Bunch of changes...

Hello Family and Friends,

This week has been interesting. This time my companion got DENGUE!! hehehe, So we didn’t really get to work that much, but something neat did happen! Ana Cristina is progressing a lot this week. She went to church and loved it. Henrique wanted to go but his wife was working. He will get baptized one day, even he said it, but he doesn’t like to go anywhere without his wife. But please continue praying for them, it’s helping a lot. While my companion was sick, there just happened to be another Elder that got Dengue at the same time, so he stayed in our house with my companion, and then I went with the other Elder to work in both of our areas to teach people. It was pretty cool. Then I did a different split with an Elder from São Paulo. He was baptized one year before he served a mission. The weird thing is that he is 28. It just goes to show how dedicated some people are. He changed his whole life around in one year, from breaking almost every commandment to being a representative of Jesus Christ. It is pretty cool.

I hope all goes well for Shawn and his new work that he will be picking up. I'll keep them in my prayers. I thought that they would be going to Shawn’s parents house? I'm losing my room to Lucy! Noooooo! Kooties!!!!

My iPod broke. Complete accident. My companion tripped and when he reached out his arm to grab something, he knocked the speakers that I have off the table with the iPod attached and when the speakers hit the ground, the iPod snapped off of it, breaking the insert chip inside. I was really sad, because you know how much I love my music. So I’ll just have to live off of others music for a while. At least it happened near the end of my mission instead of at the beginning.

I dont know if you saw the Fireside last night about missionary work, but if not, you NEED to see it as soon as possible. It was awesome. At one part one of the Apostles says, "Desire is not enough! You need to go do it!" Hard work is never done in vain, the Lord will bless. We just have to do our best and the Lord will do the rest.

Tell Nana Raine happy birthday. Please pass her this: "Nana, I love you more than a Saddled Chipmunk in a wheelbarrow!"

I forgot my camera, but I promise that next week I will be sending some pics.

Elder Smidt X

Happy Father's Day!!!

Family,

I’m extremely sad that I forgot to mention dad in my last email. I had totally forgotten about father’s day. I’ve gotten really bad in the past few months with things like that, but I think I just kinda stopped worrying about sending you guys things on Birthdays and stuff, because it feels like time is really flying by now, and in no time at all, I’ll be hugging you all in person.

I had a really good week. We had our leadership council and then the next day Elder Aguiar and I conducted our first Zone Meeting together. It went really well. I think everyone benefited from it. Today we went into the jungle and caves again, my third time, but since I have been more times than anyone else in this Zone, I am always the guide.

We have some good people with a lot of potential to be baptized. The first one is Henrique. His wife is a member but less active, they got married after she had already stopped going to church. We didn’t even know, we were just knocking on doors. He accepted to be baptized and she wants to return. Please pray for them. And we also got a family, but the oldest daughter (26 years old) is really the only one that has shown interest in learning more. Her name is Ana Cristina. She is a really neat girl and I hope that she will go to church and be baptized as well.

Gotta run today, but for all its worth, I love you a lot dad. I don’t think anybody could quite understand our relationship, with all the weird jokes, fast food lasagnas, name calling, etc. But it’s because nobody quite has a relationship as ours. I continue to say that you are my best friend and I truly mean that. I hope you had a great day! I Love you!

**I GOT COLEY AND HEIDI’S PACKAGE!!!!! I loved it!!! Tell them thank you so much! I also got Tiffy's Package! Sooooo delicious and I am going to use that excercise band everyday. Tell both of them thank you so much!!!!**

Elder Smidt X

There is sunshine in my soul today, but it didn’t get there without burning me to a crisp

Family,

This week has been HOT! This is the winter time here in Brazil, but here in Minas Gerais (the state I’m in) its simply just hot all year 'round. But I got my new companion and he is really cool. His name is Elder Aguiar and he is from Curitiba. This is his last transfer. He will be staying a few weeks after his two years are up. This is why he stays out longer. With some new changes that happened at the MTC regarding how much time the missionaries will be staying there, and the new missions that are opening up, the transfer dates got all switched up. So now all the dates that we arrived on the mission are right smack dab in the middle of every transfer. So the Americans that cannot stay any later than the 2 years (because our Visas expire), they will come home three weeks earlier, and the Brazilians are staying 3 more weeks.... hehehe, suckers. But yeah, that’s why I’ll be going home a little earlier. 

