Week 43 Letter

Monday, December 26, 2011

Hey family, thanks for the email.  Well, first things first.  The pudding... it was Cameron, no just kidding.  I did eat some of the pudding.  I was always meaning to repent about that before my mission, but I kinda forgot, but while I am repenting, I think that you probably found some root beer cans too.  Wow, long time ago.  So I repent for the pudding but as far as the root beer, I am not sure that I have repented fully because in my condition now, I think that I would take some more... I miss root beer man!  It was so great to talk with you all yesterday.  I still cannot believe that I was talking with an accent.  I hear all the other Americans talking with an accent, but I thought that I was still talking normal.  Sorry if it was painful.  I will try to train a little but for mother´s day, which is already coming up.  Time is so fast on the mission.  So, I hope that you all have a great Christmas today.  Oh yeah, also, as far as the transfers go, Elder Santana and I are staying in Ji-Parana together.  This will be his last transfer, so as we say in the mission, he is dying.  It is hard to kill a missionary, but I will try my best to help him leave the mission on a strong note and to learn as well what it is that I should learn.  I am learning so much every day.  I am really happy to stay in the area because we are teaching some really great people and I always hate leaving the area.  Maybe I will luck out and stay another after this because my companion will go home and I do not think that President will want to put two new missionaries in the area alone that do not know the area, the people, the members, or anything.  So, maybe I will luck out and stay a little longer because I loving it.  If not, my next area will become my next favorite area.  it has been this way since the beginning.  Tony, how much do you weigh?  You were looking ripped out of you mind man.   So, all in all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you.  I love you all and I am so glad that we were able to talk yesterday.  You are all so good looking and grown up.  I love all of you and have a great week!  Love Elder Lee

PS I am sending some pics to you.  I will try to take them more often mom, because I know that you like to see them.  I love you!!


Davylla was baptized two weeks ago.

Kids in the Branch

Mateus and Stephenie were also baptized two weeks ago.

The branch rented this trampoline and Shane is teaching Elder Santana to do a flip

The Mango tree by the trampoline

That's Shane's hand in the mango tree

Davylla's family

PS answers to your questions –

135 is big for tony.  I weigh 70 kilos.  I don’t know what that is in pounds.  (mom’s edit – 70 kilos is 154 pounds)   I think I must be getting fat because all my clothes still fit so I must not be growing taller.  (another of mom’s edits – if his clothes still fit, he is still a 30 and he is putting on muscle as you can see in his pics)  The family I was with to skype you is a nice family but not exactly humble.  they are rich for brasil and the wife has had a problem running members out of the church and getting in the way of baptism, but she has been better.  At lunch one time I shared a message about milk and meat, and I built her up and at the same time taught how she, as ready and prepared as she is, cannot give meat to babies in the church.  They really are a nice family though and are always nice to us.  She likes me a lot and wants her daughter to marry me.  I think that it is just because    she thinks that we are rich though.  But  no worries.  From time to time girls ask me if I could return and marry a brazilian and my answer is that I could never marry somebody that I met on the mission because if would be too weird.  that is so tight about the air soft guns!  Brazilians think that we a crazy because we like stuff like this,    hahaha.  You will have to have one waiting for me next christmas for when I get home and jump in the front lines. Lol  And of course I remember ms martin.  I was the first to have her in the family.  She was my second grade       teacher.  I sure love her.  She was awesome.  Tell her that I said hi and wish her happy             holidays.  I gotta go, but I love all of you and have a great christmas and new year!!!!

Week 42 Letter

Monday, December 19, 2011
hey mom, 
sorry that I left but we had to go to lunch.  I will look at the skype account and get everything figured out.  I have permission to email and even call you if nessecary saterday to make sure that everything is ready.  So, saterday, keep an eye on the email and I will give you an update with a number and everything.  I will skype from a house of a member because it us sunday so president does not want in us a lan house.  Anyways, this week was good although one of our marked baptisms had to do an emergency move out of the city and the other was out of town because of a family crises.  Satan works hard but everything will work out.  This week we are excited to baptize on christmas day.  So today has been a great p day.  Some members of the branch all pitched in money to rent a trampoline, my idea, and we are having a good time.  We even have some investigators here so it is super awesome.  I am missiing tony though, I have to say.  We would do some pretty sick stuff man.  Anyways, I forget what I have told you because the transfer has been pretty crazy busy, but this transfer we baptized Douglas, Davylla, Mateus, and Stephenie.  It has been awesome, and we are ready to baptize some more this week.  I am so excited.  Also, the president is really excited about our work in the reopening area and has some exciting goals and plans.  Elder Santana is doing great and is finishing the mission strong.  We are super good friends.  I think that he is my best friend of all of my companions.  He is awesome and will be a great returned missionary.  Also, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday mom.  I know that it is late, but all the same, I though of you and I am realizing more and more everyday just how blessed I am to have you for my mom.  There are only 11 other people in this world that has a mom like you.  Thank you for everything that you did for me and everything that you are doing.  If I could give you one thing on you birthday, it would me my love and the knowledge that you work is being carried on here in Brazil.  As much as I prepared for my mission, the preperation that is making the most difference is the preperation that you invested in me.  I love you mom, and I am so thankful that you love me.  When I think of you, I remember the words of Paul in the last two verses of Romans 8 when he was explaining the love of our Heavenly Father and his Beloved Son.  I could feel that love every time that I looked into you eyes and I can still feel that love everytime I read your letters. Thank you so much mommy and Happy Birthday from your indebted son, Elder Shane Burnham Lee.

PS  I gotta go already because we are doing a fhe here with some members and investigators.  I am excited.  So, sorry about the crazyness, and I really will do better the next transfer with writing.  It is just that we have already lost two weeks of the transfer because of the meeting with elder bednar and the conference in cuiaba.  I will write saterday and I will have everything figured out already.  Thank you so much mom for you patience and I really love you.

