Hello Family and Friends!
Before I forget, mom, you need to send an email to Sister Fortunato (sisterfortunato@hotmail.com), our Mission Presidents wife with an attachment of our family pictures that we have on our wall in our house. She apparently needs it for the Christmas conference. Write down my whole name and missionary name, and yeah, I think that’s all.
Well, this week has been interesting. There have been good things as well as a lot of sad things that have happened. I was transferred this past Wednesday to Divinópolis. It’s about 2 hours away from Belo Horizonte in the opposite direction of Montes Claros, so its a lot cooler. I will miss my companion A LOT. We became so close. I would really like to return someday to São Paulo after the mission just to stay at his house for a while. I told him that I would leave the Oregon shirt for him in the mission office. We both grew so much together. My new companion is Elder Cox, my first American companion. He is way cool. We talk Portuglish during the day without really even thinking about it. He has two more months than me on the mission. But the weirdest part is, I knew him before the mission. Yep, Aaron Cox. Before Rocky Mountain opened up, he was going to Eagle High and we were even in the same Seminary class. I remember we did some group activities sometimes, and once in a while he was my partner. I could have never imagined that I would ever be walking down the same streets with him in Brazil. Its weird. I was also handed a lot bigger load of responsibility this week. I was made District Leader here in just a little over 10 months on the mission. That will give me a lot more time to get the district leader calling down, and maybe it will work into zone leader. If not, I’m totally chill with being D.L. till the end. Too much responsibility might cause problems for me :)
Before I forget, mom, you need to send an email to Sister Fortunato (sisterfortunato@hotmail.com), our Mission Presidents wife with an attachment of our family pictures that we have on our wall in our house. She apparently needs it for the Christmas conference. Write down my whole name and missionary name, and yeah, I think that’s all.
Well, this week has been interesting. There have been good things as well as a lot of sad things that have happened. I was transferred this past Wednesday to Divinópolis. It’s about 2 hours away from Belo Horizonte in the opposite direction of Montes Claros, so its a lot cooler. I will miss my companion A LOT. We became so close. I would really like to return someday to São Paulo after the mission just to stay at his house for a while. I told him that I would leave the Oregon shirt for him in the mission office. We both grew so much together. My new companion is Elder Cox, my first American companion. He is way cool. We talk Portuglish during the day without really even thinking about it. He has two more months than me on the mission. But the weirdest part is, I knew him before the mission. Yep, Aaron Cox. Before Rocky Mountain opened up, he was going to Eagle High and we were even in the same Seminary class. I remember we did some group activities sometimes, and once in a while he was my partner. I could have never imagined that I would ever be walking down the same streets with him in Brazil. Its weird. I was also handed a lot bigger load of responsibility this week. I was made District Leader here in just a little over 10 months on the mission. That will give me a lot more time to get the district leader calling down, and maybe it will work into zone leader. If not, I’m totally chill with being D.L. till the end. Too much responsibility might cause problems for me :)
But anyways, this last week, I was robbed by the bank. They deposited our money into our accounts, but when I went to take the money out of the ATM, the machine just said error, and then later showed that I had no money left in my account. Apparently this has happened to almost all the missionaries here. So I had to use all personal money for travel expenses and to buy new food as the mission tries to figure out what happened.
I finally received letters and packages! It was about 7 weeks. Because Montes Claros is so far away, we weren’t getting anything, and the mission president forgot to bring the letters and packages for the missionaries when he came. But he gave us permission to read our many letters when we got them. We don’t have to wait till p-day. So when I went to Belo Horizonte for the transfer, I picked up all my mail, but just to be clear, there were two box packages from you guys, and an envelope package from Tiff and a lot of mission ties letters. Is there anything missing? I haven’t read them all yet because there are so many. But from what I have read, I will make my comments now.
I finally received letters and packages! It was about 7 weeks. Because Montes Claros is so far away, we weren’t getting anything, and the mission president forgot to bring the letters and packages for the missionaries when he came. But he gave us permission to read our many letters when we got them. We don’t have to wait till p-day. So when I went to Belo Horizonte for the transfer, I picked up all my mail, but just to be clear, there were two box packages from you guys, and an envelope package from Tiff and a lot of mission ties letters. Is there anything missing? I haven’t read them all yet because there are so many. But from what I have read, I will make my comments now.
If Elder Taylor Wood is reading my emails, tell him to tan those Samoan hides. A lot of missionaries think that its like tattle-telling when they talk to the president about what’s going wrong with other missionaries, but what it really is, is reporting about our missions. Some missionaries may think "its his mission, he can ruin it if he wants"… Not true, its your mission as well. It’s all of our missions. We can’t allow for one missionary to stink up the program.
Heidi, I am so glad that things are starting to work out for you. I knew that the prayers would work, but now I have a challenge for you. Pray now more than you were before just to thank Him. Always continue in prayer, even in your heart. Don’t forget who it is that blesses us.
Shawn, thank-you for the many updates. I would love to go duck hunting (not talking about NCAA) some time with you. I have ALWAYS wanted to but never had the opportunity. Keep me up-dated on KeKe.
Tiff, it was great to hear about your new life, how all the kids are adjusting, how brave Keaton has become. It was awesome to see those pics of the Kids, especially Jack with his awesome little duck hat.
Dad, thank you so much for your letter. I got all super excited again about my bike, then I started telling all the other missionaries how cool my dad was and what he was doing for me and they all just got depressed because they don’t have cool dads like I do. So then I upper cutted each one of then, except for one shorter one which I decided to give him a round house kick to the face instead, then told them to get back to work. Mom, thank you for your updates. I always love to hear of the dogs and what’s going on with the family.
Nana and Pops! Thank you for the updates! I can’t tell you enough how excited I am to have a family reunion. The only thing that I ask, is that we have some really cool water activities planned. I love water activities and I’m missin them. Oh, and plenty of Doritos.
Mom, as far as the ties go, thank you so much! I was really suffering there for a little while. All the ties that I got I love. The ones that were my favorites before my mission as well as the new ones, I love. I noticed one tie though that really stuck out. The golden tie. I love to wear cool, modern ties, in fact those are my favorite type of ties to wear from day to day, but then there are other ties that are just pure beauty; ties that I would like to only wear in the presence of heavenly beings. The Golden Paisley tie is one of those ties. I’m almost scared to wear it on any other occasion.
Well, this week has been great so far. I just am missing my last area a lot. I REALLY got close to the members there.
I love you all so much!
God Speed!
Well, this week has been great so far. I just am missing my last area a lot. I REALLY got close to the members there.
I love you all so much!
God Speed!
Elder Smidt X
Here are some photos of my first service project with Elder Cox and holding a baby chick. My companion is 6' 5" so I look like a little kid next to himJ
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