A Brand New Year

The Christmas call home this year was great and im glad that it

all went as planned!!! it was so good to hear all of you and all

the exciting things that are going on back home! i really

 enjoyed hearing some of the great experiences

you guys have had this year and also some of the

experiences that i didnt know about.

Our internet time got moved to today and our p-day will

be tomorrow. we will probably stay up till midnight to watch

the fireworks and listen to one of the missionarys that is now

 living with us play the guitar.  we will make it fun. we had

a snow ball fight in the house this morning as we cleaned the ice

out of our freezer. i cant believe that 2010 is underway!!

 lots of good exciting things are gonna go down this year,

1. Ty graduates 2. I get home 3. Ariens wedding

4. Juds wedding 5. lots of joy and great stuff.......

its gonna be a great year!! sounds like you guys had a lot

 of fun on x mas with all the games and the

good food like always. i havent got the packages yet

but im thinking that they should be in the mission office just

 waiting for me to pick them up. i should be

going to Curitiba next week. ill let ya know when i get them.

dad and arien: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! youre both getting old.....haha.

Ariens house is a great present that she will receive when it gets all done.

im excited to see it!  dont forget to have some shrimp and good stuff

tonight for the new years. ill be celebrating the new year a little

bit before you guys (5 hours). have fun and make lots of goals and plans

for the new year.

I love you guys!

have a great week!!!

Elder Coats

Just One Week Until Christmas!

Hi Family...

just one more week!!! so next week, i wont be sending an email on 
wednesday,(this week has been madness so that is why im writing today) but ill 
probably send a little email saying when ill call and all that good stuff. i 
still dont know the number that you guys will need to call cause i im probably 
gonna get transfered 3 days before christmas but ill let ya know for sure. ill 
do the little call also from one of the public phones in the street to confirm 
that everything is good also but once again im not sure when... but dont get 
worried or anything about staying in the house for ever just waiting for a call 
cause ill find a way to get a hold of someone.
im excited to get to talk to you guys again! ill do my best to get the right
number to yall this time. dont want some poor brazilian lady to get scared
recieving a call that she has no idea what is going on....!

tomorrow is our christmas conference with the whole 
mission together. lots of fun things planned and im especially excited to get 
the pictures and letters that you guys have sent. i hope that they have already 
gotten there. takes about two weeks for anything to get here! and because im in 
the interior its even longer for the letters to get out to us. this week was a 
really busy one!! me and my comp have been responsible for getting 2 zones that 
are out here in the boonies back to Curitiba. we have been running behind trying 
to get a bus to get us there all week. in the end all is well and were gonna get 
there with out any problems. i cant believe that it is  christmas already!!!! 
this month is just a trucking by!!

thats awesome that you guys had a family night with the talbots!!
who all went besides you, mom?? i hope that they liked 
the movie and that you guys were able to have some fun.

that really is a miricle that ty´s teeth weren't all to bad.
he will be able to get hopefully most of the 
work done with on the christmas break and not have to miss to
much school. the wisdom teeth thing isnt to bad ty,
dr naylor does a good job and you ll probably 
be out for the whole thing. mom, remember when i got my teeth
pulled and how i was all drugged up and i wouldnt leave the
office with out telling dr naylor that he did a good job and that
he knew what he was doing?? pretty funny.
tell all the families that have sent me a little dinherio (money)
thanks for the support and ya i think that it would be best if you just
put it in my account and when i need it ill be able to pull it out. 

today were gonna do a service project at an old folks home for
christmas. were planning on singing a few songs and then just talking
with them a little about their life stories.
i should have learned some of those funny songs that loyal always sings 
so i could sing for them like he does back home. i know that there gonna like to 
just talk with us and share some experiences. ill let ya know how it went next 
week.
i love you guys!! i hope that all is going well in this wonderfull 
christmas time of year. the spirit of christmas is something that we need to 
keep with us all year long. have a good week and try to keep an update on the 
internet to get all the details.

feliz natal hien!!
Elder Coats

Welcome to Summer

so it is definatly summer time here! today might just be the hottest day of the
year! the breeze would be nice but it is also warm...
i like it though and the work goes really nice when its good and hot.
we are working with some great people and some really fun familias
that are working their way to baptism.
today we did a serious cleaning in our apartment that was a huge success.
we found things in the house from missionaries from the 1900´s!!
it was really due for a good cleaning.
sounds like everything is going really good back home.
im glad that you guys like the little movie of pictures that i sent. 
ive now got quite a bit more pics to add to it but i wont be doing that
until i get home in june.
im pretty sure that the christmas call home will be in the church house like
it was last year. ill try to get the right number to ya this year so
things dont get crazy before we even get on the line....!
i bet the kids are all really happy and excited with the new house and what not.
tell kam and rob good luck with the up-coming basket ball season.
im getting excited for the christmas conference that is gonna be
the whole mission together in curitiba on the 18th.
it is the only time that the whole mission gets
together. ill be getting the nice packages also that you guys have sent.
i know that cheetos, peach rings and gravy sound pretty weird for a christmas
present but im dying to eat some good home style junk food.
everything is going good and the missionary experiences are really adding up.
i love you guys and i hope that you all have a great week!!!!!!!

