Christmas Dinner with a member family

The Zone

Learning how to cook Brazilian style

Week 20 December 28, 2009

Family!!!! Gosh this week was SO amazing!! Christmas in the field is such an amazing experience to have!! To only focus on our Savior and his life and his sacrifice for us! It’s such a blessing to not have to think about anything else!! You really start to think about what is important in life and that is family and the gospel and spreading the one thing that makes our families SO full of happiness, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ! There is nothing else that I would have rather been doing instead of this work (besides maybe seeing you guys for 5 minutes and then returning hahahaha) but it was SO amazing!!!

And I also received the best gift in the entire world!!! To here your voices!! The hour and sum odd minutes that I had to talk to you was absolutely amazing!! It’s a blessing to know that all of you guys are ok and that you guys are surviving without me hahahaha!! Just kidding but seriously!!! Just quickly, one last thanks for everything that everyone said and for all the letters and the little candies and stuff!! You guys are the most amazing family in the whole entire world!!!!!

Gosh, so where to start… I’ll start with somethings that I didn’t tell you about that family home evening with had with the ward!!! I’m guilty to say that I broke probably my first rule here on the mission and that was, I didn’t get home until 11:15 ahhhhh, I know it was soooooo late. We had to be home at 10 but we were SO far away, at our chapel, and we brought a bunch of kids there, like 9. Which 6 of them aren't members…. And I have a good excuse too……… Pappi Noel came!!! But he didn’t come until 11 and the little kids just looked at me and were like “Elder Wiscomb we can’t leave… I need to tell Pappi Noel what I want for Christmas” and I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t leave without letting them see Pappi Noel, so they were the first ones and then we ran home hahaha so that was super fun!!!

And I already told you about the p-day natal and then the rest of the week was just working, seriously!!! This is the best time to work! I think we taught 25 lessons in just 3 full days which was good and we sang to a bunch of family too!! We did a carta viva, which is a song, and then we share a scripture and ask to enter and continue the spirit of natal inside their home and most of the times they say yes!!! So it was a good week!!

On Christmas day after we talked, we just gathered in the church and we just hung out and called and I made pancakes for everyone and then we left at about 6 and went and taught in our areas it was a good day!!! But it was hard because I had sooooo much to say and right when I heard your voices I just forgot!!! But that’s ok!! Mother’s day, now start getting excited hahahahahahaha

So this should be an exciting week!! It’s the last week in the transfer and we have a lot to do to wrap it up!!! We want to challenge this kid to get baptized but his mom and dad are spiritualist which is kind of crazy and they don’t like us when we are there so we teach him in another house and he absolutely loves the Church because he sees what the religion of his parents has done to them… we need the permission of the parents so we are fasting and praying non stop for them so hopefuly this situation will change!!!

I think that maybe next week you will find out what’s going to happen with me… I'm thinking that I’m going to stay here but really anything can happen which is crazy!!!

And this week is New Years sooo first things first HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE THAT EVEYONE IS GOING TO HAVE A FABULOUS TIME!!!!! Here it should be good we get to stay out till 11 but we don’t have a place to go to yet which stinks but I'm sure we can find one……… but I here that its just the same as Christmas fireworks and a churrasco…(and just so everyone knows the fireworks here are practically just little bombs hahahahah just like a little stick of dynamite which is funny and way loud and fun) but its prob going to be just a bunch of eating again... and then this transfers is over…

It’s crazy to think about this transfer because it passed by sooo fast and now I’m probably heading into the last transfer of my first area!!! So I’ve really got to wrap things up good here in Livramento!! Establish some New Year goals for the mission that will make me work until I die hahaha!!!! So I'm loving the mission and I'm so happy for the time that I got to talk to everyone!!! You guys all sound soooo great!!! And happy!!! Which is good!!!!

Quick update for this week on the food category hahaha………. I think I'm going to try something new and make the cream cheese brownies hahahahahahahahahaha what do you think… its prob going to be a disater but whatever hahaha we will see… or maybe I’ll just stay with cake and cookies hahah!!!

So family have a fabulous week ok!!!! Stay safe during this New Year and don’t do anything stupid all right!!! I’m so grateful for you guys and the opportunity we have to life together forever!! I know that this Church is true with all my heart!!! It is the most amazing source of happiness in our lives and when we share with within our family we receive blessings, comfort and happiness beyond our wildest dreams!!!! I love you guy’s soooo much!!! And have a good one!!! Muah!!! Xoxoxoxoxo

Elder Wiscomb

D&C 25&12 continue praying together it’s an amazing blessing we have!!!

Merry Christmas! Opening packages from Grandma Wiscomb, Wiscomb Family and the Cook Family

Teaching in Santa Maria

Week 19 December 21, 2009

Wiscomb family!!!!!!!!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Or should I say “Feliz natal e um feliz ano novo!!!” Gosh this week has been a week full of soooooo much excitement!

What a great time of year this is to be a missionary! To talk and spread to the world the “true meaning of Christmas” our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s been an experience that I will never forget!! My mindset of Christmas has totally changed from what I used to think about “oh gosh what do I need to buy for my family and what I am going to get hahahaha” to something a lot more important like “what can I do to show my love for a family here and what can I do to help a family be more happy on Christmas!!!” This is the time of year to be together with family and to remember all of the many blessing that we have in our lives!! Although sometimes these blessing aren’t easily seen, the ones that aren’t easily seen are the ones that are the most precious! Ponder the blessing that we have in our lives through our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with our families and I know that you will recognize these extraordinary blessings that aren’t easily seen!!

