Howard! Howard! I love you Howard!

I believe, I believe I believe!

Conference weekend was off of the hook! I felt like the pizza guy when he went to BIG! (believe industries gathering) it was super great though! It is a completely different experience on the mission! In part because I had to go to the chapel to watch it, which I really like actually. It is a cool thing because you are there with all of the other members (the strong ones at least) and then in  between sessions no one goes home because it is far away, so you just stay there and talk to the other people and everyone brings food and it is great for strengthining the friendship in the ward. We also were able to get 6 investigators there, which was awesome because there is no way that you can't feel the spirit during conference. We took a family to the second session which was perfect because it talked a lot about the family and women and the priesthood!! (pretty much the whole conference talked about this stuff)

I really liked Elder Valenzuela´s talk about small and simple things, I felt like that was what I was needing to hear. There were a whole ton of good talks, I took over 11 pages of notes! I stayed awake for the whole time too!! haha! take that!!!!

This  week was pretty memorable, we had a zone conference on Thursday with president which was good and also I finally got to use some of my lifeguarding skills after all these years! here is what happened:

We´re walking down the street when right by us a car hit a lady who was riding her bike. The car drove off (don't worry they got the guy, the police car was right behind him). We were the first ones over there. She was conscious but had a lot of back pain, we called the ambulance and also her husband. I put a couple of books of mormon under her head and used my "sweet skills" to secure her head so that just in case she had spine damage, it wouldn't get worse. I was also praying a lot that she´d be ok. The cops came and the ambulance and there was also a huge group of people around us and watching us and stuff. I think that she was alright, the doctor/ambulance guy said that it wasn't too bad, but I am glad that I knew how to help in the situation and that Heavenly Father hears our prayers. It was a pretty crazy thing, but I felt real happy afterward that we were able to serve Heavenly Father´s children in any situation that may arise.

The district is doing really well! We are really excited because if everything works out, all of the companionships will baptize this weekend! This is a really good city that has a lot of potential! It is starting to heat up as well, which is weird cuz it is cooling down for you guys. It gets really hot down here in the summer and I am going to be right in the middle of it. Oh joy! It is also good to hear that Mason is climbing the business ladder of success. I expect that a novel is already in the works, my good man!

Also my bday present already got here and I don't know if i should open it, or wait. What do y'all think?

I was pretty inspired by conference and I know that everyone can be a missionary!!!! I think that it is great to know that we can all enjoy the blessings promised to those who serve the Lord. I invite you all to look for missionary opportunities and please let me know about the experiences that you have!!!! I know that the 7th ward priest quorum is an Ensign story waiting to happen! (mason and dad)hehehheheee... but seriously, I can promise that you will be happier than ever if you help God´s children come unto Him.

I love you guys so much and I am proud to call you my family and that I can represent our family here at the end of the world!!!!!!

Love you tons,

Elder Stringer 

Hellooooo!!

Hey!
the pronunciation of the city that I am in is more or less like this:
 oo-roo-goo-eye-ah-nah

but you have to say it pretty fast or else you sound really silly.

I don't have a whole lot to say... we moved into our new apartment, which is waaaaaaayyyyy better than the house that we were in. We started at 7 oclock tuesday morning and didn't finish until 8 at night. It was tiring. but you should see the new place, I really dig it. (and I am finally sleeping in a bed).

We had a good week, we marked two baptisms for the 12th of October. They are pretty much set in stone, but I still am always on edge until after the confirmation. I am soooooooooooo!!!!!!!! excited for general conference!!! It is going to be super cool! They are two of the greatest days for a missionary, I think! (I will also buy some candy and sneak it into the chapel) hehehehe...

I am pretty sure that I will get nice and skinny here. hehehehe, but seriously. It is super hot during the summer and another good thing is that the members give us juice instead of soda during lunch. Also this city is notorius for getting missionaries sick.  But there is no reason to fear or be worried or anything like that because I will be fine and I wont get sick!

But seriously, I am doing well, and I am happy. The gospel brings a happiness into your life that can't be described, I have noticed that. at the begining of my mission it was hard and I wasn't always so happy, but as I started to study and work harder and learn more about the gospel and our Savior, I have gotten happier. It is pretty incredible I think. And believe it or not, but I have found myself thinking that 14 months isn't going to be enough time for me to do everything that I want to.

Thanks a ton for the emails and I love hearing from you guys. It makes me happy to hear that you are well and all of the adventures that you are having (like Mason getting asked to a dance or something, which he didn't tell me. bum.) And also it gives me motivation and stuff like that to work during the week.

Love,

Elder Stringer

URUGUAIANA BABY!!!!!

Well, I made it. I rode a bus to the end of the world and a little bit longer, but I finally made it. It is a cool city, it is very flat! Which is a HUGE blessing. hahahah... the house here is very scary, let me tell ya... it is dirty and old and the first thing that I thought when I entered the bathroom was that it smells like the bathrooms at the KOA. But it is all good, because we are moving tomorrow. everything is all ready to go, I have been sleeping on the floor since Tuesday because the beds are all packed up.

