Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Elder Backman
"Elder Romney:
It has been totally awesome to get to know you it has been fun but man it is time to serve i'm so excited for you i know you'll be an excellent missionary you're he-man really and the lord will be with us Seize the day and get all you can out of each day and give it your best. No regrets that is what I have really stressed thanks for all you have done for us and you will have to come and chill in Utah-the factory some time We may or I know we will have hard times but we will be perfected we just have to have faith and know that we will be fine. It has been fun and we both know that the best missions are in the north east good luck, you won't need it. signed, Elder Backman
1066 w. country mile dr.
Riverton, UT. 84065
speedyg002002@yahoo.com"
Elder Backman was also a character. He probably struggled the most with the language. He just wanted to read the Book of Mormon in English the whole time. Nevertheless he kept trying and he really developed his testimony while in the CTM.
Elder Orr
"Romney-
The CTM is finally done and over with. I don't really know what to say,this kind of reminds me of the whole year book signing thing. Anywho, good luck with the people of Recife, I'm sorry you had to go to the second best place in Brazil, 1st was already taken by Maceio. Just plain. Your going to change a lot of lives out there. Eu sou o mais forte pessoa no todo Brasil.
Elder Brian Orr
3282 E. Danish Cir.
S.L.C. UT 84121
elder borr@hotmail.com"
Elder Orr was like the popular guy/bad boy of the group. He was a good athlete.
In the phrase, "Eu sou o mais forte pessoa no todo Brasil." He's trying to say that I'm the strongest person in Brasil. In Portuguese you put the adjective after the noun though so in English it would be I'm the person strongest of Brasil. So it should have been, "Sou a pessoa mais forte de Brazil." There's our portuguese lesson for the day.
The CTM is finally done and over with. I don't really know what to say,this kind of reminds me of the whole year book signing thing. Anywho, good luck with the people of Recife, I'm sorry you had to go to the second best place in Brazil, 1st was already taken by Maceio. Just plain. Your going to change a lot of lives out there. Eu sou o mais forte pessoa no todo Brasil.
Elder Brian Orr
3282 E. Danish Cir.
S.L.C. UT 84121
elder borr@hotmail.com"
Elder Orr was like the popular guy/bad boy of the group. He was a good athlete.
In the phrase, "Eu sou o mais forte pessoa no todo Brasil." He's trying to say that I'm the strongest person in Brasil. In Portuguese you put the adjective after the noun though so in English it would be I'm the person strongest of Brasil. So it should have been, "Sou a pessoa mais forte de Brazil." There's our portuguese lesson for the day.
Elder Bowman
"Hey Dude whenever I see a cow I will think of you! Don't worry in two years we will get real meat again! Thanks for not beating me up! We will roll some ladies after mission and you can teach me to be buff like you.
David Bowman Jr.
412 Halifax Dr.
coppell, TX 75019
972-393-4164"
Elder Bowman was an interesting fellow. He spoke German and so that helped him to learn Portuguese pretty quickly. Once you learn one language it's a lot easier to learn the next.
Elder Shepherd
"Romney,
Out of all the missionaries you are the coolest....um so the mtc is fun and it ends in one day, so sad but it's ok cause I will soon be your brother in law! JK but you better write me back or else i will be very upset. You are cool. You are focused and you picked up on the language very quickly, bem trabalha.
Elder Shepherd
Home:
961 E 70 S
Lindon, UT 84042
801-785-1526
Email: kaptainkarl2@hotmail.com"
Elder Shepherd was hilarious. He was so scrawny and not athletic at all but I think I got along better with him than anyone else. He was very easy going and easy to talk to. He is the one that told me what has become my favorite joke: "Did you know that it's scientifically proven that 85% of the people that live in Antarctica are goats?" He as well as a lot of the other Elders always talked about marrying Robin when they got home from their missions. Obviously they thought she was cute.
Out of all the missionaries you are the coolest....um so the mtc is fun and it ends in one day, so sad but it's ok cause I will soon be your brother in law! JK but you better write me back or else i will be very upset. You are cool. You are focused and you picked up on the language very quickly, bem trabalha.
Elder Shepherd
Home:
961 E 70 S
Lindon, UT 84042
801-785-1526
Email: kaptainkarl2@hotmail.com"
Elder Shepherd was hilarious. He was so scrawny and not athletic at all but I think I got along better with him than anyone else. He was very easy going and easy to talk to. He is the one that told me what has become my favorite joke: "Did you know that it's scientifically proven that 85% of the people that live in Antarctica are goats?" He as well as a lot of the other Elders always talked about marrying Robin when they got home from their missions. Obviously they thought she was cute.
Elder Sepe
"Elder Romney,
It was great to have some one in the room that wasn't from the factory. I think it is amazing that you are paying for your mission. I think it says a lot. I know you are a hard worker and are very knowledgeable about the language and the gospel. You were our silent leader. Thank you. I know that you will do well in your mission. I know that if we are humble and follow the Spirit all things are possible. Your faith will be an example unto everyone you meet. I know this church is true and that anything we may have given up we will be paid 10 fold for. Romney you heve been our great motivator. Stay in the path that you've started and you will be a great missionary.
Elder Sepe
317 Rand St.
Washington, MO 63090
VintageFlyby@yahoo.com
(636)390-4396"
Elder Sepe was very different from the rest of us. He was kind of fruity almost gay sounding by the way he talked. He didn't seem to really have a lot of hobbies but he just liked to talk and enjoyed being with people. He was very nice, smart and complimentary.
