March 5,2012

Dear Familila,

Well hello it’s another week here in Brazil. Wow that’s great news to hear that John will be going to Brazil! I think I will get home right before he leaves. He will love the amazing people that live here.

This week was another good week. My companion seems to be getting used to the heat and rain here in Manaus. We with the ward are working really hard to help everyone in our area that we have a temple and that a prophet of God will be coming to speak to everyone here in Manaus. It’s just so amazing being here in Brazil seeing how the church has grown and how it continues to grow.  It just blows my mind!

President has really put a strong emphasis on how important this mark is. It Involves everyone that is a worthy member.  They have different slots open so everyone can participate for example; security, receptionists, choir, and they are going to a dance and a lot of other things. So yeah like I said it involves everyone and everyone. It will be great. 

 We planned another family night tomorrow. Everyone has to bring at least one person that isn’t a member. That was the deal. If they do so they will have a chance to win a prize.

Something I have realized as a missionary is how much your choices could affect the people around you. I don’t know if I already have said this but yeah this work is hard it isn’t the easiest, but it is very rewarding and I am learning a lot. And it helps a lot when you have a great happy attitude about doing it! And you have the spirit which is something that I want to have forever.

Janie you are a character haha you crack me up haha thanks for that. Well… I'm sorry it is time for us to go now. I love you guys a lot. I can't believe that we are in march its unbelievable.  Luv yall

Ty  

 ps my shoes are holding up really well. I should be getting my charger tomorrow, so I can take pictures!

February 19, 2012

Dear Family

I am sorry mom I forgot to email you and let you know that I had received the emails that you had sent me. I only had a little bit of time to read them. 

Thanks for the birthday wishes I enjoyed reading them all. I can't believe that I am 21 years old. I don't feel that old. I really think time flys. It seems like yesterday that I received the Aaronic priesthood and preparing to serve a mission and now my mission is almost over- wow time flys. I have got to take advantage of my time, six months is a very short amount. I still have a lot to learn. 

My birthday was great, surprisingly a lot of members remembered that it was my birthday. I was very surprised it actually seemed really weird that practically everyone knew that it was my birthday. It wasn't until later I realized that Brazil has a tradition that I didn't know about until now. It has to do something with eggs. Thankfully I was only threatened- nothing happened. Whoever has a birthday here usually gets pegged by eggs.
It was fun everyone threatend, but they knew that they couldn't throw eggs on me. Someone baked a cake and gave us dinner. It was a great b- day.
Well I got a new companion this last Tuesday and he is an excellent misionary. He is very excited and happy to be here. This last week he was getting used to the food and the heat. He got pretty sick,but now he is much better. This week will be a good week!
His name is Ferreria. He is Brazilian. He is from sao paulo. He was born into the chruch and has a brother that is serving in porto alegre. good kid! He is excited!
This week was a slow week. We had a member bring someone to church and he already told us that he wants to be baptized he said once he walked in the chruch he already knew there was something different about the church he felt something different. We told him that it was the spirit and asked him if he would like to feel like this always. He agreed and we marked to visit him tomorrow.
I learned today that the temple dedication will be in June the 8th! It will be great! We aren't sure who will be coming, but everyone is very excited! We are all working very hard to get everyone to see this spectacular piece of work.
well I wish I could have responded to everyone (dad sorry) but our time is up and we have got to go.
I hope everthing is doing well
Love you all very much
Elder Ontiveros

February 12, 2012

Dear family,
I don't have much time to write you all. Yesterday was a busy day. We
went to the center and it took longer than expected. It is getting
pretty busy here because of Carnival that will be next week.
This week was a good week our numbers were really great. President was
really pleased with our work. We were able to find a lot of new people
to teach that will have potenial to be baptized. Tomorrow we will
have our zone confrence with president. I'm excited to see what
president has to say in regards of the temple dedication. It is going
to be a great event. We need everyones help, so it will be interesting
to see how we plan for this.
I received an email from an investgator that me and Elder Ribeiro
baptized in Acre. It was a great email! He bore his testimony and was
very grateful to have known us. He said that he is preparing to serve
a mission this next year and that he will give a talk this week for
the first time. He said that he is very nervous.Sleepless nights. But
he will later find out that this is just the begining.
This week is the last week before changes. I dont know if I will stay
or go. I will let you know. I hope I stay. This is a great area.
I love you all. Iz I hope you are doing better. I pray for each of you
everyday. I'm sorry this is a shorter email, but we have got to do our
district meeting.
with love,
Elder Ontiveros

