Monday, April 2, 2012

He is in the field!!

We finally received an email from Kyle.  He is definitely in the field and doing well.  He also sent a separate letter to Kevin with a really cool temple experience.  That one is at the bottom of this letter.  I spent the morning in tears.  I miss him so much but I am so proud of him and the faith that he has!


Sorry about the silence, we flew out on P-Day and didnt get the chance
to Email. I have so much to tell you guys. lets start last week in the
MTC. It was really hard saying bye to all my friends and my teachers.
Its crazy how close you get to people when you spend 24 hours a day
for 7 weeks with the same people. Its also crazy how much you can grow
to dislike some people. Me and Kamalu didnt talk the entire last week
and I didnt get his information or anything and I dont plan on
contacting him after the mish. Or Lambert. Kid drives me nuts, Im so
glad we arent companions anymore. But it was hard to leave my teachers
too. We loved Irma Pozete. She was so awesome. But we left at 4 30
hopped on a plane to Brasilia and then to Teresina. We ran into Elders
from the Teresina mission going home. 3 were from Washington and one
said he knows a Jared Rindlisbacher that lives in Chewelah. Probably
not related but still cool. But it has been the hardest week of my
life. You guys have no idea. But it has also showed me that God really
does answer prayers. So we spent 2 days in Teresina for training and
all that good stuff I met my trainer, Elder Azevedo. Hes from Manaus
and hes the man. Hes so goofy and funny always smiling. He goes home
in August but he was telling me how happy he is to train now cuz he
knows that the Lord has confidence in his abilities to train. and he
awesome. Its so hard to teach cuz I dont understand details of a
conversation. just the general direction. But Elder Azevedo makes me
talk. Me and Azevedo and our Zone Leaders (one is from Utah, Elder
Yorgeson) had lunch in the stake presidents house yesterday and he
knows a little English from his mission so we taught Elder Azevedo
that when hes done eating to say "Im pregnant" super funny. We enjoyed
it. Back to Teresina. We proselyted around the city for 2 days and its
crazy to see the living conditions of these people. T Pain has no idea
what a real ghetto looks like. These houses are made of mud with
thatched roofs, cardboard, rocks, reeds, whatever they can get their
hands on. And its funny where they build stuff. If theres empty land
or anything they build. And it gets to a point where there is so many
of them the city cant do anything about it. But Ive seen people in the
streets getting water out of gutters to drink (there is dead cats in
these gutters mind you), they've constructed trenches on the side of
the road to flush the sewage away which doesnt fix the problem of
sewage in the streets but it makes it better. Just real 3rd world
problems. And we taught in this one guys house that was seriously mud
with clay shingles on the roof. Speaking of dead cats in the gutters.
There are stray dogs everywhere. And its so sad cuz some of them are
beautiful dogs, or would be if they had a home. It breaks my heart cuz
the Brazilians love their dogs like their children, but they dont get
them fixed and let them roam the streets so the puppies just get
abandoned and I dont want to know what happens to them. </3 But the
people are so humble. They all listen. Even on the streets they stop
and they will listen and actually listen to our message. The first
night in Teresina I went out with 2 Brazilians and we started talking
to this guy in the street and he takes us to his house and we talked
with his family. No joke 10 minutes later baptismal dates for the
entire family. But its funny here, the baptismal numbers. In my area
its all youth that we baptize, which I find strange. They have a huge
group of strong youth but not that many men. But I got my first Area,
Imperatriz, along with it a 13 hour bus ride. But the city is awesome
I love it. Its not a huge city but its not a village. And it has a
huge chapel. A really nice building. Not what I expected at all. My
area has a lot of inactive members but the active members are super
strong its amazing. And the good news was it was the first time that
our chapel was going to transmit general conference. But in Portuguese.
So i was praying for 3 days to be able to watch in English. And we
were able to find one computer in the back corner of a storage closet
that we could watch the English session. Prayer answered. And just
alot of the talks I felt were directed at me. I got alot from Neil
Anderson those guys from the 70, Uchtdorf Holland and Eyring and I
especially Liked Richard G. Scotts. Another prayer answered. I dont
have a whole lot of time left but know that Im doing alright. Its
going to stink until I can understand and speak the language but there
hasnt been a prayer yet that hasnt received an answer and I liked what
President Monson said in the Priesthood session "do your duty to the
best, and let the Lord provide the rest" and with the language there
isnt a whole lot I can do more than my best and hope and pray for the
best. I love you guys. I only get mail once a month so dont expect a
whole lot of responses but Ill send letters. oh and tell Andy Vidmar
that there are flyers in my ward building about missionaries in Brazil
with his face all over it. Super funny. And tell him that Sister
Yorgansen who is in the picture with him, her brother is my Zone
Leader. Small World. Give my love to Colin and Nathan, make sure they
know that even tho my emails arent addressed to them they are for them
and they can email me anything and anytime.

Dad,
i'll email you first this time....feel special. But seriously this
passed week was probably the hardest ive ever had. you cant even
comprehend the things ive seen in the passed week. Ill explain those
in the family email. But I wanted to let you know that I've changed my
nametag name (who would have guessed that it would be impossible for
Brazilians to say Rindlisbacher) and it turns out they have problems
with Kyle too. So my solution... Elder Hal. Thought you might enjoy
that. Ill be walking around with your Dads name. Speaking of him,
Since I got to the MTC its been tough and I always pray for help and
comfort and all that. But towards the end of the MTC I started praying
and asking Grandpa to watch over me, and I was muttering one of these
prayers in the Celestial room of the Campinas temple...and I felt a
hand on my shoulder...I was the only person in the room, but I wasnt.
Now it could have been alot of things. the AC could have hit my
shoulder but I dont think it was. I believe he was there with me. Just
something to ponder and know that I have somebody watching over me.
Love you Dad

3 comments:

  1. Don't worry, I cried a little also. Especially the part about Hal. I can't believe how much Kyle has grown from that little boy I knew. He is a great example. Thanks for sharing these every week.

    Annette

    ReplyDelete
  2. great kyle, thanks for mkaing us all cry... he is doing so good. i am so proud of that kid!
    Love y'all!
    Emma

    ReplyDelete