The area here is super great! The ward is awesome too! A lot of the members already know my name, which is a miracle because in Ijuí it took them two transfers to be able to say my name. I am sure that we will have success here. My companion is Elder Marley, he is cool, he is from Salvador and is 26 years old. He has 6 months on the mission and a year and 10 months as a member. He is real obedient and likes to work, which is good cuz we are going to do lots of work.

There are 11 missionaries in the district, including the 2 zone leaders, that live with us (and I don't even have to ask my companion to tell them hi for me, Mason! I can do it all by myself ha!) Also there are 5 sisters in the district, which I believe is equal to the problems of more or less 58 elders! Its pretty crazy and I am praying super hard that no problems happen! Also I got to do my first baptism interview yesterday, it was pretty cool and it was a strong moment to feel the spirit!

One of these days I will go to the international bridge, which links Brasil with Argentina and I will take a picture! Unfortunately I can't go into Argentina, because if they catch me, I will have to go home and my mission will end. Also, there is a place here that sells the BEST donut that I have ever eaten!!!! And it is only 50 centavos, which is like 22 cents!!! hahahahaha, I will get fat!

Also I included a picture of me being a boss with a big knife!! A family in Ijuí gave it to me as a going away present! They are super nice and I was super surprised, but I will always remember them when I eat churrasco with my super tight knife! I will miss them a lot!

I love you guys a ton and hope that you have an awesome week!!!!

 

Love,

Elder Stringer

Transfer News!!

Ellos,

It is a good thing that you all sent the box to the mission home. The 12 weeks of training have come to an end, and the transfer is here. I am going to leave Ijuí and am heading for Uruguiana, it is the second biggest city in the mission (I think) and it is right on the border of Uruguay and Argentina. I am pretty excited, I think that it will be cool. I also heard that it is really hot and I will be there right for the middle of summer I think. Usually we find out about transfers on Monday, but President Parrela called on Friday and said that I was going. The news spread through the ward real quick and people have just been giving us food and all sorts of stuff and I think that I liked it better when we found out on Monday, cuz everyone is making a bigger deal about it. Also it is pretty far away, like 7 hour bus ride from Santa Maria.

I was also called to be the district leader there. I heard that it is the mission's biggest district, but I don't really know. I am nervous and excited at the same time, it makes me happy to know that the Lord and President Parrela have this trust in me.

We had an awesome experience on Saturday! We got permission to leave the city and do a service project with the ward at our ward mission leaders vineyard. It was one of the most prettiest places that I have ever seen and it was great to be there with the ward members! And we had a churrasco too! It was a lot of meat and they didn't have plates or anything so you just had to use your hands! the gaúcho knows how to live my friends!! hahahah!!!!

I am going to miss Elder Dias, he was a great companion and it was awesome to be his first companion. 

I don't really have much else to say... I am doing well though and I have a ton load of packing to do today, which is super annoying. I am excited to get my bday package and I am pretty sure that I will not have the will power and strength to not open it if I get it before November 10!

I know that this email is short, but what do you do? I am really grateful to have served here and I made some great friends that I will never forget! I grew and learned a lot here and am sad to have to say goodbye.

I love ya'll a ton and hope that this week is off of the hook!

Love,

Elder Stringer

 

 

Mowing the Lawn

Well, I have an awful lot to write and this week was great! We had the baptism of João Carlos on Saturday, it was an awesome experience and I was super happy to see Elder Dias baptize.  I am happy that he had the experience of finding, teaching and baptizing while being trained. We tried to get all of the members to bring friends to the baptism, but nobody did, it was kinda lame. But the baptism was awesome and we talked to him yesterday and he's happy and already asked us how to pay tithing! hahaha!! It is really super great!

We did a family night with our ward mission leader and some other people! It was a blast, the best family night that I have done here on the mission! Also I finally was able to take a picture next to the famous Scooby lanches (scooby snacks). It was awesome.

We also did a service project, we mowed a lawn. I included a picture of my very high tech and efficient "lawn mower". (it´s the picture of me with a stick that has a piece of metal at the end.) Needless to say, I was exhausted and thought that I was going to die after 2 hours of "lawn mowing". (but at least I didn't have to scoop any poop).

I got sick again this last week. It's a long story, but I ended up staying out in the cold for hours because we were locked out of our apartment until we were able to find a ladder long enough to reach the second floor. 

I am super happy to hear about byu's success and I will be able to walk around with a smile on my face! I am also glad to hear that the ring was wanting to be found even though smeagol-john lost the precious! hahahah!!!! 

On a more serious note, I know that our prayers are answered and that many people (including ourselves) can be blessed through prayer and hard work. I am super happy and am enjoying myself a lot! I hope that you all are too! Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Stringer

 

 

"Oh, It's You"

Hey!

This week was a week to remember my friends! The conference with Elder Gavarret was really good and I learned a whole ton! also... I got my package!!!! wooohooo!!! hahahaha!!! It was awesome, I was so happy and I really liked it, it was awesome! Also... we had two baptisms!! wipee!!!!! They were Patrik and Anderson, two young men who have been going for a couple of months now, but their mom didn't let them get baptized before. The Lord softened her heart and yesterday morning, before church we had an awesome baptismal service! I baptized patrik, they are two goofy little guys and I like them a lot, it was a really great moment!

