August 4th letter

Ok so the week was great! The whole week we were working a lot with references from members trying to increase the rather small teaching pool we started with this week. And...... wow. Imagine some very incredible members of the church who havent been baptised yet.

The best way to describe my week is in the stories. Monday I got here and at about 7:00 we had a meeting with the ward mission leader. He is an excemplary member of the church who has a passion for the gospel. His family warmly greated me and we all immediately became good friends. After we went to the bishops house, and he too was happy to have me here, commented on how he liked my enthusiasum and seems like he will be great to work with.

Tuesday we met with some of the investigators the past missionaries had been working with. 

I forget the order, forget the when, Ill just get to the stories. 

During one day this week I was a little anxious about our group of investigators, and prayed that we would be able to do what is right and find those who were ready to hear the gospel. The next day we found a woman named E who told us that after almost passing away from cancer a year ago  wants to know why she is here, where she came from, and where she is going! 

Pray for her.

That same day we found a young man named B that believes the Book Of Mormon is true but has yet to be baptised because he never believed it was very fair that Jesus would visit the people who lived her in the Americas. He is hidding the book of Mormon from his parents and reading it because they do not accept the church. 

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to be short.

Elder Showalter

July 28th letter

 I writing you from my new area in Jardim Ipé. Saturday morning Elder Matamal (whose our zone leader) and I recieved the transfer notices for our zone and I recieved the news I would be transfered and become a senior companion. The news was a little bitter sweet because I really attached to Paranaguá. I loved the ward, the members were helpful, awesome investigators who became very close to me, and especially L and E. One lady, and Y were particularly sad to see me go. I bought me a pen with my name engraved in it. She put together a notebook to have people write goodbye notes to me and then passed it around to several members and investigators. Tons of people asked for pictures with me after church and I can tell you I really felt appreciated. Many people told me how great a job I did and, what was my personal favorite, that I "made a difference". Many people invited me to come back and visit! Y came to the bus terminal to tell me goodbye, and gave me a tie to remember him by! When we go there as a family I can´t wait to introduce everyone to you! Paranaguá was a very happy experience for me.

  My new area seems great. I am filling the place of Elder Mcgill! My companion from the MTC! Sweet right!? My new companion, Elder Gilherme, is from São Paulo, comes from a family of 19 siblings! And seems like a great guy. He is twenty one and has been in the field for 5 months. 

  Before I left Paranaguá  we had been working with a girl named Liza. She is 12 years old and absolutely loved us missionaries. She is dedicated to coming to church every Sunday and participated in every one of our Integration Nights. Yesterday she was baptised. Her family came to the baptismal service, grateful that she was making the decision and even excited to start investigating more for themselves. We took lots of pictures and when I figure out how to send them just a little faster I will get them right to you! 

  Please pray lots for me this week. I want to do a good job as a senior, and truly make a friend out of my companion. I would like nothing more than the opportunity to continue successfully as a senior, as much in my personal development but whats more in how this area, and my new investigators will develop.  

With all my love,

 Elder Showalter

  

Pictures from July

July 21st letter

 Ok so this week was really great! We had a baptism of a young man E! He is 11 years old and was baptised last night. There were about 25 people at his baptism including his non-member mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and uncle. About a month or two back E´s cousin was baptised and they are only a year apart. They both made the decision to join the church and now they have eachother for support! They come to church every sunday without fail and are loving every minute. Es´cousin, Yuri, is incredible. He has a huge testimony, is already reading Preach My Gospel and preparing to serve a mission.... at twelve! He knows how to give the first lesson and is busy every day memorizing scripture and reading the Book of Mormon! One day I want to be like this kid! They are huge examples to me. Because of their great example, we are getting closer to baptising both sets of their parents! Wooo

  I have been sick for about two weeks now but I am pulling around for the better. Lately I have made lots of good changes for the better and will continue working on the language in order to teach better! My capacities to teach must be improved. Next week is tansfers and I don´t know what will happen. Elder Matamala thinks I will leave, but in all honesty I don´t want to. This area has been my favorite in lots of different ways! 

  Ether 12: 39 talks about how Christ talked with Moroni, face to face, with humility, and in Moronis´own language. This week I have been trying to imitate Christs´ example in ministering by learning the language better, talking to more people, and develope a stronger love for those whom I am serving. It hasnbeen a blessing to feel close and more concerned for my investigators, companion, and people around me. I am really doing very well.