Week 41 Letter

Thursday, December 15, 2011
Hey mom,
Sorry that I did not write this week until now, but it is because we were traveling to Cuiaba for the Christmas conference.  It happened Tuesday so we left Monday at 2 00 am to arrive late Monday night.  Long bus ride, but I am sure glad to be back in the area and back to work.  Oh yeah, to let you know because I have not told you yet, we baptized an 8 year old girl who has been going to church for a year with her active sister. Her mom did not want to let her get baptized until she was 12, although many missionaries tried.  We were blessed to be in the right place at the right time.  We talked to her and she let Davylla be baptized and both her and her ex husband were at the baptism and then at church for the confirmation which also was the primary program and Davylla was the star with the most parts and knew all of the songs better than any other primary child.  It was awesome and the parents are much more open about the church.  Also, sunday we baptized another 8 and 12 year old, Mateus and Stepheni, and this week we will teach and baptize the other brother to complete the returning to church family.  The kids were living with their dad, who is a non member but they are now living with the member mom and the member step father who are returning to church and the step father baptized them both which was awesome.  We are working hard here and we have a lot of people to teach which is awesome.  We are really being blessed.  Also, thank you so much for the packages.  I recieved the two for the b day and christmas.  It really made me feel at home, and I was really touched that you sent a stocking of my companion.  He was really touched also, and he is excited to thank you when we call on christmas.  it really meant a lot to him and it was a reminder to me just how thoughful my mom is.  I sure love you mom!  Anyways, are you there right now?  We need to plan the christmas call home.  I am allowed to use skype.  I will try to use a computer of a member to skypé you, but I do not have a membership, so send me yours our shiloh´s so that I can use one of them and you can use the other.
I love you - Shane

Week 40

Monday, December 5, 2011

Hello my family!

Thank you all so much for all of my birthday emails!  I am so thankful that I was born into such a family.  I have the best family in the whole world.  Thank you all so much.  20 years have arrived and it does not seem real.  I remember being 12 and thinking that the day would never come, and now that it is here I am thinking that 40 will never come... do you think that there is a pattern in this... neeeh.  So, how are all of you?  I am doing well.  I have all set in the area and I am loving it.  Our baptism for this week fell through.  Wanderleia is an 18 year old girl that has the desire to do what is right and wants to be baptized, but her mom arrived home Saturday and from the moment that she arrived, Wanderleia has become less firm in her decision.  We are going to go over there tomorrow and sit down with her and her mom and get everything figured out.  We have a lot of people to teach this week which is good.  We have been in need.  The members are getting excited and helping more now.  I am excited to get to work and p day has become almost a drag to me.  I just want to teach and baptize now a days (does that work in English).  I had a great b day yesterday.  The branch did a party for me and another investigator who needs to get married and has the same b day.  It was fun.  It is amazing that I come arrive in an area and gain so much love from people.  Only in this church is that possible.  It is so incredible.  They even made a cake for each of us.  What great people.  I am well taken care of here mom, no worries.  What else, that is about it.  We are teaching a lot of people although marriage always seems to be a problem.  We are becoming match makers it seems like. So, that about sums up the week.  Elder Santana is doing great, although from time to time he gets eager to get home.  He only has 2 months left on the mission.  I think that it is normal and he is doing great.  I hope that I am the kind of missionary who has the best 2 transfers in the last 2 transfers.  He is awesome though and we get along great.  Super good friends.  So, there it is in an email, but I love all of you and wish you all a great week.  Mom, I do not know if I will be here for Christmas or if we will have transfers because transfer day falls on Christmas, but I do not know if president will do it early or after because he wants to send the returning missionaries home because Christmas.  We have a conference before I think so I will be able to let you know and plan the phone call home.  I hope that I will be able to speak English with you.  Anyway, I love you all and have a great week!!!

Hey, sorry about that, the power went out here and we ate lunch.  I am at a member’s house.  It is raining like crazy here, but that is normal.  It is the rain season.  It rains really hard for a couple of hours and then gets really hot and humid.  Yeah, because of the rain.  I am serious, when it rains it rains and it never rains without lightning and thunder.  It is crazy.  Power is always going out.  Everybody just gets use to it.  They all have candles and matches, including restaurants because it is so normal here.  Ji Parana is kind of known for this.  It is also really hot, although unlike Cuiaba, it cools down during the night.  I did see the blog, although I did not have sound for the videos, I do not know why.  Our problem is that we do not have money to use a lan house because Elder Santana left his wallet in Cuiaba with his money and cards and so we have been living off my money and really having to cut back on living expenses.  I gotta run, but I love you and next week on Tuesday I will be in Cuiaba for the Christmas conference so maybe I will get my packages and letters.  Love you and have a great week.  If you need to send something important, you can because I might be able to jump back later today.  Love you!!!

Love, Elder Lee

Week 39 Letter

Monday, November 28, 2011

Sounds like you had a great week. We had a good week too, although I am a little bummed that I did not get to play football, but I guess that there a many more turkey bowls to come, right? I am hoping to play a little bit today. I am going crazy without some sports in my life.  Today I think that we are going to play bats, a game like baseball, but because all of the equipment is a lot of money they play bats which is like cricket, using some kind of ball, a 2 x 4 board and a 2 liter pop bottle as home plate. Something like that. I have never played, but I have seen it on the streets. This week we also had a baptism.  Douglas, a friend of a member was baptized and confirmed this week. Elder Santana baptized him and I confirmed him. It was awesome. He is a great guy. He is 16 years old, and he is really excited about the idea of serving for a mission. He is really cool.  

