Monday, May 26, 2014

Week 8 - Warning from an Apostle


This week we were suppose to have a conference with Russell M. Nelson [an apostle of the Lord], but he had a vision.   He was warned the day he was to come would have a lot of evil and wicked things occur.  So that day all the missionaries stayed in their homes.  The police in the state of Sao Paulo and 9 other Brazilian states didn't work.  


At 6:00 pm our mission president told us it was OK to go out and proselyte again, so we did.  When we stepped outside the house we instantly felt uncomfortable. Walking the sidewalks had different vibe then normal but we were protected and all is well. 

Our investigators are doing well and we had some really spiritual lessons this week.  We hope to have a baptism this week.  We will have two in the next two weeks.

Transfers are Wednesday and we find out tomorrow where everyone is going.  I hope I stay here because I feel I can help the people here enormously. I just haven't figured out how yet, but I know that I'm suppose to. 

My clothes are ehhhhh.  They are always wet.  I feel gross and nasty and smelly here 24/7.   There isn't a day that I have felt clean or comfortable in my clothes.  I miss American hygiene.  Of coarse the day I washed my clothes and hung them on the clothes line it rained for three days straight -- so yeah I'm wet but I'm not down or discouraged or anything!  I'm just really busy!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Week 7 - In Brazil

The plane ride was really nice! I got to eat some McDonald's which was delicious!  On the flight to Atlanta I sat by an older couple from South Carolina and just talked to them.  They were so nice and ended up being really interested in the church.  They are super big readers and so I was able to give them a Book of Mormon.  They really wanted to read and find out more.  It was way exciting!!

It was storming really bad in Atlanta so the made us stay on the plane.  I ended up missing my flight to São Paulo.  They rescheduled me on a plane to São Paulo two hours latter.  On the plane I met a lady who was Brazilian and has a lot of Mormon friends!  I don't know how interested she was but I talked to her!  Because I missed my flight from the weather I got to sit in first class which was way nice!  I got to watch the sun rise as I was flying over Brazil which was beautiful!



During the storm at the airport in Georgia it was raining like crazy and I guess they left every ones suitcase outside.  I arrived here and EVERYTHING in my suitcases was completely soaked.  A lot of my clothes are ruined...  I was able to save most of my ties thankfully!

When flying over Brazil I was blown away by how big the city is!  ITS FREAKIN HUGE!!!  Going through the airport wasn't bad but finding my chauffeur was.   In the MTC I felt like I could understand my teachers really well!  Here I don't understand ANYTHING anyone says...  It's way hard.




They dropped me off at the mission home and I got to meet my companions!   Elder Petterson and Elder Faustino.  Guess which one is the Brazilian?   Elder Petterson has only been out for two months but he speaks so well!  He told me that he couldn't understand when people talked at all until he became one of my trainers.  They are both really cool and good missionaries.  I like them a lot! Our mission home is really tiny.  

 Our house is small and gross.  Our shower is heated by the shower head so there are electrical wires everywhere around the shower -- talk about safety.  The buildings don't have air conditioning, not even the church building.  It's getting to be winter here and the Brazilians think its way cold but its really hot.  They think 80 degrees is cold!  I'M GOING TO DIE IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE I'M DYING NOW.   I've never been so sweaty in my life!!!  My clothes are semi wet to begin with and then we go work.  They get even wetter from me sweating so much!  I feel so gross.  I'm wet 24/7.  There are no dryers here...  Oh how I want a dryer!!!  If I don't lose a lot weight, I'm in trouble.  We walk a ton -- probably about 15 miles a day!  I'ts a 30min walk to everywhere we go.




My area I am serving in is called Monumento.  It's in the heart of the city of São Paulo!!!  There are so many skateboarders and longerboards.  I LOVE IT!!! It makes me miss my boards so much! There are people here that have long boards that are six ft long! They are literally surfboards with wheels!  Its cool to watch them ride them!  The streets are really really dirty and trash is everywhere. I don't know how to describe it.  It's a beautiful place but gross at the same time.  I love the graffiti though Some are way cool!  


