June 1, 2011

Dear Family

Today was another busy day, so I don’t know how much time I will have to write you. I really want to write Grandpa, but it will have to be another week.

These past couple of p days has been good. We have been playing soccer. It’s pretty cool because we play one  across the river and we are right there close to this soccer court. (Indoor) I’m not as good as the Brazilians...man they can move their feet! It is unbelievable! And afterwords we had a barbeque Brazilian barbeque is amazing! No one has barbeques. We have something better! We use coal and this portable grill thing I don’t know the name in English. It takes a while, but it is soo worth it! Very good.

Afterwords we went with the Zone leaders and bought another fan and finally a washing machine! I think my clothes may smell a little better.  

This week we have a baptism it is a guy who has been waiting for I don’t know how many years for his wife to be baptized .  It is finally coming and he is very excited. He says that after the Manaus temple is finished, they will go. Man what a wait. And what a cool story!

I'm sorry I am in a rush we have an appointment tonight, so im trying to hustle. Things are going great! Dad poor poor Dad I'm sorry Dad you need to be careful.. Where is your helmet? That long board isn’t set to go straight down a hill you have to carve from side to side. And Jane way to be tough and stick it out good job! Iz, I will write you next week I promise.

Love you all

Elder Ontiveros]

Ps I did buy shoes they should last me for a while and this movie that I'm sending is a funny one I was doing a tour of the house, but it didn’t turn out very good. This last part I thought was funny, so I hope you enjoy it.   

May 25, 2011

Well Hello Familia,

Earlier today I started writing my letter to you guys on word perfect (you may have noticed a change in the spelling) the internet crashed and didn’t start working until now.  Mom I hope I didn’t you keep yourself to worried. I am still alive.

This week was a little different. My companion got a little sick, so we didn’t work very much this week. We would try and leave to teach our investigators that had dates. During this time I spent pondering and studying.  My studies are getting a lot better. It just amazes me how much a person can change by just reading and actually finding the things that God does having that burning desire to know how he works with his children. It hasn’t been the easiest thing. It takes a lot of Faith. But as I study and try to understand these things I have figured out that there are more things that I can learn and get better at. Obviously, I can always be better at speaking Portuguese and knowing the gospel more, but I have discovered that there are small and simple things that I could improve on. For example Opening the door up faster so my companion doesn’t go in somewhere else that isn’t the bathroom (pants…gross) Learning how to make this cool sound with your lips (that one is tough...Working on it) Have a better attitude (that one needs some work especially when the sun is super super hot) Etc… I hope you get the point. Learning things is awesome, but sometimes very hard, that is how we grow. Just by actually taking the time to learn this gospel maybe go back if I didn’t understand something that was explained to me. Has made a big impact in my life. Just by writing this I have learned that I need to set better goals and have a better desire to achieve them. If we honestly focus on the small and simples things our brains change that is how we become better. Sometimes it is very overwhelming, but I have a feeling that it will all just work out. If we keep at it. It will all work out.   

Grandpa and dad emailed me I don’t think I will have time to email them back personally today, but I received their emails.  Very Grateful for them.

Iz im glad you have stayed away from the boys keep doing it. You can be nice but not too nice. At least until I get back. Actually until you are 16…right Mom and Dad? Right!

Jake Congrats bud. You the man. Keep at it. Just have the time of your life! High school is fun!

Tell John good work! Give him a huge I’m sure he will like that.

Well I g2g I hope this letter makes sense

Love you all

Elder Ontiveros

May 18, 2011

Family, 
Hello! How are things going? They seem like they are going pretty well! Jake congrats on the record buddy! Good job! Well this week has been really good. We have been really working hard. It takes us a couple of years to walk to one place to another. And sometimes it is very hard to locate these houses. At times people don’t even have addresses or know what their address is. It gives me a big head ache at times. We spend 2 or 3 hours looking for a house. We are going to ask president if we can ride bikes because that would help a lot!
People are really nice and kind here in Brazil. They will always look for ways to help and I’m very grateful because most of them live in wood houses. They care about the more important things in this world. Which is food, church, and The missionaries. Being on the mission I have discovered that there are two different kind of happiness’s in this life and that is a happiness for your spirit and a happiness for your body( for example food, music, movies etc..). I find that  the spirit brings me more happiness and peace and that is why we keep the commandments or the rules on the mission, so we can feel and share this sweet spirit. That is something that stuck out to me this week.

