Hey! So i hope that everyone is doing awesome there in the best nation in the world. I am so grateful for the many freedoms that we have. I am thankful for the founding fathers and also for the opportunity that we have to have a nation under god. Many people forget of don’t believe in that concept, but when our nation was founded, they knew that importance and truth. So I am thankful.
It sounded like you all had a blast on the clark fork. Everyone was safe and had a good time. That is awesome. It sounded like there were many visitors too. That is cool. I always enjoyed the rafting trips. So many memories. Everyone said that the water was a little high this year. it was a little washed out. That is a bumper. I heard that fang was a huge hole though. Awesome. I cannot wait to get back on the river and hit it. Did you guys end up doing any fishing or anything? The water was hi so that probably was not good. Dad said that the fireworks in st. Regis was like a war zone. He said that is was crazier than any other time that we have gone. Smokes it must have been off the wall man cause I have seen it get pretty crazy.
So who is heading to Alaska? I never really heard who all was going, but I know that they either left today or yesterday. I am curious to hear what you guys are doing up there and how it is and such. The women are headed up there too. That should be a blast. I have never even been to Alaska. You have to write me and give the details.
How is everyone? I got letters this week from a couple of you which was awesome. Thank you a ton. I appreciate it. I love hearing from you. Each one of you make me want to be such a better person. I am so blessed to have the family that I have. Well I am doing well. I did get transferred. I am here in manaus. I caught a plane Monday night at 1 20 in the morning. Got here in manaus at like 3 30. slpt at the mission house. Then went to the transfer meeting with all the missionaries and president at 7 00. I am here in an area called Rais. You pronounce it Hi-eese. It is basically in the center of manaus. It like 5 minutes from the center. Located a little more south. It is a ward also, which is part of the manaus stake. The area is really busy. Tons of buses and cars, people. I want to die. I am like dad. It is making me hate big cities. Its like all concrete. I will have to get used to it cause I will be here for a while. I like it though so far. Today is my second day here. Last night I had to teach the seminary class about the book judges in the old testament. What a welcome huh? I have to teach tonight too. I teach one week, and my comp the other. That will help me a lot I think. My companion is elder prado. He is from Rio grande do sul. He is brazilian. He has a year and three months in the mission. He is a hard worker and is really smart. Everyone says he is a great missionary so I am blessed. He is the leader of our district of 14 missionaries too. He is cool. Little weird for me though but I will learn to love him. That’s how it always is. He is alittle geeky with glasses but is really a stonge spirited person. He has already taught me so much thorough his actions. But his story is….he was raised with his parents. His dad an alcoholic and mother very abusive. They abused him his whole childhood. He loved them so much though. He felt really inferior as you could imagin. But one day his mother grabbed a metal bar and started beating him. The first swind she took she hit him in his right eye. Shattered his skull in that area and blinded him. That’s why he has glasses. So he is blind in one eye. He spent a month in the hospital following. So he lived a tuff life. When he was 20 he started getting the discussions from the missionaries who contacted him in a food market. His parents did not approve. It may seem weird that he still lived at home but that is the custom here. But anyways he commited for baptism and his parents kicked him out of the house. He lived in the streets for 2 weeks then was baptized and moved in with the bishop. He sent his mission paper when he was 23 after dating seriously with a girl but knew that he needed to serve. After he sent in his papers his bother died of brain cancer at the age of 18. that was tuff but he decided to go still. So he left without a brother and rejected by his parents. He got into the mission and he started strong. After 2 transfers and 3 months, he received a telephone call from president itnoise. His father had been really drunk and shot his mother and then himself. Both of his parents were killed. He being alone in the mission was given the option to go home, but he had no home to go. The only uncles he had had already passed away also. So he has no biological family, only him. So having no family to go home to he stayed in the mission. He did not even call his girlfriend which president encouraged for comfort. He stayed. So he worked until about a month ago, last transfer when he got another call from president itnoise. His girlfriend found out that she has a tumor in her brain also, just like his brother. So he is really upset about that. He decided to stay in the mission though because he cannot do anything for her only the medics can and her mother. So he is really sad. He even mentioned to me that many times he just wants to die. His life is tuff. I do not know what I would do at that age and situation. 24 has no family and a girlfriend that has cancer and is more than likely not going to make it either. He has to go in for conseling to this doctor once every 2 weeks also. So that will be strange for me. I will not be spending to much time on the internet I do not think here cause I know that it is unfair for him. He has no one to write and just sits and waits for me. I don’t know what to do. I am his friend, but he does not want me to feel bad for him. I made him breakfeast this morning and such, but I am doing what president said and just supporting him and trying to keep his mind on the work. It is a tuff situation for us both. He is no doubt and awesome missionary though . tougher than nails and is very learned in the scriptures. We have a lot of success here. Even more than boa vista. We have 8 baptisms this week. Should be awesome. He is cool and dosent speak a lick of English. Should be fun. More than likely we will be staying a while with eachother too. Just how everything is ya know. I will grow a lot. It has given me a really strong testimony of family. I think of him and then me. How each of you support me so much. How you are my life literally. You’re my pride, and I would not have a life without each of you. I love you so much. I think so much in the streets why heavenly father has brought this upon him. Poor elder prado. He has taken the high road though and put his faith in his god, and has become such a strong individual. I look up to him so much. His character is amazing and his will undoubting. Someday I want to be like elder prado. Someday.
I live in an apartment complex. It reminds me of a old school jail. Like the area is totally locked up and stuff. It is a little high rise. 6 stories and we live on the 5th. So my legs will get strong climbing stairs everyday. Its freaking hot here too. No wind at all. The sun is stonger than I have ever felt, and I have already cooked an egg on the pavement. Cool huh. The other missionaries that live here are elder dukes from Houston texas and elder Jensen my companion from the ctm. That is totally sweet huh? He is having trouble with the language too so I will have the opportunity to help him. I love the kid. We will have a lot of things to talk about.
So I received a package from mom and dad it had the chocolate and skittles and pancakes, and other things in it. I love it. Thank you so much. But one MAJOR PROBLEM. The shirts that you sent me do not have a pocket in the front of the shirt to put my plack. So I cannot use them. I love the material and such though and they fit around the neck perfectly. I just need a pocket. So that’s a bumper. Maybe more stuff for down there…hint…because it is really humid and wet here. I would appreciate it.
Anyways I love you all and I hope that you have an awesome week. Sorry that I cannot write more but I am feeling bad for making him wait. I love you all. Thanks for you prayers. I know that this gospel is true. Keep the faith! Your all the best. Tell kate I love her!
Elder gatten
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