February 6, 2012

Dear Familiy

Well this week flew.  I can’t believe that it’s another p Day. Haha I loved the letter you sent me mom. You are a very funny person. Iz I'm sorry that you´´ broke your nose´´ that isn’t so fun and wow you have to go get an operation…Have a quick recovery!

This week was a great week. Sunday was a great day I learned a lot in church. Everything that we are learning just makes sense! It just makes sense! And it is so simple to understand if you pay attention and have an open heart. That seems to be the biggest problem is that people already have a church, so they don’t want to listen to something that they already have or they don’t want to try something new. There are a lot of reasons why, but it´s important to move on because we know what is right and true or I should say move on with a great attitude even if the person you contacted doesn’t want anything to do with the church. That’s something that I have been trying to work on. At times it’s a bit difficult for me, but it helps to smile or laugh or skip hahaha ohh

This last Sunday I learned how much our Heavenly Father loves us and how much we really have that says that he really exists and prepared a plan for all of us to be able to return to him. Sunday I learned that how we know he created a lot of worlds and in these worlds he had different Adams  (Miguel’s) and learning this just opened another door and really just amazed me that I still have a lot of things to learn and everyday I can´t wait to learn something new.

This is the Chruch of Jesus Christ I have no doubt about it. We are here to be tested and we learn from these tests. It´s through the small simple things that great things happen.  I am so grateful to be a part of this gospel! Thanks mom and dad for teaching us these principles it is such a great blessing.

Mom I sure hope you had a great Birthday yesterday!! I'm sorry I missed it, but I will be home for the next one. I love you soo much! Hope you had a good b day I wanted to send some photos but none of these computers accept memory card, soo we are going to have to go to another lan house to send photos maybe next week. Love ya beija! 

Well I'm going to go now. I love you all. Tell that stinker Jake to write me back! Oh they are planning a bit more for the temple dedication. Apparently Elder Bednar and another apostle came to Manaus without anyone knowing and afterword’s they had a meeting. They still don’t have a date, but everyone here in Manaus is planning for the Cultural activity and other things that they will do for this wonderful event. They will have two or three weeks that the temple will be opened for everyone to see. The goal is get 80,000 people to see the temple. It is very exciting. I love you all hope you have a great week!

Elder Ontiveros  

January 30, 2012

Familia,

Well here I am again another week writing to you. I'm not being able to get onto the internet right now, so I have decided to write to you while I wait for the internet to turn back on. I'm not sure how your week went, I hope it went well!

This week was a good week.  We have been working a lot with members who haven’t been very active in the church. It is very difficult to get someone to return to church. It isn’t impossible, just complicated.  Usually they have problems, it could be with the commandments, the members or the leaders or they just don´t have any interest in the church.  It is very neat to be instruments for the Lord. Every person is different and unique and we just feel a lot of love for these people who are having a tough time. It is just cool everyone we teach we say something different as if Jesus Christ himself would be saying it to them. It is up to them if they will listen or not. Sometimes I wish I could just force someone, but that would take their right to choose.  On Sunday that is when we see if they listened.

This week we found a couple who has a son on the mission. They aren’t members and I'm not sure if they are married either…we need to ask them. The dad has been more receptive and likes talking and he asks some good questions. Saturday we taught him the plan of salvation and he understood everything really well. It was good!! We asked him to be baptized, but he didn’t accept, so we will wait and see what happens next week.

I was able to read your email. Haha what a great week, I laughed. I wanted to take some photos this week to show you my new area, but I forgot that my charger is in Acre still. I have got to ask my companion to ask the zone leader to bring it back from there.  

