This is for Two Weeks.

This is for two weeks!

OI Meus Queridos!

     Haha well this week was really awesome just like all the weeks in the mission! We had exchanges with the zone leaders and I absolutely adore these guys! They are like little kids in these giant hulking bodies. They look like their 25 but, act like they´re 10. They are also absolutely AMAZING missionaries. I really learned how to help a person accept being baptized without even talking about baptism ;). 

     A little more about my area. So, in Barcarena, they have these guys that are paid to drive around with giant stereos blasting just the most RIDICULOUSLY ANNOYING music. And its in Portuguese so I don't understand it.  I am speaking a lot of Portuguese but I have opportunities to speak English. 

     We are watching the best two years today! taking a break and relaxing. I love Elder Belo - my trainer - he helps me a lot. 

    I have only a little bit of time! Happy Easter! General Conference is awesome and excited to hopefully understand a little! Next week send me your favorite conference talk! We bought more time so I will talk about our service project this week! We went to the field of one of our investigators who is just begging to be baptized. Our service project is digging up stumps. My thoughts were, "I have an axe and a machete, how could my day get better!". Other than the overwhelming scorching heat, I was able to get in a couple of batting practice swings. If the Brazilian baseball team needs me, I'm ready! 

     I just want to testify about heartfelt prayer! This week was especially rough! But I realized the problem was part of our lack of faith. Not that we didn't hope for new investigators or working for new investigators, but we weren't PLANNING for new investigators! Pray truly about what you need to do and after you receive this revelation, write down your game plan! It truly works! We are receiving more and more investigators ready to act on the word not just receive it. Every person here has a church. And every church believes their pastor is a prophet, so we have changed our contacts to talk about what a prophet is! I love it! I love Thomas S. Monson and I know that we have 15 men who lead the church! The Book of Mormon is true!

Love you all!

Elder Della-Piana

On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 3:12 PM, Mason Benjamin Della-Piana <mason.della-piana@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Te Amo

Sunset on a Boat

Yeah so, we just kinda were working this week. You know that message about happiness and all we kinda just, told people about it, and talked about the baptism of this perfect man named Jesus. It was AMAZING! No one really wanted a change in their life this week so we were really just planting a lot of seeds. We have been talking to anyone and everyone, really just shifting people like chaff. We have been blessed by the people here in Barcarena they are truly amazing! 

Elder Belo - TRAINER at Subway

Tuesday we saw some interesting things. Spiders the size of my hand. Dead Bullfrogs bigger than my head. Pretty cool! I can´t understand any of the names here so I really let my companion write them down and I repeat the names after him. Its intense! A little about my companion. Lived in Belem his whole life. Convert of 4 years, went to school in the Oregon as a transfer student, and knows the Shaws in Eden. He lives in Belo Horizonte and speaks okay english. Its a blessing for me so that I can understand lessons in depth. 

Wednesday had District meeting with the Zone. Our district is awesome, cause its me and Elder Belo with some great sisters. 

ZONE MEETING

Thursday and Friday we headed to Belem for the Mission meeting. President taught that better baptisms doesn't mean less baptisms, it just means we aren't teaching as well as we can be, which i think is true. Had some subway, which was just a little piece of america in my day. Any piece of america at anytime is truly amazing! Mom, tell Andrew Weenig i had the Jesus Guarana and it was AMAZING!

Saturday we had a lot of lessons planned, but only taught a couple and made more and more contacts. Its good because we really are just planting seeds. I had a little bit of an idiotic new missionary moment. We have this pull up bar, yep you know where this is going, and an elder asked if I could flip around. What a great idea! This only holds 200 lbs, add my force, and WHAP! landed flat on my back. Couldnt breath for 10 seconds and for the rest of the day, I felt like I was carrying 20 pounds on my hips from the pain.