Elder Coats

End of November Already

Dear Mom,

That cajun deep fried turkey just about made me
fall out of my chair here....
that sounds so good!!! my thanksgiving was a
beautiful plate of rice and beans
but i sure enjoyed it. sounds like you
guys had a good thanksgiving even though
everyone kinda went there own separate ways to
be with other families also. next
year its gonna be the show down of
thanksgiving feasts!!!! i bet grandma coats
was really happy to have everyone together
almost. did you guys take some pics?
the package didnt get out to me and now it will
be held until the christmas
conference that we are gonna have on the 18th
of dec. its all good though. so i
have been writing down a few things
that i think would be good for my american
appetite. if you send a christmas package:
pringles, flamin hot cheetos that nacho
cheese sauce that you heat up and is
really tasty, peach rings... 
the pajama pants i think should be a
small for the elder in my zone. remember that
he wants the good thick ones. did
you guys ever get my little package that i sent?
if it hasnt got there yet, it should be there soon.
we have a few baptismal dates marked this weekend and were
running like mad to get them all under way and the
people 100% ready to be baptized.
the work is going good and christmas is
gonna help us out a lot.
lots of people want the christmas dvd that
the church gives out so it gives us a great
opurtunity to get in and teach also.
thats crazy that you guys dont have hardly
any snow... the beav then is probably still not open. l
last winter and the year before was a lot.
i guess its gonna take a little break this year.
grammy will be happy.
Arien and justin are gonna have all the things good
and ready to go for
their new house when the time comes to move in.
im really excited for them.
thats funny that she about got knocked out working
with the sheet rock. i can
just imagine arien working with tools
and getting dirty and what not.
i know that mom will be happy with the christmas tree
and that you guys need to be
careful not to care for the tree too much so
that it will die off a little after
christmas so she wont have an excuse to keep it
in the house and continue to put
decorations of other holidays on it...!
good times!! i love you guys!!
have a great week!!!!
ELder Coats

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you guys have had a great week!! I know that it is gonna get even 
better on Thursday when you sit down to the thanksgiving feast!!
 I dont think that i will get the package that you sent cause
i'm still clear out in the boonies here and the package will
probably have to wait for me in the mission office. its all good
though cause my comp cooks really good and will whip 
something up.
this year ought to be fun at Nathan and Linae's house. its 
always fun to get together with the fam.
 its strange to think that it is winter 
time back home. its just so dang hot here!! i like it though
and were able to talk to alot of people each day
about the true gospel of Jesus Cristo because a 
lot of people stay out side in this heat.
i did a lot of traveling this week to 
do divisions with the whole zone.
the other areas are quite a ways away so i 
had to catch a lot of buses and meet up with
different Elders each day. it was 
fun and its nice to get to know new places
and people for a couple of days. i 
got home from a little city called Irati
yesterday. in this town there is a 200 
foot statue of mother Mary on the mountain
that faces the city. the Catholics 
are really strong there but the people are
really resceptive to our message 
surprisingly. the outside of the city is
really pretty and it reminded me a lot 
of home.
our branch got robbed last night also... they didn't take
a whole lot but it still makes ya pretty mad. they
just made a big mess and tore up some 
walls trying to get into the main room with the
computer and what not. luckily 
its that really re-enforced door that isn't easy to
break into. We will probably 
do some service work now to get 'er all back in shape.
our chapel is a little rented building so they didnt get
to do too much damage.
 im glad to hear that 
everyone is doing good and that things are going along 
smoothly.
tell everyone that i said hi at the thanksgiving party and that i will 
be there next year to join the fun!!!
i love you guys!
have a great week!!!!
ELDER COATS

Farmer Tan...