Thank you for your prayers!

With all my love,

Elder Showalter 

July 14th letter

Time got away from us! These last few months have been busy, and we are in the middle of a move at the moment, so we will be sharing the last several of Mckay's letters and updating more later. Thanks for understanding!

- Showalter family

*****

Lots of good news this week. The best of which is that this ward is picking up speed on missionary work! These last few weeks we have been doing the activity that I mentioned in my last letter home called "Integration Night". The principle behind it is simplicity. Simple food, easy activity, simple message, oriented on helping people quickly "break the ice" one with another. The effects have been immediate. Two activities later we saw the attendence at the activity more than double from 15 to ~36. A few of our investigators have mentioned that the activity has helped them to really feel welcome and even at home in the ward. One of these investigators M was having doubts about letting her son get baptised in the church in the next few weeks, but after a conversation with her she has decided to let him get baptised this Saturday! Partially based on her feelings after the activity. She said that it is also possible that she too will be baptised! Her son made the comment to us "I want to be baptised and don´t want to sin anymore.". He´s eleven! I couldn´t have been happier.

  Forgive the craziness of all these last four weeks, I´m sure that you can all feel that these last few letters weren´t the best of the best. The world cup, transfers, and that zone conference had messed up the routine a little, but now it´s back to normal!!

 I love you, keep praying for me,

 Elder Showalter

The work is MARCHing on...

3-17-2014

 

Dear Family!

  I hope everyone is doing well! I haven't read your emails yet but last week sounded like everyone was doing really well! We actually had a great week here too! We had five investigators in sacrament meeting!! Three were young men below the age of twenty three! That is a huge victory for this branch because we are in need of worthy priesthood holders! 

  I have better pictures too but I just simply tried to get some off this week. I will continue to get better at that and will try to make that a regular part of my emails. 

  So this week we are very close on a baptism in this area with Jean. He is super firm and feels ready to go, the only thing that is missing is he has a superstition about march, he feels like everything he starts in march goes bad. So we have him marked for the fifth of April, the week after the end of the transfer cycle. He says he may want me to do the baptism, but whether or not I am here he will be baptized he says, and to me that indicates a firm decision of his! That´s all that matters anyway!

  This week we had a really sweet experience proselyting. We were walking down the street when we felt impressed to talk to a man outside a bar. He was more than likely drunk, but, we did it anyway. We ended up really helping this man. He told us he had had an absolutely awful day, all he had done was drunk. We had him pray in forgiveness in the street and walked him home. He was super drunk practically falling over, but he was with it enough to know where he needed to get to. We took his cigarettes, and took his phone number, but were never able to get back in touch with him.

  Right now Elder Gonzalez is letting me take more control of the area, and it is kind of difficult. It isn't always easy to feel like you know where you are supposed to go every day. 

  The names this week are Jean, Rodrigo, Luis and Simoni, Maria and Carlos, and Fransisco. 

 Well I love you family!!!!!

 

 Elder Showalter    

 

 

Loads of great investigators, and more miracles!

Feb 24, 2014

Dear Family!

 

Hey I love you just so you know!

   I got a new opportunity this week to kind of lead the area here. My companion didn´t know the streets or investigators and we really did very well. We aren´t teaching lessons to focused people as much as we want, but we are teaching and we had a lot of lessons this week. My new companion is a fire ball! He hits it hard every day and strange as it sounds I have to try to keep up with him! He is the first companion I have felt is really gonna push me and help me grow as a missionary and by definition a teacher. He is a rocket during planning and I have a ton to learn from him. I can´t wait to tell you about the successes we will have. We have a man this week named Jean that has been to church 6 consecutive times. He is interested in the Gospel, and is really finding himself at home in the ward. He speaks English fluently and is currently looking for a job to teach it. This last week he told us something that really amazed me. He comes from a family of alcoholics and was one himself, but, miraculously, he stopped the day he started to come to church, and has lost the desire to drink entirely, he told us he feels like his mind is clearer and he controls himself better. Truly this speaks wonders of the miracle and gift of Christ. We can truly lose our desire to sin, and I have seen it happen now to someone very special in a miraculous way. In short the work is good. We have strong, solid families that have good standards and a desire to learn. For this week we need some prayers troops! Regina, Casandra, Julio, Gabriel, Elizangela, and Jean are really super important. Please also pray for Luis, Lucas, Sergio, and Adrielle. I´m super excited to report on where they will be in a few weeks!