I really liked the package and all of the stuff that I got! I thought that it had been robbed, because I didnt see my tie and contacts when I first opened it and as I was laying in bed, I thought "mom probably put them in the cocoa puffs box, it seems like something that she would do." I got up and found them there in the cocoa puffs box, I laughed a little to myself. I liked the pictures that you all sent, I couldn't stop laughing at the pic of ash and mase at kc's wedding. It was so hilarious! And it was funny because all of the letters talk about how summer was starting. Needless to say, I was very happy.

This week the weather heated up nicely! It was at a perfect 70-75 degrees more or less! But everyone says that it will rain now and rain a lot! I have been torturing myself trying to think of a good nick cage reference or joke or something all week, but I haven't been able to. I think that the natural man is going away from me. I am going to miss the nick cage joke part of the natural man...

We are having a good time here, me and Elder Dias have gotten to be good buddies and I am going to miss him whenever we end up parting ways. I am glad that today is pday and I am going to try and make a breakfast cake!!! I don't know if sour cream exists here though. That is about all that I have to say.

Heavenly Father is really great and I am so happy to be serving him for these two years. I am glad that I was born into the family that I have and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Love you guys a ton  and have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Unfortunately another week passes without a good nick cage joke... :(

 

 

Soooo Flippin Cold

Hey!

How is everyone? I am doing well, I got over my sickness. It got super hot for three days last week and then it got cold and rainy. It has been raining since Thursday! It is still raining, it is not much fun spending the whole day in the rain... but today will be cool cuz I will spend the rainy day inside!! Wippeeee!!!

This week was a good one! We are getting some real good work done and are really excited to see what will come in the next couple of weeks or so. The new second counselor of the area Brasil is going to come to Santa Maria on Wednesday and we will all go there! I am excited it should be good! We have been having some fun lately. We ordered chinese food and it came and the box was super small and it cost 19 reais and it tasted weird, but it was a good one time experience. I think I´ll just stick to the rice and beans. 

We went out to teach with a member and I learned about all of the new movies that have/will come out. I was baffled at how out of the loop/world I am! But I figure it is probably a good thing, one of the apostles said that missionaries have to live on a higher level, separate from the world. But still...

Everyone is asking for requests for my bday package so here are a few: a mini basketball hoop, pnut butter, something cool and fun. and that's about it. I cant believe that ash and john´s new digs has a swimming pool!!! What is this! Does it have a hot tub too? That is one of the things that I miss the most! When it is cold here, it is soooo flippin cold! And nowhere has heating or insulating so we are in the cold allll day!!!! And then I bury myself under the covers at night and 6:30 always comes way too fast. And I am back in the cold! I am looking forward to the heat again, but I am sure I will regret saying that when it comes!

I included a couple of pictures, one of the chinese food and the other was after we were attacked by a rain storm that popped out of nowhere! We were unprepared and had to run back home to change clothes and get umbrellas! (it is a pretty darn good looking pic if i may say so myself) Never mind, the computer won't let me attach files, next week I will send them!!!

Did college football start this week?! It is torture to me to think that every Saturday for the next couple of months I will not be able to sit and melt my brain in front of the tv! But this is the last full college football season that I will miss, so I will just tough it out!

I love you guys a ton and am excited to send you all my next email it is going to be boss!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Family!

Family!!!

Hello family!! How you are!? I am doing really well and other than a sickness that I got over the weekend things have been great! I wasn't feeling super great on Friday, but I didn't think it was anything too serious. When I woke up on Saturday, I could hardly talk. It was crazy and hurt a lot. It was a pretty rough day and I let Elder Dias do a lot of the talking. We taught an elderly woman who has hearing problems and I was trying to yell so that she could understand, but my voice was all squeaky and weird. Elder Dias seemed to think that it was pretty funny. The members are really good and they all want to help a lot, they were all giving me weird homemade remedies and what not that was making me pretty nervous. Yesterday was rough, my ear plugged up and it hurt really bad so we went to are ward mission leaders house and his wife rubbed this weird stuff on my ear and they gave me a blessing and in about a half hour i was all good! You guys don't have to worry about me here cuz the members are great!

We had two interesting and somewhat dangerous experiences this past week. First was on Tuesday, a member took us to a friends house and we taught a lesson and when we got out of the lesson his car had been broken into and his radio was stolen and the glove box was open and there were papers all over the place, it was pretty crazy because the car was locked and they didn't do any damage to it. They must have had a fake key or something. The other was yesterday, it was starting to get dark and we were looking for a house that is in the city´s most dangerous neighborhood. We found the house and tried to be really quick with our message, but when it was over it was already dark outside. We weren't feeling very good about walking through the neighborhood so we decided to take a long detour all the way to the highway and walk around. Nothing happened but it did take about a half hour more.

John Carlos went to church yesterday and liked it and we taught him the word of wisdom and he said that he will live it! We are with the vision of baptism for the 31 of August. I am a little hesitant to write this though because anything can happen, but I am pretty sure that it will work out!

I am (sort of) sad to hear that school starts tomorrow, but it will be a good year and it will pass by super fast! I got mom's letter today, but I haven't read it yet I am real excited to read it!! It is pretty cool that Mase went on a date yesterday. I am pretty impressed because it wasn't even a dance.