It was great to have some one in the room that wasn't from the factory. I think it is amazing that you are paying for your mission. I think it says a lot. I know you are a hard worker and are very knowledgeable about the language and the gospel. You were our silent leader. Thank you. I know that you will do well in your mission. I know that if we are humble and follow the Spirit all things are possible. Your faith will be an example unto everyone you meet. I know this church is true and that anything we may have given up we will be paid 10 fold for. Romney you heve been our great motivator. Stay in the path that you've started and you will be a great missionary.
Elder Sepe
317 Rand St.
Washington, MO 63090
VintageFlyby@yahoo.com
(636)390-4396"
Elder Sepe was very different from the rest of us. He was kind of fruity almost gay sounding by the way he talked. He didn't seem to really have a lot of hobbies but he just liked to talk and enjoyed being with people. He was very nice, smart and complimentary.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Elder Revelli
"Elder Romney.
Hey jock type, is that even a word? But really it's cool that you're so motivated. It was good in ginastica with you. You made stuff fun and understood why I got upset when people didn't hustle. You remind me too much of my old best friend, he is currently a great missionary, so i know you will be too. Keep up your hard work. No one can ever convince me that a merciful freebie handout is better than an earned trophy. Always use your knowledge. I remember when we taught our palestra together, your spirit was soo strong and you portugues was excellent. Keep it going good, love it, live for it.
Elder Revelli
626 Herschler Ave
Evanston, WY 82930
maceiowarrior@hotmail.com"
This guy was funny and quite the character but I really liked him. He was a very old fashioned kind of guy but he was very competitive and didn't mind competitiveness so we got along well.
Hey jock type, is that even a word? But really it's cool that you're so motivated. It was good in ginastica with you. You made stuff fun and understood why I got upset when people didn't hustle. You remind me too much of my old best friend, he is currently a great missionary, so i know you will be too. Keep up your hard work. No one can ever convince me that a merciful freebie handout is better than an earned trophy. Always use your knowledge. I remember when we taught our palestra together, your spirit was soo strong and you portugues was excellent. Keep it going good, love it, live for it.
Elder Revelli
626 Herschler Ave
Evanston, WY 82930
maceiowarrior@hotmail.com"
This guy was funny and quite the character but I really liked him. He was a very old fashioned kind of guy but he was very competitive and didn't mind competitiveness so we got along well.
Elder Keppner
So at the end of our districts MTC experience we all wrote in each others journals. Here's what Elder Keppner had to say:
"What a privilege it is to write in your book. Thanks for keeping me up on the Lakers victories, I won't go any further on that for your happiness and my health. That's cool that you should be leaving your Texan home to come find a wife in Idaho/Utah. In case you feel like getting a hold of me.
Trent Kepner
4250 Grome Street
Idaho falls, ID 8340
Good luck in Recife, I know it'll be awesome."
Elder Keppner
Elder Kepner was a funny guy. He was reserved and quiet for the most part. He was very compassionate and he was very old fashioned. I remember he always wore his pants up to his belly button. He wasn't flashy or overly exciting or anything but he did his work to the best of his ability every day. He was also one of the better athletes in the district.
"What a privilege it is to write in your book. Thanks for keeping me up on the Lakers victories, I won't go any further on that for your happiness and my health. That's cool that you should be leaving your Texan home to come find a wife in Idaho/Utah. In case you feel like getting a hold of me.
Trent Kepner
4250 Grome Street
Idaho falls, ID 8340
Good luck in Recife, I know it'll be awesome."
Elder Keppner
Elder Kepner was a funny guy. He was reserved and quiet for the most part. He was very compassionate and he was very old fashioned. I remember he always wore his pants up to his belly button. He wasn't flashy or overly exciting or anything but he did his work to the best of his ability every day. He was also one of the better athletes in the district.
4/17/03
"Well, today was another good day. There's this kid that works here who's a nonmember and sometimes he eats in the cafeteria. So one day I said to E.O. lets go sit by him and we did. Overtime we became very good friends with him. We took pictures with him and then yesterday we talked to him about the church. He said he already had a Book of Mormon that he read sometimes and that he felt good when he was around us. So we gave him a reference card and he gave us his address and now we can give it to the missionaries in this area."
Turns out this was the last journal entry of my missionary training center experience. We really enjoyed eating with this young man because we could practice our Portuguese with a native speaker and it was almost like being in the field when we were with him. he was someone from outside of the MTC walls. He was from where I wanted to go. The FIELD.
Turns out this was the last journal entry of my missionary training center experience. We really enjoyed eating with this young man because we could practice our Portuguese with a native speaker and it was almost like being in the field when we were with him. he was someone from outside of the MTC walls. He was from where I wanted to go. The FIELD.
4/15/03
"Well, today was our last P-day. It was great. I also got a package from home full of candy. It had 9 snickers and 7 butterfingers. Yum! I'm trying to make a little money out of it. I'm selling them for 3 reais. I've only sold one so far but I'll sell more. I also bought a new tie today that Elder Shepard wants and he's trying to trade me for it. I'm trying to speak all Portuguese outside the classroom. Well, I gots to turn the lights off."
4/14/03
"Well,today is Monday and tomorrow is Christmas. It will be our last P-day. We have 8 more days. Something funny happened today. I had to go to the restroom and we had to go to the other side of the building cuz our restroom was being cleaned. I walked past the Men's restroom and I was heading into the girls restroom. I said hi to two of the girls and I was a step in when the 3rd siter looked at me really funny and then my companion said to me what are you doing. I then realized what I was doing and I walked back over to the Mens restroom. Today was a good day. We had our last service this morning. Next Monday Elder Richard G. Scott of The Quorum of The Twelve will be here to talk to us. Ther are only like 150 missionaries here so we'll all have good seats and we'll all probably get to shake his hand. We are all very excited. I got a letter from my cousin Aubrey, Mawhinneys and family today. The one from family had family pictures and pictures of Byrin and Coltin in the bluebonnets."
