Is it really winter if it is over 90 degrees outside all the time?!

Zone Conference Picture in June

Mom,
Well tell everyone that I am still confused that it is supposed to be winter here and it is still always over 90 degrees! Well right now we are teaching a couple people. She is a member and the man is not. They want to get married in the temple and he wants to get baptized, but they need to get married first. We are thinking about having them get married at the church. We don’t know when but hopefully soon. Their names are Cibele and Rafael.

Well yesterday in church there was another man named Rafael. He lived in Vancouver for four years. He is a member but has not gone to church for a while, but he is returning. He is also a twin but not identical. It was really cool to talk with him and I told him about institute. Well he is really cool. I am excited to get to know him more.

Well interviews went very well. I really like this president. He really wanted to get to know me and it was just a really good interview. He said if I needed anything or need help with a goal that I have just email him. He is really going to be a great president. He is focusing on reactivating members and recent converts.

Well I found out yesterday that I am really allergic to cats. Well yesterday’s lunch was a two twin’s house. They have 17 cats and 5 dogs. Well my throat started to feel like it was swelling up and closing in. My eyes started to be all puffy. It was not very good. Well my comp is really allergic also and he had the same reactions that I had. Well we both are doing better. Well have a good time in Yellowstone.

Elder Shelley

Letter from Greg delievered from Cida

Hey guys,
Well how are things going? I hope you guys are having a fun summer. I hope you guys liked the visit from Cida, Dinah, and friend.

Well things are going good here. As you know my comp. is not doing well. I am trying my best to take care of him the best I can.

I am just loving it here. You know it is hard work, but I love being able to share what I know with the people and bless their lives. My testimony has grown a lot since I have been here out on the mission. I think one of the most important things I have learned is to be patient. It has been a different one then I already had. I have also learned to love everyone, even when you don't get along or when things don't go the way you want.

One of the best things that I have seen here is when our recent converts are really converted to the gospel and really want to reap the blessing of the Gospel. I am also so happy when I get to talk about the temple to our recent converts and share my testimony with them.

Well, nothing really is new. I am just loving it here, yep it is hard, but way worth it. Well, I love you guys so much. Thanks so much for everything!! Love ya. Um grande Abraso e Beijo!!

Elder Shelley

Our visit with Cida, Dinah and Natalia

Our family at the Busico Home with
Aparecida and Dinah Ivey and their friend Natalia


A fun picture with Aparecida as we shared some M&Ms.

Yesterday, our family was able to run up to the Busico home (Greg's companion's home in Salt Lake) and meet Aparecida and her daughter Dinah (17 years old) and their friend Natalia. They were so kind and fun. They are members in Greg's ward right now in Iraja, Ribeirao Preto. Greg loves to visit with her husband Bob. He is an American that keeps up on the sports scores. She loves cooking for Shelley because he loves her food especially her chocolate cake. She make him chocolate cake for his birthday and he had to have an extra piece. She said that he is a very good missionary and will try anything she fixes for him. She says he is a good eater. They were so fun to visit with. She told us that he shared with her some M&Ms we had sent him and loved them. I had brought a package of M&Ms and Skittles to give to them for their ride back down to California. She loved them. I am so impressed with how loving and caring the Brazilian people are and how blessed we are to have Greg serving with them. The first thing she did as we walked in was to give Matt a huge hug and said he looked just like Shelley. She said that Greg talks about him all the time and loves his brother. She gave us all big hugs and told us stories about Greg and his companion. She said that he is speaking Portuguese very well. It was a wonderful afternoon. What terrific people!

Pictures!!

This is how fast Greg's shoes have worn out! That's a lot of walking!!

Jussara and her kids. (See funny story below.)

New Haircut. I am with Elder Barros

Elder Laxton and me

We were visiting the Branch President in Bebedouro and Elder Almeida found this and stuck it on me. Can you clown around on a mission?

Funny Story

Hey guys,
Well me and Elder Busico are staying here for at least one more transfer. I am really excited. Well something funny happened yesterday. Well my comp went to get our investigators before church, well the member went the wrong way on a street. There was a cop behind them and he pulled them over. Well the cops did a body search with him. Well that was a pretty funny story. Well things are going well.

(It was the comp and the member that got searched. And we did not get any investigators to church. It was a bummer.)

Well I hope everything is going well back at home. Well things are just going good here. It is really hot but good.

--We got to meet a member from Greg's ward right now and she was laughing and telling us a story about Greg hitting a girl with a newspaper. She was laughing so hard it was hard to understand it all but said he is a very good missionary so we asked Greg about it--

Yeah the story is back in Bebedouro with Elder Almeida. Well before Jussara got baptized(I will send a photo) we would teach her on the couch. Well it was me then my comp and her next to him. Well she is a big "snake" and she stared poking my comp in the side and trying to hold his hand. Well I grabbed a newspaper and started whacking her. She said stop, but I said no and kept it up. Even Almeida was laughing and that is that story. I am not sure about the hugging one. I will ask her. Well that is the story. Well that is good that you had a good time with the family. Yep I really love these people.

Well I love you so much. Oh I did get the package last Monday. It was really good. I liked it. Well have a good week.

Elder Shelley

Almost 10 months!

Hey guys,
Well how are things going? Well you guys won’t believe it but they have a Burger King down here. I ate at it a little while ago. It was really good but way expensive. Well my comp is not doing too well. He thinks he caught strep this a couple days ago. His tonsils are swollen and his throat hurts. Well I am helping him the best that I can. Well I am really liking our new president. Well nothing really big that happened this week. Well Spain won the World Cup. Well it is the last week of the transfer. I will know Saturday if I will be transferred or not. I really don’t want to. Well here in a few days I will have 10 months here on the mish. Time is really flying by. Well I love you guys so much. Oh we did teach a family about the Temple, it was really good the spirit was so strong and it was just really good. Well have a good week. Love you guys.

Elder Shelley

Happy 4th of July!

Hey fam,
Well this week was pretty good. Yesterday was the 4th and it was different but very good. My comp is doing better. Well the family that is going to visit is really excited. Well once in a while at nights I will have a part of a dream in Portugese, it is kind of cool. Well it stinks that Brasil lost but I think that Germany will win the Cup this year.

I met my new mission president yesterday at church. He seems like he is going to really be a good president. I was really excited to remember our nations b-day yesterday. I thought I would be a little patriotic. I wore a striped red and white tie with my navy blue suit.(RED, WHITE, and BLUE). Well I hope that everything went well for you guys. Well want to know something cool, on next Sunday me and Matt will have been baptized for 12 years, cool!!!!!

Well I miss you guys, but love you guys even more. Um grande abraço.

Elder Shelley