Dear Family, Friends, and the 3 Brazilians who read my blog,
Things are going well here, although this past week was as my companion put it, "ruin de mais" or in lousy translated English, sucked. We accomplished very little. We became as it is known in Brazilian Mormon culture, fubecas, or lazy. That word is only in the Church down here, it is like saying Jack Mormon or something like that.
It was not due to inherent laziness on the part of my companion and I, but more on the fault of a series of unfortunate events. It was a bad week. First off I ate something that did not agree with me and I have had many trips to the restroom, to put it in a non-vulger way. Then also, I cannot explain why, but I keep waking up at 4:30 in the morning and I cannot for the life of me fall back asleep; so I have been really, really tired as of late. Thank goodness it is P-Day so I can take a nap. Then my companion for the last month or so before he became my companion has developed a bad knee, which decided that this week it will really start acting up. So normally we would be able to walk a distance in 15 or 20 minutes now takes almost an hour. Then two nights ago our cell phone which he needs to gather numbers and relay them to our zone leaders broke.
Not to steal the title of those books, but this last week had a lot of unfortunate events.
Oh also, the girl that we were going to baptized needs more time now so hopefully we will baptize here this week. Fingers crossed.
On good new, I received two packages this week. The first of which was from Mom and Dad. Thank you both I need those pants greatly. They fit wonderfully. The other package was from Alyson. Sorry to say Aly if you where trying to keep what was in the package a secret I already now. Not because I have opened it, but because of the shipping manifest on the front of the package. So if it is not going to break your heart, I would like to open it soon, because I can really use the photos. If there is one thing Brazilians love it is photos and photos of ones family is better. So let me know if it is possible for me to break my promise.
Sorry Amy I have not received your package yet, but I hope to this week. I have Zone Conference where generally I will receive mail, and other things. Then the week after that is Christmas Conference where the entire mission will ascend upon Santa Maria and do something really haven't the slightest idea of what will happen save lots of photos.
Well I really do not have more to say than good luck. I love you all and I am looking forward to talking to you guys on Christmas. I only have an hour to talk and my companion is a bit of a Peter Priesthood kind of guy, who I guess would have no qualms hanging up the phone for me if I went over the limit, so keep that in mind. I think the plan of action is that we are going to go to the Chapel and use the phone there. It is more private that way, so next week I will have more instructions about the phone call.
I love you guys and I hope you are doing well,
Com Amor,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere.
2 Baptisms and one to go...
Dear Family and Friends,
So I was dumb and deleted the first message that I wrote you all so I am going to make this one shorter for I do not have the time to make it another long one.
Things here are doing great. Christmas has come early for me. We had two baptisms on Sunday. They are Janete and Jonas. They are mother and son. Their father is a member and a return missionary, he preformed the baptism. It was awesome.
We also have another baptism coming up on Saturday. I am excited for that one as well. Her name is Charmene. We will baptize her on Saturday and then she will be confirmed a member not on that following Sunday but the next for that Sunday is District Conference. This place does not have a stake yet so it is a District and my mission president will give a talk which ought to be cool.
I have pictures, but as my companion has informed me I am not supposed to use photobucket which is no good because I dread uploading photos via myldsmail.net. I would rather have my head bashed in. So I will be sending my SD card to Alyson or Seth soon to upload my pictures.
I had more to say, but I no longer have the time to do it. Sorry to say.
I love you all and hope you are doing well.
Com Amor,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
So I was dumb and deleted the first message that I wrote you all so I am going to make this one shorter for I do not have the time to make it another long one.
Things here are doing great. Christmas has come early for me. We had two baptisms on Sunday. They are Janete and Jonas. They are mother and son. Their father is a member and a return missionary, he preformed the baptism. It was awesome.
We also have another baptism coming up on Saturday. I am excited for that one as well. Her name is Charmene. We will baptize her on Saturday and then she will be confirmed a member not on that following Sunday but the next for that Sunday is District Conference. This place does not have a stake yet so it is a District and my mission president will give a talk which ought to be cool.
I have pictures, but as my companion has informed me I am not supposed to use photobucket which is no good because I dread uploading photos via myldsmail.net. I would rather have my head bashed in. So I will be sending my SD card to Alyson or Seth soon to upload my pictures.
I had more to say, but I no longer have the time to do it. Sorry to say.
I love you all and hope you are doing well.
Com Amor,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
I am alive and well!
Dear family and friends,
Sorry I have to make this one short and sweet. I am alive and well. I am teaching more than I did in my last transfer. Transfers happen every 6 weeks. To answer Seth's question I do not know just a fried egg.
My new companion and I get alone fine. His name is Elder Matos and he is from northern most part of brazil, I have forgotten the name.
I am well, and I will talk to you all later. on the phone maybe.
Com Amor,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
Sorry I have to make this one short and sweet. I am alive and well. I am teaching more than I did in my last transfer. Transfers happen every 6 weeks. To answer Seth's question I do not know just a fried egg.
My new companion and I get alone fine. His name is Elder Matos and he is from northern most part of brazil, I have forgotten the name.
I am well, and I will talk to you all later. on the phone maybe.
Com Amor,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
Panulimate Day with Elder Zequini
Dear Family, Friends, and everyone in between,
It has continued to rain with growing frequency. I was told by one of the members that this is normal for spring in Rio Grande do Sul. I am just glad all the hot days of spring are more or less behind me now. Although I will be expecting much warmer days ahead come summer, but I will keep that in the back of my mind.
