Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What's shakin' my masters of Turkey bakin'!
My first week has gone by in the tranquil area of Julio de Mesquita. And no, I have no idea what the name of the area means...I am pretty sure it is just a name and that's it. But I have learned quite a few things this week about my companion and my new area.
My new area is pretty much like a mix of an extremely old beaten down Las Vegas residential area with the great road organization of a Utah town. The blocks are perfectly square and the streets are called "Street 1, Street 2, Street 3" and so on. Pretty sweet and easy to learn. The problem with the area is that there is hardly anyone that is ever on the street and the people aren't all that receptive. The day I arrived my companion Elder Lemos told me that this area is "a little complicated". What he really meant to say is that it is extremely hard to baptize here, let alone have a progressing investigator. The day I arrived we didn't have ONE progressing investigator. So it's pretty much like I am "opening" an area...again.
But I really do like this area. The members are pretty cool and it's way more peaceful and relaxing here than it was in Limão. There is tons less noise, cars, and, to my dismay, drunks. I will miss the drunks. They always provided needed entertainment on those long days of walking. Speaking of walking, that's all that I pretty much have done this past week. We don't have really anyone to teach so we just walk and do contacts with pretty much anyone that doesn't try to avoid us on the street (and some that do) and we "clap" at doors. I have yet to teach a lesson besides the first lesson. I guess I do need the practice though. But we are getting a lot more investigators and I think the area will start to turn around.
My new companion Elder Lemos is pretty hilarious. He lacks quite a bit of self-confidence and entertains me when he voices his hilarious fears of talking to people, living life after the mission, and not knowing enough to support his future family. He has a year and 9 on the mission and says he isn't ready to go back because he didn't learn enough on the mission yet to go back to real life. It is kind of sad but really entertaining. I just let him talk all day while a listen and forget that we have been walking for the past 6 hours straight.
It's funny because he has been in the area for almost 2 months and I have a week here and almost every ten minutes or so he asks me where we are haha. Poor guy. But he really is cool and has taught me a lot of things. He is funny and knows the scriptures and how to teach using them too. I may "kill" him because he only has one more transfer in the mission so I may see this thing to the end with him.
We have this one "investigator" I guess you could call him but really he is just a guy that we like to talk to because he is extremely smart and funny. He won't allow us into his house but he loves to stay out on the street with us and talk to us about the gospel, politics, and whatever subject he thinks of. He is one of those guys that would be called as bishop a week after his baptism.
Anyway, so he has this extremely pleasing looking daughter who is 17 and who I met for the first time on Monday night. She introduced herself and said she was trying to learn English because she wants to move to America someday. So anyway, we started to talk to Levi, our almost investigator, out in front of his house for like an hour. The whole time his daughter was there just watching me talk to him. Yes, just me. She stared at me for over an hour and every time I looked over at her she gave me this little smile and started playing with her hair. Yeah, I knew I was in trouble at that point.
So finally we ended our conversation and we said goodbye. I went and shook Levi's hand and then went to shake his daughter's. I took her hand but she obviously wanted a lot more than a handshake because she leaned in...with her face...coming towards my face...with her lips...coming toward my lips. Now people, this happened in like a half a second so I had to make a quick decision. I jumped back with both my feet and thrust mine and her hand forward, not allowing her to come any closer. The quote from Ace Ventura rang in my hand "Back you Devil Bird!" In the end I explained to her that I can't kiss while on the mission and she got pretty embarrassed, but I told her that she shouldn't be and now we are fine. It was a close call though.
Well, that's about it for this week. The house we are in is freakin sweet and the other companionship that we live with is way cool too. One day I will get to live with another American...one day. Oh well, I get to learn the language better because I have only had brazi's roommates and companions (OK well I had Bigelow for 2 weeks in Chora Menino) but still, it would be sweet to be with an American. Stories I tell just aren't quite as good in Portuguese. Oh and explaining lacrosse to the people here is pretty much useless. They have never seen it in their entire life and just don't get the concept of hitting someone else with a stick and how much joy can come from it. Anyway, tata for now! Keep the emails coming...please.
