Nothing Great Lays Itself At Your Feet

First off I tried sending this to everyone last week, but I think I only ended up sending this to Kai. Anyways, here it is again:)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

THings I am thankful for

MOM! She is amazing. She has been there for me...... always. She lifs me up when I need it and can make me laugh. Shes one of my best friends.

DAD! Haha we`ve had some great times too. Im mostly grateful for all the things Ive learned from you and that you have taught me. I would not be the person I am today if it had not been for you. Thanks for being there when I needed it

Tyler! Haha, Im grateful for how you inspired me to put certain things in my life (ex running). You also have heavily shaped my life and as Im walking through the streets of Uruguay I think of you and your missionary experiances often. They help to inspire me and keep me going.

Brittany! Oh my goodness I love you so much. You are a huge moral booster in my life. I dont know if you realize it, but you are. You also have inspired me on my mission. I love you so much and cant wait to talk on Christmass

Preston! Haha, you are one of my best friends. I love ya buddy and love to hear from you. 

Brandon Blake! You are so creative. I am grateful for the perspective you have given me. It has really taught me a lot and (kind of weird to say) made me think more about myself and (in doing so) learn about myself.

I love my family so much and am super grateful for all of them

Now before I get into the more spiritual things, some random things I want to say.

1) Kristianne - If books are what they are, what is the missionary handbook, Jesus the Christ, and the Scriptures;D

2) haha, dont put your clothes out to dry when there is a possibility there will be rain. Lets just say that it took 4 days for them to dry.

3)Lil Warner - I totally had a Jacob Warner conversation with Elder Pope (during changes this week) about judging/loving others. I was able to share some of your ideas, and brought in the Enders game quote of how if we were to truly understand someone, we wouldnt be able to not love them. Fascinating.

4)Im getting really good at making rice and elephant ears (fried dough with cinnamon sugar)

5) Jace from Physical Theropy got called to My mission!!!!!!!

6) PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WORKING ON SUNDAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, now to some interesting things that happened this week

First off, we had Changes this week. This means I was with Elder Pope (as I stated above) for the day, and some really cool things happened. One of which I found fascinating. The Lord will really guide his servants to people who need their help. At one point in the day, Elder Pope and I went to talk to an investigator named Daniel. As we were heading to his house, we saw a house that we both swore was his. I dont know why, it didnt even look that much like his. Anyways, we approached it and clapped (we clap outside gates here instead of knock on doors a lot of times here). This Lady came out and bagan talking to us. She opened right up and began to talk with us. She had some problems and difficulties which we actually had answers to. It was a really cool experience. I dont know if we will be able to help and teach her in the future, but we were definitely guided to that house.

During companionship study the other day, Elder Mendenhall played the John Tanner movie/story. That man is so incredible, and is now one of my heroes. It had been a long time since I had seen that video. If any of you havent seen it. go watch it right now. Its a video created by the church about ne of the early converts. Just his ability to trust in the Lord and give God literally his all is so inspiring. It helped remind me that Im here to do the lords will. If I feel prompted to do something or talk to some one, there should be nothing holding me back.

Ok, final thing I want to say today deals with the title of my letter today. It is so true. Nothing that is worthwhile comes easily. That and when you are about to do something great and follow the lord, there will ALWAYS be opposition of some sort. For example, baptism. We have 4 investigators right now that want to be baptized, but each of them have some hindrance (working on sunday is a big one. We also have one investigator (Sharon) who is 16 and just incredible. However, her mom keeps changing her mind for seemingly no reason and saying no.). There will always be opposition, but it is through this opposition that we really come to appreciate the result. In this sense it can be seen as a blessing (haha, though it does not feel like it most of the time).

Anyways, I hope yall are having an incredible week. Write to me:) tell me how youre doing. I would love to receive a hand written letter. Those just take 3 normal stamps to come down here.

Thanks guys. Yall really are the best and I love you all,

Elder Eliason

​My comps planner. I like the scripture

Butter and rice. My old pal. You will never get old

​We painted that house:) Thats Anna (one of the big three amazing women of our ward), her husband (Riccardo),  Elder pope (lightning shirt), Elder Salano (the peruvian), and Elder Mendenhall and me in the back

​Elder Mendenhall as Derrell during practices. Haha I like the tinfoil grill

The last e-mail ever sent

Well, this is it..... Woooohoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Thursday night I get released as a Missionary, but I arrive at 10:30, mountain standard time, Salt Lake International.

