Week 16 Letter

June 20, 2011
Hello Family!
Another week flew by. I cannot believe that I have been on my mission for over 4 months! And now I believe that it has been 9 weeks in Brazil. That does not sound like a lot of time, but hey, just think, 9 scout camps. Yeah, anyone who has been to scout camp knows that 9 weeks is forever, but the past 9 weeks for me has gone by so fast! At the end of the next transfer it will be 6 months! Unbelievable! Well, were to start... I did not get my baptism, but we will continue for this next week. I will send the pics of the last baptism. Wow, with lessons and people, I do not even know were to begin. One lady that I have been teaching is ready to be baptized but needs to marry her husband legally. He is living in Cuiaba for work, but on day this week I found him here on a break. I talked with him and taught him the first lesson with Elder Reis (had a division). Because we were working my area I was the lead missionary because we are both juniors. He loved everything that we said. He is more excited about all of this then the wife which is not normal at all. It was really fun, but especially because I forgot that I was speaking Portuguese. I was teaching and speaking like I would in English. It felt so normal and right. It was really fun teaching and then laughing and visiting. We returned the next day, I was still with Elder Reis and taught about the faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Same thing; perfectly comfortable teaching and speaking in Portuguese. Afterwards, I committed him to be married legally and be baptized in order to receive the fullness of the blessings that I had taught. He eagerly agreed and will prepare everything in Cuiaba to be married, return to Sinop and be married and baptized with his wife. Also, we are about to start teaching a family of 8 which is really exciting. The family is a mom and kids. The dad is in prison in Cuiaba because he was an alcoholic and he beat his wife and kids. We taught the 14 year old daughter who came to church and she loved everything and really felt the spirit. Teaching many more oc course, including the sister of Rachid who we are hoping to baptize this week. I love being a missionary. Oh yeah, and yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about obedience, and how we are saved by grace after all that we can do, and how our faith (being true will include works and obedience) gives us access to the grace and healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It went well. I am becoming more and more comfortable with the langauge. It is awesome! I love Portugues! It is so pretty and really fun to speak and hear. Dad, Happy Father s Day! Sorry that it is a day late, but knowing how we celebrate birthdays, I figure a day late is still valid. Thank you for everything that you have done for me. Not a day goes by were I do not think of a lesson that you taught me, be it is a classroom setting or by example, or in our car rides together. I am so thankful to have been born of goodly parents, and truth be known, the best parents. Thank you so much! I love you all! Mom, I cannot believe that I might have 2 more brothers! I am so excited! I cannot even describe my feelings. I am really happy! The photos are super cute. Plus, Jet Lee just seems to have a ring to it. Well, I have gotta run, but I love all of you and thank you for your prayers. I can feel them. Até mais!
P.S. The photo with fire is because Elder Melo has finished his first year.

Week 15 Letter

June 6, 2011

Hey everyone! Well, I made it through the transfer and I am staying in my little branch in Sinop, which is exactly what I wanted to do. I love the people here. My new companion is Elder Melo, who was in our house during the last transfer working the other side. He speaks no English, which is exciting:) He is also the new district leader. We work well together, and we are staying busy. We have one couple working on marriage now, and the husband will be baptized shortly later. I am really excited for that. It will be great for the 3 little kids as well. They all love me, although I am not sure why. I think that it is because I talk funny. This Sunday I was asked to teach and handle the primary/nursery by myself for 2 hours. It made me think, hum, what would Shauna do? It was good. They all like me, which was a little problematic because they were became little excited monkeys, and so I was trying to teach the 6-9 year olds and entertain the 2-5 year olds. It was good though. They parents all like how much there kids like me. Anyways, the mission is great. We have big plans for baptizing this transfer, which I am really excited about. We also reactivated a large family who have now attended church 4 times are bore testimony this past Sunday (and I wore my silver tie Tony). It was great. My langauge is improving rapidly! I am understanding more and more, especially when teaching people. It is awesome. What seemed impossible has become possible and a reality through the Holy Ghost. It is so awesome. Everything is going great, and we are teaching really cool people. We contacted a guy on Saturday (college aged) and he could not believe that I was from the united states so I invited him to church. He came and brought a friend as well. I talked to them afterwards and they want us to stop by and teach them more. I am really excited. Also, we are helping a member’s husband prepare to be baptized. We only really talked with him once, but I am really excited. He is a great guy, and I think that he has seen the gospel bless his little family and his wife. It is great! The work is great, the fruits are great, and the harvest is wonderful.
So, how are all of you? I hope that you are all doing well and getting ready to finish off the school year. It is unreal how fast graduation came. I cannot believe that I have been on my mission for over 3 months! 3 and a half now! It is incredible. I feel like I need to get busy, time is running out. Well, I love you all and I look forward to your future emails. Love Elder Lee

Hey, I sent an email catching you up with everything, and I did get an email from Bro Schmauder. Let him know that I appreciated the email, and that he was a great help to me and my preparation. I do not think that I am allowed to email him, only to family, but if you get the message to him, that would be great.

Wow, that is great to hear. I love it when people grab on to the gospel and feel its power, and then decide that that is what they want despite of the temptations of the world.

Here are some pics. Tony, I really did wear me tie, and I have a pic to prove it. Also, I am not weak sauce yet, so you better not get lax and think that you can take me just because I come home an old fat man. Also here is a pic of the baptism of Fransielle. It was awesome. She is doing great, and she is excited to teach her parents when she returns home after college. Sorry that it is taking so long. The computers in this lan house look exactly like the first computer we had when I was a kid, and it is taking forever.

