October 19, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Note:  We received a lot of new photos from Elder Hill.  You can view them here.

Hi Mom!

One of the boxes got here! The problem is that I’m in a different city until tomorrow waiting for my new companion so I cant even get it. But Renan called me and told me it came. So that’s a relief. At least one has come. What’s in it?

That’s way sweet about Jacob’s call! Wow and February is long time away. I’m surprised they’re making him wait that long. That’s crazy.

This week was weird. Well, just yesterday.  Elder A’s parents came to get him and his mom reminds me SO much of you so I got pretty homesick. It wasn’t too bad though. His mom is a way nice lady. She kept giving me hugs.

I found out I can email video’s through gmail and its pretty fast so Ill email you some videos.

It has been really bad weather here actually. rainy rainy. Today is really hot though. The weather changes here really fast just like there.

We don’t eat that much other than lunch. WE don’t go hungry, we just don’t have time. Renan’s mom usually makes us bread and chocolate milk almost every night so that’s always nice. She’s a way nice lady too. She helps us SO much and she’s not even a member.

WE take pictures of food cause we almost always just eat rice, beans, and chicken. So when it’s different we celebrate. Hahaha

Who were the missionaries that taught you? Just curious. And who baptized you?

Yeah Sister A said she used to cry every night cause she missed him so much. Haha it was sad. I hope you don’t cry.

I love you!

Elder Hill

October 13, 2008 (to Dad from São Leopoldo)

Hi Dad,

Mom told me it snowed. It was really hot here this past week so its weird to think that it snowed there. The whole completely different seasons thing is weird. Haha sounds like the bbq went well. I’m sure that made Chris happy.

If you could get my faceplate and stick it with all my stuff that would be cool. For some reason I keep thinking about it. Not sure why.

Yeah we had two baptisms this Saturday. One was a girl name Nicole, she’s 11. And the other was Murilo and he’s eight. They both went really well. Hopefully they can stay firm throughout their lives and maybe even serve missions too. That would be awesome. I want to baptise a missionary. Haha

We had a way cool experience this week! Yesterday actually. WE got a referral from this member and we hadn’t had time to visit it and we saw her in the street Sunday and she was kinda mad that we hadn’t visited her neighbor so we were like ´yeah well go there for SURE tomorrow. Don’t worry.´ So we went there and the lady asked A TON of questions. Like that’s pretty much all she did. But since our church is perfect, we had answers for all of them At the end she said something like ´what do I have to do to enter your church? Do you guys have to teach me more before I can be baptised? I really like what I have heard and I like how my neighbor lives her life and how much patience she has and I really want to join your church. My husband feels the same way too.´ It was awesome! First visit and she told US she was going to be baptised. We didn’t ask or anything. It was so awesome. Her husband wasn’t there so we weren’t able to talk to him yet but it sounds like they’ll be baptised soon.  They’re already legally married and everything. Which is WAY rare. It’s actually the first couple I’ve met that’s legally married. It was a cool experience.

I think that’s it. I love you!

Elder Hill

October 5, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

Conference was strange here. This will answer your question about in what ways I think I’ve changed. It was cool but I felt really bad that I wasn’t able to sustain the prophet and the leaders of the church. Haha may sound like something really small but before the mission, I wouldn’t have even thought twice about it. And I fell weird that I wasn’t able to take the sacrament too. I don’t know. I just feel different. But conference was sweet. We were only able to watch the Sunday morning session which was good. I don’t remember who talked about this (have it in my notes. Oh yeah, I took notes. That’s definitely a change) but he talked about how to answer critics to the church. I really liked his talk. Taught me a lot.

I forgot to ask Renan. Just curious, wanna know how to pronounce his same? Henuh. Different huh?

Thanks for sanding more brownies! I was starting to crave them so I bought some cake mix and tried to make some adjustments to make them more ´brownie like´. Yeah, didn’t work. So thanks.

I’m almost 100 percent positive that Ill be transferred December 2nd. If not I would seriously be so surprised. But I guess we’ll see. Ill know the DAY before, If I’ll be getting transferred. I’m not sure why they do it like that. And then I won’t even know where I’m going until I get there.

People say it’s REALLY hard to learn Spanish after Portuguese because of how similar they are. It makes it hard to think in just one of the languages. I’ll understand a lot of Spanish but Spanish people will have a hard time understanding me. Pronunciation of Portuguese is really weird. But I think Ill try to take Spanish. I think it would be cool.

Another big thing I think I’ve learned is how to adapt. We always have to adapt to situations and change was really hard for me before the mission but it’s not that big of a deal now. I’ve only been out for five months so not that many big things have changed. Just some little things. Even though I speak the language alright, I have a really hard time talking to people and just opening my mouth. That has been harder than I thought. But the language itself is easier than I thought it would be. I don’t really have a personality yet in Portuguese. Kinda weird but I don’t know how to explain it.

I hope I’ll have a Brazilian comp next. I don’t want an American. Ill never learn the language right.

I love you!

