July 21, 2010

14. And it Came to pass that while he was jouneying thither in Candelaria, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much water and mud, because of the much rain, it came to pass while Elder Bangerter was thus weighed down with water, behold an Assistent of the President called unto him saying:

15. Blessed art thou Elder Bangerter; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice: for thou hast hbeen faithful in keeping the mission rules from the time you got to Recife and thou hast had an awesome transfer in Candelaria.

16. And behold, I am calling you to command thee that thou return to the city of Boa Viagem, and preach again to the people of that city: yea preach unto them. Yea say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them

...18. Now it came to pass that after Elder Bangerter had recieved this phone call from the Assistant of the Preident he returned speedily to the area of Boa Viagem. And he entered the city with another companion, yea the companion that is called Elder Quabreira.

 

-Alma 8:14-18

 

So ya, turns out, I got transfered back to my old area. Who woulda thought? I wont lie I was pretty sad to get the call, because I've really grown to love the people and especially the families in Candelaria and I really think its one of the best areas in the mission. I'm also gonna miss elder Magalhães though, he was an awesome missionary and we really became great friends. I'm sure the Lord needs me back here in Boa Viagem though and I'll probably stay here for another two transfers. We had a really great end of the transfer though, we baptised two of Priscillas brothers, and both her dad and other brother are marked for this week and her mom (she was baptized when she was ten) is returning and learning to love the church again. That was really the hard part of leaving is that I dont get to see them all baptised together and also that other family of Luiz in the picture with elder Martins is still waiting because the marriage process is really slow but they are really strong and I'm sure they'll make it. I sure hope I can find more families like them here in Boa Viagem. Well time is of the essence but thanks for your prayers.

 

Love Elder Matthew Haynie Bangerter

 

P.S. happy birthday Whitney, I hope you had a great one, glad to know my Whitney is all growin up. Also I heard a little something about Brandon Crofts getting his mission call to Texas and I thought I'd give a little gonradulations and good luck.

 

Oh and the pictures are Elder Magalhães in Candelaria, 

Priscillas baptism, 

 Felipe and Silas' baptism 

and my new companion, Elder Quabreira

July 12, 2010

What do I think of the good news? well what do you think I think of the good news!? I should've thought that you would have to think too hard to know what I think but on the other hand I don't even know what to think anymore! In other words, I'm really really exctited :) Also sorry to break the bad news Nicole, but you're probably right. Just kidding. Glad to know the reunions went well, wish I could've been there but my schedule didnt really allow it. Also glad to know Brent has finally come to his senses and realized what's what. As far as this week, it went really well, we got to baptize a girl we've been working with for like a month named Priscila and she's really awesome. I'll try to send pictures next week but it was a really great baptism. We've also been working with here family and her 3 brothers should get baptized this week, were still working on her dad, and her mom was already baptized when she was 10 but went inactive. Really an awesome family though. Funny story: so we started the baptismal font filling, then went to go get our investigator and when I got back it had overflowed into the bathroom so we mopped it all up and started draining it but it drained too much so I started filling it again and got distracted reading the scriptures and it overflowed again. Anywho it was pretty funny but Im outta time.

Love Elder bangerter

July 5, 2010

Hey glad to know you got the pictures this time, I hate for you all to miss out on my ugly face. How goes everything in the Utah, from the updates I've gotten, it seems dad is cutting down the old cherry tree at the moment. I feel as though a piece of my childhood is falling in pieces to the ground. Actually I could care less, but it's glad to hear that you're all hangin out and having a blast, that's how it ought to be.I hope everyone enjoyed independence day but more importantly Crystals bitrthday. Are they still putting on the fireworks for you? My comps Bday was actually on saturday so that was pretty stinkin awesome. Basically, woke up, worked and then slept. It was the Best! Really though, I love working. It's funny because if there's one thing i've learned out here( dont worry there's more than one) it's that satting around just isn't very fun. I was reading in Alma 43 the other day and it says that the sons of alma went out to preach and Alma could not rest so he went out to. I thought it was pretty funny, but it's so true. So you wouldnt believe it but nobody celebrated the fourth of July. I tell you, there's a real lack of patriotism in this generation. Also we got to baptise a man and his son this last week and holy cow they are so golden. His wife was inactive, but she reactivated, they got married and then they got baptized. He's gonna be an awesom member of the church, and he's been teching jujitsu( I know its wrong) classes to the kids in the ward. sorry I'm outta time but love you all, and I love the work!