-Elder Brent Parsons
My new area is pretty much like a mix of an extremely old beaten down Las Vegas residential area with the great road organization of a Utah town. The blocks are perfectly square and the streets are called "Street 1, Street 2, Street 3" and so on. Pretty sweet and easy to learn. The problem with the area is that there is hardly anyone that is ever on the street and the people aren't all that receptive. The day I arrived my companion Elder Lemos told me that this area is "a little complicated". What he really meant to say is that it is extremely hard to baptize here, let alone have a progressing investigator. The day I arrived we didn't have ONE progressing investigator. So it's pretty much like I am "opening" an area...again.
But I really do like this area. The members are pretty cool and it's way more peaceful and relaxing here than it was in Limão. There is tons less noise, cars, and, to my dismay, drunks. I will miss the drunks. They always provided needed entertainment on those long days of walking. Speaking of walking, that's all that I pretty much have done this past week. We don't have really anyone to teach so we just walk and do contacts with pretty much anyone that doesn't try to avoid us on the street (and some that do) and we "clap" at doors. I have yet to teach a lesson besides the first lesson. I guess I do need the practice though. But we are getting a lot more investigators and I think the area will start to turn around.
My new companion Elder Lemos is pretty hilarious. He lacks quite a bit of self-confidence and entertains me when he voices his hilarious fears of talking to people, living life after the mission, and not knowing enough to support his future family. He has a year and 9 on the mission and says he isn't ready to go back because he didn't learn enough on the mission yet to go back to real life. It is kind of sad but really entertaining. I just let him talk all day while a listen and forget that we have been walking for the past 6 hours straight.
It's funny because he has been in the area for almost 2 months and I have a week here and almost every ten minutes or so he asks me where we are haha. Poor guy. But he really is cool and has taught me a lot of things. He is funny and knows the scriptures and how to teach using them too. I may "kill" him because he only has one more transfer in the mission so I may see this thing to the end with him.
We have this one "investigator" I guess you could call him but really he is just a guy that we like to talk to because he is extremely smart and funny. He won't allow us into his house but he loves to stay out on the street with us and talk to us about the gospel, politics, and whatever subject he thinks of. He is one of those guys that would be called as bishop a week after his baptism.
Anyway, so he has this extremely pleasing looking daughter who is 17 and who I met for the first time on Monday night. She introduced herself and said she was trying to learn English because she wants to move to America someday. So anyway, we started to talk to Levi, our almost investigator, out in front of his house for like an hour. The whole time his daughter was there just watching me talk to him. Yes, just me. She stared at me for over an hour and every time I looked over at her she gave me this little smile and started playing with her hair. Yeah, I knew I was in trouble at that point.
So finally we ended our conversation and we said goodbye. I went and shook Levi's hand and then went to shake his daughter's. I took her hand but she obviously wanted a lot more than a handshake because she leaned in...with her face...coming towards my face...with her lips...coming toward my lips. Now people, this happened in like a half a second so I had to make a quick decision. I jumped back with both my feet and thrust mine and her hand forward, not allowing her to come any closer. The quote from Ace Ventura rang in my hand "Back you Devil Bird!" In the end I explained to her that I can't kiss while on the mission and she got pretty embarrassed, but I told her that she shouldn't be and now we are fine. It was a close call though.
Well, that's about it for this week. The house we are in is freakin sweet and the other companionship that we live with is way cool too. One day I will get to live with another American...one day. Oh well, I get to learn the language better because I have only had brazi's roommates and companions (OK well I had Bigelow for 2 weeks in Chora Menino) but still, it would be sweet to be with an American. Stories I tell just aren't quite as good in Portuguese. Oh and explaining lacrosse to the people here is pretty much useless. They have never seen it in their entire life and just don't get the concept of hitting someone else with a stick and how much joy can come from it. Anyway, tata for now! Keep the emails coming...please.
-Elder Brent Parsons
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sweet city of Sorocaba
Greetings! What's good?
First, a bit on the baptism.
So we had Rosinaldo's and Josinaldo's baptism this week. My companion was ever so nice to me by informing me WHILE we were walking to the chapel for the baptism that I was going to have to give a talk for the baptism because he forgot to ask someone to do it. Oh thank you so much companion! Once again well done.