Also, we have a baptism marked with an 18 year old girl for this Sunday so we will work with her this week. What else is there to report? I love the new area. The people here have been missing missionaries so they were really excited to have us. Also, the city is big.  It is not like our city, much older looking but it is improving quickly. It is a big area for just 2 missionaries but we are doing our best. We have to walk a lot, but God is blessing us greatly with success. For example, to walk to the house of the kid we baptized we have to walk about an hour and a half. It is a lot in the sun. There is a lot of sun here. Sometimes I think that it is hotter than Cuiaba. It is also really humid. Luckily, it cools down during the night which is different than Cuiaba. But all the same, it is hot here. It is super far north man. Awesome though. So, what else... I think that that about sums it up. Oh, and this member whom I am with right now is Val, she has two daughters and she is in a wheel chair.  She is so awesome, and she helps us so much. She has ton of references and she likes to go out with us to teach people which is a huge help. She says that I am the first American that she completely trusts to push her in her chair on the street. Hahaha.  I wonder what happened with the other Americans that were here... but she is awesome, a mom to everybody in the branch and to all of the missionaries. You would love her mom, and she already loves you. So, that about sums up my week. I am really excited to continue working here and doing all that I can in this area. I think that I am going to get transferred the next because it will be the last transfer for Elder Santana, but I am going to enjoy these next few weeks and work hard. So, I love all of you and I am glad that you are all doing well. Have a great week, and I look forward to hearing from you all again.

Love Elder Lee!

Week 38 Letter

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Alright, I am here in Ji Parana but it was complicated getting here.  The secretaries, other missionaries assigned to be secretaries got us a flight to Ji Parana because it is super far away.  So that they did not tell us anything and left us without a cell, and what they did tell us was wrong.  They said that the flight was taking off at 9 30 to 10 but it left before 9 00 and so we missed it and then we ended up taking a bus that night, which was really 2 00 in the morning but the bus did not arrive until 4 00 in the morning and we traveled to Ji Parana which is over 20 hours of bus time.  We arrived the next night at about midnight or a little later.  Still, we are without a cell which is complicated and also with limited money because Elder Santana left his wallet with his money and card in Cuiaba.  So, that is the story.  Yesterday we could not enter the email site or any site of the church which was weird.  It looked like it was all closed down, so this is why we are emailing now, although we have very limited time because we are running to a family home evening of the branch here.  Right now, by the way is 6 30 pm.  The hour changed here because we moved states and they go of the time in Brasilia I think.  So, there it is in a paragraph.

I could not watch the video you sent because we are using a computer of a member and it is really slow.  I am in an apartment here and Elder Santana and I are the only ones here which means that we have a lot of area to cover which means we have to walk a lot.  Elder Santana served here a year and 2 months ago, so he already knows some of the members but with investigators we are starting over, but we are excited and the members are excited that missionaries are returning.  We are working really hard for a baptism this week.  We already have some possibilities, but we have not closed anything yet.  We are still trying to contact people and have not had a lot of luck.  Anyway, Friday the missionaries in Matto Grosso, the state (one of the three states in my mission) had a special meeting with Elder Bednar which was awesome.  I loved it and learned a lot.  He is an apostle of Jesus Christ.  It was so cool and he is a great teacher and he says it as it is.  It was awesome.

Well, I am off, so that is it until next week. But I love you and wish you a great week.  Love you mom!!!

Elder Lee

Week 37 Letter

Monday, November 14, 2011

Hey family, 
Another week has flown by and this week took the rest of this transfer with it.  I think that this transfer was the fasted transfer of the mission for me.  We had a great transfer.  This week we worked hard, but a lot of the work happened outside of the area trying to help other missionaries that were not having the successes that we have been having.  We did have a baptism marked for this Sunday, but it fell through because Rudolf has not talked to his mom yet who lives in Spain.  We will help him this week.  I am not completely convinced that this is the only problem, but we will see.  This Sunday we had 3 investigators but also a lot of less actives and recent converts that have fell off the wagon a little bit.  Also, this Sunday Waldo was confirmed which was awesome.  He is doing great.  What else happened this week... we have started teaching a lot of new people and therefore I am really excited that I get to stay in the area for one more week to work with them some more.  The other day we were teaching a 19 year old girl in the house of a member that we reactivated and she said, hey, have you ever stopped and just thought to yourself, what church is really the true church?  It was awesome.  We are going to teach her some more tomorrow. She lives with her mom and 2 brothers so we are also excited to get to know them.  Wow, this letter was really short, but that really is all that I can think of at the moment.  I am really excited to learn from elder Bednar this week.  He is going to do a night with married couples, single adults, missionaries, and everyone.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Friday will be a special meeting with the missionaries and so I am really excited for that.  We are also doing a lot of inviting of investigators and less actives because this is a perfect opportunity to get them back to church.  The church is growing rapidly here in my mission, but especially in Cuiaba this last month.  They have had a lot of baptisms and less actives returning to church.  It is awesome to have had the opportunity to work here, but I am really excited about my new area too.  It is way north, close to the amazons and it looks like a large city which means more people which I think is good.  Also there is a river, which means crocs, and maybe on p-day we will do a little fishing.  That will be fun.  So, that is my week in a letter, but I love all of you and hope that you all have a great week with Shiloh and Addy, and the next is bound to be good with Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for all of you!!!  I love you all.
Elder Lee
P.S. the other day I convinced somebody that I was in the FBI and this was why I could not reveal my first name, and for evidence I showed the scar on my arm and said that I could tell the details.  Everybody believed me because apparently anything is possible; they are talking to an American. Hahaha

PS - We did get our transfer calls last night.  I am being shipped out and my companion is staying here.  I am going to serve in an area way north, more north than my first area Sino.  It is called Ji Paraná.  I think that you will be able to find it on the internet.  My companion will be Elder Santanás, whom I have never met before, but I here that he is a great guy, but he has hit a point on his mission where he is unexcited and not working well and frustrated.  I am excited to help him.  I know that I am ready to be the senior companion right now, and my leaders in the district and zone told me that they really though that I would be this transfer, but I feel like I am needed to help this missionary.  I am also really excited about the area because it has a lot of natives to Brazil and we will be reopening this area after it has been closed for a long time and so it should be awesome.  We will start with nothing but the Lord will provide for us.  As for this week, President promised me that I would be able to go to the stake meeting with Elder Bednar so I am staying here in Morada da Serra in Cuiaba for this week and I will go to my other area next week.  I am excited to have another week here to work some more with some people that I have been helping and preparing for baptism.

