Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Pictures from Sao Paulo, Brazil










Here are some pictures from Greg.

Week 2 at the CTM

Hey Fam,
How are things going? This week has gone by fast. I am so excited to listen to General Conference. Hey that is too bad about missing the deer. Dad how was DC? Is it true that President Obama sent 45,000 troops into Iran? There was just a rumor going around. Hey my new companion is Elder Huxford. He is from Elkhart, Indiana. I sent you a letter in the mail. The other day I ate something that didn't agree with my stomach and I am not feeling good. I think that I am getting the sickness that is going around. Hey I went to the Temple again this week. It was such a great experience.

I hope everything is going well. That is too bad about the Cavemen losing. The other day an Elder by the name of Elder Duckett said that his older brother was in Calgary when Grandpa was serving so ask if the elder was the AP. I am really good friends with Elder Duckett. I hope everything is going well. Take care. Keep praying for me.
Love,
Elder Shelley
I can only send some pictures. So don't expect many.

Hey Everyone,

Everything is going great. I am sick of the food here. We have the same things. I went to the temple today and it was a really great experience. It was the best. Hope everything is going well back home. Thanks for your prayers for me. I love you all!!!!!
Hey how is Ryan doing in South Carolina? That is cool that Thomas is going to Cambodia. Tell him congrats. Hey how is Grandpa Shelley doing? What is new at home? Hey I can't believe that I am on my 3rd week. It has gone by so fast. The other day it rained a lot. My district leaders room was soaked. I love it here. I can't wait in 2 or 3 weeks when we get to go out tracking here at the CTM. But I can't wait to get out in the field in Ribeirao Preto. Things are going great. Hope everything is going well at home. Juli ,I hope that your arm gets better -too bad you fell. Jani -that is funny that your partner thought you were the meanest person ever. Keep working hard. Matt keep me posted on the sports scores. Take care Buddy. I love you all. Hey tell Kelsie congrats for me on Sunday or whenever.

Hey I can say a prayer and my testimony in Portuguese. I am excited because the language is starting to come. Love you all.
Elder Shelley

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Oi from the CTM

Wednesday September 23, 2009

Oi fam,

How is it going? I am learning some Portuguese. Hey it is my first p-day, it is so much fun. Me and my companion went with two guys in our district and ate a hamburger. It tasted so good. I liked it most of all because I could eat it and not feel sick afterwards. :) Hey this week has been the best. First when we were in the airport at Dallas me and some elders were eating and someone came up to us and asked more about the church. We gave her a pass along card. It was the best feeling ever. Then the plane ride was so long. I sort of slept that night. Hey I have to tell you about the fun I have had here. My companion is the best. His name is Elder Olson. He is leaving I am going to miss him. It has been fun getting to know him. I went to the temple today. It was the best feeling ever. The nice thing was that the endowment was in English. Hey I don't know about the toilets. The ones in the CTM are power flushers, they just go straight down. I am loving it here. I am glad that we finally got a chance to get out of the MTC. Well hope everything is going well. Hey sign up for missionties.com . It only cost like a dollar for you guys to send. It is free for me. For gym we played volleyball. My district leader Elder Brewer from Queen Creek Arizona said I am the best server ever. Hey I got a jersey the team is Palmeiras. The jersey is really sweet. Last night there was something that got to me and I farted in the room and it made the whole thing stink for about five or six minutes. You guys would be proud. The guys in the room could not believe I had so much power. Hope everything is going well. Everything is going well in Brasil. I can't believe that it has been a week. The days go by slow and the week has gone by fast. Thanks for all of the prayers and keep praying for me. O I forgot to tell you that my room is on the top 6th (7th) floor because the bottom is the T floor. I don't need to get exercise because I get it going up the stairs. Hey at Cheney's cookies they have computers and I pay to use them. There is not a time limit. Well I got to go. Hey I forgot to tell you guys about my teachers. The morning is a 24 year old girl named Irma (sister) Camila. She speaks pretty good English and I like learning from her. She is the best. The afternoon one is Irma Elias. I don't like her as much. She has only been here for a month and she really doesn't know English. Hey I can say my prayers and my testimony in Portuguese. Hey the other night was really cool because I got to help give my companion a blessing. I anointed him and Elder Jeppson did the blessing. The reason we gave Elder Olson a blessing was because he was feeling really homesick. He would have these panic attacks at night and he couldn't breath very well and we felt it would comfort him. I sat next to Elder Olson from Dallas on the airplane. I did not know he would be my companion. He is from Provo. The guys in my district: Elder Shelley, Brewer, Jeppson from Salt Lake, Olson, Hucksferd from Indiana, Thornley from Tremonton, Anderson, Hughes and Fuller. It is the best district ever. See you guys later. I miss you guys very much. Thanks for the prayers and support I have been getting, it has helped so much. Take care.

Elder Shelley

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

First REAL Letter

September 16, 2009

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hey everything is going great. I miss you guys. I just love the spirit here. My first companion is Elder Olson. We flew down together from Dallas to Sao Paulo. It was a very long flight. I have got to tell you about what happened in the Dallas airport. Me and a couple elders were deciding on what to eat, we walked by this one Japanese restaurant. The girl at the front asked us about our church. She really has a deep respect for us elders. We gave her a pass along card. Then just a couple minutes later a women that is LDS and her friend were walking by. We decided to give her friend a card. I remembered that I had a card in the folder. It is so awesome to be a missionary. I am glad I am doing the work. I think Dad forgot to send me hangers. They don't have them down here. I am going to be getting some from down here, so don't worry. By the way they do have washers and dryers and irons down here. But not to worry. Hope everything is going well at home. See you later. I love you guys.

Elder Shelley

Friday, September 18, 2009

He has arrived in Brazil.

The following letter was sent by the MTC.

For his complete mailing address, please contact his parents.

*****************
Dear Parents,

We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.

They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.

The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.

We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.

Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”

Please accept our love,
President and Sister Woodward

Important information
. . . PLEASE REPLY to this email so that we know, you know your missionary is safely here in Brazil.

We Strongly discourage sending packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you. WE STRONLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name and district and mail box numbers above the Brazil MTC address on all letters. Your missionary´s numbers are:
District (38-A) and Box (45).
Record these numbers for future reference.

Packages are only accepted if they are sent through USPS mail.