Spike's Letter 2/20

Hey mommy and daddy and everyone. Well another week down huh? I lloved getting your letter this week. It sounds like you are all so busy. I did not know that you guys were going to the place where your going to have the trek. That is totally sweet. I really wish like mom said that I could be a part of that. That will really be a testimony builder for the youth of the
stake. I know it. Experiences where you are in the shoes of those that were before you feeling how they felt experiencing a hint of what they went through and suffered will let them gain an appreciation for the saints who sacrificed everything for their god. It is amazing how willing the saints were to drop their live their possessions for their beliefs. It is a testimony to me that we need to follow the prophet and the teachings of our heavenly father always regardless of the surconstances we think are an
exception. What is beautiful is when we do what he asks us to do he BLESSES us. He is always going to do his part. Always. You know who has to do the other part is us. We have to keep the convenants too. Remember the lord is bound when we do what he says but when we do not what he says we have no promise. We need to live our lives in accordance to his gospel and his teachings to be blessed. Well sorry, kind of off topic. It sounds like g-pa is doing really great. I have been wondering about him. How long do you think he has. I think he better have 10 years. At least enough to se my first child hey? I love him so much. He is truly a patriarch and an infinite example of who we want to become and who we need to strive to become in this
life. He is a man of faith and power. I love him. It is awesome to hear that his heart is doing good. How about his back and hips? Let him know I am thinking about him. Oh ya your going to start to clean out his back yard this spring. That is ging to be a chore like you said but I know that you will find great quality in it. You will remember many things from the past I bet. Many fond memories. I know that I have them. I remember many a day doing work their picking cherries and working. I love it there. Is is my second home. It will be a good opportunity to help him out. We owe it to him I know that much. He has always been there to help us when we need it or to support us. We all need to help him in return. I love him. Anyways you all want to do something for that family huh? That is sweet of you all, but it is a rule in the mission handbook that I am not supposed to have family help families in the mission field. You are not supposed to support them at all. Neither am I in any money way. It is truly hard to swallow but I know that they made the rule for a reason and they and us will be blessed if we live it. They are doing better. The gospel gives them that extra edge to make it threw the hard times with their family and their condition. Anyways, you want to know how many sister missionaries are in boa vista. There are 4. They are all Brazilian. There are few American sisters outside of sao Paulo unless they are Brazilian because of the living conditions and the safety issues. Anyways we had our zone conference this week. Actually last Thursday and Friday. It was good. The president taught us that we need to contact all men with children, because they are future priesthood holders, they are more likely to be married and you know that they love their family. We contacted 10 different sets of people, and have 6 new investigators. It truly works. We also ate at a all you can eat restaurant after. It was good. Anyways my interview was good too. All in Portuguese. He asked about my family. He said we have a huge family. I showed him the new pictures you sent from Christmas, he loved them. He asked me if my feelings for my parents have changed here in the mission field. And I responded with an resounding YES. I appreciate you so much more. I was such a jerk before. I am sorry I love you guys. Well that was good. And yes I did give my talk last Sunday. It went outstanding. It was so so good. Amazing actually. I was given 10 minutes to talk but I spoke for 25 minutues. Can you believe that? I spoke longer in another language than I have ever in my own language. Crazy. I know that I did not speak near perfect and I messed up I am sure but I know like mom said that the people understood. I know cause I saw the tears in their eyes. I got emotional as usual but I was able to give a good talk. It was awesome. I was actually able to express myself in Portuguese for once. I know it was cause I was speaking with the spirit. I spoke on faith unto repentance and returning to our heavenly father. I love giving talks they are so easy and all they do is strengthen your testimony. That is cool that Kelly is getting ready for his mission. It is a sacrifice I know, I left the love of my life for the lord. I left school and other things that were more appealing, but now that I am here I realize what is really important. I realize how I want to live and I want a family and I want to raise them on the foundation of the gospel I want to become a better person everyday. I do not want anything else but to live the gospel. It is my life. That is why we are here. We need to remember this. I have a totally different perspective on life. I know what I really want. I love Katelyn mom and dad. She is so amazing I love her without end. you can only imagin how much I love her if you sit backin your chair take a deep breath and try to think about eternity. How mind boggling that is, then you are in the ball park of what she means to me how much I love her and how much I miss and care for her. I am so glad that she received her bracelet. I wish that I knew how it looked. I am sure it was cute. You said that she like it. Thanks so much I really appreaciate you all thinking about her always. She is so special. I heard about mikin. That is so sucky. I am sorry mikin! I can only imagin what it is like. But you know what your almost done. Your almost to your date and
mom said that you will be early. I am so jealous that I am not there to share the experience with you guys I am sorry. I hope you start feeling better. I know your kids are in good hands with mom! That is awesome to hear you guys went over to my other home, the parks on Friday. That is so cool how are they? They wrote me this week and said that they saw you guys at the
leadership training. That is way cool. I saw it too. It was really good. All about familys and the importance of themin our lives. I want to have such an awesome family. Have family home evening and everything. Ah. I cant wait.so that was cool. Anywyas my comp is Brazilian. He lives in Rio Grande DE Sul. Southern brazil. He has a younger brother and sister. He is cool. He is the dl here. He was trained by brad duffys cousin and now he is training me. Cool huh. He has 8 months. He will be trainsfered here next transfer. He has been in this area like 6 months so I know that I will be here. Anywyas yes you can send everything to the address I gave yuou buys. You can send packages too. I got your package. The one with a lot of propel and stuff and dove candy. But I got the wrong solution. Mom you sent me regular steirl solution. Not the clear care. I need the special kind remember. It is fine I am surviving with the other stuff but they burn cause they are not clean. I should get cassies package with more I guess soon. Anywyas I wrote a few things down to tell you this wek so I do not forget. I ate dog and cow tounge this week. It was actually good. I like it. It tastes like reagual meat. The tongue was alittle chewy but good. The dog the guy killed in the street and cooked it. I hope that I do not get sick. But I am fine besides that. Also I loved dads letter that was in the package. I love you dad you’re the man. You’re the man for sure. You always are supportive I love you thanks a million. Also the pictures they are sweet. Now I have some good pictures to show everyone. I bring them to lessons and show the people and they say oh cool. Then I talk about how active our family is and how the gospel blesss familys. The 1st lesson. Cool eh? I am so blessed to have you all. I love you guys! Oh we had no electricity last night. So we were in the dark. Sucky huh? Well all the jerk missionaries before me do not pay the bills so I have to pay them. The mission pays me back but it takes like 3 weeks. Sucks. But we got it back this morning again after I payed. I hate slackers. Anywyas I also feel like a mom cuse I am slways cleaning. My comp does not know what it means to have a good house but I am trying to teach him. I hope he learns something from his junior companion. Well that is all for this week. We have 4 baptisms this week it should be good. We should have 27 baptisms this month. Amazing huh. Thanks for your prayers. I just have a really good Brazilian comp. if it was just me you know I would not have this many. It is truly the lords work I love you al so much. I pray for you all always. I hope you are all doing good. I love you. Keep in touch. Oh mom I need deodorant, jerky, kneeasporin, mayber a razor so I can cut my own hair, and more pictures I love them, resses pieces, skittles, root beer powder so I can make some, more misquito repellent, sun block, and good thick black socks. I love you thank you so much. Oh shampoo. Toothpaste the good kind dad has, I love you have an awesome week
Elder gatten