Well, my time is coming to a close, but it was another good hour talking to y'all! I love you lots and hope that you have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Stringer

This Week!

I told you all that I would have a lot to write this week and I do! Things are really picking up here and I am suuuupereeeee excited! I don't even know where to start.

It sounds like y'all had an awesome week! That is good, and to Mason who will start school next week I say "enjoy your last week that you don't have school." and to mom who already started I say " enjoy it too." And to everyone else who is doing stuff regardless of whether or not school is involved I say " enjoy it." (this paragraph was basically a waste of good time) hehehehehe...

Anyway, I didn't get my package. I don't know if it didn't get to Santa Maria, or if it got there and just got lost in the office. Next time that I am there, I will do a thorough search. But I did get 4 letters!!!!! 2 from Bro. Porter, which are always good. And 2 from some recent converts in São Gabriel. It was great!!!!! One said that she was doing well and that she has been teaching a lot with the sisters that are there and that she is thinking about maybe serving a mission after a year of being a member!! It was awesome to see that they are progressing in the gospel and learning and stuff!

It was pretty hot this past week, until Friday when it rained alllll day and Saturday too. And then it got cold again and I had to use my sweater and my coat yesterday! Yesterday was fathers day too, so feliz dia dos pais, dad! And since Ashs bday is this week, feliz aniversario Ash!

We have some good investigators! There is a family of four that we are teaching who are really interested and we are super excited to be teaching them! We also found an older gentleman by the name of John Carlos (which is an awesome name). He is about 60 and lives alone and his house is very humble, it doesn't have light. So we went there one night and taught about the Book of Mormon. We read 2 nephi 31 by candle light, it was a very spiritual expierience and he accepted to be baptized at the end of the month! (It was like a scene from a movie basically if you can imagine it in your mind) 

We did a fast with the bishop this month and things are starting to work out! There are 4 young men that go to church a lot but aren't baptized because their mom won't let them. The bishop and young men pres. went and talked with her and she is starting to warm up to the idea! We have a lot of good people to work with! We've also helped the members help us a lot more too! We taught one lesson with a member at least once everyday last week, we had 14 lessons with member in total! It is cool to see what happens when everyone jumps in and helps! The Lord is really great and I know now that if the people aren't baptised it is because of their agency, because the Spirit has been very present here in the ward!

Mase asked me if my thigh cramps up when I drive for a long time and the answer is no, that's weird. But my feet have been cramping up an awful lot lately and sometimes it really hurts. There have been a couple of times where it happened in a lesson and I just have to pretend like nothing is happening, the people think that it is really weird cuz I suddenly stop talking and make a weird face! I usually have to explain to them that it is a problem in my foot.

Anyway, that is what I've got for this week, I have been wracking my brain trying to make a Nicholas Cage reference, but I just can't think of anything good! I will include some pictures of the city and the area here! I love you guys a ton and hope that you have an awesome week!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

 

 

Hey Folks!

Well folks,

This week went by even faster than the last one. (I can't think of anymore movies that Nick Cage did that weren't multimillion dollar blockbuster hits. he´s just too good.) I will formally apologize for the errors in spelling and grammar of my emails. (My excuse is that the computers here spell check every single word that I write).

Well, the transfer already passed. I think that I will stay here with E. Dias. I hope so. The work is going well and soon we are going to see some results of all of our hard work. It has also started to heat up a little bit and the weather is really nice. This week we worked like crazy and 6 new blisters were formed on my right foot. That is excluding the 2 that were dormant and woke up. But I am good now, I am taking care of it and it is all good and there is no reason to worry.

I am expecting that my package will get to me tomorrow because of the transfers. that is what I am hoping at least. I am trying to think of a fun story that I had this week... hmmmm....

Well, something interesting is that the Spirit really works. I know that you already know that but we had some cool experiences with inviting the Spirit, asking an inspired question and then just letting the Spirit take control of the lesson. It was neat to see, it happened a couple of times this week. 

I also had that privilege to teach the (last minute) gospel principles class yesterday. It was awesome, I wish that you guys were there. I was able to see my progress in many things: the gospel, Portuguese, my teaching, etc... 

I am running out of time today and I know that this email was quite a bit lamer than the last one, but the next one is going to be killer! I am feeling it! Lots of things are going to happen this week!!!! I love you guys a ton and hope that you have the greatest week!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Woah!!!!!

Hey kids!!!!!

How are we doing? I am well. It was super cold this last week! It reached -1 degree celcius!!!!!! but now it has warmed up and the weather is pretty much perfect. We got our energy back, after a week of living without. It was a pain, the secretary didn't tell me that we needed to go to the energy place and show them that we payed. Basically I did a split with the district leader and we ended up running around for 4 hrs trying to get everything worked out. Hehehehe, that will teach him to ever do a split with me again!

The work is really picking up now and I am super excited. We are going to leave with at least one member every day in August. I am super excited! We have people with really good potential for baptism but they all have some problem that is in the way. Three people need to get married first, one needs to get divorced and then married and the other is on house arrest and can't leave until October. It will be a long term project but I am seeing good results that will come. I hope that I stay here for a little longer.

