Last two emails from Elder Smith. Sorry I haven't posted for awhile - we've been on the run! We hear from Elder Smith each Monday on his p-day. He is writing in response to me asking what a "Favela" is, and what are the bugs like there! He also told me that he was getting cold so I needed to send more underclothing. It made me wonder how "cold" it was there!
Dear Mom,
Congrats on the new calling! I told the seminary teacher here that you had just been called as a seminary teacher. She sends you a hug and wishes you good luck. She said she cried it was so hard for her the first 3 years... she is now starting her 4th year. She is a return missionary too. But don't worry mom you will be great. Just don't put up with the punk kids. Sister Waite was tough on me but today I have a lot of respect for her. (Even if she did unfairly punish me for the transgressions of others - - - which she did often.) I think what you could do to most make seminary a good experience is respect the students. Let them choose how they would like the class to be structured (within reason) and let them be responsible for their learning. I hated being told what to do all the time. Don't put up with attitude but don't be too bossy either. Teenagers hate being bossed. The other thing is take advantage of Alex. He will be able to tell you what people say about seminary and how the kids feel about it. More than anything just be chill. You will do great! When I get home I want to go a watch a few of your classes!
Favela is the slums, hood, ghetto, the projects and the other side of the tracks all rolled up into one big mess and built house on top of house.
The bugs here are normal. Here is just like New York City mom. There are a TON of rats and a TON of roaches. I bet there are a ton of bugs here that are here that they don't have in the states but I never really paid much attention to the bugs. I'm sure if I went to the north it would be all huge snakes and such. The furthest point south to the furthest point north of Brazil is the same distance as Seattle to Miami. There is a lot of diversity here. It SNOWS in south Brazil! It is not all jungle and such. There are plains and mountains and everything else.
I sleep with two thick blankets at night and use shorts and a tee shirt so I don't get that cold. But I get cold very fast now.
I plan to extend my mission but President Pinho wants me to wait till the end is a little closer before I consider staying and decide for sure.
Well I love you all a lot!
Love,
Grant
Here is todays email. He was responding to my panic over the new class schedule at Heppner High School. I will only have seminary for 3 days per week for long periods. I told him I was getting thrown a curve ball....and as usual, my missionary son had some good advice for his 'ol mother. I also asked him if he was allowed to teach in the ghettos. His answer was "we preach to everyone". Boy do I miss that kid:
Dear Mom,
Well to start off, there are people here who are very nice, but there are a lot of jerks too. Favela is....interesting. Maybe I would take Dad and Alex with me to visit a few favelas here, but I don't think it would be a good idea for the whole family to go. We preach to everyone. EVERYONE!
As for seminary - - - just throw a 5 minute bathroom break in the middle. Let the people stand up move around and such, than sing a hymn and start back up. In the end, the kids who want to learn will learn and the kids who don't, won't. Not much you can really do if the kid doesn't want to learn on his own.
Well big news. I was transferred! Yup. Kind of a bummer because I was just getting to know the area and the people and we were really getting into the swing of things. I think this area will baptize a whole bunch here soon. We have a ton of people marked. On the other hand I am excited about my new opportunity. I will have a new area and most likely a less experienced missionary. I will also have the chance to serve a few other missionaries that are here on their mission - - - which I am excited about. It will be different then what I have been doing for the last 3 transfers (training) but I am excited to mix things up a little.
Well that’s all on my end. Love you all so much! Please tell Alex Ryan and Gen that I love them.
Grant
Today he also wrote his Dad:
Dad,
Glad to hear it is warm there. We are freezing here. We have been wearing our suits a lot here lately. It is about 14 degrees here which is about 50ish in the States. But the cold here is very different because of the humidity. It mists all the time here so you get all damp and the wind blows and you get cold fast. On the other hand I am sleeping much better in the cold then I do in the heat. The cold is 100 times better than the heat!
So I hear you have to talk for the ground breaking of the stake center? I didn't even know that they were building a new stake center.
I have been studying the Doctrine of Christ a ton lately. The Atonement of Christ makes us clean of sin in accordance with our faith, repentance, baptism by authority, the reception of the Holy Ghost, and endurance in living our temple covenants. My purpose as a missionary is to help people do these things. If what I am doing is not helping someone to do one of these things then I need to seriously consider whether or not what I am doing I a good use of time. I believe that same principle is true in our day to day lives. Many people lose focus of this basic truth. It has brought a whole new sense of purpose to my work as a missionary. I don't know if this would be appropriate for the ground breaking but maybe it will help.
