026/078 091130 HUGE Rain Storm Even For Brazil

Picture: BYU 26 Utah 23

I was in a member's house while he had on the TV Beethoven translated to Portugese. It got to the part when Beethoven was taken to be put to sleep. I learned how to say in Portugese put to sleep. Sacrificar, or translated to english, sacrifice. That is terrible! How could I tell my child that our loving wonderful dog was sacrificed?! Really, that is just depressing!

. . . . . Just had to mention that. That took me by suprise when all of a sudden I heard já sacrificado! Or already sacrificed!

So this past week there was a HUGE rain storm. I mean HUGE! My companion, who is Brazilian and this next transfer this next week will be his last transfer, said he had never seen rain so strong. We were under about 5 feet of protection and still had no hope of not getting soaked. The rain literally was horizontal. The roads turned into rivers in about 2 minutes or less. The lighting was beautiful though. But really, that was insane!

I keep on learning more and more about how much prayer really works. Its truly amazing. If you really pore your heart out to God, there really will be blessings given back and miricales will happen. It is truly amazing.

So I just want to say quickly how glad I am for my mission president. If you remember from a general letter I wrote a couple of weeks ago president prohibited soccer. I'm going to explain a little more with this. When I first got to the mission, all the new elders and sisters told President a little bit about them going around the table. One person said that they like soccer, and president interrupted and said do you like soccer, or do you love it? President was nearly a professional soccer player, and decided not to be because of church callings. He loves soccer so. When he prohibited soccer, he gave up that entire part of his life. That really was a sacrifice for him I'm sure. But that is how he is. Really, I'm so thankful for this man.

Oh, and GO BYU!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. . . . . Hehe, I'm just a little happy for them.

Well, I hope all is well for y'all. Have a good week!

Elder Eyring

025/079 091123 Soccer Is Prohibited

Picture: Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup

So I have a moment of pride to tell you all (lol, how great a missionary I am, huh? ;p) So, I was with a group of Brazilian missionaries waiting for interviews, and they were talking about some stuff in soccer I wasn't too interested in, and as such didn't comment. They then said something about us Americans that can't understand a thing they are saying. Immediately I responded, "I understand!" They all got a kick out of that, then asked what they were talking about. I then told them. Lol, they got a nice laugh out of that all. Oh, Brazilians, they are a load of fun.

I have another thing to report about France that I learned, that I don't know if you all have learned. Another proof of their cowardice! In their last qualifying round for the world cup against Ireland (I think) they won because one of their players scrored a goal after placing the ball better with his hand. It was clearly obvious on the tapes. But the ref didn't see or something of the sort ( . . . . .$?) and because of this goal France won and is in the World Cup. So much like France! (I have no idea when I got this prejudice against France, lol. I love you all over there, don't worry, I'm mostly kidding with you [and why I wrote a message to French men that will never read this, I don't know, lol])

If you havn't noticed, its another weird mood week (I guess like all the others, lol).

Speaking of soccer, soccer is prohibited now in my mission. A missionary had to get stiches because of it, and my mission president didn't like that, and so we can't play soccer. That's a weird thought when you are in Brazil! I trust my president though to do what is best.

Then moving on to another subject (again, conversations are translated for your convience, so yes, some of this doesn't sound perfect or isn't quite as interesting as it would be in Portugese, but thats because its translated!) So one member from my ward was on the bus and saw a person with a wristband that said "MTC". He was curious and looked closer, and it said further "Methodist Training Center". Lol, I didn't know there was that type of MTC.

So spiritual time. Really, this church is true. This week someone was baptized, because he felt like he needed to come to our church, because he felt good at church, and because he wanted to follow Christ. We were busy the first time we talked to him last Sunday during church and planned a lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon. He had already read all of the introduction parts by the time we talked with him. He was so ready before we even talked with him! Really though, this church must be true! I just can't see how it isn't!

I love my area . . . . =D

Well, have a good week all!