Mom yes we have found a couple of less active members. Bishop, like I said is a really outstanding person.  During church he announced  that we will be meeting at a members home to go find less active members. So here we are the mormon gang at this members home everyone has their bikes, motorcycles and ready to work. We had a stack of papers that was thick we could have made a book. So they gave us a name to go visit and when we showed up we thought that is was a mistake, but no this member opened up a Bar. We felt really sorry for this guy. We asked if we could talk to him, but he said another day. Everybody has their own choices and agency. It kind of stinks sometimes.  

Well when we arrived in our new apartment we didn’t have a working washer machine and we are still waiting for the mission to put money into our account, so we can buy a new one. Until now we have been hand washing our clothes it is annoying sometimes, but it gives me another opportunity to have a good attitude because washing your clothes with your hands isn’t as fun as it looks.

I better get going. I’m sorry I forgot to bring my camera with me. This mourning we woke up early to go play soccer. It was very fun! I am not as good as the Brazilians, but it was fun. Love and miss you all.

Elder Ontiveros

ps love you all

May 11, 2011

Hi

Yes, I had a very great time visiting with you guys on Sunday. And I am sorry that I couldn't talk to everyone personally. I really didn't want everyone to leave, you were all there. Mom, I hope you had a wonderful mother's day. I love you.

Yes, we got home just fine. Mom you are always out and about. When are you not in the house? Hardly ever. Iz, Jake and Jane we are lucky to have a mom who loves and cares about us soo much... and a Dad, also. I have seen kids who don't have both. We sure are lucky.

Not much as been going on since I last talked to you. Members are really really cool. They are all very missionary minded and very greatfull to have us in their ward. We have been teaching a part member family. It has been going well. I'm certain that they will be baptized. And we have some others that we need to go see.

 Thanks mom for the message. I have been studing this chapter for quite some time now. There is a lot of doctrine in it. A lot of good stuff!

We went out to the jungle today. We couldnt get out as fair as we wanted too,but I took a video and some pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

This one is another short one. I am doing fine. Iz, Good luck with your performance. Jake I emailed you.
Elder Ontiveros

May 4, 2011

Dear Family

This email will be a bit shorter since I will be calling you on Sunday. I did get transferred and we have nothing!! Me and my new companion (americano still) are out here still in Acre! Guess what? I'm opening a new area again it is actually what you call a white wash. I don't know if I already explained this to you guys, but it is when two elders arrive to an area where they haven't ever been before and open up an area. But the bad thing is we dont have a cell phone and we have no idea where the members live. ( We should be getting one soon) It will be an adventure that is for sure.

Izzy, I got your suggestions I will try and work on that. I really liked the super man idea and Iz come on now I don't have to dress up as super man because I am super man...man of steel!! I thought we already talked about this. jk

Now I don't know what is going to happen with me calling you or skyping you. Because we don't know any of the members here, so this is what will happen is I will send another email tomorrow or before Sunday. Because I think you are going to have to call me, but I'm not sure.. I will let you know..it will all work out.

This is a short one we have got to go clean our house.. It's prettty dirty.

