07/22/13

Hey Family!

Hows everyone doing?! Im doing really well! The training is going well, my companion is just like any other missionary already. That helps alot. He is pretty cool, hes olny 18 though and its the first time he has left home, but he isnt that bad. I havent got my new debit card yet, but maybe it is already here at the mission office. I think i just wouldnt take as much clohing with me as i have. I have alot of normal clothes and its not like we use them that much haha. I have alot of shoes too. The shoes i have are great. I still have the first pair and i only stopped using them because they got wet in the rain. They are still nice though. So they would for sure work for cameron. Itll for sure come up fast. Its good that he is working alot. And that was pretty funny story with kelley! I got a laugh out of it. Sounds like you are a pro at work already Mom! After raising six crazy kids how hard could being a nurse be? I glad that the Celebration for Bobbi went well. It sounds like it was a good visit for all you guys. So i have a few things from this week to share with you guys. So last monday we had a BBQ atthe bishops house. Thats always fun! Then we all played card games and just hung out. Lets see yesterday we taught a 12 year old girl that doesnt live in our area but goes to our ward. So i had already taught her once with elder wilkins and we left a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet about the restoration with her. Then yesterday when we taught her we taught the restoration, and she remembered everything, she had even started reading the Book of Mormon. And she wants to be baptized, so we will see what happens there, we get to teach her again on saturday. We did a family night with another family we are working with last night too. The parents arent members, but their two daughters are. It was super cool, my comp planned it all and gave a super cool lesson about families, and almost all of them cried, but not me, because i dont cry. Then we got to eat dinner! This family is super cool and i enjoy helping them. What else, we played soccer again, it had been a while. I was goalie this time. And lets just say i suprised myself and didnt play too bad haha. I try and take some pictures of us playing this week. Oh and i have a funny story myself for you guys this week. So we did splits this week with the other elders we live with and one of them is elder wilkins cousin, elder wilkins. So we were working in a poorer part of my area and we bought this ice cream thing they have here that is amazing and cheap and we were just standing on the corner eating them when a bunch of boys came up to us and started talking to us because we are american. So we should be able to teach a few of these guys this week, if we can find them again haha. Its crazy what just eating ice cream can do to help you find new people to teach. So i ahve some pictures for yall this time too. A baptism. This time our bishop took us to a place above the beach. And me drinking coconut water! Oh and a family night we did where i made cookies. Well i think thats all i got for you guys this week. Love you!

Abraço,

Elder Brady Simpson

07/15/13

Hey Family!

Hows everyone doing? I did get the graduatioin announcements, they were super cool! Everyone loved Cams hair in the pic haha. So cool that Kelley is having all these missionary moments. This week was pretty good for us, nothing really crazy happened, just the normal. We walked a lot, talked to some people, walked some more, then it started to rain, so we worked in the rain. Yeah thats about it. I got kinda sick, but im already getting a lot better, so thatsBBq here, its super different from back home, but delicious. Its al ot of fun here, we all just goof around with each other, lots of times i feel like I'm at home. Hey isn't it Tylers Birthday today?! Happy Birthday Tyler! I hope the cake is good, if i was you i would get an ice cream cake! haha. I was super sad to hear about Bobbi! thats awful send Bob and Phylis my love. Sounds like work is going good, if it seems like its still school that should be a sign that you were taught well right? and know what you are doing! Lucky cam, how many people can say they shot a cop in the face, and didn't get in trouble or go to jail haha. Everyone here is joking about his mission, saying that he will live in the jungle and that there will be a lot of monkeys and the transfers will be in little sketchy planes and stuff, its super funny. itl'l be fun for him. I think thats about it for today! I love you guys!

