Jardim do Sol: August 28th ,2008

everything is still going really good. i am learning so much being exposed to the actual mission work and being surrounded by these Brazilians everyday! the language is becoming more and more familiar each day and i do my best to really try to pay attention to everything going on so i can pick up on everything. so i had the opportunity to baptize a 14 year old girl this last week! it was an awesome experience, especially being so early in my mission. a was happy when she decided that she wanted me to do it for her. i really love my area here. i think i lucked out being able to be here for my first area. the kids in the ward are awesome. the familys are really good to us also. we had conference also this past sunday. from what i could tell.... it was a good one. president Arroujo and his wife spoke and also a member of the seventy came and spoke. i was surprised from what i understood. mostly just words here and there but i could tell what was going on. i was so surprised when u said that president smart talked about me in his talk..wow. ive noticed that i think to much in english... portuguese is not structured the same so i really dont make sense to these people. its all good though. im continuing to have funny experiences out here because of the lack of me not knowing this crazy language. last week i attempted to make a street contact and i asked the couple `voces morreu juntos`? which means ´do you two die together`? i meant to say morem juntos... ha ha very close but no cigar... i ve just decided to make the best of these days that i dont know the lingue. were working with a few investigators that seem really interested and they like the book of mormon and they want to come to church. its nice having a big beautiful church house that every one sees and thinks that it is nice. there are so many apostate little church houses on every street corner! a lot of times that we walk by them at night they will be having a service and its just a lot of screaming and weird stuff like that. i dont know how people could think that that kinda stuff is the truth... we witnessed a big gang fit at the bus station the other day that was pretty intense! the cops came and broke it up with there billy clubs. we saw it as we were driving by but the bus driver just stopped the bus cause he wanted to watch, so we all got to witness the show. crazy. ty is liking the new school so far, im really glad that he is. its awesome that jud is doing so good and is almost a year already. keep it up man, and you will be much happier. arien is finally able to start what she has been working so hard to do. have fun and enjoy. im proud of ya. dad i cant believe that we actually had a watermelon this year thats awesome. mom how is the ice in the freezer? no, your probably on to the raw potato stage now that it is summer. just kidding. ill tell you what though, you would love our freezer in our apartment... there is a crack in the fridge so air gets in and creates a lot of frost. im enjoying all of the experiences that i am having so far on the mish. i see now why so many return elders talk about there missions so much. i love u guys! keep workin hard! Tcheu,
Elder COATS

I'm In the Field 8-20-08

so my first week was a good and frustrating one. i love it cause im actually out doing the missionary work but it is frustrating that i cant speak very well. im learning to have patience. patience is going to be key for me these first few months. my companion is working really well with me. he is from california to answer our question. a crazy funny story that happened this week was when we went to an investigators house that my companion had said was wanting baptism but he had to work some things out first. he also told me that he was a little femmy. so we went to his house and right from the get go i knew that he was as gay as they come. he asked me where i was from and then said all u americans are so beautifull... he told us he had some questions about his reading in the BofM so we read with him. he sat right inbetween me and my comp. on this tiny couch and asked me to read. as i was reading he was rubbing my back and my side and my thigh! i couldnt believeit! so we answered his questions then he told us that he wanted baptism but he had to dump his man first. he said he would do it. the whole time i kept looking at my comp. signaling that we needed to leave but he just kept shaking his head. our investigator said that we needed to celebrate because he was going to break up with his boyfreind and brought out some wine! poured us a glass and told us to drink. i tried to explain that we dont drink alcohol. my companion said that he didnt want to affend him so he started sipping of this wine. i was freakin out. i didnt drink any and so paulo our investigator ask one more thing of us before we left..... if we would sing his favorite hymn, sisters in zion! at this point i was going to kill my companion and punch this investigator. i was not going to sing that hymn. finally they both busted out laughing and fell on the floor!!! it was my freakin Bishop!!!! they planned the whole thing and i had no idea. we laughed about it. my bishop is awesome. church went really good also. the members are awesome.a few more things that hapened this week... i got made fun of by a blind women because i couldnt read very well, ya thats right a blind women. i also asked another lady to read after she clearly explained that she couldnt read. good times on the mission i guess... so everthing is starting out well. im glad that everyone is well back home. if u can i would like to see a picture of that car. we get an alawance twice a month that is enough for me to do what i need so i will only use my card if i have to.so dont expect to much being takin out. we have lots of people that we are teaching right now and were staying realy busy. i have a baptism marked for this saturday. my supplys are still good and if i need anything i can usually just by it here. i love u all so much and i miss u but im am enjoying my mission so far. have a good week. Love Elder Coats