Flooded street after rain

Sunday, oh get ready, woke up and forgot I had a talk for 20 minutes in sacrament meeting. So I spent the morning stressing and really just praying for guidance. Put in a little bit of scripture magic and BANG! Gift of tongues. It was amazing letting the spirit absolutely flow. I could feel my tongue loosened and the words came easy! It was great! But not the craziest thing! We got time for CTM or training the youth for missionary work and in the middle of the training, a bunch of people started running around screaming and yelling. Turns out a kid was having a heart attack. It was interesting watching the process of these members in the blessing. First lathering his hair with oil and then blessing him by casting out a devil. Its amazing to see, though the concept is a little off, the lord gives us blessings based off of understanding. These people understand bad health as a cause of a demon and because they are faithful, the boy was able to breath normally. It was really an eye opening experience! The priesthood is the power of god. We are truly blessed by his love and authority!

Te Amo e Boa Semana!

Elder Della-Piana 

Bacarena

Oi Meus Amigos! Tudo Bem! Desculps por os duas semanas! A LOT has happened since last week! So grateful for the opportunity to serve here! A little about this area, we actually have two duplas (companionships) serving here in Barcarena. As you may have guessed they are poor. But like not just poor but, wood house poor. It´s pretty sad! We have about 30 members in our branch and another 30 in the other branch! We have a solid group of youth that really have helped us a lot with missionary work! I LOVE this area because, it´s all about love and helping people out of a state of ignorance. I´ll talk about that later, I gotta go through the week.

FIRST ZONE CONFERENCE

Apartment in BACARENA

So first day we are flying to Belém on a Tuesday! and I sit down next to a man that is really just talkative. And I was sitting listening to whatever the heck he was saying in the language they call Portuguese and having the other Brazilians repeat it for me. After his 30 minute rant about families, we talked about the Book of Mormon and families and he talked about how he was going to visit his mother. i testified of how through this great church and through the ordinances of temples we can be with our families forever, then gave him a pass along card to learn more. It was dope! K arrived in Belém and I was going to call home. I had an English companion with me and he said as soon as the plane landed he was running to call home. I said I´d follow. As soon as we land, he books it off and I´m stuck in the back of the plane where all you can eat is a frozen fish head. Luckily came with a turnip and a spork. He takes off and we don´t know where he is until he returns saying he had to borrow a phone from one of the only English speaking people there. it was crazy. We had some rice and chicken for lunch talked about mission rules and then had pizza with ACTUAL TOMATO SAUCE! It was pretty louco! 

Bacarena

Next day wake up and head around town in this little taxi for the passport certification which was fantastic. Then we got on a little boat, almost a ferry boat but not quite and rolled on down the river with some CCR rolling through my head! There was a storm so the waves were just bouncing the boat and by bouncing I mean like a little skip. I felt like I was balancing on a medicine ball on top of a pole. Crazy! Arrived and went to lunch which was chicken and rice. Then went around to lessons and half the time didn´t know what they were talking about. it was good

The 3 of March was when we went to zone conference! We hopped on a bus and rolled out! its awesome bouncing around on an uneven street with a bus driver you can´t tell is drunk or not. It was like with the boat captain, every driver or sailor´s names got to be Captain Morgan. I started seeing dogs everywhere and every time you gotta look twice to see if they´re breathing! really sad... Zone meeting was dope, i got a pic for y'all! On the way back, we had to walk, but we were trying to hitch hike and this one guy lets us hop into the back of his truck! It was sooooo sick! Taught some good lessons and other stuff!The 4th just felt good! Guess what we had for lunch? chicken and rice. I´m amazed i havent had fish yet! And also i think every chicken is a free range chicken here, cause they are freaking EVERYWHERE! you can step outside without stepping on a chicken. We call that chicken leg. HAHA punny punny! 😄 Had a baptism and invited an investigator Mr C and he is amazing! Loves everything and follows through on everything! the thing about the people here is that they are all lazy and if they got a church, well uh better move on down the line! But we are really stressing Christ and the organization of churches and eternal families because a lot of people don't live together. This day we got drenched! It rains every day during the winter and we were soaked! INSANE! 