Can I say that this week was verrrrrrry long?  Good, but took forEVER....... between 2 brazilian soccer games, 1 world cup final, all of which prohibited us from leaving our house.... combined with the fact that I'm going home now, made me SUUUPPPPER TRUNKY....   Which is okay....I just sit there and read the institute manual to Doctrine and Covenants for hours on end, laying in my hammock, trying not to think about fishing, dating, dancing, surfing facebook, using the internet...... my absolute passion for Wikipedia, ....  it's going to be a fun rest of the week.  

See all y'all Thursday : )

Elder Eliason

This week, in the waters of baptism....

Well, finally we had a little bit more success than that which we have been having over the course of the last month.  We had 2 baptisms yesterday.  We have been working with some less-active members and one of them had a set of twins that were never baptized, so after quite a bit of work with the mom and the kids, we were able to baptize them.  Lucas and Ana Laura.  This week now will be quite difficult to work, today is P-day.  Tomorrow is the Brazilian match against Germany.  If they win, they will play Sunday for the championship, if they loose they will play Saturday for the 3rd place; meaning that we will not work these days.  Combine that with the fact that the members are inviting us over to their houses to eat food every hour of every day (because I'm leaving) means.... It'll be a slow week.  Everybody is laughing their heads off here because I LOVE chemarrão right? But.....I don't know if they sell the erva in the United States, so......  I think 10 people told me that they're going to buy me a kilo of erva to put in my bags to take home....we'll see who actually brings it, or if I'll get through security with it...I don't know.

Funny things about this week---

1- I saw the sun again, for 2 days, it was sunny. Count your many blessings.....

2- A less active recent-convert got up and bore her testimony yesterday about Stevie Wonder, comparing one of his songs to the concept of the Celestial kingdom.

3- One of the other roommates has been singing non-stop that "can't get you out of my head, oh your love is all I think about, (X2) na na na, na na nana na, na na na, nana na na na"  I literally can't get it out my head. 

4- Everybody is teasing me for being trunky.  I'm not trunky, but I'm excited to go home and see my family again. :)

5- Mom--- The sweater that I'm using still smells like tacos. 

thanks y'all for everything.

Elder Eliason

..........................!..........

Do you know what that is?????  That is the sign of rain.  This week it rained.  Wooohoooo news for everybody!!!!! I SAW THE SUN 1 Time, yesterday morning, for 5 minutes, enough time to get some investigators to come to church, because when church ended, Boom!!!!! more rain.  I took a foto of the clouds when I saw the sun, so I can remember how it feels to see the blue sky.  I think it's been about 2 months now that it hasn't stopped raining.  Of course I'm exaggerating, but I don't really care. 

Okay, everybody is tired of me complaining about the rain in every email?  heheheh.  

So, this week, we were able to get an Anti-Mormon to come to church.  Talk about something that I've never been able to do.  He used to preach in his church against ours, but this week....hahahahahah we won.  We were knocking doors and we found his family, of course while we were teaching he didn't pay Tooo Much attention, but afterwards, he wanted to fight.  Woohooo..... I HATE BIBLE BASHING.  I cut him off, it was quite obvious that the was going to go full-flung into the fight, so I rebuked his idea with a very blunt scripture, and then looked him square in the eye, and told him the difference between doubts and questions.  Questions can be answered by men, Doubts can only be answered by God, through the Holy Ghost.  Therefore, before he asks me any of his doubts, ask God. I then asked his wife who could say the closing prayer.  We left.  My companion was rattled.  hahahaha.  We returned, and this time he had changed.  We had left a Book of Mormon with him, and he had read the part that we left.  He had prayed.  He listened this time, and was interested in going to church to see how it all works.  O.O   We were so excited.  Anyways, I don't know if he'll humble himself enough to be baptized, but we are going to work with him.  His name is Lademir, pray for him please.