So we got there, took some pics, then sat down and I stumbled through a what must surely had to have been a nearly incoherent speech about baptism. So then after I made a fool of myself we dunked those two brazis!
It was awesome actually and they loved it. I baptized Rosinaldo and Almeida baptized Josinaldo, and then on Sunday I confirmed Josinaldo and he confirmed Rosinaldo.
Yeah I don't think I have been so nervous in my life. Imagine 180 expectant eyes looking at you as you have to do something that is already a little bit hard in your first language...but then is amplified by like 8000 when you have to do it in a language that you are still learning.
Needless to say that had I needed to pee I most certainly would have right there in my suit. Who knows what I said in the blessing but I got the whole receive the holy ghost part right so I think we are good. Both Rosinaldo and Josinaldo were extremely happy nonetheless so I was really excited about that.
-----------------
Unlike the usual Mr. Chenney's, I am hailing from a LAN house in the pretty sweet city of Sorocaba. I was transferred today.
I found out on Monday night that I was going to be transferred. I was pretty excited about it...mainly because I wanted a...companion exchange...but also because I had been in my area for a while. So I was pretty excited to find out I was going to be transferred, even though I had no idea where I was going to go and didn't know until this morning when I arrived at the chapel next to the São Paulo Temple.
So I was excited to get transferred but Tuesday night I had to go around to all my investigators and recent converts houses to say bye to them...which was harder than I thought it was going to be. I very nearly cried several times but you all can keep calm because your boy held it in! But really, it was tough.
Gilmara, my first baptism, gave me a letter and told me to read it that night. She wrote about how glad she was to have met me and how she'll never forget me. I felt the same way. I didn't realize how attached I had become to them.
So anyway, this morning I showed up at the chapel and got to see some more of my friends from the CTM which was pretty cool. Then I learned that I was going to be transferred here to Sorocaba which is about 2 hours by bus west from the center of São Paulo. There are 6 of the 14 zones in the mission that are around here and I had heard a lot of good things about this place, so I am pretty excited to be here.
It is so much more QUIET here. I never realized how loud it was all the time in the Capital (city of São Paulo).
Sorocaba is pretty small for these parts and has 600,000 people...compared to the 18 million of São Paulo. It's also really strong in the church and has 4 stakes here. May not sound like tons to you Utah folk but it's kind of a big deal around these parts.
A shining beacon of hope in my new area is our house. It's freakin sweet. It has 2 floors (nearly unheard of here for the missionary houses) two bathrooms, a huge desk, and best of all 2 couches! Ah yeah. Serious. It's awesome. It's like a fifth the size of most houses at home but I am stoked out of my mind to have it here.
Well, anyway, the area looks really calm and peaceful, which will be a good change I think. Lot more relaxed. We will see though, I'll send more information about it when I know more next week.
Later!
-Elder Parsons
First, a bit on the baptism.
So we had Rosinaldo's and Josinaldo's baptism this week. My companion was ever so nice to me by informing me WHILE we were walking to the chapel for the baptism that I was going to have to give a talk for the baptism because he forgot to ask someone to do it. Oh thank you so much companion! Once again well done.
So we got there, took some pics, then sat down and I stumbled through a what must surely had to have been a nearly incoherent speech about baptism. So then after I made a fool of myself we dunked those two brazis!
It was awesome actually and they loved it. I baptized Rosinaldo and Almeida baptized Josinaldo, and then on Sunday I confirmed Josinaldo and he confirmed Rosinaldo.
Yeah I don't think I have been so nervous in my life. Imagine 180 expectant eyes looking at you as you have to do something that is already a little bit hard in your first language...but then is amplified by like 8000 when you have to do it in a language that you are still learning.
Needless to say that had I needed to pee I most certainly would have right there in my suit. Who knows what I said in the blessing but I got the whole receive the holy ghost part right so I think we are good. Both Rosinaldo and Josinaldo were extremely happy nonetheless so I was really excited about that.
-----------------
Unlike the usual Mr. Chenney's, I am hailing from a LAN house in the pretty sweet city of Sorocaba. I was transferred today.
