Peter Had a Baptism!

Hey family!

The first week rocked.  I’ve got tons of blisters.  I sent a picture of it.  This area is great.  My first Sunday here me and my companion had a baptism of two people.  I forgot my camera so I don’t have pictures of it, but my companion took a couple so I’m waiting on him to send me them.  Anyways it was of Madelena and Guto.  It was a really cool experience that really got me excited to work hard on the mission.  It built my testimony of the savior to know that through him, sins that we have can be made clean again.  The language is tough.  The first week was painful in that aspect, but it feels like I’ve passed over a bump and I can understand a great part of what everybody is saying.  I can tell a night and day difference between when I pray for the gift of tongues and when I don’t.  I’m sure your guys' prayers are helping a lot as well.  It’s a really different life and lifestyle from what imp used to, even in the mtc.  The hardest part is the lack of sleeping, because you guys know how much I love to sleep.  But it’s totally worth it.  I’ve only been here for a week and I can tell that it’s totally worth it. 

It’s cool to hear about Keenan.  Tell him congrats for me, and tell him that even though he may not be going to the best mission, he's going the second best because it’s in Brazil.  It sounds super fun to head back down here later on.  So if you guys want to, then I’m totally down.  Brazil is awesome, the people have a bigger sense of humor then us in the states, and they love to tease people.  My teacher in the MTC said that Brazilians think of Americans as Americans think of the Japanese. ( I.e. very stoic with a huge dip in humor.)  I can see it.  Anyways, the food’s awesome; beans rice and beef.  Me and my companion eat once a day; it took some getting used to.  But it makes me very grateful for the times when I get to eat.  Tuesdays are great because we get fed dinner as well.  The culture here is a lot more hospitable as well.  All the sisters in the ward make us lunch so we never have to go buy it (except for Pday and Tuesday),  and a lot more people here allow you into their homes and give you tons of drinks.  One thing that is different (but great) is that we can go into the poorest of homes for food, and they  put a huge cake or dessert in front of you and tell you to eat it all.  Its super cool.

Anyways I have had a great first week.  I’m sure it'll get better to. I love you guys and I love the lord as well.

- Love, Elder Williams 

P.S.  Mothers day info.

As far as mother’s day goes my mission president says that we can use skype because that way we don’t have to pay for international fees.  It’s going to be awesome, so bring everyone that wants to see my beautiful face.  Also make sure you guys have it installed on your computer and have a username set up. 

                                                           (Ouch!... Missionary Blisters!)

Peter finally sent some photos of the MTC in Provo:

I'm Out in the Field!!

Hey All,

I’m finally here in the field! It’s pretty awesome, I met my new companion, Elder Almeida, and he's super cool.  He doesn't speak a word of English, and I didn’t speak much Português so all is well.  The área that I’m in is super pretty.  The city of Campinas itself is really nice and it looks fairly rich compared to São Paulo city.  I’m on the outskirts of Campinas city though, and its more countryside than city which I like, I’ve never been a big city person.  Anyways, my house is nice 'n big which is filled with just me and my companion.  Its right next to the chapel and smells like pee.  I had my first contact in the field today.  His name was Elias and it was on the way here to write emails actually. Anyways, he agreed to have us come over, it was cool to speak in my broken Português.  Yesterday when I arrived we went to dinner at this part-member family.  They were nice and the food was good, but I forgot that we're not allowed to have salad from unknown areas.  So we'll see if I get the squirts or not, but I think I’ll be alright.  Then afterwards we visited the Branch President.  He's cool, I didn't understand much of what he said, but my companion could, so they spoke about random people that I haven't met yet.  In fact I think that they were talking about me but I’m not too sure.  He said that I know a lot of Portuguese though and that my accent barely has a hint of American.  It was cool. 

      Anyways my PDays are always on Wednesdays.  So basically I’ve had three PDays in a row because Monday I was packing and saying goodbye and having interviews and stuff.  Yesterday I was traveling and getting orientated and today is PDay.  So tomorrow me and my companion will have to work extra hard. 

     It’s too bad to hear that temple usage is around 35%.  But that's where strong members come in.  President Monson and other apostles have lately been focusing on having everybody rescue those in need of rescue.  And I’m sure that it’s because they need to go through the temple.

    Anyway,  nothing else is too new.  I’m happy to finally be out in the field.  I can't wait to finally be working.  Of course the Português is coming very painfully, but it's cool, I should learn it in a couple months. I love you guys; tell dad good luck with his surgery and that he'll do fine.  Keep doing those family prayers and scripture studies.

