Trying to repent!

Not Matt, me (his Mom).  I am repenting from not posting letters.  So here is his last week's letter:

Dear Family,

Well I'm doing good here in Brazil.  It is very cold,  Not during the day, but during the night it gets kind of cold. We are doing great in Linhares. We baptized this week and it was awesome. They were elects. They got married and baptized on the same day and we had a cake for them and everything, it was awesome! They loved it. She cried.  Her name is Miriam and his is Arqulino.  He is 23 years old and she is 54. So just a little bit of age difference right? But that's alright. 

 

We walked alot this week.  Talked with alot of people.  We did a contact with a person from the church called, "God is love".  It's very different.  They always yell, "o amen jesus yes yes".  It was quite funny. And we taught a lady who doesn't have faith. She just believes in the bible and told us that we need to rethink our church because she knows our church is false. I'm losing alot of weight and it rained here so much this week it was ridiculous.  I never thought it would stop, but it did. 

 

 

This picture I attached is me practicing for life mom. But I have to go I don't have much time. I love you guys.  I will send a bigger email next week sorry and love you guys. Bye!

 

Elder Pellegrini

Mar 19, 2012

Dear Mom,

It has been a tough week. But don't worry i know you know that missionaries have rough times. I read a talk this week from the last mission president here in the Brasil Vitoria mission. He said that he prayed everyday for the missionaries to have difficult days weeks and transfers because when you have rough times you learn the most. I can truly say that this is true. I've had a rough 2 weeks or so and let me tell you when it is rough on the mission it is rough! It's hard to get out of bed at 6:30, I was going to bed at 9:45 every night because i was so tired. But every time you have a hard time God wants you to learn something. I don't really know what he wants me to learn yet but I am praying to find out. Maybe it is that he always has a plan for you.

This week was really special I will admit. It started out iffy. We had a zone conference Wednesday where President wanted to interview me because he thought I was depressed. But I told him I wasn't, because I'm not. I just am having a rough time with the Area. But then I think on Thursday or Friday we were walking down the street to work with the members not active list and I said to Elder Santana that we had already visited this house and the person moved away. He kept walking and we walked to the front of the house and he said you're right, this is the house where the person moved away. But when we turned around to walk back down the street, there was a lady walking towards us. She said, "you guys are the Mormons right?". And we just kind of looked at each other and she said, "Sorry, sorry. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". Then me and my companion were really confused and we said ya and she said, "Hey! My Mom wants to talk to you!" and we just thought in our head o great another person who just wants to talk about how our church is wrong and their church is right.

But we walked over to her house and she let us in and we sat down and she started to tell us a story about how she had watched the movie "The Other Side of Heaven" today and then after the movie she went to take a nap and we had walked down the street and her daughter yelled "Mom, Mom! The Mormons are walking down the street right now!" And she told her daughter to go call us over here. But she told us her story. She was baptized in our church 5 years ago and the Sunday she had to be confirmed she had a relative who was really sick in the hospital and so she couldn't go to church. When she went back the next Sunday the group that was there had closed. Groups here in Brasil close really easily. But anyways we started to teach them and they are just the best people ever! So happy about that! So we are teaching a family is what im saying. And we have another person who we're teaching who is a reference from a member and she is way good too and we got another reference yesterday of a member who's niece wants to be baptized. But ya other than that I'm doing good.

Yes Elder McBarron got transferred and Elder Kopetski is training again so that is good. The new missionary's name is Elder Christensen from Idaho he is cool. Yes I went to a chocolate factory. It was way cool. I ate 35 pieces. It was good but I felt sick after. It was pretty cool to see the chocolate factory. It's name is the Garoto. It's the only one in the world so that's pretty cool.

The mission president is good. Yes it is a lot better now that i can communicate with him and talk with him one on one without Elder Hansen. He is pretty cool. I always finish my letters to him with a President I love ya and a hug. We have had a good week we have a good week planned out for this week now and everything is going good. I will send you that other stuff in an other email I love you guys.

Elder Pellegrini

March 12, 2012

Dear Family,
Well I’m just tired. That is how I will start my email. This week has been good. My 3rd transfer in Guarapari. It is pretty good here, but just a little bit hard. It’s like at Christmas time when you get all pumped up because you have been asking your parents for this present all year long and you think for sure you’re going to get it. And there is a box under the tree that is the same shape as the thing you want, but then on Christmas morning you open it up and it’s not the present at all, its actually pants. That’s how transfers are when you have been in a place for 2 transfers and you think for sure you will be transferred and you get the call that you’re staying in your area for another transfer. That’s what it is like haha.

