18 August 2014 - Viçosa, Brazil

Missions are amazing things, not only for the tens of thousands of lives touched every year, but also in what they do to the missionary. Our dear Elder Frogley has undergone quite an amazing transformation, and it shows even more clearly every week as he writes to us about his experiences teaching the gospel and building his testimony. Christian, our youngest brother, just had his bishop interview to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, and he should have his mission papers turned in very soon, so we're all quite excited to find out where he will be sharing and building his testimony as he preaches the gospel as well.

Man! Im sooo excited Christians almost ready to get on the mission! Im pumped to know where hes goin to go!!!! What if he comes to Brazil!! We could speak portuguese together and have secret conversations like Mom and Dad did with Italian and French! Thatd be sweet! Sounds like your week was succesfull! Lots of stuff goin on! And the house looks amazing! Looks like an excelent Christmas house! I look forword to bumbing out in it until January ;) haha. 

Anyway, i had an eventfull week! We had transferes on Tueday. no one in my district got transfered, but we had leadership switch and i got a new comp because Harris went home. Im now comps with Elder Pires! Hes from Africa, which is different and pretty cool. he´s kinda weird but its cool to talk to him about his country and culture. He lives on a Volcano in Cabo Verde of the coast of Western Africa. Its pretty sweet. The other change was that of District Leader, who will now be yours truely! Again! haha, theyre just throughin me all over the map. At least im use to it now. Ill most likely stay here as district leader until the end of my mission. Ill be a good way to help me finish strong. A young comp and a leadership possions. Itll be good! 

This week was good. I was mostly trying to widdle down our investigator pool to just the really good ones. We´ve really had some good lessons with a few and some sad disapointments with others. I think its interesting, in the teaching aspect. I always hear people say that they learn more teaching people then being taught, and i never thought much of it, but really when i have a real lessons guided by the spirit, i learn a lot and fortify my own testimony. Also i prove to myself how much ive grown. I was always impressed how people could just talk about doctrine topics in talks for ever, but now i know. When i really feel the sprirt, i can just talk and help people feel the spirit. But to do it, you have to be prepared. Im just reminded of things i learned like ten years ago from Dad and its something that really helps the investigator. Im just so greatfull i was prepared from my youth to be able to teach people.

Anyway! We taught Marcio quickly, he was doing well with readng the scriptures and the pamphlets we left him, but hes having a tough time building up the courage to talk to his ´´wife´´´. I dont know how he can stay with her. She wont even talk or even look at him. He seems miserably. Its so sad. On the upside, We started really teaching his Mom! She seemed at first like she didnt want anything to do with the church, but when we talked to her, she just was elect. She showed the same level of understanding as her son and she understood the importance of the Restoration right away. The only concern she had was how early we marked her baptisim for! It was awesome. The didnt go to church though, it looks like her son had a motorcycle accident. Were goin to go back to she how he is and how shes doin. But she was amazing. 

Juliana was in Maceio ALL week working, so we werent able to visit her until yesterday. She missed her baptisimal apointment. When we talked to her yesterday she said she still belived everything but that she was a little down on baptisim because she didnt know if she was ready. Were talked to her about prophets, about preperation and about baptism. There was a great spirit in the room and she smiled and accepted baptism again for the sixth. were not givin up on her yet! 

Gabriel and Maria are still doin well! We taught a lesson to Maria and her son and he LOVED it. He asked lots of questions and took our pamphlet to study from the back. Hes very smart. 

Jessica is having troubles like always, but shes doing better. She decided to mark her own baptisim and make her own goals to stop smoking, which is excelent. She wants it to be a supprise so didnt tell us her goal. The real breakthrough we had was with her husband Tiago. We´ve been teaching him more then usual recently. We had a talk yesterday about his standing with helping Jessica. He never really wanted anything to do with the church. He thinks its more important for us to teach Jessica and thinks that he doesnt need help. We sat him down and explained to him plainly exactly how wrong he was. Sometimes people dont understand unless you just say in bluntly to their face and weather or not they get mad will show if theyre elect or not. We told him he was just as needing of the gospel as his wife and said that he could be helping her a lot more to stop smoking by lifting her spiritually through his example. He didnt get mad. He tried to deny it for a while but in the end he started crying and promised to try to help her a little better. You could tell how much he loved her and it was cool to see. Theyre really good people.

I taught Elders Quorum on Sunday! That was fun! Ummm... I think thats about it! 

Love you family!

Elder Ian

Hey Dad, I revised my plan. I live at home until January then move out to Logan to work in the house that will hopefully be ready by then. Then ill work until August when ill start school. Sound all right?