  Mom I actually have not gotten the package yet, it takes six weeks from what I hear to arrive in the mission office, and after that I can only get it after they send it or someone brings it to me. But don´t worry! I´m doing great! Hey you know what I just wanted to thank all you guys for the awesome letters and stuff! Mom the ties rock. I am the envy of many a missionary! I especially like the purple one you sent. Super cool. Hey by the way about packages I am good on food. Don't worry about what you send, my stomach is now used to the one meal a day thing. It was just a matter of getting used to. We eat with members almost every day and 95 percent of the time there is plenty to go around. I eat like a champ at lunch now and don´t have to worry the rest of the day! All is well, seriously you guys would be very impressed, I surprise myself daily at how much I eat.

  The super market is sweet Mom. We have access to meat, rice, beans, all types of spices, and the most amazing fresh fruit you can imagine. On days where we need to eat at home we have money given to us usually by the member responsible for that day. No worries! 

   Our apartment is nice, we live on the second floor and it looks out over lots of Guarapuava! It is usually hot here, people are incredibly nice (usually), members have started to take a liking to me and I think things are about to start to pick up momentum! The way we are headed I think you guys are in for some good letters home in the next few weeks!

  Tell me how the quilts, babies, water polo games, college, and new controller/gm are! I love hearing from home. My heart is always there, but I carry it with me too, I am very present here in the work, doing my best, and trying to put it all out there and come home in glory ahahahah! 

Love you alll!!!!!!!!!

 

Elder Mac Attack

 

 

 

Miracles!

Feb 17, 2014

Dear Family!

 Today I don´t have time to read emails before just so you know. I have been having a great time here in Brazil. In honesty so many things are happening so quickly and we keep so busy I barely have any time to reflect on anything! Yet I am loving it. 

  Some really amazing experiences have happened in the past few days. On Saturday we had O Noite de Pizza, or The night of the pizza! We had, between the efforts of four Elders and the Guarapuava Branch members over 160 non-members attend. Miracles! We have seriously awesome investigators right now and an amazing chance to change this area! Presidente Fernades wants to make this district a stake in the next two years!

  Anyway I did get a new companion this week. Elder Long went home and my new companion/zone leader is another awesome missionary named Elder Gonzalez! This will be a good transfer. 

  I wanted to see if you could do something for me this week, if you could please tell all the young women in the ward thanks for all the cards they sent me in the mtc (yes I know it has been a while I kept forgetting=)), thank the Haubers for their nice letter from a few months ago, I just got it last week, Ashley Springer for her nice card, and tell her I just got it and it takes a while for packages/ letters to go from here to there but I will reply, and Thank Sister Bert for me for the recipes!! 

  Brazil is literally awesome. Our apartment is much nicer than in New Jersey however the furniture is lacking. It fits four missionaries relatively comfortably, and I will be sure to send my photos of it home on my card. Food is amazing! Mangos mom......... you wouldn't believe. All the members here are very nice, and I even felt this past few days that some members have a genuine like for me. Our branch President, a member called Ronelson, Rosny, and several others seem to actually like me despite the difficulty of a language barrier. That means I am doing something right!!!! Yayayaya! 

  Super markets are pretty much the same, somethings they have and others they don´t, but really it is the same way in the US. I have taken a particular liking to mangos here and buy them all the time!

  Yes, our house is next to the enormous grain silo! Tan and green building, but I don't know what color the roof is!

 

With all of my love, and sorry for the short one,

Elder Showalter

Legend of the lunch table :)

Feb 10, 2014

Dear Family,

  Another transfer almost down, I would have to agree, time is flying by! I had an issue with the computers this week so it will be a little short this week. 

  I am so happy to hear things are going well at home! I
 wish I could see the quilts, come to water polo practice, see these friends and acquaintances you are all working with, an enormous belly, and ALL my wonderful FAMILY! But I to know that I should be here in Brazil, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't having fun. Mom and Dad I hope you have fun in Atlanta and Ty don´t have too much fun with Darren all weekend! I love and miss you all.

