Dear Família,
This week was a goody. Many miracles happening here. The other day I went on a division to do an interview with an investigator of the Elders who live in freaking Timbuktu. Seriously the end of there area is the border of the state of São Paulo. Anywho while I was there I ran into an old investigator from my days in Tebas named Sylvana! I don´t remember how much I told you about her, but basically me and my beloved Lehite companion Lance Allgaier (who got married like a week ago ps) were walking through the mean streets of Tebas where up ahead two ladies saw us coming and split up onto either sides of the road. Not letting that deter him, Lancelot stopped in the middle of the street and said, "You there, stop where you are. And you, over there listen well; We are representatives of Christ and we want to stop by your house another day and share a message with you. Where do you two live?" They gave us their addresses and we went and taught this Sylvana who absolutely loved the message and went to church for 4 weeks straight before she moved with her son and loser boyfriend to no man´s land where I found her Saturday. It was a joyous reunion, especially when she mentioned that her boyfriend and she seperated and now she has nothing keeping her from being baptized. WAHOO! On this very same division my comp in my area found what can be described as the 13th lost tribe of Israel. A MULTITUDE of people that liked the message of the restoration of the gospel. So that was good. Anywho something not so good was yesterday my comp, Elaine White´s brother-in-law and I had to break up a fight in the bus terminal after a sequence of bad manners and worse words were exchanged, which ended with one lady quase under the bus with her shirt all ripped up as a mother-daughter duo were pulling her hair and just basically being rude.... It was ugly. It was like the episode of Planet Earth where the pride of lions take down that elephant. I just felt so sick and so awful watching as it unfolded.
Nick- Dude bro, legit random awkward legit bro, looking like Joseph Smith all burly and tough in the family pic...Nice! Here´s some brotherly advice: GET YOUR EAGLE SCOUT AWARD!!! You only have a month left so get crackin. The only place half as cool as the mission for a young man to be is in The Eagle´s Nest. Digging the beard though. My friend here Elder Piper and his ward did "don´t shave December" and when people asked them what they were growing out their beards for they would say, "This month we´re growing out our beards to remember the Savior." And then they had some cool missionary opportunities. But focus on getting that Eagle before growing another beard. That´s rad you are having good experiences dishing out printers to needy ladies. There was a kid here in Curitiba that gave up his seat to a woman on the bus and she ended up being baptized... atta baby.
Rhett- Loved the email and the PICS!!!!!! Mollie looks like a cutie pie. That´s awesome that you´re doing your home teaching with that family. In Preach My Gospel it says missionary work is just home teaching but with non-members so you are doing your part in your own way, but keep them eyes peeled.
Jor- Remember my companion from Tennessee that I compared to Grayson Brogdon? The one who said he´d rather have a samurai sword than a gun to go mano a mano with another guy with a gun, and also to protect his family against robbers. Guess which northern Utah city he is from..... Yeah.... Also due to the 5 hour time difference I don´t think the Christmas call is gonna happen all that late in the Utah afternoon.... Just saying. Também tell Ashley parabens for the commercial! That is so awesome.
Dad- Loved the email. Glad to hear how the John Gagons are doing. Yeah we didn´t do anything to celebrate Thanksgiving here. Maybe we bought a pizza? But of the many great things in Brasilian culture, Thanksgiving feasts is not one of them. Some things are good, and others not so good, but I like Michael am going to try and bring the goods back with me.
On a related note, if anybody has ideas for souveniers that they want me to get, start sending ideas now, cuz time is FLYING here in the dirty dirty.
com muito amor
-Elder Gagon
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Michael: November 30, 2011
Dear family!
I hope thanksgiving was great and errbody be in the Christmas sprrit. I´ve been listening to Motab X-mas for a month now já. Yesterday was our Christmas zone-conference which was cool. We watched a movie that I think was made in 2000 where the quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency testify of Christ which was awesome.
We were teaching a 71 year old guy that is really funny. He fell off his roof and landed on a stake. He punctured his lung and is all stitched up but he´s a really healthy guy and anyway God spared his life. Since he isn´t working his wife dug up an old book for him to read. What book? An old Livro de Mormon thats been gathering dust for who knows how long. And the next day we showed up. The lessons were going well. He went to church with us and in both Elders quorum and Sunday School he introduced himself and lifted up his shirt for everyone to see ´´the map of Brazil´´ stitched on his back. (Its a big scar). Turns out though that he killed someone 6 years ago so won´t be getting baptised. During the lesson he reached into the couch cushion and showed us his pistol. We found a family of 7 yesterday and so far so good. A mom and her 6 kids from 8 - 20 something. Pretty sure everyone there is breaking the Law of Chastity but we´ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
*You know you´re a master teacher when you tell the first vision and the investigator says ´´Oh ya I heard Padre Marcelo recite that prayer on the TV the other day ´´
Nick- What´s the muppet movie about? Parabens ropin in those scholarships. I´ve got my eye on BYU but USU and UVU are in a close run for my back-up ´´plan´´.What´d Kumi say about me? What was she wearin? Did she have a ring on her left hand? Tell her to write ME! You should bear your testimony on Sunday. Maybe include the deed you done on black friday.
Natalie- The mangoes are fallin off the trees. A lady we taught gave us a bag of 50+ mangoes one day to take home. (the small kind, they´re only a little bigger than an average kiwi.)
Jor - The latest I will call you guys is 4:20 Brazil time. Tudo bem?
Well family. Things are going well. My companion Nephi is great. The member whose house were livingin is giving it a make-over so that´s snazzy.
20 Beijos e abraços. Um por cada um!
I love yáll
Elder Michael David Gagon
I hope thanksgiving was great and errbody be in the Christmas sprrit. I´ve been listening to Motab X-mas for a month now já. Yesterday was our Christmas zone-conference which was cool. We watched a movie that I think was made in 2000 where the quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency testify of Christ which was awesome.
