Dear family and friends,
This weekend was very emotional for everyone involved. First off, that family that was having troubles are better than ever. They came out of their adversity with flying colors. I gave them my testimony about the trials of our faith and told them that I loved them and I hated to see them fall into unbelief like I once did, that with the frequent prayers of my companion and I, they went to church, she did not turn down her calling as primary president, and they are stilling looking forward to their sealing in October.
It was also difficult to see my companion, Elder Griffin, off. I will quote the words of Freddy Mercury who said, "Mama, I just killed a man." I really did not kill him, but that is the terminology that is used when they you are the last companion of someone who is leaving. So I killed him, but not reallly. I also got to meet his parents. They came and picked him up for our little town. It was really something. They are great people. I think mom that Sister Griffin is going to call you sometime to talk about how great of a young man I am or something on those lines.
Alright here is the skinny. I have some news for you, I was called this morning to be the District Leader of Santa Rosa. I am staying, but I am moving up in the world. My new companion is Elder Bruno, and he is Brazilian, beyond that I know little to nothing about the guy save that he has had less time on the mission than I have so it is going to be interesting to say the very least, but I know that I am going to be fine. If my mission president thinks that I am capable to do this, than God does as well because my Mission President is inspire of God and of that I have no doubt. But all the same continue to pray for me, I am going to need all the help I can get.
Other than that I am here in Santa Maria waiting for my new campanion to arrive. I was told not to bring a suit case or an extra change of cloths because I would go home last night then when I got to President's he told me oh no you will be staying until tuesday. So I am still in the same cloths that I came in, and I am unshaven because I do not have a razor here. I am grizzly looking. But all is well otherwise.
I love you all and I will keep you posted about my life.
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
Tchauzinho!!
Dear Family and Friends,
How is everyone doing? I myself and doing okay. This last week was a strange one and I spent a lot of it being really sad and I will explain why. I now know that it is really important that we keep working with recent converts, and for that matter anyone who has made themselves a part of this church, for it is a shame to see people fall in unbelief of that which they know to be true. I myself have done that once and I know for a fact that wickedness never was happiness as the prophet Alma once said. (Interesting fact, the word Alma in Portuguese means soul.)
But we have a recent convert family in Santa Rosa, who I consider to be family. I love them. Truly I do. My companion and I visit them almost on a daily basis and we help them with doctrinal things and them give us references and good conversation. They had a pretty terrible week. First off, they are not the richest people I have meet. In fact they are very poor, but they have a nicer home and better food them most people I have meet here. Then they had a motorcycle accident on last Monday, then on Tuesday the father of the family is a furniture repair man and was working with a cutting machine with a plainer and disc sander and a circular saw all in one and he managed to cut his pinky really badly. They started to fall into unbelief because of that, thinking that they have been doing all that they can to live rightly and that Heavenly Father was being unkind and unjust with them. They made all sorts of claims of not going to Church or reading Scriptures. The wife even made a claim of asking to be released from her calling as the primary president. My companion and I spent a lot of time in there house keeping them from making a knee jerk reaction. It evidently worked because they went to Church and they also said that they have a feeling that this week is going to be better.
I am glad to hear that. I just hope that they continue to see truth in the things which we said to them.
Other than that I´ve got nothing to say. This past week was uneventful. It got colder and it rained a lot. I am working on Portuguese and keeping my companion from becoming completely crazy because this is his last week on the mission and his parents are coming to pick him up, so on Saturday I will meet Brother and Sister Griffin and play translator for a while. I will let you all know what happens with that.
Tchauzinho!!
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
How is everyone doing? I myself and doing okay. This last week was a strange one and I spent a lot of it being really sad and I will explain why. I now know that it is really important that we keep working with recent converts, and for that matter anyone who has made themselves a part of this church, for it is a shame to see people fall in unbelief of that which they know to be true. I myself have done that once and I know for a fact that wickedness never was happiness as the prophet Alma once said. (Interesting fact, the word Alma in Portuguese means soul.)
But we have a recent convert family in Santa Rosa, who I consider to be family. I love them. Truly I do. My companion and I visit them almost on a daily basis and we help them with doctrinal things and them give us references and good conversation. They had a pretty terrible week. First off, they are not the richest people I have meet. In fact they are very poor, but they have a nicer home and better food them most people I have meet here. Then they had a motorcycle accident on last Monday, then on Tuesday the father of the family is a furniture repair man and was working with a cutting machine with a plainer and disc sander and a circular saw all in one and he managed to cut his pinky really badly. They started to fall into unbelief because of that, thinking that they have been doing all that they can to live rightly and that Heavenly Father was being unkind and unjust with them. They made all sorts of claims of not going to Church or reading Scriptures. The wife even made a claim of asking to be released from her calling as the primary president. My companion and I spent a lot of time in there house keeping them from making a knee jerk reaction. It evidently worked because they went to Church and they also said that they have a feeling that this week is going to be better.