Well I don't have time to write more you will have to see mom's email for more updates.
Love ya!
Grant
Dear Mom,
Congrats on the new calling! I told the seminary teacher here that you had just been called as a seminary teacher. She sends you a hug and wishes you good luck. She said she cried it was so hard for her the first 3 years... she is now starting her 4th year. She is a return missionary too. But don't worry mom you will be great. Just don't put up with the punk kids. Sister Waite was tough on me but today I have a lot of respect for her. (Even if she did unfairly punish me for the transgressions of others - - - which she did often.) I think what you could do to most make seminary a good experience is respect the students. Let them choose how they would like the class to be structured (within reason) and let them be responsible for their learning. I hated being told what to do all the time. Don't put up with attitude but don't be too bossy either. Teenagers hate being bossed. The other thing is take advantage of Alex. He will be able to tell you what people say about seminary and how the kids feel about it. More than anything just be chill. You will do great! When I get home I want to go a watch a few of your classes!
Favela is the slums, hood, ghetto, the projects and the other side of the tracks all rolled up into one big mess and built house on top of house.
The bugs here are normal. Here is just like New York City mom. There are a TON of rats and a TON of roaches. I bet there are a ton of bugs here that are here that they don't have in the states but I never really paid much attention to the bugs. I'm sure if I went to the north it would be all huge snakes and such. The furthest point south to the furthest point north of Brazil is the same distance as Seattle to Miami. There is a lot of diversity here. It SNOWS in south Brazil! It is not all jungle and such. There are plains and mountains and everything else.
I sleep with two thick blankets at night and use shorts and a tee shirt so I don't get that cold. But I get cold very fast now.
I plan to extend my mission but President Pinho wants me to wait till the end is a little closer before I consider staying and decide for sure.
Well I love you all a lot!
Love,
Grant
Here is todays email. He was responding to my panic over the new class schedule at Heppner High School. I will only have seminary for 3 days per week for long periods. I told him I was getting thrown a curve ball....and as usual, my missionary son had some good advice for his 'ol mother. I also asked him if he was allowed to teach in the ghettos. His answer was "we preach to everyone". Boy do I miss that kid:
Dear Mom,
Well to start off, there are people here who are very nice, but there are a lot of jerks too. Favela is....interesting. Maybe I would take Dad and Alex with me to visit a few favelas here, but I don't think it would be a good idea for the whole family to go. We preach to everyone. EVERYONE!
As for seminary - - - just throw a 5 minute bathroom break in the middle. Let the people stand up move around and such, than sing a hymn and start back up. In the end, the kids who want to learn will learn and the kids who don't, won't. Not much you can really do if the kid doesn't want to learn on his own.
Well big news. I was transferred! Yup. Kind of a bummer because I was just getting to know the area and the people and we were really getting into the swing of things. I think this area will baptize a whole bunch here soon. We have a ton of people marked. On the other hand I am excited about my new opportunity. I will have a new area and most likely a less experienced missionary. I will also have the chance to serve a few other missionaries that are here on their mission - - - which I am excited about. It will be different then what I have been doing for the last 3 transfers (training) but I am excited to mix things up a little.
Well that’s all on my end. Love you all so much! Please tell Alex Ryan and Gen that I love them.
Grant
Today he also wrote his Dad:
Dad,
Glad to hear it is warm there. We are freezing here. We have been wearing our suits a lot here lately. It is about 14 degrees here which is about 50ish in the States. But the cold here is very different because of the humidity. It mists all the time here so you get all damp and the wind blows and you get cold fast. On the other hand I am sleeping much better in the cold then I do in the heat. The cold is 100 times better than the heat!
So I hear you have to talk for the ground breaking of the stake center? I didn't even know that they were building a new stake center.
I have been studying the Doctrine of Christ a ton lately. The Atonement of Christ makes us clean of sin in accordance with our faith, repentance, baptism by authority, the reception of the Holy Ghost, and endurance in living our temple covenants. My purpose as a missionary is to help people do these things. If what I am doing is not helping someone to do one of these things then I need to seriously consider whether or not what I am doing I a good use of time. I believe that same principle is true in our day to day lives. Many people lose focus of this basic truth. It has brought a whole new sense of purpose to my work as a missionary. I don't know if this would be appropriate for the ground breaking but maybe it will help.
Well I don't have time to write more you will have to see mom's email for more updates.
Love ya!
Grant
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