Hi Fam,
The beloved snow has finally arrived for you guys back home!! what a 
blessing!!!!! i got home yesterday with the sickest farmers
 tan on my neck and 
arms that i have ever experienced in my life!!!
the sun yesterday was the type 
of sun that gets right to the point and burns.
i like it though but i do miss 
the snow. for some reason the
brazilian people are a lot more of a joyful, happy 
people when its hotter than all holiness. they
accept us really well this time 
of year and with christmas arriving they
 like to hear about Jesus and what he 
did for us. we had an awesome week and
 found some really great families that are 
just asking for baptism!! its really cool to find
a family that has interest in 
the true teachings of the gospel. we are
now  gonna start all the teaching and 
help them to get to the waters of baptism.
now the fun part starts!!!
ty probably wont be able to hit the slopes
this year to hard but no worries next 
year will be better for him anyways, with
me out in front and him eating dust....
thats cool that jud and chelsea are still going
strong and that the job 
is going well for him. it would be pretty
sweet if he could maybe hook me up 
with a job when i first get home...
 im way excited to see the pictures of Ariens 
new house. you guys told me that it was an
older home but by the time that they 
finish with it, it will be brand new!!!
with what you have been telling me about 
the house, now all that it is lacking is a swimming pool!!
dont give any ideas to justin...
thanks for sending the package mom.
im sure that it will get here 
in a few weeks. i sent out a little package
for the fam today. you guys can 
decide if you want to wait till christmas
to open it or when you get it. you 
guys will be excited to see what it is...
i really dont need a whole lot of things and the
socks, legend. just about every american
missionary here has these socks cause the 
really hold out strong. there is a brazilian elder
here that asked me if i could 
get him a pair of pajama pants.
 the really thick ones. theyre not sold here in 
hardly any part of brazil. he said if possible
 a checkered pattern would be 
cool. i wont be needing cold clothing
now until i get home. i just have one more 
season of hot weather and thats it. time is
flying by!!!!!
next thanksgiving instead of rice and beans,
turkey and mashed potatoes!!
i love you guys, have a good week and enjoy the snow
for me this year!!
só alegria
Elder Coats

Ta doido' e'

hey fam
hope all is well and that you guys had a good week!
another transfer is now underway! im happy to
know that the weather is staying good back home. i miss
fall weather in good ol Idaho. having good weather
means that mom is still at it
with the barbeque. that is something that
keeps the family happy. i hope that
everyone still finds a little time to
go to the house and hang out for a little while.
it seems strange to think that it is just
ty that is living at home now.
when i was home we had a house
load every night with the whole fam, friends and
those months that krissy and the kids lived with
us.that was so fun!!! good times.
i didnt know that story about tys baptism.
its cool to hear stories about
things like that. i remember that he said
that the agua was really cold but i
didnt remember that he had to get back in
the clothes to do the ordinance again
after they had already changed. im so glad to hear
that ty has been going to sacrament meeting with you
mom!! ty, if you really pay attention and try to
learn, you will see the difference that it will make
in your week. keep going strong.
i received a new comp today. he is an older guy
from são paulo and ready to work. he has been
working in the mission office for
the past 8 months so he is ready to get out from
behind the computer. its gonna be a good transfer.
the next few months are gonna go by fast!!
i really liked the elder that i was with this last
transfer and we were able to have a lot of fun and work
hard at the same time. he went home today. his mom
came out and got him.
mom, are you able to do all the lifting now at the store
without problems from the surgery. the holiday season is
gonna be a good one.
is jud still enjoying the tractor work? hows ariens class
doing? tell dad that i send him a kiss on his bald head!!!
i love you guys and i miss you all!!
have a great week!!!!
um abraço bem forte
Elder Coats

November is Here

Dear Family,

So this week i had to buy a watermelon and carve a jack-o-lantern out of it to 

get a little bit of the halloween spirit in our place. the watermelon here is 

in season and really cheap and tasty!!! i miss good ol fall weather and the 

beauty that it brings with it. lots of good fruits are once again in season and 

its getting good and hot!! i like the heat though because the brazilian people 

are a lot happier when its nice and hot. kinda funny but when it is cold they 

are a lot more of a closed people and dont accept us as easy... 

so tyler d is home now also. craziness!!! seems like yesterday i was 

at his house telling him good bye. lots getting home and going out. for 

halloween ty and core dressed up like waynes world? i bet everyone got a

kick out of that!!  hows tys ankles doing? i knew that the 

second that he got the casts off he would be ready to take everything on.

he isnt one to just do nothing with life. we had a great week! 

every week seems to go by really quick lately. with this new calling,

i got a few more responsibilities that keep me going fast all the time.

are kris and the kids enjoying the new home still? its good cause

kameryn isnt to far away from the school to go to basket ball every

 morning at 5am. those were the good ol 

days. tell her i said good luck with the basket ball season!!

 the baptismal font has been out of gas for a little while

now but its all good cause no one 

complains about getting into the cold water to cool

down a little bit. we have a baptism marked for this week

 end with a family that we have been working with 

for a while. one of the sisters in the family has quit smoking

and is now ready for baptism. we would like to have them

 all baptized on the same day but some 

times it doesnt work like that. 2 in the family have already been

baptized and now 3 more are getting there!! the work is

going well!!!

i love you guys!!!!!!

i miss you!!!! Have a GREAT week!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Coats