But enough of that, lets start from the beginning hahaha!!! So this week what division and I was with the zone leaders for 3 days his name is Elder Zukini and he is probably the funniest person that I have ever met in my entire life!!! Being SO tried and walking a lot and him cracking jokes all day, I think I almost fell over in the street dying like 4 times, it was something that I really needed, because it was seriously 3 strait days of just laughing!!

We got a chance to watch the Christmas devotional, which I was SO excited for, but when I arrived I forgot that I was going to be watching it in Portuguese hahaha (ya I know I'm retarded ha-ha) so I was lost most of the time but the music was good so that was really nice!! And then the night came!!! Hahaha gosh……………….

The night came and I was feeling good but that quickly changed. I was really sick for 2 days, it was just food poisoning, I think because me and Elder Zukini had it and we both ate these xis from the street which are soooo good but I think that the times of eating a xis is over hahaha we both got sick which was pretty funny!!

And yesterday we had p day natal!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh it was sooo much fun!! We had about 40 missionaries there usually they do one for all the Elders in Santa Maria but they split it up this time I don’t know why, but it was still awesome!! It was like a 5-hour drive to this place so we left here in Livramento at 2 in the morning and we didn’t get back till like 11. So today I am soooooooooooooo tired hahaha but it was so fun! We ate a BBQ and we played soccer and volleyball and we had a water balloon fight and stuff like that and it was just a good time!! I got to see a lot of my good buddies for the CTM and I got to see Elder Tukuafu which was sooooooooooo nice gosh I love him! So that was a good time!

We have so much to do today because tonight we have a family night with the ward!! I think that the Santa is going to be there!! I'm soooooooooooooooo excited ha-ha!! Actually they asked me to do Santa so I know he is going to do there but I declined the offer because I thought that a Santa really skinny wouldn’t be good hahaha and I also thought that a Santa that could talk to the kids would be a good idea too!! I don’t think that the kids would like a Santa that doesn’t know how to respond to there questions about toys and stuff hahaha!!! But I think we are going to play like musical chairs and stuff and do some other games!!

On the 24 we are going to a house of Eleara and Elton!! Eleara is a recent convert and Elton is someone that we are working with. They have 2 kids that are awesome and so we are going to stay there till I think 11! The 24^th is the big night here so that should be fun!! Something cool that happen the other day with Elton… its hard to explain but he is super, super, super (shut or hard hearted) but hard hearted isn’t the right word because he loves us but he is just difficult because he loves the Church but he just doesn’t what to continue in it but he says the most powerful prayers I have ever heard!! I can just imagine him with the gift of the Priesthood gosh!! There is no doubt in my mind that one day he will be a member! But like I was saying 2 days ago we got in a really deep talk about the temple and families!! Something happened a little less than a year ago and their son that was 17 drowned in the lake at the top of the mountain where we were during a Church activity, I guess there is a huge current underneath the water!! But the times have been hard for this family and then something happened between Elton and another member during a family night, which is horrible, but then during this conversation he said… something along the lines… “I know that I don’t go to Church as often as a should and I'm not baptized but I want you to know that I have a testimony about the Church and about the work that you guys are doing!! I can feel the Spirit when you guys are in my house and I want to thank you for that and the love you show my family! You guys are like sons to us and I love you!” For him to say this I was shocked because he is the typical Brazilian gaucho… Like a red neck cowboy just sooo firm and a tough guy it was crazy!!! I think we just need to show keep showing him our love and I tank that one day coming up soon I'm going to sit down with him when I feel the Spirit strongly and I'm going to challenge him to be baptized. He is very intimidating its weird hahaha I wish that you guys could meet him to really see what I'm talking about but he is amazing and one of the most amazing thing would see him and Eleara go through the temple and be sealed to their family forever, aww that would be something sooo amazing!!!

Last night was pretty fun too!!! Kind of hard and made me really homesick but it was a good homesick I got the Christmas tree from the cooks, which is the coolest thing in the world!!! And I played Christmas music and decorated the Christmas tree hahaha it was hard and ya I cried just a little because I was so happy (tears of joy to see pictures of you guys) but it was so much fun!! And then I got to open the packages from grandma and from mom gosh you guys are awesome I have the most amazing family in the world!!! Thanks soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the love that you guys have shown me!!!

But family it’s Natal right and I want you guys to have such an amazing time!!!!! You guys are soooo amazing I love you guys with all my heart and I can’t wait to talk to you guys in 3 days!!!! But family have a fabulous Christmas Eve and we will be talking soon!!! Aww I love you guys soo much, I have soo much to talk to you about, about 4 months worth in one hour haha, and I know right when I here your guys voices I am going to forget everything aww!!! So have questions ready hahaha and fire them away fast ha-ha!!

Have such a fantastic 3 days and we will talk soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you guys sooooo stinking much, with all my heart!!!! And a very merry Christmas to all!!!!!!!!! Muah xoxoxox!!!