We were teaching a 71 year old guy that is really funny. He fell off his roof and landed on a stake. He punctured his lung and is all stitched up but he´s a really healthy guy and anyway God spared his life. Since he isn´t working his wife dug up an old book for him to read. What book? An old Livro de Mormon thats been gathering dust for who knows how long. And the next day we showed up. The lessons were going well. He went to church with us and in both Elders quorum and Sunday School he introduced himself and lifted up his shirt for everyone to see ´´the map of Brazil´´ stitched on his back. (Its a big scar). Turns out though that he killed someone 6 years ago so won´t be getting baptised. During the lesson he reached into the couch cushion and showed us his pistol. We found a family of 7 yesterday and so far so good. A mom and her 6 kids from 8 - 20 something. Pretty sure everyone there is breaking the Law of Chastity but we´ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
*You know you´re a master teacher when you tell the first vision and the investigator says ´´Oh ya I heard Padre Marcelo recite that prayer on the TV the other day ´´
Nick- What´s the muppet movie about? Parabens ropin in those scholarships. I´ve got my eye on BYU but USU and UVU are in a close run for my back-up ´´plan´´.What´d Kumi say about me? What was she wearin? Did she have a ring on her left hand? Tell her to write ME! You should bear your testimony on Sunday. Maybe include the deed you done on black friday.
Natalie- The mangoes are fallin off the trees. A lady we taught gave us a bag of 50+ mangoes one day to take home. (the small kind, they´re only a little bigger than an average kiwi.)
Jor - The latest I will call you guys is 4:20 Brazil time. Tudo bem?
Well family. Things are going well. My companion Nephi is great. The member whose house were livingin is giving it a make-over so that´s snazzy.
20 Beijos e abraços. Um por cada um!
I love yáll
Elder Michael David Gagon
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Michael: November 23, 2011
Dear family
It´s a.....Brazilian! Elder R. Santos is my new companion. Call me Abraham, Jacob or Lehi but I´ve got another son. Training...again... met the President of the United States...again... (F. Gump). I´ve gotta dig deep to keep going in this area. I told President my snake story and thought I´d get transfered but I guess he didn´t see a big problem. You sometimes feel like he doesn´t like you but I was able to feel not only his confidence but also the Lord´s trust in me to show my comp how to be obedient if anything. Thank you for everyone who emailed me this week. I´m extremely grateful and even emotional as I read them.
Dad- A missionary bought Pirates of the Caribbean now that we have DVD players and President sent him home so he could watch it. I´m not only enjoying the Brazilian culture but gonna try to bring back lots of it with me. I was surprised that Glen is engaged, I wasn´t aware he wasn´t married anymore. That missionary activity and those stories from John´s ward are awesome!!!
Mom- Thanks so much for the email. Why are the deers in such a hurry they have to cross immediately after the car goes by? If I were as fast as a deer my crossing the street problems would be solved. If Gina´s dog complains on being cooped up on thanksgiving tell it to be thankful he wasnt born in Brazil where he wouldn´t have a yard or even a window that allows him to see the street.
Al- Ya I´m feelin old. Today I saw friends going home to join their families tomorrow. Que bençao. Just 1 more Christmas, new years, and B-day to go. By Mothers day, the 4th of July, and next halloween I´ll be back.
Jor- Thank you for the email. Did you T-vo the wal-mart commercial haha? Give Ashley meus parabens.
Not that its important, where is tremonton? Not that it´s unimportant either....
Matt- cabuloso = freaky? crazy? sei lá. My pres sent home more missionaries this month than people I baptised. Double triste. Fica tranquilo about the letters. I enjoy watching me some district 1 or district 2 and chillaxin on p day. Gonna send out a christmas card hopefully with better results this year (haha yea right)
Something funny that happened- my ex-comp and I crossed over a big canal on a palm tree trunk. A guy saw us standing on one side being chickens and telling the other to go across first and he said ´´You guys have such little faith! Just put it in God´s hands and go!´´...K I´m not going to erase that or try to explain why it was funny to me but there you go.
Another weird experience - There were 3 little birds up in the sky flying circles around a big vulture attacking/ganging up on him and I said to my companion in english ´´´Look at those birds´´ and some dude on the street walking a couple yards ahead of us laughed way loud, turned around and joined in the convo. It was so weird to us, that eventhough he didn´t speak any english just by the situation knew exactly what I said.
We marked a baptismal date with a midget! She avoided us and disappeared the next day though, dang it.
I saw fireflies and I jump roped 160 times in a minute. Sister Hunsaker that flew with me from Salt Lake to Sao Paulo last May is flying home today.
Not much else to report as far as work goes. But the highlight of the week was Stake Conference. I saw old friends from my areas I was in from Novemb-March last year. The bishop in one of those areas was called as the new counselor in the new stake presidency he´s like 5-6´´, 29 years old and has braces ha but he´s a spiritual giant. The best part of all of this was the presence of Elder Godoy, of the 1st quorum of the 70. I left there with high spirits to say the least. Not a single one of my investigators that said they´d go went, but I grabbed a guy off the street to go with us in shorts and a t-shirt and I hear he´s going to be baptized Sunday in the area he lives in.
Elder Godoy said so much good stuff I feel like Lehi wanting to share with his family the fruit of the tree of life. But one thing I want to share is what he taught about callings. He taught that the Lord calls who he calls for his purposes. He quoted an Apostle that said ´´There are plenty of great men in the church that are capable of holding our calling, and maybe even more qualified, but there is only room for 12, and for some purpose the Lord has I needed to be called and I was.´´ -- We can always be sure that in His church, Christ is the leader, and we don´t need to be worried about who is called. We shouldn´t worry so much about callings because in the end our goal isn´t to be President, or leader of anything, our end goal is to be heavenly parents, like our Father in heaven. Then he talked a lot about how taking care of our families, especially our wives is our greatest responsibility. And I got to thinking that Mom and Dad- you guys must have a guarunteed spot in the celestial kingdom because you two are the best parents in the world, and created the best family in the world. You´ve done such a good job. I love you so much and I´m so grateful for all you guys have done and do for me and our family. I know Heavenly Father loves you and is grateful for what you´ve done for us and is so happy with you. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.
