Week 57 Letter

Monday, March 26, 2012

Hey mom, sorry that I missed you last week, but I spend the p day in the bus.  It was a 24 hour trip to my new area.  This will be a hard but rewarding transfer.  I have been called to open an area here, train a new Brazilian missionary, and be the leader of the district.  It is keeping my thoughts really busy, even overloaded, which is good because otherwise I would be thinking about Ji-Parana all of the time.  It was my favorite area, and I felt a lot like I was leaving home.  Val was hit by a car the day that I left while she was being pushed in her wheel chair by elder Ivo.  That really made me sick.  She broke her leg and I think that her arm was dislocated.  Man, it really made me wish that I was there and made me think that maybe it would not have happened, but the lord has comforted me and let me know that I am in the right place.  All the same, it was hard.  Junior was the branch mission leader and one of my best friends in Ji-Parana.  He is awesome.  He helped us out so much.  He is in the age of going on a mission, but he is the only member in his family and is attended college and caring for everybody at home.  Everybody kind of lectures him about a mission, which does not help anything.  I never asked him about a mission until my last night in Ji-Parana.  I simply said, Junior, you know that you have to go on a mission right?  He looked at me and said, yeah, I know.  I told him to promise me that he would go and he promised, and I believe him.  He will be a great missionary.  Also, it was hard to leave José.  He is so close.  I called him Monday when I was waiting for my bus at the station.  He cried on the phone and we talked for a while.  After I hung up he called again and asked what time I would be leaving.  I told him in 30 minutes and so he said that he would jump on his motorcycle and visit me.  He arrived there to see me off.  He promised me that he would be baptized and that he would call me.  I am waiting for the call.  He is a great man and will be a powerful member of the church.  He is just a little confused right now, as a lot has been happening at home.  He is separated from his wife, who he still loves but she does not love him.  She also was never faithful to him.  One day, he went over to visit her and his daughters (Djeniffer and Davyla who I baptized) and she was there with a different man from Sao Paulo who she had met online and who is now living with her.  I and his daughters helped him out, but it is a sad and hard situation.  I hope that all is well.  Also, my last week we had 2 baptisms.  Saturday I baptized Jackoline, a 9 year old girl.  

She has been active in the church for more than a year, and her sister who is 15 is already baptized, but she was baptized without her mom knowing which was wrong because you need the mom´s permission.  So the mom got ticked at the church but still let her daughters go, but never let Jackoline get baptized.  I started teaching and working with her, the mom.  She is a great lady and really got to like us.  She went to church 3 times while I was there which surprised everybody.  She even wants to get baptized now, but she has to stop smoking first.  She did let Jackoline get baptized though which was awesome.  Also, on Sunday we baptized a lady who we met at an ice-cream place named Mariana.  She has a great story.  

We taught her for 2 and a half weeks and she received a testimony of the Book of Mormon and became solid.  She even started giving us a bunch of references, but sadly I left afterwards.  She is great.  She was confirmed yesterday.  Wow, I miss Ji-Parana.  The life of a missionary is hard.  I learned that when you serve with all of your heart, it breaks when you leave the area.  Afterwards, I had a lot of temptation to try and close my heart, to maybe not get so close to members and investigators, to put on a rougher front, but that is not to be allowed.  This work is a work of love, and act of charity, and the heartache that comes for leaving is, as Paul wrote in romans 8, not worthy to be compared to the glory that will come after this life.  I have made a firm commitment to work with all of my heart.  The lord deserves it of me, as well as his children.  I am going to love me new area, and I am going to hate to leave it, but all of this is part of the mission.  I love being a missionary.  I also love all of you.  Have a great week!  

Elder Lee

Week 56 Letter

Monday, March 19, 2012
There was no letter today.  I think Shane may have been transferred. I might try to contact Val, a sister in his area.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The power of the internet!  I had a guy from Brazil contact me on facebook and this is what he said.

"Hi sister Lee. How are you? My is Junior and Elder Lee served in the city where I live. Congratulations on your son is very special and a great missionary."


Me - "Junior, so good to hear from you. You are in Lucas, correct? Elder Lee LOVES you. He had such wonderful things to say about you. I am so glad you were baptized. You are loved.
Sis Lee"

Me - "Wait, I just saw a picture of you and are you in Ji Parana? He baptized someone named Junior in Lucas. Maybe you are not the same Junior :) I see you in a picture with Shane and Elder Santana. There was a girl who was baptized. What 's her name?"

Junior - "No, I'm live in ji-paraná. The her name is Thais Nayara."

Me - "I have found a couple of pictures of you and I looked back in Shane's past letters. I now who you are. Shane has mentioned you and what a great help you have been. Thank you for taking care of him :) I did not get an email from him today. I am wondering if he has been transferred. Do you know?"

Junior - "Thanks sister Lee. So, yes he was transferred to Varzea Grande-MT, is in other state... I think that he only will speak with you in next p-day, because he travel 11 am. Anything that you need, if I can help I will do, I much like the Elder Lee, your son is very special. Sorry to don't respond before, one sister was to hospital and I'm helping in somethings, so I didn't have time to enter in internet. 

Have a great day."

