Today is P-Day. . .

Okay, so for the first time since Grant's p-day changed to Wednesday I didn't write my e-mail on Monday. Last night I was tired and I thought, "I'll just write him tomorrow." I even left myself a reminder note on the table so I wouldn't forget when I got home from work. So this morning at work, in comes an e-mail with one sentence: Hi!! P day is today! sorry!! A mother's nightmare--that you'll not send your missionary an e-mail. So I quickly responded, hoping that he was still online. It was a short e-mail, but it made it to him before he was done writing this. He's doing great and looking forward to leaving the MTC next week with mixed emotions! Enjoy--

Oi Familia e Amigos!!!

 

What´s happening?!?! So yes I sent this before I got anything from you guys but that´s okay I have next time to read them :) We have p-day today because tomorrow is dia de indepência (Day of Independence). So I´ll read them next week :)

 

So!!!! This week was a hard one at first but a really really good one too!!! :) I learned a lot!!! First off, I´m finishing off alma right now--about 5 or so more chapters. Ah Alma is an awesome book and I really love how much we can learn from all of it!!! It´s awesome. I´m also finishing up the Gospels and heading into the Acts. Reading about Christ´s life is really a blessing and learning everything that he did and how it can apply in my life is such a great learning experience! It´s my favorite! I have really come to love the scriptures more and more every single day!! I have also studied every chapter in preach my gospel (some more than others but all at least 1 or 2 times) except for 13 in English. I´m going back through them but after I think it will be somente portuguese! somente = only.

 

So funny story!!! We practiced prosyleting this week and we were practicing on each other and then went down stairs to practice on some random people. Irmão Viana (this is one of Grant's instructors) told us to practice on this worker there so me and E. Ransom went and started a conversation with him. We told him what we are all about and told him about Christ and the book of mormon and testified to him. And we left him with the book and told him he could call "this" number if he wanted more information. Well there really wasn´t a number there because it was a practice but he kept on saying where´s the number?? And we were really confused and eventually he just said "okay alright thanks!!! so... No problem right I can keep this book of mormon right?" Now keep in mind this is my really nice book of mormon. And we were like yeah of course!! And so he started to walk off with it!!! And so we were like no no no!! Wait!! We need that!!! He didn´t really understand that it was a practice run and... Irmão Viana didn't tell us but he wasn´t a member hahaha. So that was awesome :) We placed our first book of mormon and took it back in the same day!!!! hahahah.

 

So next tuesday I´m leaving!!! I´m pretty darn excited!!! :) I cannot wait to be out in the field if you haven´t noticed!!! haha. This week I have felt really really confident in my portuguese. I have so much to learn and I really have a hard time understanding people that speak fast and mumble but I feel like i´m doing pretty well!!! I´m really going to miss everyone here!!!! It´s actually kind of sad. Going to miss all the friends I made here. But we are all going to be serving the Lord and doing what it is right!!! We all are going to be bringing others unto Christ and that is what matters!!! I am going to miss my comapninon a lot!! (E. Ransom) I really have grown to appreciate and love him. He´s an awesome guy but he is in my mission as well, so this is not goodbye. haha.

 

So I just realized I just used 'So' for just about EVERY PARAGRAPH! haha. Whoops.. I´ll get more creative!!! I went prosyleting yesterday!!! BEST EVER!!!! I loved it soooooo much :) It was so much fun!!! Talked to a lot of people!!! Only passed out two book of mormons but it was fun :) Loved it. Hard to understand people but man I loved it!! :) We talked to this one guy who hated mormons and so we talked to him for a while. But it was frustrating because I couldn´t tell what he was saying a lot of times. I couldn´t defend our church and help him because I couldn´t understand him. So I just testfied but even then he cut off so we had to just let it go. But after that incident we found a guy that was really receptive and he loved everything we said and was really excited about it and took our book of mormon and marked the pages that we ask him to read. It was awesome I really felt like a true missionary then. :) We found some other pepole that already had a book and they would say: "Já tem!!!" (I already have!!) But we found a woman walking home from the grocery store that we talked to. We offered to carry her bags but she didn´t need any help. So we just walked and talked about our Chruch. All in all Awesome experience!!! love it!!! We get to go again but to a bigger area this friday!! That will be sweet!! :):)

 

Just another reminder: sen to the mission home!!! :) Thanks. I hope I will still get to play piano while out in the field. Because It has been a blessing that I have been able to play music and do those things that I love and preach the gospel!! I love it!!!!!

 

During TRC, we have been doing really good! And really nailing every lesson!!! So yesterday Irmão Zamboni (I know right?? Best Name ever. Named after ice rink cleaner :P yeah..) said that we have been doing really good and he would love to have us as missionaries if he was a non member. It really meant a lot to me and I was really excited when he said that to me because I really felt that I have progressed in preaching the gospel as well as speaking the language. It was really good.

 

Jess.. you getting big yet?!?! :P I am SO EXCITED!!! It´s pretty awesome :) AH!!! I cannot wait!!! This past week we had some speakers come for fireside and they brought their kids. one 6 and one 5. and they bore their testimonies. Basically: That was really weird to see someone that young speak so darn awesome at portuguese :P hahahah. I was jealous needless to say :P hahahah. I ended up not playing the national anthem this week, but someone else did. I was pretty excited to sing it!!!! But the thing was everyone said that they would have rather had me play it because.. it was really bad hhaha. I couldn´t even really sing to it!!! it was interesting :p hahah.

 

I have learned so much about prayer this week. Prayer is soooooo important. Whenever I feel really down I can always rely on prayer. It is my private time and I can speak to the Lord about anything. It really helps me and I really can feel the power of prayer work with me. And I really can feel your prayers working with me as well. I am so thankful for your prayers!!!

 

Just got your message!! Thanks :) Good to hear from you and yeah you probably won´t hear from me next week!!!

 

Well I know this church is true and I know the book of mormon is true. And I am so thankful for this work! There is nothing more important than that.

 

If you send me a package: I really want some moleskin notebooks :) Thanks!!

 

Love,

Elder Grant Shaw Merrill