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.  :)..........

hmmm.....

I really am not that interested in writing an e-mail this week to everybody......

Okay, I'll repent now,

This week we had 2 baptisms, a couple that decided to come unto Christ.  I'm really happy for them, João Marcos and Silvia.  João Marcos is 50 and Silvia is 46.   They're really happy now.  I am praying constantly that they'll stay firm and that they'll go to the temple to be sealed one day.  João Marcos is a professional Chef.  Yeah, how awesome is that right!!!!   Anyways, It was fantastic to talk to the family yesterday.  Sorry that you guys had to scram to go to church, but thanks for the attention. 

9 more e-mails until I'm on the plane home :)  

mom, I got my birthday package! MUITO OBRIGADO :)  my zone loved the valentines and crabby-patties, and my companion loves cool-aid

oh, and I forgot to say it yesterday with all the chaos, but Happy Mothers day mom :)

Elder Eliason

so this week on the *transfer* is *Wright*

hahahahaha, okay, so I was transferred this week right? Looks like I'm going to finish up my mission out in.......

City: SAPUCAIA do sul

Zone: SAO LEOPOLDO 

Companion: Elder Figueroa

from: Chillán, Chile

With: 4 months of mission time

HABLAMOS MUCHO ESPAÑOL 

Entonces.....

so our house is really fancy, we have air conditioning (REALY RARE), We have a Jet-bathtub (Also EXTREMELY rare).  We have a giant Mandarin-Orange tree in front, so every night, when we get home, we grab the broom, which has a hook on the end and pick the most ripe Mandarin-Oranges, which are super sweet and delicious. 

This week, unfortunately, our baptism fell through, he was called in to guard post duty out in the army this weekend, so hopefully next weekend, he'll be baptised :)  His name is Matheus, pray for him, he's 21 and learning that life isn't just party/sleep/get beaten by a drill sergeant.

Nothing REALLY interesting happened this week, but I did learn that I have zero patience for bible-bashing and getting ran over by people who think they are so smart.  What happened,  

Crazy lady in RED

Elder Eliason in Blue

Elder Figueroa in Green

CONTACT ELDER!!!!!!

Good afternoon young lady (age~40)

You are them mormons aren't you

Yes-sir-ree-doo  You ever talked to us before? You have the desire to learn how you can be more happy being baptized?

No, I believe in Jesus in a very different form. Very different than you guys.

how so? are you Umbandista? (editors note, Umbanda is a devil-worshiping cult that is very popular here in the south, they worship Jesus, along with "his cursed brothers and sisters"...........)

What!?!?!! No! I believe in the Bible, unlike you decieved fools!  How can you possibley believe in the book of mormon, there are parts that you say that a man called Moroni wrote that are almost exactly like the letters of Paul, how do you justify a new bible with new names, and such lies!!!!!! I am appalled that you young peope are such idiots to believe such lies.  I have a book at home the points out all of the different parts of doctrine and they contradict everything in the bible.....(interrupts) I don't really care about your opinions or your questions.....(she shuts up) 

 LET's go Elder, let me bash her! I'm ready, I've studied this, let's burn her to pieces!!!!! 

No, I have one question for you, in all of your knowledge and studies, as you have shown that you are SO intelligent and studious, have you ever asked God if what we believe is correct?

No, why would I do that?

Only God testifies of the truth, ask him, James 1:5 Good day lady.

Tião

Almost the same thing happened again 30 minutes afterwards.  I'm so sick of people not letting us speak.  We say hi and ask people if they are interested and they start talking and they monologue until their own tongue is swollen, and then they stop to breathe and start again.  No. I'm sick of that.  I'm going to run the person over if they try to do that to us, I don't have time to listen to idiots blabber.

have a great week

Elder Eliason

 

p.s. I went on a division with a 22-year old brazilian Sniper this week.  He's deciding if he's going to go on a mission.  I hope my opinion helped him out a bit.  We are going to go on splits every week, he's super excited now that an U.S. Army Elder is in his ward.

EE

hey yall

So, this week was good.  Excellent actually.  We had another baptism :D  Woohoooo!!!!! Irmã Selma was baptized yesterday.  I had the wonderful privilege to baptize her.   Here's her story:

