NOVEMBER 2025 RECAP…
First of all, if you guys thought my comfortable life in the MTC didn’t seem like much of a “Mission Trip,” oh boy, it got real, real fast.
Trouble In Paradise
The first day I arrived at the “apartment” I would be living in for the next while, the first thing I noticed was how dirty everything was. The originally white floors were a dingy brown, the walls, once yellow and pink, were also turning a nice shade of brown and were filled with what I can only assume to be grubby hand marks from 15+ years of missionaries living there. The space reeked of porta potty, and the kitchen was probably breaking 15+ health violations (it was also plagued with the same vintage film brownish tint). Don’t worry too much about this because I began cleaning immediately. It’s been an uphill battle trying to clean with only two people dedicated to the work in the house (both Americans), but we’re making headway. It’s just not a big part of the culture here to keep things clean. It’s honestly sad; there’s just so much trash and dust that it’s hard to keep anything clean if you’re not rich.
Humbled in a home
The first day I arrived, I was taught more than just a lesson on the importance of cleanliness; I was taught what true humility looks like. After I left what would become my new home, I took my first walk through one of the many favelas I’ll have the opportunity to make my second home. The conditions were shocking and way worse than the “mess” that was my apartment. These people had nothing; their roofs were either tin or clay shingles with gaps to the sky, air conditioning is a myth, and even if you cleaned your house here every day, top to bottom, the dust from the motorcycles, that tear through on the sidewalk like “road”, would make your efforts futile.
The first home we “knocked” on the door of (we clap; the doors would break if you knocked (if they have one)), we were met with an excited family who happily let us in to share our message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the lesson went on, I heard a quiet ish noise behind me at the door. I was preoccupied, trying to make sure my pronunciation was correct and follow along with what my Brazilian companion was saying, so I didn’t pay much attention. As we closed in prayer, I heard a quiet “amen” from the door behind me. The whole time, listening to our lesson about the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, this little girl, who looked about 6, had been sitting in the dusty, trash-filled ditch that was their “front porch,” listening.
This simple but humble act broke me, and tears began to flow from my eyes. I now had grasped what the childlike humility Jesus preached really meant. Matthew 18:4, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” It’s being humble in any circumstance and seeking truth, the light of Jesus Christ.
I know I don’t know much, but I know that the church is true, and it’s my responsibility to share the gospel. I know I’m just one guy, but I hope that I can make a difference.
🔥Dom Toretto (Burned Alive)🔥
My experience on the buses here has been one of the funniest/scariest/miserablest experiences. The bus drivers here have no chill; they will drive with one hand, handing you your change, the other hand on their phone, texting their girlfriends, and somehow they’re still swerving and collecting near misses like it’s Forza Horizon. One of these great experiences brought a little sweat to my brow, literally. We were driving to a far-away town as I saw the beginnings of a forest fire engulfing the road on both sides. I fully expected the driver to stop or turn around, but the guy slams on the gas, speeding up as we approach the flames. He must have watched Fast and Furious the night before because he pulls a move straight from Dom Toretto’s playbook, as we speed through this natural disaster. Sitting inside our newly commissioned oven, the heat begins to increase, quickly, and I was sure we’d be hot dogs, but to my relief, we barreled out of the flames to safety and continued on our way, safe and sound. Safe to say I should have trusted the bus driver’s desire to see his girlfriend again.
Art Of The Month
The Holy Ghost
Although we aren’t allowed to tell specific stories about the people we teach, the experience of sharing the gospel in a language other than my own has been a rollercoaster, but the experiences where the Spirit has given me the exact words to say in certain situations when needed, far beyond my current skill, have been marvelous to see. The Lord is truly in this work, and He guides daily.
One experience in particular happened when we were giving a lesson at night to someone we’ve been teaching for a week or so. Our lesson is going great, and my companion begins to share his personal testimony of the things we are saying. I felt strongly impressed to share as well, but my “67%” fluency only goes so far when talking about complex personal stories, especially in the past, so I was feeling a little nervous. But as I sat there, I felt another prompting from the Holy Ghost, this time that the words that I needed would be given to me. When I began to share, I immediately began to struggle; the words were jumbled, and I was saying the wrong words, but almost like a switch, the correct words started to flow, and I told my testimony in a way and with words and the proper grammar that I was not capable of on my own. Mark 13: “…take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”
Americas Got Talent
Fortunately for me, when I arrived with my friends from the MTC, one of these “friends” told Sister Smith (basically our host mom) that I could sing. Hearing this, I immediately corrected him and told her the truth; my singing is about as bad as a dog howling. I thought this was the end of that. I was wrong. I think she forgot what I said or thought I was just being humble or something, but I was told that I’d be singing in a recital for our mission. I want to reiterate again, my singing is awful, and as much as I’m trying to learn, it’s far from good. I also tried to correct her again when she asked, but my bashful response was just indirect enough that it was taken as a humble response from a good singer, and I was put in the group chat of the singers for the Christmas “recital,” and now I’ll be singing “The First Noel.” Wish me luck.
Looking Up
(I wrote this in my last week at the MTC)
Over the past 5 weeks here at the CTM I’ve found myself looking up. For the most part it’s hard to see the sky when just looking ahead, normally it’s the large buildings that block the view to the sky. Recently I’ve had to make an effort to look up, seeing the undersides of palm trees, seeing how the sky and the built environment meet, and taking the time to enjoy something I used to be so accustomed to seeing without effort. This new experience has brought me to reflect on a principle rooted in similarity. How many times are we letting man made objects get in the way of a beautiful sunset, or letting the things that stand ahead block the beauty that lays behind them? Often I have found myself caught up in the work that needs to be done, or the destination I want to reach, that I forget the reason why I’m here in the first place, I forget the purpose. I’m not just here to do it on my own, but sometimes I forget about the people I want to see there too. I forget about the needs of others along the way, I forget to look up to see the beauty happening around me. But sometimes it’s different. I sometimes find myself looking forward to the sunset just be preoccupied and miss it, I’ll see the sun almost at the right spot, make a mental note to come back but forget. How much is this like the miracles in life? How many times have we sat waiting for a miracle to change the sky from light to a beautiful array when it’s been gradually happening the whole time. Those miraculous events have been forming under our nose the entire time but they slip past our recognition because we are too focused on the night and day change. Mosiah 4:27 outlines this best “…it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize…” While I’d love to say, now I’ve reached a point where I have mastered the art of being in the moment, I will not lie, but I have been able to, every now and then, stop and look up and see the miraculous change happening in my life and enjoy the sunset.
Sorry for the yap, but not sorry. Hope it was entertaining and spiritual. As always send me a email back, I love em.
Notable Events
-I am now longer a teen
-We are only walking about 13 miles every day 🙏
-The house is cleaner-I have become a master chef (send me your favorite recipes)
-I teach an English class here
-We had our first baptism last week!
-Christmas season is hot 🤧
-Forgot Thanksgiving existed
Google Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cnvNHFLuWEPTfcKj