Week 46 June 26, 2010

Family! How is everyone doing? I hope that you guys are all doing just fabulous. Once again thanks so much for all the letters and pictures. I love seeing how much you guys have grown. So thanks so much!

So this week were do I even start. Let's start with the p-day with president for his last week. So we arrived at his house and we helped them get some boxes ready to leave… we have been helping them prepare the house for the new president that is going to get here on the 1^st. So we did that for about a half hour and then after we headed off. “Hit the road ha”. So first off we walked into the parking lot and president throws his keys to me and he says “hey Elder Wiscomb, back my car out for me….” I sit there shocked with the keys in my hands because we are always joking about driving and stuff… I was just like president are you serious and he said ya. So I drove his car hahaha and I didn’t even know what to do it was sooo weird.

So that is how the best p-day of the mission started… after we were off and cruising up the mountains of Santa Maria again… to be honest I didn’t know where we were going and we were driving and talking for about an hour and a half, up and down mountains, in some of the most beautiful scenery that I have seen… we arrive in a little Italian colony, just starving, (us the assistance and secretaries) just wondering where we were going to eat and we go to some super, super nice restaurant… it was truly like the first real sitting that felt like home… President and Sister Myrrha on one side with their daughter Natália, and us 4 on the other side.. Just sitting their talking and talking and eating and eating… it was so amazing, kind of sad though, just thinking that it was the last time we would prob have that opportunity… sitting with my best friend on my side (Elder Burnham the AP) with 2 really, really good Brazilian friends, sitting across a table, at a super nice restaurant from our president and his wife. It’s not an opportunity that most missionaries have a chance to have… I feel like the Lord has blessed me all too much with these experiences that I have had on the mission, and the relationships that I have been able to gain with my president, and his wife.

Other than that, we continued to drive and visit other places. Took pictures at the famous old people statue, and I even gained a hug from sister Myrrha hahaha. Something that was shocking but nice ha.

The p-day was amazing, but I think that they were preparing us and thanking us in advance for this week that is about to come “the mission tour”, the Farewell for the Myrrha's…. This week has by far been some of the most stressful weeks on the mission… I think we left the office one time before 8 o’clock at night, and most of the nights we were there until about 10 with the AP’s preparing everything for president… ya it was super, super difficult and thank goodness that its over.

So, because of that, we haven’t had the opportunity to teach much this week…. One thing we did change is now we are having lunches with members again! Which is nice I was feeling much loss of contact with them. So that’s nice, but with our investigators we didn’t have much contact this week which really kills this area… usually there are 4 people in this area but president only put me and Muller in the area this transfer… which makes it difficult to keep it going.

But yesterday we had the mission tour, which went very well. All the preparation paid off. Is was a sad and spiritual day for many. I knew that I would see them I think the day they leave but for the others it was difficult. It’s so amazing to see the impact that two people can have on the lives of these young missionaries.

Many Brazilians come from families that aren’t members, so President and Sister Myrrha were told so many times that they were like their true parents inside the Church. It’s so touching to see the love and the respect on both sides. Our mission with the Myrrha's has turned into one huge family, which has helped the mission grow.

Today we are planning to go to a buffet for Elder Muller's birthday with the AP's and then who knows what we will do next... I think we might go to the president’s house, and see all those missionaries that returned to say goodbye to president. There was about 20 missionaries that came back, so it’s been fun to see and to get to know everyone!

Family I love you guys so much! You guys sound like you are all amazing. Always remember that it’s through the love and the blessings of our Heavenly Father that we are able to recognize the purpose of our life here on Earth! I am so grateful to know, live, teach, and share the truth, which was restored through Joseph Smith with the people of Santa Maria at this stage in my mission and in my life! Nothing brings more joy than this.

There is going to be a lot to report next week with the switch in presidents, maybe a little change in the process of how the mission is going to run, but something that is evident is that the Gospel and teachings will never change, and ithasn’t never changed since God restored the gospel through Joseph Smith. This is another proof that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church here on Earth! Something that is so targeted, fought against, and a lot of times hated, would fall about or CHANGE, over time with the influence of MEN. But God is the same today, yesterday and forever, and he made promises that never again would he take away His teachings from men here on Earth! God will not allow the truth to be destroyed, destroyed and changed again! It’s too precious for the salvation of man.

I love you all so much! Stay strong and always remember that God lives!