Elder Wiscomb

“I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams”

D&C 123:12

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 18 December 14, 2009

Hello family!!!!! How is everything going!!!! Gosh it was so good to here from all you guys this week and it sounds like everything is just fantastic at home!! Cold but good!!! Haha!

About next week, I wont be writing until Tuesday!!! We have P-DAY NATAL with the mission!!! President is doing a party for the missionaries on the 21^st, so that will be SO cool, I can’t wait to tell you about it. This week on Thursday, we have a Christmas Conference and then on the 20^th we have a special Sunday and then on the 22^nd we have a family night with the ward, where we will eat and stuff and hangout and we will play musical chairs, I think, and do some other stuff… so we have a lot planned for these next couple weeks!!!

So this week was pretty crazy!! We did a lot and YES we moved but not on the day we planed!! The weather here is sooo crazy!! It can be sunny and clear in the morning and then a crazy storm 2 hours later so we planed to move on Thursday, but it rain for 2 days!! So we did it on Saturday and it started to rain half way threw, so all of our stuff got all wet, so we slept at the zone leaders house that night which was fun!!! But ya we have a new house and it’s SO awesome!! We actually have a kitchen and a bathroom and stuff, which is nice!!! Hahahaha!!! And the family that lives there is awesome too!!! I think we are going to do a family night wit them on Saturday so I'm excited for that!!!!

So, since we needed to move and we planed to move on Thursday day, and it rained, so we didn’t have any appointments on those days so we didn’t really work A LOT this week, which was hard, but we work!!! Don’t get me wrong, it just wasn’t the same and my comp was sick on Tuesday so that was hard too… but it was a week that came and went… this week went by sooooooo fast!!! I don’t know where it has gone!

This week we also had conference!!! Which was amazing it’s always nice to see the President and his wife and the AP’s!! We learned how to teach and how to challenge investigators, and how a message without a challenge was a pointless lesson… there always needs to be a challenge, which is backed up by your testimony!! It was such an amazing day!! And after we had the conference we did like a white elephant type thing… we made cards for a missionary that we drew the names out of a hat and picked a tie for them. And then sat in a circle and gave it to them!! It was so fun!!! The days just go by SO fast I swear!! Its already the 4^th week in this transfer and these next weeks are going to fly too, wow!! So ya conference was just absolutely amazing!!!

Our people that we are teaching are doing really well but we have a rule that they need to go to church 2 times before they are baptized and since it’s a holiday month, there are parties every Saturday night, which go all night long, so they don’t come to church… so really they are not progressing… but they are at the same time if that makes sense but we just need to keep working with them… work, work, work and pray and fast and rely on our Heavenly Father… that is about all that we can do!!! Oh and love them!!! That is a big one ha-ha!! But the work is going pretty well too!!!

Funny story for the week… we were walking to an appointment and we saw these people freaking out on the side of the street and we were going over to see if we can help of what was going on… well guess what… there was a huge swarm of ANGRY bees attacking everyone and yes… we got attacked too I have bee stings all over my body which kind of stinks ha-ha but whatever right… all part of the experience… my comp got it way worse hahaha… but it was pretty funny!!!

So for this week to come… I am starting a division with the zone leaders tomorrow morning which is pretty cool!! We finally move and I have to go stay with someone else ha-ha whatever… but ya… so I will be staying with a Brazilian this time because elder Burham is now LZ A which means he comes to my house… so that stinks but it should be fun!! 3 days there and return for 2 and then off to p-day natal!!! Then its pretty much Christmas!!! And here in Brazil the 25^th really isn’t as big… it is the 24^th at 12 am! Which is the big night!! So we get to stay out until 11, which is kind of, cool… late huh hahahahahahhaah!! But ya it should be really fun!! I’m excited to tell you guys all about it!! But remember I won’t be writing until Tuesday now ok!!

So family!!! I love you all so much and I hope that everything is going just great preparing for Christmas and stuff!!! I hope that you guys have a fabulous week!!! Love you guys with all my heart!!!! This Church is true!!! Love you all!!

Elder Wiscomb

1 Corinthians 4:10-13

Week 17 December 7, 2009

Family!!! How is everyone doing!! I can’t believe another week is down in the mission field!! This week flew so fast and this next week is going to go by even faster cause we have zone conference!! And I am SO excited for that!!! Before I get started I just want to say thanks for all the cards and emails I received!! I have the best family and friends in the world thanks so much!!! So how is Salt Lake City everyone!! Cold.... I here that its pretty cold but here its getting hotter and hotter as the days go on... a little different. Quite honesty, I think I like the snow better, but whatever this is the least of my worries...

Just want to say thanks for the package with the tie and the candy and my I-pod!! Gosh it’s nice to have music again!! And awesome music too!! You guys did an amazing job!!! Love the Disney stuff!! I just received a couple

Funny story.... everyone loves High School Musical here and when I tell them that it was filmed at my school they go crazy.... I arrived at lunch this past Wednesday and they were watching it, and they didn’t know that it was filmed at my school and when I told them the freaked, literally freaked out Ha-Ha, it was so hilarious I wish I could send the image in my head but I can’t, it was just funny!!