That's about it.  Oh, I got a pair of Bombachas from a ward member. I love them.  #keepthegauchotraditionalive.

Elder Eliason

whoooooooppppppppie :)

June 23, 2014

"hey! that's my mom!"

"Whoopie....."

Tanner, name that movie!

Okay, so this week was very interesting-

Last night I had a dream that I was transfered to a zoo.  It was very strange.

Tuesday Zone conference with Interviews with President Wright, got back at 1600, but had to change clothes because it was POURING.  They say here that the more times that it rains here on the mission, the more and more beautiful your wife becomes.  I'm praying that it's true because if it were, my wife is going to be a flippin supermodel.  It is currently raining again.

Friday was the most interesting day of them all......... We had to go to the Federal Police station in Porto Alegre to register my companion as a permanent resident for 2 years in Brazil, well.....it turns out that first of all, El Salvador is actually La Republica de El Salvador, so his country of "El Salvador" didn't exist. That created LOTS of problemas here in the computer system.  Also, there is a city here in Brazil called "Salvador" which made everybody feel stupid when he told them that he was not Bahiano (person from Salvador, Bahia).  The second problem is that when he was registered in São Paulo as a foreigner with the Police there, the church headquarters spelt his name wrong, so when he presented his identity to the Police here, they looked for when and where he entered the country, and Whoops, HE DOESN'T EXIST!  Uh, oh.................... Well, we spent 7 hours in the Federal Police.  It doesn't help that half of the whole world is here, trying to watch the Cup, and get visas renewed and extentions etc.......... It was nuts.  He's a great greenie; we have a good time together.

Now the real question- What happened to baptizing weekly???? 

Answer- We too, like Brittany, are having an extremely hard time getting investigators to come to church.  In Brazil, an investigator has to come to church at least 2 times to be baptized.  Well, if you have nobody at church, who will be baptized this week and next week?????? Well, this week we cut everybody, and started in a new neighborhood a lot closer to the church.  Well, yesterday we had 5 investigators come, and 2 of them had already come beforehand, so this Saturday, (we're praying) that we'll have 2 baptisms, and next week, a few more :)

Brittany, the dad of your DL gave me the referências, and took his sister to church yesterday, which was a huge blessing.  We'll try and baptize her here in a little bit :)

Amo vocês.

Elder Eliason 

Ps. I got my trunky papers :) 3 weeks

We meet again, mister footebol.....

World Cup- In brazil.  Very cool, if you are not a missionary.  EXTREMELY annoying for a missionary.  Why????????  NOBODY wants to do anything except watch the cup.   Okay, we had like 29 new investigators this week, but how many came to church!??!?!?!?!?!    bumb um bum bum!!!!!!! 2 --- our Eternal investigators that can't be baptized (they aren't willing to live the commandments but love coming to church, it's been about 10 months that the both of them are frequent attendees.)   

Other obnoxious things this week

-  I've got the theme song from the Captain Cruch video game stuck in my head all week.  (that's the game that we got from the box of froot loops 10 years ago that if you try to look at it on iTunes, says that it's a 26 minute long version of Brittany Spears' 'Hit me Baby One More Time', but when you listen to it, you only get the captain cruch theme song which is like 6 notes on a loop....)

- Brazil won 3-1, and everybody in the entire city started worshiping their Brazil-only-catholic-idol/saint "Nossa Senhora Aparacida", and Thanking her for making Brazil win.  Judgement day will be very interesting here....

Positive things, I found my memory card convertor so I can send you fotos now :)   

The church will always be true.

We got our copy of the conference Liahona finally 

etc :)

Anyways, Tanner, I'm super excited that you are practicing your spanish with the mexicans, Talking to the Latinos here, they all laugh at the mexicans, they have a REALLY funny accent, which amplified with your incredible accent.... well, the Uruguayanos will laugh their heads off..... but they will understand you. :)

Brandon Blake, dude, I've got this brilliant idea to open up a brazilian pastelaria in the united states, we'll become billionaires, you've got to help me with this.

