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!

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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