21 years ago, her father died, and in search for consolation, her mother got baptized in the Jehovah Witness...  and Selma studied with them and went to church, but something "just wasn't right."   Well, after a long discussion with the last JW missionaries that passed there, she told them to not come back.  That night, her and her son kneeled in prayer to ask God to find the truth.  About 3 minutes later, she found a tinny pamphlet that an Elder had left at her house about 2 years beforehand.  There was our telephone number behind it.  She didn't have credits to call anybody, but she gave it a chance anyways, so she called, and Elder Holmes answered!  She gave us her address (which doesn't exist on any map) and asked if we could pass by.  Well, 4 days passed, we went looking for her house.  At about 7:30 that night, we found it.  As we walked down the road looking for her house, she called out to us.  She was sitting on her porch drinking Chemarrão with her daughter and son and 3 grandkids.  The moment that we showed up, she started crying and told us that we could litterally tell her anything and that she would believe... We were the answer to her prayer.   Cool huh!!!!! Well, we gave her a book of mormon, and told her to read the introduction as her homework and then pray to ask if it were true.   Well, that night, at about 2 am, she couldn't go to sleep, so she went to the kitchen, fixed herself a cup of Cidreira tea (lemon grass?) and began to read.  She didn't read the introduction, she just opened the book and began to read.  2 Nephi 33- It is the declaration of Jacob about the purpose of the book and how it must be esteemed.  She knelt and prayed.  Answers.  We passed by 2 days later and she asked us what she needs to do to follow this path.  Well..........................We baptized her :D  and she's super happy.  She also only has 1/3 of 1 lung that works.... She smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day for about 40 years.  She also suffers from depression because her husband died 7 years ago.  She quit smoking 5 years ago, and now told us that she doesn't feel any of the depression any more- every time that she feels sad, she picks up the Book of Mormon and begins to read.   I love her.   

I also had an invigorating conversation with her son, Avener, who is 22.  He is incredibly inteligent, and is famishing for the truth.  He is completely disgusted with organized religion (mainly because of the corruption and lack of answers).  I sat and talked to him, and answered all of his questions.  He sat there in silence for about 4 minutes afterwards, while I waited for him to speak, he tried several times, but then stopped.  He teared up and told us that we were the first people that actually answered his questions, and that he wanted to be baptized and learn everything we have to offer.  WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO he also told us that he wants to be a missionary like us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  When you talk to him, he's one of those guys that you can feel the power and influence coming from his person.  He is extremely powerful and influential in his presence.  Unfortunately he is on vacation right now out in Torres (the beach), but he's coming back this week.  Unfortunately, I just found out that I've been transfered, so ............ Looks like the other missionaries will have to take care of him :)

I hope everybody has a fantastic week, 

Elder Eliason

everybody......everybody.....everybody.....

So, first of all, Mom, of all of the photos that you sent me, my favorite BY FAR was that of Tanner's prom dinner.  With Preston as their waiter.  HAHAHAHAHAHA, okay.  

So this week was awesome.  Plain, old AWESOME.  We set some goals that were a bit higher this week that normally we don't come even close to hitting, but as we worked our butts off, we hit them all.

Last Sunday, not yesterday but the one beforehand, we went on splits with a young man from the ward and the Ward mission leader, Osmar.  As I went out with Gabriel, Elder Holmes headed out with Osmar, and went straight to a recent converts house.  It is the family of Lídiamar.  She is a single working mom of 6 kids, who the oldest is 12.  Talk about a little stressed out.  Well, all of the kids who are able are members, but she is not, her parents are and her sister is, but she was not.  They get there, and what does my companion do?  After 5 minutes of talking, he just slams it off the spoon onto her face, "Why haven't you been baptized yet!?"  She just looked at him for a minute and then quietly replied, I don't know.  He then challenged her to be baptized on the 20th.  She accepted to everybodys astonishment.  Well, she starts work at 1300hrs every day, so she had to be baptized before church, at 7:30. Woooohoooo!!!!!!!!!!   Well, she went home after Relief Society to everybodys astonishment.  Why? Well.....her brother died, the very hour that she was being baptized. Her Brother passed away 3 blocks down from the church in the local hospital.  Talk about a crazy day.  Well the funeral was last night (here in Brazil they do that, the funeral is normally the same day or the day after the death) and guess who was stuck playing the slow mourning Hymns during the 3 hour viewing, yup, the ONLY PERSON WHO KNEW HOW TO READ MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Elder Eliason, is now a PRO right hand hymn player, and all of the easy songs that I could sight-read, left hand too.   Yesterday was nuts.  Oh, and they have this crazy tradition of handing out chocolate eggs here, but they're the size of large coconuts usually, so what did the elderes get? EGGS! and lots of other chocolates and candies and stuff, I'll send a photo. Also, We got chocolate covered spiced-bread from Germany. There's traces of peanut-oil in the bread, so my companion, who is deathly allergic to peanuts can't touch them.  YUM! MORE FOR ME :D

Anyways, Happy Birthday Brandon Blake Eliason, you're turning 12 and recieving the Aaronic Priesthood. I'm bummed that I'm not there to see it, but I'll be thinking of you :)  oh, and Happy anniversary mom and dad. You've been married 22 years now :)