So I'm also still in Sete Lagoas and I’m getting really restless, but at least the members here are awesome! I have a good relationship with all of them. Last week, we had a “secret” farewell for Elder Forsyth at the Chapel. (It was a surprise for him). It was cool, there were a lot of members there and good food, and everyone signed a Brazilian flag for him to take home. It was really neat actually. I just played it off like we had to run to the Chapel to talk to our ward mission leader real quick.

Tomorrow we will have our Zone Leader Council, but now the name has switched to Leadership Council because of the new leadership positions that some sisters have now, and they will be attending.

I don’t really have much more to write, but this week has been cool. I have seen how much more I can show my love for the people and be outgoing with them with my new companion. I have really felt a difference this week.

My son that I trained is in my zone now. He has only six months on the mission, and he has been called as Senior and Trainer, which is extremely rare with Pres. Fortunato because he likes to keep missionaries Junior until at least 10 months on the mission. But that made me feel so proud to see that he is doing so well on the mission.

I love you and miss you guys!!!

Elder Smidt X

Packages...

Tell Nana Raine thank you so much for her package. I cannot believe I forgot to email her, and thank her, but I love it, and I looooveed those fruit snacks! I have not gotten Heidi and Coley’s package yet, and I am getting worried. I was really looking forward to that one because I have never gotten anything from Coley that disappointed. I’ll be super sad if it doesn’t make it. Who sent it? Just wondering because I got a letter a couple months ago from Heidi that had the MTC address on the letter and it had to be forwarded to me from the MTC, but with packages they don’t do that, only letters. I’m just worried about that. I'm sure it will eventually show up if it was mailed to the Mission Home address.

Elder Smidt X

Last week...

Hey Fam,

So we are down to the last week of the transfer and the last week of my comps mission. Next Wednesday it’s Adios to him. Kinda sucks, It was an awesome transfer. I really loved working with him here. I don’t know if I will go or not. I’m kinda torn. Usually any missionary would be leaving after so much time in an area, but since my companion is going, I don’t know if the President will take me out of the area because two new missionaries to the area would be completely lost. But we'll see.

Hey, can you guys do me a huuuuuge favor? I really thought about it well, it wasn’t a spontaneous idea. I was thinking maybe you guys could really do a good search for me to see if it would be possible to get a job for me in the World Cup. All of the Brazilians are saying that they are still in need of a bunch of translators, and the world cup starts just a little bit after my Mexico Trip would end. That would be perfect to come back and start making some money instantly, and it would also give me a chance to see Brazil again. Elder Cox said he is going to do it. I think it would be sweet and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really want to. I feel really good with the language. Lots of people tell me that I’m already speaking perfectly and I don’t feel any kind of difficulty with the language anymore. 

Unfortunately, we had a lot of potential this week with investigators, but when the weekend came around, they all just disappeared. It was really frustrating. Now we feel like we are at ground zero again. We will see.

I go in next week to get my ultra sound done and some other tests as well, (ask Dad) hope it goes well. 

This past week we had interviews with the president. I always love those. He really shows that he cares for you the way that he talks and makes you feel really important. He told me that our work together has been something that he is so grateful for and he will never forget my efforts to help him. And that guy is big…its always fun to give him a big bear hug! He reminds me a lot of you Dad, you would be a perfect Mission President.

I hope all goes well with you guys! I love you and miss you!

Elder Smidt X

My birthday...

Hello World!

