Wednesday September 10, 2008 Curitiba, Brazil

Oi,
Como que esta coisas?...Hi, how are things? Here things are going good. I
still have struggles but life wouldn´t be life if it didn´t have struggles. On
the good side of things, I´m starting to slowly understand what people are
saying. Atleast I could understand a joke that a brazilian in my district told.
It was so funny, I´ll share it with you. So while adam was in the garden of
Eden by himself he wanted to know more things and feelings. He went to the
Father and asked, "what is a headach?" to which the Father replied "O, just give
me one of your ribs and I will show you."...ha hah ha oh sorry I thought that it
was so funny though.
 This place is so different from home. The world is really getting more and
more corrupted each day. Here it´s normal to see a teenager maybe the age of 14
smoking or to go to a house and see a parent giving an infant alcohol. It´s
really sad to see how bad this world is becoming. The other thing that is
different is that there are alot of Bars. Theres litterally a bar on atleast every block and in some places two right across the street
from each other.
  The churchs here are really weird. I don´t know what is being said but
when we pass they usually have some lady speaking really fast more like mumbling
and the people inside have their hands raised like they are trying to call some
sort of spirits. the thing about that though is that they are calling the wrong
kind of spirit into their lives.
   This last week we had a division, where my companion switched places with
another missionary for a day and a night. It was really intersting and alot of
fun. The companin that I got is Brazilian and spoke slower and alot more clear.
I could understand most of what he said. It was a nice change. We also last
p-day went to 4 or 5 of the national parks here in Curitiba. It was alot of fun
and a cool experience to see all the sites.
    Here we have alot of funny moments, like a couple of days ago we went to
a members house for lunch. Well they had this little dog that liked to fetch rocks. Well we were inside and the dog kept bringing us a
rock. So we threw it out the window. The dog would run though the house, out the
door, around the house and come back a few minutes later with another rock. So
we put an X on it and threw it back out the window into a driveway full of
rocks. But a few minutes later in came the dog with the same rock. It was pretty
amazing.
   We haven´t had alot of lessons taught mostly because the people here are
so closed and don´t want to have anything to do with religion or they already
have religion and dont want to be bothered. But we have two baptims set for
September 20. One is an older man named Ivo. He lives by himself in a really
shanty part of town and he has very little. But more important what he does have
is a testimony. The other person we have set for a baptism is a 14 year old girl
named Mariza. She´s partly deaf and can´t really communicate, because as she
was growing up her family never spoke in the home or explained anything to their kids so they never learned to speak. She can read lips pretty
good though. Well as we teach we speak slowly and very clear so she can read our
lips. They say its hard to get her to understand things but when we teach the
gospel to her she understands everything and it´s just amazing to see the power
of the spirit working through us.
  Well before I finish this up I just wanted to share a few scriptures. First
in Alma 34:32 I like this scripture because it shows how important this life is
and how we need to use our time wisely to prepare to return to the presence of
our Father. The next is in D&C 6:22-23, If any of you have questions in your
life if this is the true church just pray. and when you recieve an answer
remember this scripture. It has helped me so much and is how I know this church
to be true. I love you all and am greatful for your support and emails. I need
to go now, have a good week.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

September 2, 2008 Curitiba, Brazil

Opa, Tudo bom? Eu estou mutio bom. Eu teve uma ótima
semana...translation...Hello, everything good? I am very good. I had an awesome
week.
So I´ve got all your emails but not enough time to read them all. I didn´t
get to email last week because I was meeting with the mission presdent to go
home. I was done with being here and ready to go home. I had my mind all set
that I would be home a week ago. But My mission president is awesome and gave me
some wonderful advise. He shared a few scriptures with me and it helped me out
so much. I also read in the ensign about president Hinkley when he was a
missionary. He wrote a letter to his father saying that he was done with being
there and he was wasting his time and his fathers money. Well his father wrote
back only saying, "...Forget yourself and go to work..." When I read this it hit
me with alot of power. I thought wow even a prophet of the Lord had a hard time
at first on his mission. I just need to be more patient and rely more on the
Lord for help.
Então, since I didn´t write last week I get to explaine the last two weeks.
last week was really fun, We taught alot of people and there were three houses
that I remember feeling the spirit so strong. The lessons were awesome and I
could see the people and the belief in their eyes. The sad thing is that when we
return the people either didn´t read a chapter in the book of mormon or that
they didn´t pray about our message. Well the people are so closed that we
rarely get to come back to teach them a second lesson. Its so hard to see people
believe and know its true but don´t want to hear any more of the message.
 Then we have a few people we teach and they do everything we ask them
except come to church on sunday. Well one of the things people have to do
inorder to be baptised is attend church. I don´t know what to do or how to
better help this people other than pray.
  This week has had its deffinate excitements. Theres one thng that I look
forward to everyday and that is lunch. Lunch here is the main time to eat. Many people don´t have dinner but eat alot for lunch.
So I have found my limit to eating. Everyday, except P-day, we have members that
will cook for us. We live off of rice, beans, some patsa, and alot of meat. I
have come to really like rice and beans. Well we have this member that cooks
alot, probably enough for 5-6 peopple. She kept saying "come mais Elder, Come
mais." Which means "Eat more" Well I ate and ate till I was full. Little did I
know she also had desert for us. Well I was already stuffed but it is rude to
leave food so I ate it. We shared our message and I felt so sick the whole time.
We got up to leave and I wlaked outside and immidiatly threw it all up. It was
gross. The sister felt bad and thought it was her cooking because apparently
this wasn´t the first time it had happened.
 I haven´t had anything too weird to eat yet other than chicken liver.
Which I decided wasn´t good at all. The other thing I Like alot are the pizzas
here. They have dessert pizzas that are chocolate com banana, or morango (strawberry). It sounds weird but
tastes really good.
 The thing that the kids love to do here more than play soccer is to fly
kits. There are a few kids maybe only 6 or 7 that have kits out so far and so
high that it looks like a little speck in the sky.
  I think the coolest thing about brasil is the bus system. They have some
busses that are attached and are as long as three busses. And so many people get
on them. They cram in 100 or so people and its so tight that you can´t even
move. Its exciting to be in a new place. ]
 Well it is time to go I will write more next week and have some more
exciting stories. I still can´t understand my companion or what he is trying to
tell me. Even when he speaks in english because he speaks so fast. But I keep
looking at the possaitves and keep a better out look. I love you all and thank
you all for your support.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