I am glad to hear that. I just hope that they continue to see truth in the things which we said to them.
Other than that I´ve got nothing to say. This past week was uneventful. It got colder and it rained a lot. I am working on Portuguese and keeping my companion from becoming completely crazy because this is his last week on the mission and his parents are coming to pick him up, so on Saturday I will meet Brother and Sister Griffin and play translator for a while. I will let you all know what happens with that.
Tchauzinho!!
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
LAU!!!!!!!! TCHÊ!!!!!!!!!
Dear family friends, brasileiros and anyone how reads English,
Primeiramente quero dizer que nós tinhamos mais um batismo. LAU!!!!!!!! TCHÊ!!!!!!!!!
Alright that is your Portuguese for the week. That says, "Firstly, I want to say that we had one more baptism." And the words LAU and TCHÊ are just like saying Yeah and WOW.
Here name is a Elena and I think I have already spoke a lot about her already, but if not I will recap. She is 19 years old, when we first meet her, she was dating a 40 something year old low life who is wanted for murder. Then she broke up with him, because he tried to kill her, then she placed a restraining order on him, and he is not allow to be with in such and such a distance from her. Her friend Irmã Jaque said, "Hey, I know two guys that you should meet who will change your life, and also move in with me and my family and go to church with me." So she did as was suggested to her and we baptized her on Saturday and confirmed her on Sunday. "Shake and Bake!!!" to quote a really terrible movie about Nascar racing.
We are having a lot of progress with a couple of other families. Now we have just got to get them to quite smoking and being lazy. They all say, however, that they want to get baptized, so I cannot complain too much, and they are good people as well.
That is it for me. The weather is finally cooling down, although the last couple of days here were really hot and muggy, but I have been told that is kind of normal. It gets really cold then it gets hot again for a couple of days then the temperature really drops like crazy, but then again. It was like 60 F the other day and everyone was in winter jackets and cold weather gear and my companion I were still sweating buckets. So yeah. Also I am sorry Erynn, I forgot to say Happy Birthday, and I still have not gotten your package yet, but Zone Conference is this week, so more than likely I will get it then.
I love you all and I hope you are all doing well.
Tchau!!!
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
Primeiramente quero dizer que nós tinhamos mais um batismo. LAU!!!!!!!! TCHÊ!!!!!!!!!
Alright that is your Portuguese for the week. That says, "Firstly, I want to say that we had one more baptism." And the words LAU and TCHÊ are just like saying Yeah and WOW.
Here name is a Elena and I think I have already spoke a lot about her already, but if not I will recap. She is 19 years old, when we first meet her, she was dating a 40 something year old low life who is wanted for murder. Then she broke up with him, because he tried to kill her, then she placed a restraining order on him, and he is not allow to be with in such and such a distance from her. Her friend Irmã Jaque said, "Hey, I know two guys that you should meet who will change your life, and also move in with me and my family and go to church with me." So she did as was suggested to her and we baptized her on Saturday and confirmed her on Sunday. "Shake and Bake!!!" to quote a really terrible movie about Nascar racing.
We are having a lot of progress with a couple of other families. Now we have just got to get them to quite smoking and being lazy. They all say, however, that they want to get baptized, so I cannot complain too much, and they are good people as well.
That is it for me. The weather is finally cooling down, although the last couple of days here were really hot and muggy, but I have been told that is kind of normal. It gets really cold then it gets hot again for a couple of days then the temperature really drops like crazy, but then again. It was like 60 F the other day and everyone was in winter jackets and cold weather gear and my companion I were still sweating buckets. So yeah. Also I am sorry Erynn, I forgot to say Happy Birthday, and I still have not gotten your package yet, but Zone Conference is this week, so more than likely I will get it then.
I love you all and I hope you are all doing well.
Tchau!!!
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
A Good Week overall....
Hey family friends, and everyone else.
These week was better than last week, and I am happy to say that. We are going to have a baptism on Saturday, and we are also working with a family that is progessing really well. The only problem is that all of them smoke, and they know they should stop, but they want to make it a process to put it into words. So I do not know if they will be baptized this transfer or the next. I hope so because I have been working with them for a long time, and I want to see them get baptized.