Week 36 Letter

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hello Family,
So, this week was great and I am excited to start another great week.  This week I had the opportunity to baptize Waldo (Valdo is how you say it) and he is awesome.  He also has a really cool story.  On morning, I and another 3 missionaries were waiting to take a bus to the center for a district meeting when he approached us and asked for an Elder Lee, an American missionary.  I stood up from the bench and introduced myself, and asked how I could help him.  He introduced himself as a historian and professor in the University that we have here in Cuiaba and said that somebody told him of an Elder Lee that has a material that teaches about the natives of Cuiaba, and that he was interested because he is currently working on a project of the history of Cuiaba.  (I do not know who mentioned my name to him, but I think that it was probably a contact that I did on the bus or something).  I smiled as I saw the opportunity to teach a new investigator and told him that I indeed do have this material and that I would like to present it and introduce it to him in his home were we would have more time to discuss everything.  He accepted my offer, gave me his address, and asked if I would be willing to do an interview with him on his television program that runs for an hour 4 days a week.  I told him to wait to hear what I had to say about my so called material and afterwards we would discuss doing an interview.  He seemed content and jumped on his bus to go to the university.  I returned my attention to the other missionaries who were all laughing at what had occurred.  I must admit that it would seem rather humorous.  Anyways. I found his house that night to pay the promised visit.  I was doing a teaching division with Elder De Abriu, a Brazilian missionary that is 3 months into his mission.  We found his house and Waldo eagerly invited us in.  After discussing his day I asked him, so, what is it exactly that you are expecting of us tonight.  Once again he talked about this material and his project in which he is involved.  I once again confirmed that I do have this so called material, and that it is a book, but I said, Waldo, you must understand that I know that this book is true, and this book really does contain the history of the natives of brazil, and the America in general, but you should also understand that nobody can prove this book false and I will not try to prove that it is true.  This book is a volume of scripture that can only be appreciated if read from a spiritual point of view, and the truthfulness of this book can only be revealed by the power of God.  Waldo understood well, and from this point everything changed.  Waldo became much more interested in his spiritual wellbeing than his project that had previously consumed in expectations of us.  We taught a powerful lesson of the restoration of the gospel and church of Jesus Christ.  I remember that towards the close of the lesson he asked, so Elder Lee, you are saying that this is the only true church on the earth today, and only this church truly has the power and authority of God?  I felt the Spirit speak through me as I replied, Yes brother Waldo, that is exactly what we are saying.  Now that you understand our message to the world, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ in being baptized by his authority that is once again on the earth?  He firmly and quickly responded, yes, I will, and again after moment, yes, I will be baptized.  It was so awesome.  I continued to visit him again and again, ironically always on a split with an elder from a different area.  I found that he had been prepared.  He was living the commandments, he was ready to hear our message, and he was excited to join Christ´s church on the earth.  He is so awesome.  His baptism this Sunday was really cool, and he said that he felt so good. 

He is also really excited to work.  He told me the other day, I know that I am older (he is 49 buts looks like he could be under 40) but I want to work.  He also wants all of the books of the church because he wants to study and learn.  He will be a great help to the word.  I am going to talk with the bishop to put him to work.  Anyways, it was really awesome teaching him, and I am excited for him to be confirmed this Sunday.  So, that was for sure the highlight of the week.  Also, we are teaching many others and helping reactivate members that have been lost in the crowd.  This Sunday we had a full house that went into the overflow.  We had 5 investigators and at least 10 less actives from my area.  I was so happy to see everybody there.  The ward is becoming very excited about the missionary effort.  This Sunday is as of right now already promising to be even better.  That catches you up with me, so until next time.  I love all of you and I am so thankful for your prayers and your letters.  Have a great week!
Com amor, Elder Lee

Week 35 Letter

Hello my family!
So, everything here is great.  We have received some new instruction at the beginning of the week of how President Oliveira would like us to work.  We are now to work much more with recent converts and less active (or non-active) members.  We have been doing that this week.  We have already reactivated one family here in the area and we are looking at helping many more.  There are a lot of people who have been baptized in the last 2 years, but have been lost in the rush it seems.  We have started to look for, find, and teach them.  It has been good.  Sadly, this week was a rough week with getting people to church Sunday.  We did have 3 investigators but we were planning on much more.  We even tried to pick them up as planned, but many were sick or not home.  We will try to contact them this week again.  Elder Aidukaitis is great and we are working hard.  We are also having to walk a lot though because we are finding that area is huge.  Before we have been trying to focus on one area, but now that we are working from a list of less actives and recent converts we have been all over the area.  But it is good.  I often think that missionaries focus so much on baptisms that they forget about leaving them well embraced in the arms of the members.  Unlike our stake and ward, here the members need some help and guidance when it comes to retaining baptisms.  But I am really enjoying the work.  Also, working with less actives will help us find people that are ready to hear our message and show their faith by entering the waters of baptism.  So, I am really excited to get to work this week and really get my hands dirty.  So, that about sums everything up.  It really seems like I have just written to all of you yesterday and not last week.  Time flies when you are having fun.  So, I love all of you and wish you all a happy Halloween and a great week!
Love Elder Lee