Still in Guarapuava

hey fam
i didnt have time to write yesterday cause
we had the mission olympics
in another city and we had a good four hour bus ride
there and back and it took up the rest of the day.
it was a really fun day
playing sports and joking around with the
other elders and sisters here in the mission.
my body is pretty much dead today
and im limping like an 87 year
old geezer but it was well worth it.
i know that in a few days the knee will
be back to normal.
the only physical exercise that we
get as missionarys is
walking in the street so is was really
fun to play around a little bit.
i bet that ty is as happy as a jay bird
now that his mouth is unwired finally.
those pictures that you sent of his mouth
were pretty nasty and he is so skinny!!
now that his mouth is unwired
he has probably gained a good part of it back.
did loyal and grandma take him out to
the golden corral? i sure miss that joint!
Arien always hated eating there but
how can ya beat it? they've got everything!!
sounds like her house is coming right along now.
its gonna be sweet when its all done.
justin is a perfectionist when
it comes to stuff like that.
is the fall weather setting in there now?
christmas is pretty
much here all ready!
so yesterday morning on our way
to the bus station at 4
in the morning we passed a
drug store on the corner that was being robbed!!
it was kinda funny cause the 4
dudes that were inside must have thought that we
were police cause they grabbed
what little that they had and took off.
they must have just started cause it
didnt look like they had taken too much.
a little bit after that the police showed up
but all we could tell them was the direction
that they ran.
we have had a good
week and were working with some good people.
one investigator has completely
stoppéd with smoking and she is
lacking just a few little things to be baptized.
i love you guys and i hope that everything is
going good.
have a good week!!
Elder Coats

i think that this is probably the only part of the
year that the weather is 
similar to what you guys are having back home.
there are days really hot and 
humid but there are also the days that
are cool and it feels like a good fall 
weather. of course everyone aqui thinks that
it is freezing. they think im crazy 
with out any thing but a short sleeve shirt.
summer is gonna hit us hard here in 
a little bit i believe.
we had a good week and some really fun family nights 
with some of our investigators. its fun to
show the people that are getting to 
know the church about family home evening. the kids
love the games that we 
invent. family home evening is something
so simple that we can do and it really 
brings the family together.
i cant remember if i told ya but i live in a house 
with four elders this transfer. a new branch opened
up here and the elders dont 
have a house yet so they live with us. its way
fun and we have entertainment 
every day with out a tv!! my companion is on his
last transfer so im trying to 
learn the area the best that i can so i can be
ready to help the next elder get 
in the swing of things.
i havent received the package yet. we live in the
last city of the mission
so it take a good few weeks to get letters  and what not
out here.
(but that doesnt mean to stop sending them!!!) we have 
interviews with  pres this week so im pretty sure that
ill get it then. ill let ya now.
Jud, you got to send me some pics of your new ride!!
toyota tundra is a sweet little pickup.
i like the choice you made with the color also. 
its gonna be sweet when you get it all how you want it.
i think that im gonna drive the ol eagle 
for a while when i get home. just to get my
feet wet and get started again. i miss that beater.
ty, your almost there man, your gonna be able
to eat solid food again. when you can, go to
chester fried and get a chester special and eat 
it in my memory. jk. hows school going bro??
mom, is the store completley finished now?
its gonna be crazy to drive through
town when i get home. im not gonna
recognize anything. is arien and justins
new house a 2 story house? you guys need to
send me some pics of it also.
hows everything going  with dad??
I sure love you guys!!!
im glad that everything is in order and that
every one is happy and working hard.
have a great week!!!
um abraco!!
Elder Coats

Guarapuava

Hi Family!

the sun is now shinning bright here in the tropics of Guarapuava!! my summer tan
is coming on real nice...jk. its getting hotter each day now and its really nice
to work each day in the sun. during the summer the work goes really good cause
the people here do a lot of sitting on the front porch drinking a weird drink
called te ré ré. its herbs with cold water and supposedly its supposed to cool
down your body heat. were not allowed to drink it but im planning on bringing a
package home to give it a try later.
we had a really nice baptism this week!!
 a young girl whose family is slowly coming along to the gospel. she is really
excited about the church and she wants to learn more each day. were excited to
get her family going to church also.
 the cold is arriving to you guys now. its almost halloween again. so ty is
already walking?? i bet that he is a lot happier now. even though his mouth is wired
shut at least he can walk..
i didnt recognize any of those names that allan white knew. they are probably from
another ward that i didnt work in. thats cool though that allen white served
here.
the city that im in now is probably the cleanest city that i have been in
so far. the people that live here are a little more
difficult to work with but all is well. were doing what we can to warn them.
there are lots of cool parks and cites to see here so im gonna try to get a lot
of pictures while im here. guarapuava is in the interior but lots to do here. 
things are going great and we're working hard.
i love you guys!!!!
have a great week.
Elder Coats