I´m grateful for our Father´s plan and for our Savior. Grateful for the little knowledge I have of the gospel. Grateful for Christ´s church being restored to the earth. Grateful for Prophets, apostles and all church leaders. Grateful for our challenges. Grateful for being on my mission. Grateful Matt´s out here too. I was extremely grateful to hear my boy Nilson back in Sete Lagoas received the Melchezideck Priesthood, and I´m grateful it´s the ´´off-year´´ so that in 2012 we´re all gonna be hog-gobblin juntos! Amen.
gobble.gobble.gobble.
Elder Michael Gagon
It´s a.....Brazilian! Elder R. Santos is my new companion. Call me Abraham, Jacob or Lehi but I´ve got another son. Training...again... met the President of the United States...again... (F. Gump). I´ve gotta dig deep to keep going in this area. I told President my snake story and thought I´d get transfered but I guess he didn´t see a big problem. You sometimes feel like he doesn´t like you but I was able to feel not only his confidence but also the Lord´s trust in me to show my comp how to be obedient if anything. Thank you for everyone who emailed me this week. I´m extremely grateful and even emotional as I read them.
Dad- A missionary bought Pirates of the Caribbean now that we have DVD players and President sent him home so he could watch it. I´m not only enjoying the Brazilian culture but gonna try to bring back lots of it with me. I was surprised that Glen is engaged, I wasn´t aware he wasn´t married anymore. That missionary activity and those stories from John´s ward are awesome!!!
Mom- Thanks so much for the email. Why are the deers in such a hurry they have to cross immediately after the car goes by? If I were as fast as a deer my crossing the street problems would be solved. If Gina´s dog complains on being cooped up on thanksgiving tell it to be thankful he wasnt born in Brazil where he wouldn´t have a yard or even a window that allows him to see the street.
Al- Ya I´m feelin old. Today I saw friends going home to join their families tomorrow. Que bençao. Just 1 more Christmas, new years, and B-day to go. By Mothers day, the 4th of July, and next halloween I´ll be back.
Jor- Thank you for the email. Did you T-vo the wal-mart commercial haha? Give Ashley meus parabens.
Not that its important, where is tremonton? Not that it´s unimportant either....
Matt- cabuloso = freaky? crazy? sei lá. My pres sent home more missionaries this month than people I baptised. Double triste. Fica tranquilo about the letters. I enjoy watching me some district 1 or district 2 and chillaxin on p day. Gonna send out a christmas card hopefully with better results this year (haha yea right)
Something funny that happened- my ex-comp and I crossed over a big canal on a palm tree trunk. A guy saw us standing on one side being chickens and telling the other to go across first and he said ´´You guys have such little faith! Just put it in God´s hands and go!´´...K I´m not going to erase that or try to explain why it was funny to me but there you go.
Another weird experience - There were 3 little birds up in the sky flying circles around a big vulture attacking/ganging up on him and I said to my companion in english ´´´Look at those birds´´ and some dude on the street walking a couple yards ahead of us laughed way loud, turned around and joined in the convo. It was so weird to us, that eventhough he didn´t speak any english just by the situation knew exactly what I said.
We marked a baptismal date with a midget! She avoided us and disappeared the next day though, dang it.
I saw fireflies and I jump roped 160 times in a minute. Sister Hunsaker that flew with me from Salt Lake to Sao Paulo last May is flying home today.
Not much else to report as far as work goes. But the highlight of the week was Stake Conference. I saw old friends from my areas I was in from Novemb-March last year. The bishop in one of those areas was called as the new counselor in the new stake presidency he´s like 5-6´´, 29 years old and has braces ha but he´s a spiritual giant. The best part of all of this was the presence of Elder Godoy, of the 1st quorum of the 70. I left there with high spirits to say the least. Not a single one of my investigators that said they´d go went, but I grabbed a guy off the street to go with us in shorts and a t-shirt and I hear he´s going to be baptized Sunday in the area he lives in.
Elder Godoy said so much good stuff I feel like Lehi wanting to share with his family the fruit of the tree of life. But one thing I want to share is what he taught about callings. He taught that the Lord calls who he calls for his purposes. He quoted an Apostle that said ´´There are plenty of great men in the church that are capable of holding our calling, and maybe even more qualified, but there is only room for 12, and for some purpose the Lord has I needed to be called and I was.´´ -- We can always be sure that in His church, Christ is the leader, and we don´t need to be worried about who is called. We shouldn´t worry so much about callings because in the end our goal isn´t to be President, or leader of anything, our end goal is to be heavenly parents, like our Father in heaven. Then he talked a lot about how taking care of our families, especially our wives is our greatest responsibility. And I got to thinking that Mom and Dad- you guys must have a guarunteed spot in the celestial kingdom because you two are the best parents in the world, and created the best family in the world. You´ve done such a good job. I love you so much and I´m so grateful for all you guys have done and do for me and our family. I know Heavenly Father loves you and is grateful for what you´ve done for us and is so happy with you. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.
I´m grateful for our Father´s plan and for our Savior. Grateful for the little knowledge I have of the gospel. Grateful for Christ´s church being restored to the earth. Grateful for Prophets, apostles and all church leaders. Grateful for our challenges. Grateful for being on my mission. Grateful Matt´s out here too. I was extremely grateful to hear my boy Nilson back in Sete Lagoas received the Melchezideck Priesthood, and I´m grateful it´s the ´´off-year´´ so that in 2012 we´re all gonna be hog-gobblin juntos! Amen.
gobble.gobble.gobble.