Week 34 Letter

Monday, October 24, 2011

Hello everyone!
I hope that you all had a great week.  I know that I did.  So, to start off, Saturday was the baptism and confirmation of Ponciano Papa da Arruda, the older man that dreamed of the temple.  It was so awesome, and there was such a strong spirit there.  He was super happy and excited.  We started off the meeting, and when it was his time to do the ordinance of baptism, his son Luiz and I helped him slowly walk into the water from his wheel chair (he is not able to walk along, and even with help he is not able to move a lot), Brother Luiz took him by the shoulders and I was behind him helping to support him but also moving his legs for him with my hands.  After he got into the water, Elder Aidukaites preformed the ordinance and I helped him lower Ponciano into the water and helped him lift him out of the water again.  Ponciano was smiling from ear to ear but he could not get his footing again, so I lifted him up, one hand behind his back, and the other under his knees and carried him out of the font and into his wheel chair.  Then I had the honor of confirming him a member of the church.  What a great experience.  He was so happy, and he truly understood everything that happened and more.  Afterwards Brother Luiz told me that his dad, when they arrived home, made the comment that he knows why he was not able to walk.  It was because he was so weighed down by his sins, but knows that he has been baptized and repented of all of his sins, he said that he felt like he could more than walk, but that he could fly.  He is such a neat and special person.  Also, it was a great experience for Brother Luiz, he was the only member in his family for all of his life, but he was able to see his dad be baptized for a remission of sins and then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  What a neat experience for both of them and for us as missionaries.  Really awesome.  Also, this week we have taught a lot and have met more of the members.  They are excited to give referrals now that we have been baptizing people.  It should be good.  So, everything is good and exciting, and to be honest, I cannot wait for p day to end so that we can get back to work.  I am ready for another good week.  Oh, yeah, and I will attach a photo of the baptism as well.  

So, that about sums up the week.  A lot going on and a lot of things exciting are happening.  Life is good and the work is great.  So, I guess I will let you all go, but I do want you to know that I love every one of you and i pray for all of you many times a day and I can feel your prayers in me mission.  Have a great week and an upcoming Halloween!!  Love Elder Lee!

Dad,

I really love hearing from you dad.  I also miss really hearing your voice, but the letters help a lot.  To answer your questions about conference, there was a full chapel, and about half a gym, although in reality, it is not a gym, it is just another class room because the brazil government will not allow the church to put indoor gyms in the church building anymore, I have not idea way,  but there was a good turnout.  I do have to tell you though,  I gained an appriciation for your conferences.  In this conference Pres and Sister Oliveira spoke, and it was great, but afterwards the stake pres and councilor spoke and all of the missionaries were praying that there invistigators were taking things the right way and sometimes even not listening.  The church is new in Cuiaba, and it is growing rapidly, and the church is always the same, but the people are also new, and the people are also different.  It turned out okay, although we did have to explain a lot to our invistigators and even apologize for some of the things said.  But the work is great and the fruits are many.  President Oliveira has a vision of creating a new stake while he is here, or at least leaving everything ready for a new stake.  We have to stakes in Matto Grosso (the state) and they are both in Cuiaba.  We are really trying to push the work along.  It is awesome to be part of his plan.  My mission President to so awesome!  Really great man and super spiritual and he loves the work.  He was a bisop of an area that my MTC teacher served in during his mission in Recife. I am glad that Ryan like my letter.  I sure miss all of them, but I cannot believe how fast they are growing up.  Somebody the otherday did not believe that my siblings hardly never fight, and I did not know how to explain to them how close we really are.  I simply said, my family is the most important thing to me and all of them have always been my best friends in the world.  I am so blessed to have all of you.  Thanks for the letter dad and have a great week.  I love you.  Elder Lee

Week 33 Letter

Monday, October 17, 2011

Hey Ryan, it is Shane!  Dude, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday and let you know that I am thinking about you. What an awesome week!  You are having a birthday and you are an uncle!  You are getting so big.  I miss you a ton my little man.  I think about all of the fun things that we did together.  I want you to know that I am so proud of you and everything that you are doing.  I am so happy that I will always be your brother, forever and ever.  We will always be buddies.  Have a great birthday and let me know how it was in an email to me.  I love you Ryan, and you are the man.  From your missionary brother Elder Lee

Hello my family of new uncles and aunts, and even grandparents!
How are all of you?!  To let you know a little about how I am, I am great.  I am loving the new area.  Cuiaba is super hot, and it doesn´t cool down at night.  Also, it thunders, lightning, and rains almost every day for about an hour or two and afterwards, it is even hotter because of the hot water in the air.  It can get super stuffy.  Anyways, the people here are great.  I still do not know everybody.  Part of the problem is that first Sunday I had to stay home from church because Elder Brandão was sick and this last Sunday we had stake conference so everybody in Cuiaba was there and so I did not know who was in our ward and who was in other wards.  But, we are working hard and working smart.  I am super excited about this.  Yesterday we baptized a 9 year old girl and this transfer we reactivated her family, mom and sister who have already been baptized but have not been to church for a really long time.  They are great people.  