But this week was crazy!!! A lot of working and a lot of knocking on doors, which is good!!! But something went on this week that is exciting, kind of like a Christmas present for me and my companion.... so my comp, the first thing he said when we walked in our house is... what is this.... this is prob the worst house in the mission, and it’s 45 minutes from our area... so he has been talking with the Pres about changing houses.... honestly changing house never crossed my mind... I thought that we were blessed to have a roof over our heads a microwave and a refrigerator and a desk to study, who am I to complain when we are teaching people that live in a wood shack with wood floors and horrible circumstances.... but my companion insisted on moving... so he has been talking, and quiet frankly if we are just looking while we are working I'm fine with that... so the President said that he would prefer us to live in an apartment, it’s more safe, so we were looking for apartments but in our area we only have 2 buildings and they are all full.. So I was like ok, whatever, not a big deal but then after 4 days of just looking a little during the day, it was night and we were walking a different way home and we looked up and saw this building out of no where and at the same time were like “yes” hahaha that’s the place and what do you know... it’s somewhat an apartment, probably better because we will be living with only one family on the top of a huge garage with them, but its sooo nice. And I think we are going to be moving this week so I'm excited about that!!!! It will be a good change I think!!! And it’s in our area meaning we don’t have to leave 45 minutes early to get home on time meaning more lessons!!! Good huh!!! So that was exciting!!

Another thing that happened this week is, we found a lot of families!!! We have been working a lot with the members that have fallen away, which has been cool!! And helping them return!! We have found many, and 7 came to Church on Sunday, which was awesome!! Things are going good here with the work!! The only thing that is hard is that we found like 4 families to teach but they all moved to different areas (only 4 streets outside our area) it doesn’t matter who teaches them but I just love these families and have become really close to them so its a bummer, but that’s ok!! The sisters will do a fabulous job with them!!!

I have realized just barely that I haven’t told you how we teach here in the south... its really different we don’t start teaching with the restoration... actually we don’t even introduce the Book of Mormon until the 3 lesson which was hard for me to understand and to accept, especially when the Book of Mormon is what sets us apart from all the other religions... but the people here in the south are SO excepting of Jesus Christ and they say it (he is everything) so that is how we contact people, we teach them about “the ministry of Christ” kind of a brief history of his life!! We start by saying he is the Son of God our Redeemer and Savior and how he showed us the correct road to take.... through his example on this earth, we have someone that can guide us... we all have a chance to be forgiven of our sins and He showed us how through baptism (and we explain the 3 things we need in baptism because everyone here says they have been baptized....) we explain that we need 1-need to know the difference between right and wrong 2-lots of water, to be baptized like Christ being emerged with water resembling the death and resurrections and 3-the authority of God! And then we explain how do we know if someone had the authority of God and we explain that when Christ was on this earth he established His Church- the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that we show the picture of Christ giving the priesthood to the 12 apostle and that is how we receive the gospel but then what happened after Christ established the Church what happened... a Church that was established with (1 prophet, 12 apostles and the authority of Christ) I forgot to mention we show them this in the Bible too... he did the ultimate sacrifice the atonement in the garden of Gethsemane and after the people crucified him and the apostle and that THE CHRUCH WAS NO LONGER ON THE EARTH BECAUSE THE APOSTLES AND CHRIST WERE KILLED (a big part it ties into the next lesson) and then 3 days later he resurrected right... and then we ask.. But what happened to Christ’s Church that he established? We read in the Bible that there is 1 Lord 1 baptism 1 faith. So how many TRUE CHURCHES you think there are? They say one, because its true!!! But what happened to the Church of Christ... well that is the big question huh... and we say we have another lesson the (RESORATION) that will explain this can we return....

This is such an amazing work... it is so clear how Christ established his work in the Bible and that he is the same yesterday today and forever!! So that means that the Church of Christ or the true Church has to be the same and that is what we have today!!! If you really believe in the Bible and understand it its SOOOO clear... gosh I love this Church!! This is nothing better then the knowledge we are able to gain threw the Bible and the Book of Mormon!! I know that together we have the fullness of the Gospel!! I’m SO grateful of the knowledge that I have gain thus far on my mission!! It has been such a blessing in my life and a true life changes experience and I have only been gone for 4 months ha!!! Crazy!!! I know with all my heart that this Church is the true Church of Christ!!! And it is my duty, my OPPORTUNITY, to spread this with the people in Brazil!! A mission is nothing what I expected... its much more amazing and I’m living up every moment!!!

Well the work is fabulous like I said!! I love you guys with all my heart!! Hope that everything is just going amazing at home!! The day when we talk is coming closer and closer and I’m getting excited to tell you everyone and here your voices again!!! Gosh that’s all I want!!!! Have a fabulous week!!

Elder Wiscomb

Romans 1.16!!!!! Love this!! And love you guys

Week 16 November 30, 2009

Gosh how is everyone? This week has been really crazy and I don’t have much time so I will start off by saying thanks so much for all of your emails!! I love reading every single one of them!! I love hearing what happened throughout the week… but I'm not too happy to here about the Utah BYU game…. That kind of made me mad!!! Ha-ha just kidding!!