Me - "Thank yo so much for telling me. I am so glad to have someone who knows what's up with him. i am a mom who likes to know. Thank you for taking care of him and helping with the work. I will tell him how much I have enjoyed talking with you. You sound very engaged in the work of the Lord. Bless you! :)"

Junior - "Thank you sister... So I like to help the missionaries in work, because the Lord want we do this, and when Elder Lee live here I was the local church mission leader. I think and I know that is very important to all members help in work of Lord. Sometimes Elder Lee said about your family to me and I can to see that you all help the church in city... I love when the members recognize the importance to help in church. Have a great day. :D"

What a sweet and righteous soul.  Then I got this message - "hello , I am Ana Paula, Valdenir's friend, She said the elder Lee has been transferred and asked you to tell him she's okay."

I will have to find out what has happened to Val.  I bet she is the woman Junior was with at the hospital.

Week 55 Letter

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hey mom, how are you?  It was great to hear from you about everything that happened in Africa.  It made me think a lot about my mission.  It just entered my head that I am in Brazil.  It is a little weird, huh?  I cannot wait to meet my brothers, but reading about them has already let me feel that I know them.  What a blessing they will be in our lives.  As for me, I am well and we have seen some success this week.  This transfer has been hard for us here in Ji Parana.  Elder Ivo is a great missionary and he is training Elder Cardosa, an American.  This has been a little hard for him and a little stressful, but they are doing well now.  I am will Elder Alves who is finishing the mission.  He only has three months left.  So far, he has been my hardest companion in terms of working, but we are getting into stride now.  This last Sunday we had 6 investigators at church and 4 less-actives that are coming back.  This was awesome.  Also, we have 3 baptisms marked for this week, and so if all goes well, we will have an awesome week.  At the start of this last week we had a conference in Cuiaba which was great.  I learned a lot and it helped me get super excited to try some new things that I have not thought of before.  Also, president let me know that he is happy with me and my work and that he knows that Alves is having some troubles, but that is why he is with me.  It helped me realize that my purpose as a missionary includes helping other missionaries. I hope that I am fulfilling all that Heavenly Father wants from me during these two years.  I sure know that I love being a missionary and that I am being blessed greatly.  Mom, I did get my package.  Thank you so much!  I have enough money every month, and I am always trying to save a little for a rainy day, or day that is rainy for my companion. Sadly, I will have to look to buy new shoes because my three original pairs are completely destroyed.  I will have to take pics of them.  It is crazy.  President Oliveira finishes his mission in June.  We do not pay rent, because the mission office pays for us.  We do have a cell here, but only one for the two companionships that are here so we have to share.  The end of the transfer is this next Sunday, and as much as I would like to stay, I think that it is my turn to leave, because it will have been four months here already.  I sure will miss this area.  It has been my favorite for the mission.  I have many friends, members, recent converts, and investigators.  This has been the area where I have stayed the longest time too.  Did that make sense?  I sure love Ji Parana.  Anyways, wish me luck.  This week we have planned to baptize Jackoline, Jose, and Marianna.  I sure like each one of them.  They are great people and elites of the Lord.   I gotta go, but I love all of you and wish you all a great week. 

Love Elder Lee

Week 54 Letter

Monday, March 5, 2012

Hey, here are my answers.  Sorry that I have to be brief.  I am in the mission office in Cuiaba because tomorrow we have a zone conference.  There are a lot of missionaries waiting to use a computer so we are all just writing briefly, but I do want you all to know that I love all of you and that we had a great week this week.  Sunday we had 8 investigators at church and 3 less actives.  We already have a baptism marked for this next Sunday.  Her name is Mariana and she has 23 years.  Also, we are still working with José and he is excited to be baptized on the 15th.  He is reading the Book of Mormon every day and is also saying his morning and evening prayers every day.  He is doing great.  He is going to be a great help in Ji-Paraná.  So, that is my week really fast for you all.  Elder Alves is doing well and he is becoming more excited about the work, although he is still anxious to get home.  He is only 3 months away from the 2 year mark.  Anyway, all is well and I love you all.  Also, sorry Shauna that I do not have a lot of time, but I would like you to know that I did not forget about your b. day.  Wow, 19 years already.  I cannot believe it.  I could not wrap my mind around the fact that you turned 19 and not 18.  It was kind of weird to think about it and do the math.  Not only did I realize that you are 19 now, but I also realized that I am 20 and that Tony will be 18.  Wow it is weird.  Anyways, have a great week and I love you all. 

Elder Lee

Hello Shane,

I have a favor to ask of you.  I am teaching a class Saturday, one week from today, on preparing your children for the teenage years.  I was wondering if you could take a minute and answer these few questions for me.  Just hit forward on this email and you will be able to answer the questions in the body of the email.  I love you and I will write later about our trip.   -Mom

1.  What did your parents do to prepare you for turning 12 or 13?  Give a few specific examples.

I think that they best thing that they did for me is they gave me a little more rope, but still kept hold of the other end.  For example, often times my parents told me, OK Shane, who have the right to choose, as long as you choose correctly.  This may seem like a pointless liberty, but when I chose correctly, I felt like it really was my choice.  I learned to choose the right, and I learned of the satisfaction that comes from choosing well.