These past couple of p days we have been playing futebol. Soccer is annoying sometimes, but I have learned a bit on how to kick the ball. It’s a bit harder playing soccer without shoes there are different ways to kick the ball and move your feet. My feet aren’t very tough. They aren’t used to running on concrete. I get by. It's good exercise. 

I miss you all- we haven’t heard anything about the temple dedication, but they should be announcing it here in this next weeks.

Love ya

Elder Ontiveros  

Ps I will just use the credit card part then if I need too. I was able to get the money from the mission, so everything is ok.

January 23, 2012

Well hello family, 
How are things going? This keyboard isn't doing very well so I might type a coulple of things that won't really make much sense. This week was ok. It's sometimes hard to get used to new things, new areas, companions, people. I think Manaus is a lot different than Acre or Boa Vista. Me and my companion are having a hard time. I don't know if he likes Americans very much, but we are trying to work out our problems. 
My companion is from Salvador, no I'm not training he has 6 mounths on the mission already. 
This week we had a baptism. We should have had two baptisms, but the dad of this girl wouldn't allow her to be baptised because he doesn't think that she is prepared to be baptised. We found this out the day of the baptism. (domingo} We were pretty sad, but after church we went and talked to him and he said that we could talk to him this week. So I'm hoping that it will go well. I think he was just saying that so that she wouldn't be baptised into our church becasue he goes to another chruch and we being the church of Jesus Christ we kind of have a target on our backs because it seems like all the other churches are against us. 
We took a break with writting emails and went to a members house for lunch in another missionaries area and I went to go see if I could take money out, but my card that I got from the church is still having problems it looks that I'm going to have to get a new card. I have to wait until the money is put into my comps account. We are fine the members are awesome in this ward and are taking good care of us. I am fine on food. 
I wanted to send some pictures, but I forgot my camera- sorry... this week we have another baptism. Another members son who is less active. He is a really cool kid and very smart. He has always got a smile on his face when he sees the missionaries. 
Mom that is great that the buisness is going well! parabens! congrats! it seems to me that miracles are happening all over the place. Sweet. 
Well I need to write president now its time for me to go. Keep praying for me becasue it helps a lot and clearly I'm praying for you guys all the time. 
love you all
elder Ontiveros 
We haven't heard anything about the temple dedication..yet they don't know yet when it will be done. People are saying June or July others are saying August or October. I just hope that I'm still here when it happens. 

January 16, 2012

Hey família

How is everyone doing? Well I'm here in Manaus again and it is nice and toasty. I didn’t realize it before, but Manaus has tons of people tons and tons of people the area that I'm in is a pretty big area and really busy. I wasn’t able to take pictures today, but I will next to show you a little bit of my area. The river Amazonia is really close to where we live, it’s pretty cool. I haven’t gone swimming in it yet…jk, but I have been tempted because we haven’t had water for three days to take a bath I don’t know why, but my comp said that this happens every so often in this area. There are some members that live pretty close and we take showers there, their agua system is a bit different than ours they have a well or they get it from the river.. Something like that. I don’t want you to worry everything is fine. Members take good care of the missionaries.

This will be a good area. We already have two baptisms marked for this Sunday. And this last Sunday a member asked us to baptize their grandkids which was something that the grandpa should have done, but they insisted that we baptize them, so we did and it was a good welcoming for my first Sunday.

A sweet member said that they will wash our clothes, so we are going to go get that done now. I used a bit of money these past couple of days because we don’t have a bank in our area to take money out of our accounts. I'm sorry and thanks oh and yes I got my package THANKS I loved it and I loved the new shoes and ties and candy from America! THANKS

Tell Jane I said Happy Birthday (Parabéns)  Jane, let me know how well your birthday went. How many years do you have? Let me know.

I liked the story you shared with Jake haha that must have been pretty funny for you mom.

Were you able to film it?