Then Sunday! We rested from all of our labors and just felt the peace! I was really suprised at how calm it was I loved it! Lunch🐔. We only had a handful of investigators come to church. But we are really hoping we got gold here in Barcarena. You just gotta do a little sifting! 

The youth here are cool! They party at the chapel every night, its cool! We are playing basketball today so im pumped! We get to play every monday at the chapel! Music is BLASTED EVERYWHERE! it is so loud and obnoxious and i don´t know the lyrics. Churches have drum sets and the hardest part is i cant go and play. Yesterday, during weekly planning we heard this noise sounded like a bird but outside our door! went to check it out, a little little kitten just meowing. SOOOO adorable! We had to shew it away but it is still around the corner just meowing away! 

My companion is Elder Belo and he just serves me. He is everything I could ask for and more! Incredibly patient and diligent! He will forcefully and physically remove me from ironing my clothes because he wants to do it!

Read about Mormon, read about how the choices in our alives truly affect us. He has some great words and is one of the prophets didn´t suffer personally but, suffered in the stiffneckedness of others. It´s like the mission. I got the truth, but you wont find out if its true. But its okay. If it were easy, everyone would join!

Muito Amor

Boa Semana

Hoje eu sou feliz! Muitas pessoas ajudam me com minha missão! Lot´s of people are helping me in my mission, than I can even imagine! We have had some rough times this week and everyday flies by soooooo fast! I´m really just loving learning Portuguese and teaching about how families can be together for the eternities! Next week, I´m out of the CTM and into Belem! I´m so jacked to head out and start fresh with a Brasilero who doesn´t speak a lick of English! It´s really going to make me put in the work needed to communicate daily and not just during a lesson! 

So I think I´ll start with the bad. We had a really rough week for me and my companion. Shots were fired and I was just itching for the final week so I could just get up and leave. When I think about it, there were a lot of things that were affecting our relationship. Sickness being one of them, which he still denies he did not start, (though we all had the same sickness in the ENTIRE DISTRICT). We had the failed tasks of not reaching our companionship goals and it seemed like all hope was lost. That´s when something really changed in me that I don´t want to forget.

I was thinking how I could better our relationship, when I started realizing every small thing I did, affected my companion. Every time i didn´t compliment him, he didn´t feel like he had accomplished anything, and was less likely to do it again. I realized I had been tracking his negatives instead of positives. After I noticed this, I felt so much more love for him because, I could see how much the mission was weighing on him and that I wasn´t lifting his burden. I was lifted up in the Pride of my heart and was about to be brought down.

This might not seem that great, but we had a roast where every missionary got to tell each other missionary in our district something they needed to change. I got lit up, and noticed some of the things I needed to do to be humbled and it changed the district in a good way.

Sorry I can´t talk more the prison officer is telling me to get off email!

read 2 nephi 31:20

Muito AMOR!

CTM Life

Well, these week was good. We had President Farnes, my brothers mission president from São Paulo Norte Missão as a speaker for devotional on Sunday. I had just left class to get a drink of water, when I see the CTM president walking by, and a man that I recognized. I called out, President Farnes! and he turned around and I said, I´m Elder Della-Piana´s brother, I may not be as tall but I got all the ping pong ability! He got a kick out of that cause Adam wooooped him before he left the field. He chuckled and after the meeting we got a picture.

Pres. Farnes - Elder DP - Pres. Swenson

In my district an Elder from Texas named Elder Gann has been cutting everyone´s hair and he got mine. I think it looks good and I think it looks like a clean version of Neymars haircut, so maybe I´ll gain some of his soccer abilities! This week was hard cause everyone is a little antsy to get out of here. We were all on the edge and then we had a paper ball shootout match. We emptied out our trashcan, and just shot paper balls for a solid 30 minutes. It was awesome and really relaxing!