8/6/2008 - Brazil MTC - Picture

Oi,
Thanks for your emails. The picture is of me and my new brazilian roommates that leave the same day I do. They are so cool and help so much with the language. This is so crazy, it´s my last week in the MTC and I got to go proselyting, it was so awesome. We talked to so many people and gave out 6 book of mormons and probably 45 pass along cards. the cards just have a picture of Jesus or the book of mormon and a church number on it so they can call and recieve a book of mormon.
I feel like I am not even ready to go to the field. I´m so nervous because I am far from learning the language. Well I need to get going I´m already over my time to use the internet. I just want you all to know that I love you and that I know this is the true church. my testimony of it has grown so much since I have been here and continues to grow. Take care.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

7/30/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi, Como foi seu semana depois? (How was your last week?) For me it has been good. I got over my cold alot quicker than I thought I was going to. I went to the doctor in the MTC and he gave me some medicine and told me that the best thing for a stuffed nose is snuffing warm salt water. Its really weird but it does work. You just snuff it in your nose and it comes out your mouth. Ya I know sounds disgusting. Last week me and a few guys in my district all went to a place called Rodizzio´s and yes it is the exact same here as it is there. We ate some pretty interesting things. We ate Ox, wild boar, grilled rib steak, ram, and my favorite coração de ponho (chicken heart). I really liked the chicken heart and ate like 7 or 8 of them. All the food was so good and I way over ate. This week as we were walking around we tried some sugar cane juice. It was so good, this guy had a machine that he just stuck stocks of sugar cane in and it squose out the juice. It was really sweet and had some natural energy in it.
On saturday we had to teach a lesson to a family that came to the MTC. We had to teach in portuguese with out any notes. Its hard to talk for fifteen minutes in another language but we actually did pretty good and got our message across. This coming friday I get to go out proselyting one last time in São Paulo.
We also got some new brazilians in our room. Elder Nascimento and Elder Monterio, They are so cool and speak very little english. they help us with our portuguese and we help them with their english.
I´m glad to hear that everything is going well for you and hope that things continue to get better. I love you all and I know that the lord is in our lives 100%. He wants us to be happy and to draw closer to Him. We had a fire side on sunday and there was a very interesting fact, in the book of mormon there are 6607 verses. Out of the 6607 verses 3925 of the verses testify of christ. So you could open up to a random page and put your finger on a verse and you have more of a chance of getting a vesre that is about christ. I just thought that was a very intersting fact. I know that this book of mormon is the word of God and that through it we can know more about God and His plan for us. I´m so greatful to be here at this time and I know that I am doing the lords work. I will be guided in the ways and in the places that He wants me to go. I know that if we will all study the scriptures that we can continually have the spirit of the lord in our lives. Alright thats enough of my preaching. I will let you go. Just know that I love you and keep you in my prayers. Take care and I will write agian next week.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

7/23/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi,
Esta semana eu foi mutio dorente. (this week I have been really sick.) I have been sick for almost a week now. It started out as just a little cough but has gotten worse. very hard to breath and my sinuses are so plugged that it is hard to focus. I constantly have head aches. I was able to weigh myself and in 5 weeks of being here I have gained 15 pounds. I now weigh about 152 lbs.
This week has been really cool I got to go proselyting again and it was awesome. it felt hareder but I think it´s because I tried to talk to more people and got turned down alot more. We had a guy just walk up and start asking us questions about the church. We ended up giving him a book of mormon and he said he was very interseted and agreed to talk to the missionries in his area. It´s such a spiritual experience to go out and rely fully on the spirit to guide you and on what you should say.