My time is running out I have got to go

Love you all

Elder Ontiveros

Ps the tree of life is awesome only that it takes a bit of time to explain my thoughts about it. I will get back to you. 

iz when i get back im going to learn how to dance, just you watch 

January 9, 2012

Hello fam,

Well another week as gone by and here I am again. This week was a great week. Friday was a good day, I learned a lot.

Friday we had the opportunity to leave with a returned missionary. He showed up at our house about 10 in the morning and was ready to go to work! He was really excited and willing to do whatever we needed him to do. We were able to see a lot of our investigators and some less active members. It was a good experience to hear the testimony of this returned missionary.

This isn’t your ordinary returned missionary; he is practically blind in one eye the left one only 40 % of his vision works and on the right 10 %. When he reads he has to put the book up to his face or when he writes he has the same problem. He never really said how difficult the mission was for him, but for how grateful he was for his companions to have helped him, read, or write or take care of him when he needed it. He said it was always a sad day when he had to say goodbye to another companion, but he said that one day his president called him up and said that he had a present for him: that he would be going home that he needed to end his mission at his house. He didn’t want to leave at first, but he decided to obey what his president said and returned home and was able to end his mission at home. He baptized his Dad and Mom.

This returned missionary is a great example. He is just grateful for everything that has happened in his life. He has been trying to find that lucky girl, but it isn’t going very well for him. He doesn’t get sad or mad he jokes about it and just moves on.

At times I worry a lot about my weaknesses and I forget of what I have. I am grateful for you all and all of the blessings that I have received another cool thing that I noticed how many blessings this returned missionary received after his mission.

I am finally going to Manaus and I think I will hopefully be staying there for a while. Boa Vista was a good area. I met a lot of good people that know how to serve and think about others than themselves. I'm leaving Tuesday morning on the plane thank goodness. Haha president visited Boa Vista 2 weeks ago and he and Sister Klein got here by car. I think, then, they realized that the road wasn’t very good to ride on. So we will go by plane.

Love you guys,

I will let you know about my new area.

Elder Ontiveros        

January 2, 2012

Well it sounds like you have your hands tied with the dog. Our new year was great! A member invited us over the same member that invited us over for Christmas. She loves the missionaries! She treats us as if we were here own kids. She has 7 of her own. 6 boys and 1 girl. 16, 14, 12, 10, 7 (girl) 4 and another boy that has 4 months, yeah a big family, everyone knows that here. Anyway they invited us over Saturday night and she made us lasagna. It wasn’t as good as yours mom, but it was pretty close. Sunday was another good day as well! After church we ate lunch at francimar, he is a fisherman and knows how to prepare some really good fish and chicken...well I thought it was chicken at first, it looked a little different but I didn’t notice until after I ate a lot of it. I told him that ´´this was the best chicken I ever ate! ´´ He laughed and said it wasn’t chicken he said it was alligator! So I finally tried alligator and it was pretty good. He prepared it really well. I even took a picture of it.  Speaking of food mom do you have a recipe for banana bread? If you could send me a copy that would be great. A couple of people would like to try it and we have a lot of bananas so I thought that it would be good.

This week was a little slow for us. We had one person that went to sacrament, but she needed to bring the rest of her family with her. I don’t know what we are going to do with this family, we have been teaching them for quite some time and the lessons go well and it seems that they are doing their reading, but they just won’t go to church. They always say that they will go, but some last minute thing comes up. It is annoying sometimes; we might have to move on which is very sad because they are really cool! But they need to show a little bit more effort and go to church. We have been trying to think of better ways to get people to go to church and I think we have found our solution. We are going to buy a bus. So I think I’m going to need about 3,000 dollars, so you can just put that in the account...that would be great. Thanks. I’m just kidding. I really don’t know what we are going to do are problem is that we can’t get members to teach with us on the right time. This is something that is very important because members mean a lot to our investigators, they need as many friends as possible. 
We will see how it works out this week. We think have got a system that will work out well. This week is transfers... will i go or stay? I think I will be here for awhile. So I’m staying. But we will see
I love you all 
elder Ontiveros