My companion is where I’ll start… his name is Elder Teixera, he is so tight! But it’s been hard cause he doesn’t speak any English but he can understand a little… he is 27 years old and he is really funny! He is from the north of Brazil, I forgot from where exactly, but he is so tight I like him a lot… which is good… he is also the zone leader which is cool, but is hard because he has to do interviews again but we are working SO much which is good!! Oh and guess what, I found out that we (me and my old comp Elder Gil) where doing everything wrong… which stinks. So its like I'm learning EVERTHING over again, but it’s nice to finally know what missionary work is really like…

So this week we I had to show him around which has been hard… but good. We knocked on a lot of doors, which has been fun, and we found 10 more people to return to in 4 days. Not to bad huh… it’s amazing what happens when you are really doing what is right… I wish that I knew these things last transfer ha-ha. Anyway things are going good!! Long hard days but good!!

So with my comp, I got two boxes, one from the Cooks and one from you family!! Gosh thanks soooo much you guys are the best!! If I had time I would say thanks for everything little thing in there, but I don’t ha-ha. So thanks SO much seriously you guys are the best!!! I will mention one thing… I think a Peanut butter and a banana sandwich is probably the most amazing thing on the face of the earth ha-ha!! That’s all I will say!! But thanks so much!!!

I’m glad to here that Thanksgiving was fun!! Here in Livramento we did a little something too… me and Elder Burham planned a little thing in our chapel… we have pretty much all new people here… the only ones who stayed are me elder Burham and elder Hufaino… so we all got together in my chapel and we ordered pizza from Uruguay which was soooo much fun!! Gosh it was nice to be together for that holiday!! So that was nice

So funny story this week… we were knocking on doors down this dirt road, which led to nothing…. And all of the sudden this kids yelled ‘time to clean the dogs’… and they all started to chase after the dogs and pretty much tackled these dogs and after ran like 30 yards where there is a river and just threw all these dongs in the river hahaha… it was sooo funny!!!

And this week we also ran into some guy who invited us into their house just to make fun of us and bash on the Church (well I think that’s what he was doing. I couldn’t really tell, or understand but it sounded like that’s what he was doing…) so that was hard…

So Elissa we got a sister that arrived here that reminds me of you…. Or how I would picture you as a missionary!! Gosh this sister is incredible!! Seriously!! She is such a hard working all about the work. Sooo nice and funny!!! So I just though I would tell you its good to have a lot of sisters now!!

So like I mentions I found out that we are doing everything pretty much wrong ha-ha… so now I think that we are going to be using internet a little bit earlier and stuff cause we need to be in our house at 5 and sometimes I didn’t get back until 6:30 last transfer and stuff so ya… its nice because my new companion is kind of like me. We both want to keep the rules like perfect or try and do it perfectly, which is good!! We have that in common which is nice!! The only hard thing is waking up at 7 and doing exercises cause I'm SO tired!! This work is sooo tiring but so rewarding!!!

So ya. Another work of working really hard!! A lot harder then last transfer which is good!! I swear that I always have sooo much to say but when I sit down I forget everything. I even write it down… and I still forget… gosh ha-ha!!

Anyway thanks so much you guys!! Love you all so much!! Sending my love from Livramento!! Have a fabulous week!! Thanks again for everything!!!

Elder Wiscomb

Week 15 November 23, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Kind of bummed that we are not going to celebrate it here, but whatever. Gosh it’s good to here from you all!! Thanks for everything; all your letters and stuff have been so awesome to read! I'm so grateful for the best family in the world! So ya thanks for everything!!

So where to start! This week has been a crazy, interesting, growing, frustrating, hard.... think of any word and this is how my week was... I don’t even know where to start!!

So I’ll start by reminding you that this was my last week with my first companion, he went home one transfer early cause of his knee, so this week we did a lot of saying goodbye and not that much teaching which was difficult... So I did a lot of sitting and taking pictures ha... so like I said we said goodbye, walked SO freaking much, and to be quite honest it was hard cause he was saying that he will be home for Natal and I will be here and just stiff like that which was hard but that’s ok he is gone now, sad but good thing.

I will continue with talking about my new companion... I didn’t have to go to Santa Maria cause another Elder hurt his foot too and is being transfered to Santa Maria, so they went together, and honestly I am happy cause its a 6 hour and 30 minute bus ride which is horrible ha-ha... so that’s good and I have been staying with Elder Lee for yesterday and today which has been fun! This morning I found out that my new companion is going to be Elder Teixeira! I have only heard good things about him!! I don’t know him but I here that he is SO funny and he is an amazing missionary!! He will be the new district leader here and he turned district leader 5 months into the mission and so he has been a district leader in different areas for also 8 months now.... so the Pres loves him!! Kind of scared though... I guess he doesn’t speak ANY English at all, which is gong to be really, really hard!! But this is a good time to grow I think... it will be a good challenge (I hope) ha-ha! So ya he will get here with 8 other missionaries tomorrow night!! Me and my best buddy in the mission elder Burnham who is the zone leader are the only ones staying here in this area, the rest are new... anyway it’s going to be pretty cool!! We are also receiving 4 sisters!!!!!!!! Which I am super excited about, (I here they always bring food to the meetings we have together hahaha) no but I'm really excited to meet everyone!!