Elder Eyring

023/081 091109 One Huge Blessing - Girls For Friends

Picture: Shakespear Festival - 2005
Hi all,

Well, I've learned this past week due to some headaches I've had one huge blessing of having a lot of your friends being girls, they always have some kind of pain medicine on them, at least one of them. That is so useful! I decided I needed a couple of pills, and then I realized I was with guys, and realized tragically that asking for pain medicine would just get me some weird looks and no medicine. So yes, thank you all of you girls out there. I'm not glad that you have the need to carry that medicine, no, that is tragic, but I am glad you have it.

So other then that, what can I say about this week. Not really much . . . . . not much happened. I can't say why without breaking a couple of rules (for those of you that this makes sense too, great, for those of you that it doesn't, don't worry). Ummmmm, yeah. Really, I have very little to report on.

So yeah, that's all for this week. I'm actually writing little for once, what a miricale!

Elder Eyring

024/080 091116 Miracles Are Happening Here!

Picture: Sunset in Brazil
So this will be short this week, low on time.

First I want to say there are plenty of miracles are happening here, and as such, thank you for your prayers. If you wonder if they do anything, they really do. This past Sunday someone came to church saying he wanted to change his life and wanted our help. I've had plenty of experiences before too where people come and talk to us, not that we found them. Thank you so for your prayers.

And also, I've been thinking about how people rejected Christ, and why. I realized something, probably almost none thought he was sinless that knew Him. It is a common thing that all of us do that at times, we think good is bad and bad is good. We shouldn't, but we all do it. (And don't try and tell me any of you don't ;P.) And so I could imagine that some of those who knew Christ personally didn't necessarily like Him. He was a goodie-goodie, He wouldn't stand for unrighteousness, He always obeyed His mother, even when He didn't agree, He didn't have any form or comeliness. So imagine, someone you thought flawed and you were impressed with, but didn't necessarily like, were to say He was the long awaited Savior. How would you feel? So for me, its kind of humbling. It is very well possible any one of us would have rejected the Savior too if we didn't humble ourselves. So yes, be humble. Please.

That's it for this week.

Tchão!

Elder Eyring

022/082 091102 Mormons should be the most humble

Picture: Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

So what news do I have from this week? I ate a whole bunch of beans and rice . . . . . I walked . . . . . ummm, yeah.

Sometimes its hard to know what to write, lol.

Oh, I find it intersting how Satan works sometimes (starting out so spiritual, huh?). There is one family that we started teaching, then there was a problem that a neighbor was an old Seventh Day pastor. I never knew how stubborn (or strong, however you want to put it) they are in their believes. About as stubborn as those Mormons. Well, with that the spirit was lost as with a few things we tried to show, and then argue, how the scriptures say certain things (like its fine that Sunday is the Sabath). I learned then the importance of the Book of Mormon. We ended simply by bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon and he promised to read and pray,and actually was open. Well, great, we were now doing well with about 10 or so people (which was wonderful). Then the next day we are teaching and the current pastor for 7th day comes in. When we asked why he wouldn't read the Book of Mormon he simply said I don't see the need. Any attempt we tried show the need was simply counteracted by how he has a bible. It almost felt like he worshiped the bible really . . . . . But really, there is such possiblity of strengthening and growth if we win this battle of the great war (ten baptisms is a wonderful thing), and as such Satan seems to be sending all he has at us. Lol, sometimes Satan simply reminds me of a crying schoolgirl, but I guess I shouldn't be so offensive to that poor girl. And sadly people give him such power. That power they give him I must admit is annoying.

So I'm just wondering a little, why in the world would someone want to stop learning? If the Bible contains all we need to be saved, fine, but if the Book of Mormon can help us understand whats in the Bible and even add more, why in the world is that bad? Why is it even only unneeded? What is so terrible about eternal progression?

I guess that is the true difference of our religion and many others. We believe in continual progession. Of course we have a prophet, we still need to progess. Of course there is more than the Bible,we still need to progess. Of course God speaks with man, we still need to progress. Of course after this life we have the potential to be more than just angels praising God, we still need to progess. What other Christian church truly teaches about eternal progession? And I guess that if they don't convert in this life or the next then they will be stuck in the Terrestial Kingdom, where there eternal progression is limited to the one they serve, and I guess the reap the fruits of what they sowed.