Yesterday, I had my first experience that I thought "maybe I shouldn't tell mom about this" but I will anyway. We were walking home, it was about 9:10 and this dude stopped us in the street. He was clearly not all there. He asked if I was American to which I said yes. He then started telling me about how everyone here hates Americans and that I wasn't welcome. I tried to walk away but he grabbed my arm and Elder Dias almost knocked his lights out. Then he said that I was a spy and that he could prove it because I didn't know anything about the Bible. He asked me to ask him 10 questions from the Bible and he would answer them all. I stumped him with the first, the names of Jesus´ 12 apostles, He knew Peter. We kept trying to walk away but he wouldn't let us and we were nervous that he maybe had a knife or something. After making more of a fool of himself we finally got to walk away. It was pretty interesting...

A member here went through the temple for the first time this week, she was super nervous and we had been helping her feel better for the past month. Last Sunday, her mom took the key to her house and hid it. She couldn't leave without locking the door. We were nervous that she wouldn't be able to go. We were eating lunch with her Thursday when we prayed that she could find the key. At the end of lunch she found it and we were all very happy! She went through on Saturday and loved it, it was a very awesome moment for me.

Sounds like you are all well... I don't know if you have sent me any letters, but I haven't gotten any here in Ijuí, maybe I put the wrong address. But I don't know maybe if you want some extra brownie points or something it would be cool to get a letter. Especially Mason, he used to send good long letters and now he only writes 4 sentence emails...

Anyway... I think that is about it. I am doing really well and we had a great week! It passed by faster than the fame of Nicholas Cage's second Ghost Rider film. (and I didn't want you to understand it didn't pass, because as we all know Nicholas Cage gets a lot of hype and he deserves every bit of it. Ghost Rider 2 was just a little disappointing alright).

But I love you guys a lot and I hope that you have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Stringer

 

 

Hey Tche

Hey!

It sounds like your week was good! Ours was too. It got really cold and our energy was cut. The missionaries before us didn't pay the bill and we have been without energy since Thursday. We are sleeping in the house of the other missionaries here in the city. But the house is like 40 mins from our area.

Other than this I don't have a lot to say this week. We have been working a lot more with the members and I think that this will help us. 

 

The cold here is almost killing me!!! It is cold and wet and the wind here is crazy! And sometimes it does a misty rain that penetrates all the way to your bones and I only have my nightly lukewarm shower to look forward too. hehehehe.... good times...

We have found some pretty good investigators that hopefully will progress. We are in a good situation as far as the work goes, it is just falting the commitment. But I am not worried. We will be alright.

I can't believe that mom and dad have been married for 27 years!!!!! holy smokes!!!!!!! I remembered that it was their anniversary but I thought that it was 24 or something. But then I learned that Ash will turn 25 and so I was hoping that they had been married for longer. 

Well, I think that that is just about it. Thank you thank you and good night.

I love you guys lot!

Elder Stringer

 

 

Let Go Baby Hippo

I love pdays, but all I do is make cookies now, we are doing so many family nights and our relationship with the members is getting good.

The training is going really well, Elder Dias is super cool and I have never wanted to help someone so much in my life as I want to help him now. More info on him, he is 20 and he played soccer professionally for a short period of time. Pretty neat right?!

I was happy to hear that Ash and John got jobs. Good work (if I were my old self I would make a joke about them finally moving out of mom´s basement.) hehe, but I've changed, I am a newer and better person. Also good to hear that Kayci and Preston got callings. Preston is the mission leader and I am expecting weekly number reports. Let's make a goal to baptize weekly.

I met President Parrela on Friday. He is ridiculously awesome. Seriously I think he is great and I am super excited to work with him. One of our goals as a mission is to baptize 500 people per month, which we have never done or come close to doing, but he has a plan and I am super excited to get to work. Sister Parrela is cool too. She talked for 3 hours straight about food. I am going to buy prunes today and clean out my system. Also she is making us all eat honey from now on. I like honey so it is all good (also John the Baptist ate honey all the time and he baptized quite a few people).

It isn't too cold here, I am doing well. It should be colder in the truth.

This week passed really quickly and I think things will continue and before we know it school will have started already! And you guys will have to stop having so much fun!

I LOVE Y'ALL TONS

and have a great week.

Love,

Elder Stringer

Hey Diddle Diddle, Right Down the Middle

Hello!!!!!!

It is July already! I cannot believe how fast things are going by. I was doing really well, until mason told me that top shot started again and they brought back people from the other seasons, it nearly kills me just to think about it! My new comp is Elder Dias, he is from Manaus and he is super cool. he has been on the mission for 16 days or so and he is really good! I am excited to work with him and think that we will be able to help the ward out a little bit.