Dad - I hope that you are taking carefull notes of all the construction techniques that you are learning.  I want to learn afterwards :)

good luck Chloe out in the MTC..........I'll start kniting sweaters for our 20 kids out of my bellybutton lint that I'll start guarding now okay? :P 

(if anybody didn't get that refference, google it, it's from a Zits commic)

Elder Eliason

P.S. 4weeks :)

Meu Filho #2   Elder Quinteros :)

Meu Filhoteinho #4 (sou padrasto) Elder Figueroa (johndeer) taking a foto of a fly-eating plant

this week was..........wet. Again.

Well, I'm training so....yeah! I'm excited!

His name is: Elder Quinteros

He is from: El Salvador

He speaks: Spanish, English, and Portuguese

When talking, he speaks English with me, I speak Spanish to him, and we speak Portuguese with the Investigators and Members.   My dreams are now becoming tri-lingual.

Other News, this week that passed, Uruguay passed a law permiting Marijuana to be completely legalized.  Good luck Tanner :)  The fact that it's illegal here in Brazil doesn't do that much of a difference, but whatever. hahahahaha.

This week, it rained all week long, and in the same form, we taught very little. We found some families that are Extremely rich and excited to learn about the gospel, so that'll be a nice change, I'm slightly tired of working in the slums.  It also means that the way we teach will have to change.  

Dad and Tanner- I'm excited that you guys visited where I lived for almost 3 months.  Key west baby :)  Did you guys see any super macho military guys storming a beach or jumping from helicopters???? One day I'll be rich selling those frozen-chocolate-covered-key-lime-pie-on-a-stick-popsicles.....

We're living in 4 now, so our little luxury apartment is now a party house...XD  the other 2 elders are from São Paulo, and the Amazons.   Fun huh?   

Everybody have a fantastic week :)

Elder Eliason

This week---------

So, this week was very nuts, lets see what happened...

Crum.  I just realized that I wrote it in portuguese....... yeah for Google Translator (the translation is kind of weird, but I like it, so I'll stick with it. hahahah)

This week was good; we had some difficulties, but we won the majority in the end. We had 2 baptisms, and reached the week of Excellence ! We had plans for 4 baptisms, but the older boy had friends who dissuaded him to be baptized, we will work with him this week. The younger girl was ready to be baptized, but 4 minutes before we started in the baptismal service, I was reviewing the baptismal records, and BAM ! ! ! Looking at the day of her birth, I realized she is eight years in August! Her parents and everyone thought she had done eight years last year. All of the children were ages 1 year advanced .... the girl had " 12 " actually had " 11 " and the other had " 9 " really only had " 8 " so I had to break her heart and tell her that she could not be baptized with her ​​sisters. Problematising by a 7 year old. I feel very much like a " Jerk " . She was effervescent beforehand. A lot . My mate bought a box of chocolates for her after for reward.

oh, TRANSFERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will stay!

I will Train!

We will receive 2 more missionaries in this ward, they are going to get the neighborhoods that I don't like working in.  hahahahahahahahaha.  6 weeks.  Start Counting baby.

Also-  Sunday was Awful.  Why?  TRUNKY ATÉ O PÓ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  All of the classes and discourses were about Temple Marriage.  Preparing for temple marriage, how to choose the right spouse, etc.........  Talk about two missionaries siting in the back row trying not to kill themselves....hahahahahahahahahahaha       Anyways.......

It was edifying, and all that is edifying is of God.  D&C.  

Funny- last night, we were wrapping up our street contacts, and my companion needed to do a whole bunch, so he got really to the point with the contact REALLY FAST, and something hilariously peculiar happened:

Elder Fig-  Good evening good sir

Man- Why yes young man

Elder Fig- Do you accept the invitation to be baptized in the only true church of God? 

Man- YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! (at the top of his lungs) I've BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MY WHOLE LIFE!!!!!!

Elder Fig- Uh, okay, are you sure that you understood correctly, we want to baptize you and your family in 2 weeks.

Man- YES! I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!

Elder Fig- uh....okay, where do you live

Man- São Leopoldo

Elder Fig- Well, okay (he gets the address) 

Man- *Skips off singing at the top of his lungs how he's going to be baptized*

Elder Fig- *looking at me* do you think he was using drugs?   

Elder Eliason- I have no clue.....

Everybody,

Have a fantastic week.  

Elder Eliason

Parabéns Tanner!!!!!!