Elder Michael Gagon
Matt: November 23, 2011
Dear family,
This week has been challenging. I´m learning a lot about how to put others before myself in the last 7 days. Also about how it feels like to be the mother hen...woof. This week is transfers and my roommate Elder Smith from Spokane ended his mission and went home as did the angel of all trainers, the saint of citizen, the physical and spiritual giant, my beloved Pai, Elder Preston Simper, after they both served for 2 years and 2 months. It made me realize just how fast the mission goes. It seems like hours ago that I got to this area, and just days that I was on the plane from São Paulo to Curitiba. Kinda nuts. The mission is super great. I´m loving it. Even when it seems like all there is in the streets are people that want to bible bash, or people just blinded by the apostacy, it is still the greatest. Yeah, not a lot to report this week except that Jackson (not my companion) is still running amuck unconfirmed around the São Lourenço streets. Just yesterday me and Elder Jackson (my companion) offered to help some lady carrying some grocery sacks home to her house. She gladly accepted and we ended up teaching her about the restoration of the gospel and she accepted to be baptized on the 11th of December. It´s been good lately, just kind of annoying trying to get people to go to church, or keep commitments and things like that. Just your base missionary work I guess.
Al- Thanks for the email. Good to hear about your Buffalo soldiers.
Michael- O que é cabuloso? Nunca ouvi falar.
Devin- You wouldn´t happen to have a copy of Day of Defense that you could send me, do you? I am in desperate need!
I love you all,
Elder Matt Gagon
This week has been challenging. I´m learning a lot about how to put others before myself in the last 7 days. Also about how it feels like to be the mother hen...woof. This week is transfers and my roommate Elder Smith from Spokane ended his mission and went home as did the angel of all trainers, the saint of citizen, the physical and spiritual giant, my beloved Pai, Elder Preston Simper, after they both served for 2 years and 2 months. It made me realize just how fast the mission goes. It seems like hours ago that I got to this area, and just days that I was on the plane from São Paulo to Curitiba. Kinda nuts. The mission is super great. I´m loving it. Even when it seems like all there is in the streets are people that want to bible bash, or people just blinded by the apostacy, it is still the greatest. Yeah, not a lot to report this week except that Jackson (not my companion) is still running amuck unconfirmed around the São Lourenço streets. Just yesterday me and Elder Jackson (my companion) offered to help some lady carrying some grocery sacks home to her house. She gladly accepted and we ended up teaching her about the restoration of the gospel and she accepted to be baptized on the 11th of December. It´s been good lately, just kind of annoying trying to get people to go to church, or keep commitments and things like that. Just your base missionary work I guess.
Al- Thanks for the email. Good to hear about your Buffalo soldiers.
Michael- O que é cabuloso? Nunca ouvi falar.
Devin- You wouldn´t happen to have a copy of Day of Defense that you could send me, do you? I am in desperate need!
I love you all,
Elder Matt Gagon
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Michael: November 16, 2011
Dear familyI just overheard the girl next to me saying to a little boy ´´no it´s just my dad that is your dad, my mom and your mom are different.´´The good this week was that Joao was confirmed, can´t forget the importance of that.I had a cool adventure on Monday. We took a bus out as far as we could in our area, to the outskirts of town. Then we started walking further down a country road for 20 minutes looking for a part member family´s house, who came to church Sunday. As it was getting dark and the thought came to me that I should ask for directions again. So I asked someone who was outside their house, and he said we were in the right area but he didn´t know the street we were looking for. Then I told him the names of the people we wanted and he said ´´Oh they live up this same street!´´ And we talked a little more and then he said ´´Let my boy drive you guys there´´ and as he said that it started to rain cats and dogs and 2 of every kind of creature but the car was able to get us up the dirt hill roads to their house. We taught her really quick about Joseph Smith cause it was late and it´d take us over an hour to get home and she accepted to be baptised Sunday. Then my companion and I ran into the rain down the hill back to that families house to bum a ride to the bus stop. Their son had left with the car but their kind neighbor took us, and not a minute after we got there the last bus of the night pulled up.Yesterday that girl decided not to be baptised.Although these weeks have been tough like nails and chewin rubber- I still am enjoying the experience and learning. I´m grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost and Mom you can bet the Lord protects and never lets us get lost in the Brazilian forest at night in rain storms. That´s really heart breaking to hear about the missionaries in Texas.We tried helping a drunk guy passed out on the sidewalk walk home, we picked him up and walked a little ways and then he said to let him go and if we touched him again he´d kill us, so we let him fall down right there in a ditch, but I havent faced any real danger.A senior couple got to the mission recently and the husband served in ´´the Brazil mission´´. and he opened up an area (a state) where there is now a mission. Anyway, really crazy to think about how fast the Kingdom of God is being established. Um milagre e uma BENÇAO. Mom- You´re really good at emailing! I´m 99% sure it´s Tim Fitt there in Rochester! That´s great! He´s a good guy. You´re the indexer of the nations capitalAl- Great email, great laughs. Good to hear the spirit of Elijah is turning the hearts of the daughters to their mothers and the hearts of the mothers to their daughters??Jor- Matt steps in lots of dog poo! Tell all the single ladies.Matt- Cara, don´t you love learning an expression and then hearing it bastante so you´ll nev forget it. Sonho com meu bem DIRETO! é cabuloso kk. Já ouviu essa? Eu gosto.Well family. That´s all for this week. Sem dúvida next week will bring some great news.Elder Michael Gagon
Matt: November 16, 2011
Dearest family of mine,
This week has come and gone. Each faster than the last. My boy Jackson that got baptized a week and a half ago was too tired to go to church to be confirmed, "But this week I promise I´ll go. You can count on it." So he will have to wait 4 more days to receive a complete remission of his sins. Something else interesting, we are teaching a man named Auede. Now that doesn´t seem abnormal just reading it, but the way you pronounce his name is "a wedgie" ha ha ha! Yesterday we went to Pizza Hut to eat lunch and it was pretty much the same as it is in the USofA, except for here in the dirty dirty they have other ingredients that they put on pizza here that don´t even exhist in the States (Jor, how would you explain Catupiry?) and also down here in the Southern Hemisphere Pizza Hut is like DOUBLE the price!!! Luckily for us a member gave us enough money to eat there, and according to the Brasilian I was with, "That was the best 6 pieces of pizza to ever enter my mouth." Another cool thing that happened yesterday was that I got to do a division with my old MTC companion elder Marx! It was so great. We did some good reminiscing and it was interesting to see how far we have come from the days of, "You know Elder Gagon we´re not supposed to have vain repetitions in our prayers, and you said the same exact thing in your last two nightly prayers."