No problem. I miss teaching my class in the Havana words. I am right now sitting with a member, the one that I told you about who helps us out a lot. Willians. He is awesome. He is now preparing to serve a mission. He wants to say: “I am the older brother to Elder Lee now because he is my younger brother. I like you all a lot because his family is my family. You do not need to worry about him because he is with me. Wait, I am thinking. When Elder Lee returns home to the united states I will visit you all when I visit him. and... I am really excited to snowboard for the first time in the united states. That is about it. No news more, but see you later.”
He is awesome. Of course I was translating, but he does know some English from school and video games. He is awesome. He is 21 years old, and is attending college in Sinop, although he lives in Cuiaba.

Well gotta run, I love you all, and I hope that you have a great week. Love ya, Elder Lee

Week 14 Letter

May 30, 2011
Hey family!

Happy Memorial Day! I feel lucky, because although I am missing you, I know that I have help from our family on the other side. Yes, I love that movie. I am thinking about when he shoots a bullet through the washer and sticks his finger in the guy´s gun. Man, that just doesn´t fell that long ago, but at the same time, that was a whole different life! Well, I can just imagine Shauna playing the olympics with the kids. hahaha, I guess that it would look unreal. I feel the same way though. People are always asking about my family, and looking at my pics, and I try to explain what you are all like, but I am sure that they just think that I am laying it on thick. The truth is, I have the perfect family, and even those that know us cannot fully comprehend. I can honestly say, and love telling people, that my siblings are my best friends and who I spent my free time with. Anyways, were should I start about the week. We did have a baptism this Sunday. A 20 year old girl named Francielle, who we met a week and 2 days ago. She is great. We committed her to baptism Saturday (yeah, the day before the baptism). Saturday was the highlight of the week. I have never felt the Holy Ghost work through me like the way that it did on Saturday (especially because it was in a different langauge). We taught Fransielle with power! And the lesson before this was interesting as well. We were at the house of Lia and Realson, and they are one of the couples that need to get married. The brother of Realson was there, (Robson), and they got in a big argument. We have been trying to teach Robson, but he has no desire to change. They were arguing about this, and how his drinking habits, and idleness, and unwillingness to do anything is affecting the kids there, and the household, and everything else. We were sitting in the middle of this argument, not saying anything. My companion was trying to teach, but voices just got louder and louder. After about 30 -45 minutes of this, I was looking at my watch, knowing that we had an appointment with Francielle. Elder Wanderley was thinking the same thing, so he called for atention and tried to teach but Robson would not listen, just wanting to argue. Then I was overcome with the spirit. I will try to explain a little bit of what happened next. I called for Robson´s atention, and told him that I was going to teach this principle to him because we are friends, and because I care about him. I read him Matthew 6:24, and asked him to tell me the two people that we can serve. I explained that we can only serve one or the other. Then he started to argue at me, and I demanded his silence and his ears, and told him that we have people who we need to teach who are wanting to change and listen to us, and therefore, we do not have time for him unless he listens. In his surprise, he stopped talking and payed atention. I taught him that he was following Satan because he was refusing to act for himself. I taught him a lot of things that I cannot right for lack of time, but the bottom line is that satan hates him, and want him to be miserable, and is a liar, and will only lead him to captivity, and that we have a loving heavenly father who want´s us to be happy, and return to him, but we need to act. That he is the only person who can choose, and that he needs to do what he knows is right. This whole time, nobody spoke, even my companion. I ended on the note of we are here to help him, and we want the best for him. We then said our goodbyes, and he said good bye in English, his way of saying that we were still friends, and we left him smiling, but really thinking. Afterwards, Elder Wanderely expressed his total and utter surprise and amazement. It was crazy. I left that house completely surprised with myself. It was so crazy, but I knew that i had said the right things, and exactly what he needed to hear. Then we went to Francielles house. Wow, same spirit, but a very different lesson. She was baptized Sunday by Elder Wanderly, and then in sacrament meeting, and did the confirmation (nerve-racking, but the Lord helped me, and it turned out great). It was such an incredibly feeling to confirm someone a member of Christ´s church. It really is his church on the Earth to help us and our families. Wow, it was awesome. Last night we got the call about transfers. Elder Wanderley is leaving to Cuiabá to be a secretary and I am staying here with Elder Melo, who was the senior companion in the other side of the city, although we will be serving in my area. I am really happy that I get to stay here. We have a lot of people to teach. We had a great attendance at church again Sunday with less-active members and investigators. Oh yeah, and at the baptismal service, I played the recorder while Elder Wandereley and Willians sang the children´s hymn, I like to look for rainbows. It was good. Well, how are all of you? I am sure that you are all doing great, as always. I pray for all of you everyday. I am so lucky to have all of you. I found out that I talk in my sleep. Tony, no lies, I do not. This is a new habit from arriving in the mission field. My companion does as well. I think that he does more than I do. I asked him what langauge I speak in while I am sleeping, and he said a mix, some of both. I teach and just converse with people in my sleep. What I did not tell him was that most of the time, my companion that I am teaching with is Tony, and the people that I am talking with are my siblings and parents. It is really weird to dream in Portuguese, especially since this means that all of you are speaking in Portuguese as well. It always catches me off guard, you all explain to me every night that you learned while I was in the MTC. It is weird to think that I have not had a conversation in English (outside of my phone call home) for over a month. Crazy! While, I love all of you! Good luck with everything, and mom, I hope that you feel better. Tell the cousins, uncles, aunts, and others that I said hi. Love you all! Falou!

Ali Happy b-day!! you are old, what happened! I cannot believe that you are wearing makeup and will be going to high school. That is so unreal. I still feel like a 9th grader to be honest, but hey, I will always be a little kid in my heart. So, how was the birthday? I am sure that I will see some pics and read about it on the blog. I just wanted to say happy birthday, and I was thinking of you. You are growing up to be such a great and amazing young lady, becoming less and less young everyday. I love you so much! Tchau!