Gosto do Vento (I like wind)

Things here in Camocim are very peaceful. The wind is especially nice, because the the sun is hot. But, it doesn´t get too warm. My tie get´s blown all over the place, which is pretty cool (literally), partially because I don´t have much hair to be blown around in the wind (especially after today, because I got my ears lowered like Keoki likes to say).

Fun story, while I was waiting for my companion to get his hair cut, an old man walks in (I´m pretty sure he was drunk) shakes my hand and gives me a big hug. Go figure, the cabeleiro was right next to a bar. Anyway, the old man sat down next to me and was looking through pictures of a magazine and seemed to pause at the advertizements for lingerie. After a while someone from the bar called him back, and before he left, he again took me by the hand and gave me a big hug. (just so you know, i´m twice the size of this man, maybe the same size while I´m sitting). That was a fun moment today.

I´ve been able to play the flute for various occasions, but only when President Dias is around, because he has a flute that he let´s me use. It´s been great to play. I played during the training in Teresina, during the Zone Conference last week, and at church on Sunday when Presidente visited. The church here is growing. It´s great! Elder Iglézia, who was serving as the branch president was released and a member of the branch was called to be the new branch president. WOOHOO!!! It´s so exciting.

Anyway, I have a challenge for everyone. The challenge is to read the Book of Mormon by December 1st. If you want to make it more challenging, I challenge you to read it in another language. I suppose I´m challenging you because I´m lazy in my reading of the Book of Mormon in Portuguese. I´ve been reading in English this whole time. I got to changer 11 in 1st Nephi by the end of my time in the CTM, and have only progressed to chapter 15 of 1st Nephi... I think. I study everyday, but my goal is to read the whole book in Portuguese by December 1st 2010. Also, for anyone who wants to strengthen their language skills (for those of you who are bilingual) read it in the language that you are "rusty" in. So, when you finnish the book, write me a letter and tell me how it went. Don´t forget to read the introduction! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it has the fullness of the gospel. I know that there are treasures of knowledge that you will find in it´s pages that will change your life. I know because my perspective on life changed once I actually read The Book of Mormon. I love you and hope you have a wonderful time reading and pondering.

Yours Truly,

Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Not much time today.

Hey, I´m doing fine. The training in Teresina was great. It was for all of the leaders in the mission to learn how to be better missionaries, and so it´s our duty to pass on what we learned to the others in our charge. I´ll write more next week, but I need to go. The principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help heal and solve any problem you have. I know it is true. And the fullness of the gospel is found in The Book of Mormon. I love you.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Things are picking up here... What? Training in Teresina?!

Oi Pessoal!

Things here are in fact picking up. My companion and I know our part of the city better. We´re teaching people. It´s only been maybe two weeks in the field for Elder Braga, and I will be leaving him here with the other new missionary (he´s been here for one transfer, so he´s pretty capable) to go to Teresina for training for four days. Actually, they are both very capable. I just worry because they´re both kind of new, espeacially my companion.

On Saturday, we had a church activity for the younger people in the branch, and went to this awesome lake that had awesome sand dunes. It was amazingly beautiful. Also, guess what! I´m beautiful! Or at least the people here seem to think so. Anyway, so we walk around saying things like "Bom Dia!, Boa Tarde!, Boa Noite!, and Tudo bem?" (good morning, good afternoon, good evening/night, and how are you?) Everyday, I get a fun reaction from different people. The other day I said "Boa Tarde" to this really old lady who was watching her grandchild in the front of her house, and she said "O! Bonitão!" which translates to "Oh my! What a hunk!" (bonito meaning beautiful, and when you put an "ão" at the end of a word it makes it more intense or emphasized). Then another night we walked past this group of women, and said "Boa Noite!" and one of them said "Agora, esta boa!" or "Now, it´s good!". Things like this happen rather often. It´s really funny. Don´t worry, I won´t let it get to my head.

So, my bus is leaving in a half hour. I need to get going. But, I want you to know that the gospel is true and that it was restored to the earth by God through His prophet Joseph Smith. I love you all.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

21 and I have a son!

Oi Pessoal!

I don´t literally have a son. It´s missionary slang for when you train a new missionary. But the funny thing is is that my "son" is half Japanese like me. I didn´t know at first because when I first heard his name, I didn´t think he was Japanese. His name is Elder Braga. His mother is a Japanese Brazilian and his father is Brazilian. We get along really well. He´s way cool.