This past week was pretty crazy! I went to Santa Maria on Tuesday and I went to MCDONALD`S!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha, it was really good, I ate a big mac, fries, and guaraná. It was only 18 reais. But it is cool cuz I didn't have to pay for it! Back at home, I never thought that I would like Mcdonalds so much in my life, but it was really good! My trip to Santa Maria was awesome, even though I had to sleep in the garage, which was not cool. Wednesday we had a training with Pres. Ribeiro which was his last training ever. It was super good. He and Sister left on Saturday and Pres. Parrela is already here, though I have not seen him yet. I will miss the Ribeiros a lot, they were really great, though I am sure that Pres and Sister Parrela are awesome too. We got back here Wednesday night at 11, and we went to work on Thursday! We've been working ever since.

You guys are the best ever, except that you don't send pictures to me and I don't even know what KC's wedding was like... and it would be cool cuz I could show other people too, and pics of Ash's wedding would be cool too. I think that the package you sent will get to my hands some day before August 20th, that is my hope at least. My time is running short and I have to run, but I want y'all to know that you guys are great and that I hope that you have fun with all of your adventures!

Love,

Elder Stringer

 

 

Exciting Transfer News!!

Hey!

How are you all doing? I hope that things are well, it sounds like y'all have had some fun. I have too. It was a good week and it passed by really quickly! We ate like 3 churrascos!! I am getting sooo fat! E Matos left yesterday, he was really happy. He was a good guy and I will miss him for sure!

This week some dude asked me if I was a spy and recording information to send to the US. I was really tempted to play along, but I said no. He didn't believe me and didn't accept our message either. We didn't teach a lot this week because Elder Matos was saying goodbye to everyone.

We got the transfer info, I am staying here and I don't know who my comp is because I will be a trainer. I have to go to Santa Maria tomorrow and find my comp. I am pretty excited and nervous. It should be good though. Also, I get to eat pizza in Presidents house, but that means that I have to sleep in the garage again.  :(

Also the weather has been pretty cold lately. It is the worst because nobody has heating here, so you go into a house and it is almost as cold as it was outside, basically you are just in the cold all day. It feels like Christmas. I have been singing Christmas songs alllllllllllll week! We deep cleaned the house today, it was nasty. But now the place is sparkling!

Also I don't know if you got to watch the world wide training yesterday, but it was super good. I saw people and places that I recognized when they showed the video it had parts of the Brasil CTM and Sao Paulo Temple. It was cool!

I am excited to work and I think that we are going to have some success here in Ijuí! I hope that you are all enjoying your summer and having a blast! I love you guys a lot and hope that you have the best week ever!

Good luck to mace and dad in Lake Powell, Mason told me that I was like Elder Vanpelt (The Best Two Years) when his family bought a houseboat and went to Lake Powell! "it´s trunking me out of my mind!!!!" but not really, (only a little bit). Have fun though.

Hahahahah, I love you guys and have fun!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Soccer and a Talk in Church

Hey!

How is everybody? I am doing well, Elder Matos is going home next week and he is very excited. I gave a talk yesterday in church, it was about missionary work and charity. I was really happy with how it turned out and I think that everyone understood too! I am really excited to hear that the new Superman movie is good! One more movie to add to the list! So transfers are next week and it is pretty much 100% that I am staying here, but I will email you guys and let you know who my companion will be.

The Confed Cup is going on right now and I have never faced a bigger temptation in my life than to sit down and watch a game. It is pretty tough to teach people, especially when Brasil is playing. I can't believe that I am in Brasil for the Confed Cup and the World Cup and I can't watch tv! Woe is me! It really kind of bites sometimes. BUT, its all good, I will get over it... eventually.

I pretty much have the whole area down by now. which is good. Also we are teaching quite a bit of lessons and I have been making a lot of contacts, but the only results that we are seeing are numbers. Nothing of real significance unfortunately. We will keep going though, this week we have some promising appointments that will hopefully turn into some real progress.

Also, it would be cool if y'all sent me some pics of all the good times that you have been having. I can put them on my pen drive and get them developed here. Also I haven't seen any wedding pics and kdog has been married for over a month!

I have been doing a lot of pondering and meditating over the past week and I decided... that I would rather have San Antonio win than Miami. It was not an easy decision to make and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to write it. Lets just say that of all of the NBA finals to miss, I think that I picked a good one.

I love you guys tons and hope that you all have an awesome week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Hello!

Hello!

Sounds like y'all had a great week! I am jealous of Ash and John and wish I could go to Cali and watch a ball game. This week was good, it passed by really quick and I don't remember much of what happened. I am in Cruz Alta for yesterday and today with another elder because elder Matos went to take an English test in Santa Maria. Its been cool, it is the same area that Elder Heleno passed through a year and a half ago. We went to a members house and it was one of his converts so it was really cool to talk to them.

President Ribeiro is going around saying goodbye to everyone and giving his last training about goals. He passed through Ijui on Saturday, it was really good and I am going to miss him and sister. The work is still pretty slow here, and we are having a hard time finding good investigators. I am excited to get the package that you sent though, it should be sweet!

It sounds like stake conference was good! That is very cool. I hope that dad is feeling better, I will pray for him. I am almost out of words to say. oh yeah, the ward here got new counselors in the bishopric and I think that it will be really good. They put a couple of young guys in who are excited to help, it should be really good for the ward.

I am jealous that you will enjoy Strawberry Days without me, I dedicate this movie quote to Strawberry Days:

 "... and strawberries, do you remember the taste of strawberries, master frodo?"