As you might have guessed it is my pan ultimate day with Elder Zequini as my companion. He will be moving on and be the Zone Leader of a city near the border of Uruguay (I think that is how it is spelled). I will be staying in São Luiz Gonzaga, well sort of. I will go to Santa Maria and meet my new companion. His name is Elder Matos. I do not know anything about him other than that his is a cool guy and that he is Black or so they say. They have a different definition of Black than we do, but I will assume that he is. Everyone says that I am lucky to have him as my new companion, so I am looking forward to it.
This was an eventful week, sort of. Sunday was good. Really good. The family that we have been teaching is making great strides to becoming baptized. Even in the pouring rain they made it to Church. Well my companion and I went on divisions while he and a member of the branch went and picked them up. The fact of the matter is that they came.
Also on Sunday, I had my first true churrasco ( Barbeque of the gáucho). It was really good although I am eating way too much carbs and meat. Rice with every meal and lots of meat. I still am 20 pounds lighter than I was, but I am somewhat nervous that I will gain it all back and then some. Well, knock on wood.
I also in the same event ate something a little strange, but not as strange as chicken heart. It had the pleasure, or whatever you would like to call it, of eating barbecued kidney. It was good. I would not like to have it again, but of all the tastes it could have had it was good. It did not taste like I would have imagined an organ meant to filter out your blood to make urine would taste like.
We do not have any baptisms yet, but we are working hard, and I know with out a shadow of a doubt that that family will be baptized.
I also received a bunch of letters today so I have to start writing. I again want to thank you all for your love and support and I will talk to you all later.
Love,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
It has continued to rain with growing frequency. I was told by one of the members that this is normal for spring in Rio Grande do Sul. I am just glad all the hot days of spring are more or less behind me now. Although I will be expecting much warmer days ahead come summer, but I will keep that in the back of my mind.
This is the country side outside of Sao Luiz
This is what the roads are like.
As you might have guessed it is my pan ultimate day with Elder Zequini as my companion. He will be moving on and be the Zone Leader of a city near the border of Uruguay (I think that is how it is spelled). I will be staying in São Luiz Gonzaga, well sort of. I will go to Santa Maria and meet my new companion. His name is Elder Matos. I do not know anything about him other than that his is a cool guy and that he is Black or so they say. They have a different definition of Black than we do, but I will assume that he is. Everyone says that I am lucky to have him as my new companion, so I am looking forward to it.
This was an eventful week, sort of. Sunday was good. Really good. The family that we have been teaching is making great strides to becoming baptized. Even in the pouring rain they made it to Church. Well my companion and I went on divisions while he and a member of the branch went and picked them up. The fact of the matter is that they came.
Here are some pictures of the Family.
Henrique
Savene
Tainara
Also on Sunday, I had my first true churrasco ( Barbeque of the gáucho). It was really good although I am eating way too much carbs and meat. Rice with every meal and lots of meat. I still am 20 pounds lighter than I was, but I am somewhat nervous that I will gain it all back and then some. Well, knock on wood.
I also in the same event ate something a little strange, but not as strange as chicken heart. It had the pleasure, or whatever you would like to call it, of eating barbecued kidney. It was good. I would not like to have it again, but of all the tastes it could have had it was good. It did not taste like I would have imagined an organ meant to filter out your blood to make urine would taste like.
The English class I am teaching
I also received a bunch of letters today so I have to start writing. I again want to thank you all for your love and support and I will talk to you all later.
Love,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
One Month and 3 Days...
Dear family and friends and those who read my blog,
It has been one month and three days since I left the CTM and entered the mission field. It is strange that I have been out for so long. I know this is a cliche to say but, I feels like it was only yesterday that I was sitting at home with you all.
Nothing especially exciting has happened. I am teaching. The progress in this city is slow, but we are making it.
Oh, there was something last week noteworthy. I had my first zone conference. I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot, and I got to talk with my mission president once more, and in Portuguese. Believe it or not I am actually finally starting to get a hold of the language. I just need now to learn more vocab and work on pronunciation then I will be like a really Brasileiro. But forming my thoughts is coming much more quickly. I am really loving it.
This here have cooled down some. Most of last week it rained, and when I say it rained, it truly rain. It rained every day with out fail and most off the day. There was only 10 hours one day when it was not raining. But I liked it. I finally got to use that rain coat. It works great by the way.
Well life rolls on. I will talk to you all later.
Love,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
It has been one month and three days since I left the CTM and entered the mission field. It is strange that I have been out for so long. I know this is a cliche to say but, I feels like it was only yesterday that I was sitting at home with you all.
Nothing especially exciting has happened. I am teaching. The progress in this city is slow, but we are making it.
Oh, there was something last week noteworthy. I had my first zone conference. I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot, and I got to talk with my mission president once more, and in Portuguese. Believe it or not I am actually finally starting to get a hold of the language. I just need now to learn more vocab and work on pronunciation then I will be like a really Brasileiro. But forming my thoughts is coming much more quickly. I am really loving it.
This here have cooled down some. Most of last week it rained, and when I say it rained, it truly rain. It rained every day with out fail and most off the day. There was only 10 hours one day when it was not raining. But I liked it. I finally got to use that rain coat. It works great by the way.
Well life rolls on. I will talk to you all later.
Love,
Elder Caleb S. Carriere
My Companion, Trainer and other stuff....
Elder Zequini
Sleeping
This is what we do to Companions (house guests) we don't like. BEWARE
It is on fire, if you look really hard you can see the flame right about its chest.
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