6 April Email and Pictures

Subject: New Companion

Hey family!

Since today is transfers and I am staying in my area here I kind of have 2 P-days in a row because I am waiting in Novo Hamburgo Centro with the 2 other elders that are awaiting their new companions as well. I sent my companion off this morning at the rodoviaria with the 2 other elders that were leaving from my zone. One of them (Elder Hill) is going home tomorrow. My trainer is also going home tomorrow. Its a weird feeling seeing people that I know going home already.

I have a feeling that my next companion will be an American and it will be Elder Harris based on the information that my trainer gave me this morning (he is already in the office debriefing and he called me on the assistant's phone). I'm not certain though. I am pretty excited to receive a new companion. This last transfer has been a learning experience for me in that I got to see the difference of 2 missionaries. My trainer had a desire to work and all we did was work even though it was his second to last transfer from going home. My second companion has 3 more transfers left, only talked about how he would go home in only 4 months, and we didn't work.

Anyway, this last week was good. I will try to get some more photos of the mission this week to send to you all. I hope everything is well at the house. That's exciting the summer weather that you all are getting in NY. I bet Bristol has even closed due to the warm weather. Have you set your clocks forward one hour yet there? I think that I am only 1 hour ahead of NY time until next fall. It has been fairly frisky and nice the past 2 days. Winter is starting here, but I think it will be a long time until it gets here.

How is Elizabeth liking staying at home? Do you think that Ecco will send me a new pair of shoes? I don't know if they have a warranty; I bought them on eBay. The bottoms have already worn through and there is a big hole on the left side of the right shoe. Maybe I will get some pictures to you all next week. My P-day will be on Tuesdays like normal from now on. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Love you all.

Elder Steele

5 April Email

Here is Jonathan's email from 5 April.

Subject: 3rd Transfer

Dear family,

This past week went by fairly fast. Conference was good. We were able to watch both sessions on Saturday and both sessions on Sunday. I ended up watching one in Portuguese and one in English each day. It was nice. How did the priesthood session end up? I didn't get to see that.

We didn't do much for Easter here. I hope you all had a great Easter back home. Maybe I will get some candy since the prices all go way down after Easter.

I heard that Dad got a new iPad. That's pretty cool. You will have to explain to me what it's like to use. I hope that he is liking it. Does it compare to my iPod that I gave to Hunter?

Me and my companion found out this morning that my companion is getting transferred. We won't know where he is going to or who my new companion will be until tomorrow. I guess I will be able to inform you all next Tuesday.

Has all the snow melted in NY yet? I heard (from Savannah) that Utah is still getting snow. How is Liz liking being back in the house? I hope you guys are giving her a lot of work to do. Sometimes putting someone to work is the best solution for everything. How are the prospects looking for Zach's Job? Still working for Lue? Anyways I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter in America. Until next week.

With Love,

Elder Steele

30 March Email

Here is Jonathan's email from 30 March.

Subject: Easter

Happy Easter from Brazil!

The past week went by pretty fast. Not much happened. Me and my companion were in house sick for 3.5 days. It gets really boring sitting in an almost empty apartment with nothing to do. I had a fever of almost 40C and my companion had a stomachache. But all is good now.

We look forward to Conference and Easter here, although I don't think that the Easter Bunny will pass by our house. As far as I know we just have a normal lunch appointment that day, but hopefully the family will make something nice for us to eat.

It sounds like all is going well in NY. How is Hunter doing? I haven't heard from him in a while. Transfers are next week on Tuesday (always Tuesday...last transfer was Friday due to meetings that the Mission President had with Salt Lake or something like that). I think our P-day next week will be Monday. Love you all!

Com amor,

Elder Steele

23 March 2010

Here is Jonathan's email from this week - Enjoy!

Subject: 2 weeks until transfers

Dear Family,

It sounds like Washington DC was great. Thanks for all the pictures. I am glad that Dad is back on his feet and that Remington made a few bucks selling the dirtbike. Not much has happened this past week.

I saw on the numbers that the 2 children of the family in my last area were baptized. All that is left now is the father, but he never really seemed too interested when I was there.

I have Sarah's christmas present. I just need to find time and figure out the best way to send it. I think that I will send 1 package home and then you can forward on her present. Do you guys want anything in particular from Brazil? Matt might be able to suggest some things for me to send also. It's exciting that Erin's baby is almost due again!