"no sam, I can't recall the taste of food, or the sound of the crick, or the grass in my toes..."

More or less like that.

I think that I will by a strawberry flavored beverage this week, I can't stop thinking about strawberries. I can't believe that the NBA season is still going too. It is really long. I am torn, because the Spurs are lame and so are the Heat. I think that I am glad that I missed this one. Well, my time is running short and I will write a better email next week. I love you guys a lot and hope that you all have an awesome week!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Churrasco!

Hey!!

Haha, so I just learned that Kayc and Preston live in a RETIREMENT HOME!!!... in POCATELLO!!! I will be laughing all week!! haha! No, but in all seriousness, I would do it too, if I got free rent, that is actually a super good deal! I bet it was Preston who negotiated this one, right! He gets all of the hookups.

As far as my week goes it was pretty good, I ate churrasco twice! I also did 2 heavy duty service projects! My back has been giving me some problems lately, but I can fix them by laying in bed during study time! Hahaha, just kidding. I also did two splits with other elders this week, it was good, I had a good time. Elder Matos is surviving, he's still working.

That is about all that happened that I can remember at least. We gave a training in priesthood about the Book of Mormon. It went pretty well and hopefully it can help the ward help us. Haha, also we visited a lot of less and inactives on Saturday. The attendance went up substantially on Sunday. That was probably the high point of the week. Lets see if we can keep it going. Other than that nothing else is different, I am glad that today is pday! I can get some sleep and what not.

I love you guys a lot and hopefully next week I can send a better email!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Family!!!

Hey!!!

What's going on my friends?! Sounds like cool stuff is going on there in the states. I am just plugging along, same ol same ol. Elder Matos is doing alright, but he is starting to go. It will be interesting to see how the last week will be. Haha,  Here is the address:

Caixa Postal 1031-Centro

Ijuí-RS

CEP: 98700-000

I think that if you send packages it should go to the mission home though. It sounds like you are all doing cool stuff back at home. I am jealous that it is summer break and you guys can sleep in and do whatever you want and be lazy all day. Oh, those were the good ol days. But I am happy here, I just miss being lazy a little bit. But I can't be lazy. Hopefully this helps me be more motivated in my life, I hope that it helps me. Hahahahahaha, I am doing really well though, the lunches here are really good and the members are nice.

We had our last zone conference with Pres. Ribeiro on Thursday. It was super good, we studied the life of Paul. It was really cool, also we watched the best two years! We didn't get to the end though and I am still not sure if he gets baptized or not. I am going to miss Pres and Sister Ribeiro and I wonder what it will be like with the new president. I am sure that it will be great too. 

I don't have a lot to say because things are just normal, so I guess that's it for today! I love you guys lots and hope that you have a whole heap of fun this week, because I will for sure!

Love you!

Elder Stringer

New Transfer, New City

Hey Kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How are you doing? I am doing well here in Ijuí. It is a much bigger city than São Gabriel and the area is bigger too. There are 3 wards here our is Ala Jardim, the bishop is super cool and really good. The ward mission leader is really cool too, He's funny. We stopped by his house the other day and they were having a birthday party for a couple of neighborhood kids and he was sharing the entire story of the restoration as a special message! He wouldn't let them cut the cake until after he finished his message! (the cake was really good).

Elder Matos is really cool! He is from Manaus, which has a new temple now. He is in his last transfer, which means that he is dying and having a bit of trouble working. At the beginning of the year, the secretaries told him that he was going home may 14, so he was all packed and planned and ready to leave. He got a call the week before from president saying that they messed up his date to leave and he had to stay one more. So he already died and he is going to die again and I think that this time will be worse. But he is a really good guy and I like him a lot and I think that this transfer should be interesting.

We don't really have any investigators so we are doing a lot of contacts and door knocking trying to build up a teaching pool. It stinks.

The weather is getting cold (4 C) and our shower here is terrible! It gets just lukewarm enough to not kill you if you stay in for 4 minutes! It is going to be a rough winter here.

There are going to be a lot of sisters coming in and they say that they will probably start making sister only districts and have sister zoneleaders, dls and aps. It should be interesting, I think that we are getting ten new sisters next transfer. Hope that it all works out.

I forgot to get the address of the mail box here, sorry. I will try to remember next time! It is super cool that Kayc and Preston went to Fiji, I want to know what it was like and if it was lots of fun or what. It has been real rainy here for the past week, yesterday rained so hard that we had to ford a river that was where a road is supposed to be. I was like a pioneer. We have found some pretty good investigators with potential and I will keep you updated. The mission goal for the month of June is 160 baptisms, one for each missionary. I think that it is possible but it will be really hard. June is President Ribeiros last month, he is really good and I am going to miss him. I hope that the new president is cool. 

I heard that star trek 2 came out, this makes my soul cry a little bit. I hope that you all enjoy it and that it is reeallly good. Because I am going to watch it and a whole mountain of other movies when I get home. And you will all have to watch them with me, whether you like it our not. I am having a good time here, it is hard to wake up at 630, but I am doing it. I am proud to say that everyday for the past 6 months, I have woken up at 630 on the dot!! Ha! Take that! I am tired.