"Well Elder Marx, those are the only things I know how to say in Portuguese; so until I learn how to say more stuff that is going to be my prayer." ha ha ha so great. It´s amazing to see how much things have changed and the progress we´ve both made. The mission is truly incredible... Awesome awesome.
Other than that just teaching and preaching and working like missionaries do. Last week got to be pretty dang hot, but then Saturday rolled around and it has been freezing for the last 5 days.
Nat- Oh yeah, just drop a beat and freestyle why dontcha. Ha ha Avery sounds like the cutest. Have you done the thing where you try a little bit of baby food to trick them into thinking that "even grown ups like this stuff" but then you´re really thinking "Wow I can´t believe babies eat this crap!" ha ha ha good stuff. Does she already walk? Yikes- airplane with a baby...WOOF!
Well, love you all
-Elder Matt Gagon
This week has come and gone. Each faster than the last. My boy Jackson that got baptized a week and a half ago was too tired to go to church to be confirmed, "But this week I promise I´ll go. You can count on it." So he will have to wait 4 more days to receive a complete remission of his sins. Something else interesting, we are teaching a man named Auede. Now that doesn´t seem abnormal just reading it, but the way you pronounce his name is "a wedgie" ha ha ha! Yesterday we went to Pizza Hut to eat lunch and it was pretty much the same as it is in the USofA, except for here in the dirty dirty they have other ingredients that they put on pizza here that don´t even exhist in the States (Jor, how would you explain Catupiry?) and also down here in the Southern Hemisphere Pizza Hut is like DOUBLE the price!!! Luckily for us a member gave us enough money to eat there, and according to the Brasilian I was with, "That was the best 6 pieces of pizza to ever enter my mouth." Another cool thing that happened yesterday was that I got to do a division with my old MTC companion elder Marx! It was so great. We did some good reminiscing and it was interesting to see how far we have come from the days of, "You know Elder Gagon we´re not supposed to have vain repetitions in our prayers, and you said the same exact thing in your last two nightly prayers."
"Well Elder Marx, those are the only things I know how to say in Portuguese; so until I learn how to say more stuff that is going to be my prayer." ha ha ha so great. It´s amazing to see how much things have changed and the progress we´ve both made. The mission is truly incredible... Awesome awesome.
Other than that just teaching and preaching and working like missionaries do. Last week got to be pretty dang hot, but then Saturday rolled around and it has been freezing for the last 5 days.
Nat- Oh yeah, just drop a beat and freestyle why dontcha. Ha ha Avery sounds like the cutest. Have you done the thing where you try a little bit of baby food to trick them into thinking that "even grown ups like this stuff" but then you´re really thinking "Wow I can´t believe babies eat this crap!" ha ha ha good stuff. Does she already walk? Yikes- airplane with a baby...WOOF!
Well, love you all
-Elder Matt Gagon
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Matt: November 9, 2011
Dear family,
This week was a goody. Just putting our nose to the grindstone and finally getting our boy Jackson to go back to church so that he could receive a remission of sins after the meetin´! Good stuff. We went back to his house to accompany him but his brother with mental problems told us he already left for work. Come to find out that he was actually in the shower... Oh well. Things are turning around here in the dirty south. We´re finding a lot of our Heavenly Father´s elect children, and preaching up a storm. Monday I ate lunch in the home of Bishop Jairo Cordeiro who told us that on his mission to the Brasil North mission (yeah when there were 2 missions in Brasil, one filled with dinosaurs, the other filled with dying Nephites) he told me how he taught the gospel to a young Mineiro named Henrique DeAgostini and how after sed bishop left he was baptized and not too long after married a girl from what would be the Curitiba mormon equivilent to the Kennedy family. And how 2 weeks ago he was eating dinner in their house in Utah. Small Brasilian LDS world!
That stinks to hear about those 2 missionaries in Texas. I have a close call here and there, but I have yet to have anything bad happen to me. Só bençãos! Also, yesterday at lunch I caught myself doing something that I never thought I would do in my life 2 years ago. I was eating bananas with hot sauce.
Beans..... beets..... bananas and hot sauce - with rice. It wasn´t half bad.
Mom- Thanks for the email. I loved it. That is good that you are using your time "doing something of worth" ha ha. Also check your email inbox.
Michael- I´ve seen that "elder Mileski" name around, but I think he´s from the other ward that goes to our same building. Gostou meus planos de encontrar a "meu bem"? PS I heard that expression for the first time this week, and all week long!
Jor- Oh yeah, like I would do ANYTHING to attract more brasilian street dogs to me, even for the sake of losing wait. Tá louco? If they stopped making skittles I am gonna throw up.
Nick- Loved the email, my missionary prep advice to go along with Michael´s is to watch lots of Kung Pow. Many elders have seen it, and it is super hilarious to quote back and forth. jk but for reals I would say to also study chapter 1 of PMG along with chap 3. Figure out why we serve missions.
Nate J- The reason you never found out about the single greatest Kung fu comedy of all time, is because once upon a time on a road trip home from Mexico, your sister-in-law Jordan hid it from me in the Wright´s house in Tucson so that she would never have to hear me laugh ever again! How rude.
Jor- Yeah I still remember that!
Well fam, love you all.