I´ve been transfered to the beautiful city of Camocim in Ceará in Brasil. It´s a coastal town. It´s actually pretty small, but really amazing. It´s nice to see the ocean again. The streets here are done better than those in my previous area. I don´t trip as frequently. Also, there aren´t really any animals in the streets either or scary buses. Maybe the occasional horse that stays waiting on the side of the road everyday. There is this awesome little ice cream shop that is close to our house. It´s way awesome because for some ice cream it´s only 50 centaveis (25 cents) for in a cup or 1 real (50 cents) if you want a cone. It has some fun flavors like limão, jaca, goiaba, açai, maracujá, and other flavors. I haven´t tried them all yet, but I will. The city is pretty small. It´s maybe the size of Santa Cruz. I think a little bit smaller, it has everything you need just on a smaller scale. Banks and the post office are small, but serve their purpose. I think you can walk the circumference of the city in a couple of hours.

We live in a house with another pair of missionaries. Elder Iglezia and Elder Melo. I´m the only North American, but it´s totally cool. They are all really cool. Elder Iglezia and my companion are both practically fluent in English, so we try to speak English at the house and Português on the street. The church is only a 2-3 minute walk away from our house. We don´t have a (capela) chapel yet, but we meet at a house that was reformatted to accomodate the church needs (or a casa-pela, casa means house combined with the word capela for chapel, casa-pela).

On Saturday, we had a scavenger hunt (picture style) with the members. It was a lot of fun. We had to take pictures and videos of specifc things and of our group doing things like jumping jacks or in the air pictures or the group on a boat. It was fun. During the activity, this guy rode by on his bicycle with a fish (that was about as big as me) strapped to the back of his bike. I took a picture, but I forgot my camera at the house today. I´ll try to post the picture next week.

The church here is pretty new, maybe 5 years(?), but it´s amazing. Yesterday we started a church choir, which I am directing, and on Thursday we will be starting an English class. I don´t really know how to describe my feelings, except that I´m amazed at the members of the church here and I´m really happy. I don´t think I´ve been this happy for a long time (except for during the baptisms of Marcos and Amanda). I´m anxious to get into the flow of working here. It´s a little confusing right now because we´re in a transition. Before Elder Braga and I got here there was only one set of missionaries and now there are two. So we´re working on adjusting, but it´s going to be awesome.

My friends, I can´t express how happy I am right now to be here, to be sharing the message of the restored gospel with people. It truly is a message of happiness. If you want to know why I am so happy, just talk with some missionaries. Seriously, you will understand. I know that my Redeemer lives and loves me. I know He loves you, and because He loves you, I love you.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Transfers are on my birthday!?!?!

Oi Povo!

The letter "L" is a fun letter. At the beginning of a word or in between vowels "L" is pronounced normally. But in any other location is pronounced like "oo". For example - Brasil (Brah-zee-oo) Isn´t that great?!

Today was way awesome!!! And it´s only going to get awesomer!!!! (yes I know that is poor English) Today we went on an awesome adventure with some of our friends in the Cidade Jardim branch (Pilo [formerly Elder Santiago whom I met on the airplane to Brasil], his sister Vilmia, Tiago [Vilmia´s boyfriend], and Priscilla [their cousin]. We went to the governor of Piauí´s house, the oldest theatre in Piauí, this awesome place that used to be a prison (when Brasil was in a more dictatorship type government 50 years ago?) and is now a whole bunch of shops with art things specific to Piauí, and also to the point where the two rivers meet. Teresina has two rivers and they are different colors, and when they meet they mix. It´s pretty cool to see the currents collide.

Anyway, this morning we received a phone call with our new assignments. I will be going to Camocim in Ceará. (Elder Wickstrum and I will be serving in the same state in Brasil) Also, more exciting news. I´m going to be training a new missionary.... I´m kind of nervous because my Portugués still needs work and my new companion will be a Brasileiro. So, it´s going to be an adventure. I LOVE ADVENTURE!!! Hahaha! Life is great folks. This afternoon, we are also holding a baptismal service. Today is just wonderful. I´m so grateful to be here in this beautiful country. Today I got to see a more beautiful part of it.

It´s amazing how the more things of nature I see, the more I appreciate the Great Creator. I know that we are children of God. I know that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings and one in purpose. I know that God calls prophets to lead and teach the people. And I know that we have a prophet today called of God, and his name is Thomas S. Monson. Through the prophet, I have been called to serve in this wonderful part of this great world. I love you all.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Sem Esperança Na Copa Do Mundo, wait... 4th of July?!

