Hello from Brazil

Hello from Brazil!              January 24, 2012

Mom, I will leave the MTC on Feb 14th. Same day as Syd. Only 3 weeks left! Thank you for the picture of the new CTM president. He is very nice and i like him and his wife a lot. Tell Annie i hope she gets feeling better and i love her! I pray for you guys more times a day than i can even count. I love you so much!

Thank you to Nat, Mom & Dad, Bishop, and Dad again for your letters this week. I love getting your mail. It keeps me going and gives me so much strength.

I told you last Tuesday that we were going to sing in the devotional and it went so well!! Everyone just stared at us as we walked back and our teacher was crying when we sat by her. I know the Lord answers prayers because that was the best that we had ever sung and we prayed so many times before we started. They asked us to sing again on Sunday and I will tell you how that went later in this email.

To tell you the truth this week was really hard for me. I found out that i had a stomache virus on Wednesday and i was sick until Sunday night. We had to sing our song again and it was not very good because i couldnt sing. But everyone said that it still brought the spirit and thats all that matters. i still went to class and did everything like normal but it was so hard to focus and to be positive. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the belly. I had the runs and was throwing up all week. The doctor almost sent me to downtown Sao Paulo to go see a different doctor but luckily i started feeling a little better before that. i know that all of yours prayers helped me to feel better. I am all better today and i feel great :)

While i was sick i didnt really feel like studying portuguese so i decided to read the Book of Mormon instead. I ended up finishing for the first time on my mission on Thursday. I just want you all to know that i know that the Book of Mormon is true. It really contains the words of God and we can come closer to God by reading it. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I cant wait to see him in Heaven. I cant wait to bring the Book of Mormon to the people of Curitiba in 3 weeks.

Just a reminder, make sure to put 4 or 5 pictures of Jesus on packages if you send them. One of the Elders in my district got a package from his mom and the mail people had ripped it open and stolen everything except one letter. It was really sad. But we have been told that they wont mess with it if it has pictures of Jesus on it.

I have some amazing news! Tomorrow Elder Anderson and Elder Ballard from the Quorum of the 12 are coming to speak to us!!!!! I am so excited. I will tell you all about it in next weeks email.

Dad i loved your letter. I am so glad to hear that your back and legs are doing better. i have worried about that alot and i am so happy to hear that you are running more. You are my hero. Elder Petersen in my district is having the exact same pain that you had before you went to the doctor and he is really worried about it. He is my best friend here in the CTM so i told him that i would ask you what the best thing to help it is. If you could, can you answer back asap? He is probably going to have to get an MRI and i really dont want him to have to go home. ive only known him for 5 weeks and he is already one of the closest friends that ive ever had. He is really scared so can you please include him in your prayers? Thank you so much.

I havent gotten any of Syds emails yet but i usually get your mail on Tuesdays so hopefully tonight! Thank you so much for the updates on what the girls and Scotty are doing. i love you all.

Scotty, you are the man. Dont ask me why. you just are. I miss you and i love you so much. Look up the team from Brazil on FIFA called Palmeiras. They are my favorite team. i dont know anything about them i was just told to pick a favorite because the little kids will ask me when i get in the field. They are green. Thats all i know haha

Abbey, Hailey, and Annie. I love you so much. Dont you ever forget that.

Mom, words cant even say how much you mean to me. I love you.

Love,

Elder Taylor

Bom Dia!

Bom Dia!!                       January 17, 2012

I hope you all are having as amazing a time as i am having! i love being here in Brazil and i cant believe im over half-way done with the CTM! It has been so hard but also so fun and i have felt the spirit more in this one month than i have my whole life.

