, scary, huh?

Q. (from Rachel) Are there any foods that you miss?

A. Yeah, I miss cider. And, to be honest, everything that has to do with fall/winter. That always was my favorite time of year (two years without a winter - sounds like the title of a romance movie) and I miss it. Actually, I miss ANYTHING that has to do with apples. I used to think that my favorite fruit was cherry, but I guess that's because I never went for more than a month without an apple. The apples here are gross (all soft and tasteless). I try to make do with the other fruits that I'll miss (goiaba, acerola), but it's not the same...

Q. (from Melissa) On this day in history (October 31) 1892 the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was published. And like 100 years later you got addicted to it. You could read when you were 1 right?

A. Wow! That's cool because the other day I actually read an adventure in portuguese (The speckled band) and I was wondering just how old the stories were. I knew more or less, but...you know how bad I am at remembering dates!

Elder Larsen, Elder Hooke, Elder Wells, and Elder Page

Elder Meyers, Elder Sousa, Elder Batschi, and Elder Page

Elder Page Oct.24, 2011

(Last week David sent us an Old Testament Quiz and told us that we couldn't look up any of the answers. I guess none of us did real well ):()

YOU ALL LOST! That means you all need to chip in to buy me a blizzard!
Now, was that really so hard? I repeat, I did not use the scriptures to make the quiz.

Well, we are working here and we are starting to see some progress in these people's lives. We just haven't been able to get them to church, that's all! I'm still trying to be a good missionary, but it's hard. I always thought that the hard part of the mission was walking or opening your mouth to speak to people, but it's not. Satan pushes so much harder on me now than at any other time in my life. I'm holding up, thanks to your prayers and faith. I love you all!

Elder Page

10 October 2011 - email

HEY THERE!

So here I am in Massaranduba and I found out that we actually have TWO wards to take care of: Massaranduba and Gardim Guararapes! The areas aren't very close one to the other, but there are amazing people in them. This week we found so many cool families to begin teaching I'll wait to write more until I actually have more than their names to write. This week we met a member family of Brazilians that have been living in the united states for 15 years and recently moved back here. They are really cool and we helped paint their house this week. They have another family living with them that we are going to try to baptize.

To make up for the lack of information I decided to do what dad used to do...A QUIZ (no cheating, you can't use your scriptures. I didn't use them in making this quiz!) You have until the 24th of October when I send my E-mail...

The winner gets a blizzard (in roughly 9 months)

Elder Page's Super Scripture Challenge

1. What is Jonah's father's name?

2. In what year of the reign of the judges was the sign of Christ's birth given?

3. How many of the gospels record the event of the Savior's birth?

4. How many apostles wrote books that exist in today's bible?

5. The Holy Ghost carries the word of God ______ the hearts of the children of men. (Fill the blank)

6. How many books in the Book of Mormon?

7. How many sections (not including Official Declarations) are in the Doctrine and Covenants?

8. Who came first: Nehemiah or Ezra?

9. What was the name of the first apostle called after the Savior's death and resurrection?

10. Who was the leader of the family-tribes in the Americas just before Christ's death?

good luck - Bua-ha-ha-ha!

And, yes, I really did do this without looking at my scriptures!

Love,

Elder Page

3 October 2012

Greetings from Massaranduba!

So...umm...I was transferred...again...

Really weird because in two weeks my companion will go home, but we closed Jenipapo (Mission lingo: there are no more missionaries there). But at least I can now get a breath of fresh air and enjoy getting lost again. Let me explain this week.

So we almost had no time to work in our area, we had to do divisions with two other areas and conference ate up out time, but we marked Rayanne for baptism next Saturday! We managed to get to all of the sessions of conference without trouble and I loved it! I think it was the most inspiring conference I have ever watched and I took copious notes. Side note: President and Sister Lanius live in our stake, so they were at conference. One of the sisters' baptisms, Joice, asked me to baptize her; it was pretty cool since I didn't even meet her until the day before. I loved both of President Uchtdorf's talks and President Monson's in Priesthood session. They were truly inspired to say those things. When we got home on Sunday I got the numbers and tried to mark a division with the two other areas in my district and they started to resist. It was frustrating. Suddenly, out of the blue sky, I got the call that Elder Huish and I were transferred and that Jenipapo closed! We spent a good part of the night packing and getting ready to leave.

Now I am in Massaranduba with Elder Albuquerque (Brazilian, that's really all I know about him so far) and living with Elders Cabreira and Chaves (both Brazilian). It's going to be weird; no more English!

I love you all and I hope to have some awesome news next week! 83 days until the phone call!

Elder Page

29 September 2011 - email

Well, hello there you happy, happy people!

So this week was full of weird/funny stories, so it's better if I categorize them by every day that they happened!

MONDAY:

So we managed to get our hands on a copy of Princess Bride in english! I laughed so hard, it was amazing, all in all I don't think it was that good of an idea though (I started remembering the first time that I'd seen it and that made me a little trunky). It was fun but I think I'll wait until I can watch it with you guys to watch it again!

WEDNESDAY:

I got a letter from that family (By the way, where in the world is Chelsea Francis' letter? Where is she going? Why is it taking so long to get here?) and I think I missed a few letters because of things like this:

From Rachel: "Planes fly really low over the building where I work." Last I heard someone didn't even have a job! Congrats too, but, goodness, why do I have to find out like that!

The letter was amazing and Finley is HUGE! But it was pretty weird!

THURSDAY:

My comp talked to a young man on the street and later we met his dad. His dad is Jewish and he told us that the first synagogue in the Americas was in Recife (wouldn't he be surprised to read the Book of Mormon!) and they named the street "Rua dos Judeus" (Jew Street). Now they've remodeled the street and renamed it. What is it called today? "Rua Bom Jesus" (Good Jesus Street)! And now you know the rest of the story!

So that's it for me this week. See you next week: Same Elder Time. Same Elder E-mail.