4/8/03
"Well, today was a P-day. I'm not very good at writing in my journal. We went to the temple at 7:00. We have one more P-day and then we're out of here. Our last P-day we are going to order 3 large pizzas from Pizza hut. We have only 3 districts in our hall now. Everybody left today. Today I bought a new tie and a soccer tie tack for 10 reais. I was in the supermarket and these Brasileiro girls were checkin me out and they said i was a muito bonito American and they kept on looking at me. I would've given em one of my pass-along reference cards. Elder McPhee gave me his 1 real soccer ball so I didn't have to buy another one. It was so fun to play with. Texas is in the Final 4. I am waiting for word from my Dad. Well, the language is comin along real good! Conference was this weekend. it was great. I stayed awake for all 10 hours of it. The Spirit was really strong. I'm in Helaman chapter 10 in the Book of Mormon. I want to finish it before I leave the CTM."
I had a lot of fun playing with those little soccer balls. We would kick em back and forth in the hallways and see who could kick it past the other.
I had a lot of fun playing with those little soccer balls. We would kick em back and forth in the hallways and see who could kick it past the other.
4/1/03
"Well, today was a P-day. We went to Embu whih was a big outdoor market. It was a lot of fun. They had lots of cool shops. I bought a little marble armadillo for 8 reais, a Brazil jersey with Ronaldo's number on the back and a little ring. Then when we got back we went out on the streets and a man started talking to me and my roommates. I couldn't understand what he was saying but he seemed friendly and he kept putting his hand on my shoulder. He seemed nice and so I asked him if he knew anything about the Book of Mormon cuz he was talkin to us about religion and then in English he started sayin F-you. He was talking and looking at me the whole time. Then I bought a little ball for 1 real and people started talking to me. I talked to one guy about soccer and gave him one of the proselyting cards. That made me feel better. Then I talked to two other guys about soccer. Then we were walkin past this bar and this old guy came up to me and asked if he could have my ball and I gave it to him and he rubbed it on his face and walked into the bar. It was the same place where that other old dude yelled at us and grabbed his balls. The old people here don't like us."
I remember this day very well. It was kind of a traumatic experience for a few of the Elders in our group. The 1st guy started talking to a different elder in our district but I stepped in a bit cuz I felt like I know the language. So he's talkin to us for a few minutes and then all of a sudden he starts saying F-you but he was actually saying the real word. At that point some of the elders in my district stepped up and started telling the guy No. All they really know how to say was no but I appreciated them speaking up.
The second old guy had no shirt on and was soo drunk. He really just caught me off guard. And next thing ya know he had my ball. Some of the Elders were tellin me that I really had a rough day that day. It really didn't affect me much other than I was learning to stay away from that bar.
I remember this day very well. It was kind of a traumatic experience for a few of the Elders in our group. The 1st guy started talking to a different elder in our district but I stepped in a bit cuz I felt like I know the language. So he's talkin to us for a few minutes and then all of a sudden he starts saying F-you but he was actually saying the real word. At that point some of the elders in my district stepped up and started telling the guy No. All they really know how to say was no but I appreciated them speaking up.
The second old guy had no shirt on and was soo drunk. He really just caught me off guard. And next thing ya know he had my ball. Some of the Elders were tellin me that I really had a rough day that day. It really didn't affect me much other than I was learning to stay away from that bar.
3/30/03
Well, today is Sunday. Saturdays and Sundays are so fun here at the MTC. We have lots of prep time to work out, write letters, shine shoes and do reading. I have started reading "A marvelous Work and a Wonder." O love it. I finished the book "Our Search for happiness," that was an amazing book also. I have grown a great love for scripture study. This last week I really focused on the work. We got basketball back!! Boy am I out of shape. My team went 4-0 though."
3/24/03
"Well, today was a good day. It is Monday. We always have 11 hours of class on Mondays but we stay positive cuz we know the next day is P-day. My Portuguese discussion is getting a lot better. I don't have long pauses in my discussions. Tomorrow is Christmas! I have started reading A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. It's a pretty good book. I also got a letter today from home. She sends me these Texas post cards. the first one was a thing of Blue Bell ice cream filled with bluebonnets and the one I got today was an armadillo by cactus and bluebonnets."
3/20/03
"Well, today was a rough but good day. The morning and afternoon were both really good but the night was really rough for me. Volleyball this morning was really fun. My team was really good and I had lots of spikes! I am doing a better job at not getting upset with people when they mess up. I cam up with a way to pick different teams every time we play. I take 5 Brazilian and American coins and put them on my hand. They close their eyes and pick one. If they pick an American coin they are team 1, Brazilian they're on team 2. Tonight was a really humbling experience. I have too much pride in my heart. Me and E.O. are very different. We have different ways of leading, I am usually short and quick to the point and he usually talks more about stuff. We come from very different places and sometimes I have a hard time respecting people from Utah or Idaho and I don't listen to what they say. I also had contention in my heart when he said what I was supposed to say when we were giving our discussion. I will talk more about it later."
3/19/03
"Today was a great day. We had gym in the morning and then service at night. Service is really fun cuz we get to wear normal clothes and they usually let us off early. The language continues to zip along. I speak more and more Portuguese every day. Sitting with the Brazilians at meals really helps. Today we had a spiritual district meeting. The meeting was about us needing to pay more attention in class. I got a letter from Dad today. DeSoto basketball won state! I saw the pictures and showed em to everybody. The Dallas Mavs and Stars are also in 1st place in the NHL and NBA. Emmit Smith was released but I think the Cowboys will be getting much better. Today was Irma Sandra's last day. We bought her flowers and had a spiritual testimony meeting. Tomorrow we are supposed to go all day without speaking English. It will probably be a very tough and frustrating but with the Lord we can do anything. Friday we go proselyting. I am really excited and scared."