So ya this week has been kind of crazy!! We had divisions so I was with Elder Burnham, the zone leader, for 3 days that was SO fun!! We ordered ´pizza from Uruguay sooo freaking good!! While we were together we got to watch a movie (Charlie) don’t worry the Pres said it’s ok... but its so sad!!! Try and find it family!! It’s the most amazing movie ever!! Made me a little homesick, but it was good!! And this week something else happen that was hard... I had my first date fall... So we were scheduled to baptize this girl on Saturday but she decided not to!! She felt like she wasn’t ready... she felt like she was doing it cause Elder Gil was pressuring her to do it!! And quite honestly I'm happy that she didn’t go threw with it! I know it’s only time that she will be baptized but if she wasn’t fully ready yet that means that we have work to do still!! She will be soon!! We will go talk to her this week and there is no doubt in my mind that in the next couple weeks she will be! So ya that was the hard thing!!

I have officially had the chance to go to every missionary house in my area now.... and let me tell you everyone’s but mine is like a freaking mansion They are all like 4 times as big as mine, and two have badays (the thing that you clean your rear after you dump) ya so just thought I would tell you its kind of sucks but I look at it this way.... it can only go up from here.

Dad--- it’s crazy, I met someone here, a Brazilian that speaks English and I asked him where he learned and he said on his mission in Kentucky, Louisville mission!! Same mission as you crazy huh!! I thought it was.

Anyway my time is up for writing!! I love you guy’s SO much!! Have a fabulous week!! Be safe and I will tell you everything about my new comp next week!! Gosh I love you guys!! Have a good week and talk to you later!! Love ya!!!

Elder Wiscomb XOXOXO

Week 14 November 16, 2009

This week was crazy I don’t even know where to start!!

To start off, I forgot to mention last week that I have challenged myself, and I think that it has been helping. I challenged my self to put away ALL my English stuff!! I only have my “Jesus the Christ” which I read rarely, when I have a couple minutes... but its kind of crazy... I am constantly looking in the dictionary for words but I think that searching and at least trying to think about the word as I'm finding it has help... so just thought I would tell you. So because of that, it has been kind of a frustrating week, because I haven’t had like any time to study... well I never do because we always have interviews for baptisms, or this week I was at the zone leaders house and we had to do service in the morning, which they didn’t tell me about and I had to practically play in the mud in my church close which kind of sucked ha-ha but it was fun!! I love doing service!!

This week was kind of cool!!! A little different because it has been raining SO much and since our house is SO dang far away from everything, some days we didn’t take our rain stuff because its a pure blue sky in the morning and by like 3 its a monsoon ha-ha so some days we had spend like 2 hours in a house of members just talking with their friends who aren’t members... (Well my comp talks ha-ha I usually just listen, well, try to at that hahaha) but its been kind of fun!! We showed them how to make American pancakes, and dad your cake (which they always ask for now) and their favorite is Jell-O with soda and fruit!! They thought it was SO weird when I told them about it for the first time but when they tried it they were like “wow what the heck is this ahahahha” and now everyone makes it all the time its pretty funny!!

Something that was also funny; we are teaching this lady, probably like 30 years old, and honestly she is kind of crazy, but I love her. For work she makes these necklaces, which are honestly REALLY, REALLY UGLY HAHA!! They look like she just tied thread together and called it a necklace but anyway. When she was showing us them, she asked me if I liked them. What am I going to say to that? I’m going to say, “Oh ya, I love them so much” hahaha! I mean we can’t be mean right? So the next visit she made one especially for me to give to you mom hahaha!! I felt bad because I didn’t want to take it because you are probably not going to get it because I am not going to spend the money to send it home and I will probably not hold onto it for two years but she insisted that I take it for you... so I did. I took a picture of it so when I send this card home you will see what I'm talking about, but it was pretty funny!!

So we received word yesterday that my companion will be going home because of his knee... he will go home a transfer early which ends in a week, and my president talked to me and said that I will be staying here in this area and will show my new companion this area, which is a really, really scary thought!!! I DON'T KNOW THIS AREA!!! I don’t know how to talk to people very well and honestly the hardest thing in the world is putting names with faces hahaha!!! But my President is confident that I am able to do this so I guess I will!!! He said that he doesn’t usually allow a new missionary to stay in an area and show an older one where to go but we will figure it out!! I know now more then ever that my Heavenly Father will guide where to go, and whom I need to talk to!! So, next week I will probably have a new companion which means I don’t know if I will be able to write much in the email. The only reason why I have so much time right now to use the Internet is because my companion has a lot to do on the Internet for the zone/district, so he said I could have a little bit more time!! So maybe next week there will be just one fast, big email!! But know that I love all your letters!!

Today we were going to go to the club to play soccer and tennis but its raining so all the missionaries (ten of us) gathered in the stake center and just hug out and played soccer in the rain, on a cement court, and had lunch it was really, really fun!!

This week is going to be a crazy week. There will probably be a lot of saying goodbyes... and this week I will once again live at the house of the zone leaders for 3 days cause we have division!! Which should be fun!! I might not be able to write till after next week because I might be going to Santa Maria..... for transfers... we will see, if I don’t write on Monday this is why!!