hey fam
its been a rainy week but were still trucking along preaching the good word. we
had a good week with the conference and i was able to get alot out of the talks
that were given. (even though i had to watch it in Portuguese). usually they set
up a tv for the missionaries to watch it in English but it wasn't working. it is
a lot different in another language. not being able to hear the actual voices of
the apostles and prophet was sad but it was still really good. i want to watch
the talk that Jeffrey R Holland gave about the book of mormon in english still.
his talks are poderoso!!!
my new comp is a really cool guy. Elder S. Costa. he is 25 and really
loves the gospel.
we're working hard and were gonna have lots of good success this transfer.
thats too bad that ty wasnt able to get his mouth unwired. i bet that he is
dying to eat a big J burger. im also dying to eat a big J burger....
just let him know that he needs to be patient and let it heal up
good so it doesnt turn out bad.
i wish that i would have done all that i needed with the physical
therapy after my
surgery. i still have a limp with this danged knee. it is doing good though
and i dont have any trouble walking.
ill have to talk to the mission president about the letter. it is just a letter that
lets the family know the progress and what is going on here.
that sure is a big graduating class at west side, 34. wow!
he will be done with school before to long. crazy.
is jud still enjoying life in his apartment in town? let him know that
im gonna move in when i get home. tell Arien good job with those
hooligan 5th graders of hers.
is the store all finished up now mom? are ya still enjoying the work
there? at least its not the watermellon season any more.
tell dad that i sent a hello. i havent heard from him in a while.
everything is going great here. i love you guys!
have a great week!!!
Elder Coats

An Amazing Week

hey fam,

every thing is grand and dandy and the time is flying by!!! its already
october!! happy birthday ty on the 4!!! you probably wont be able to eat what
you would like to on that day but i think ice cream and cake mixed up in the
blender would make a good mix...
i cant believe that he blended up the chester fried special!! i guess ya got to do
 what ya got to do.
how does he communicate?? with his mouth wired shut, is he just
mumbling?? its gonna be a tough few months
for him but i know that he wont lose the excitement of being ty.
the transfer ended and i got another calling. im a zone leader now in
Guarapuava. its a little city that is the last area in the mission.
im way excited to work here and my comp is a freakin stud.
he was my zone leader a while back. im getting
old here on the mish...
thats cool that justin ran into elder Kendrick.
he was in my district for a while and we got to joke around a little bit.
he lives in logan. ill have to visit him when i get home. i bet justin and arien
 are stoked with the new house. thats good that they were able to
close on it and now everything is set to go.
mom, did you ever get a letter from president araujo  a few
weeks ago?? its not any thing bad but he sent something to all the families.
could you send me some more deodorant ? the deodorant here is really expensive
and it doesnt last long..!
im glad that the benefit dinner went well and that lots
of people were there to support  ty. that is gonna
help out a lot i hope, with the expenses.
i love you guys! have a great week!
de elder doido Coats

One for the record books...

today has been a really long full day for me but everything goes into place when 
i get the good ol email from the fam. i had to travel to curitiba today (2 hour 
trip) to do some things at the federal police station. it took about 15 minutes 
there then i got back on a bus and headed back to ponta grossa. all that 
traveling for a 15 min thing. it was a little strange too cause i went with a 
sister missionary.... thats one that will go down in the record books...! a 
sister missionary doing a division with an elder! it wasnt too bad, i got to meet 
up with some of the dudes from my mtc group there.
we had a good week with lots 
of blessings and a baptism that pretty much fell out of the sky for us. we have 
been teaching a kid for quite a while now that has gone to church every week and 
is really enjoying the activities. he just wouldnt accept baptism cause he said 
that his heart was converted to a little church on the street corner by his 
house. he likes all the excitement that the pastor brings when he yells and 
carries on. anyways, we went there this week and taught a really good lesson with 
him and answered a bunch of questions that he had. right before we left he asks, 
"elders, if i wanted to get baptized tommorow???" it was 730 saturday night! we 
called our zone leaders to come do a baptismal interview and everything went 
right and he was baptized sunday. pretty cool stuff!!! he was just waiting for 
the right moment i guess...
 im so glad to hear that ty is doing good for the 
situation that he is in. the benefit dutch oven activity will be really cool. 
thats awesome that those guys would do that to help out ty. im praying that 
there will be a lot of people there and that everything will go right. i would sure 
like to be there. im pretty sure that if the town knows about it they will go. 
everyone loves ty.
tell ty that cream of wheat is a good liquid food and it can 
put some meat back on his bones!
tell krissy i said congratulations on the engagement!
she is too young and pretty to be alone and the kids need a dad to do things with them.
mom dont get discouraged with all that is going on. just 
remember to keep up the faith and stay happy. joshua 1:9. 
i love you guys!!! 
have a great week!!!