So I actually had a really cool birthday this week. Well the day of my birthday wasn’t that cool, except for the part where my companion put some matches sticking out of a day old slice of pizza, then lit them for me to blow them out. That was pretty cool. And then a Member that is preparing to go on a mission brought me a huge chocolate cake to eat at night. He is from a different ward, but we let him come on a lot of divisions with us to help prepare him for a mission. But then yesterday, 5 people from my first ward in Venda Nova (my very first area on my mission) came all the way to see me to wish me a Happy Birthday and brought some presents. I couldn’t believe that they remembered my birthday, or how they found me! It was like a 4 hour drive just to visit me at church. But it was way cool to see them and really thoughtful. It made my day, one of the best Birthdays!

This week I’ve been getting some exames done so I didn’t have a lot of time to teach, but we were still blessed with 5 investigators at the church with two of them progressing to be baptized. Edisilma and Nicanor, they are both married and have two kids, they are pretty well off with money, and they know that this stuff is true. They just have a fear of leaving behind all of their traditions and junk, but they will get baptized!

I hope you have fun on your trip to the Caribbean, I’m pretty jealous.

I love you all!

Elder Smidt X

Miracles in our area...

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for all of the Birthday wishes, and Happy Mother’s day to the best mom on planet earth!  I still haven’t gotten the box from Coley and Heidi that I'm hearing all about, but I can’t wait. Thank you Britt for the letter letting me in on all the information about what is going on and your trip. That was really fun to read. Thank you Nana and Pops Smidt for sending me a card and for the Birthday money. It means so much to me. 

So, even though my companion is going home and we talk about some things that he will be doing when he gets home, and we talk about how much cooler the Holy Land is than Brazil, we are still working REALLY hard. We don’t let that influence our work at all, and we are seeing results. Remember when I said that the attendance of our ward was like at 20? Well, it got up to 86 this last Sunday, it’s really been boosting. We have a few Baptisms coming up too if they will just keep the commandments. Please pray for Hebert that he can get out of his depression and understand the importance of the gospel and please pray for Yony that she can focus on keeping the law of chastity and get married.

I was so glad to talk to you guys yesterday. Sorry that the connection was so bad. I have decided that good phones don’t exist here.

Love you and miss you all!!!!

Elder Smidt X

PS.  Keep this pic mom, its on another missionary's camera. Elder Winsel took it. The four of us in the picture are all from the same group in the MTC.

Mais Churrasco, mais amor

Family, friends, and loved ones,

This week I'm still feeling a little weaker, like I just can’t quite get that same amount of energy that I used to have before I got Dengue, so what did I do? I went to another Rodízio (type of Tucano's BBQ grill restraunte) to give me the strength I needed. With endless amounts of meat, mmmmm, it was just what I needed. 

I've also started running with my new companion, which I actually am very happy about. He’s one of the only companions that I have had that likes to exercise in the morning. Every one of my other companions said that we walk enough during the day that there was no need to exercise....whatever.

It’s good to finally be able to joke around again and get a good laugh in. Really makes the difference when you’re walking forever in the hot sun.

Thank you so much Tiff, Coley, Britt, Heidi, J-Baum, Shawn, Nana and Pops Smidt and Ball, Troy, Katie, Mom, Dad, Bryan, Tim, John, Cody, Lori, Scott, Tawni, Brianna, the Karrens and anybody else that I'm forgetting right now that wrote a scripture to me for my scripture book. That was such a cool idea. That is something that I will definitely cherish forever! I didn't know that was for my birthday until I already opened it and saw the cover, but it was so interesting looking that I didn't want to wait a second more. Very cool, thank you everybody!!

Here are some pics from today and of a pizza that we made in our house.

I love you and miss you all!! Happy mother’s day Mom! I will send a letter home with my testimony for you.J

Elder Smidt X

Hey, take it eaaaasy....

So a miracle happened this week, I was cured! I still feel low on energy, but it felt just like how you were describing it. My eyes hurt to look around, there was a lot of pain in my joints, and my skin was really sensitive. It was the worst, then all of the sudden during the week, I went back to normal. Everyone was surprised, saying that it should have taken a lot longer to get better, but I know that it was because of all your prayers. Thank you soooo much!