Weird- The owner of this Lan House, just left and took off in a motorcycle. he left the computer house completely open and whatever..... I don't think I'll ever understand Brazilians XD

 Everybody have a most fantastic week :)

Elder Eliason

woohooo!!!!!! semana de EXCELÊNCIA!!!!

so, this week we had 2 baptisms, Cida, our eternal investigator was baptized Saturday, and on Sunday, we baptised the baptism that fell through last week :D  Larissa.  Larissas brother is an return-missionary and only member in the family, we were asking the members who are the part-member families and the recomended his family, his parents aren't members and his sister isnt either, so we got on that boat and sailed it away :D 

Besides that, not much happened, I went on a division with the Elderes from Elizabeth, here in Porto Alegre to do their interviews....VERY CRAZY interviews again.  They're a ton of fun.  They live in 4, and for the last 6 month's Ive been living only my companion and I, so, it was a fun experience again, but I'm glad to only live in 2, it can get hectic with more.

Last night Internacional (my soccer team) played Gremio (our in-state rival) in the final of the Gauchão, or the Cowboy cup...... and Inter beat Gremio 4-1 so last night we had to take a LOT of care not to mix with anybody wearing blue, for our own safety.......it was nuts!  oh- home-made mortar-fireworks exploding everywhere of Red and White..... but because they are home-made, about half of them explode about 5 feet off the ground.  We had to run out of a neighborhood lastnight because it was getting WAY rowdy.  But it was fun :D

have a fantastic Pascoa,

Elder Eliason

Um irmão after grenial

Yup

So...... This week was SUPER SLOW except for general conference that flew by.  I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE.  Weird right? That anybody would enjoy sitting on a wooden bench listening to old gentlemen talk for 10 hours?  I always get super sad when it ends, I always want more.  Seriously, this time, we were able to open the stake secretary's office and watch it in English on the computer!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!! This was good because my companion still doesn't understand much Portuguese when people talk fast, like translators.  There was also a greenie sisiter that was with us, so she needed it too.  Funny huh?  My first time watching conference in English is my last conference on the mission??? hahaha, anyways.... LOVED Elder Oak's talk, Loved Boyd K Packer's farewell testimony, and of course I love the Bednar and Holland talks, they always put fire in my bones!!!!!  I don't think I've ever heard that in English, but we say it a lot in Portuguese..

Our baptism this week fell through, unfortunately. We were preparing to give the final check-mate lesson when the other Elderes called needing interviews, so we did a division, and the other elder didn't finish her off.  She'll be baptised this week along with this week's baptism.  This week's baptism has been investigating the church for 17 years now, and this week, we will finally get her baptised.  She's 68. Her son is serving a mission in Brazilia. yeah.

funny story, so last night, we were doing contacts at the giant park of iniquity- every Sunday night, all of the rebels, hooligans, pot-heads, stoners, Daisy-dukes, and Preps all come out to the giant park 3 blocks from our house to dance, eat, smoke, and drink (eh....be merry, for on the morrow they will die...)  etc.... It's a bunch of nonsense, but lots of people go just because it's a city-wide activity.  There are tons of cotton-candy, popcorn, kabob sellers that walk around with carts, or have bbqs going so they can earn some money.  We were doing some contacts, and I got a bunch of addresses to visit, when one of the candied popcorn salesman called me over.  His popcorn stand is one that you set up and stay there untill you take it home...  He called me over and asked me what I am doing (I was doing contacts in front of his stand, I thought he would ask me to do them somewhere else, a typpical thing for these aggressive entrepreneurs....) I told him that I was an official representative of Jesus Christ here to help everybody repent and be baptized.  He chuckled, and then almost in panic, he asked me to watch his stand for a minute while he goes to the bathroom...he had been needing to go for the last 3 hours, but couldn't leave the stand alone for fear of people robbing or stealing the stand....  I agreed, and when he came back, he gave me some free chocolate popcorn.  Unfortunately he wasn't interessted in the church, but he told me that I was an answer to a slight plea unto the Lord.  Funny stuff.

anyways,

stay in there everybody,

Elder Eliason

hey everybody

I am so sorry, I have no time to write today, I have to register for classes at byu.  This week was really slow, but in the end we had 9 investigators come to church, and we are starting to get organized...our escalador of investigators is getting full....don't get an elevator, by the time it hits the top (batismo) theres few people, and you have to descend and get new people at the end....escaladors are full and whensomebody gets off, there are others already progressing....we have baptisms already marked every week for the next 5 weeks....Im excited.

mom, you asked what major I chose....now that I'm no longer an engineer.....bumbumbumbum........ molecular biology. I'm super pumped.

anyways, thanks for everything.

Serino, know that I still don't know you, but I pray for your sake that the U.S. doesn't blow russia to smithereens here in a little bit. That would be unfortunate seeing as how you somehow got a visa to serve there for now. hehehehe,.

love you all.