So we are starting a new adventure in a couple days, ha-ha it will be great!! Its crazy to think that I will be starting only my second transfer and Jake is on his last!! Ahhh his time seemed like it went by so fast but at the same time it seams like my time is SO long, which honestly is a bitter/sweet thing at this moment but I am making the best of every second here! Everything is just amazing in Livramento! I love my time here, I love the people, and I love this work!! The Church of Jesus Christ is true!! I know with all my heart and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to share it with the people here in Brazil!!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Elder Wiscomb

D&C 108:9

Week 13 November 9, 2009

Hello family!! Well I don't really know where to start because this week has been just absolutely amazing! So much happened!! I want to start by saying thanks for all of your emails!! I love reading them and knowing that everything is going just fabulous back home! Thanks for your thoughts and your words!

So to start off I will say that this week had been just a week of rain!! But that’s not necessarily a bad thing! I love walking in the rain and the wind. Its kind of fun! We had so much rain that we would just watch the motorcyclist try and ride in the rain. They were going through these puddles where they (bike and their entire body) would be fully submerged in the water, it was sooo funny!! So ya it has literally rained all day, every day, for about seven days!! Today is sunny and blue skies though, and it’s started to become a little bit warmer, which is nice... I don’t know what I like more!! It’s either freezing or hot!! And when I'm freezing it stinks and when you are hot and sweating your miserable so either way it stinks, oh well...

So, this week has been good, like I mentioned and I will tell you why later.... but a couple thoughts have come to my mind while I've been sitting here... something that I find super hard on the mission and another something is a desire that I have.... first the thing that’s hard for me to understand.... its hard for me to be denied on the mission... I don’t know why, but if people would just step back from the world and think what us (as missionaries) are really doing... we believe and know this work to be true, so we, as young men and sisters of the world, leave everything we have and dedicate two years or a year and half to sharing this Gospel with the world!! We have been teaching this investigator and she is sooo strong, but for some reason she is hesitant to progress ... I was sitting there and thinking WHY?! If you know this is true why are you scared!! So I was thinking of something to say. We just finished the discussion about the Book of Mormon, for the 2nd time, just to emphasize the importance of reading and it was silent for about 2 minutes, but a good silence, if that makes sense... anyway, long story short I said something and I don’t know where it came from but it just flowed out of my mouth and it went like this. I looked at her strait in the eyes and I said “why, why are you scared or hesitant to continue progressing in something that you know is true?” then I said “If I didn’t know that this is true, I wouldn’t be here!” and then I did something that was not expecting to do and my companion was shocked too... I asked her if I could give her a challenge and she said yes... then I said “I want to challenge you by giving you a date for your baptism this night... the date is the 28 of this month, will you continue to prepare to be baptized on this date?” and she looked at me, long story short, she said yes!! Gosh what an amazing experience!!

And know for my desire!! My greatest desire is to show how much I love you mom and dad!! I have been trying to think of a way to show my appreciation for everything that you guys have done and taught me in my life and I just don’t know how I will ever do it!! Being here on the mission I have gained an amazing testimony of families and the importance of them!! I don’t even know how to explain myself but I wish that someday I will be able to figure out a way to show this!! And Elissa I'm so sorry of making fun of you when you got home from you mission about always wanting to do family home evening!! Here in the mission, they are the best nights of the week and I have really come to know how important it is to do something with your family throughout the week!! So ya sorry for making fun of you!! ha-ha

K I was going to wait for later in the letter but I will say it now!! I had my first baptism this week on Saturday her name is Elenara!! Aww it was amazing!! And I didn’t even mess up the words hahaha!! But it’s amazing to see the results of our work!! It sure gives you an extra boost or a jump-start again!! I think I have finally settled in, which is nice!!! Its was kind of cool though because she had to get married for her husband first, so we had the weeding Friday night and then we baptized her on Saturday!! The guy is already a member but is inactive, so they are coming to church now and it’s amazing!!

So the box!! I think that everyone loves you!! Pretty much the candy is almost gone already and it’s only been 2 days but everyone loved it!! I think I'm addicted to candy ha-ha gosh there is nothing better than a Butterfinger!! And then for the other stuff!! I think I have enough floss and toothbrushes for the mission!! But remember mom; I'm in a civil place ha-ha!! I'm able to buy everything here, there is a ‘BIG’ which is pretty much a ‘Wal-Mart’ which is nice but thanks so much and thanks for the hankies love them soooo much they are already in use! Thanks for everyone!! You’re the best!!

So tonight I will be spending the night, and I think tomorrow night as well, with the zone leaders!! Which I am really exited for! My companion is going to Santa Maria to the doctors for his knee and chances are I will probably be getting a new companion next transfer which is in 2 weeks which is scary because I will be the one that knows where to go, and quite frankly I don’t know anything hahahah. So that should be interesting I will keep you updated.