First i just want to thank those whos mail i received this week so thank you Nat, Gibbs family, Mom (3), and Abbey. you all are the best. i love getting mail. it really helps brighten your day. Especially after a hard day of just class all day. i love you all. Mom i love those pictures from Christmas. They are so cute. Abs thank you so much for the autograph. i love it and it is hanging in my room :)

Our Brazillian roomates left for the field today! i cant believe its already been three weeks since they moved in. They will be great missionaries and i will miss them. Their names are Elder Santana and Elder Barbosa-Silva

We got our new CTM president on Sunday! his name is President Degn and he is from Logan Utah. He seems really nice and his wife is very funny. They will be great.

I have a couple scriptures that i want to share with you all. First is Alma 34:29. Please read this and think of Kid History. i marked and underlined one special word in this verse and i hope you all get my joke :) Second is D&C 89:9. Now i know why grandma said to use chewing tobacco on my separated shoulder. You go grandma J. You rock.

I had a couple great experiences this week. We did an English Fast on Wednesday so we couldnt speak english or we had to do 5 push-ups for every word. it was brutal. But it actually helped a lot. We are now going to do 2 of them each week. The second experience was last Tuesday night. One of the Elders in my district is having really bad back pains and he asked if we could give him a blessing. He asked me to annoint the oil and another elder to bless. The spirit was so strong. It was incredible. The priesthood really is Gods power on earth and i feel so blessed to be trusted with it. I will strive to keep myself worthy so that i will always be ready when things like this come up.

I was chosen to sing in an accapella quartet tonight! We are singing Come Thou Fount in front of the whoe CTM and i have a solo at the very beginning. im way nervous but i am also way excited because i love this song. Hopefully it will be good :)

We watched a video of different clips from Elder Eyring speaking and Mom i would love it if you could send me one talk of his per week through mission ties. if you cant thats ok i just really love what he says and i know that he is your favorite. His words are so powerful and inspiring.

Also....could you send me the lyrics to Justin Beiber Never Say Never? The brazillians love that song and they really want me to sing it haha

Scotty im so glad you are excited to go on the CHT. It is so fun and the places you will go are incredible. I was looking at the pictures in the back of the Book of Mormon and i realized that ive been to every one of them! some of them more than once. You will have such a great time. I hope you are having fun. The musical review was probably awesome and im sure you rocked your solo. I love you bud. Youre a stud-muffin.

Tell annie that her angel picture is just about the cutest thing ive ever seen and that i love her so much. Dont let her forget about her best friend in Brazil.

Im so glad that i surrounded myself with great friends who are going on missions. They will be great. Tell them that i love them all.

I have only gotten one of Syds emails through mission ties but i will go to the cookie place today to see if they are holding onto them for me. Thank you so much for sending them. Her emails are so great to read. Tell her i love her so much.

Well i better go. i love you all so much and i know that this church is true. The Book of Mormon is incredible and Joseph Smith is one of my absolute favorite people ever.

Love,

Elder Taylor

 Ps tell lincoln happy birthday today!!!!!!!! I sent him a letter last week so hopefully he gets it soon :)

Four weeks in brazil

Bom Dia!! (that's good day in Portuguese)       Jan. 10, 2012

I'm so sorry to hear about all of the problems with our house.  Keep praying and asking for help.  The Lord does answer prayers.  I have personally found that out.  The BCS is a jok but I haven't even been thinking about sports.  Crazy huh!!  Brazil is still awesome and Portuguese is still hard.  But I am imporving and we got one of our "investigators" to commit to baptism this week!  It was so cool.

What a sad sad week for mail...I felt so alone and unloved...just kidding:)  I got two letters this week.  One from Dad and one that was Syds email.  They were so amazing and just pumped me up for serving.  I love your letters.  Please keep sending Syds emails through mission ties because I don't have very much time to read them on the computer.  She is amazing and her emails always make me cry.  She's so happy and positive and her compaions are going to absolutely love her.  Just like I do :)

One of the Elder is my room is really weird (haha) he walks around singing "If I was a rich man" and it just reminds me of Scott and his lay.  I thought you might enjoy that:)

After dinner one night we were sitting around as a district and we decided what calling everyone was going to have in the future.  I'm guessing you already know what they gave me.  Yep, Bishop.  I guess I'm more like Dad than I think I am.  Which is perfectly fine with me because if I can be half the man he is then I will still be one amazing men.  I love you dad.  Seriously.  I have the most amazing dad in the world.

