June 16, 2010

Soccer is really heating up the world right now. It gets crazy down here. Basically every store has a tv with the games tuned in. fireworks are legal here so everyone is setting off fireworks and bombs (not terrorist bombs, more like fire crackers that could blow your ear out if you were too close) its crazy some times. You can always tell when Brazil makes a Goal, because u here fireworks set off more then usual. haha and its also really had to work during games, we have had people literally open the door, say their games is on and they wont attend our visit and close the door. We technically arent supposed to go to the members houses just to watch the game, but we cant tell investigators to turn off the game when we are doing a visit. so there are ways to watch parts of the game but still work. I saw the last part of the USA game, im slightly dissappointed that they didnt win, but at the same time happy that they didnt lose. I was also being a pain to the brazillians by rooting for North Korea during the Brazil game. I know that North Korea isnt necessarily a spirit led country, but its fun to mess with the brazillians once in a while.

We are told to go out and find news (I believe he is referring to new investigators) during the hours of the soccer games. Its really hard to find anyone that will let us share a message during the Brazil game, so we will see if president stays with that decision or tells us to stay in or what. we will see.

So, this sunday im giving a talk in church. my lucky streak ran out. We are supposed to talk about missionary work. Thats a very narrow topic, so ill be thinking about what to talk about the next couple days and try not to stress out about it. so it will be interesting

I dont know if i have grown (taller) any yet. i know ive gain and kept 10ish pounds in since i entered the MTC, but idk exactly where it went, so we will see if i grow or not.

The work was pretty much not coming p-day till monday, so it was really dissappointing and hard to come home with no new investigators even though we were doing all we could on our side. it was really really hard waking up the next day wondering if we were gonna have results, then go work and everything fall through, and do that about 4 days in a row. so it was really hard this past week. but then we got a lucky break yesterday, and finally got some news and had visits that didnt fall through, so im in a bit better spirits today, i just hope the dissappointments dont return. so we will see, pray extra for the work here.

Im always trying new foods, nothing too different yet. The other day i had a guarana/açai drink, it was really good. i havent been able to actually eat straight up açai yet though, so ill let u know when that happens. There is Acaraje here, a food native to Bahia. Its like a fried corn bread ball that has vegeatables (sp) and sause and shrip on the inside and a big piece of shrip on the top. its alright, Elder Pickering my DL likes it alot, im not a super big fan of it though. ill eat it, but i prefer other foods.

Well, i guess its good that Kim finally decided a date to get married, unfortuately it is almost exactly a year too early for my schedual. im happy for here, but i wish i could be there. It saddens me alot, but what can i do about it? nothing really. so we will see what happens. im happy for her none the less.

We are going to the Chocolate factory here in Ilhéus with the Branch president here in a little bit.

Love ya, miss ya

June 9, 2010

(How has your week been?.....any success/es ?........)
Last week we found some new investigators, so we will see how they progress, but no new baptisms yet though.

(Physical challenges?)
not really yet, i started running yesterday so we will see how that goes.

(Spencer asked Kevin if he is able to attend the Temple.)
We dont get a chance to go to the temple during our two years here. I have really been missing the temple since the CTM time where we got to almost every week. Ive learned how much it really helps in life, even just being there helps. So i hope you and mom are still going as much as possible. i unfortunately have to wait another year to go to the temple again :/

(P-Day fun experiences?)
we are planning to go to the Chocolate factory thats here in Ilheus, since here has many exports of Cocco (sp? chocolate)

well, we had zone conference monday, and it was pretty good. President talked to us about Coley´s (sp?) 7 habits to highly successfull people and how it has gospel roots. (Kevin is referring to Stephen R. Covey!) so ill work to imply those into my life. Also like i said sunday was stake conference, that was good too. i can understand most of what they say, when im not zonning out. haha

not much else is new. ill try to send a little voice message every week or something. so i included another one.
not sure if i said last email, but ive started to read the bible and currently im in Numbers i believe. i just got past the 10 commandments, part haha coincidence. its interesting that right as he got the first set of commandments, the people of Israel had already started worshiping idles and God had to ``dumb down`` the commandments. After reading more, God seems to have to literally lead his people by the hand like little kids, since they arent spiritually strong enough to trust in God completely. Its kinda of sad in a way, cause they couldnt receive all the blessings of the everlasting convenant and such. what to say about to the kids?......good questions. i guess just teach the importance of trusting in the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.