Love Elder Bangerter

PS sorry I'm slow but for all of you waiting on letters I'm sending them today!

June 28, 2010

Hey sorry I dont have alot of time this week to write all the wonderful stories of my life but theres always next time I suppose. It was definitely a good week for sure, we didnt have as much rain so I didn't really have too many adventures but I suppose life is always an adventure. My companion and I are getting along as usual, which means we only get in fist fights every once in a while. Just kidding, but really though he's an awesome missionary! Everyone was trying to make me feel better since the US fell out of the world cup but it's funny because I dont even care. I mean I love America and all, but hey I'm in Brazil, I ought to be a Brazilian right? Thanks for all the pictures mom, it's great to see everything thats going on and it's great to see the baptism too. Gosh missionary work is the best! Well I'm out of time but I love you all thanks for listening. Or reading or whatever.

Love Elder Bangerter

June 21, 2010

Wow, what a great week! the work in our area is seriously just awesome and we're being so blessed! we got to baptize all but one of the kids in that one big family and we're still working on the the parents and the oldest daughter but it's really awesome. Then we still have that other awesome family that were just trying to marry but we might have found another good family through their daughter which is awesome! I'm really just very grateful for all the work. It pretty much rains every day now. Well, it's not raining today but I think that's because the Lord knows it's Pday. But anywho, funny story. So the other night I was walking home with my comp as usual and we'd bought these big rubber boots because our area is basically a swamp. maybe that was an exaggeration but it's pretty ridiculous. I mean awesome. Seriously, I feel like a little kid stomping around in his new boots. but ya, back to the story, so we were walking home on the side walk and the water was about a foot deep or so but with my spiffy new boots I was feeling pretty confident to say the least when before I had a chance to say "oh dang" I was chest deep in sewer water. It was hilarious. It was also really disgusting. So ya, I guess it's normal practice in Brazil to put four foot deep holes in the sidewalk but then again maybe I was just a lucky one. We went back and took a picture of the hole after. Oh also we got to hear Neil L Anderson last friday which was pretty awesome as well. He and his wife said some really great things about the mission and I think it was exactly what our mission needed to hear. He did a question answer thing but I was pretty bummed because he stopped before I got a chance to ask one. Oh well, maybe next time. Wow two apostles in like 3 months! pretty neet. well I think thata about all for me but it's great to hear about everything going on back home, I'm glad the house is being well used and I'm glad the party didnt leave the house when I did. Thats also awesome about the baptisms, all you folks better be workin up there too!! Congrats on everyone going off to college, I'm so proud of all you kids growin up like that. It's really such a pleasure to watch the young ones move into the real world ;) Well I think thats all for now but I'll be here if ya need me!