We want to baptize the dad too, but they are not legally married and the mom has to get a divorce first, so the process is a little complicated.  But it was super fun to work with them and then see them get excited about the gospel again, return to church, and baptize the little girl.  They are a great family.  Also, we have a baptism marked for this Saturday.  The father of a member is really old and getting ready to pass on to the other side.  He was never baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ because he is Catholic and felt attached.  But, one night he dreamed of him and his wife in the temple, a very specific and vivid dream that involves much of what happens in the temple.  His son, who is a member and has served a mission, helped explain what his dream was.  His father now wants to be baptized, feeling that this is the only way to make his dream a reality.  He has been prepared.  How incredible.  He will be baptized this Saturday and confirmed the following Sunday.  Also, we are excited about another family that went to stake conference yesterday.  The family consists of a mom, dad, and 2 daughters 18 and 17 (the dad did not go to conference because of work).  They are really religious in the Baptist church and really like their church, but they also have a lot of questions about our faith.  We invited them to conference and they came and tonight we will teach the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ to them.  I am really excited.  SO, things are going really well here.  We are teaching and working a lot, and we are working smart.  Super awesome.  So, that is what is going on here.  Work and results, which is always a blessing.  I will try to send some pics of the baptism.  So, that about sums everything up for the week.  So, I think to end this letter, I will let you know about something that I have been thinking about a lot lately.  I have been reading in the Doctrine and Covenants and I have learned a lesson over the sections therein.  The lesson is this, God gives line upon line and precept upon precept in his time and in his way.  A lesson simple, but so often not completely understood.  What does it mean in his time and in his way.  Time is simple enough.  God will give us line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little on his time table, when he feels that we are prepared, ready, or when the time is best suited to help us.  Often, it is not when we want or when we expect, but the promise is the same.  He will give if we are searching.  Ask, and ye will receive, knock, and it will be opened unto you (D&C 4:7).  But now, what about in his way?  Often line upon line and precept upon precept is given by the power of the Holy Ghost, who will tell you in your mind and in your heart (D&C 8:2). But, something that I found is that his way means more than the way that he sends the message to you. It also means the form.  What is line upon line, precept upon precept?  I think that God can send line upon line and precept upon precept in the form of simple revelation, a yes or no answer to a question.  For example, is the Book of Mormon true, do I need to be baptized, was Joseph Smith really a true prophet called of God?  All of these questions bring out a yes or no answer.  Also, I believe that there are other forms.  For example, the question of young Joseph Smith, what is to be done?  How did God answer this question?  The answer came from text of holy scripture that entered the heart of the young boy by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Often, line upon line and precept upon precept comes from the scriptures that are made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Another form that I have found in my personal study is in the form of confirmation.  As the experience of Oliver Cowdrey in asking for a more sure knowledge, God asked him to cast his mind to his earlier conversion, the night that he was comforted with a spiritual experience and witness.  I think that it is also important to note that this answer from God came to Oliver by the voice of Joseph Smith who likely did not know of Oliver’s personal experience.  Remember in James 1:5,  that God will give liberally and not upbraid.  There are many forms that God gives line upon line and precept upon precept.  It is always in his way.  Another form that I have seen many times in my study of the Doctrine and Covenants is in the form of commandments.  Often, people do not see commandments as the blessing that they really are.  Just as the early church was constantly looking for instruction and direction, I as a missionary am always searching for instruction for the Lord, and, as sons and daughters of God, we should always be looking for his council and instruction.  What a blessing; that God will give us the instruction that we need.  How often should we ask, what is to be done?  I am so thankful for commandments, and we should always be seeking more commandments from our Heavenly Father.  With every commandment comes a blessing that is predicated upon that commandment or law (D&C 130:20-21).  God will give line upon line and precept upon precept to those that are seeking his will and seeking to be in his service, but he will give line upon line and precept upon precept in his time and in his way.  My testimony is that if we are seeking and knocking, we will receive and the mysteries of the kingdom will be opened to us, but we need to seek and knock with a heart and mind willing and ready to receive the instruction, council, and answers in the time and way of our loving and all- knowing Heavenly Father.  I share this testimony with you, humbly baring witness that I know for myself, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Lee

p.s., the time here changed.  We lost an hour yesterday, so right now it is 11 30 am.  So, I gotta go, but I love you all, and have a great week.  Until then, tchãu!

Week 32 Letter

Monday, October 10, 2011

Hey everyone! 

Well, first week of the transfer felt more like a first day.  My area is in Cuiaba, just a little outside of the city center.  It is called Marada da Serra.  Elder Aidukaitis and I are opening this area, and so we are started new.  We still do not know a lot of people here and are working hard to find people to teach.  We now have our feet firmly planted on the ground and we are loving the area.  It is a lot bigger than any of my other areas as far as people.  Tons of people and this area has tons of potential.  We are both really excited.  Also, I already know that Elder Aidukaitis is going to be one of my favorite companions.  He is a go getter and he has desires to work and serve.  We were already good friends so it is great working with him.  We are also really working on the little things this transfer that will help us be better missionaries.  We are going to try new things and do a lot of experimenting to see what works and what doesn´t.  I know that I am going to grow a lot as a missionary this transfer.  Anyways, this week we taught a lot, and we know that we will teach even more this week because we have learned the area and know more people and have more investigators.  This area is big, but we are going to try to focus our efforts in a couple of areas this transfer because it does not work to walk to one side of the area to the other every day.  We would do more walking than teaching and nobody likes that.  Also, we are living with the zone leaders, Elder Brandão and Elder Oakerman who are awesome.  They are great missionaries and great people.  They will help us grow as well.  My Portugues apparently has improved a lot.  It is hard to tell at this point in the mission if I am improving.  I could already say just about anything that I wanted.  It is just a matter of losing the American accent and picking up some Brazilian accent.  But, with a switch of transfer, everybody comments on how your Portuguese is.  This transfer everybody in the area has been amazed and comments that my Portuguese is great.  It is funny though because if I do not say anything other than the usual yes, good morning, how are you, people think I am Brazilian, and Elder Aidukaitis looks more American than I do, so it is funny.  The other day we did a contact with somebody from Mexico who was new to Brazil and so asked me if I spoke Spanish and if I was from Mexico.  Funny that I understood because she asked in Spanish because she does not speak Portuguese but I understood everything almost perfectly and I answered in Spanish/Portuguese but she understood.  Ha, just a little funny.  Anyways, everything here is great and I am super excited.  Wow, Cuiaba is super hot and it never cools down.  The nights keep in the 30 plus C and the days are burning hot.  Also, it has rained for about an hour every day, thunderstorms and everything, but only for an hour per day, and I swear that i am not kidding when I say that the rain is actually hot water.  The water from the faucet is always hot too.  Super hot here, so it is weird to hear that Shiloh has snow.  I am pretty sure that I would die in the snow right now because I am use to the hot.  Well, we will see when I get home from the Brazilian summer to the Spokane´s winter.  So, everything is great, and the work is better.  I am loving the area, the companion, and the people.  Not a lot of snakes or alligators, but there are a lot of stray dogs and lizards.  Hey, also, in Lucas after I left my ex companion found a dead alligator that an anaconda tried to eat but spit out.  Mom, it looks like your prayers have been answered as I was not there.  Anyway, I love all of you, and I cannot wait to hear from you all again next week.  Have a great week and until later