Elder Wiscomb

Lunch in the little Italian colony, with President and his family, and the Ap's and Secretaries

He is prob going to be the next AP, crazy he looks like the president huh

We performed skits for the president before he leaves

The famous "old people" on our drive

The Italian colony

Helping President pack up and move

The Zone, we are getting this picture put on a T-shirt for the President before he leaves

Week 45 June 19, 2010

Hello family how is everyone doing today! I how that all is well and thanks so much for all your letters. You guys all sound amazing and happy, thanks so much!

So before I start. I have notice that use a lot of “!” in my writing, I'm going to try and stop doing this because it's annoying me, just so you know, but I really am happy hahahah. I think I just do that because I’m so excited to tell you about the week ha.

So this week what can I say, it was transfers and I’m so happy its over. It was fun seeing everyone in our house, ya it’s a mess, but it was a fun couple days… Sunday, Monday ,and Tuesday night all together I got prob about 4 hours of sleep, not because we were braking the rules, because we weren’t, I was in my bed, but we had about 70 people downstairs pretty much yelling because they were so excited to go home. So it was a fun and rough couple day.

And now its just me and Elder Muller in the office… the other secretary that left, left me in a little pickle… he didn’t do soooo much stuff that he said he did, so I have been spending the last couple days trying to figure out what tickets he bought, where they were, where are the fichas batismais, and a bunch of other stuff and its been really difficult a lot of work. I've gotten a little taste of how this transfer is going to go and it’s going to be amazing! Just a lot of work. which is good.

So to end the 3 years in the mission field for president sister Myrrha and to celebrate sister Myrrha birthday and mine also, today we are going to take a little trip today! After this, we are going to go to this famous village here that was established by the colonist that came here, it’s suppose to be super amazing. I’m excited to see how it is. We are going to take a bunch of pictures and eat lunch with them! So that should be fun, I’m really excited. But its raining today so who knows maybe we will just stay in their house. But other than that, this week was just one fast week. And next week is going to fly by just even faster because we have the mission tour… where 3 zones are coming here to Santa Maria. It’s kind of like a farewell for the Myrrha's. I’m really excited!

So my birthday last Saturday, it was such an amazing day, probably one of the most amazing birthdays that I have had in my life. As you guys know, we didn’t have to clean our house, that that was a good start. Then we used the Internet and I got so many wonderful emails from you guys. And then we went back to our house and the assistance came over to our house and we all made big old burgers and stuff. So that was good. Then it was time to work! My birthday wasn’t the best because we ate burgers, or we had the AP's over but it was because of our nice lesson. It was one of the most spiritual lessons that I have taught up to this point in my mission!

Our night appt. was with Saubrina who is that 23 year old women that we baptized and she has already gone to the temple and she is just so strong in the church its unbelievable. But this night was a little different. Ya the night consisted of dinner and a little present (gloves because my hands are still super freezing ha), but it also consisted of teaching her mom and little sister. Saubrina bussed in her mom and little sister because she wanted them to hear the messages that we have, the message that changed her life!

So here we are teaching them, first of all her little sister looked EXACTLY like Molly, it about killed me, I entered the room and my little eyes filled up with water because I thought it was her… but that’s not the best part still ha. We decided to teach them the restoration (ctm style), which we don’t do much here in our mission. We taught them and they understood soo great, we passed the little film of the restoration and they loved it. Everything was just going great and the spirit was unbelievably strong in the lesson. And then we asked Saubrina to bare her testimony. She started to bare her testimony and this is why my day was amazing.

I want you guys to just image a 23 year old girl talking with such power and love to her mom and sister, about something she is so sure of being true. It was as if she was pouring her heart to them, putting everything on the table so that her mom and her sister would have the big amazing change in their lives exactly how she did! After she boar her testimony it was silent for about 30 seconds. We let the silence continue because that is when the spirit can work and it did. After a little bit the mom just started to brake down in tears along with her youngest daughter, which soon after resulted in a big family hug with those three. The mom a little later said to us, “you guys don’t understand the change that I have seen in Saubrina, she is a totally different person person. She’s not so moody, I haven’t ever seen her be so sure about something, and there is always a bright light that is surrounding her. The last time I was here in her house it seemed so dark and now it’s the opposite.”

The mom ended up saying that the gospel, that she had only known for about 1 hour had to be true because of the feelings she got during the lesson and the change that she has seen in her daughter. The mom and the little girl went to church with the next day with Saubrina and it was so cool to see how happy all three of them were sitting together in sacrament and the classes.

Well that was the experience of the week. One more time an amazing one. Family I love you guys so much. Thanks for everything that you guys have done for me in my life. You guys are always there for me, and I appreciate it with all my heart. For those of you who are still traveling have fun and get home safe.