-Elder Matt
This week was a goody. Just putting our nose to the grindstone and finally getting our boy Jackson to go back to church so that he could receive a remission of sins after the meetin´! Good stuff. We went back to his house to accompany him but his brother with mental problems told us he already left for work. Come to find out that he was actually in the shower... Oh well. Things are turning around here in the dirty south. We´re finding a lot of our Heavenly Father´s elect children, and preaching up a storm. Monday I ate lunch in the home of Bishop Jairo Cordeiro who told us that on his mission to the Brasil North mission (yeah when there were 2 missions in Brasil, one filled with dinosaurs, the other filled with dying Nephites) he told me how he taught the gospel to a young Mineiro named Henrique DeAgostini and how after sed bishop left he was baptized and not too long after married a girl from what would be the Curitiba mormon equivilent to the Kennedy family. And how 2 weeks ago he was eating dinner in their house in Utah. Small Brasilian LDS world!
That stinks to hear about those 2 missionaries in Texas. I have a close call here and there, but I have yet to have anything bad happen to me. Só bençãos! Also, yesterday at lunch I caught myself doing something that I never thought I would do in my life 2 years ago. I was eating bananas with hot sauce.
Beans..... beets..... bananas and hot sauce - with rice. It wasn´t half bad.
Mom- Thanks for the email. I loved it. That is good that you are using your time "doing something of worth" ha ha. Also check your email inbox.
Michael- I´ve seen that "elder Mileski" name around, but I think he´s from the other ward that goes to our same building. Gostou meus planos de encontrar a "meu bem"? PS I heard that expression for the first time this week, and all week long!
Jor- Oh yeah, like I would do ANYTHING to attract more brasilian street dogs to me, even for the sake of losing wait. Tá louco? If they stopped making skittles I am gonna throw up.
Nick- Loved the email, my missionary prep advice to go along with Michael´s is to watch lots of Kung Pow. Many elders have seen it, and it is super hilarious to quote back and forth. jk but for reals I would say to also study chapter 1 of PMG along with chap 3. Figure out why we serve missions.
Nate J- The reason you never found out about the single greatest Kung fu comedy of all time, is because once upon a time on a road trip home from Mexico, your sister-in-law Jordan hid it from me in the Wright´s house in Tucson so that she would never have to hear me laugh ever again! How rude.
Jor- Yeah I still remember that!
Well fam, love you all.
-Elder Matt
Michael: November 9, 2011
Oi familia!
I´ll come right out with the good news.
Senhor Joao´s 68 years worth of sins were washed away on Sunday! It was good. me and my comp pulled sides of a wishbone to see who would baptise him and I won two out of three (we eat lunch almost erryday with that member that works with us and there is always a casket-load of bones in the food he makes). For the first time since February I baptised in heated water which was nice. The water was so warm that the glass in front of the font was all foggy when they opened the doors for urrbody to see, and Joao splashed around a little before he got out.
So I think I´ll be leaving this area soon cause of the member-snake down here. She wrote me a note saying she was being sexually harrassed and needed my counsel. The sisters that work in the other half of our area are also outee cause they have a stalker. Our mission president had the guy that works with us go work with the sisters to keep the stalker away.
Jaynes- I got the package with letters from Nate, Nat, and Nick! or should I say I found it in the mission office, who knows how long it´s been there. Obrigado! And the jump rope and deo. bone-G-mice ha. I jumped the rope 145 times in 1 minute this morning.
So here in Belo there are now missionaries from Portugal, Bolivia, Chile? Uruguay, Germany? Peru?.. anyway it´s kinda cool. And an Elder from Uruguay had pictures of my buddy Dom Havelin who made mission there.
Al- great email, your pictures look profesh! The one of Abby and Ellie hugging is so cute! But hey, how did you make your pot of gold costume??
Jor- ótimo email! No more skittles? sério?
Nat- Letter response comin hot- It´s hard for me to remember cold weather so cold you cant stay outside.
Can/Dev- Holy costume!
Matt- I got your letter in the 2 envelopes + your b-ball foto. Nossa. There is an Elder Mileski here that is from the same ward as Elder Carvalheiro (the ward you are in) do you know his family?? He´s weird he wouldn´t tell me his mom´s name so maybe his fam isn´t doin so hot.. There are also 2 other missionaries here from that same stake, and a sister in my district (Sister Batista, who´s being stalked) from Curitiba, her sister also served here in Belo..
Anyway it´s a small Brazilian LDS world.
Nick- Utah Ski and Golf eh? ski benefits? I´m growin my hair and starting now maybe I´ll grow my sideburns a centimeter longer for No-shave-novemb. I´d def do a semest of college and then head out on the best 2 year adventure of your LIFE. Also, I wouldn´t go further south than BYU but if scholarship takes you elsewhere tudo bem, follow the spirit. Way pumped to hear about your BoM and Ensign reading. I´m going crazy to get my hands on the October and November Ensings. To prepare yourself for your mission just read gospel literature that talks about missionary work, anything and everything will help. Read Preach My Gospel, chapter 3 over and over again, and try teaching anyone you can, share what you learn even if its just with the fam..! Love you bro, 2 weeks in a row!
Besides all that we´re just at the grinder, workin like captive Israelites with few results, but ever faithful.
Ponder 2 Nephi 30:14 (i found the words in this verse so strange)
20 Beijos para todo mundo
Elder Miguel Gagon
I´ll come right out with the good news.
Senhor Joao´s 68 years worth of sins were washed away on Sunday! It was good. me and my comp pulled sides of a wishbone to see who would baptise him and I won two out of three (we eat lunch almost erryday with that member that works with us and there is always a casket-load of bones in the food he makes). For the first time since February I baptised in heated water which was nice. The water was so warm that the glass in front of the font was all foggy when they opened the doors for urrbody to see, and Joao splashed around a little before he got out.
So I think I´ll be leaving this area soon cause of the member-snake down here. She wrote me a note saying she was being sexually harrassed and needed my counsel. The sisters that work in the other half of our area are also outee cause they have a stalker. Our mission president had the guy that works with us go work with the sisters to keep the stalker away.
Jaynes- I got the package with letters from Nate, Nat, and Nick! or should I say I found it in the mission office, who knows how long it´s been there. Obrigado! And the jump rope and deo. bone-G-mice ha. I jumped the rope 145 times in 1 minute this morning.