Congratulations Coley! I'm glad to hear that there is a new member to the family. Just a little sad that I won’t be able to see her for a few months. 

So this week I wasn't transferred, but my companion was, and I am actually kind of glad. It just felt like it was time to move on. My new companion is awesome and hilarious. He's an American from Spokane, Washington. I knew I would like him when I heard him say to me one day, "hey, take it eassy," like Nacho. And then I liked him even more when I heard him singing, "I'm proud to be an American!" I would like to spend more time with him, but this is his last transfer on the mission. We are actually very alike in a lot of things. We already planned on maybe hanging out after the mission to go to Golden Coral, mmmmm, buffet. He likes to do triathlons and wants to do an Iron Man too. I told him how sad I was to get rid of my bike before the mission, but how my dad is super cool and is making a bike for me. He got all jealous. Even though he is into triathlons, he’s not one of those gay guys that likes to run around all day in little tight shorts. He does a LOT of camping and hunting, and always talks about guns. He got me re-excited about camping again, and got me thinking again about forestry, I’ve been really thinking about it. Strange Ranger.

Congratulations to Bradley, my best wishes go out to him!

I'm going to have to try hard that this transfer doesn’t make me trunky because my companion is an American and he’s talking about going home to the “Holy” Land again, and it makes me want to kiss that promised land sooo bad. I want American food sooooo bad, you can’t even imagine. Tomorrow we are going to BH to have another Zone Leaders council, and afterwards I'm buying McDonald's.

I love and miss you all! There is a chance that I could be switching missions to one of the new ones. I'll know in a few weeks. I can’t wait to hear from you guys again.

The Gospel is true!

God Speed

Elder Smidt X

Dengue...

I dont have much to write because I was sick on the bed all this week with Dengue and a fever that stayed hovering around 102 degrees. Yesterday I went to the hospital and they injected medicine in me and I’m feeling a little better. Next week I’ll write more.

love you

Elder Smidt X

From Mom:

I just wanted to send you all a little update that I got from the mission president’s wife today about Jesse. Keep in mind that she speaks Portuguese and this is her best attempt at English. I love itJ

Dear Michelle

Elder Smidt has Dengue really. This year 21 missionaries got fever Dengue and he needs take tylenol and a lot of water and take a rest.

Don't exist a medicine to cure this fever, just some medicines to help him not to climb fever or feel pain.

I am talking to him every day, and tomorrow I will send you a email to you for share what he is feeling.

If be necessary, he will go to a doctor again.

All missionaries need to use a repellent with DEET every day, but I think that he forgot to use some days.

In this state, has a much cases of Dengue, and this is the best way to prevent.

He has a good companion who had Dengue to. He is helping him a lot.

Don't worry, I will send you an email tomorrow, telling you how is he , and I will tell you every day until he will be fine. 

With love

Sister Fortunato

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also,  when I got Jesse’s email today telling me that he had Dengue, I sent out a group email to my missionary moms support group to inquire if any of them have had any experience with this. One of the moms in the email group asked a sister missionary who just got back from her mission in Brazil about Dengue. This is what she wrote back to her. I just thought this would be interesting to you to know what Jess is going through. Here is what she wrote:

“My companion had Dengue, it is flu-like symptoms. The carrier is a mosquito, so he got it from a bite. It is a virus, so there is no drug or anything to take with it, just pain killers. Basically the hardest part about having dengue as a missionary is that it takes about a month for your muscles to stop aching. (You know that achy feeling with the flu?) So its more like the recovery will just take a while, and that's really hard like mentally and spiritually, to not have your full physical strength while trying to serve. He will be fine, with my mission president, he let missionaries with dengue come stay at his house for a few days to recuperate, but he has a huge huge heart, and not all presidents will do that. It is not life-threatening, you're just super miserable. He should get through it fine, but to be honest it may take an entire transfer for him to be able to get back to working at 100%.”

I would really appreciate all of your prayers in Jesse’s behalf. I wish so much that I could be there to take care of him, but I am glad to know that he is being watched over. I know he is.

I love you all!