I love you all

Superman jk Elder, tyler, T, Ontiveros.. Whatever works

ps. Tell Amy that I love her and that she will be in my prayers 

April 27, 2011

Ola,
 Well,  this is like the third timeI have been trying to write you ,but my computer keeps restarting so they finally switched me to a new computer. Anyway I'm sorry that my last email wasn't very entertaining. I will try and do better today. It is very hard for me to write sometimes. I have one hundred things on my mind and it is hard to write it all down. It will be easier to talk I hope. This week was a good week. Our area is suffering because my companion  is the Zone leader and we have had to do some traveling so that he could interview people that were getting baptized. Traveling by bus takes a lot longer than a car. Usually we have to go from our area to the Terminal, the Terminal to another persons area and the same way back. That's just the way it is. Elder Christofferson and a couple of GAs had toured our Mission up in Manaus we unfortunately being in another state had to listen to him talk through skype.Oh and my Mission president did get that letter from Grandpa, but I haven't recieved it yet. It was good he talked a lot about learning to teach with the spirit and most important learning how to hear its promptings. It's funny mom that that is what you talked to me about in your email. The spirit can teach us in so many different ways. I feel right now, actually, learning these things and learning how this Gospel works has just opened a new door for me. There is much that I can learn and I can't wait to do so. My desires and studies are getting a lot better. It just takes time. Monday our zone celebrated Easter! Each one of us picked a name to give chocolate to that Elder. It was fun.
Well I made another movie Iz. You said you wanted a movie. The thing is I really don't know what I'm going to say or do it is all just whatever comes into my mind. You will be able to see me so I'm hoping that it's good enough. I will try and be more creative. I'm going to have to try and load that.  Important . Ok it is  about 4 pm on a Wed 27 of April what time is it in slc? so I can know when to call you. oh and I need your skype address just in case president said we are allowed, but I have to find a member who has a chat camera. I could be getting transfered this week, so that will be interesting. I will explain later how it will go down next wed.
love ya all
Tyler Ontiveros                   

April 20,2011

Dear Family, 
Another week. So it snowed a lot this year? Oh I sure remember the year round performance nights. I'm sure Izzy and Jane and Anna did a great job. Mom I  could sure use a haircut. There is actually a guy here that does a pretty good job and its only five reals, but I dont think he is as good as yours. 
The floods are down a ways. Closer to the Jungle. So I am safe! We arrived just in time last week or two weeks ago because now the water is almost covering their houses. It stinks, but the people are very nice they can't see people suffering it was really cool how everybody was out and ready to help. Yes we teach a lot everyday! By the end of my mission I think or hope that I will be a pro at teaching especially to people who don't seem like they have any interest at all.  
Yesterday was a great night we have been teaching this man for a couple of weeks now he is about 37 years. He is very intelligent. He is someone that we found through a member and he is was looking for the truth. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he could not keep his hands off of it. I love going over to his house because he has so many questions. He actually cares. He has the desire to learn more,  but he has a smoking prob and he wants to stop. Yesterday we wrote down some things that would help him quit, one of them being  prayer. I shared my testimony about Prayer. The Spirit was so very strong and powerful the whole time. It brought us all to tears at the end. This Gospel can really change peoples lives! Now we just have to talk to his wife and their three kids. His wife has the same problem. I can say and understand a few words, but I sure love going to his house. 
I had to speak this week. I don't know if anybody could really understand me, but oh well.. people said they enjoyed it. I guess that's good. I talked about having hope. I shared a couple of scriptures in moroni chapter 7. I wasn't too nervous also so thats good. This key board that I am using is not wanting to  work with me. Good thing Mother's Day is coming up. Mom you already know (2 weeks)
 I love yall very much sorry this is a short one and no pictures. Next week should be a better one.
 Com Amor 
Elder Ontiveros   

April 13,2011

Well Hey
Well let's see... Yesterday was a fun day that is for sure. Well do you guys know on the news sometimes you will see peoples houses being flooded? Yeah Yesterday we had to help some of those people(members) and I really never thought I would swim on my mission. Just kidding, it wasnt that deep. But people were getting around by canoes moving all of their fridges, freezers, and beds by canoes. Luckly, we were able to get in with the truck that a member had fairly close to the house we started to load everything in the truck and everything worked out as planned. We even got in the Rio Branco news. But we were moving all of this stuff to another members home who is very generous. Their home isn't very big and they are allowing two other families to live in it with all of their stuff. It was pretty crowded. People are very nice and willing to help others out here. 
Other than that nothing is new. My portuguese increasingly gets better each day. I'm becoming more comfortable with speaking it. I wish I had more stories to tell,but I'm afraid I don't. I need to look for some material to prepare for my talk this coming sunday. Yikes. Wish me good luck.
I love you all.
Tyler Ontiveros