I found out on Monday night that I was going to be transferred. I was pretty excited about it...mainly because I wanted a...companion exchange...but also because I had been in my area for a while. So I was pretty excited to find out I was going to be transferred, even though I had no idea where I was going to go and didn't know until this morning when I arrived at the chapel next to the São Paulo Temple.
So I was excited to get transferred but Tuesday night I had to go around to all my investigators and recent converts houses to say bye to them...which was harder than I thought it was going to be. I very nearly cried several times but you all can keep calm because your boy held it in! But really, it was tough.
Gilmara, my first baptism, gave me a letter and told me to read it that night. She wrote about how glad she was to have met me and how she'll never forget me. I felt the same way. I didn't realize how attached I had become to them.
So anyway, this morning I showed up at the chapel and got to see some more of my friends from the CTM which was pretty cool. Then I learned that I was going to be transferred here to Sorocaba which is about 2 hours by bus west from the center of São Paulo. There are 6 of the 14 zones in the mission that are around here and I had heard a lot of good things about this place, so I am pretty excited to be here.
It is so much more QUIET here. I never realized how loud it was all the time in the Capital (city of São Paulo).
Sorocaba is pretty small for these parts and has 600,000 people...compared to the 18 million of São Paulo. It's also really strong in the church and has 4 stakes here. May not sound like tons to you Utah folk but it's kind of a big deal around these parts.
Side note: it's hilarious to see the Brazilian elders' faces when I tell them that there was one companionship of missionaries for 9 stakes back at my home. Some really just don't even believe it because here each ward has AT LEAST 2 missionaries and sometimes up to 6.My new companion is named Elder...Lemos. I think. I can't see his nametag from here...and I have only got about 3 hours with him as of now...so give me a break! He is from the dirty Amazon and has been on the mission for a year and 9 months! It's possible that I might kill him (be his companion at the end of his mission). We'll see though. He is pretty shy, isn't a leader of any sort on the mission, wears sunglasses everytime we are ever on the street (or even inside sometimes...), and I get the feeling he doesn't like Americans. Once again...hooray! Man. Can't you throw me a bone President? Please!
A shining beacon of hope in my new area is our house. It's freakin sweet. It has 2 floors (nearly unheard of here for the missionary houses) two bathrooms, a huge desk, and best of all 2 couches! Ah yeah. Serious. It's awesome. It's like a fifth the size of most houses at home but I am stoked out of my mind to have it here.
Well, anyway, the area looks really calm and peaceful, which will be a good change I think. Lot more relaxed. We will see though, I'll send more information about it when I know more next week.
Later!
-Elder Parsons
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
6 Months. Jà era.
So there we go. 6 months of my extremely valuable time has been spent here in the dirty city of São Paulo and it has caused me to reflect on what I have learned and what I have thought of my experience here. I was talking to my way good friend Elder Bigelow about the time we have spent here and what he thinks about it. He has had a tough time here but said something to me that I really agree with. He said "Parsons, I think if by the end of my mission I can say, as I am saying now, that I didn`t regret the time I spent on the mission then I will be happy." I think that sums it up pretty well.
I`ll be honest, people say that it`s the "Best Two Years" which is great but I am not going to say it has been the best 6 months of my life. I will say that I think I have grown more in this 6 months in almost every way possible (not physically you perverts) than I have in any other 6 months of my life, and the time I have spent here I definitely do not regret. But yeah, there you go. I hear the first 6 and the last 6 are the hardest...so looks like I am headed into the clearing!
But really, as this week showed I am already there. For me this week was awesome, mainly because of our two investigator brothers Rosinaldo and Josinaldo. We usually stop by there every night and it always brings a good end to a hot and often stressfull day. Last night I had a division in my area with the DL Elder Hooper who is way cool, and he did their Baptismal interviews and both of them passed. They are both way excited to get baptized this Saturday, but I think I might be just a little bit more excited.
In this short time we have become such good friends it`s crazy...and cool. And with the language barrier gradually diminishing it is even easier to connect with them. I`ll send photos of the baptism next week, along with the photos from the baptism we had last week.
We baptized marcello, that little boy that I talked about last week. It was cool because actually his grandpa got to baptize him and both of them were way happy afterwards. So yeah, i`ll send pics next week.