Love you all so much and have an amazing week.

Your son, brother, and friend

Elder Wiscomb

D and C 88:78

Week 44 June 12, 2010 HAPPY BIRTHDAY COULSON!

Family!! How is everyone doing today! Quickly I just want to say thanks for everyone sending me your birthday wishes and cards/emails! You all have made this birthday on the mission so much fun! So today! What a day ha. The day where I go in to the 20´s ha-ha I have officially left the teens how crazy is that. And in one more year I'm going to be totally legal... how crazy is that… well just so you all know, don’t you guys worry, I still feel like a little boy… ha-ha. Also today in Brazil is called "o dia dos namorados"… which is like the day for the couples… it would be like Valentines day ,but its HUGE so that’s pretty fun ha-ha.

So this week! Its been super fast but really, really busy. It's transfer’s week. And like I said, last week the president changes practically everything in the mission! Which means so much more work for us. At times I feel like I haven’t even had time to breath. And the work in the field hasn’t been going as great as I hoped it would. Just because this week we have very little time to work. This week and next week (I hear) that are going to be like this then it usually slows down but because it’s the last 18 days of president, I’m worried it's not going to ever settle down…. But that’s the work huh…

Tomorrow and the next night we should have about 80 elders at our house… ya it’s going to be crazy! It should be fun but they always leave our house a disaster… so it’s kind of a bitter-sweet thing. But it's fun to see everyone!

It sounds like mom, dad, molly, Katie, and Elissa are having a great trip and hope that you guys are learning a lot and soaking it all in! It’s such a great opportunity to learn about our country! And be safe ok!!!!

But now I want to talk about the baptism of the family we had last Saturday! It was such an amazing night. Our president and the members made it such a special and memorable night for Rodimoar and Partrica! They bought a big old wedding cake and Muitas Pessoas brought a little gift for them! They really loved the baptism and can feel a huge difference in their life, being members of the Church and having the gift of the holy ghost with them at all times! It's amazing to see the light that comes through knowing these things… there is a scripture in John 8: 31-31 that talks about those who hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ will become his disciples and they will know the truth and the truth will free them! I love that last part! The truth will free them could me so many things… I like to think that the truth free's everyone’s from the wickedness the temptations and the filthiness of the mortal world! But look, it free's us, but it doesn’t save us! Knowing the truth free's us and gives us the understanding and the knowledge of what we have to do in this life to be saves… knowing the truth gives the opportunity to know and recognize the blessings and the happiness that comes through the gospel and following His holy and sacred commandments!

Let us all look for the truth! Let us all be free from horror and torment and wickedness of this mortal world and let us all become disciples of the one who loves us all!! That is the purpose of our life here on earth! To escape the bands of mortality and gain the knowledge and eternal vision, of the possibility of returning and living once again with our Father in Heaven!

I challenge all who read this to read the Book of Mormon! For as the prophets said is the most correct book that exists here on the face of the Earth! And if you don’t believe in the Book of Mormon, read to Bible… because in the Bible we have signs, we have the perfect example of the life of Christ that was left behind in words, given through the prophets of old! Gain the knowledge of how Christ established the Church of God! How after He created His church there would be a great apostasy, where because of the wickedness of the world, God took away His church and His authority in all! God had other “sheep” during the time of the when the Bible was written. And if you really, really believe in the Bible, and understand it, you will know that it was absolutely necessary that God had to RESTORE His gospel, the only true gospel that consist of a living prophet, 12 apostles and His authority to the Earth, and that is exactly what He did through the boy prophet, Joseph Smith!

I testify to you that God, one more time, has giving us His teachings, His gospel, His authority and has organized His church one more time here on Earth that is known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Look to know that these things are true!! It's all too visible it’s literally written in front of us! Seek to know these things, seek to gain the knowledge and to know the truth to become true Disciples of Christ!

The gospel changes lives! I’m so happy to be celebrating my birthday here on the mission! Although it a little different I couldn’t want to be anywhere else!! I love this work and I know that the gospel is true!!! Thanks so much for all your birthday wishes and I hope that you all have such a great week ok!!

I love you all so much! Big hug and kiss for everyone!

Elder Wiscomb

The Baptism, it was amazing

Week 43 June 5, 2010

Hello family!! How is everyone doing? I hope that you guys all had another great week! Wow how time is flying huh… it feels like yesterday I was writing you I can't believe that one more week has gone by… and to be honest I don’t even know where to start… like what to say…

So first off I got some great letters this week from Katie, molly, and mom and dad with some awesome pictures of you guys! Thanks so much! You guys looked like you had such a fun time on the trip and you guys all looked so great! And pretty! Everyone always says that "you girls are all sooo pretty" and "gosh your mom is so young" ha-ha and "wow, you look just like your dad", and then there is the "oh my goodness that guy is huge" huh (Dave)…. Ya everyone here loves you guys! So thanks so much for those wonderful cards!!