So to answer your question mom about taking a taxi home during the rain. Gosh you know me... I don’t like to spend money on things that I don’t need to... we are perfectly capable of walking, even though its was horrible but it gives me time to think... which I don’t know is a good or bad thing ha-ha but I love to think. So ya. Oh I almost forgot today!!! We went to Uruguay and played soccer with the 20+missionaries over there!! It was so much fun!! And guess what, I met the cousins of the Strongs his name is Calvin Lloyd!! So just let them know that I met him or something!! It was nice to meet some new guys!! And I never mentioned that I saw Richie the first night sorry!! It was nice to see him and give him a big hug

So everything is going pretty well here!! Loving the work and the people!! It’s so nice to be getting close to the members now!! And is funny how many of them listen to songs in English like during lunch the other days we listen to the Coors which was cool other stuff!! But mom I hope its fine but I have a mission mom know!! Don’t worry she will NEVER take your place but its nice to have someone that I can always got to if I need help!! It’s funny because she calls be her “filho Americano” ha-ha it’s kind of funny!! Well I hope all is good but all his well here!! Loving everything and everyone!! Hope everything is amazing there!! Have a good week

Elder Wiscomb

P.S. I forgot to talk to you about zone conference.........quick. It was amazing seeing the President and his wife. We talked about studying, establishing goals before planning, the area book, and many other things... I got to see two people that I came here with which was fun!! And for money mom we get 90 bucks every two weeks, which is about 40 dollars. But it goes by fast I don’t know where it goes ha-ha!! So ya, sorry that was quick but it was good!!

Week 12 November 3, 2009

Family!! Gosh how is everyone going!! I’ll get right to the point!!! But first, I just want to say thanks for all of your letters!! I love hearing about everything and hearing that you are all doing well!! So thanks so much!

So this week started with the AP’s coming to our city! They were here for 4 days! So one day I got to go on splits with a zone leader Elder Silva!! He is amazing!! The Assistant was with my companion. So we walked all over and he didn’t know how to speak English so I was talking in Portuguese all day and it helped so much! I noticed that I know a little more then I give myself credit for… so that was a good way to start out the week!!

We had a family home evening this week too, which was SO much fun!! We just hung out, played games, ate pizza and cake, AH, it was fun and I gave the lesson, which was pretty cool! Kind of hard, but cool!

So the weather here has officially changed!! Well at least I thought it had until today… earlier this week it was 104 degrees and we were all just dying!! It’s been SO hot!! I’m getting pretty freaking dark though… I’m almost as dark as the Brazilians ha-ha! Oh and to top it off. Remember how our washer is broken; well we have to take our clothing to a member’s house. The house is at the top of that huge hill! It’s a 50-minute walk in the heat… kind of hard… but whatever, it’s worth having clean clothes!

So this week I finished D &C gosh I love it!! The scriptures are amazing!! Seriously!! And this week was fast and testimony meeting and I tried to bear my very simple testimony, which went all right…

It’s been so nice because I am starting to get really close to the a couple families here, which has been fun! I’m close to probably 3 families and although I’m not able to speak with them, and can show them my gratitude for being with them, I show them my love in different ways, usually by making a fool out of myself, but that’s alright!

So I have officially had my first encounter with a dog… gosh I hate dogs now… only Willy and Ben are the ones I love… SO we were walking up this street and out of nowhere this huge dog starts freaking out and running strait at us! I kicked it sooo hard. I feel bad, but it was a reactions and worth it. I didn’t want to get bitten.

Funny story for the week.. So we are at this families house that we are really close with… it’s a family of girls and one always goes with us to teach… she is a returned missionary. And she is an amazing teacher. There are twines in that family too, and one day I asked one of the twins, who are 16, for a cup of water, cause I was dying of thirst, and she looked at me and said “1 heal”… which is money. I just ducked my head, messing around with here, and she grabbed my cheek, like old grandmas do, and said something along the lines of “ohhh don’t worry I’ll get you a cup of water.” it was just funny cause after I was thinking… ‘That was the first time a girl has touched me in almost 3 months other then a handshake… AHHHHH” I was just laughing SO hard in my seat. I hope you find that funny cause it was.

And then today… p day… it has been an interesting day! We got up at 5 a.m., cause we were supposed to go to Santa Maria for a doctor’s appointment for my comps knee, so we got up then and it was a Monsoon; it was raining and windy like crazy. We get bus station, tired and wet, and got our tickets and they told us the wrong bus! So we missed it, and then we had to walk back, an hour and a half, in the rain. We got to take a taxi there, but we didn’t have enough money to take one back… it has been a long day and it hasn’t stopped raining. Dad and mom, thank so much for making me bring the raincoat and pants!! I have already used them so much!! Thanks!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot, The Day of the Dead, it’s kind of like Memorial Day. We went to the cemetery and proselyte about families and the plan of salvation/happiness, and sang and stuff, it was fun!! Then we all went to the border of Uruguay and Brazil and got a foot-long hotdog and juice shakes. It was pretty fun!!

So ya I hope I answered some questions you had, and I didn’t forget anything. I’m sure I have… but this week is zone conference, which should be good!! I’m super stoked for it!!! I’ll tell you how it goes next week! Thanks for everything!! I love you all so much!!! I hope that you guys all have a fantastic week! Love you all!! Bye

P.S. answers to most questions-

Blankets haven’t been washed… its not cold anymore.. It’s super hot!!

My health is pretty good

Things are going a little better with the companion

Food this week was horrible…. We had some bad lunches and stuff so I have made a lot of grilled cheeses! Ha-ha

I have some really good friends in this area!! Actually one really close, Elder Bernham!! I get to see him once a week and it’s really nice!!! He is the 2^nd zone leader

Language is still the same

I’m safe, don’t worry

Pinky is alright… still hurts

And my feet are killing me! I have so many blisters, which reminds me. In a letter do you want to ´put some “moleskins” for blisters!

So ya I thinks that’s all!!! Love you all so much!! Have good week!!

Elder Wiscomb!!