I guess that also means us Mormons should be the most humble of churches, because we should admit that we know practically nothing about the eternal scheme of things, and that we are simply little children trying to stand the most complex problems of the universe.

Lol, I like this perspective better. It makes things more realistic I think.

Lol, that reminds of something else. There was a preperation day activity that we did in my zone, and for part they had us split up into groups to make up our own religions to present to the others. Then my mind of course started to go through millenia of philosophy and ideas and was having fun thinking up of a new religion. Then the first thing my group said is what scriptures should we use. BORING!!!! Lol, in my opinion. All scriptures in my opinion point to our religion, and its just annoying to look at them other ways. But an entirely new concept outside of our religous prespectives, oh, that is fun. To try to change someone to a Christian is enertaining and exciting, to try to change Christians strong in another faith is kinda annoying because they use the same scriptures half the time to show the same thing, and they simply have to read the Book of Mormon. So if we are succesful, its happy,but its because God did everything. If we aren't, its just a pain talking to these people usually.

I am rambling a lot this time. Sorry. I'm done now.

Have a good week!

Elder Eyring

021/083 091026 God loves all of you so dearly

Picture: Maracanã Stadium

Hi all,

So last week, I went to Maracanã. Its a HUGE (177,000 person capacity) soccer stadium in Rio that will be the home for the finals of the World cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. That thing really is so huge. It makes the Lavell Edwards stadium look like a child's play thing (. . . . more or less). That was awesome!

So random genealogy that I am going to brag about. Henry Carlos Eyring (who is my great great grandfather and the great grandfather of President Eyring) was the recorder in the Saint George Temple when the temple work was done for the founding fathers and reformers. Their names are written in his handwriting. Isn't that awesome!? I love my heritage!

So I want you all to remember, as that nice winter chill is starting to come, and you are beginning to put on coats and snuggle up in happiness, here, its beginning to be Summer. Let me emphasize two words. BEGINNING and SUMMER. The winter here is about the same temperature it is a the same time during the summer up there in Utah. And then it gets worse. And its humid. I am pretty sure I'm going to die. I already have lost an ok amount of weight. I am healthy and all, and I'm eating plenty, its just I sweat of a pound a day it feels like! Just thought y'all should know that ;)

So I decided to take a page from the book of those that cry that if you cry out the name of Jesus you'll be saved. I don't believe that now, don't worry, but I remember reading Romans 10:9-10 which is one of the scriptures they used to back that up. It says something about those that believe unto righteousness will be saved. I then thought about so many of my friends that have thought that they couldn't be saved, but honestly believed in the Lord and Savior of them and me (or us). I guess this bit is going out to all those people (which is surprisingly seemingly all I know it almost feels like, since every human seems to go through this feeling at once in their life). What is a belief unto righteousness? My honest opinion is not that its simply a calm believe (that isn't truly a believe) that if you only cry the name of the Lord you will be saved, or that you have to believe so strongly in the Lord that you are perfectly righteous, but a belief that continually moves you to be better and makes you more and more righteous. Now there will be moments where you choose to retrograde, to be less then what your belief says you should be. You will make mistakes, you might make huge mistakes, but if you have a belief unto righteousness, you will be saved. If you have a belief that makes you want to repent, even if you feel you can't, if you have a belief that moves you to go to church, to read the scriptures, if you have a belief that causes the Holy Ghost to burn within you by a calm whisper or some other sign, if you have a belief . . . .

Basically, if you believe in Jesus Christ our Savior, if you truly do, and that belief makes you become better, or in other words is "unto righteousness", you will be saved. In the Celestial Kingdom, at the highest level. It'll take time, be patient. But it'll come. You will come.

God loves all of you so dearly. I have said that in practically all my past letters, and I will probably say that in all my future ones. Because its true, and if it wasn't, none would be saved. This is the true message of happiness, the true power of the universe. God loves you, and if you have a belief unto righteousness in Him, you will be saved. Not you maybe will be, not you have the potential to be, you WILL be.

