Hey Dad!
It's good to hear from you. Sounds like you've been busy. Sounds rad that you have a Stephen King expert around. Two Stephen King experts together... that's what I'm talking about.
I think you're right on point with the whole idea of me not having to hear the President's imput. These days I feel more emotionally and spiritually self-reliant, where I feel like I can have a great relationship with God without having to ask other people how I'm doing. I can know. I mean it's always good to ask for input and so on but you know what I mean.
I have had a crazy week. I actually just finished writing a letter to Mom about it -- it just seemed easier to explain it to her first, mostly because I feel sort of overwhelmed -- but you can read it, the letter is for both of you. You'll see how my week was. We sent 2 missionaries home this week! It was so interesting to see the difference between the two. One knew why he was there, didn't want to leave, and loved his mission. The other one had no idea why he was there, didn't get it, and put himself on the path home. It gave me a lot to think about.
Thinking about missionary work in general, I was reading about Lehi's dream in 1 Nephi 8 last night and loved something I noticed for the very first time. When Lehi is at the tree of life, he looks around and notices Nephi etc. standing around and having no idea where to go. Well, he loved them and wanted to help them get to the tree, but I thought it was so interesting that he yelled in a loud voice to get them over to the tree. They never would have found the tree if someone who was already there hadn't called them over, even though they were surely good people and wanted to find the right place to be. I think that's what the scripture means that talks about people kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it. It inspired me and made me want to be better about inviting more people to learn about the gospel.
It's been a decent week for me, and a really crazy one. I think it's been unique in many aspects as far as other weeks of my mission go. I have never had a week even sort of similar to this one. Lots of new stuff. I would write more but it's in my email to mom and I don't wanna try and explain it again and try to remember what I said and so on. It's all there.
I love you so much. I hope you're doing well. I've been feeling weird the last few days. I always miss home but I'm starting to feel like I'm entering into the "transition complete" stage as well. I have never felt so at home here in Brazil. I love the culture, I love the food, I love the people, the clothing, music, nature, language, and everything else. I think it's so great. I love the US and it will always be my home of course but (and I mentioned this to Mom too) I had a dream last night that really made sense to me that I came home and was talking to everyone and I just felt so weird and out of place and sad. I didn't want to be there, and when I woke up I felt so much better. Well, who knows how I'll feel in about 9 months when I'm going home. I have always said to myself that my goal is to cry bitterly from sadness when I go home, so maybe that'll be what happens. We'll see. I love this mission!
Love you Dad. Hope you have a great week. I pray for you and Mom both, and I really just hope you're doing well. It sounds like you are. I'm here for you guys always even though I'm far away, so just know that. You're the best.
LOVE YOU!!!
Elder Sederholm
Elder Sederholm
I love the look of the Christmas Village! I'm glad you guys are getting in the holiday spirit. Way to go. Sounds like you are loving your job too, which is wonderful.
Well I hope you guys are well. I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts today so I'm just going to write you and Dad separetely -- I hope that's ok with you both. I sure miss you guys. I had a funny dream last night though that I was at home and I was saying hi to everyone, but I just felt so out of place and sad. I was sitting in church (in the dream) and thought, could it be that my mission is really already over? And suddenly I woke up and I was SO HAPPY to see that I was on my mission still. That was really funny. I've had that dream 2 or 3 times before, except those other times, I was sad to see I was on my mission still. So, I guess that's a good sign.
I've had a crazy week and I just want to talk to you about it. On Monday and Tuesday there was a mission leadership council meeting in Piracicaba with all sister and elder mission leaders. It was CRAZY. On Sunday and Monday night we had about 20 elders sleeping at our house. Both nights it was just nuts and I slept really late and woke up early. You know how missionaries are, especially elders. On Monday night I was so tired that I literally walked into the house, went to one of the rooms, lied down on one of the matresses on the floor, and fell asleep. It was crazy. And we had to put all the technical stuff together to make things even crazier. So, that's where things start.
Then on Tuesday night we had 3 companionships come to our house at around 6. They stayed the night with us so we could get up early and renew their visas, which went fine. But on Wednesday we found out, one within minutes of the other, that 2 elders would be going home. We had to get their flights, travel plans, and all other logicstic stuff put together right away. It was so crazy. And that on top of all the other stuff we had to be doing! On Wednesday, one elder stayed at our house who went home for health reasons (he had a year out). Then on Thursday, the other one stayed at our house, who went home for disobedience (he had about 6 months and is crazy). We had to wake up at 2am to get him in the taxi and everything. It was so crazy!!! So needless to say I'm totally exhausted. Yesterday we slept in till like 7:30 and then we had to get up and get to the office, and today we shut the window and literally slept in until 11:30 (deserved p day rest). I still feel really destroyed but at least maybe a little better.
However, we've had some time for work this week. On Wednesday night we were invited by a sister from the church to eat dinner at her house. We had in mind that we had totally scored but what was even better was that she also invited her nephew and his girlfriend who aren't members of the church. I knew we had to teach them and when we were done with dinner I asked if we could leave a message and I read from Isaiah 53 about Jesus Christ, and then I felt strongly that I needed to teach about the restoration so I explained pretty breifly about the primitive church and how it was destroyed and then restored through Joseph Smith. We invited them to read the Book of Mormon and pray about our message. It was so awesome! A very spirtual lesson, and one of the best we've had in a long time because it's so hard to find time to leave the office and teach.
I'm planning on sending pictures of our week when my companion sends them to me. We've been getting along better more or less which is so great. The 3rd dude is not here yet but hoping he gets here soon. Seems like President might wait till the end of the transfer. As far as home stuff goes, Disneyland sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really jealous honestly. Só vai! You had mentioned about not being in Denver for Christmas, I'm sad about it, but time is passing so dang fast now that soon enough I'll be at home anyway. I'm getting to the point where man I want to be at home but man I never want to leave. I love this mission. I'm so grateful for everything I've learned and am learning here. I've been so blessed by the Lord through Brazil and a part of my heart will always be here, no matter what. It's a second home to me.
Some Spiritual Thoughts And Impressions I've had this week too: I think my favorite was when I was reading in the very beginning of 1 Nephi (I finished the Book of Mormon recently) about when an angel appears to Laman and gang and tells them that if they go up to Jerusalem God will deliver Laban into their hands. I thought it was so interesting (and I had never thought about it in quite this way) that a heavenly messenger had personally guaranteed success to them and Laman still chose not to believe. Even though they had seen and heard, they needed to have faith. Well I sure haven't seen an angel that I know of, but the Lord has promised me the same way that if I continue faithfully I will be ok and that everything is going well. When I took the sacrament this Sunday I felt the Spirit confirm to me that I am doing a great job. I felt like the Lord emphatically wanted to impress that on my mind and heart, and I hadn't even been praying about it. I'm not perfect but I can just like Nephi choose to have faith in the Lord's promises or not. The promise is not what makes the difference, it's our faith in it, so I am going to live according to what the Lord has said to me, which I always say but which I feel like is becoming clearer and more important in my mind. Even when it seems like everything around me is going to heck I just have to follow what I know. The mists of darkness are really thick sometimes but that simply doesn't change what the Lord has said and promised.
LOVE YOU MOM!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!! I hope you have a great week and I can't wait to hear from you!!!!! <3
Elder Sederholm