Oh and just to let you know we have transfers next week so my email might come pretty late next Wednesday depending on if I get transferred or not. I don`t like saying it but I really want to get transferred. We have Rosinaldo and Josinaldo`s baptisms coming up which is sweet...but to tell you the truth I am growing sick of this area. I know the area like the back of my hand and it still is a little weird to be right next to the CTM. It`s like it`s my babysitter or something. Let me out of the playpen.
How are things going back there in Obamaville? I still feel way out of the loop and it would be awesome if we could have a collaborate effort on the home front to bring me back in. Who is with me!!?? I heard that he is going to reopen Cuba or something like that?
Love you all...Hugh Grant for President!
-Elder Parsons
I`ll be honest, people say that it`s the "Best Two Years" which is great but I am not going to say it has been the best 6 months of my life. I will say that I think I have grown more in this 6 months in almost every way possible (not physically you perverts) than I have in any other 6 months of my life, and the time I have spent here I definitely do not regret. But yeah, there you go. I hear the first 6 and the last 6 are the hardest...so looks like I am headed into the clearing!
But really, as this week showed I am already there. For me this week was awesome, mainly because of our two investigator brothers Rosinaldo and Josinaldo. We usually stop by there every night and it always brings a good end to a hot and often stressfull day. Last night I had a division in my area with the DL Elder Hooper who is way cool, and he did their Baptismal interviews and both of them passed. They are both way excited to get baptized this Saturday, but I think I might be just a little bit more excited.
In this short time we have become such good friends it`s crazy...and cool. And with the language barrier gradually diminishing it is even easier to connect with them. I`ll send photos of the baptism next week, along with the photos from the baptism we had last week.
We baptized marcello, that little boy that I talked about last week. It was cool because actually his grandpa got to baptize him and both of them were way happy afterwards. So yeah, i`ll send pics next week.
Oh and just to let you know we have transfers next week so my email might come pretty late next Wednesday depending on if I get transferred or not. I don`t like saying it but I really want to get transferred. We have Rosinaldo and Josinaldo`s baptisms coming up which is sweet...but to tell you the truth I am growing sick of this area. I know the area like the back of my hand and it still is a little weird to be right next to the CTM. It`s like it`s my babysitter or something. Let me out of the playpen.
How are things going back there in Obamaville? I still feel way out of the loop and it would be awesome if we could have a collaborate effort on the home front to bring me back in. Who is with me!!?? I heard that he is going to reopen Cuba or something like that?
Love you all...Hugh Grant for President!
-Elder Parsons
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Videos
The first video is just of Brent laughing at drunk people in the street.
This video of the boys scorching a cockroach and a quick tour of his apartment during a transfer.
This video of the boys scorching a cockroach and a quick tour of his apartment during a transfer.
Uploaded Photos
Here are a bunch of photos Brent uploaded.
Enjoy
Here are a bunch of photos Brent uploaded.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Here are a bunch of photos Brent uploaded. Enjoy
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Welcome to February!
Good to hear that all is well on the home-front. Thanks for the Super Bowl update Grandpa! I am sure that my friend Ben is STILL having a bit of a rough time while serving his mission in Pittsburgh due to all the drunks that I am sure are roaming the streets. Hey! That's just like a regular day here!
My companion has been here for a year and 4 months and doesn't even put up with the drunks anymore. Usually I like to entertain myself (and them) by actually answering their questions and responding to their comments just because I think it is hilarious when they stumble through their answers or tell me that I am beautiful, but my companion just yells (literally) at them to shut up and go home. He definitely could do something a bit less destructive to the Church's image, but you know...each to his own.
Speaking of my companion we's doing good! Like really. In the past two days we have taught 20 lessons. We leave the house early and walk like crazy in the blazing heat to get those lessons...but it's worth it.