Well, if all yall don't know, my brother Tanner Eliason was called on a mission to the Montevideo Uruguay mission.  Uruguay is about a 10 hour drive from where I am right now, and I have tons of friends that are members that are from there.  I'm super pumped for him. 

This week in a rap, was about the same as last week.  There really isn't that much difference between the weeks, there are tiny little things that make a difference, but not much.  This week was colder, I got sick eating Churrasco again, my companions feet started smelling like rotting cheese... not much difference...

cool thing- I found out that a young man in the ward got a 2,000 R$/month salary to play League of Legends, a video game that all of Brazil is super addicted to. (note- that pay is about 3X minimum wage here- good enough to support a family off of) He is in a championship league right now, and if he wins the championship game, he and his team all will win 1,000,000 R$ each.   He's ranked number 3 in the world.  Crazy huh?  maybe I should quit college, quit the army, and win money playing video games......... he only plays 14-16 hours a day.....

We were able to get the permission of the mother of the 4 kids who keep coming to church (miracle-it's been about 3 years that the Elders have been trying to get those signatures).  They've been going to church for the last 3 years, and never have been baptized.  Turns out I'm not tha bad at sweet-talking parents.  They'll be baptized saturday. (please pray that all goes well)

Anyways, we're going to make lasagna today. I'm excited. I love home-made lasagna here in brazil, they use crepes instead of lasagna noodles, and add white sauce, tomato/pizza sauce, ground beef, cheese, ham-lunchmeat, and "green smell"  I think it's parsley, but I have yet to figure out exactly what it is.... my mouth is watering. 

Oh, I found out that we are now prohibited (thanks to the area 70) to watch any of the world cup games.  We have to stay in our apartment the entire day of all of the games of brazil or of those that will be held in our state.  What does that mean???  ------> If Brazil doesn't make it past the first round, we are out for the minimum 7 days.   What does that mean??? I'm going to have to re-read Jesus the Christ again to not go nuts!

 Have a fantastic week everybody,

Elder Eliason

p.s. Sorry if my last few letters sounded a bit angry, I've been called to repentance (I read Alma 5,6,7 this morning)

It's snowing, no, it's raining, no, it's sweating, no, I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

This week we walked to the moon and back.

And it was hot, cold, windy, rainy, sunny, hail-y, and about every other idea under the sun.  

Our baptism this week fell through, he is a 15 year old young man who has 5 best friends that are recent converts.  Easy.  Too easy.  So easy that he disappeared.  Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, he never passed by his house, always out with friends.  -.-   We're out of credits (they fall Wednesday) so we couldn't call him, we used all of the credits on my phone card that I bought, and when we used the phone in the Bishops office, his cell-phone was dead.  Ugh.  Anyways, we'll have 3 or 4 baptisms this week I hope so, it'll recompense for this weeks loss. 

This week's principle to study, is to "NOT TEACH APOSTASY IN YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!"     PLEASE everybody, be an apostasy monitor.  You can only say it so many times (Jesus the Christ, Mormon Doctrine, The Great Apostasy, etc....every book ever written by any apostle).   DO NOT TEACH OPINION AS DOCTRINE.   At the minimum, use what Elder Bruce R. McConkie said in his last testimony.  "In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets." These were his OWN WORDS.

  EX: Please, if you see anybody verbally trashing a recent convert for not using a dress, but slacks at church.  STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.  There is a difference between Culture and Church Doctrine.

Alright, I need to calm down, repent, etc...   Please, do what is right.  Don't be stupid.  That's my council for this week.

Dad- yes, I can give a talk when I get home.

On that note, yesterday, I was called upon to give a talk in the middle of Sacrament Meeting without my knowing beforehand.  That was fun.  Everybody knows how excelent of a speaker I am -.-     I am not David Burnham who can whip a 30 minute talk out of the air on the spot.  Anyways, it went well.  We all recieved a new book to be added to our Missionary Library- 

The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen.  It's good, I wish every member could read it.

Have a fantastic week :)

Elder Eliason

p.s. we got free churrasco from a drunk on the street..... that was fun, he cut it off the spit into our hands as we ate on the curb.  :)..........