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 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 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 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

September 2, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom!

I got the package you sent to Renans! Thank you! I’m almost for sure NOT being transferred. We found out that my comp probably will be so I’ll stay here so I can teach the area to my new comp. If that made sense….

The weather here is pretty good. It’s starting to get hot though but it’s ok. The time is going by sooo fast. It’s weird. I’ve already been out for almost five months. Whoa.

Next week is our stake conference too. It’ll be interesting to see how many people are there. It will probably look like a regular Sunday in our ward before it split.

I have some bad news. I brought the wrong cord for my camera. Apparently I have to use the little stand. I can’t just plug the little cord into my camera. Kinda stupid.

We had a baptism! I don’t know if I told you we were going to have one. It was Saturday. It went so good.

Well, I think that’s about it. I love you!

Elder Hill

August 26, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

I have no idea what they put on their pancakes. I haven’t tried Brazilian pancakes yet. More maple extract would be nice. A family here told me to ask you to send extra for them. They like it a lot.

My Ipod seriously would be so nice because I need somewhere to put my photos. I need the white cord for the computer and there should be a charger somewhere. But if you can’t find it then the one cord is fine. I can buy an adapter type thing for it. And if you could, slip it in the next package cause its pretty small. I’m kinda desperate for it cause I seriously don’t have anywhere to put my pictures. From now on, just send packages to the misison home. Renan said the people don’t open packages that get sent to churches. So that package you guys have you can just send it to the mission home. It’ll be alot easier. I still haven’t got the one you sent to Renan’s house so I wouldn’t send another one there.

Transfers will be in two weeks I think its the week of the seventh. My pday will be on monday so make sure you email me before then so I can write back.

Well, I guess Ill write dad now. I’m in a different city than usual and I forgot to bring my cord so I can’t send photos. I’ll try really hard next week.

I love you! Bye!

Elder Hill

August 19, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom!

That’s awesome you had the missionaries over. I first hand know how much they appreciate it. Seriously. We don’t have much money so it’s really nice to be able to have at least one big meal a day. The members here are amazing and they feed us so good. I want to buy a house here. I know I need to learn about family history. But I can’t be the messenger yet cause I don’t know a ton of Portuguese. I’ll definitely teach some stuff about it when I’m able to speak better.

Keep me updated on the president stuff. And if Obama wins, buy me the New York Times the next day and save it for me. Maybe would be worth something since he would be the first non-white president.

Oh and yeah I can’t believe you even brought up the adoption thing to dad. Hahaha

We have to walk everywhere but the area is small so its not too big of a deal. Zone conferences are once every transfer. So we have one every six weeks. There are a lot of white people here. Probably 30 percent of the people in my city are white. Maybe more. They could EASILY pass for American. So most of the time people don’t even know I’m American until I tell them.

Its kind of hard to answer the how many people are we teaching question. But its about 12. But we have a lot of people we visit and we share small lessons with them. I don’t know how to explain it.

We have two baptisms scheduled. One should be in the next two weeks and the other shortly after that. She just needs to stop drinking coffee. Then we have other people that just need to get married.

I made French toast for my comp and he loved it. Then we went to a members house and the mom made pancakes and I shared the syrup with them. They liked it too. Send more! The maple extract is a lot smaller so maybe it would be easier just to send that.

My box arrived perfect. Nothing was wrong with it. I still haven’t gotten the one to sent to Renan´s house yet. I think he’s going to send you guys a postcard. He asked me to help him write a letter to you in English.

P days we usually go to the church and play soccer. Nothing too exciting. Laundry, email, stuff like that.

Yeah Ill send some pictures to you. I think I might be able to do it next week.

I don’t really know what I would buy if you added money to my account. Maybe a pen drive? I don’t really know. Could you send my ipod? It would be REALLY nice to be able to use it for an external storage. My memory card is already full and I have nowhere to put my photos. So my ipod would be pretty nice to have. Were allowed to have them just so you know. Its not against the rules or anything.

Well, that’s about it. I love you!

Elder Hill

August 11, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom!

I got the package! Thank you so much! When I opened it I was a little scared because I didn’t see the camera but then I found it in the oatmeal box. Ha ha! Thanks for the syrup too. I’m going to make French toast today after I email. My companion has never tried maple syrup before.

The zone conference was good. We talked a lot about study and those types of things. It’s all in Portuguese though so I don’t always understand everything but almost. The language is coming pretty fast now. Its nice.

What types of things do you want to know? Write me a list of questions and Ill answer them in a letter.

Yeah it doesn’t surprise me that people are asking for deodorant here. Its so bad. For normal deodorant its almost 15,00 too so its either really cheap bad stuff or really expensive slightly ok stuff. So deodorant would be really nice. I shouldn’t move to another city for a little while but I’m not sure. The worst part is I’ll only know one day in advanced when or if I’m leaving the area. It’s pretty crazy. But the next transfer is the second week in September so maybe wait on the next package until then. Cause if I stay, Ill for sure be in the area for the next six weeks after that. And that’s enough time to get the package.

What exactly is that missionary site that has the list? I think I’ve heard about it before but I don’t really know what it is.

I really have no idea about family history. I know our stake center has a family history lab but I don’t know if people use it.

I still haven’t got the line of authority. I completely forgot about it. Kind of weird it hasn’t come yet. What address did you give them?

This week was good. We taught a lot of lessons but we need to get some new investigators so we’re working hard on that. Ask more questions!

We have a baptism the Saturday after this one I think. Maybe two people on that day but I’m not sure. One drinks coffee so we need to help her stop that first.

I love you! Thanks again for the package!

Elder Hill

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