Well, I've had my weekly rant. I hope you all are doing well.

Oh, and if any of you are thinking, "I wonder what I could get my oh so dear Elder Eyring for Christmas" I have your answer. Of course I wouldn't mind candy or a tie, I would love a hand-written letter so much! I know its kinda of early to be saying what I want for Christmas, but keep in mind if you do decided to send candy, a tie, or whatever else you want, it'll take a while.

I'm mostly just kidding, I mainly just want to ask for those hand-written letters. I'm strange like that ;)

Have a good week y'all

Elder Eyring

020/084 091019 "God Bless the Broken Road"

Picture: Lucas Santos (Center)

Hi!

So, lets see if I can write everything I want to this week. There is a lot!

So, I forgot to add one other weird food to my list. Liver. It actually isn't that bad. I would eat it willingly without complaint any day here. Back in the US, maybe I wouldn't be so willing, because its not the culture to eat it so why in the world would someone serve it?! But here, yeah, I am not scared at all to eat it.

So, Blue Man Group, my heros, are huge here in Brazil. There is a telephone company called TIM, and they are the propaganda for them. So everywhere I go, they are there . . . sniff . . . . I miss percussion . . ..

Speaking of music, I hear some classical music, and oh how I miss it! I am starving! One of the first things I want to do when I get back is go to a concert . . . . . by the way . . . .

Zone conference was this past week. It was good. Everyone read the Book of Mormon before and there was a strong spirit. I like my mission.


So, funny story, my zone is named Rio de Janeiro, but my zone is entirely out of the city of Rio de Janeiro, but still is in the state of Rio de Janeiro. My city is Caxias, and touches Rio, but still isn't in it. I kinda laugh at that.

So I'm reading Mormon Scientist (with permission from my Mission President). Its about Henry Eyring (President Eyring's father). There is a funny story in it I'm going to share, and see if it reminds you of anyone. So the first time his second wife saw him (his first had recently died), it was at church, and he looked scroungy and such, didn't go every week, and she thought the only reason he was going to church was to receive a free handout. Well, she reluctantly went on a date on him to a church meeting (he was about 70 at the time, so I think that would be a good date for that age) where she felt a little indignant when he left her in the audience to go sit on the stand. She then found out that he was there speaking on Science and Religion. (At this point, he was one of the most world renowned chemists and was in a high up position in the church as well).

Does that sound like me at all? Not the world renowned part, but the whole seeming rather unappealing and seemingly like a unworthwhile mut, and then coming out with some actually intelligent thing. How often is my dress a little dirty or a little rugged (well, that you can remember)? But then I do have my moments where I'm actually intelligent. (I know, surprising, but it is true). Lol, I love it!

Ok, spiritual time.

So, I read a quote from President Howard W. Hunter, "Out detours and disappointments are the straight and narrow path to Him [Jesus Christ]" This made me think of the song by Rascal Flatts "God Bless the Broken Road" . . . How there is some many things in our lives that are so hard, but these things actually point us to Christ, and bring us closer to Him. We should have followed Christ in every moment, but eventually, if we choose Him in the end, it will be all but forgotten and we will bask in His love for us, "For after much tribulation come the blessing" (D&C 58:4)

I also have been really impressed by the fact that as Christ was taking His cross to Gethsemane, not even Him, the All-Powerful God of all, the Creator of the Universe, had all the strength needed to carry it. Well, of course if needed He could, so there must be significance in that for us to learn from. And I think it is that even our Savior needed help. He wasn't able to do it alone. In the last moments, He was left utterly alone, but to prepare, He had the comforting angel in Gethsemane and Simeon to carry His cross. And with this, Christ knows the pains we have. He knows how we need His help. We must go to Him. He will comfort us in our pains, He will carry our cross. He loves us so. He was showed mercy, and He is just, so of course we willed be shown mercy as well.

I hope you all have a good week

Elder Eyring