Well this week was a little rough we didn’t teach as much as we wish we could have, but that’s alright. We will start it up again this week. We have not worked with our baptism. She lives in the other duplas (companionship) area now. But she missed church yesterday. She called and said she was going to Vitoria for something like medical work. I don’t know how to say it in English.

Well I’m glad that life is going good for you guys in Cedar. Tell Jeff (Middleton) to be careful and to heal up. How did it happen? (He’s referring to Jeff Middleton’s arm accident). Well what are you guys doing for spring break anything fun? Yes he had a district leader meeting so i worked with 2 other people this week; Elder Morgan and some Brazilian elder. (I asked him if he has had a chance to work with anyone but Elder Santana, his companion). I don’t know his name. But i love you guys have a great week and be safe.

Love you,
Elder Pellegrini

March 4, 2012

Dear Family,
Well, I wasn’t transferred. That’s how I will start off the email! One more in Guarapari. I am having a great time here, it is very hot and the work is very hard, but other than that it has been great here! Our branch continues to grow each week and we have a lot of people coming to church. Not investigators, just members. We don’t have any investigators, which is difficult, but we need to start somewhere right? It was funny we had a zone conference this week and during carnival there was a lot of just craziness here. And we said you know what, it’s carnival so we need to go back to the house, there isn’t any work to do today. But a zone leader said that if a teaching group moves find another teaching group. But we are going to find a lot of people to baptize this transfer.

I am doing fine. My weight has evened out a little bit. I stopped losing weight, so that’s good. I will tell you what though, a mission is the most tiring thing ever. I am just always tired. I’ve really gotten better though, I don’t fall asleep during lessons now. Knock on wood ha. I’m glad Brevin and Le are getting really big. That’s neat. They’re going to be huge when I get home. I’m glad Lecia is taking guitar lessons. I always wanted to play the guitar, but mom just told me no (from Mom – this is not true).

Well I’m doing fine spiritually and emotionally. But it’s difficult. The lady we baptized told the other dupla (companionship) that she never stopped smoking or drinking coffee so idk what is happening with her it’s very difficult. I just want her to be firm in the church you know. I want her to feel these blessings that we have.

So I’m so glad that everything at home is good. Everything here is great. Just working hard. I’m going on 8 months this month. That’s crazy! I remember 6 months and now 8 in Guarapari and I might even talk to you in the same place on Mother’s Day. I am so happy that I’m here on a mission. It is the greatest choice ever. I recommend it for everyone. I love the scripture Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven”. I love it because in this chapter Jesus is talking to his disciples and he talks about a lot of things, but here he says to let our light shine not to hide it and every member has a light in side of them and if they let it shine I know God will bless them. I love My mission. I love my family. I love my mom. I’m so glad I decided to come. I know now that I’m here for the right reason.

Have a great week

Love,

Elder Pellegrini

Feb. 6, 2012

Dear Mom,

Well, this week has been very weird, fun, and sad. First the lady we are teaching is going to be baptized on Saturday. She hasn’t smoked for one full week yesterday. So that’s good. I’m so happy for her. But other than that, it has been good. I’m feeling really more confident with the language. I just need a bigger vocab. Well I have officially lost 70 pounds on my mission. I weigh 240 now and I look like I brought my dad’s clothes on my mission. It is kind of funny and ridiculous at the same time haha. I have a firm testimony now that missionaries need money only for travel and bathroom stuff. Going without money for 2 weeks is showing me how much I don’t need to spend money.

Well we had a good meeting with our Branch mission leader last night we are going to get him to call some counselors and ward missionaries so we can really have a lot of missionary work going on inside the branch that isn’t just us. Its good we are having an integration night this week too. Which is really good because we are doing a new program. I don’t know if it’s just in Brazil or there too, or if it’s just our mission or maybe just this stake, I don’t know, but it’s called 5 5 5 where you receive 5 names from the elders quorum, 5 from the high priests, and 5 names from the relief society of inactive families. Not part active, but completely inactive, and we are going to work with these families and we are going to try to get them to come back to church. This is why integration night is important, it’s a place they can go where they’re surrounded by people from the church having fun in the church and it’s not church. And a thing called 1 minute missionary where we the missionaries prepare like a little package of stuff like a dvd of the church and a Book of Mormon or stuff like that and give it to a family to share with a family before the next Sunday. Then they get up and bear their testimony about the experience. I think it will be good. I think that it will get us a lot of more people to teach and to baptize.