Actually we had a hilarious lesson this week. We showed up at this house and "clapped" at the door. A girl of about 18 years came out and greeted us. We explained who we were and asked if there was anyone else in the house that would like to hear the message too...she said "yes" and yelled at the house for someone to come out. So then another girl of about 15 years came out...and then two more girls of about 18 or 19 poked their heads out the window. Then the mom looked out the door. Then their little girl cousin came out of the house above them. Then 6 little girls came running out the door towards us. I looked at my companion and he was just as surprised as I was. This house was full of just women! I don't know how they fit all of them in their! In the end their were 5 girls between the ages of 12 and 20, plus their six little girls (yes, the 20 year-old has 2 girls...one that is 5 years old. The 18 year-old had 2 kids too, and the 15 year old was following her big sister's examples and was pregnant as well).
We taught all of them out in front of their house because we both were petrified to go into the house due to the mountain of girls we saw before us. The lesson was fine and afterward I told my companion that we had just found a rabbit's nest in our area. It was so funny...I really hope they come to church with us on Sunday, not just because of that whole exaltation thing but also because it would be so funny to show up with all of them.
That would really show the primary instructors who controls this ward!
So we were sent a little kid this week that "fell from heaven" as they say here. Literally though. He is 9 years old and his parents are less-active members but they came up to us and said they want him to get baptized. And seeing as he is 9 years old he has to be taught all of the lessons and after the mom asked us if we could baptize him. So that's what we will be doing this Friday night!
Oh yeah we had Zone Conference last Thursday and I got to see my old comp from the CTM Elder Blackham! He is a little chubster! He put on 20 pounds of fat on his small little frame it's hilarious. I miss that kid, and it was good to talk to him. He was there as one of the Assistant's companions because his old companion is a slacker and he told President...then his companion found out and started threatening him. So then he got emergency transfered. Hooray! I am not alone in my struggles.
Until next week my friends! Love ya'll! Keep on writin'!
-Elder Brent Parsons
My companion has been here for a year and 4 months and doesn't even put up with the drunks anymore. Usually I like to entertain myself (and them) by actually answering their questions and responding to their comments just because I think it is hilarious when they stumble through their answers or tell me that I am beautiful, but my companion just yells (literally) at them to shut up and go home. He definitely could do something a bit less destructive to the Church's image, but you know...each to his own.
Speaking of my companion we's doing good! Like really. In the past two days we have taught 20 lessons. We leave the house early and walk like crazy in the blazing heat to get those lessons...but it's worth it.
Actually we had a hilarious lesson this week. We showed up at this house and "clapped" at the door. A girl of about 18 years came out and greeted us. We explained who we were and asked if there was anyone else in the house that would like to hear the message too...she said "yes" and yelled at the house for someone to come out. So then another girl of about 15 years came out...and then two more girls of about 18 or 19 poked their heads out the window. Then the mom looked out the door. Then their little girl cousin came out of the house above them. Then 6 little girls came running out the door towards us. I looked at my companion and he was just as surprised as I was. This house was full of just women! I don't know how they fit all of them in their! In the end their were 5 girls between the ages of 12 and 20, plus their six little girls (yes, the 20 year-old has 2 girls...one that is 5 years old. The 18 year-old had 2 kids too, and the 15 year old was following her big sister's examples and was pregnant as well).
We taught all of them out in front of their house because we both were petrified to go into the house due to the mountain of girls we saw before us. The lesson was fine and afterward I told my companion that we had just found a rabbit's nest in our area. It was so funny...I really hope they come to church with us on Sunday, not just because of that whole exaltation thing but also because it would be so funny to show up with all of them.
That would really show the primary instructors who controls this ward!
So we were sent a little kid this week that "fell from heaven" as they say here. Literally though. He is 9 years old and his parents are less-active members but they came up to us and said they want him to get baptized. And seeing as he is 9 years old he has to be taught all of the lessons and after the mom asked us if we could baptize him. So that's what we will be doing this Friday night!
Oh yeah we had Zone Conference last Thursday and I got to see my old comp from the CTM Elder Blackham! He is a little chubster! He put on 20 pounds of fat on his small little frame it's hilarious. I miss that kid, and it was good to talk to him. He was there as one of the Assistant's companions because his old companion is a slacker and he told President...then his companion found out and started threatening him. So then he got emergency transfered. Hooray! I am not alone in my struggles.
Until next week my friends! Love ya'll! Keep on writin'!
-Elder Brent Parsons
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