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

It was very dark...

Hey!

(the subject has nothing to do with this email)

It is really good to hear from all of you! I am not sure why but this past week felt suuupeeer longgggggg. We had zone conference on Tuesday and had to go to Santa Maria on Thursday so Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we were working really hard trying to catch up with our goals and what not. I think that this week will be calmer. I hope so at least. But I am still doing great! It is cool that Preston and John are graduating congrats! And that Kayc is going through the temple! Wish that I could be there! And I finally heard the news that Mason put up 17 in the big game!!!!!(a month after it happened). Way to go Mason! Keeping the Stringer Church ball tradition alive! So I am pretty sure that I will be transferred the day after Mothers Day, so if you have a letter to send you should send it within this week cuz it usually takes two weeks to get here. I love São Gabriel,  but I am ready to go! Ready to get out of my first area, everyone here still treats me like the little kid who can't do anything for himself. Haha, but it is all good, I really do love this place and these people! 

Elder Araújo is super cool! He joined the church when he was 18, and he has a super strong testimony. We are really working here, hopefully we will have some more success before we part ways. 

Haha! Mason had to mow! This is something that I will not miss! Take that! And that is cool that he is going to prom, you got to send me some pics. It is weird that the school year is practically over already! That is really exciting, but I might suffer knowing that you guys are having tons of fun in the summer and sleeping in and stuff. We might have to stop emailing for three months or so. I am so tired. I am glad that it is p day! 

Oh funny story! We were teaching a lesson and behind the person that we were teaching there was a dog and it picked up a little kitty in its mouth and started throwing it around! Haha, I was going to say something but it was so strange and I couldn't focus on the lesson! ( You have to imagine this one in your mind for it to be funny.) Also one of the missionaries here keeps plugging all of the toilets, we have three and I don't think there has been a time that all three were unplugged. Right now two of them are. (that's more like everyday life stuff for missionaries). 

Everyday, multiple times a day I am reminded that God exists and loves us, it really is amazing when you start paying attention. I was oblivious to this stuff before I came, but now that I am focused on it, it is really apparent. I know that you guys are the best and are the greatest examples for me! I love y'áll tons and I wish that I had more to write for you guys, but that is it for now! And I will find more out about moms day!

Love,

Elder Stringer  

Hello

To my fans and subjects throughout the world:

Monday April 15

Hello,

I have some exciting news this week. We had a baptism on Saturday. This one was very special, we found Thayna teaching her aunt and she told us that her husband was a member and she already knew about the church. We went to her house and taught her and her husband, Anderson. They are very special and we were able to reactivate Anderson and he baptized Thayna! They are expecting a child and I am happy to know that this kid can grow up in the church and maybe one day he/she will even serve a mission! What an awesome thing!

Also, our electricity got cut this Friday. We have been living without it since then. We have to use candles at night to do our planning and what not. On the "bright" side, our fridge was desperately needing to be defrosted, and now it is! Its pretty neat but I hope that we can figure out a way to get it back soon. It is real good that we have the couple missionaries here, they let us take hot showers at their house.

Elder Araújo is very cool. He has been a member for 3 years now, he has 9 months on the mission and he is very obedient. We are working hard here and hopefully we can have some success in the next 4 weeks. I think that after this transfer I will probably leave for another city. I don't know but that is just what I think. It is good to hear that y'all are doing well back at home! I am doing well here. It is hard and different without Elder Heleno here, I didn't think that I would miss him as much as I do, but it is all good.  I can do this.

I feel like I should write more but I don't really have much to write. I am doing well here, even when it is hard. It is amazing how time passes, it just passes. And it feels kind of slow in the moment, but when you look back on it it was fast. Just like that one time when Captain Jean Luc Picard stopped time and saved that one lady from the rocks. He really knew how to live in the moment! Anyway...  (I miss Captain Picard)

I love you guys a lot! I want you to know that I am working really hard! Our mission had 119 baptisms last month! It is a record for our mission! But 119 is a small number compared to a lot of other missions in Brazil. Haha, I was surprised to hear that we were one of the least baptizing missions in Brazil. Haha, but it is good! I am working hard and things will work out! I love you guys more than you know!

Until next week,

Love,

Elder Stringer