paradox

Wisdom Gained in Brazil: I now know, in graphic detail, exactly what I would do if I ever got peed on by a dog. Fun with Portuguese: Pecador = sinner. Pregador = clothes pin. These two words are not to be confused. The more I learn about everything that goes into a baptism, the more surprised I am that mine ever happened. It's like realizing after the fact that someone produced the Mona Lisa with a LiteBrite.   Manga is now my new favorite fruit. I would translate that as mango, but they... Read Full Story

Things I Have Figured Out/ Experienced So Far in Brazil: 5. You can hide the taste of anything with prayer and enough rice. 2. How much water it actually takes to flush a toilet. 3. It's more important to have things that are clean and work well than things that are new. 4. Every time is a good time for: a.) a party   b.) loud music   c.) a banana   d.) all of the above. 7. The hard things you don't want to do are the things most worth doing. 5. Everything is better in Português, including... Read Full Story

November 3--from the margins of my planner I bought a bottle of bleach today. But don't let the simplicity of that statement deceive you. I now say bleach with the awe and reverence of new discovery. Today, somewhere in the streets of Brazil, I decided that a good man--the modern continuation of all the ancient Charming virtues--is like a bottle of bleach. He's clean. In fact he's so clean, the only way to show how honestly clean he is demands that we dress him in a white shirt and give him a... Read Full Story

Greetings from Brazil! It's true. I'm finally in Brazil. My visa came like the shock of my life, and before I could really process what that would mean for me, I was on my first international flight to a foreign country. As I fight with this keyboard in my first ever experience in an internet café, I can't help but be reminded that São Paulo is very different from Temple Square. But I'm growing more and more accustomed to it all the time. The longer I'm here, the more I realize I desperately... Read Full Story

In my studies of the Book of Mormon, I've arrived again at the sections I have struggled most to be nourished from or apply into my life. Most people I've met struggle to appreciate the poetic and prophetic qualities of the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi.   The bane of my Book of Mormon-based existence has long been the war chapters in Alma. However, as a missionary I finally have an application in my life for these chapters.   Being a missionary is a lot like being in an army. We're men and... Read Full Story

I was on the Square today, and we saw a family at the Christus statue. After a really hard morning of being turned away abruptly from everyone we spoke to, this family was such a joy to see.   She was a mother, a member of the Church, and she had two young sons--they must have been about 3 and 4 years old. As soon as her children saw the Christus statue, they were so excited! Their little bodies were just an explosion of happiness, jumping and stomping their feet. Their smiles took up their... Read Full Story

Here is a list of my favorite things I've seen, heard, experienced and learned so far on Temple Square: The two year old girl who says "Nebuchadnezzar." There are about half a million creative ways to eat tortillas. And also, peanut butter. The bride with the zebra-stripe bolero for her wedding dress, with matching bridesmaids. If you say "Panda bear" in Mandarin with the wrong tones, you will say "Chest hair." The round windows on the Salt Lake Temple actually open. Members who see us... Read Full Story

I just realized today that I'm passing through the valley of the shadow of death, also known as the three month mark of my mission.   Because I was trained to go to serve a proselyting mission in Brazil and I ended up at a Visitor's Center on Temple Square, there's a large gap between what I was trained to do and what I'm actually doing every day. I try very hard to be receptive to the guidance and the changes so I can adapt to all the things I didn't expect. It's a lot to take in, and... Read Full Story

The next time you visit Temple Square, imagine an entire world of women beneath your feet making the place run. I'm convinced that the entire reason the mission is run solely by sisters is because men simply couldn't keep up with the changes or the pace here.   Another sister who serves here is from a tiny island called Kiribati, and she is amazing. She has so much success all the time, more referrals and tours than she knows what to do with, and I asked her recently what her secret is... Read Full Story

My visa to Brazil still has not arrived. For missionaries going to Brazil, this means a temporary reassignment to another U.S. mission.   I've been called to serve part of my mission on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I don't think anyone was more suprised by that assignment than I was. And now that I've arrived and I see what my life will be like for as long as I'm here, no one could be happier about my assignment than I am now.   The most amazing thing I've seen so far is that the mission... Read Full Story