Thursday, August 13, 2009
3/18/03
"Well, today was a really fun day. It was P-day. We went to Bom-Ta-Ta at 9:30 AM. Se we had extra time in the morning and we went to the I-net cafe place. It's really cool cuz an RM runs the place and he has ties and stickers and if you need anything he will run and get it for you for a small fee. I bought the tie that everybody in the district wanted. it was the only one. Elder Oliverson was standing right in front of it but he didn't see it and I grabbed it before he got it. Bom-Ta-Ta was pretty fun. They had monkeys and snakes and we took pictures. The best part was when we convinced them to take us to McDonalds. I got a Big-Mac, Chicken nuggets and a chocolate milkshake. The milkshake wasn't that great cuz they don't have real chocolate ice cream. Everything else was great though. I spent lots of money. I spent 50 reais on a pull up bar, 8 reais at McDonalds, 4 reais at the paper store, 2 reais on a sling shot and Dominoes, 1,60 reais on popsicle and this really yummy bread. We were walking down the street today when this old guy w/no shirt on started screaming at us and grabbing his balls at the same time. I don't know and don't want to know what he was saying. The U.S.A. is at war right now and the Brazilians don't seem to like that for some reason and so sometimes they yell at us. I got two letters from home today. One was from Dad and had lots of sports articles. the other letter was from Mom and the little boys. I love to get letters. Tomorrow morning our District is speaking all Portuguese. It is difficult but fun. Our Portuguese is getting lots better."
3/14/03
Well, today was a pretty good day. We had 3 hrs. of class in the morning. After lunch we went to the museum. It was pretty fun. Then we had 4 hrs. of class. We have started translating the 1st discussion into Portuguese. Me and elder Oliverson go sit next to Brazilians at lunch so that we can practice our Portuguese.
3/13/03
"Well, today was another great day. We gave the 6th discussion and it went really well. this morning we went to the police office for 3 hrs. these kids asked to shine our shoes. I always let them shine my shoes because I have sympathy for them and I can talk to them and practice my Portuguese. Plus they only charge um real which is about 30 American cents. I talked to them about soccer and got other missionaries to let them polish their shoes. We shared Moroni 20:3-5 with them. I can't wait to get out in the field and serve the people. Then we got our mail and I had 4 letters!! 1 was from Yak and 3 were from home. Dad sent me all kinds of sports articles. DeSoto basketball is going to state. We beat Cedar Hill in the semi-finals which is our crosstown rival. The Mavs are still in 1st and the Cowboys just released Emmitt Smith. Then tonight after we had our 6th discussion we just talked for an hour. Everybody got a little teary eyed including myself. I cried like a little girl. It was a great spiritual experience."
3/11/2003
"Well, today was a P-day. I've been sick with a cold since Monday morning. I accidentally kicked my covers off while I was sleeping and so the fan blew on me all night and I caught a cold. My head's all dizzy and my nose is stuffed up. I made a tape of myself talking and sent it home. I told them about district dump time which is right before gym, volleyball, food, constipation, Sao Paulo, P-day, companions, candy, Irmao Almeida, language and other MTC stuff. Today I bought candy, a tie, cheetos, ice cream, garments, and a notebook. The notebook was not the right size so I wasted 6 hai. Oh well. It was fun making the tape. My companions talked about my hot sisters and Elder Shepherd talked about how he knew what biscuits were but he didn't know what brisket is. This week is going to be on of the best weeks. Wednesday and Thursday we have gym. Friday we go to the museum. Saturday we have 4 hours of classes and then gym and then service and then prep time. We have a tie swap Sundays at 8:30. I gave Elder Shepherd my 3 Wal-Mart ties, a box of mentos and some mint skittles for his tie. It was worth it."
I really liked ties on my mission and I really liked Elder Shepherd's tie. It fell apart like two months later so I guess it wasn't worth it after all.
I really liked ties on my mission and I really liked Elder Shepherd's tie. It fell apart like two months later so I guess it wasn't worth it after all.
3/8/2003
"Well, today was another great day. It's Saturday and we had lots of free time. I broke my pushups record-122 in two minutes! That's one a second for two minutes. Me and Oliverson did a complete workout after that. The fireside tonight was great as usual. I always like Saturday night firesides cuz they have movie clips and clips of the prophet and the apostles on the big screen. I've gotten three letters in the last two days!! Dad sends me sports articles and stuff. The Mavs are whoopin up on everybody. DeSoto basketball team won its first round playoff game. we had like 5 hours of free time today. I've been reading this book called "Our Search for Happiness." It's a really good book. I also polished everybody's shoes. Tomorrow I will start making a tape to send home to my parents. they still haven't gotten one of my letters yet. I am in 4th place in the loneliest missionary contest."
3/7/2003
"Well I haven't been able to write here the last couple nights because I haven't had any time. We usually only have around 30 minutes of free time at night on Wed, Thurs., & Fri. & I usually spend that time exercising or reading my scriptures. Today was a great day!! The mornings of WTF are always great cuz we have gym and an hour of lab. The afternoons are always great cuz we have Irmao Almeida. he's a really cool guy. He's really funny and we teach him American slang. Our night classes are when the district has a tough time. We are all tired and Irma Sandra isn't as relaxed as the other teachers. I don't think she likes me that much. She loves my companion Elder Oliverson cuz he sucks up to her. But that doesn't matter who she likes. I am here to learn. Our district always gets in big arguments in class at night and so today we had a meeting. I shared scriptures that would be helpful and expounded on them and Elder Oliverson gave a cool quote. Tonight we worked together really well. We went and gave our discussion to another district. It was really great. The Spirit was really strong and at the end they asked some bible bash questions and they said I did an excellent job of answering them. At the end the teacher shared some great stories and he sang a song. Today was a really spiritual day."