Elder Coats 

Great Week

hey fam

the week was great and we had a big conference with president yesterday.
 he sure knows his stuff and his talks are really powerful!! he really puts a fire in
your underwear to get out and work. we learned a lot of good new techniques and
easier ways to work hard and have lots of results. me and my comp are working
really hard and being blessed with our work.
we're teaching to every creature that walks these streets...we had about five different instances
 this week where the messages that we taught to some families, they said that it was
exactly what they were needing and that they had been with troubles in their
mind that the messages gave answers to. good stuff!!!
 its good to hear that ty was able to go back to school and get caught up with all 3 of his classes.
 he is gonna have a great senior year!
 you guys are all staying busy now with work and school and mom at the
 case lot sales. its good to stay busy.
i love you guys!!
have a great week!!
Elder Coats

4 Attached Images

What A Week!!

Dear Mom,

i didnt know what to think about the email this week!!! wow! quite the scare about ty and all the surgerys that he will now have to go through. everything is going to go well and just remember to keep praying for his health and recovery and especially for his mind. without a doubt im praying like mad and continuing on with faith that it will all go well and that he will not have pain and suffering. ty is crazy!! i cant believe that he over shot the landing by that far. those pictures that you sent of him are un believable. i doesnt even hardly look like ty!! i know that he will stay in good spirits through it all and i hope that he will be able to return to school as soon as possible to not have problems with that later but most importantly is that he returns to good old ty again. i would of liked to be there to give him a blessing but i know that my other brother, kolby, will always be there to help out.
we had a good week. we had 2 baptisms to end out the month with a arm raised high. our zone is being rewarded for the month of august by going to the temple next week!!! which is gonna be awesome. it isnt possible that the areas in the interior part of the mission go to the temple because it is so far away but president is gonna get us a bus and were taking a road trip. it was a big thing for us and were all happy to be able to go. me and my new comp are working extra hard and doing all we can to find families to teach and help. the month of august flew by!
i bet it was cool to be at the homecoming meeting of kolby and mike. i just laughed seeing the pictures. good stuff. who else is home now??
did you get my last weeks email mom?? i tried to send the other weeks e-mails also.
i got the package this week and i almost died when i opened that bubble wrapped mountain dew. it was really tasty and it didnt last 10 minutes! there are some elders in my district that were really jealous. now im gonna enjoy some good taters and gravy for a couple of weeks. i love you guys so much!!!!!
i pray that all will go well for ty. mom, ty, its gonna be a tough couple of months but always remember and have faith that everything will go well. tell ty that i love him and that im thinking of him.
have a great week and keep ty out of that wheel chair because before to long he is gonna want to jump something in it also!!
i love you guys!!!!

Elder Coats

Where did the e-mails go?

hey fam.
i dont know why you guys havent got my emails for weeks!!!? it makes me mad!! if you dont get this one im gonna have to hurt someone!
we have been good here and were being blessed with baptisms! we found some good families this week and were working hard to teach as much as possible each day.
ty now in his senior year in high school. yes!! he is gonna be done with school before we know it. especially because he only goes until 1 oclock in the after noon. tell him to save all the moola that he is gonna earn this year and when i get home he can buy of us both street cruisers and will do a little traveling....ha. im glad that jud is stilll enjoying his new job and im sure that he is making a lot better than he was when he was at the plastic factory. did he get his toyota up and going again?
im excited to see ariens new house when it gets done. thats gonna be cool to have her and justin close.
so mom, you and gram did a little road trippin to black foot huh? i bet that was fun to hang out in stephs new house and relax a little.
dad decided not to buzz his head this year then. i guess its right, he usually cuts it every 2 years..jk.
i love you guys. im still in a little state of shock that mike and kolby are home from their missions now because i remember the day that they left like it was yesterday! there already getting a start on life. let me know how the home coming talk goes. if possible, tape it on that little recorder that arien had for college and send it to me later. i would like to hear it. then i could send you guys a tape letter later....?
i havent got the package yet but its just cause im clear out here in the boonies and letters dont get here until someone comes out here. i should be getting it this weekend. im hoping for some goods.
its good to here from you guys each week.
i hope this letter reaches you!! have a great week!!!