Well so we go to the lady who is getting baptized this week to interview her. She is 69 years old. But she is just an elect person. The branch loves her, she loves church. So that’s good. We are loving it here right now. I’m loving my comp. We are working hard together. We are trying to make the branch a ward. Well that’s about it for this week. Love you guys. Till next week I will have pictures of our house and baptism for you.

Elder Pellegrini

New Companion - Elder Santana

Dear Mom,

So I wasn’t robbed just FYI. My companion’s name is Elder Santana and I’m not senior thank goodness or trainer but Elder Furrows and Elder Tanner are that’s cool. Ha I’ve learned to tell the truth Mom. Ha no I’ve lost 70 pounds on my mission now haha no I’ll be fine (Matt lost his wallet last week). But yes I love him (Elder Santana) he is sick (evidently in a good way)!

We got a bus back from Vitoria and I paid for the bus and put my wallet back and then when we got home I was like lets order a pizza so we did and then when I went to grab my wallet to pay I was like where is my wallet and so Elder Guyn had to pay. It was funny, but sad, so we called the member who gave us a ride. I think when I put my wallet back in my pocket I thought I did, but it was really just on the seat. We went back, but the guy said no there was no wallet found.

Ok well this week has been very good and difficult and interesting and sucky all at the same time but that is alright. My new Comps name is Elder Santana He is from Sao Paulo the state not the city. He is 21 and has been on a mission for a year today actually so that’s cool. The work is going good we found 10 new investigators this week so that is good and the branch is good they are really helping a lot more now with one more dupla and Elder Santana being new haha it will be good. They are feeding me alright the other day for lunch all i had was rice and beans it was interesting. Yes the weather is still hot I think once the weather cools down a little bit I will start gaining weight back haha.
Elder Andrew is now a zone leader in Vitoria but ya he likes it I think. Yes I am hearing from my friend’s haha. Well my new comp is awesome he is in the army which is kind of cool he loves cars he loves maple syrup he loves American football and he would rather play basketball than soccer its proof God really does know who should be companions haha. He is teaching me a lot. He has a girlfriend. It’s funny you can tell that she is like that girl with my space pictures haha. O and idk what’s up but apparently my companion is beautiful and every girl in the ward wants him. So now everyone has references. I was like we just need more beautiful people haha. Well that’s about it we have an investigator who is like the cat lady with like 40 cats it’s funny.
Well I love you! Till next week,

Elder Pellegrini

January 23, 2012

Dear Mom,
I’m very sorry. I forgot my camera, but next week I will send a ton of photos with me and my new companion. Elder Andrew was transferred, but I wasn’t. So I’m getting a new companion tomorrow. That should be fun.

Well I’m going to answer your first question right now idk growing up in Utah is a really sheltered place like idk here where I am its normal for a 14 year old girl to be pregnant and for people to just live together and not be married. So I really understand now why the gospel is so important in peoples lives, I really didn’t understand before my mission but I’m glad that I’m able to see it and understand now.

And what else has changed about me is I’m wearing my ring on a necklace now because I’m so skinny haha. This week i officially gave my first blessing in Portuguese. It was so crazy. I was nervous! I gave it to a lady who we are teaching that is elect. She smokes and drinks coffee though, so that sucks. But we are helping her stop. She just needs a testimony of Joseph Smith. She came to church twice so that’s cool. I take her cigarettes from her house. It’s funny. She is so cool! She is 69 years old. We have been working hard here in Gurarapari but we just need new investigators.

President is like burning people now. He emailed us today. People are just on a mission to see the world he told us. He is sending people home this week. He is very mad I guess. Good thing I’m working. We are just teaching that lady and she is good and Portuguese is coming alot better. I just sometimes get frustrated and it’s hard to speak, but that’s all. It is getting so hot to by the way. I never want to stop. I want to get in to people’s houses where it’s not so hot! But we are loving life out here. I burnt a tie here this week and that was fun (out six months) and this week will be good!

Love you guys bye,

Elder Pellegrini