  In terms of the day to day life here in Brazil I seriously have fun just soaking it all in. We wake up, every morning, at six thirty and hit our knees. After we catapult into morning exercises and try to purge ourselves of the groggy feeling we tend to get as missionaries. We never rest.

  Immediately from there we prepare, teeth, breakfast, shower, etc. I usually try to be studying by 7:45 to get everything I want to study in, and still tend to come up short! Companion study follows which includes prayer, training movies for the new missionaries like myself, and mock teaching. It is a really enlightening time. And then we walk out of the house. Literally on of my very favorite parts of the day. I'm fresh, the weather is mild, and it is not an uncommon occurrence to hear a rooster crow. On the streets of Brazil, usually cobblestone and uneven, you can see anything from a Range rover, to a hand-made horse-drawn buggy. What actually surprised me however was the mixture of old world and new. We really do live in a city, yet most houses/buildings aren´t air-conditioned. Our apartment is on the second floor and it, like most of the city, has an earthy, yet modern feel at the same time. (Rua Bahia 869 Guarapuava) We have most comforts of the US yet nothing is the same. Oh, and yes, we do in fact eat rice and beans for lunch everyday, usually accompanied by pasta, some assorted flavor of tang or soda called Guarana, meat, and a vegetable. My body has adjusted to the schedule and now I eat about three full plates everyday at lunch, I´m a legend of the lunch table with the missionaries I live with now! But as missionaries, we walk the streets, sweat, and travel from place to place inviting people to accept and live the most amazing and important principles this world, or the next, has to offer. We teach messages about Christ, and His restored Gospel, His prophets, and the workings of a very living God. We help people change. I am having an adventure of a lifetime and I cant help but stop and think several times a day thoughts like, wow I am in Brazil. I see changes made in my life and the lives of others every day, testimonies of the truthfulness of our message, and really can´t get enough. I love and miss you all, but don't worry, I am doing very very well.

Love,

Elder Showalter

Life in Brazil E Muito GRANDE!

Jan. 27, 2014

My family!

  Well the time is here again to email. It just seems to fly by. I tell you what, I love being busy. I love having a purpose and getting to focus on it, and really sink my teeth into somethng. I love learning this language, its like one enormous puzzle/ game of sharades!

We ran around a ton this week, and did a lot to prepare for this upcoming week. We have tons of set appointments, and lots of progressing investigators. Specifically, Sebastião, Rosa, Durinezio, and Regina.

  We are heading to Curitiba at the end of the week for some business, Elder Long is going to a zone leader training and we have to do a couple things with the police station, get my passport, signed or validated or something like that. Anyway all is well!

  I still can´t believe I am in South America, finally in Brazil! Its so awesome and the experience is all the better because I am enjoying it so much! I´m so glad I got to feel what I don´t want my mission to be like before this! And I am also very grateful to still see room to grow.

Anyway, I got all your emails last week and they were fun and I ment to bring them with me today to make sure I got evryones questions but I forgot them at the house!

  I do remeber that I wanted to say good job on the steal Dad, it sounds like you are in a lot better position now that you have a controller! Hey and I wanted to let you know that you are doing such a great thing by helping the missionaries in anyway you can! They will talk about you to the other missionaries, you will all recieve more spiritual blessings, definately gain a friend or two (probably two) by talking to missionaries stomachs and to their member referals list! I actually almost cried when you told me the other week all you and the whole family are doing to help the missionary work! Your efforts do not go unnoticed I am telling you!

  Ty, you are awesome! Keep being funny, and work hard! At everything! Yes, even school! I know, don´t give me that look. =) Swim hard, study hard, smile a lot pal and get ready for the most enormous bear hug when I get back.....I would reenforce your eye sockets if I was you=)

  Brooke! Well that airport thing sounded stressful! And no, do not be worried about not writing me the other week! I love you tons, mail and email me the pictures of you and your baby but dont just email them, that is much harder.

  Mom! Hearts and kisses! You are so amazing, and such an example to me, keep working hard at that calling! It sounds like you have a ton on your plate! And thanks for the excellent letters! Oh how I wish you could come tell my companions how to clean, it is a very lost skill amoung missionaries I am learning! But don´t worry I am fine! Promise promise promise! I love it here.