Elder Lee

Mom,

I’ll answer your questions but before I forget, do you think that you could send another package to me...?  I am jealous of your weather.  It is burning here.  Man, it is hot.  I am sweating nonstop!  Anyways, I was just talking about hockey with my companion.  I miss sports, but I think that I am going to play some basketball today, which should subside my craving for sports.  It has been a while.  I need you to send me retainers for my teeth.  Dr Bates kept the impressions.  My upper retainer broke this week.

My mission president will leave when I have about 8 months left, so I will have two presidents in my mission.  I will try to take some picks this week for you.  I left my camera at the house today, but I promise to send more pics next week.  My package hasn’t come yet but I think that it should come anytime.  It may already be in the mission office.  If so, I should get it this week.  I think that I am there every Wednesday.  I am not actually in the office, but I am in the church building on the same block doing district meetings there.  So, i can run in and check.  Well, I gotta run, but I love you mom and have a great week.  I think that I might get the letter this week and the package so I will let you know next week if I got it.  Have a great week!  May the force be with you!

Week 31 Letter

Tuesday, October 3, 2011

Hello everyone, I am now in Cuiaba serving with an elder from rio de janeiro named Elder Aidukaitis (pronounce it like this, I do kites).  I had already known him because he was in my zone in Sorriso.  He is great, and he will be a good senior.  He is excited, outgoing, and likes to baptize, although he also likes to goof around a little and rules have less meaning to him.  He speaks some English and understands well, but I cannot get myself to speak in English.  I guess that I like Portuguese too much.  Anyways, we are living with the zone leaders who are awesome and we are in zone Cuiaba.  It is a big city and it is really weird because I have not seen a decent sized city for 7 months.  It is twice the size of Spokane.  It is super hot, can be 48 degrees C, and it is dirty.  Everybody just throws everything on the road and the city hires sweepers to sweep, but it is always a mess. Anyways, I am really excited to be with my new companion although it is really sad to leave an old companion.  I sure liked Elder Leal.  I also was really sad to leave Lucas.  Thanks for the advice dad.  It is true that there is a temptation to try to not get attached because there really is heartache when you leave, but I know that I am here for a reason and I need to leave everything on the field.  Just like a race.  You can try to run a little slower and you think that you will feel better after, but there is an even better feeling when you leave everything on the track and afterwards you can barely walk but you are satisfied.  I am excited for this new transfer.  Also, I was thinking about everything that I did this last transfer.  We baptized two members who are super firm in the church, we reactivated 2 families and 3 other men, and we helped the branch become really excited about missionary work with both nonmembers and less actives.  President did put another companionship in Lucas and we left the branch with an attendance of over 50 people compared to the 25 that were at church when I arrived.  It was a good transfer.  Also, Elder Leal is now serving as the district leader.  I am really proud of him and his progress.  He is a great missionary.  I did not have the opportunity to watch conference because Lucas does not have the means to watch, so we had a normal sacrament meeting.  I will have to read it in the Liahona.  I am really excited to read it though.  They are incredible teachers.  Well, I think that that about sums everything up for this week.  Everything is fine and I am in the big city.  Hopefully I do not have any of the usual problems of thieves on the street.  Lucky for me, I look like a Brazilian.  Nobody knows or suspects that I am American until I speak, even the American missionaries that do not know me.  So, I think that I might get away lucky.  There was a joke that somebody told me.  I will try to translate for you.  The president of the US, Paraguay, and Brazil were in an airplane.  The pilot wanted to know how well they each knew their country so he asked them to put their hands out the window and speak up when they were above their countries.  Bush was the first to speak.  `Ah, this is my country.  I can feel the power and industry in the air.´   The pilot confirmed.  After, the President of Paraguay spoke `Ah, my country now.  I can feel the farm and crops in the air´  Again, the pilot confirmed.  After a while, the president of Brazil spoke `Yes, my country, I am 100 percent sure, without any doubt.´  Everyone was surprised with the so sure response.  To the pilot´s question of how he knew with so much assurity he said showing his wrist `Somebody stole my wrist watch´  Well, gotta end somehow and a punch line seems appropriate.  we are entering the rain season. give to me.  What a blessing you all are.  I  When it rains it comes down, but it rains hot water.  Seriously, really weird.  As answers to your questions, I have not got my package yet, but I think that it should arrive anytime.  Also, my p day is still Monday, and I did not watch conference because we did not have a way in Lucas so everybody has to read it in the church magazines.  I think that is about all of the questions you had.  I am living with one other companionship but in Cuiaba there are about 6 in my zone, the Cuiaba zone.  There are 2 stakes here, but I do not know how many wards.  We do not have a temple here.  The closest is near sao Paulo about 2 or 3 days by bus depending.  I do not know where the chapel is still, but i think that we live close to it.  The mission office is still a little ways away, but much closer.  This will be my good bye message for the week.  I want to let you know that I am grateful for both you and dad.  I know that my heavenly Father expects a lot      from me because I have been taught by goodly parents who have tasted of the fruit and called         me to come and partake.  I know that much is required because I do not doubt that my parents     know of Christ and his gospel and plan.  I am so thankful for my family and the power that they      love you.  Tchau for now and have a great week.