(written Monday July 5th)

The magic letter of the day is "C." When "C" is followed by an "A, O, or U" it has a solid "k" sound. When "C" is followed by an "I or E" or if it has the cedila accent "Ç" it has an "S" sound.

Well folks, first the U.S. lost, then Japan lost, then Brasil lost. All three of the teams I was rooting for lost. Also, just so you know, there is practically a holiday every 2 or 3 weeks. But, the 4th of July is not a holiday!!!!! =( I know, it´s a sad thing. Why doesn´t the whole world celebrate the independence of the United States of America?! I´m just kidding, or sarcastic right now.

I did have a moment yesterday where I said to myself, "happy 4th of July." But I felt some kind of emptyness without the red white and blue and patrioticness. I suppose I am literally Uncle Sam, so I guess wherever I go America goes with me... The interesting thing is people tell me that I don´t act American, and that I act more Japanese. They are like, "You know that Japanese elder? Oh, wait, he´s American." So, I´ve kind of had an identity crisis my whole life, and I still do kind of. But then I remember that race or nationality doesn´t matter because I am a child of God. I am the son of a loving Father in Heaven who is always watching out for me, loves me, and blesses me so much everyday. In reality, everyone is a child of God. So, if you ever feel sad or lonely, or out of place, you don´t need to. But if or when you do, just say a prayer and talk with your Heavenly Father.

There is a song I learned when I was a child that gives me comfort. The first verse is a child´s humble prayer.

It goes like this:

Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer every child´s prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

but I feel it close around me when I pray.

Heavenly Father I remember now,

something that Jesus told Disciples long ago,

'Suffer the children to come to me.'

Father in prayer, I´m coming out to thee.

The second verse is the response to the prayer:

Pray, He is there. Speak, He is listening.

You are his child. His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayers. He loves the children.

Of such is the Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, my beloved brothers and sisters, friends and family. You don´t need to be alone, just pray because your Father in Heaven is always listening. I know He loves me, and I know He loves each and every one of you. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and that He lives.

I love you all.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Já é Julho.... quase!?!?! (it´s already July... kind of!?!?!)

So, it´s already July kind of. Which means I´ve practically been serving the mission for about 6 months. Time sure has gone by quickly. Yet, I´m still not fluent. I am missing a lot of vocabulary still. Good news is that Brasil has made it to the next set of games in the world cup and they will be playing today. Just so you all know, everything shuts down a little while before a Brasil game. Literally everything. If you thought you were a patriotic American, just come to Brasil during the world cup. Everyone is wearing green and gold, the streets are all decorated. It´s really quite amazing.

It´s gotten a little ´chilly´ at night, so I just keep my fan off and sleep with a sheet. Someone said that they were "com frio" or with cold or cold. Oh dear, I fear people here in the Nordeste don´t know what cold is. I mean, I don´t really know what cold is, if you think about it, but I have a better idea. I´ve been to the snow a few times....

Anyway, I´m terrible at keeping track of the letters, but I think ´S´ should be fine. So ´s´ sounds like an ´s´ anytime except when in between two vowels then sounds like a ´z´ or when there are two like ´ss´ it keeps the ´s´ sound.

The Book of Mormon is truly amazing. When the day is difficult or when I just want to relax when I get home, the best thing to do is read the Book of Mormon. I think it´s because of the comfort of the Holy Ghost. When you read the Book of Mormon, the Holy Ghost is always there to help you learn and calm down. Also, another amazing thing that the Book of Mormon does is clarify things in the Bible and testify of Christ.

It´s truly amazing. There are many awesome stories in the Book of Mormon. For any of you who know me well, you know that I´m not much of a reader unless it comes down to Harry Potter. From reading the Book of Mormon I´ve discovered more of a desire to read more because I always learn something from reading it or I find an answer to something I´ve been worried about. I know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God written by the hands of prophets, and is another testiment of Jesus Christ. I know that if you want to learn more about the nature of God, get closer to God or if you want to understand the Bible more clearly, all you have to do is read the Book of Mormon. I know Joseph Smith was the prophet that God chose to translate the Book of Mormon, and restore His church to the earth. I love you all, and invite you to study the words of life found in the scriptures.

Love,
Elder Samuel H. Chiba