ONE CRAZY THING HAPPENED YESTERDAY WHICH USUALLY ISN'T SEEN IN BRAZIL.  IT HAILED!  HAIL THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS WHEN IT WAS 70 DEGREES OUTSIDE.



THE DRINKS HERE ARE AMAZING!!!  THE JUICE IS LIKE HEAVEN!!!  There is this fruit called goiaba!!!  BEST THING EVER!!!  The soda is so good too!!!  They have Fantas that are only in Brazil!  

The members here are the must humble and nicest poeple I have ever met!  The people we teach are golden.  One read the entire book of Mormon in a week!  We teach a lot of Hatians!  Portuguese is hard enough for me right now and we are teaching six people in Creol.  One of them committed to being baptized which is cool!! A lot of the houses are smaller then my bathroom at home... I don't know how people live in them and then on the other hand other homes are huge!!!  I'm scared to take a lot of pictures because its kind of sketchy, but I have some.  Even with everything as miserable and hard as it is I'm really enjoying myself.  A lot of the time I just think to myself about what the Savior and pioneers went through and compare it to my situation.  My struggles are nothing!  

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Week 6 - Update on Travel

A quick update from Dallen's dad:

Dallen flew to Brazil through Atlanta on Delta Airlines.   His first leg of the flight went well.  He flew out of Salt Lake City and arrived in Atlanta on time.   However, the Atlanta area was covered in thunderstorms.   Dallen's flight to Sao Paulo was scheduled to leave 50 minutes later.   With the storms, the Atlanta airport was backed up and they waited 20 minutes on the tarmac for a gate.   He went as fast as he could but they had just closed the airplane's door as he arrived at the gate.   He missed his flight.

Delta had another flight leaving for Sao Paulo about two hours later.   They put him on that flight.   It was scheduled to leave at 10:10 pm.   With the thunderstorms in the area, this was delayed even further.  The flight finally left the gate around 11:30.

We haven't heard anything from Dallen and don't know when his preparation day (the day he is allowed to email) will be.   We look forward to hearing from him and hearing all about it...


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Week 6 - Travel to Brazil


The elders are always telling me I answer their prayers when I bear testimony!  The reality though is that it's not me at all.  It's the Holy Ghost.  I dont even remember what I say.   I just open my mouth.

I head out tomorrow for Brazil!!!  It's crazy to think that I have been out for over a month and a half and I'm heading out to the field already!  It feels like I have just been here for a week!  I'm the last Brazilian elder in the MTC to head out! The three new elders left this morning for Brazil!  I am really sad to leave tomorrow.  I had to say goodbye to Irmao Belchior and it was soooooo hard. We were both balling. 

Saying goodbye to Irmao Belchior
I dont want to even think about saying goodbye to the rest of my zone tomorrow morning. We are all soooo close! I feel like we have been best friends for my entire life! Saying goodbye to Irmao Nielson is going to destroy me too because he has been my teacher since day one!  I love the MTC soooo much.  I have had may great experiences and have experienced many miracles here! 

Dallen's MTC Friends

Branch President Radebaugh

The Brazilian Missionaries



Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Week 5, part 2 - Travel Itinerary in hand!


Hey, I just got my travel itinerary.  I leave next Wednesday!!! I fly through Atlanta.


Sao Paulo Brazil Temple


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Week 5 - Saying goodbye to some

The MTC is not full and the other elders have their visas now.  They leave for the Brazilian MTC next week...  I’m kind of bummed I’m not going to Brazil with them.  This week should be my last one but for some reason I’m staying an extra week.  Portuguese is a six-week coarse and this is my sixth week. Technically I will have finished my MTC training next week.  For some reason they extended my stay here by another week.


[Dallen’s parents speculate it has to do with the different missions in Brazil.   Each mission has their "transfer week" where new missionaries come in, those who have finished go home, and missionary companionships may be changed.   We are guessing Dallen’s misson transfer week is just off a week from the other Brazilian missionaries leaving.  It is hard on Dallen watching them go.]

Elder Casey and Elder Eldredge.  The zone leaders

Sister Ingaki.  Sister Miner left last week but Sister Ingaki is still waiting on a visa.

My teacher Irmao Belchior from Mozambique.