We had fast and testimony meeting this Sunday because last Sunday was New Years and it was incredible.  The spirit was so strong.  Most of the missionaries bore their testimonies on famlies and it just makes me realize how lucky I am to have you guys.  I am so blessed to be able to spend forever with all of you.  I love you so much.

We went to the temple today and while I was in the celestial room I said aprayer and asked for you all to feel of my love.  I had the warmest feeling in my heart.  Its the warmest i've ever felt.  I know that you know that I love you all and that Heavenly Father is watching over me and He answers prayers.  I love Him so much.

Scotty I got you r Pookemon card and I love it.  you're the best!

I was reading in D&C this week and I read D&C 58:26-29.  It instantly made me think of Dad.  Read it and you will know what I mean.  I used to get annoyed when he would say this (haha) but we are so lucky to have a father who loves, reads and lives by the scriptures.  Dad you are amazing.  Thank you for everything.  you are my hero.  I love you.

I love you all so much.  Love, Elder Taylor

PS  Hailey you are going to love this.  The toilets do spin the opposite way down here!!

Feliz Ano Novo!!! Jan. 3, 2012

Feliz Ano Novo!!
And Go Cougars!!That sounds like it was an awesome game!

New Years was awesome.  The Brazillians were dancing all night and there were tons of fireworks.  It puts our new years to shame haha.  We just got to hang out and have fun with the Brazillians.  It was so fun.  You need to look up the Brazillian National Anthem.  Its the sweetest song I've ever heard in my life.  and we got a Brazillian and an Argentinian in our room this week.  Its really helping my portuguese.  On Thursday i taught my first lesson without using a word of English.  My teacher just sat there and smiled at me.  I could actually feel the spirit while speaking a different language.  It was so cool.

None of my district is going to Curitiba.  Most of them are going to Belem and a couple are going to Belo Horizonte.  Then one is going to Terizina.  I'm the lone Curitiba elder.  And I've been told a million times that people that go to that mission get way far.  So, thank you so much for the chips and cookies, but I had to share them with everyone.  I can't get fat!!

The food here is good, but I haven't been eating a lot cuz I don't want to get far. haha.  I've already lost 5 pounds.  It's pretty great.

We had a Book of Mormon devotional last Tuesday and it was Russell M. Nelsons talk to the Provo MTC.  It was amazing.  It was all about the Ensign that Mom gave us.  I love the Book of Mormon and I know that its true.  I can feel the spirit even when I'm reading it in Portuguese.

The rain here is crazy.  It rained every day except today since last Tuesday.  Luckily we are inside all day.  It rains hard and it rains often.

Thank you so much for all of the letters I got this week.  My district hates me now because I get mail almost every day and the don't.  haha.  Thanks Abbey, Syd, Nat(2), Bybees, Sadlers, Bishop Hansen, Grahams, and of course I loved our family Christmas card.

Elder Cottrell left for the field this morning but we had a good long chat last night.  It was sad and he was way nervous, but he will do great and he gave me a lot of good advice.  He has been a great help to me these last few weeks.

I just want you all to know that I know that this Church is true.  2012 will be my only full year on a mission so I'm going to give it my all and make it the best year of my life.  I'm so excited to serve and I want to be the best missionary I can be.  I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing 2012!!  I'll see you next year!;)     Love, Elder Taylor

Ps  The toilets still go straight down.  And Scott, I found out why all the schools on NCAA football are called Tiburon.  It's the Spanish word for shark.  Just FYI:)

And one more thing,
Mom, you rock my socks.  You really are the greatest mom in the world.  I love you so much.

(Note from Staci:  that last line makes it ALL WORTH IT!)

There's a little place across from the Brazil MTC that the missionaries can receive and buy pizza, cookies, snacks, etc.