Com amor,

Elder Brady Simpson

07/08/13

Holy crap alot happened this week. i didn't even know about Bobbi, that's super sad and for sure i will keep them in my prayers. I'm glad Tyler and Nathan had a good time with grandma and grandpa, how is it that Ive never gotten stitches and everyone else has! I'm a little jealous haha. Mom CONGRATS on your test! I knew that you would pass! That's so cool! MY mom is a freaking nurse now haha.. what did you decide about taking more classes from BYUI. Sounds like the fourth there was a blast, here i bought some ice cream, oh and the day of we had a meeting and interviews with the new president. It was pretty cool, they seem like really good people. So this week was pretty full for us too down here, it went by pretty fast. Lets see so we played a little bit of soccer last Monday and i tweaked my back when i kicked the ball, and it hurt pretty bad, then when i woke up on Tuesday one of my hips was higher then the other and my right side was swollen, sweet huh. Well i went to the doctor, i hate doctors, they only have bad things to say, even when you are healthy.. but anyways they took an xray and said that my spine and hips are fine, just a problem with the muscles so nothing big, its just kinda sucks, they gave me a anti-inflamitory to take too and it was 50 reais for ten, really expensive. But I'm doing great and its getting better! It made it kinda hard to work for the first few days this week, but yesterday we had a baptism! His name is Felipe and he is ten, we are working with his family and they are super soft investigators, so we baptized Felipe and i hope he will be able to help us help the family understand and become better investigators. yesterday after the baptism i was kinda worried that he wasn't prepared and that maybe it wasn't the right thing to baptize just yet, but i said a prayer and today I'm feeling a lot better about it! After the baptism his mom said it was a super beautiful thing and that she like it and felt good, so i hope that the spirit was talking to her.

So Tyler has a cell phone now or is it a hell phone(question mark)! that's crazy, i don't even have a cell phone, lucky me. Sounds like Kelley is pretty busy right now! And cams is crazy, 4 sticks of dynamite. I'M kinda jealous that you guys got to see everyone! I think that's about it this week, oh a funny story, we were walking in the street this week and a few drunks guys talked to us like 5 or 6 at the same time, i just like to let them talk because they say crazy things and funny stuff too, but we walked down one street and two girls were sitting in front of their house playing guitar and a little ways after we passed down they street one of them yelled OH what a cute boy, but i don't think she was talking about me, because my side was still swollen i i looked super funny hahaha. I love you all and hope you all have a good week!

Com amor,

Elder Brady Simpson

07/01/13

Hey Família,

This week was pretty good! We have been teaching this family of 4 and we marked the oldest son to be baptized yesterday, but everyone in the family was feeling sick. So they didnt go to church and the boy didnt get baptized, but i think he will next week. This family has been kinda hard to teach, sometimes it seems like they arent interested, and other days it seems like they are. We have to do the wedding of the parents though so that could take a while, also they dont know how to read or write so that makes it hard too. Sometimes its hard having pacience. My comp is pretty cool, some of the things he does gets on my nerves haha but that happens with all companions. It sounds like the trek for kelley and tyler was super different from when we went. Lets see, we had some super cool parties in the ward this week. São João is a holiday here that all they do is set off fireworks, have big fires, and eat lots of different foods made from corn. Weird huh? It was pretty cool though. They had a stake party and there was a trampoline. So we played a little bit on that haha, i did a couple backflips for everyone and suprised everyone. Then we started playing crack the egg with some of the primary kids and a sister from another ward showed up and got mad at us. she said that there could only be 3 people on the tramp and only up to 250 pounds. So pretty much only me. Super lame. What else, we played soccer a couple times this week with the boys from the wards, and some investigators. It was fun. Then yesterday we got invited to watch the final soccer game of the confederation cup with brasil and spain playing. Brasil won, and there was food and it was alot of fun. Thats crazy that cam has already gone through the temple! And good luck on your test this week mom, youll do great! I never studied for as much time as you have been and i always managed to pass the tests, so im sure youll do great! I hope everyone has a good week!

Love,

Elder Brady Simpson

06/24/13

Ola Família,

Como vocês estão?

This week was pretty good! We got a reference of a family thats pretty cool, but I don't know how everything is gonna go with them. The first time we tought them was super cool but then when we went back the second time they seemed like they were not interested. It's a family thats having problems with money and lots of other things. We bought them some rice and beans though haha. But they need to get married and stuff. They went to church though. So thats good. My companion is pretty cool, he is super green though haha. It gets kinda annoying at times but its all good. And I think everyone was excited to see me again haha at least i hope so. The broadcast was super good, I really liked it. I did get a little trunky from the videos though, with the elders playing basketball and football. We played soccer all morning with the guys from the ward today its was legit. I love playing sports haha. It sounds like everything is going super good at home! Tell the elders there to baptize Kelleys friend already. The trek should be fun for the kids huh? Um so yeah I think thats about all I have this week, not too much happened. Well love you guys, have a good week!

Love Elder Brady Simpson

06/19/13

Ola família!