As for Santa Maria in general it got super, super cold this last week and I guess it’s going to stay that way! And when I say cold it’s really cold like so cold the water in the showers doesn’t get warm anymore! So taking showers now is prob the worst thing in the world ha-ha! So something funny I was saving the things that you guys wrapped up in the boxes because I wanted to open something up on my birthdayhahahahaha but I was just freezing in my room and I'm like whatever lets just open them and what do you know…GLOVES… AWWW JUST WHAT I NEEDED!! Funny huh so thanks so much! And for the Girl Scout cookies awe they are the best!!! I have been craving those! Especially the ones in the purple box!!! Ha-ha

So this week we have done some good work! We have been finding more people but our focus this week was on Rodimar and Patricia… today they got married!!!!!!! I am so happy for them awe and then tonight they are going to get baptized at 6:30!!! We got the members to do like a little wedding reunion and stuff so it should be a good day! A really, really special day for them, and I'm so happy and feel so blessed that I get to be a part of it!

Other than those people, it seems like we are finding a lot of families, but each one of theses families, their parents have to get married… so it makes it a little bit more difficult but that’s ok! I truly am just loving the work in the field in this area!

So other than that, this week has been super crazy in the office…. There have been some scares… on the side of the secretary’s hahaha. Somethings that we did that were wrong…. For those who know sisterMyrrha, she likes things done her way… we had to reveal about 180 photos for one of her projects and we did but I guess she told us a certain size and we did them in a different and she got super, super mad… so that wasn’t good but the project is going ok… she just will have to change a little…. Because it cost about 190 dollars to reveal them all… ha-ha and then we are getting 6 new missionaries this next week… and for 5 of them we didn’t know that we were getting them. They were not in the system or anything and usually we get their information way early, so I had to figure that out which was a pain in the butt… but its all figured out know so that’s nice.

ALSO WE FOUND OUT TRANSFERS YESTERDAY…. And it's just going to be me and Elder Mueller in the office now… and gosh that just means soooooooooo much work I can’t even imagine! It’s going to just make my job double the work; I'm going to have to plan my days very, very well…. But that’s ok!

Well that is a little bit of what’s gong on… I just realized that I haven’t told you anything about our house… some of the “perks” of living here!!!!!!!! We are the only houses in the mission that has aDRYER!!!!!! AND LET ME TELL YOU ITS SOOO NICE!!! I have been talking with everyone and they say because its so cold and humid it takes like 5 days to dry your cloths and where we are, ha-ha ours leave all nice and hot!!!!!!! (Mom remember when you used to throw the hot close on me when I was lying on your bed in the winter when I was freezing hahahaha sometimes I do that hahaha it makes me think of you!!!!) So that is a HUGE plus about living in the big house…. Other then that I have the biggest and nicest desk in the mission to study… that’s nice.. I'll take some pics… it’s a good house… so that’s nice!! And it has a fireplace ahh that will be nice too!!! It used to be the house of the president! Maybe next week will show you it if I remember…

I want you all to know that this Church is true! The Lord has literally shown me, through the experiences that I have had on the mission! Through my work, I have been able to see the light and the difference that comes through the understanding and the accepting of the restored Gospel! I want you guys all to know that that young women we baptized just 2 weeks ago, she decided that she was ready to go to the temple with all the members and do baptisms. So she paid her way and went on the bus this last week, she sent us a text at 12 at night (when she got back) saying: “elders just got home from the best experience in my life! The temple was everything that you guys told more and me! There is no doubt in my mind that God lives there! Thanks for showing me the way to Him!” she was willing and open to accept the gospel and as a result, God gave it to her! This result is there waiting for anyone and everyone!! Our Heavenly Father is just waiting eagerly to give it to you, but sometimes its too hard to hear or feel because the distractions of this filthy world!!! All of you, look for God, he is always there waiting for you! Don’t wait!

So fam!!! Everything here is just amazing! Thanks for everything that you guys have done for me!! For the letters the surprises (boxes) your letters!! It means so much to me! I love you all with all my heart and you guys have a great lunch today ok and a fabulous week. Love you all!

Elder Wiscomb!

Just think about it, next email I will be out of the teen’s ha-ha! Love you all!