Elder Coats

Letter for August 19th,2009

Dear Family,
Another transfer is now over and we are up and running already in the new transfer. i got a new companion today named elder s. rocha. seems like a cool guy, a little quiet but ill do my best to fix that. im staying in this area (Dal Col) in ponta grossa and my filho (jr.comp) got transfered back to curitiba.
so last week the email to you guys didnt go right so i ended up sending it a little late.
i couldnt hardly believe the picture of ol kolb!!! he is way skinny!! im sure that he will already hit the gym as soon as possible to get it all back to normal. mike is home now also. its is so cool to think that they are returned missionaries now and have completed two years of service to the lord. tell them that i love them ( in a friend sort of way....) did they go visit you mom?
ty and air will be back to school here in a couple days!! what joy!! i know that ty wont be too excited but it is his last year and he should enjoy every second of it. ill be home when he is fresh out of school. its gonna be great!!! arien, you let the little children know who is boss and dont be afraid to bring out the wooden spoon when needed.... i know that mom taught you well!
mom, how are the battle wounds from the surgery? are you getting all the strength back that you need? make sure to keep the barbeque grill up to standards this summer. dad still riding the ol white treker to work everyday? im sure the summer is keeping him really busy.
we had a baptism this last week that gave a little scare to everyone... lucia, the lady that was baptized didnt keep her nose plugged when she was coming out of the water... so she came out gasping for air. her son baptized her, which was really nice but he forgot to tell her plug her nose hard.. it went well in the end, she just had to let out a few screams to get her lungs working again.
i was called to be a district leader also. i forgot to tell ya. just a few more responsibilities to handle and a tiny bit more stress. its gonna be good though and im gonna continue to learn alot.
i was glad to hear that loyal is a little bit better this week. grandma is a great nurse and she cooks like she is cooking for a king. she is great! let loyal know that im thinking of him.
kameryn is gonna be a great little athlete, the rate that she is going. robbie also. tell her good luck with the tryout this week. kris and aunt steph still enjoying their new houses??
i love you guys so much and im so glad to get the good news from you each week. always be happy and remember that families are the most important thing for our heavenly father!!!
have a great week!!!!
Elder Coats

Going...going...

Hey Fam!
we're at the end of another transfer that has gone by really fast and i'm continuing to learn more and more each day as i walk the streets and teach all those that accept our wonderful message.
we have a baptism set this saturday that should go really well and the lady getting baptized is really excited. she is the mom of a recent convert and has been going to church for a long time now. she has really gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and i know that it will have a huge impact on her life. one of her sons was shot and killed a few years ago because of drugs and she was really shaken up about it for a long time. we taught her about the plan of salvation and how her desire of having her son learning about the gospel and living a straight life will be fullfilled in the spirit world. she was so happy to know that her son would be able to learn even though he is no longer on this earth. it was a really great experience.
if you take any pictures of kolby at the bluebird, you got to send them to me. it has been such a long time since i've seen that ol kid. mike will be coming home next week and im sure that his family is way excited to see him again. let me know how their homecoming talks go. if possible record them and send it to me....
im so happy for kris and hope that things continue to go well for her.
thats cool that jud and ty did the arena cross again this year. did jud try any crazy stunt at the finish line this year?? ty is really getting good racing! i know that he has really enjoyed his summer. its crazy to think that he is heading into his last year of school now.
arien is gonna be busy busy again teaching and catching the sicknesses of all the little kids that are in her class. (jk) she is gonna be a great teacher and each year she will learn and grow alot.
hows pops doing? did he shave his head this summer or is he still holding strong with the skullet.
mom good luck with the talk this sunday and you can use any experience that ive had so far including the getting robbed my 3rd week in the field and knowing no portuguese and trying to teach the guy robbing us about the restored gospel because it wasn't his fault of understanding nothing that was going on until he showed me his gun. i know that it will go well and it will be cool to hear about the other elders serving from the linrose ward.
let loyal know that i am thinking of him and grandma. he has sure been a huge example to me and i sure enjoy listening to all of his great stories.
i love you guys!! Have an awesome week!!!
Elder Coats

New Apartment!

dear Mom,
another dandy week has come and gone.
we got moved into our new place today and living the high life now. our new apartment is way nice and living above a bakery is always a plus.
the week passed by really fast and we found lots of good investigators to start teaching this week. we have the baptism marked for sunday with the family of gold that we found three weeks ago. they are all really excited and ready to be baptised. they all chose different people to baptise each one of them so its gonna be a really cool baptism with everyone dressed in white. were having lots of good success and it seem like there isnt enough time to get everything done somedays.
thats awesome that arien and justin have got the house to get started on here in a little bit. thats gonna be so nice to have them live close to us still.
rodeo weekend is biggest weekend of the year in preston. mom i bet that the store is staying really busy and that town is packed with cars.
i knew that ty couldnt go too long with out going out to the rope swing. thats gonna be one of the first things that i want to do when i get home!
i hope that gram gets the hearing thing figured out. good ol grammy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week mom!!!!!! i know that there is gonna be a grand barbequeing going down this weekend. make sure to get to your harry potter movie to celebrate a little.
its crazy that summer is already coming to an end... its been raining like mad the past few days and we come home good and muddy each day. its great!
if your getting ready to send another package im in need of gravy and the instant potatoes again... and also if you can find all the ties that i left home you can send them to me. i dont know why i didnt bring them when i left. its good to have lots of ties cause its pretty much the only thing that we can have that is different each day.
i love you guys!!! have a great week!!
fica feliz sempre!!!!
Elder Coats