I am doing really well otherwise, but I had a good and bad experience yesterday that I would like to impart with you all. My companion and I went tracking for the first time in our time together, and we did not have very much sucess with our efforts. The last house that we knocked allowed us to come in, but they were a little preocupied with things. One of the people at our house evidently was baptized when she was 9 or so, but because of the suffering that she said that she has gone through in her life that she feels it is not needed to go to church. She also blames God for what happened to her son. He was born normal without any problems, but evidently when he was 2 years old the doctors gave him the wrong medicene which left him mentally disabled for the rest of his life. I am sad to see that woman's lack of faith and knowladge about the plan of Salvation. How her son will be resurrected with a prefect body free of any troubles or sickness of any kind, and also because of his mental problems he will go to the celestial kingdom and live in the presence of Heavenly Father once more, and be completely like Him. But I digress, I cannot completely comprehend what she has been through.
I am good. Thanks for all the love and support that you all give me. I am so grateful for you all and also Erynn, sorry, but I forgot to say Happy Birthday to you last week. So happy late birthday.
Tchau,
Feliz Páscoa gente boa
Feliz Páscoa gente boa,
Essa semana foi muito boa, nada muito aconteceu, mas ainda foi boa. Meu companheiro e eu fizemos uma mudança bem grande, a gente fez uma mudança duma casa inteira. Minha nossa. Alright I am sorry I realize that none of you can read that but I just wanted to show the improvement of my Portuguese.
I am getting much better at speaking. It has been a long time coming, but it is starting to make sense to me now so all is good. What that stuff up top says is that this week nothing really exciting happened, but it was still good. My companion and I moved a house. Literally an entire house. We removed the roof then a team of guys came in picked up the house with jacks and put it on a truck and then moved it 20 yard to another plot of land. It was difficult work and I took two days.
We have good news though, because of that and the lessons we taught them, that family that we moved their house said that they want to be baptized. Yeah for us. Now we just got to get them to go to church, quite smoking (all of them smoke 3 packs of cigarettes a day) and drinking, and a couple of other things which I care not to mention. We also had one investigator go to conference with us. She will also be baptized on the 17th of April, so the work here is going really well.
Conference was the best. Oh my goodness. I love it when Elder Holland talk. I could listen to him all day long. And my district in the CTM did one day. It was great. We took a bus to Santo Ângelo which is the district center and watched it there in English as well. Good thing. I love their voices too much to be voiced over by a translator.
That was my week nothing special. I will talk to you all soon.
Love
Who knew Monks wore pants?
Dear family and friends,
How is everyone doing these days? This week was better than the week before, but I must say that my companion I were a little bit lazy and did not teach nearly as much as we should have. It didn't help that it was raining a lot again, and it is difficult to travel in the rain here. But that was not the reason for our laziness, I am sad to say, but we had some really great lessons this week, and we have set one date already for baptism and we may have more on the way, so that is good. It still does not make up for the bout of laziness, but it is still a good thing all around.
I forgot to mention that last P-Day my district and I went to a Monastery here is Santa Rosa, it was cool, they did not talk. Except the grounds keepers and the man at the front door. One thing I did not know was that monks could wear pants. This was surprising when the monk at the front door was wearing what I thought to be a pair of pants and a hoody, but it was their normal garb evidently. I have a lot of photos, and I also forgot to mention that we were their only visitors that day. Oh, well, it was fun all the same.
I finally managed to bring my camera, and I have a lot of pictures to show of the past few weeks and all things that have happened in them.
I am glad to say I am well, and all things are smoothed over with my investigators. They are all progressing really well. We are teaching 11 families right now. Most of whom are really really great. They all love message of the Gospel and they accept that what we teach is really the word of God. I am glad to be a part of this work.
I would also be remiss if I did not talk about Irmã Jaque and her family. Omar her husband, and here two children, Numa (here 10 year old son) and Luana (her 9 year old daughter). They are recent converts and they have take to the Gospel like a duck to water. It makes me a little envious how just how well they have progressed. They are the most hard working people in branch we are attached to. They have given us most of the referrals which we have and not to mention they are always willing to help us teach or give testimony during lessons. My goodness. Irmã Jaque bore her testimony with respects of tithing, a few weeks ago they were in some financial troubles. They had to make the choice between being 7 reaies short of being able to pay the water bill or paying tithing. They choose to pay tithing. The Monday after they had paid tithing. Someone that owed a debt to them paid it back with interest, which ended up being 10 reais, They had enough to pay the water bill and then some. It is how the scriptures say, the windows of heaven will be opened and blessings will pour out of them. They really know that to be true.
So if you have an experience like that and would like to share it with me, I would like to hear your thoughts. Keep me posted.
As always, I love you. And thanks you for your time ,and efforts.
Até mais,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
Shot Out at the OK Corral!!!
Dear Family and Friends,
I am really sorry about not writing my blog post, I really did not have anything to write about and I also was not feeling up for it. I just wanted to relax more than anything.