Elder Hill

September 29, 2008 (to Dad from São Leopoldo)

Hi Dad,

My birthday was seriously way good. We went to this one families house and they put up balloons and everything. It was really nice of them. Then we went to Renan’s house and his mom made a cake and dinner for us. Then the day after, our lunch appointment gave me a cake too. So I got three cakes! We ate sooo much. I thought I was going to throw up but it was way good. People here cook so good.

That’s cool to hear about your job.

Is this the highest BYU has been ranked in a way long time? How are the Pats doing without Brady? Is he out for the season or just for a while? How’s Favre doing? The BILLS are 4-0? Hahaha never would have seen that coming. IS their QB Losman still? He started picking things up at the end of the season so I’m just wondering if that’s why they’re doing so good. Cause their defense was terrible last season.

Yeah grandma told me Unclue DeMont was planning on getting ordained. That’s way cool.

Our referrals were pretty much all wrong address so it was frustrating. But we could have two baptisms pretty soon. One of our ex investigators came to church Sunday and said that her son is turning eight next sunday and she wants us to baptise him.

I’ve only talked to my mission president three or four times but hes a really nice guy. He reminds me a lot of President Pike. That type of really calm and gentle personality, you know? But we aren’t able to talk to him too much. I like him though.

I think that’s about it this week. I love you!

Elder Hill

September 28, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom!

Thanks for sending more packages! They are always fun to get. My favorite thing in the first package I got here was brownie mix (just in case you’re wondering. hint…hint…) We made them with a family here the day after I got them.

I got the picture book and it was awesome! It turned out really good. I’ve been showing it to everybody here and they like it too. Especially that picture of me and Jordan.

Conference here is going to be different here. We’re only able to watch the Sunday morning session of conference if we have investigators and we’re not able to watch the priesthood session at all. I think we’ll be able to get some investigators there so we’ll be able to watch the Sunday morning session. It’ll be in Portuguese too so that will be interesting. The language is coming still. People say that during months 6-10ish or something like that is when you learn the most and I just started month six. I understand pretty much everything people say to me but speaking is still a little tough. I can communicate perfectly fine but sometimes I get myself in a hole cause I don’t know a word. The verb rules are really complicated but oh well. I like the language a lot. It’s pretty cool. I don’t think I’ll have an accent when I come home but Ill probably mix in some Portuguese or sound weird cause now I have to translate into English instead of the other way around.

It’s almost guaranteed that I’ll be transferred December 2. It will be REALLY hard to leave especially so close to Christmas. There’s a family here that I would really like to spend Christmas with but I won’t be able to. It will be cool to get to know another area though.

Soccer. Hmmm. Yeah I don’t know yet. It’s pretty much my only ´in´ with talking to people. I’m sure by the time I get home I’ll love it.

Thanks again for the package for my birthday! I got it two days after my birthday so it was perfect. I love you!

Elder Hill

September 23, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

That will be really nice to have the pen drive. I need somewhere to put my photos. And it will be a lot cheaper to have somebody put my photos on my pen drive than having to buy a CD every time.

Yeah books on those types of things would be really cool. It shouldn’t be too hard to find. Another book like the missionaries book of answers would be nice. Like a books that has tough questions and how to answer them.

During our zone conference our MP asked if anybody had questions and one of the missionaries asked about drinking Coke. The MP said that there is no gospel commandment about caffeine and you’re still temple worthy if you drink it. So he said we could drink it.

I don’t really need anything like that. I don’t like watches so I wouldn’t want that. I really want a ring though. I’m pretty sure 7 would be fine. What size is your finger? Cause your ring fits me.

I understand what your saying about the music. But we aren’t allowed to have headphones so we have to listen to it with speakers so for sure I wouldn’t be able to listen to things I’m not supposed to.

For Christmas….I don’t know. But about the garments. Please DON’T send nylon garments. Hahaha because of the humidity they are brutal. They stick to you and it’s not very fun. I like the half cotton half polyester kind. It feels like cotton but its a little thinner. And I like the T-shirt neck line.

Candy is always good for Christmas. CDs would be nice too. I need some more music. More brownie mix. If you can find any church movies in Portuguese that would be sweet too. Movies made by the church like The Testaments. That would be nice to have. I already have Finding Faith in Christ, Lamb of God, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration….and I think that’s it. I don’t know what else there is. But if you see something that you think could help us teach then that would be cool. Movies are always a good way to invite the spirit.

I love you!
Elder Hill

September 23, 2008 (to Dad from São Leopoldo)

Note:  Kellen’s 20th Birthday!

Hi Dad!

Yeah the people here know it’s my birthday. There are a few families that want us to go to their house so that’s what we’re going to do today after email. I’m not sure what we’re going to do but it will be cool. I know Renan’s mom made me a cake so that will be awesome.

I understand what you were saying about the economy deal. I remember seeing a special on the foreclosures before I left but I didn’t know that’s what was causing all of these problems. What I don’t get though is how did the dollar jump up so high so fast? I keep hearing the economy is terrible and the dollar is weak and then out of nowhere it jumped up almost 50 cents here in less than a week. Kinda weird. I don’t get it.

BYU is killing everybody. Are they that good or are the other teams just terrible so far? Who have the bucs played so far? I didn’t think they were going to be that good this year but it sounds like they’re doing alright.