3/3/2003
"Well, I just did 101 pushups in 2 minutes. My previous record was 92. I did it against 3 of my other companions and I always do more when I have competition. I usually do 50 and then rest for a few seconds, but this time I did 70 without stopping. Tomorrow is Christmas (P-day)! We are going to the temple and then we will go out in the town for 2 hrs. One of my teachers, Irmao Pires is leaving today. We had 10 1/2 hrs. of class today. I was really tired today. I also ate tons of candy. Today I did the outline for my 4th discussion. Well I gotta get ready for bed."
3/2/2003
Well, today was a good day. We woke up and had church at 8:00 AM. We started our fast yesterday after lunch and we ate lunch today. The meal was really good. I stuffed myself. That is only the 2nd time I've ever done a 24 hr. fast. I didn't even feel that hungry till about an hour before. Today we made a paper chain to countdown the # of days left at the MTC. We have 51 left. We just finished the third discussion the other day and we'll be starting the 4th soon. Our district meeting today was good. I came up with the district goal to have each companionship read a chapter in the BOM in Portuguese each night. One of our fireside speakers wold us that if we would read in Portuguese out loud that we would be able to speak Portuguese by the time we left the MTC. I remember the last thing I ate. It was Promised Land Choc. milk. Mom wrote me and told me she saved my last bottle of Promised Land and that she was gonna use it as a vase. My sleeping problems seem to have gone away for now. I love Sundays. I can't wit til P-day. Tchao."
Sunday, July 26, 2009
3/1/2003
"Well, today was a good day. We woke up and had 4 hrs. of class. Then started the good part. We had a good lunch and after that we had gym. I have come to enjoy playing volleyball, whenever I play against other teams they always say I got hops and ask what my vertical is. Spiking the ball is a lot of fun and setting people up is pretty fun too. Than we had 2 hrs. of class and then dinner and then free time till the 7:30 fireside. In my free time I wrote a letter home and polished my shoes and 3 of my roommates shoes. The fireside was great. The speaker mixed his talk with videos and quotes. I felt the Spirit stronger then more than any other point since I've been here. Afterwards me and Elder Oliverson went and shook the speakers hand. I enjoyed writing home and polishing everbodys shoes. We are doing a loneliest missionary contest and I am tied for 1st at 1 letter with about 4 other people. Right now in Brazil the carnival is going on. It's like Mardi Gras x 10. The people dance naked in the streets. It's crazy."
2/28/03
"Well, today was a long day. We had 10 1/2 hrs. of class. Fridays are the longest and hardest days of the week. But hey its over and now comes the funner part. At the end of the day me and my companion shared our 3rd discussion w/two sisters!! Eeek!! I thought I did really well and I felt that the Spirit was guiding me. My words flowed freely and I got my point across. It was a little weird givin the discussion to the sisters. One of em was looking at me the whole time and one time her foot touched mine (whoa) and I jumped back. We also had service this morning. It was pretty fun until elder Oliverson and me had to do the laundry. She made us unfold already folded blankets and then refold them so that they looked nicer. It was pointless. We got to go outside to sweep the streets and that was fun. I wanted to take off yelling I'm free but I decides that wouldn't be good. I also got to work out a little today. I do push-ups and use my resistance bands to do lots of other cool stuff."
It was so startling when the sisters foot touched mine. I always tried to stay away from the sisters because girls just weren't a priority. a lot of the Brazilian Elders liked to flirt with the American sisters.
It was so startling when the sisters foot touched mine. I always tried to stay away from the sisters because girls just weren't a priority. a lot of the Brazilian Elders liked to flirt with the American sisters.
2/27/03
"Well, today was an alright day. We had 9 hrs. of class. We always have class til 9:30. It gets very tiring because wee have 7 hrs. of class after lunch usually. Yesterday I got letters from my family. It was really exciting. The language is coming along pretty well. My teacher Irmao Almeida told me I was learning the language very fast. I didn't fall asleep til midnight but I woke up energized. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day. We have service from 7:30-9:30 AM and then the rest of the day we have classes. Saturday and Sunday always go by fast because we have lots of prep time. Monday goes by quick because the next day is P-day. P-day is always great. Tuesdays are good. But Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are very long. During WTF our district has a harder time concentrating and we play a little too much. I also got my hepatitis B shot today and got outta class for 20 min. Whupee!"
2/26/03
"Well, today was a decent day. We had gym class today and it was a lot of fun. We had 8 1/2 hrs. of class. We put the finishing touches on our 2nd discussion and then we presented them to another companionship. Whe companionship we shared with did an excellent job. They just went with what came to their minds. Mine was like I had a set agenda and I had to say certain things. Both my 1st and 2nd discussions need lots of work. The last two nights I haven't been able to fall asleep till 12:15 and 12:30. In the morning I always pray to H.F. to give me energy to be alert and attentive in class. I haven't fallen asleep in class yet and I usually have enough energy to stay highly motivated. Today our districr seemed to be tired and we were contentious a little bit. I am enjoying my time here at the MTC. It is hard work and mentally exhausting but I always have a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day and I know what it's what I'm supposed to be doing. Ate logo. I got letters today!!!"