Shane

Week 30 Letter

Monday September 26, 2011

Hello my family!
Another week has flown by and once again I sat down to write and everything that has happened left my head.  We worked a lot this week and we found a new way to get investigators.  There is an English school called Wizard which has a Mormon owner (Brazilian) but there are also schools in the United States for other languages.  My companion went in last p day for information about English for dummies book prices and we started talking with the school manager.  We ended up teaching about the restoration and book of Mormon right there in her office.  We also marked a date to talk to her class to help them practice their English.  Ironically, I went and was looking to the teacher to confirm that I was speaking English right.  A little sad, I know, but we did pick up another 7 investigators and we went again to a different class Saturday and picked up yet again another 7 people.  So, we had a great contact week but our teaching week was not as good.  We had a hard time finding people home in general and we were forced to stay close to our house because Elder Leal has a wicked case of BOO (ask tony if you do not know what that means).  As a result, we did not have a good turnout at church, although in all honesty, we have 4 investigators who knew that they would not make it yesterday but are firm for the next Sunday, including the English teacher and her legal husband who are awesome people.  We did have a nonnative member return to church who we have been teaching and her husband (sadly not legally) but they are working towards marriage and afterwards his baptism.  We actually ate lunch with them yesterday.  They are great people and will be a great help to the church here in Lucas.  Junior is doing great!  His cell phone was stolen and he was out of town so we did not have a lot of contact with him this week but yesterday he get back into town about 4 in the afternoon so we visited with him and he is doing great.  He will be a branch president in the next year or two.  He is the man.  Also, yesterday we visited an inactive member in his 30s who had served a mission but has left the church.  He promised to be at church Sunday which is good.  He is actually new to Lucas but he already knows a couple members of the church from Cuiaba so everything is set.  What else happened this week... oh, we also found another anaconda skin in the lake, but this one is a little smaller, just less than 2 meters.  Anyways, everything is good and our branch has strengthened a ton, very noticeable, and our mission president is excited to put another companionship here to help with the work because everything has taken fire.  President Oliveira still does not know if he will be able to put another 2 missionaries here this next transfer or if he will have to wait until the next because we will have a shortage of missionaries because we have a big group going home this next week.  But, the branch is doing great.  We are trying to finish the transfer strong.  I have gained a love for Lucas and the people here, so it will be really sad if I have to leave, but if president Oliveira can put another companionship here there is a really good chance that I will stay a 3rd transfer and get a new companion because I already know the people and the area.  Cross your fingers for me.  Thank you all for all of your letters.  I loved reading them.  Sorry that I do not have time to write more than one email, but I do want you all to know that I love you all and I am always praying for you.  No, Halloween is really strange to them.  They think that it is so funny that Americans dress up ugly and go door to door for candy.  Maybe it is because the candy here is cough drops.  Anyways, that is just the people who know about Halloween, aka missionaries who have had American companions. 

On a Spiritual note, I have started reading D&C in Portuguese which has been great.  Everything seems new in a new language.  I have read up to section 48 and it was amazing to me how much about missionary work (directly) all of it was.  A manual for missionaries that has taught me a lot and I am eager to learn more.  The field is white and already to harvest.  The work is great and the laborers are few but I know that with the help of our Heavenly Father, all things we can do.  I love all of you and have a great week!!
Elder Lee

 Anyways, I love you, but I´ve gotta go and get back to work.  We have to buy more rice today.  Our shopping is usually rice, milk, flour, eggs, and juice mix.  Today I think that we just need rice and eggs.  Anyways, have a great week mom, and I will write again soon.

Elder Lee

Hey dad,

I just sent my email to the family, but to let you knew, we had a so so week.  Really, I feel that we had a success considering the circumstances.  Elder Leal was sick all week and had the runs so we had to stay close to the house.  I was sick too, but I did not have the runs which makes being sick much more pleasurable.  Anyways, we stayed close to the house in case of accidents.  He only had one, but we had 4 close calls which consisted of us walking briskly home and then me running a block ahead to open the door to the house and then to the bathroom while ran through the house with his pants down.  The least that I can do since I forced him out of bed and onto the street.  He pretends to be mad, but I can see that he is really proud of himself.  I really will miss him as my companion.  He has a history on the mission that is less than pretty because does not respect anybody, but for some reason he cares about what I think (maybe because I really like him) which has allowed is to grow together a lot.  We did have an investigator to church with his newly active wife whom we have been teaching.  They are not married legally but they are on the path and really excited.  They are great people.  Also, Junior, the guy that we baptized last Sunday is doing great which brings insurmountable joy.  He is the man and has a strong testimony.  That is about our week in a paragraph.  Thanks for the letter dad, and I want you to know that I sure love you.  I think about the lessons that you taught every day.  Sometimes they are lessons from seminary or institute, other times lessons in our everyday conversations that mean so much to me, and sometimes about the lessons that were taught without words.   I want you to know that your work is being carried to Brazil, and I am really hoping and striving to the missionary that I know that you were and are.  Thank you for everything and I am so glad that I have you and mom forever, but in the meantime, I am glad to be away and doing the work.  I do miss you all, but returning home will seem like a back on your heads moment.  The work here is amazing and I am so glad that God calls on the weak things of this world to be an instrument in such a work and glory, his work and his glory.  Have a great week dad!
Elder Lee