So here in Belo there are now missionaries from Portugal, Bolivia, Chile? Uruguay, Germany? Peru?.. anyway it´s kinda cool. And an Elder from Uruguay had pictures of my buddy Dom Havelin who made mission there.
Al- great email, your pictures look profesh! The one of Abby and Ellie hugging is so cute! But hey, how did you make your pot of gold costume??
Jor- ótimo email! No more skittles? sério?
Nat- Letter response comin hot- It´s hard for me to remember cold weather so cold you cant stay outside.
Can/Dev- Holy costume!
Matt- I got your letter in the 2 envelopes + your b-ball foto. Nossa. There is an Elder Mileski here that is from the same ward as Elder Carvalheiro (the ward you are in) do you know his family?? He´s weird he wouldn´t tell me his mom´s name so maybe his fam isn´t doin so hot.. There are also 2 other missionaries here from that same stake, and a sister in my district (Sister Batista, who´s being stalked) from Curitiba, her sister also served here in Belo..
Anyway it´s a small Brazilian LDS world.
Nick- Utah Ski and Golf eh? ski benefits? I´m growin my hair and starting now maybe I´ll grow my sideburns a centimeter longer for No-shave-novemb. I´d def do a semest of college and then head out on the best 2 year adventure of your LIFE. Also, I wouldn´t go further south than BYU but if scholarship takes you elsewhere tudo bem, follow the spirit. Way pumped to hear about your BoM and Ensign reading. I´m going crazy to get my hands on the October and November Ensings. To prepare yourself for your mission just read gospel literature that talks about missionary work, anything and everything will help. Read Preach My Gospel, chapter 3 over and over again, and try teaching anyone you can, share what you learn even if its just with the fam..! Love you bro, 2 weeks in a row!
Besides all that we´re just at the grinder, workin like captive Israelites with few results, but ever faithful.
Ponder 2 Nephi 30:14 (i found the words in this verse so strange)
20 Beijos para todo mundo
Elder Miguel Gagon
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Matt: November 2, 2011
Dear Fam,
I write you this week as if I was rappin´
We´re doing lots of work,
but not a lot seems to happen.
We´re teaching Father´s children,
even ones without a home,
but the apostate church is STRONG here,
yeah- the one that´s based in Rome.
We have some great investigators
who all promise to go to church,
but when we go there sunday morning
they just leave us in a lurch.
I think about the mission
and how much I truly love it.
Sunday morning I´m just left wishin´
that I loved every minute of it.
My area´s covered in morros
my bed is full of fleas
the streets run amuck with cachorros
and my hot dog is full of peas.
Brasil is such a crazy place
and I´m so greatful to be here
I love saying things like, "You´re the face"
And I love feeling my savior so near.
People try to attack your faith
Say things like, "Joe Smith was a fraud."
I humby bear testimony back saying
"No that man´s a prophet of God.
He translated the Book of Mormon
And received many revelations
Through the church and gospel he restored
We can obtain our salvation.
I know that all these things are true
Not cuz my parents always said it,
or because I did a google search
and under God´s true church I read it.
But cuz I read the Book of Mormon
And I asked God in the name of Christ
if all these things I read were true
and after- I´ve never felt so nice.
That´s how I came to know the truth
I just asked God, in Jesus' name
We´d like to stop by your house one day
and invite you to do the same."
That´s sometimes how street contacts go
and you can actually feel the spirit,
but often they just cruise on by
or say, "I don´t even wanna hear it!"
This week an old investigator called me
said our dreams were coming true
it´s been 15 days she hasn´t smoked
and Sunday she´ll be baptized too.
Today we played some soccer
and I somehow scored a slew of goals.
We even had 2 investigators there!
but now my body feels broken and old.
That stinks to hear of Nick´s football loss
and how his season came to an end
but look on the bright side, now there´s time
to write letters to your brothers and send!
Halloween has come and gone here
they don´t really celebrate here in Brasil
my comp and I made Jack-o-melon lanterns
which was of this entire week the thrill
I LOVED Can and Devin´s costume!
Michael, yours was funny as well
Al thanks for all the pictures
my nieces and nephews are cute as ____!
The mission is such a blessing
and I am so grateful that I´m here
I´m starting now to realize, that
these truly are the BEST TWO YEARS!
Com amor,
Elder Matthew Wright Gegs "Falafel sounds like a good place, lets go there" Gagon I of Curitiba
I write you this week as if I was rappin´
We´re doing lots of work,
but not a lot seems to happen.
We´re teaching Father´s children,
even ones without a home,
but the apostate church is STRONG here,
yeah- the one that´s based in Rome.
We have some great investigators
who all promise to go to church,
but when we go there sunday morning
they just leave us in a lurch.
I think about the mission
and how much I truly love it.
Sunday morning I´m just left wishin´
that I loved every minute of it.
My area´s covered in morros
my bed is full of fleas
the streets run amuck with cachorros
and my hot dog is full of peas.
Brasil is such a crazy place
and I´m so greatful to be here
I love saying things like, "You´re the face"
And I love feeling my savior so near.
People try to attack your faith
Say things like, "Joe Smith was a fraud."
I humby bear testimony back saying
"No that man´s a prophet of God.
He translated the Book of Mormon
And received many revelations
Through the church and gospel he restored
We can obtain our salvation.
I know that all these things are true
Not cuz my parents always said it,
or because I did a google search
and under God´s true church I read it.
But cuz I read the Book of Mormon
And I asked God in the name of Christ
if all these things I read were true
and after- I´ve never felt so nice.
That´s how I came to know the truth
I just asked God, in Jesus' name
We´d like to stop by your house one day
and invite you to do the same."
That´s sometimes how street contacts go
and you can actually feel the spirit,
but often they just cruise on by
or say, "I don´t even wanna hear it!"
This week an old investigator called me
said our dreams were coming true
it´s been 15 days she hasn´t smoked
and Sunday she´ll be baptized too.