Letter Wed. August 13, 2008

Im made it to CURITIBA! it feels so good to be out in the field finnaly. i am loving it so far. of course it is only my second day but its awesome. my new companion is really cool and he seems like a really good trainer. He said that there is a good chance that i will get my feet wet this transfer.....so i guess will c how that goes. the president and his wife are way nice and it was a good interview that i had with him. we were able to send a letter home at his house but i was kinda rushed for time so it isnt to much but u should get it soon. thanks for the package. the scripture cause and the jump rope will be very usefull. but especially the seeds. i was glad for the letters to. there werent any pictures in there though? ther is no post office in my area of jardin do sol so i cant send to many letters but i still do receive them. so the plane ride went good and then we ate lunch and had a meeting where we met our new comps. the meeting was over my head cause it was in portuguese but thats ok. i was amazed with how much the missionarys that have been out a year could speak so well. my companion elder Burrus is way cool. he is an American so we still speak english but im hoping to pick up alot from him. the apartment is awesome also! way getto but way awesome! the shower head is something else. we have no hot water heater so the water is heated by a coil that u have to strikewhile the water is running. it shocks ya some times. ill have to send ya some pictures. so tomorrow were gonna do some lesson with some people. im gonna do the best i can with what little portuguese i know. the bus ride to the area was a crazy one. i had all my lugguage and there were a million people on the bus that i just had to crowd in with. we took the wrong bus and had to back track but it ended up good cause i was able to see the Temple. its beautiful. we finally made to the apartment after a little backtracking but it worked out good. so things are back under way back home.im glad that u guys are all workin hard and stayin happy.i love u all and ill let ya know more about evrything here next week. Love Elder COATS

Letter July 30th

were the oldest American district now in the mtc! it seems so crazy cause i remember just yesterday thinkin that the oldest group was way smart with the language and what not but now when we teach the younger districts they all think that about us. the lessons are pretty easy to teach now. more and more words stick in my mind everyday. its really fun to understand another language. im excited to get out in the feild and teach the gospel through this language. the mail has really been pouring in these last few days. the strike is over! i got the letters that u sent me and the pictures also. Jud/Ty that is the sickest car ive every seen. it is truely a geo storm. i bet it gets great milleage. has jud just been driving that to work? i also saw the brazilian flag that u have in the yard. thats cool! i sure do love america though. Ive really come to realize that since ive been here. The arena cross pictures were sweet also. that was a good one of ty skying over the arena. so i did talk to elder Oldham. he said that he knew justin and i showed him a picture of arien and he new who she was. it is crazy that everyone does someway or another know someone from little ol preston. ive got the whole napolean dinomite thing quite a bit here. i dont mind though. gives me a chance to get to know a lot of elders. a new shipment of curitiba elders came this last week. there are quite a few in the ctm now that are going there. 7 from our disrict alone. me and my companion will travel together but we wont be companions once we get out. this is actually the longest time that i will have the same companion in most causes. we have done really well together. he is way smart. we teach relly well togther. i did take my card to get money out of the atm for my vaccinations. im also going to buy some things today to get me prepared for the field. i just charge it as credit... thats the right way i hope. u know me when it comes to things like this. i suck! if u see sid beckstead tell him that são paulo is huge but he will enjoy it. it is nothing like dayton. when we prosolite in downtown são paulo it is crazy. millions of people. codys farewell sounds like it went good. thats funny that he said that a littlte over weight 19 yr old doesnt go to mexico for just a fat camp! i think that it is a good idea to just start sending the letters to the mission home now. it will be there probably really close to the day that i get there. make sure that the friends all get it also. thanks for the package mom. im sure it was a little spendy. i ccant believe that ty actually went through with selling the safari! he loved that thing. but iguess we cant be storing to many cars in the yard... we dont want to look like the sheilds junk yard. i bet that the girls are glad to be home from school for a little bit to enjoy the summer. i dont know if chelsey is off or not but i hope they can all get together and have some fun. viss got a motorcycle! HE is going to hurt himself. no he knows what he is doing as long as he uses his brain. well mom, i love you and i pray for u and all those that are close to me everyday. and im really thankfull for the oppurtunity to serve the lord. Elder COATS