Hows everyone doing?

So U have some news this week, I am training a new missionary! He is from São Paulo and got here today. I hope I'm up to the challenge. Also I stayed in my area in Ipés which I didn't think would happen because I've already been here for 4 months. So that means I will stay in the João Pessoa mission. Congrats on graduating Mom! Thats super exciting! I was super happy to hear that, and that you got me a new debit card, because mine expires next month in July. So I think you could send it in a letter, and just put a few picture of Jesus and the virgin Mary on the part that you seal on the envelope. I dont' know. We had a Conference with President Hall last week, it was super good, he talked about Christlike attributes and how they help in the mission. It was also the last one he will give before he finishes his mission. I think it will be super weird to get a new mission president. So on Tuesday night we had a family night with one of my favorite families here in the area, and the family of the bishop. They had me make cookies, and they bought Açai. And we ate dinner. It was super good and I got super full haha, but the Dad of the family said something that really made us happy, that his family and the ward can trust in us missionaries, and that me and Elder Wilkins were like a part of their family. It was super cool. So something that will be funny today and tomorrow will be seeing everyone again, because the Zone Leaders said I needed to pack my bags because I would be leaving the house, so I went and said bye to everyone. But as it turns out I stayed here. They put another group of missionaries in the area next to us and then told me I would live like a half hour walk from my area, but our house is in are area, so I ended up staying. So saying hi to everyone again will be fun haha. We always walk around with the book of mormon in our hands, and its amazing how many people ask us about it. I'm jealous of Tyler at football camp, I miss it, if it's possible do you think you could send me a football? Sucks that Nates got sick, barfing sucks. Get Better little man, actually not so little, he has gotton big, at least it looks like it in the pic you sent mom. One more thing, mom do you think you could get on my facebook and add all the people waiting to be my friend? A bunch of people have said they are waiting for a response. If not, I can have a member log on for me, but I'd rather you do it. I love you all and hope yall have a good week!

Com amor,

Elder Brady Simpson

PS i have pictures to send, but I forgot my camera in the house. On monday I guess! Oh and I havent had problems yet with mosquitos, sometimes I get bites on my ankles, because they stick off the end of the bed while I sleep, but thats about it!

06/10/13

What up yall!

Hows everyone doing? This past week for me was pretty good, except nobody went to church with us, I think cuz it was raining though. So about the guy that knocked, he didn't show up to our appointment and we didnt know how to find him so we lost him. Kinda sad. The other family that we are teaching went on a trip this Sunday and so that kinda screwed up our plans, but the dad has a month off of work starting now so we should be able to teach and baptize them this week.. I hope. So I  have a couple funny stories from this week. On Friday we played soccer with the boys from the other ward, and the other elders, and me and Elder Wilkins showed up and were saying stuff like oh we don't really know how to play and we are gringos so we will be bad sabe? Then when we started playing we destroyed them haha. Elder Wilkins had three goals and I had two. Elder wilkins even made a header. It was super funny because everytime we scored or did something good everyone that was watching would get super excited and start cheering. It was 2 legit to quit. To be honest my knee hasnt been as bad this week, i think it might be because after playing soccer, the rest of my leg has been super sore haha, im so out of shape now. I think summer is gonna be the hardest part of being on the mission, because I know all my friends and family are at home doing cool things. So about Kelleys friend in texas that doesn't have church clothes, tell her that the type of clothing you have is not what matters at all. The Lord knows that she doesn't have the clothes with her and the Lord knows that she has the desire to go to church. We get people at church here in t shirts and jeans and any kind of clothing really. What you wear is not that important. Its all about your attitude. The other funny story I have is from Saturday, we did splits with another group of elders, and guess who I went with, Elder Taylor, my comp from the MTC. It was so much fun. We messed around a lot, and taught a lot of people. So it started raining and two super cute girls passed by in their car and asked us if we wanted a ride, But we said no, because we were close to where we were going. Then it started freaking pouring. and the person we were trying to talk to wasn't home. We started wishing we would've taken the ride in the car haha. We did get to walk along the road of the beeach in the rain though, it was pretty cool. Everytime that we passed a puddle of water Elder Taylor would jump in it to try and splash me, my shoes are still wet today haha. It was super fun. Thats really all the cool things that happened. We have transfers next week. Hope you all have a good week. Love you guys!

Tchau!

Elder Brady Simpson