November 30, 2010

Alrighty, so I guess it´s been a while since we had a quality email from Elder Bangerter. then again maybe we´ve never had a quality email from Elder Bangerter but I suppose we´ve just got to live with what we´ve got right? Anywho, just to update the situation, last week I was transferred from Jordão to Campo Grande which is more or less in the center of the city so basically I'm livin high class now. This is probably the best house I've had so far on the mission. It´s got a roof and everything! But ya, my new companion is Elder Antonio from Minas and he´s pretty awesome because, well let´s face it, you put anyone next to Elder Bangerter and he looks good if you know what I mean. We worked alot this week and by worked alot I mean walked around alot pretending to be efficient. It´s always a little rough opening an area though so I'm not to worried and luckily my companion got sick and can´t work for a week so it´s just uphill from here. P-DAY EVERY DAY!!! Just kidding, I'll probably go crazy. I think I'm going to try to read the BOM cover to cover. Anyways, I'm happy and content as always, I still like being a missionary, and I'm still learning tons of good things every day. I suppose that happens when you don´t know too much but really though, I love the refining process of a mission. I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving, I still havent figured out why they dont have thanksgiving here? I suppose they've got plenty of other holidays to make up for it. Cant wait for Christmas, I've got a really good feeling about this one:) Anyways, keep praying for me and for my area. Let me know whats going on in your lives even if I'm not very good at letting you know what´s going on in mine. Any mission calls or marriages that I missed? By the way, I'm pretty excited that David's gonna be speaking my lingua, we're basically gonna have a party when he gets home.

Love, Elder Bangerter

November 22, 2010

Hey sorry my computer messed up so I didnt get to write a full email but Im alive and I got transfered to the center of the city. MINHA NOSSA DAVID VAI FALAR PORTUGUESE!!!!!! Com certeza vai ser errado mas é portuguese ainda né?

November 15, 2010

Hey sorry I dont have a ton of time this week to write but it sounds like everyone is doing great and its awesome to hear the updates from everyone. Congrats JAmes and Nicole on the Jobs and the birthday, you're the best.This week went really well, the baptism and marriage went through so I'm pretty happy about that, I hope we can continue to help that family grow closer still. Sometimes I think it's kinda crazy that I'm a nineteen year old kid helping out married people with families but I suppose David killed Goliath so The Lord does what he wants with whoever he wants. Also, I know we all thought it was impossible but I found another Brother Smith in brazilian form in my ward. I swear it's the same person! Glad to hear as well that we have another red headed (we suppose) boy coming, I hope you can handle another. Congrats Dad on losing 20 pounds, it looks liek youve lost the wieght I gained on the mission. I guess I've just kinda let myself go:) Well. like always I wish I had more time to expound but duty calls.

 

LOve Elder Bangerter

PS heres the two families we married

Another day of white( we hope)

Well we've been working with a that couple that I mentioned a few weeks ago that he is an inactive and she wanted to get baptized but the marriage didn't go through so we started to work more with him to bring him back to church. The whole time it had been kinda up and down but the other day we were walking to their house when my companion said ( Have you already imagined if we got there and they were separating?) As soon as we knocked, he came to the door to inform us that her family was there to pick her up and that it just wasn't going to work out. We left absolutely devastated but the next day he saw us on the street and told us to pass by because they hadn't separated. We were blown away. Anywho we went there on saturday to try and remark the marriage. I dont think I've ever had a more powerful lesson. It was fight after fight,and one attacking the other until at the end we challenged them to truly humble themselves and repent to let the Lord change thier lives and that if they didnt they would not find happiness. It was truly a powerful experience and I felt the spirit working through us. We managed to remark the marriage and we're praying that they go through with it. It is an experience a little hard to describe in full but it is definitely one that i wont forget. Overall, things are going well in my part of the nieghborhood and I'm lovin life. I've said before, and if I'm reading the weather signals right I do believe I'll say it again, being a missionary is the best!

 

Elder Bangerter

Another crazy opportunity

If there is one thing I am going to miss as a missionary it's the special privaleges you get. On Saturday we got to see Elder Dallin H. Oaks which was a pretty incredible experience. He is ther third that I've been able to see so far but of all of them, he is the onethat I am most familiar with so it was especially special. When he walked into the chapel he had a giant little boy grin and he was smiling almost the whole time. His voice is so familiar and commanding and it is so neet to hear it in real life. Before he bagan we all got to shake his hand and as I looked deep into his eyes there was a feeling that was hard to describe. I recieved a witness that he is and apostle and prophet of God and I will never forget it. My companion, Elder Santana also related to me afterwards that as he shook his hand, Elder Oaks called him by his first name. There was also a seventy there who gave an awesome talk on repentance and afterwards Elder Oaks spoke to us about revelation and what he has learned about it in his life. I tried to take really good notes but its hard to get it all down. I wish I could relate all of the experience but it was really a marking moment in my life and a great missionary motivator. As far as other things happening here, we'll have two baptisms and a marriage this week so I'm pretty excited for that. Pray for our investigatgors that they will go through with it. I hope you're all doing your missionary part back home and I love you all.

 

Love Elder Bangerter

October 18, 2010

Well it's been a pretty normal week. So basically it's been quite fantastic. The work is going really well, and we got some great investigators from the other area that closed. One is yet another couple with an inactive man and his wife who were set to be married and her baptized but they had abig fight two day before and it was canceled. This week however, we've really been trying to focus on the man, Junior, to address his problems and help him to return to activity. He was baptized at just ten years old and brought almost his whole family into the church but then went inactive. He made some very poor choices and the first time I talked to him a week ago he was having trouble believing in God and felt like there was no happiness in this life. We could have just left him, thinking that he didnt want anything and that he was lost but we testified and taught him as well as we could and every time we go there he pays more attention to what we say. We always mark a part in the Book of Mormon and he tells us how much he enjoys it because it was the exact chapter he needed. It is such a good experience helping him to realize the need he has to repent and the potential that he has when he does. For me it's always more special when you get to help someone who really needs to change thier life and to see the process. There is nothing greater in this life than sincere repentance. As always, pray for me and for our investgators.

 

Love Elder Bangerter

Same town with a new face in the crowd

So we had transfers today if you believe or not. I know you probably dont. Anywho, My good friend, Elder Corrêa was transfered afer 4 or 5 months here and I recieved Elder Santana who has four months on the mission. I'm very extremely much excited to work with him, he seems like a good hard worker and we should have alot of success this transfer. Last transfer we didnt have alot of visible results but we prepared alot for this transfer and we should start having some good stuff here soon. We're planning a marriage for mext week of and awesome couple, of which the husband is returning from inactivity. we also marked the baptism of a man who will marry one of the sisters in our ward so I'm glad to be working with families now. The area next to me closed so I'll be working in two areas now as well. Probably the best news of the day is that we cleaned the house today and it's AMAZING! Lets just say I should've taken before and after pictures because it's basically a different house now. It helps that we only have two people now. Other than than nothing to extremely or terribly exciting happened this week. I will say however that I am very upset at those individuals who went skydiving WITHOUT ME! I'd like to see you all in my office after my mission to explain your disbehavior. And just when I was beggining to believe you could trust the people in this world. But ya, life is extraordinary, thanks for you're love and support, I'll need your prayers to help with the little extra load. Love you all!

Love Elder Bangerter