Love Elder Bangerter

P.S. heres's some pictures, sorry i took awhile

1.This is our chapel, it's like the biggest prettiest chapel in Recife

2.just a bit of our area

3.Second to last day with my old comp

4.The awesome family we're teaching that we just need to marry them

5.The hole I fell in

6.Most of the kids in that family

7.Just another cool picture of our chapel

June 14, 2010

WOOOOHHOOOO ITS AN EMAIL FROM ELDER BANGERTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!‏
"Alright I'm gonna hand things back to Steve on the Weekly Elder Bangerter Report," "Oh thanks Pam, Alright and were back with with WEBR and let me tell you, things are going fantastic over here. You know, I dont think I've ever seen such a fantastic missionary. He's such a hard working, wonderful, diligent, unbelievably unmatchable.." Sorry, I dont really know where that came from, it just kind of happened. But anywho, it's been a pretty fantastic week for certain, Elder Magalhaes and I work really well together and we're getting alot done. To tell the truth, I pretty much have everything going well for me this transfer with a great companion, a great bishop, and a great area. I truly realize this is a blessing and I have to take advantage of it while I have it. The world cup started as I'm sure you all know so it can get kinda crazy around here. about every five minutes somebody sets of a home made bomb or shouts "GOOOAALLL" but it's all good. All the missionaries are bummed that thy dont get to watch it but I figure I've never watched it before so I'll probably live. We get to see Elder Anderson later this week so thats pretty exciting for sure. The mission definitely provides alot of great opportunies that you wouldn't get otherwise. Oh and the other day I finished memorizing all hundred scripture masteries so that was pretty exciting. only 630 scriptures left! Oh congrats to those who graduated, thats more than a little exciting! Well my brain just kinda stopped working so sorry thats all for today but join us next time to hear more about my exciting life!

Love Elder Bangerter

P.S. sorry, cant even think of anything for a P.S.

June 9, 2010

Sorry everyone had to wait 2 grueling days for this fine literary work but sometimes lifes just that way so you might as weel just deal with it! But anywho, This week was pretty crazy slash not crazy at all because it was my companions last week in the field (he left today) so there was a lot to do slash we didn't really do a ton. but the best part is that we'rfe working with two families right now and holy cow, I LOVE working with families. I'm seriously being so blessed because it's so fun to teach them. Sorry I forgot my memory card at home so pictures will have to wait for next week but one of the families we got from a reference has three precious little girls and the parents are so smart and its so fun to talk to them about the gospel because they really get it. Then the other family we just found knocking doors and they have seven kids who are a blast to talk to and teach. The only problem will probably be the dad because I dont know if he'll really want the gospel but all the others already said they want to be baptised. I'm so excited for this transfer because I think we'll have a ton of baptisms because of these families and because of my new companion (byetheway my old companion and I ended up being great friends). I still dont know how to say or write his name but its something like margaloesdlskajfh. He's a brzilian that only has 7 months on the mission and I can tell that he's a Really hard worker which is all I could ask for. I really feel like the Lord is blessing me this transfer so i really need to take advantage of it. A cool story, We ate in the house of single elderly sister yesterday who couldn't even read and I was asking her about her conversion story and it was pretty awesome. She said before she ever talked to the missionaries she had a dream that she didn't really understand but when she talked to them and they started teaching her she realized that her dream was all about the restoration and Joseph Smith. Pretty incredible how the Lord gives different people what they need to find the truth. Another cool experience, us and some other elders were giving a blessing to the lady and in the blessing it said that there were angels in the room and then after the blessing she said she saw somebody smiling at her in the corner who wasnt like us. Pretty incredible. I have really had so many faith builders, it's incredible. The Lord knows exactly what I need. Portuguese is coming awesome! The other day I realized that for the past week or so I really havent had those terrible crash and burn days and I can really teach just about anything without problem. I know I still have a ways to go, but honestly it's no longer a burden at all. Glad to know it's hot in Texas, it might actually be a little hotter there than it is here but who knows. At least I was well conditioned for it. Ok now to the crazy stuff. Sarah Ellen Shuck and David(middle name) Murdock are getting married. Holy how. I'm speachless. Or typeless depending on how you look at it. Ok ya so I'll admit it's a little wierd. Or alot. But I suppose I ought to get used to it. Really though, I love you both and I better get an announcement! wow.Glad to know you all had a blast together, send Rocio my love and tell her I'm praying for her and the baby! Joseph and Meaganm your baby is the coolest thing since popped corn. So glad to know he's alright. Dad I can't believ you got Sea horses! Bye the way, how's the aquarium? Mom and dad, make sure you get better right here quick. Well I guess i'd better close mine episle bem rapido mas Eu amo voces e Eu estou sempre grato por minha Familia Otima!

Com Amor

Elder Bangerter

P.S. I know you all think I'm cool now because I finally write something in portuguese. Either that or you're correcting my poor grammar.

P.S.S. I found the COOLEST leather cowboy hat a a market the other day. Everybody was calling me Crocodil Dundee.