Hey and about things I need. My camera still works, however I would love the switcheroo thing. That is a good plan. Other things I want you to know is that I will probably need to aquire in one fashion or the other another a new proselyting bag and shoes. Seriously I need military grade, more like boots than shoes, and a much much stronger bag. But not right now. If I can figure out something I will be able to make the bag work, but I will very likely need new shoes. For the package you are sending, know that whatever you send will make up the majority of my diet outside of lunch everyday. I do love candy, but I really need sustinace food. Like gummy bears=) just kidding and cliffbars. In reality if you havent sent my package yet I would like multivitamins too. I know for sure I am not getting all I need simply from the food I eat here. I have also lost me picture album to the elements. It grew moldy. I saved the pictures, they are in great shape, but I will need something else to keep them in. Peanut butter doesnt exist here and neither do hymn books in English, they would be great trading tools if you have any way of sending anything like that, but I would eat the peanut butter. I wouldnt mind shoe insouls either, in fact I probably need them. I also need anti-persperant deoderant. Im not sure if I can find it here.

  This week I litterally taught on a Brazillian farm on a split with another Elder. Mom and Dad and really everyone, you would be very proud of me. I am doing well and hold my own in lessons souly in Portuguese.

Improving, happy, and just a little home sick=)

  I love you all!

Elder Showalter

 

 

Jan. 21, 2014 Letter

Oi!,

  All is good! I´m still so excited to be here. This week I have a little less to talk about but none the less plenty!

  Ok so the other week you asked me what types of things I would like in a biorthday package and I've started a list. Mostly food hahahah! But I forgot it this week.

  In regards to your questions here are the answers. Guarapuava is awesome, very South American! Muinto legal. Seriously its just about the coolest thing I have ever done to be here. The branch is big, more like a ward, with  about 90 regulars. The members, people, and everything about this place is friendly, warm, and inviting. I love it. Makes it a lot easier to be happy. My Portuguese is coming along excellent too! I have found a hidden talent. The language is really fun, even not understanding what people are saying is fun, its like one enormous puzzle I get to sink my teeth into. I'm putting forth my best. Summer weather is good, reminds me of Florida, although slightly cooler. I have in fact been using sunscreen too =) Im sure that's important to know. It also costs a lot of money here. I think 24 realis or about 12 bucks in the US. I am healthy and well, but the food schedule is different here, dinner doesn't really exist and lunch is pretty big most of the time, so when you send the package be sure to send lots of cliff and granola bars! That would help a lot. Also a list the simplest, cheapest recipes you can find, like how to make spaghetti and meatballs or beans. We are teaching a ton of people! Oh its awesome! And people actually like us here! and my companion is awesome!!!! He is willing to work hard and to do the right things! He is on his last transfer here and has proven that you don't have to be a ready to go at that time in your mission. He sets a really good example for me and is helping me grow. He is actually a zone leader here and has been called to be a district leader and new missionary trainer all at the same time. He is clearly pretty awesome right? NJ was a bit of a challenge, not overwhelming, but enough to have been uncomfortable, here its different, less aggravating challenges that I actually love dealing with! Some surprising things are that Brazil by all accounts should have been a more difficult situation to handle but has been fun! I just can't get enough. My thought is that I needed a little perspective on things before I got here and to get to know some really good people beforehand. P- DAYS ARE AMAZING! Last P- day we went and fished in the middle of the Brazilian outback! also know as the jungle. And had a lunch that was awesome! I've got some great videos and pictures you are all gonna love to see! That reminds me, did you all ever get my package I sent? It's been two weeks now. Anyway the only problem I now have is that we are only allowed 1 hour here for email. It's like the MTC but I had gotten used to the two hours. Also we are not allowed to email back and forth like New Jersey. I had gotten off before your email came through last week mom but now I know that we aren't even allowed to do that. Bummer right.

Anyway I love you all and hope you are doing well!

Love

Elder Showalter

p.s. I have been doing better on my goals too! I actually can do more push ups now that at any other time in my life I know of - except maybe once.

LOVE AGAIN !!

First Letter from Brazil & he couldn't be happier!!