Anyway, I love you guys a ton and hope that you are all very well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Hey!

Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It truly was glorious to talk to y'all yesterday!!! It left me with a terrible bittersweet feeling though. But I am glad that y'alls are good!!!! I am here, waiting for the transfer info, and I don't know what to write...

I will tell a story:

So basically I am Robert Algiers the second. I have a pen that is broken at the end. And I have been using it for a long time and one day, I was using this pen when I reached into my pocket and pulled out another broken pen! Identical!!! I was amazed! Then the other day, I was using a broken pen when I reached into my pocket and pulled out two broken pens!! All three identical!!!!!!! It was crazy! I thought to myself: "I have mastered the transporting man trick! With pens! Who knows, there could be hundreds of broken pens locked in tanks of water, being carried around by old blind people!!!!" Then I realized that I had stolen that pen from a member. I returned it. But it still doesn't explain how the second pen got there.

I am really glad that we followed the rules yesterday and only talked for 30 minutes. I ended up waiting another half hour for the others to finish, but it is really cool that we are being obedient!

Its in! I am going to Ijuí and will be companions with Elder Mattos! Haha, very cool, I will let you guys know more next week! I don't know anything else.

Haha, I love you guys a lot and hope that you have the best week ever!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Stringer

Baptism and flooded streets

Hey Kids!!!

 

This week was a good one! We had a baptism of a investigator that we have been teaching for about three months now! Next weekend is going to be off the hook! Saturday-KC´s wedding, Sunday-Mothers day, Monday-Pday, Tuesday-Transfer day. I know that I will leave the area that I am in. President is going to put sisters in our area, which basically guarantees that I will head out of São Gabriel (unless I went to the other area here). So next Monday I will give you the details! I'm super stoked to talk to y'all Sunday!  I am super excited, I hope that this week doesn't drag because I am so excited.

 

I got the announcement for Kaycs wedding, it was very cool! I liked it a lot! I have been carrying it with me and showing it to everyone! It makes for really good conversation and the people are more willing to open up to us when we open up to them. I can't believe that Kayc is getting married! It is crazy! I'm excited for you! I was going to take a picture holding a sign that said "Parabens em seu casamento" but I couldn't find the time. Sorry, I am lazy. Maybe I will take it next week.

 

The Portuguese is coming along very well, I honestly feel that where I am right now is good enough to do missionary work.  Like I could survive if I didn't get any better for the rest of my mission. Luckily I will get better though and hopefully I can drop my accent!

 

This Friday it rained all day and the streets were flooded, we found one street that was a river, it was crazy! I tried to jump from a rock to another one so that I wouldn't get wet, but I came up short and my leg was soaked! I am getting fat here, it is starting to get sad. I've gained like 15 pounds. The tangerines here are coming in season too! There are tangerine trees all over the place and you can just pick them whenever you want, it is super cool!

 

Congrats to John and Preston, I am proud of you guys. I wont lie, there were times when I thought you guys might not make it. Haha, but you did! Good Job! I am proud of you!

 

Random tidbit, I am listening to JB christmas music right now in the Lan House. It is really kind of weird.

 

But anyway... I am super excited for Sunday! I love you guys a ton and can't wait to talk to you!!

 

Love,

Elder Stringer

Hello Family!

Hello!!!

I am pleased to announce that this week was much better than the last one! It passed super fast and I think that it is because we really worked super hard. We decided that we would really try to reach all of our goals and we worked so hard. We reached all of the ones that we can control (lessons, contacts, references, investigators etc...) We had eight people tell us that they would go to church, and guess what, none of them did. Haha, it stunk. We had reached all of our goals except the important ones (progressing investigators, sacrament meeting, etc...) We were pretty bummed. So we were walking around, contacting some peeps, you know the usual. We decided to go to one of our investigators that Elder Heleno and I started teaching in the beginning of Feb. So we went there and guess what... the first thing that she said was: "I want Stringer to baptize me." Haha so we are going to have a baptism this Saturday!(Hopefully) It was really neat and strengthened my testimony that with faith and works the Lord can do anything.

Hmmm, what else...

I don't really know, the week passed so quickly. Congrats to ol` Kayc on going through the Temple!! Very neato! The closest temple to us is in Porto Alegre so I wont go for a while ( unless the new president lets us). But I was thinking that if I have to wait a long time for my flight home I will go there.

So, I think that the easiest way to do Mothers Day would be if you guys could set up a Skype account for me and send me the info. I already have a computador ready! I don't know if it costs money to do skype, but I don't think so. Then I could get on and we could talk to each other and see each other too! We will work something out. Only 13 more days! Haha, it will be crazy! I only have a half hour just so you all know. I don't want to break the rules(too much). Heehee.

Oh, something else cool happened! An investigator that Elder Heleno and I taught got baptized! We were teaching him, but he left for Porto Alegre and he kept going to church and got baptized and I saw him yesterday and we talked and it was super cool! He's real cool and I was super happy! Yesterday was a good day!

We had district conference at church and it was a broadcast and Elder Scott spoke and he speaks Portuguese, it was pretty neat!

I love you guys a lot and hope that your week is sweet!

Love,

Elder Stringer