Elder Akina

Elder Akina

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Week 5 Sacrament Meeting Talk

Brazil Piracicaba Mission Map
     Hazzzit my pasoas! (people) So this is my last week here in the CTM and I am stoked to the max, I cant wait to leave.

     I had to give a talk this past Sunday, ha ha here in the CTM they announce who is speaking like in sacrament meeting, this past Sunday I left my bag with all my manuals and what not with my talk back in my room thinking I'm not gunna give a talk.  There are tons of people here, so I'm sitting in sacrament meeting and they talk super fast, so it was kinda hard to understand but then I hear an "Elder Akina"... and I was like this is not real life right now!  Ha ha!  So I got a scripture and talked about it a little and bore my testimony on it and I thought it went pretty good, it was like 4 minutes. It's just freaky cuz its in a different language.  One of the branch presidents pulled me aside after and was like, "you did that without anything written down huh?"  I was like, " yah."  He laughed and said, "you'll be amazed what the spirit will help you accomplish if you are always in tune with it", and i was like, "ha ha believe me i know!"

     We just got back from the temple, it was pretty sweet!  Its' getting pretty hot here.  Nothing that new this week though just more classes and devotionals and classes then food then classes. It's super crazy, there are all these brand new missionarys that are coming in every week and you say something in Portuguese to them they dont even know what to say back.  It felt like that was me like yesterday, time definatley went by fast here. 

     I think the next time I will get to email you guys it will be from the Mission Presidents house.  Oh mom stuff for the box that I need : office supplies, Chapstick, verb book and dictionary (Portuguese/English), floss.  Thanks heaps.

     Tell Carlie to start checking her mailbox at school I sent her a letter last week.  Send me pics mom, especially one of Carlie playing, also the one with me and Daddy Kanani in front of the hotel in Hawaii,  I'm in the red long sleeve hawaiian life guard shirt, and the one with me on the beach boogie boarding surfing etc. . . . I think I sent them to your phone while we were in Hawaii. 

 Thanks, love you lots Tchau

Bonus Second E-mail:

Mom to Elder Akina:
Eu te amo muito meu filho maravilhoso
 
com amor,
 
Sua mae.

Elder Akina's Response:

he-he da madda is learning Portuguese!!  Does this say, " I love you a lot my wonderful son, with love, mom.

Mom to Elder Akina:  Yes it does!


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Week #4 Hitting the Streets

Sao Paulo
 
 Hey Mom!   The food is still super good, I dig it.  We only got 2 weeks then were out!  I'm pumped, I just want to get out in the field already!  My companion and I get a long, he's super spiritual and like quiet; not into anything I'm into so were pretty much the opposite, but we teach really well together.  I try to learn all I can from him. 

I'm glad Carlie was able to see you guys, make sure she didn't take any of my socks!!!! haha jk.  Tell Imua I love him and I guess Opihi too.

No I'm not getting letters from that place and I asked them if you put money or you got me stuff from there through that thing they do and they said no, so idk.

This week was super fun!  We went proselyting on Thursday and my companion and I tore it up!  They gave us 4 BOMs and we placed all of them in half an hour.  Haha - - we were terrified, you take a bus to downtown Sao Paulo and you're on your own.  We said a prayer before we started.  As we approached the first guy - - I was so nervous!   My companion and I worked it out to where I was the one with the intro like "hi, can we share a message about Jesus Christ with you" and intro the BOM and what its about.  So we walked up and I talked to him like perfectly, he said yeah and I got a little time, we had like a 10 minute convo with him!  I could understand his questions and I answered all of them.  He took the Book of Mormon and walked away!  My companion and I just turned, we looked at each other, and I told him, "if a month ago you told me I would be able to that I would not have believed you!".  

We did get rejected a lot though, we got a lot of,  "no its okay I believe in the bible"  or "sorry I'm working",  but it was all good.  It was so much fun.  

I've just been using my card so I don't really need the paper money, so it would help to just if anything put money on my card.  I don't know how much is on it so if you could get me my balance that would be nice. 

Tell everyone I love them, love you the mostest.

Elder Akina

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Week 3 Pig Hooves & Chicken Hearts

October 30, 2014      
      I am sending another e-mail via the cookie place.  Some Elders with P-day on Friday are taking this out for me so you can get it. 

     Sadly, p-day has come to a close.  We ate at that Churrascaria and I ate so much!  These guys would just come by our table and just keep cutting different kinds of meat, I had every kind.  There was this soup, it had pig hooves but it was so good.  Elder Cummings and I loved it!  The chicken hearts were not that bad, they kind of tasted like shrimp to me. 

     We got two new roommates.  They're both Brasileros which is good because it forces us to speak more Portuguese. 

     We just got done teaching,  my companion and I read the schedule wrong;  so we had no lesson prepared.  We decided to freestyle it with no notes or anything and it was honestly one of the best lessons we every taught.  Our Portuguese was a little rough at some points but we figured it out.  We answered all the questions he had about the Word of Wisdom but this one we got stuck on.  We told him we we'd have his answer next time we met with him.  His question was, why do Mormons not drink coffee because of the caffeine, but they can drink like 10 cokes a day?  Ha-ha we were stumped!  We'll find his answer later tonight! 

     One of the Irmaos (teachers) asked me last night if I was excited for Halloween . . . and I was like, "Oh, it's Halloween?"  It's crazy how many things just don't matter when you're immersed in the missionary work!  I will miss Opihi in his pumpkin costume! 

November 5, 2014
     We just got back from the temple. This week has been very long, but I have learned a ton.  We have gotten like double the missionaries we have had this week, all of them Brasileros.  They're so funny.  We got these two new districts in our physical activity so the v ball games get pretty intense, with Brasileros tho, they'll just wait for the ball to get to them and use there feet haha!   We get a new sister in our Districto tonight so were all pretty pumped.
 
     My district has made a goal this past week to stay awake in all of the devotionals and conferences (which is the struggle because everything's in Portuguese) but I have developed a formula to stay awake in everything.  Before any leadership meeting or anything else, I drink 1 bottle of water like in 4 seconds. Then I have to go to the "Elder's Room" really bad right about the time I start to get sleepy or whatever so it keeps me up.  (Proud Mama moment!)
 
     I'm about to go to Chainey's so I'll check for your mail mom. I also need Carlie's address like to mail. Nothing really new and exciting, same thing pretty much everyday.  We have a sweet view from our room and we were looking out the window.   This plane was like out in the distance and Elder Jensen was like hey Elder Akina how far away you think that plane is.. I was like idk a mile... he was like nah man for you it's about 2 years!  Ha ha good laughs.
 
     I forgot to tell you guys a couple days ago an Elder Camacho left for the field.   Well, he is a Kamehameha grad and is good friends with Anna and Tierre, so let them know he and I were boys!   I got a pic with him,  I'll send it when I get out of here. 
 
     To the Packer Boys: When I get back I need to see Kade, Rand and Mont dunking on the regs, you too Rhet!  Be nice to your sister.  I'm proud of all you guys, and grateful for the opportunity I had to be amongst such fine young men.  You guys need to know Heavenly Father has blessed you with an awesome family.  Listen to your parents!  Your dad is seriously the coolest of the cools, he is one my hero's as I am sure he is one of yours.  I can't wait to come back and see how much you guys have grown. Much Love,  Elder Akina.
 
     Okay mom I'm going to try and send you another letter through the cookie place.  Give Imua a hug and Opihi a kick in the shorts for me.
 
     Love you dad,  thank you for your letters they are really what I need to hear.  Love you mom,  'till next week
 
Elder Akina