Something kind of cool happened this week. Remember how I told you we went and visited that less active family who were having problems. I don’t remember if I told you what their problems were. They have been trying to sell their house for over two years. Well, two days after we visited them they sold the house! And this Sunday they went to church! It was awesome to see them there. It was the first time their whole family had gone since I have been here. It was pretty cool.

The reason why we’re struggling with investigators is because we lost a bunch in a really short period of time. It was so hard. We had to cut some of them because we didn’t feel like they were progressing and others are never home, and others said they don’t want us to teach them anymore. It was hard. But we got some referrals through our passalong cards so I’m hoping well be able to teach these people for a while. One of the guys seems really cool. And we’re going to get a referral from a member of a family that actually wants us to go there so that will be awesome. Things are picking up for sure.

We have to email the Mission President every week and we see him at zone conferences but that’s about the only contact we have with him. Why?

I better go and email mom. I love you!

Elder Hill

September 15, 2008 (to Dad from São Leopoldo)

Hi Dad,

Mom has said a little bit about the hurricanes but nothing too much. Gramma told me a little bit too. It sounds like everything was really bad. Are more coming too? It seems like lately they have been coming in packs. It’s sad. I don’t really understand too much about all the financial market stuff. Want to explain? Haha I just know that the dollar is getting weaker and weaker. The Brazilians make sure to tell me that when they get a chance. Haha

I tried really hard not to laugh when I read the thing about Chad Johnson but I couldn’t help it. Hahaha! People probably think I’m crazy cause I laughed out loud. That’s hilarious. The guy is nuts. At least he can play though. BYU is seriously #11?

My companion is Elder Atanes. He’s from São Paulo. He’s a cool guy.  I’ll for sure stay here until the the first week in December. 100 percent positive. This is Atanes last transfer so he will leave and they couldn’t send me too or the new Elders wouldn’t know where anything is. So I’ll stay here and get a new companion, teach him the area, and most likely get transferred at the end of that transfer. So I have at least 80ish days here still.   I could stay a little longer but it’s unlikely.

We were hoping to have a baptism pretty soon but I don’t really know what’s going to happen. .We’re working with another couple and helping them get married. They are starting the process right now which takes about 30 days. So hopefully before I get transferred Ill be able to baptize them too. They are an awesome family. They already seem like members. Like their house already has that spirit, you know? It’s awesome.

I had a little extra time so I thought Id give you that little update on some of the people were teaching. I don’t talk about that too much. Last night we visited this less active family and it was cool. They’re going through some hard times and I think it made a difference for us to be there and just kind of get their mind off the whole situation. They fed us too which was pretty awesome. And they gave me a box of cereal! May not sound like too much but cereal is SOOOOO expensive. It’s a box of just like regular sugarless cereal. A small box too. But guess how much it costs? 8,00! It’s ridiculous. But I was pretty excited. I took a picture with it so Ill make sure I send it.

That’s pretty much it this week. I love you!

Elder Hill

September 15, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

I’m sure Renan will be happy to get the postcards.

That’s good to hear Brayden is doing well.

If you can find some stuff to put on my ipod that would be nice. When Elder Aranha left he left me with some CDs of music that I can put on there. And I have some ´music of the world´ as we call it that I think I can listen to that’s on there. If you can find some music in Portuguese somehow that would be cool too. I don’t know where you’d get it though.

We’re kind of struggling with our teaching right now. We’re working hard but not really finding anybody to teach. It’s a little frustrating. We get our referrals today so I’m hoping we will have some good names on there. The referrals are from the pass along cards we hand out every day. We’re trying really hard to get new investigators.

I think the peanut butter you sent was what made me the happiest. That night I made scones with peanut butter and syrup for Renan and his mom. It was sooooo good.

Everything is going good here. Ill write more to Dad so read his email.  I love you!

Elder Hill

September 9, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

I’m not going to be transferred. For sure. And I don’t think I will be next transfer either but there is a chance. I guess the Mission President has a pattern that you usually stay in the same area for four transfers. And this is the start of my third.

Brayden is at home again? I wrote him like a month ago and I never got anything from him back. So that’s why I haven’t written anything back to him. Tell him to write me.

I made a video of my house and I’m thinking about sending it to you guys. I sound really sad in it though. Because my brain gets confused when I talk English so I have to talk really slow and my sentences don’t always make sense. So if I send it and I sound depressed, that’s why. I’m very, very happy so don’t worry.

If you guys write me a letter first with a bunch of questions then Ill write you back. Just send me a letter, not an email.

I’ll try to find out about my ring. I don’t know the exact dates of anything. Just that transfers are every six weeks and we have a zone conference one every transfer. But you could figure out when the next transfer is. Six weeks from today. It will be the Tuesday of that week.

That’s nice you guys are going to the temple. I miss the temple a lot. It’s been a while since I’ve gone.

Everything is good here. We’re working hard with some families to help them get married. We have three families that need to. It’s really rare to find families that are already married.

Well, I better go. I love you! Thanks for the jump drive! That will be really nice to have. Love you!

Elder Hill

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