I leave the MTC on August 12th. so don´t send anymore to the MTC just mail it to the field I will get them there. The funny thing about your e-mail mom is that you said when I start dreaming in portuguese is when I know the language but I have dreams all the time in portuguese I just don´t know what people are saying. ha ha, its coming though.

That picture of the four of us is the district leader Elder Escobar, his companion Elder Miguel, Then me and my companion Elder Farnsworth. the tall one is the district leader. He is 6'8", He´s so tall and just towers over everyone. All the guys in my district are really cool. We all get along and help each other out.
I hope to get those pictures dad, I really miss everyone and would love to be able to see some pictures. Thank you all for your support and for your prayers. I pray for you all everyday and wish the best for you. Well I better be getting off soon Theres alot I have to do today, including going back to the doctors. I love you all.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

07/16/2008 - Brazil MTC - Pictures

Here are a few pictures that I´ve been able to take. one of my whole district, one of me and my brazilian roomates that left last week. the one with four of us are my roomates that we took this morning.

Tchau,
Elder Levingston

07/09/2008 - Brazill MTC

Oi,
How´s everyone? I miss the kendall kampout they are always so much fun. that stinks that Gary has to go back to Alaska. I hope everything is going well though. I sent a letter today but I don´t know how soon it will get there Brazil is having a mail strike and wont send the mail out. they are however still delivering the incoming mail from other countries. We went to the são paulo temple today. it is so gorgoeus inside. proselyting was so much fun. we went to down town são paulo and taught people on the street. The city is huge and about the size and just as busy as New York. it was so crazy just to walk up to someone and start talking to them. I gave a guy the book of mormon and then went back to talkin to more people and turned around to see him sitting and reading the book. its so awesome to think that just talkin to that one guy could have planted the seed to where he will talk to other missionaries and be baptized. I´m so greatful to be here and I know the lord has guided me throughout this whole time. that is the only way I have learnd as much as I have as fast as I have. I know that this church is true and keep you all in my prayers. I love you all and wish the best for you. I have to get off now.
Tchau, Elder Levingston

07/02/2008 - Brazil MTC

Oi, o this week has been better. As a district we all decided to have a fast last week. We fasted so that we an all learn the language better and that we will pay attention in class. I am finally getting to where I can catch some of the stuff people are telling me in portuguese. We got another chance to go to the campinas temple. It was a good session I saw the other video for the first time. I´m always tired but its just the fact that we work so hard. This last weekend was so awesome and the spirit was so strong. It was all based on the atonement and we got to watch the Testaments on sunday.

Lets see my usual day goes....I get up at 630, get dressed and by 7 start personal study which is reading the book of mormon or doing what I feel I need to study. Then we have companion sudy at 730. We eat breakfast at 8 ad then by 830 we go to our first class where we learn about he gospel, or the language and switch off on each subject by 1245 we go to lunch which is usually the best meal of the day. then we go back to our the same class by 145 and learn more doctrine or more language Till about 515. then its dinner, at 6 we go back to the class room and do Missionary Directed study time which is where my companion and I study a subject of choice. around 915 we go up to our room, write in our journal, take a shower, and get into bed by 1030. on monday wednesday and friday we have gym from 830 pm till 930. thats how everyday goes here.
Wednesday and sunday are my faorite days. wednesdays we get up by 530 and go to the temple. hen we eat lunch when we get back and hae freetime till 5. sundays we go to church from 8-11 then we eat lunch at 1130. then free time tilll 3. we then go watch a church movie. after diner we have a fireside and its really hard to stay awake in those because they have to translate from portuguese to english and it takes so long to get a message.
This last sunday I got the opportunity to bless the sacrament. I thought it was hard in english but its more difficult in portuguese. On friday I´m going proselyting in down town são paulo. I´m really nervous. well I got to get off the inteernet now so can you please send this to dad and all those you have their e-mail addresses. Obrigado (thank you) I love you all thanks for your support. take care.
Tchau, Elder Levingston

06/25/2008-Brazil MTC

Oi, tudo bem? Everything is going great here. I have had a few struggles this week, but after going to the campinas temple today it´s brought my spirits back up. The language has totally messed up my spelling. Each day I´m here I keep building on my testimony. I can feel the adversary trying to work on me but I can over come it. I can´t be on too much longer but I do want u to know I am very greatful I have you as a mom and that I was sent to such an awesome family. I love you.
Tchau,
Elder Levingston

6/18/08 - Brazil MTC

oi, como vai? (Hi, how are you) I´m doing good the food here is amazing, and I get along very well with my companion, elder farnsworth. I´ve been very busy trying to learn the language. its pretty difficult. Although I can already bear my testimony and pray in portuguese. So we have found a place where we can e-mail from. It´s hard because we only get so long in the day where we can write and e-mail and what not so this maybe a pretty short message. O real quick, I started a thing called missionary ties and you should be getting a letter soon in the mail. right now its just a trial but I heard you get your mail alot quicker. I want you all to know that I love you very much and that I know the church is true. this is probably the hardest but greatest thing I´ve ever tried to do. I´m sorry if I don´t write alot of letters its because I don´t have alot of time. I love you all again hopefully I will have more time.