2/25/03
"Well I thought it would be cool to put this in there. I bought 5 prs. of garments for $15 today. Everything is cheap in Brazil. Today was my 1st P-day. It was a good day. The only thing that kept it from being great was the food at the temple. I ate this stuff that tasted like beef jerkey and sawdust. It was the grossest thing I've ever had. My stomach has been hurting all day. We went and bought stamps and then we shopped around. I bought candy, a popsicle, a little notebook, it was crazy! They don't stop for people and don't obey any traffic rules. They don't have insurance so when they get in wrecks they just get mad at the person and drive away. The Campinas temple was beautiful. There is lots of nudity and pornography. They have porno-newsstands. When you feel that it's nearby you just look straight ahead and ignore it."
2/24/03
"Well I guess I'll explain what this blue dot is. When we first got here they asked us to put it on and wear it for our first week. It let everybody know that we are new here and we don't really know what's going on. Also, everybody wanted to talk to us and tell us how the 1st week was gonna suck. We also got special privileges. I am glad to take it off that way I don't have to listen to the vet's tell us about their MTC experience. Our district got together and we had a taking the blue dot off ceremony. Blue dot people are known as smurfs. They also tell us to take it off before we go into the city because the people know what it means and they will take advantage of you. We set all our missionary nametags on the ground and took pictures of them. Today was a busy day. We had classes all day. We had 10 hrs. and 30 min. of classes today. It went by pretty quickly."
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
2/23/03
Well, today was an alright day. The food today was not very good. I wish I could've had one of Momma's dinners. Boy was sacrament meeting ever boring. It was pretty dry and I didn't have any little kids to pester. Church got a little better after that. After church we had district leaders meetings. I have found myself competing for power with Elder Oliverson. I am so competitive for everything. I try not to be but I can't help it. I want to be the best Portuguese speaker in my district and if I see somebody do better than me I study harder. so I proposed to elder Oliverson that we switch being in charge every day. I got refocused after I said that. I have found that when I have contentious feelings it is best to work it off. Work solves all problems cuz you stop thinking about other things. After tomorrow is P-day!!! I can't wait to get out of here."
2/22/2003
"Well, today was an alright day. We had 3 hours and 15 min of class in the morning. We had gym at 1:30. We played volleybal and it was pretty fun. We had 2 Brazilians on our team and they set me up with lots of spikes. I am the best volleyball player in our district. Kinda funny, huh. We had a prayer test today and I was one of the only people to say it without the book. I am catching onto this language pretty fast. I put my finishing touches on my outline of the first discussion. I love how they allow you to make your own outlines for the discussions. I gave the first discussion taday without using my outline and it worked really well. Tomorrow will be my 1st Sunday here. Last night I didn't fall asleep til 1:30. I have had strep throat since I've been here and it's starting to bug me. We had a devotional tonight. It was pretty good except for the corny movie they showed."
2/21/03
Well, today was a full day. We had 9 hours and 45 minutes of classes. It was very tiring mentally but we learned lots of good things. We also had our first gym class today. It was alright. We run for 10 minutes, do 10 pushups and situps and then we play volleyball or basketball. I was pretty excited about me and Elder Oliverson being called as district leaders. It is a big responsibility but it will be good for us. The language is coming along pretty well. I already know lots of the words and concepts and I seem to be picking it up really fast. I said a prayer in our class today. It's really cool cuz they changed it so now you go by the spirit and say it in your own words instead of going by a memorized dialog. The elders in are district are Elder Oliverson, Peterson, Sepe, Sheppard, Keppner, Bachman, Rivelle, Bowman and Orr."
Sidenote: I'm copying the exact words of my journal regardless of whether or not there are errors.
Sidenote: I'm copying the exact words of my journal regardless of whether or not there are errors.
2/20/2003
"Well, my second day at the MTC was definitely better than my first. The food here has been very good. There main meal always involves beef and some kind of potato thing. They have like six different fruit drinks. We started the day off with a 3 hour class on the Plan of Salvation. It was pretty boring but I managed to stay awake. President, who used to serve in Manaus, which is in the Amazon, showed us a picture of this huge Anaconda that had a 13 year old boy in it. He showed us a picture of when they cut the snake open and the lower half of the boys body. Today we started learning the language. It's coming along pretty well. I have a little advantage over the other elders because I know a little bit of Spanish and pronunciation. Spanish is very similar to Portuguese. I only missed 1 question on the quiz which was better than any of my roommates. Today me and my companions were called as the District Leaders foe our district which is 8-B!!"
2/19/2003
"Well, this was my first day at the MTC. It's been pretty rough so far. I got here at 10:45 AM and all my roommates were asleep after their long trip. My companion is Elder Oliverson. He's from Kaysville, Utah. My other roommates: 2 are from Idaho, 1 from Utah and 1 from Missourri. Elder Oliverson is the one I like most. There food has been pretty good so far. They always have lots of different fruit and fruit drinks. I slept for 15 minutes before I went to dinner and then my roommates woke me up and I was still half asleep. I got in the cafeteria and I spilled my drink which was embarrassing. We had two meetings today and the rest of the time was prep time. It's tough because of the drastic changes in environment. Yesterday I was reading the newspaper and relaxing and now I'm in a small room with 6 people. I can't go play sports any time I want. What's a real bummer is that they only let you play volleyball here at the MTC which is a girls sport."
I remember having a hard time with the jet lag for the first few days. I felt like I was sleepwalking everywhere.
I remember having a hard time with the jet lag for the first few days. I felt like I was sleepwalking everywhere.