-Elder Williams

Peter's last week in the Brazil MTC

Hey guys,

 I've not been feeling too great.  Just some headaches and nausea.  Nothing too bad, but I was hoping to get a boost on my health before I head out into the field this next week.  So keep my health in your prayers.  Anyway, I’m pretty stoked to be out and working in the field.  My companion and I are going insane being locked up in here,  but  it was great that we were able to check out São Paulo city while we were here.  My old watch broke and so I had to buy a new one today.  It’s pretty sweet; nice and fat with big white letters.  Yes, I  bought a new notebook for my journal and I got  letters from Jared, Jessica and Jon with some crafts, etc.  But that was back in Provo.   I didn’t receive anything else that they may have sent.  (Don’t worry mom, I won’t forget to call home on Mother’s Day.)   

Anyway, I’m running low on computer time again.  We had an Area Seventy fly in for our Tuesday devotional and that was pretty exciting.  We normally just have one of the branch presidents speak to us; It was still a cool talk.

 I love you guys, I hope you all keep up the good work talking with non-members.  I’m learning here the importance of having members help you out with missionary work, so its super cool to hear that you guys are doing it back home.  Love you, -Elder Williams

Peter's second letter from Brazil!

  I guess it week two here in the CTM.  I’m not gonna lie, I cant wait to be out into the field.  Its seriously the same thing day in and day out.  But it's going by very quickly, so all is well.  Oh yeah,my companion and I were sent out last week to go do some proselyting in our broken Português.  We gave out 3 Book of Mormons, and talked with 3 other people.  It was a really cool experience because all we really know what to do is bear our testimonies.  So we did that, then handed them the Book of Mormon.  The thing with Brazilian culture is that they are very hospitable, so they will take anything that you give them.  But we felt that the last two people we handed BoM's to were really receptive.  With  the second person I bore my testimony and even though we were in the middle of downtown São Paulo I think the spirit really got to him and he accepted it. 

  I really loved the last General Conference! It went by too quickly.  I think they talked about the Savior's coming at least 10 times;  5 times in one talk.  It really got me thinking about how close we are to being to the end of the world!  I was reading D & C section 76 last night with my companion.  It was cool to read about the different kingdoms!  it may have been the missionary in me but I felt pretty bad for all the sons of perdition and all the people that will be damned for time and all eternity.  It adds to the pressure of wanting to get out and preach the gospel.  But anyways last conference got me thinking about how much the LDS community truly needs to push out with missionary work.  So let me just say that you guys (mom and dad) better be on a couple-mission when or around I get back.  It's just got to happen! 

  Anyways, I went to the São Paulo temple today.  It has my favorite celestial room in it!   It/s about as big as the one in Medford, but they just put a ton of really cool stuff in there. 

  Also, Alma talks about not being weary in well doing.  He is being taught by the Lord about having patience.  It talks about how he was spit on, beaten up, all these bad things, and how he wanted to turn back because of the wickedness of the people, but the Lord chastened him to be patient in all things and that the Lord would give him success.  After 14 years of missionary work, Alma talks about the joy he experienced from all his “patience in trials”.  Anyway, I’m running out of computer time here…My  companion and I are good;  Nice 'n close, so its good!  Its cool to hear that Cheyenne and Justice and their baby!  Gotta go, Love you all!!  (I still have trouble with this Portuguese keyboard,   I actually just deleted  this letter,  but luckily it saved  in drafts  so i got the letter back.

Love, -Elder Williams

Peter's first letter from Brazil!

Hey family,

 Brasil is awesome!  My PDays are on Wednesdays now.  Its tough to type because  im using a portuguese keyboard  Life is good though, it feels like i've been in the CTM for a lot longer than I've been here though, I cant wait to be out in the field, I have two and a half more weeks til I leave!

 I went to my mission today in Campinas to go to the temple there because the São Paulo temple is closed for cleaning. It was super cool, I didn’t actually go through much of the city,  but from what I could see the city looked fairly well off.  A lot cleaner than São Paulo at least.  My teachers are cool, one learned english from video games and the other learned english from listening to Eminem.  I met a lot of my old friends from the Provo MTC.  My new companion’s  a lot like me so we get along in some areas, he's from Salem and was a swimmer !   He's got a glass eye so  that’s really cool.  On the trip to Brazil, my new  duffel bag broke. I taped it up to get here, but when i arrived i noticed that the pockets were completely torn off.  I lost my journal, my electric razor, and some shampoo.  Stinks! 

I've been hearing some intense messages about missionary work from Elder Holland these past couple of days.  There's a talk from him that you all should hear!  He talked about how important it is to have the missionary converted before he goes and preaches.  He said that the whole Preach My Gospel was created because they noticed that missionaries would serve, come home, then fall away from the church.   They figured that this was just  not right after 2 years of testifying about the church!  It was a really  interesting talk, you should check it out.

 Português is coming slowly and painfully, but it's coming!  Being here is a great help for it.  Oh yeah,  today in Campinas i met an elder that was from Oregon Klamath Falls.  I dont remember his name, but he's been out for a year and half or so.  He said that he got Português after 6 months.  It was funny because when he talked in English he had a Portugues accent…  So that's gonna be me in a year.! Anyways I got to go.  Love you all! Thanks for the prayers!

Com amor -Elder Williams