LEt me know if u hear anything about Andrew, since im not hearing anything.

Well, im not sure if i have anything else to add, so ill talk to you all later!

love you

***Note: Kevin has begun to include an audio recording in his weekly emails. We sent a small recorder with him per the advice of some other missionary families. He is just now able to devote some time to learning how to use it. :O)

June 1, 2010

How are things going? good it seems. sounds like things are settling down at home with summer break coming along. haha thats good. i should be running every morning, but 630 comes awefully early for me sometimes and i dont want to be sore while trying to walk up all the hills and stairs here in ilheus. I want to run, but maybe if i get another flat area. we will see. Yes, time does fly by fast. its crazy sometimes. its been over 9 months. but thats good though. haha

My companion is Brazillian, from Rio de Janeiro. He speaks a little bit of english, most stuff that we are teaching him. so i think he could be fluent by the end of his mission. so we will see how that goes. he helps me with portugues and i help him.

Yes, i can buy memory cards. ill send a message if i ever need to buy one.

Home teaching is very important, they are the missionaries for the members. The ones to help if help is needed and to constantly help uplift the saints. They are very important.

(Shelly wanted to know if he received her B-day card?)
havent gotten any mail yet, so probably next week at zone conference ill get it. wow, zone conference is next week. holy moly, time flies slowly! Haha

So i cant remember everything i said in the recording, so i may have some repeating things. One cool thing that happened this week, is sunday an australlian visited our ward. He doesnt speak any portugues though, so he picked the right chapel to go to. Pickering and i helpéd him out that day. Then yesterday and today, we met up with him to help him out with some stuff and he took us out too lunch also. He is like 40some and has 5 children, he is retired, bored, and has a little bit of money to do stuff. U will see him in some of the pictures if im able to upload them. Hes really cool and im glad i was able to be here to get to know him.

Let see, what else. Ah... i had some cool gospel moments. On sunday we had to pick a scripture that helps in missionary life. I picked alma the youngers conversion. I made up the following on the spot while i was sharing it (inspiration/revelation? i think so). I was thinking how he was rebelious and going around doing things contrary to the gospel and i likened that to the life of a missionary before the mission. We are a bit rebelious and the gospel hasnt really become an important part in life. Then we get our call, and this time on the mission is when we are truelly(depends on the person) converted and gain that eternal perspective of life, how somethings that didnt seem that important really are. it really hit me and made me think how much a blessing the mission is in my life.

Also, i have been reading in the old testament, since i decided to read all of the bible now. I have been understanding a great deal. I think i was too young and inattentive in the past to really understand some of the things in the bible , but its really been alot different, the experience of reading it now. I was reading about when Abrahams servant was sent out to find a wife for Isaac. He stopped at the well, and asked God how he was going to find the right woman and if she was the one, she would reply in a certain way. The first women he talked to after that prayer ended up being the one designated by God since she answered in the certain way. this is kind of like missionary work. We tell God what we are going to do and we are going to do it, and how the people react to our message will reveal if they are an elect or not. Ive just been connecting stories like this in ways i never would of thought before. Its really cool, haha.

Also, i was listening to a couple talks about Patience and its true, to be perfect we need to have Godly patience. The Isrealites waited 40 years to enter the promised land, JAcob waited 14 years for Rachel and many stories of godly patience. I know im learning to have that. Ex; since reading my blessing and being out on the mission for almost a year, ive learned that we have to sometimes wait awhile to gain blessings. Man, im growing alot, haha. anyways, so those were my spiritual/gospel events of the week.