2/18/2003
"Well, Im on an airplane headed to Brazil. Today was a great day. I woke up, read my newspaper and ate breakfast. Then I went and played basketball with the little boys. After that I took the boys to DeSoto and went to the pond. Then we headed to downtown Dallas. We went to the West End and spent $20 on video games in the arcade. Then I came home at 3:00, I started making sure I had everything. We took pictures of all the boys and Dad with our shirts off. It was a lot of fun. My mom bought me some Promised Land Chocolate Milk. Yum! Last night I did Family Home Evening and it was really great. Everyone said a reason why they were gonna miss me and I gave them all pieces of advice. Robin had a soccer game and she couldn't come to the airport to see me off. She hugged me for 2 minutes and she cried. I was glad to know that she was gonna miss me."
I remember just wanting to go back to the old stomping grounds with the little boys. It was a very surreal day. The most memorable part of the day was when Robin hugged me goodbye. Me and her always were very close and I looked out for her in high school.
We recorded me leaving and I remember watching my Mom and Dad walk away hand in hand. No tears were shed but they said afterwards that they got a little teary eyed. I remember that I was the last one of our group to the Dallas airport. I showed up like 15 minutes before the plane was leaving. Everybody else had already flown from other places in the country to Dallas. The Elders were friendly with me and we sat together and took off. I slept a good amount of the way. It was so crazy to think that I would not see my family for another two years. I was on my way, no turning back!
I remember just wanting to go back to the old stomping grounds with the little boys. It was a very surreal day. The most memorable part of the day was when Robin hugged me goodbye. Me and her always were very close and I looked out for her in high school.
We recorded me leaving and I remember watching my Mom and Dad walk away hand in hand. No tears were shed but they said afterwards that they got a little teary eyed. I remember that I was the last one of our group to the Dallas airport. I showed up like 15 minutes before the plane was leaving. Everybody else had already flown from other places in the country to Dallas. The Elders were friendly with me and we sat together and took off. I slept a good amount of the way. It was so crazy to think that I would not see my family for another two years. I was on my way, no turning back!
Farewell Talks
I gave three farewell talks. One in DeSoto, one in Mansfield and one in Rexburgh. Here is a part of my talk from Rexburg:
"Good afternoon Brothers and Sisters. I'd like to start my talk off by introducing myself. My name is Devin Romney and I have been called to serve in the Recife, Brazil mission and I report to the Sao Paulo MTC February 19th where I will learn to speak the Portuguese language. I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord. Opening my mission call was a very special experience for me. I have always wanted to go on a mission but there were times in my life where I wasn't sure if I could. During my Senior year and that summer I felt the pressures of Satan more than any other time of my life and he was able to succeed in some areas. To all of those who haven't gone on a mission yet I would like to warn you that Satan will do all that is in his power to keep you from going on a mission because he knows of the great things you will accomplish if you do go on a mission........As I thought today about my talk I came up with five reasons why I wanted to go on a mission. 1) Serve the Lord 2) Help bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man 3) It will be a great growing experience 4) Most of the people in my family have gone on one 5) I don't want to be shunned the rest of my life for not going on one. I remember something my Uncle told me he said any reason was a good reason to go on a mission. If any of you do not feel worthy to serve a mission. I have been in that position and i know how it feels. To any of you who aren't sure if you can admit your sins to your bishop I want you to ask yourself why you shouldn't admit your sins. Your reason is probably that your embarrassed and afraid to tell him. Well, just suck it up and go tell him. There isn't a good reason not to and it's not worth going on a mission or being sent home."
I don't remember a lot about the talks I gave in the DeSoto and Mansfield wards. My family had moved to Mansfield while I was at BYU-Idaho and so I remember giving the talk but not knowing very many people from the ward. I remember feeling a lot of love for the people in the DeSoto ward when I gave my talk. After all I grew up in that ward and many of the DeSoto members contributed to getting me on a mission.
I do remember us having a little farewell party in which our friends that I grew up with came over. Mom made a Brazil cake and it was good to be there with my closest friends.
We also had a family over to our house and the wife was from Brazil. Here's the journal entry and a few impressions they gave me of Brazil.
February 3rd 2003:
"I will be leaving for my mission in 15 days. Last night we had the Tommy's over. They are a family from Natal, Brazil which is 150 miles north of Recife. They had videos and pictures and magazines. In a lot of ways it looked very similar to home. Its pretty green over there like it is here and they get a good amount of rain. Their year round weather is like our spring and summer, humid and warm. They also told me that i would be eating much more than beans and rice, thank goodness. they said I'd have lots of meat, fruit and potatoes, sounds good. There were some pretty poor neighborhoods but i didn't think it looked too terribly bad."
That was the last page of my pre-mission journal writing so on we go to the real deal. I wanted to record these pre-mission feelings so that one could have an idea of how I felt heading into the mission field.
"Good afternoon Brothers and Sisters. I'd like to start my talk off by introducing myself. My name is Devin Romney and I have been called to serve in the Recife, Brazil mission and I report to the Sao Paulo MTC February 19th where I will learn to speak the Portuguese language. I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord. Opening my mission call was a very special experience for me. I have always wanted to go on a mission but there were times in my life where I wasn't sure if I could. During my Senior year and that summer I felt the pressures of Satan more than any other time of my life and he was able to succeed in some areas. To all of those who haven't gone on a mission yet I would like to warn you that Satan will do all that is in his power to keep you from going on a mission because he knows of the great things you will accomplish if you do go on a mission........As I thought today about my talk I came up with five reasons why I wanted to go on a mission. 1) Serve the Lord 2) Help bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man 3) It will be a great growing experience 4) Most of the people in my family have gone on one 5) I don't want to be shunned the rest of my life for not going on one. I remember something my Uncle told me he said any reason was a good reason to go on a mission. If any of you do not feel worthy to serve a mission. I have been in that position and i know how it feels. To any of you who aren't sure if you can admit your sins to your bishop I want you to ask yourself why you shouldn't admit your sins. Your reason is probably that your embarrassed and afraid to tell him. Well, just suck it up and go tell him. There isn't a good reason not to and it's not worth going on a mission or being sent home."