2.  What did your parents do to help you learn about finances to help you when you started working?

Easy, they taught me to always put away 10% for tithing first thing, and always save at least 50% of my earnings for my mission.  This taught me to always put the Lord first and I gained a testimony of the blessings that come afterwards.  Also, the ever important principles were taught to me: 1 Live on less than you make and 2 you can have anything that you want, but you cannot have everything that you want.

3.  What did your parents do to help you prepare to make spiritual decisions in your teenage years?

We always had family study, family home evening, and family prayer.  Simple things that make a difference.  Also, they taught me that I needed to have my own personal spiritual experiences.  This changed everything in my teenage years.  Above all, they taught with love.  This lead to a relationship of trust and confidence.  I could tell them everything because I knew well what they wanted for me.

4.  What did your parents do to help prepare you for a mission?   Give a few specific things.

Preparation for mission involves spiritual preparation, financial preparation, physical perpetration, and mental perpetration.  My parents helped me by giving me responsibilities in the home, teaching me to care for myself both physically and spiritually, teaching me to be self-reliant, sharing their confidence that they have in me, and always letting me know that they expected that I make the right choices for myself and that I would one day serve a mission.  I never felt that they were worried that I would not serve a mission or that I would not be able to serve a mission.  When I left, I felt ready, and I knew that they felt that I was ready.

I love my parents, and I am thankful for everything that they did for me.  Good parenting is a lot of work, and it is hard, but the blessings that come from good parenting and the joy that follows are worth every ounce of work that is donated.  The family can be eternal, and parents are responsible for teaching and caring for the children.  I know that my parents have raised me in a way that I know who I am, I know gods plan for me, and I know that I can make it to live with him again with the rest of my family.  If I fall short of exaltation, I know that it is a fault on my part, not in the part of my parents or the part of my savior.  I have been born of goodly parents.  This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
PS Sorry for my lousy English.  :)

Week 53 Letter

Monday, February 27, 2012

What an adventure!!!  Daniel does sound like a Lee boy.  I cannot wait to meet him.  I am kind of sad that I will not be home when he arrives, but I know that he will be well taken care of by his other big brothers.  I am also grateful that Jet will recieve the help that he needs.  Little do they know they are receiving the best parents in the world.  I believe that they were promised in the pre earth life that they would be a part of our family.  I already feel a brotherly bond with them because of this knowledge.  They are Lee boys.  I cannot wait to meet them. 

Anyways, as far as my week goes, I am kind of lost for words of what to say and report.  We have been teaching a lot, trying to teach new people, but so far we have not marked another baptismal date.  I am really trying to think of what I can do better to mark more dates.  On the other hand, this month we reactivated two men, and are trying to help them get married so that the wives can baptize.  Also, we are teaching a mother of a young woman who knows the church is true and wants to get baptized eventually, but for some reason does not want to get baptized know.  I recently discovered that she smokes and I think that this is because she is hesitant.  Of course she would like to stop smoking, everybody who smokes wants to stop, but maybe she does not think that she can and because she knows that it’s wrong to smoke, she does not feel like she can prepare to be baptized.  This week we will try to remove the problem and help her stop smoking and drinking.  She is awesome though and she likes me a lot.  José is doing well.  He is attending the church, reading the book of Mormon, and attending church activities.  We marked his baptism for the 15th of March because it is the birthday of his daughter Davyla, who I baptized and he wants to make her birthday special.  So, we will continue to teach and help him prepare to be baptized on this date.  He is really doing well, and we are trying to help him get immigrated into the branch with the other men.  It is going well.  He will be a great help to this branch.  Also, yesterday Elder Alves and I met with 2 women who are in a college course and they came to the church building to take a tour which we gave them and to ask some questions.  Afterwards, they invited us to do a 1 hour presentation of our religion and answer questions that the college students and professors might have.  This will happen on the 13th of March.  I am really excited.  We will bring Book of Mormon pass along cards and give them to the 100 people that are expected to be there.  Talk about a test of one’s language skills.  I am excited to explain what separates our church from all others.  It was fun to think about that yesterday.  Our church is guided by revelation from living prophets that hold Gods sacred priesthood to act in the name of Christ.  In other words, we can really sway that Christ is at the head of our church.  This is different than any other church.  Anyways, I gotta go, but I love all of you and wish you a great week.  PS, have a great trip mom and dad and return safely.  

Love Elder Lee!

Week 52 Letter

Monday, February 22, 2012

ola,tudo bem Elder Lee mandou pedir desculpa por não ter mandado Email,e que não deu para mandar,mas ele esta bem.beijos

Translation -

hello, okay Elder Lee had to apologize for not having sent mail, and that did not have to, but he is bem.beijos

This was sent to me on Facebook from Val, the sister that Shane emails from every Monday.  I was so glad to hear from her because I was about to leave for Ethiopia and gong out of my mind not hearing from Shane.  Thank goodness for Facebook, huh!

AND, Shane has been out 1 year.  It really has been the longest year of my life!  I guess that has it's upside; I have enjoyed this cvery long year with my other children. :)