Today we played some soccer
and I somehow scored a slew of goals.
We even had 2 investigators there!
but now my body feels broken and old.
That stinks to hear of Nick´s football loss
and how his season came to an end
but look on the bright side, now there´s time
to write letters to your brothers and send!
Halloween has come and gone here
they don´t really celebrate here in Brasil
my comp and I made Jack-o-melon lanterns
which was of this entire week the thrill
I LOVED Can and Devin´s costume!
Michael, yours was funny as well
Al thanks for all the pictures
my nieces and nephews are cute as ____!
The mission is such a blessing
and I am so grateful that I´m here
I´m starting now to realize, that
these truly are the BEST TWO YEARS!
Com amor,
Elder Matthew Wright Gegs "Falafel sounds like a good place, lets go there" Gagon I of Curitiba
Michael: November 2, 2011
Dear family!
After walkin around this town like highschool freshman for 3 weeks things are lookin more positive. Joao has got a date to be baptised Sunday. He´s a 67ish year old guy. He answered his door and said ´come in´ before we said anything, and I thought great, some geezer that wants to yap our ears off, lets just get in a lesson and get out logo. In the middle of the lesson I was kinda frustrated cause it was yet another of the many lessons we´ve taught lately where I knew they werent understanding almost anything I was teaching, much less what my comp was- So I cut to the chase and told him Joseph Smith´s story really rapido and invited him to be baptised. He accepted. The next day was Saturday, we didnt really teach him but told him to wait for us on the corner of the street at 8:20 to go to church the next day, and I thought that´ll be the do or die, if he goes we´ll keep teaching him. And on Sunday morning after all the other people who said theyd go to church flaked out on us we pull around Joao´s corner and he´s ready and waiting in a white shirt. I felt really humbled, and to not go on forev I´d like to say I´m learning a lot out here. Joao truly decided to be baptised because he felt so good and so different at church. Ive learned how those 3 hours on Sunday are such a blessing and so important. And they truly are- the best 3 hours of the week! Joao threw away his coffee when we taught him Sunday afternoon after much persuasion. He said ´´are you sure you guys dont want to drink the last bit with me´´.
I also got a letter from Suely that I baptised in Sete Lagoas. She´s got a call in the young womens. Im so grateful to be involved in this sacred work, it really is true what it says in D&C 15/16:6 Nothing is of greater importance than preach repentance unto this people that we can rest with them in the kingdom of God.
Rhett- I also got your letter! muito bom, Bom d+
On a sad note, a missionary from my MTC group got sent home :( Of 12 we are now 8 survivors.
For Halloween I dressed up as Elder Forsyth and my comp was Elder Gagon haha.
Oh- and I´ve got another snake in my boots. This one is a member though.
Nick- Sorry about the loss. I know that´s something that really hurts- and the only way to not feel it I think is just to distract yourself, and keep yourself busy. Forget your pain and help someone else who might be having a real tough time. How´s stud gov? How are your amigos, e amigas? What´s going on with Rachel Rodart??!? I haven´t gotten your letter yet. Thanks for the email. keep em comin with the letters!
Matt- kkk queimou Jordan! Ya I was gonna tell you this week, our AP Elder Cavalheiro é o filho da Beth. I´m not sure how many months he´s got but pretty sure its about half as many as us! He seems pretty humble to me though- Gostei muito dele.
20 hugs to go around!
Elder Michael Gagon
After walkin around this town like highschool freshman for 3 weeks things are lookin more positive. Joao has got a date to be baptised Sunday. He´s a 67ish year old guy. He answered his door and said ´come in´ before we said anything, and I thought great, some geezer that wants to yap our ears off, lets just get in a lesson and get out logo. In the middle of the lesson I was kinda frustrated cause it was yet another of the many lessons we´ve taught lately where I knew they werent understanding almost anything I was teaching, much less what my comp was- So I cut to the chase and told him Joseph Smith´s story really rapido and invited him to be baptised. He accepted. The next day was Saturday, we didnt really teach him but told him to wait for us on the corner of the street at 8:20 to go to church the next day, and I thought that´ll be the do or die, if he goes we´ll keep teaching him. And on Sunday morning after all the other people who said theyd go to church flaked out on us we pull around Joao´s corner and he´s ready and waiting in a white shirt. I felt really humbled, and to not go on forev I´d like to say I´m learning a lot out here. Joao truly decided to be baptised because he felt so good and so different at church. Ive learned how those 3 hours on Sunday are such a blessing and so important. And they truly are- the best 3 hours of the week! Joao threw away his coffee when we taught him Sunday afternoon after much persuasion. He said ´´are you sure you guys dont want to drink the last bit with me´´.
I also got a letter from Suely that I baptised in Sete Lagoas. She´s got a call in the young womens. Im so grateful to be involved in this sacred work, it really is true what it says in D&C 15/16:6 Nothing is of greater importance than preach repentance unto this people that we can rest with them in the kingdom of God.
Rhett- I also got your letter! muito bom, Bom d+
On a sad note, a missionary from my MTC group got sent home :( Of 12 we are now 8 survivors.
For Halloween I dressed up as Elder Forsyth and my comp was Elder Gagon haha.
Oh- and I´ve got another snake in my boots. This one is a member though.
Nick- Sorry about the loss. I know that´s something that really hurts- and the only way to not feel it I think is just to distract yourself, and keep yourself busy. Forget your pain and help someone else who might be having a real tough time. How´s stud gov? How are your amigos, e amigas? What´s going on with Rachel Rodart??!? I haven´t gotten your letter yet. Thanks for the email. keep em comin with the letters!
Matt- kkk queimou Jordan! Ya I was gonna tell you this week, our AP Elder Cavalheiro é o filho da Beth. I´m not sure how many months he´s got but pretty sure its about half as many as us! He seems pretty humble to me though- Gostei muito dele.
20 hugs to go around!
Elder Michael Gagon
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