Elder Eliason

well...! Guess who's Back!!! I'm back!, I'll give a hint, my name is not Slim Shady....

I'm back in Porto Alegre!!!!!!!

I've been transfered to Alvorada.

My new companion is Elder Holmes

He has 6 weeks here in Brazil
He is from Bel Air, MD

His first name is not Carlton, but he is the Fresh Prince.

XD

okay, back to reality, op´there goes gravity....

etc...

I am no longer a ZL, but Im atleast the District leader....funny enough, everybody in my district were at one point zone leaders.  (except for the greenies.....) but all of the sr. companions are ex-super-stars...so district meetings are AWESOME. 
I didn't get to send my letter yesterday because today is my p-day....because I'm going to the temple here in a couple of hours, and the temple is closed on Monday.  WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO I Havent gone to the temple since January of 2013....I'm excited :D

so.. the work.  It's really hard getting oriented because my companion is almost as lost as I am.....he's been here for 6 weeks and is still learning Portuguese....So it's pretty chaotic.  To give an example.... Wednesday, we had a service project... and afterwards... the member dropped us off close to lunch and left.  Well, my companion just said, come, follow me. I know the way. Well, after an hour of walking down a dirt road into the middle of the forest....the lunch called asking us where we were.  Well, we were about 2.5 miles in the wrong direction, so we had to walk back. Turns out that the member let us out of the car in front of the house of lunch XD  it's been a fun week hahahahaaha
anyways, so Tuesday we got a call from an Elder in our district that stayed, he called and passed us a reference...a family whose grandparents he had baptized 2 weeks beforehand, and the family had gone to watch the confirmation.  We finally found the house Thursday, taught them and invited them to be baptized.  EVERYBODY accepted, the question was when/???? We asked the parents if they were married, and unfortunately they are not, so we have to have a wedding for them, but the kids wanted to be baptized anyways, so we taught them the gosple of Jesus Christ, and about the Restauration and the 10 commandments, and Sunday, Francielly and Vitoria were baptized!!!! :D Yeah! They had their entire family there.....all 8 of them.  Funny...the mom is 28 and the dad is 22....and they have 5 kids. Francielly is 11, and Vitoria is 9.  Don't try and think about that. Brazil is so funny.

Anyways, the Brazilian Consistution states that if the persons who want to marry do not have the financial means, the state has the responsability to pay for it, all you have to do is create a declaration of poverty.  Woohooo!!!! I know how to do that and make it legalized, so we'll marry them for free :D

Anyways, those were the highlights of the week, I love my new companion, he's awesome.

Te amo, e a Igreja é verdadeira

Elder Eliason

Semana 12 in Passo fundo

Well...this week was nuts.  on MANY LEVELS

1- We had 2 baptisms this week, 2 investigators that we have been working with over the last 6 months..... actually, the other elders before us cut them, and we found them in the Area Book...  They are the kids of an inactive Return-missionary-sister.  Well, with love and patience, we have reactivated the family, and the 2 kids were baptized yesterday.  Amanda and Guilherme.  Amanda is 13, and Guilherme is 10.  They were going to be baptized 2 weeks ago, last week, and like, every week beforehand, but "Something" ALWAYS happened.....until we discovered that they don't make friendships very easily, and they feel uncomfortable at church.... so what did we do? I made a phone-call. EVERYTHING can be resolved with a phone-call.  Who did I call???  The craziest, loudest, most doida beehive in the ward.  What did we do? We met at the entrance of the investigators house with another beehive, and we played Uno for 3 hours.  (yes, this may appear fubeccagen ...aka being a slacker....but I don't care).  it was AWESOME and PERFECT.  They became fast friends, and now they hang out every day, go to seminary together, our investigator got the nutty beehive, Carol, into dance-class with here at the local university....etc. It's awesome. :D #gointegration

2- We had the Leadership conference in Porto Alegre, so again, we took the 4 1/2 bus ride to Porto Alegre. Stayed there the night, and then returned Wednesday, so we lost 2 days of proscelyting time.  

3- *PLEASE CENSOR FOR UN-LEARNED EARS*  Prostitution has become a legalized tax-paying profession here in Brazil this week, so this week we have been harassed several times by "less-than-beachwear-clad women/men/she-man-he-women."  It's becoming obnoxious.

4- Preston and Brandon jr. ----in memory of you guys and your famous pi-day, I bought a pack of key lime pie cookies on 3/14

5- Fall registration for Sophomores at BYU begins this week, so I got permission from President to register.

6- I went on splits with the Elderes from Carazinho Friday.  That was cool.

7- I've been transferred. I find out tomorrow morning where I'll be going.

that's all.

love you all

Elder Eliason