Jan. 13, 2014

 Hey Mom! Hey I just want you to know I love you! I made it to Brazil, and it is actually quite a story. When I was leaving New Jersey I was really blessed to even make my flight. The airport was busy, and I only made it to the terminal with about twenty minutes to spare. Right in the middle of that short break I heard a voice come over the intercom speaking in Portuguese and I heard Sao Paulo and thought I even heard my name. I went over to the desk next to the terminal and I met a man who was sent to Kennedy airport because there was no more room on the plane. I managed to get on, it was literally a miracle I even made it. As you maybe know the weather was keeping planes on the ground a half hour after I took off. In Atlanta as you know I didn´t have much time to make my next flight. I too was sprinting through the airport, but yet again another miracle, I MADE IT. ten minutes to spare, dripping in sweat in my best cloths. The flight was long, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I tell you what though, the anticipation three and four minutes before touch down was probably among the funnest experiences yet in my life!!  This is one big amazing adventure I'm on mom. I tell you what this is absolutely, without a doubt the coolest thing I have ever ever ever done. The transition in the Sao Paulo Airport was smooth, but considering I didn´t have any idea how to ask for directions and I wasnt certian about the way the whole thing would function I did not go about trying to call home, I knew the card I had wouldn't work there and I had no money to buy one.
  When we touched down in Sao Paulo something amazing happened, I literally began thinking in Portuguese. I´m not kidding only in Portuguese. My thoughts were simple, but I did receive a gift. I talked with people in the airport, by the bags, helped a lady with her cart, started talking to other missionaries in Portuguese! It was crazy!  Soon enough, we encountered other missionaries from the Sao Paulo MTC headed to curitiba, and I talked to them too! It was ridiculous. In New Jersey a few times before I got my visa I was so determined to get my language study in every day that I did it in the car, pushing through rather powerful car sickness, because I really beleive once I finish the Book of Mormon in Portuguese I will be fluent in this language. I have been trying super hard, and have been blessed.

   Landing in Curitiba I met President Fernades. At first he said something to me in Portuguese and pointed to the other group of missionaries going to Curitiba North. I was so new that I didn't even make it on his list! Later that day he received a call notifying him I was coming hahaha!

  Anyway those first few days were awesome! I took on the attitude of smile and wave! and also to really truly truly try to understand what these fun people are saying! It's been awesome! I've made a lot of friends and learned the value of a smile =)

  Ok, I met my companion and we headed off with six other missionaries to a place called Guarapuava, six hours away from Curitiba by bus! The road was amazing! This place is so excruciatingly beautiful. I have always said that New Zealand, and Ireland are the places that I personally think are the very most beautiful in the world.  The area of Southern Brazil tops it. Wow. Tons of trees, rivers, and fields, everything is green! This place is beautiful.  I am in a city cut out of the jungle inhabited by a people whose culture and language is as strangely colorful and beautiful as the land they inhabit. Wow wow wow.

  I love my companion! He is the best. He loves me, and I love him. We get along great and have been laughing a lot in the past few days. His name is Elder Long and he is from Idaho. He has been out in the field long enough to be very proficient at this language and he is teaching me a lot.

  We live in a wonderful apartment, cleaner, happier, and brighter than the one I came from before, with three other Elders. One is new like me, from my travel group, and the other is from Sao Paulo. Both of our trainers are the zone leaders and are amazing missionaries.

  Have no worries. I am doing way more than well. I can speak, I can make jokes in Portuguese. I get along by communicating in simple phrases, kind gestures and smiling. I capitalize on my current innocence because of my newness to the language and other people love me for it, but I don´t let this be an excuse not to do my very very best to learn, and I am. I am excelling. Have no worries, all IS well.

Love,

Elder Showalter

First Day in Brazil

Elder Showalter (top row third from right) on his first day in Brazil with the other new missionaries and President and Sister Fernandes (front row middle).

And just like that he is off to BRAZIL

On Saturday, Jan 4 at 11pm this is the email we got from the amazing Sister Burt!

Dear Showalter family,

President Jeppson called my husband and asked him to take your son to the airport on Monday because his visa came in! 

So happy for you all!

Love,

Sister Burt

 

WHAT? MONDAY?

YEP!!!

To say this took my breath away is putting it lightly!  I think I just wasn't prepared for that to happen so quickly.   But, we are all so happy for him, and he is thrilled!!

Sister Burt took this video this morning before church.