I don't remember a lot about the talks I gave in the DeSoto and Mansfield wards. My family had moved to Mansfield while I was at BYU-Idaho and so I remember giving the talk but not knowing very many people from the ward. I remember feeling a lot of love for the people in the DeSoto ward when I gave my talk. After all I grew up in that ward and many of the DeSoto members contributed to getting me on a mission.
I do remember us having a little farewell party in which our friends that I grew up with came over. Mom made a Brazil cake and it was good to be there with my closest friends.
We also had a family over to our house and the wife was from Brazil. Here's the journal entry and a few impressions they gave me of Brazil.
February 3rd 2003:
"I will be leaving for my mission in 15 days. Last night we had the Tommy's over. They are a family from Natal, Brazil which is 150 miles north of Recife. They had videos and pictures and magazines. In a lot of ways it looked very similar to home. Its pretty green over there like it is here and they get a good amount of rain. Their year round weather is like our spring and summer, humid and warm. They also told me that i would be eating much more than beans and rice, thank goodness. they said I'd have lots of meat, fruit and potatoes, sounds good. There were some pretty poor neighborhoods but i didn't think it looked too terribly bad."
That was the last page of my pre-mission journal writing so on we go to the real deal. I wanted to record these pre-mission feelings so that one could have an idea of how I felt heading into the mission field.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Pre-mission preparations
Growing up I always knew that I wanted to serve a mission. There was never any doubt. I feel like I was a spiritual kid in my early years. I remember reading the Book of Mormon before I was eight. I always had a testimony of the church but around the age of 17 I ran into some personal struggles. As the time grew closer for me to receive the Melchizedek priesthood I realized that there were some things that I needed to change first. One night it hit me hard as I was reading Alma 36 where Alma comes to a realization of the things that he had done wrong while having a vision. Verses 12-19 read:
12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
My Dad was the Bishop at the time and so that made it harder for me to confess my sins. I knew I had to do it though. I spoke with him and then I spoke with our stake president to see if he thought I was worthy to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. He told me to be a good boy while attending at BYU-Idaho and then we would talk more. I was a good boy while I was there and I sent in my mission papers.
Here is my journal entry from October 27th 2002:
"Guess what happened yesterday. I got my mission call. I decided to wait til 6 pm today to open it cuz I wanted to do it on a Sunday. It was so awesome. There were about 30 people who I invited in the lounge. Some of em I didn't even know. I did it on a conference call with my family and about 15 other people. Here's what it read.
"Dear Elder Romney:
You are hereby to called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Brazil Recife Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months.
You should report to the Sao Paulo MTC on Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Portuguese language.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president.
You will also be expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs. As you do these things the Lord will bless you and you will become an effective advocate and messenger of the truth. We place in you our confidence and pray that the Lord will help you meet your responsibilities in fulfilling this sacred assignment.
The lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children.
Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.
Sincereley,
Gordon B. Hinckley
President
I am so excited. I ended up crying while reading it and i couldn't finish the whole thing. It was kind of embarassing but I ended up getting lots of hugs from the girls so thats ok. My Dad also spoke Portuguese so he can help me memorize the discussions before I get there.
My Dad was the Bishop at the time and so that made it harder for me to confess my sins. I knew I had to do it though. I spoke with him and then I spoke with our stake president to see if he thought I was worthy to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. He told me to be a good boy while attending at BYU-Idaho and then we would talk more. I was a good boy while I was there and I sent in my mission papers.
Here is my journal entry from October 27th 2002:
"Guess what happened yesterday. I got my mission call. I decided to wait til 6 pm today to open it cuz I wanted to do it on a Sunday. It was so awesome. There were about 30 people who I invited in the lounge. Some of em I didn't even know. I did it on a conference call with my family and about 15 other people. Here's what it read.
"Dear Elder Romney:
You are hereby to called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Brazil Recife Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months.
You should report to the Sao Paulo MTC on Wednesday, 19 Feb 2003. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Portuguese language.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president.
You will also be expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs. As you do these things the Lord will bless you and you will become an effective advocate and messenger of the truth. We place in you our confidence and pray that the Lord will help you meet your responsibilities in fulfilling this sacred assignment.
The lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children.
Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.
Sincereley,
Gordon B. Hinckley
President
I am so excited. I ended up crying while reading it and i couldn't finish the whole thing. It was kind of embarassing but I ended up getting lots of hugs from the girls so thats ok. My Dad also spoke Portuguese so he can help me memorize the discussions before I get there.
Introduction
I have always wanted to create a scrapbook of my mission because it was the best two years of my life and there are so many events and people that I just don't want to forget. This is one of the principal reasons that I'm creating this blog. I remember as a child when my Dad would tell stories from his mission. His face would light up and he would get so excited. I could tell that he loved his mission just by the way that he talked about it. Seeing how my Dad talked about his mission was one of the main reasons I wanted to serve a mission, so that I could have those same type of experiences. I'm hoping that this blog will have the same type of effect on my children.
So here we go this project will take me years and maybe my whole life but even if I don't get very far, doing this is very enjoyable to me and brings me great satisfaction.
So here we go this project will take me years and maybe my whole life but even if I don't get very far, doing this is very enjoyable to me and brings me great satisfaction.
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