Epistle #3 from Elder Lobo

Ola a tudos! (February 8, 2008)

This week was a good week. I left my journal and notes in our room, so hopefully I remember everything. Thanks for the bathrobe, the shoes, and the candy! The ginger chews are reallllly good.

Things I am going to ask for:
Artwork! Please send me some artwork from any of the nephews/nieces! It would be cool.
Breathe Right strips (clear). I snore. Elder Davis is a light sleeper. Get it?
Elder Davis' birthday is February 15, and we have a microwave, so send some warm cake!

Anyway, last Saturday, we went into the Referral Center, which is where the calls from pass along cards go. I only got to talk to one person -- a trucker from Pittsburg who really wanted to read the Book of Mormon. My experience from StowAway2 definitely helped me out a lot. I was comfortable on the phone. It was great explaining to him the basics of what the Book of Mormon is, how we have it, and why it matters. Testifying to him was a great experience, too. It's like I moved the phone from my mouth to my heart. I hope it works out for him.

I left all of your letters in our room, too, so I hope I respond to everything...

Portuguese has been coming along very well. We just learned subjunctive and command form yesterday. We taught part of the first lesson in Portuguese and speaking is coming very naturally. I get to call before I fly out, and even though it's a long way away, I can't wait for it!

Teaching is going well. At first, I was always talking so quickly and trying to go so fast that my mind would outpace my mouth. Lately though, as I've slowed down during the lesson and realized that the practice people I'm teaching really need to understand the lesson, too, it's felt much different. It's like every practice session I do is an attempt to bring the volunteer closer to Christ, from wherever they're at. Plus, I've heard a few things about people volunteering at the MTC because they need that kind of thing done just for them.

Once again, Happy Birthday to Jason and Drew!

Oh yeah, so our firesides and devotionals are GREAT!! Elder Claudio R M Costa came this Tuesday and I forced Elder Davis to come with me to get a great seat. He gave a great talk about his conversion and the importance of missionary work. His wife's accent took me right back to Marina's apartment -- it was surreal. Anyway, he really reminded me of you, Dad. In his case, though, missionaries talked to their family 10 years before he was actually baptized. His dad just didn't ask the questions he really wanted to know, and when he did, it turned him 180 degrees and he really opened himself up to listen. Also, the results of missionary work are not just baptisms, lessons taught, or even the number of converts. "You can count the number of apples on an apple tree, but you can't count the number of apple trees inside an apple." It's amazing to know that I'm also a product of missionary work.

New missionaries came this week in our zone. I still have several to meet.

I expressed some frustration in the last letter with people arguing or whatever. I learned a lot more about that this week, and am still learning a lot more.

So much of the problems we have with other people come from ourselves. In my case, I take the MTC very seriously, study every chance I get, and don't like messing around. On the other hand, other people either have different study patterns, have to relax differently, or whatever. After this last semester, I can handle being in class or doing homework for the entire day without a problem. Other people don't have that blessing/curse (however you want to look at it). What I am learning though is that people are different in so many ways. We inherently conflict. No matter how much I am alike someone else or how much I think I like somebody, there will always be something that gets in the way. I'm still working on overcoming that, though. I'm trying to find the balance between completely going back into my shell and between being very extroverted. I am a very introverted person that tries too hard sometimes to be extroverted. In so many ways, most of the interpersonal problems I have with other people are "me" problems. Anyway, I hope that further study and prayer will help me figure this out.

I had a great discussion with Elder Golden and Elder Velasquez about the fall of Adam and Eve. It started with me reading in 2 Ne 2:15 about how the opposition in the Garden of Eden was between the forbidden fruit and the tree of life. It was amazing to look at the presence of agency in pre-earth life, pre-fall life, and post-fall life for them and us. It's amazing to realize that since God does not cause us to be tempted, He allows His children to help each other learn the differences between good and evil. It's helped me so much to realize that even with all the conflicting ideals of introversion and extroversion or self-preservation and selflessness, it is all for us to learn and choose good over evil. Like the conflicting commandments of "multiply and replenish the earth" vs. "don't eat the forbidden fruit," we face similar choices that help us learn. That's what we're all here for.

Que mais...

Forgive me if I forgot to mention something! I usually try to prepare pretty well during the week to summarize and communicate what is going on.

I love you all! Abracos a tudos! Have Preston write me a letter!

Out of time!

Elder Lobo