Last week, we went to the middle of São Paulo and were handing out copies of the book of Mormon. We prayed for guidance on who to talk to, but it seemed like the lord wanted to show us that he really can do all things, and brought people to us. We even taught someone in english which was fantastic. And when we taught in Portuguese, I´m telling you the gift of tongues is real and it is truly inspiring. But at the end, one of the missionaries in our district had a book of Mormon left. They tried multiple times to get rid of it before we got no the bus, but no one would have it. Then we got on the bus and he saw a man and told me he had to give him a book of Mormon. He gave it to him and we talked about how God is our father and loves us and how the book of Mormon is a book of God and teaches us to follow christ and lean on him always. I could feel the spirit really strong and just wanted to preach with the trump of an angel as Alma says. 

But yeah Brazil is Brazil. I've been to Campinas and Sao Paulo temples and we got some sweet pics. I´m beginning to realize my talent as a photographer! The thing I love about the CTM is exercise time because we get to play basketball which is dope. It´s been hard focusing for 16 hours and working straight through but it´s easier when you break up the day and always restate your purpose and pray. I love it here and don´t want to leave! You might have to drag me back in two years!

Muito Amo

OI OI

This week was pretty cool getting used to the Saõ Paulo CTM but, all´s good in the hood. We eat rice and beans every meal but, the meat is AMAZING! It´s not like a steak but, it is cooked to the right texture and has amazing flavors. It´s a very beautiful place, but hard trying to talk portuguese to everyone. I feel like a ventriliquist trying to act out all of my feelings or something. It´s cool with all the Portuguese missionaries cause they make fun of all the american greetings we have. We do like different handshakes with different elders and its fun. 

PICTURE SENT BY MTC MISSION PRESIDENT in Sao Paulo

This place compared to Provo in structure of classes and everything is REALLY strict. Every class has an instructor and there is little to any time for personal study so you´re just throwing together lessons. We get to play basketball for gym time so i mean i´ve been fine just chillaxing and getting out all the energy. I can´t send photos cause they have restrictions on it but, I might be able to send them out next week. We get to go out in the city and walk around and it´s pretty cool. No air conditioning, only a mounted fan in our sleeping quarters. Actually classes have air conditioning, but the power goes out every other day because of a storm or some teenager is jacking the lines. Other than that it´s dope.

I´ve been learning about humility and patience this week. I´m with the twins from Provo, but I got an elder from texas who does jujitzu and is going to my mission. Elder Harrison a baseball player from spanish fork who likes the red sox, so we´re close. And an Elder Johnson who can relate to any music and any doctrine ever. We have a trio of sisters who are cool but it´s weird after being in a district with only elders. Its a high school atmosphere at the CTM so you learn to look outside yourself and bear your afflictions with humility and love. Learning the language is a crutch, but as we seek with a broken heart and contrite spirit, we are blessed. Have a fantastic Week!

 --

Elder Della-Piana

Festa Festa!

 This week was pretty cool! Lot's of ball, portuguese, the whole deal. But my companion and I really got to know each other better when we came together to build our weaknesses. We had a lesson where our fake investigator didn't read the scripture we gave him and didn't pray and our entire lesson got thrown out of funk. It was hard but it really helped us learn to study more intently and to treasure up the words of christ. We really had a good talk and it was amazing to see him throw out all these things that he didn't do well, and then realize that his weaknesses could become strengths, and that we have to build off of Christ and be

THE MTC DISTRICT

humble.

We have had multiple talks about faith in christ and how hope and work are such an integral part. Ether 12:6 really has been coming up clutch for me when I notice that I'm not feeling to hot or I feel discouraged. An amazing story is the story of Peter walking across the water to Christ. He asked in faith if christ would bid him across the water. he did, and peter steadfastly began to walk across. But then he took his eye off of Christ and plunged into the sea. Christ said "voce de pouca fe" (oh yeah of little faith). This story shows peter's faith and works but, as soon as he had doubts he turned on what he knew. A talk to look up is Neil L Anderson's talk on joseph smith. It talks about how some people turn on what they know, for something they do not yet understand. It really makes me want to keep learning of my savior and his infinite love.