This past Sunday we went to the group meeting instead of the Hamburgo Velho ward. There were about 15 or 20 people there. I gave a short talk just saying who I was and where I was from and a little bit about how family prayer is important. Not much else happened this week.

The pictures:
One is of the bairro of Kephas

One is of the little boy that lives below us and always brings his toys up to our porch

[Apparently he didn't send this picture, though he thought he did?]

The last one is of me and this guy on the street that said he was a member. He was telling us a story about how he took on 40 people that were all trying to kill him, and that he killed them all and was only left with big scars on his left arm and 3 knife wounds on his chest right next to his heart. I don't know if it's true though. He said he also is an airplane pilot. I don't know if I believe that. He had a pistol on him, also. I didn't get a close enough look to see the make and model.

[And he didn't talk about this picture at all:]

Until next week!

Com amor, Elder Steele

9 March - Ola

Dear family,

This week has gone by pretty fast. Dad - i´m still not bumping 1/4 yet. I just barely pushed 1/8th. We have zone conference tomorrow which should be fun. My area is actually called hamburgo velho not novo hamburgo velho. Novo hamburgo is the name of the city though. The ward and the group meet at the same time. I haven't been to the group yet but this sunday I think we are going to do splits during church and I will go to the group. Thats great that you have had a break in the weather. Its been really hot here lately. I think in the 80's or 90's. The time is starting to fly. What room is liz taking when she moves home? Thats exciting that matt and erins family's baby is almost here. To answer matts question - I have a cell phone, and we walk everywhere here. Our house is in another area too, so every morning and every night we walk almost 2 kilometers to our area. I don't think I could do that preaching on the bus. I might start laughing and no one would take me seriously. See if you can make your visual aids the size of a Book of Mormon. It is nice to be able to leave them inside of my scriptures or inside of the lesson pamphlet. Good luck to zach on the interview. I will be praying for him. How is liz doing? Has she moved home yet? Mom - Maybe if you could fit could you get me a pair of size medium basketball shorts. I gave away my other pair in the CTM and they only have weird ones here. How is grandma and grandpa doing. I dont think I have heard from Grandma jeusky either. Send me an update.
Its 6 30 here and I have to go now. I will try to write a little longer next week. I love you all.

com amor,

Elder Steele

2 March Email

The following is an email sent 2 March:

Don't have much time to email at all today. I have been transferred to Novo Hamburgo Velho which covers 2 areas (novo hamburgo velho and novo hamburgo campo bom). Campo Bom has been closed for a few months due to a shortage of missionaries in our mission. The bus ride was 2 hours to the Rodoviaria (bus station) and then about an hour to novo hamburgo. Our area covers the hamburgo velho ward and the campo bom group (30 or so people i think.) I don't know how long I will be here for. My last companion, Elder Green, stayed in Canela to train an Elder Lynn who is the brother of another elder in our mission. We walk a lot. During transfers I got some of the remnants of the packages that were sent to the CTM for me. Please send my thanks to Chuck and the Ward primary for those (the CTM gave all of the edible items to the Americans there). I don't know how long I will be staying here for. The next transfer only ends in a week. My companion is Brazillian and his name is Elder L. De Oliveira. He is from natal. He has been a little slack the past 3 days but i think we will change that soon. anyway my time is up here at the LAN house. I will respond to your emails next week. Thanks though.

Tchau, Love you all

23 February

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been busy. During the week of 23 February, Jonathan spent his online time emailing Remington back and forth. He did respond to a personal email of mine as well. The following is an email from my mom from that week:

Hi Everyone,

Jon did not send us an e-mail this week, instead he spent over an hour e-mail/texting Remington. It is a slow process - and we know how talkative boys can be .... ;-)

Here are a few things I found out. Transfers are on Friday. Jon currently only has one companion, as his other companion had an emergency transfer to buenos aires, where Jon thinks another Elder who came into the Porto Alegre Mission the same time he did, got homesick, and went home.

Jon just got his hair cut. They also had a time change, so he is only 2 hours ahead of us, and when our time changes, he will only be 1 hour ahead.

And here is the personal email he sent me that week:

We had a Family night yesterday with the branch president and some other families in the ward. It was about choices and was really good. Choices in life are really important. They have mardi gras here to. Its called carnival and is way bigger than in the states. they party really hard in the northern parts of brasil though. When will you finish your masters? i have 25 min left at the lan house if you want to chat.