1 Corinthians 13:7

"It is official, they are married!"

Rodimar and Patricia getting married

The wedding day!

"This is Lulu"

In the office

Making taco's in the office

Zone Conference

Happy Birthday Santa Maria- 153 years

Week 42, May 29, 2010

Hello family! How are all of you doing on this amazing Saturday afternoon, well Saturday morning there. First of all thanks so much for all of your letters! You guys all sound so great and happy! I hope that you guys had a great time celebrating all the birthdays these last couple days and I know dads is coming up! What a fun year!!

So to start off this week, I can't believe all you guys, here I am, in the office, just getting boxes after boxes of candy and stuff! Everyone here just loves it hahaha! Because of course they are getting so much of it too ha-ha. But seriously you guy’s thanks so much for sending me these stuff for my birthday! You guys are all too nice! Here it should be fun because my birthday is on the day of transfers so EVERYONE is going to be spending the night at my house so it should be a fun party!! My Brazilian comp, Elder Mulluer, and I are planning on making cake for everyone ha….

So ya this week! I really can't believe that this week is over… zone conferences are over for president and sister Myrrha and I can't believe it, neither can they… it was the last thing for them to prepare is the mission tour and then its over… they are already moving out of their house… they have to be out on the 3 of June to start preparing it for the new president… but this last zone conference was one of the best that I have had here one the mission!

This zone conference sister Myrrha, being the amazing teacher that she is, took us deep into the plan of salvation! It was amazing! Something we talked about, that I haven’t ever thought about, and a lot of my questions were answered! Besides the amazing training by sister Myrrha, president is really focusing on helping us decide, “What type of missionaries we are wanting to be”. He really wants us to enjoy and make the best out of these two years so we studied the story of Ammon pretty deeply which was amazing too and we focused on contacts, door and street…

It was super funny because some Elders were asked to show how they do contacts. They were good, actually amazing, but president just said to shorten it be brief and precise. So we kept on trying. Finally president just got off the stand walked down and said watch, this is what I want every single one of you guys to do for now… “Oi tudo bem, nos somos representantes de Jesus cristo podemos entrar.” hi how are you, we are representatives of Jesus Christ can we come in? Everyone was like wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something I have learned these past couple weeks is you don’t need to be wordy. Uses phrases with meaning and power. That phrase “representatives of cristo.” There isn’t anything more powerful than that and it's sooo true!! So that is what we use now and let me tell ya, it works better than any other thing that you could throw at the people to get them to listen to you…. It’s amazing!!

Other than that, I had my last interview with president too… which was amazing! I really love him so much he is such a great guy and I will miss him a lot here but he said that we (the office staff) are going to one more P-DAY zão with them!!! So I'm kind of excited for that!!!

Other than that, we have been really busy in the office getting ready for transfers… next week we are going to know what’s going to happy and what not… so we are preparing, it's been crazy, president already said that it is going to be a HUGE transfer so that when the new pres comes he is going to be able to make little changes when he arrives. But that means a lot of work for us!!! But other than that of course, we are continuing to teach some really good families! The women that broke her foot is doing really well! She is being surrounded by the love of the sisters in this branch is amazing!! This branch is so strong!!! The baptisms for this family should be next week! They are going to be getting married on Saturday and then right after we are going to have their baptism, which will be another strong family in the branch… And we are finding more and more people to find every day!!! It truly is amazing how when you are doing what is right and keeping the rules, how God literally puts people in your path! This work is all based on obedience it’s amazing!!!

But other than that, nothing much is going on!!! I saw the pics of the back yard and wow! It turned out really, really good! I like it a lot!

Everyone we have a birthday this week!!!! The old man hahahaha! He’s getting so old! You guys are going to need to be a little bit more soft with him I think that he is getting a little fragile!!! But I love ya pops and happy birthday!!!!

So once again!! Family I love you guys so much! You guys are such a huge part of my life! The teaching of the plan of salving in conference made me really realize how happy I am to have you guys in my life! We will be together forever! There is no doubt in my mind! Everything about God and Jesus Christ is Eternal! They are the same yesterday, today and forever… that whole phrase “till death do us part” doesn’t make any sense at all…. I hate that phrase to be honest… through the power of sealing by his holy authority of God, which is found in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, God has made it possible for every one of his children here on earth, to find that sole mate and be with your loved ones for eternity! It's one of the greatest blessings that have been given to us! I'm so grateful to understand that! I love you all so much with all my heart and always remember that!

Big hug and kiss for everyone!!! And you guys have a great week ok!!! Love you all!!

Elder Wiscomb