This week has been, different. I have been playing private investigator, because my last companion may have proposed to one of the girls that he baptized, and my companion and I found out about it and we have been asking her, and people that she told that they are going to get married come December, and who knows what else. I am a little upset by this because, they managed to do this under my noise. I had my suspicions about them liking each other, but nothing to suggest that anything would happen after the mission. I am really really trying to keep my works clean. It is also funny, because our mission president also said something about how he gets sick when he sees missionaries flirting with girls and also he said that "Your wife is not in the limits of this mission, that is just Satan trying to get you to move away from what you need to be doing."
My companion and I are getting along really well. We are getting better at speaking Portuguese, and I am learning a lot from him. I am grateful for his example, and just simply he is a good guy. He is chill and easy going. He still wants to work but does not mind having a good time while doing it. It is a nice change of pass. It is kind of funny, we make bread and pizza and all sorts of other foods; we are like a regular Ozzy and Harriett.
Yesterday was the first day of Fall, and it come in with a bang. My companion and I work up at 1:30 last night to a great big thunder storm last night. It was kind of wild, all of our windows and doors were open in our apartment because it is usually hotter than the sun here, but we had to make a mad dash around the apartment to close the windows and doors which were slamming shut and opening again. It was crazy. It was kind of exciting.
This story is also true, and my companion said that I could copy it from his email. I can testify that this is true, and it happened this week in our area. In a letter from Elder Griffin to his family, " so we have had some investigators going through some pretty interesting experiences this week, and none of them good ones. We had one that almost killed his neighbor because he threatened a seven year old that lives next door, whose mother then threatened him and called the father to come bust a cap!! We had one whose brother got arrested in a drug bust, one of our members mothers, who is also an investigator, was almost killed by her brother, than almost killed her brother, who was then almost killed by her neighbors dad. And another investigator was almost murdered by her boyfriend who is three times her age, and already has a huge criminal record. Fun week huh!! Talk about exciting!! There was also a drug bust in an apartment complex where they got eight drug traffickers. Talk about adventure!! And last week me and my companion walked by a gunfight, it was pretty interesting!! " Elder K. Brooks Griffin companion of one Elder Caleb S. Carriere
That is me for this week. I have pictures but I forgot to bring my camera and cable again, so I will send them next week. I hope.
Com Amor para sempre,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
I am really sorry about not writing my blog post, I really did not have anything to write about and I also was not feeling up for it. I just wanted to relax more than anything.
This week has been, different. I have been playing private investigator, because my last companion may have proposed to one of the girls that he baptized, and my companion and I found out about it and we have been asking her, and people that she told that they are going to get married come December, and who knows what else. I am a little upset by this because, they managed to do this under my noise. I had my suspicions about them liking each other, but nothing to suggest that anything would happen after the mission. I am really really trying to keep my works clean. It is also funny, because our mission president also said something about how he gets sick when he sees missionaries flirting with girls and also he said that "Your wife is not in the limits of this mission, that is just Satan trying to get you to move away from what you need to be doing."
My companion and I are getting along really well. We are getting better at speaking Portuguese, and I am learning a lot from him. I am grateful for his example, and just simply he is a good guy. He is chill and easy going. He still wants to work but does not mind having a good time while doing it. It is a nice change of pass. It is kind of funny, we make bread and pizza and all sorts of other foods; we are like a regular Ozzy and Harriett.
Yesterday was the first day of Fall, and it come in with a bang. My companion and I work up at 1:30 last night to a great big thunder storm last night. It was kind of wild, all of our windows and doors were open in our apartment because it is usually hotter than the sun here, but we had to make a mad dash around the apartment to close the windows and doors which were slamming shut and opening again. It was crazy. It was kind of exciting.
This story is also true, and my companion said that I could copy it from his email. I can testify that this is true, and it happened this week in our area. In a letter from Elder Griffin to his family, " so we have had some investigators going through some pretty interesting experiences this week, and none of them good ones. We had one that almost killed his neighbor because he threatened a seven year old that lives next door, whose mother then threatened him and called the father to come bust a cap!! We had one whose brother got arrested in a drug bust, one of our members mothers, who is also an investigator, was almost killed by her brother, than almost killed her brother, who was then almost killed by her neighbors dad. And another investigator was almost murdered by her boyfriend who is three times her age, and already has a huge criminal record. Fun week huh!! Talk about exciting!! There was also a drug bust in an apartment complex where they got eight drug traffickers. Talk about adventure!! And last week me and my companion walked by a gunfight, it was pretty interesting!! " Elder K. Brooks Griffin companion of one Elder Caleb S. Carriere
That is me for this week. I have pictures but I forgot to bring my camera and cable again, so I will send them next week. I hope.
Com Amor para sempre,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
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