April 9, 2012

(Bradley talks about pictures, but forgot to attach them or they didn't come through.  Hopefully, we will get them next week)

Dear Family!

So, Elder Oliveira is going to be transferred tomorrow and I am going to stay! The other missionaries in the pictures are Elder Videira and Elder Bordolli, from Argentina.  They are serving in Belem Novo and excellent missionaries! The Easter sucker was a present because we had a competition with our work...we won :) The churrasco was yesterday…At Fabio´s house!  This guy is the man. He helps us out alot! Oh and look at all the chicken heart ;) and the little thing that looks like an embryo is a nut of some kind that we eat at Thiago´s house! Pretty good! It just looks really funny :)

Easter was wonderful! We even got some goodies from the branch :)  Friday we had a great activity in the branch. We had a lot of member and nonmembers! Oh and Thiago brought his sister and friends! Pretty soon we will be teaching that whole house :)

I think that covers the pictures...I hope!

Easter sounds like it was awesome for you all! For good friday everyone here eats fish...and mostly they don´t eat meat. It is a Catholic thing that has turned into tradition. There is no doctrine behind it. How could there? But needless to say, we ate fish for lunch Saturday!! It was the first time in a long time, and it was sooo good. Wow, I miss fish! But it was funny, because that night we had the Branch activity with little churrasco spits! There is another church, one that just yells and yells, on the side of ours. But it was funny because everyone that passed gave dirty looks because we were eating meat on Good Friday. But everyone enjoyed it and it was a great time for our investigators to make friendship with the members!

This Sunday we had 3 speakers that dominated and Thiago loved it! We got a bunch of candy, and I gave out a bunch of dum dums!

Thiago is the man. When we teach something, it is like he already knows, it is like the veil is very thin for him! I guess that would be the aspect of an elite and the spirit in this work. When we teach or talk about a principle, he understands and accepts everything. He really felt the spirit at general conference too. Something interesting- when we talked about the Plan of salvation, he found it very interesting, because the translation of his Bible is different.  This is a real problem here. The scriptures about the degrees of glory were different. But we were able to explain a little bit about the Bible and the problems that happened through the years, and the importance of the Book Of Mormon! Oh and he is already at Ether 3.... Yeah, he is the man :) He is a great friend!

The responsibilities here are going great! It is really helping me to learn more and feel more love for everyone. Like you said Dad, love for the people you are serving and leading, is the first step. I thought I didn’t have time left before...but now, bah! I am so busy now! But I love it! This transfer passed sooo fast!

I was able to learn a lot this week about our Savior Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. I love Easter. These last few days are the most important in all history. Without those, we would not be here, we would have no purpose.

I love you all, and I love my Savior.

Elder Dawson

March 19, 2012

Hey there!!

Yes, this area reminds me a little of mexico too, but still has  something way different. And the humidity , mom, don´t even mention it haha. You can take a shower, but never dry off! Ha, it is the most incredible thing i have ever seen! But it rained a bit this week and since it is not getting so hot! We only wear our suits for special meetings or conferences and winter, other than that you would just melt right out of it, ha.

Yes, i am in a branch now, but it is very strong and so so so very close to turning into a ward. I love this place.

Wow! I just showed Elder Oliveira the picture of all the snow and he couldn´t believe it! I couldn´t believe it! Hey, but winter is coming up here shortly for me :) But i think i have been mutated by the sun here, the slightest cold, and i´m freezing! Oh well, just got to adapt again. It is a different world here because no one has air conditioning. So the heat is normal!

Bah, that is way cool that Tyler is now a married man, so fast too! Ha maybe i´ll get lucky too!

Thanks for all of the bday wishes! I got daniel and liz´s package when i got in this area haha. Thanks guys! I know you wanted all of the boncy balls to go everywhere, but it didn´t work! :) Oh and mom, i loved the taffy from dland!!! For my bday a recent convert, Ana Paula, and her family bought two huge pizzas and cake! It was way good. The pizza here is completley different. We had Chicken heart, 4 cheese, roots of...something, and 5 other types! They even sang happy birthday in english, haha. Love that family. I will send pics this next week, this computer doesn´t have the input i need.

Hey can you give a big hug to the Kormans and Evans!! I loved the poster!! We will have to hang out when i get back. Who knows, go to dland.

Alexandra Lundberg is engaged?! I never even got a dear john!!! And the worst, i am getting this news from my parents, ugh. Well so much for my plan B, ha! Congrats Alexandra!! I am still expecting that dear john...and those cookies that never got to the mtc ha, i know you ate them.

Oh the hunger games! The Jogos Vorazes! I have been seeing posters on the busses for that! Go see it mom! it looks way good! But enders game will be better for sure. Those books were epic.

Tunel verde is the name of our work area, the name of the neighborhood where we work is Ponta Grossa and Chapeu do Sol. They are super good areas to work. We found many new people to teach, and are anxious to acompany them!

The Edson family is reading, we just had to help them a little with prayer. And we met a new couple that is really amazing. Their names are Cristiano and Daiana. They are not married, but want to! It was a street contact two weeks ago and we passed today, when we marked, and it was great! Super open! Just a hard schedul to accompany them.

Alright, this is for all the men in the family.  I am working towards more baptisms. When you find people, what is the best way to take them until baptism? I beleive it is accompaning them daily or every other day to really receive an answer and visits with members.. any ideas? It can be short an dsimple!

I love you all and will fill you in on things to come! The other internet place was closed and we are going to work!!

Com Amor!

Elder Bradley J. Dawson