K now about my zone. They're all so dope! Elder's Fernandez and Cannon are headed to the U after the mission, so we're gonna stay in touch. Elder Wahnless is basically me but two years older so we have great chemistry, the only thing is that he goes to BYU so I don't know if I'll be able to forgive him. Varshnicul Purcell just left but, we called him Uncle Bagon after a pokemon cause he was just a goof going to romania kinda like Protzman! Elder parker and Ortiz are a companionship who really are just studs! They just kinda are relaxed all the time so they keep everything chill! Elder Michael is elder Fernandez's companion, and we just drop beats like nothing else! We both just go hard and when we get in a zone, straight up dubstep re-mixes called "Straight out of the MTC" gonna be hitting the internet. For sisters, sister warwick is also going to romania. We call her mom cause she's like 23, and she is basically the only sane person here. Sister Demartini is headed with us to brazil this week. Oh yeah forgot to say I'm headed to the Sao Paulo MTC! So great! There are a bunch of other cool sisters but, sister anderson is the best! She gave us a box of candy she received from home when our district had been there one day! An awesome christlike example!

Man this whole writing thing is hard! But it's okay. Just remember to FESTA FESTA! all the time, (party party)! And if you need a little motivation, SO FAÇA-O! Read o livro de mormon and it will bless your life! I know it answers a question in your heart! Always build your testimony even upon "The rock whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).

Muito Amar

Elder Della-Piana

Falcao Puncao

Meu Proposito e convidar as pessoas achegarem-se o Cristo ajudando-as o receber o evangelho restarado por meio da fe e em Sua Expiacao, do arrependimento, do batismo, de se Receber o dom do Espirito Santo, e de perserverar ate o fin. 

THE MTC - Elder Moreno

That was the missionary purpose in Portuguese. Man it is a lot of fun just speaking it because you sound like you're trying to speak Spanish but you have a stuffy nose and you can only speak with your throat. 

You may know that I was supposed to go to the Brazil MTC, but I realized my dad doesn't actually love me when he messed up my birthday on the Visa (jk). So I'm in the Provo MTC. 

I have a companion whose name is Elder Ontiveros and he is SOOOO Goofy and it's lot's of fun. He really loves to express his opinion and just gets excited about the work. He has a little bit of a learning disability that doesn't allow him to focus well, but man he just has energy. We work on multiple vocab each day with words like, garbage, exquisite, and salty; and phrases like Falcao Puncao (which means falcon punch) and Calveiro Moreno Levanta, (Dark Knight Rises). Basically our calling card whenever we run into an awkward situation is Falcao Puncao. It's basically the best phrase on the planet.

In our district are four elders. Elder Ontiveros has a twin in our district. It's crazy! They are both going to brazil. The other elder is Elder Whitney and he's also going to brazil. He's a volleyball player. We all just talk Star Wars, tv shows, about the supernatural. It's pretty dope!

We had a discussion on Satan's Temptations and Gods Trials. We came to the conclusion that God gives us experiences for us to figure out ways to become more like Christ and to forget ourselves. It helps us to build faith as we reach out and help others with their challenges. Satan's Temptations are thoughts about the experiences, which lead us to doubt and to hesitate when choosing the right. Thoughts become actions and when Satan tries to tempt us, and we follow gods commandments, it build obedience and diligence. 

Both are integrated in Ether 12:6 which says, that there is no witness until after the trial of your faith and it's really building my testimony as I seek to help my companion learn and grow. I know that my dad messing up my Visa was a blessing, because It allows me to be in Elder Ontiveros life. I know that I was meant to be his companion so I could build him up spiritually and lingually and so that he could build my humility and patience. I'm so grateful for this experience and glad to hear from everyone!

--

Elder Della-Piana

Falcao Puncao