So Alegria

Hi Everyone,
We had a great week and it ended with a killer party with the whole ward and about 15 investigators!! and to top that off we had a baptism sunday!!! rejanes son, wagner, was baptized and now they are both members of the church. she is so happy and is really seeing the difference in her life already. the party was really fun and it reminded me a lot of our camp fires that we always had out back with everyone. we had a bon fire, cotton candy, music games and a drink called quintão! its hot grape juice with roots and apples and junk thrown in it. it is actually really goood and im looking to find the recipe to bring it home with me.
It has really cooled down this week and we are able to work hard with the nice breeze blowing on us. there are a lot of people sick here with the cold but so far im doing good and so is my comp.
We are going to move to a new apartment here next week that is really nice and its above a bakery so every morning were gonna have the nice smell of baked goods to get us going each day. we are the only missionarys that live in a wooden shack in the whole brazil curitiba mission but next week were gonna move into the new place.
We found a golden family this last week also that have been to church 2 times already and they love it!!! they accept everything that we teach and are preparing for baptism august 2nd. its an awesome family of 4.
Sounds like summer is really setting in for you guys and sad to say that it is already coming to an end. i cant believe that it is rodeo time already. it is the best time of year though.
Thats awesome that juds dc graduation got put in the paper!! i know that he is living the good life now with out all of that on his shoulders.
All the pictures that you send of ty, he is in a work shirt.... i take it that he is really working hard this summer. he will be done with high school before we know it!!!
Im so excited for arien and justins wedding!!!! its gonna be so awesome to be there for it. thats cool that they found them a little fixer uper house to get started on already. im pretty sure that i will be home before the 18 of june. usually the american missionarys go home a week before the arrival date because of the visa ordeal. so it should go all smooth.
Speaking of home, the veterans kolb and mike are already with the light at the end of the tunnel. craziness!!!!! Mom your gonna be in paradise here in a few weeks when the corn gets done!!! is dads corn with jim again this year?. these brazilians dont know the piece of heaven that they're missing with corn. they eat corn on the cob but i swear that it is the corn that we feed to our cows....
Im glad that dad is looking after the impala for me and keeping the harley up to speed this summer. i miss seeing dad cruisin down the streeet on the hog. i was really sad to hear that brady returned home. thats to bad!!
I love you guys and im so happy to hear each week that everything is going well and everyone is happy!!!
Só bênçãos!!!!!
I love you and have a great week!!
Elder Coats

what JOY!!

Mom,

i loved the email this week!!! i think my companion thinks that i am a little strange because after reading the email i was laughing and going a little crazy with joy!!

that is so awesome that jud graduated!!! i cant believe that they adjourned the graduation to the sand dunes to see him jump his bike!! its so cool! and he busted a super man!!! i wish that i could have been there to listen to his speech also. it has sure been a long process but it is now completely over. i bet that he is so happy and ready to move on with life now. thats funny that he finds himself a little lost during the day because everything isnt all planned out any more. im sure that its gonna be like that for me when i get home also.

its good to hear that everyone is doing good and enjoying life. Arien enjoying the summer break, ty and dad working hard and mom feeling better each day. (ty bought another yoda. tell him to send me pictures of it.)

thats cool that you were able to go up the canyon for the weekend for that wedding. the canyon is so pretty during this time of year. did you see chelsey there also?

things are continuing to go great here. we did have a baptism last week but it wasnt rejanes son. he needed a little more time but this sunday he should be ready. the baptism was a girl named amanda that has been going to church for a long time and we just taught her everything and she accepted baptism. it was a nice meeting and her mom even came to watch. she doesnt agree with the church to much but she was nice enough to let her daughter be baptized.

so my chances of going to foz do iguaço are gone. the place that has the biggest waterfalls in the world. it now makes part of another mission. it was cut out of the brazil curitiba mission. all the elders that were there are now with the other mission also. i wanted to go out there but i guess it doesnt matter. im not here to look at waterfalls!

i love you guys. have a great week!!!

Elder Coats

Life in Da Col. 07-08-09

Staying in Da Col

another transfer has now passed by and me and my comp elder murillo are gonna stay one more transfer together here in dal col. its a great area with lots of work so im excited to stay here for another.
we had a baptism sunday!! rejane (the cat lady) was baptized and her son will probably be baptized this sunday. she almost backed out during sunday school... we had a little chat in the room with the baptismal font and she decided that it was what heavenly father wanted for her. it went really well.
we have some good families that are preparing for baptism also so i believe that we are going to be blessed this transfer.
i cant believe that ty is already done with summer school. it seems like last week you said that he was just starting the summer. the weeks go by rápido.
speaking of that.... kolb and mike are gonna be returning to the beautiful U.S of A here pretty soon. craziness!! summer has really set in for you guys back home now finally. the cruise in is a fun time of year. thats cool that arien and jud were able to go down and have fun with all of that in logan. do you know if trent put his car in the cruise in this year??
thanks for the pictures that you sent. i love seeing how the family is changing. i just laugh eveytime i see ty. he is getting so tall. jud looks really good and i am glad that things are going good for him.
thats awesome that chris ward joined the church. he has been a friend of mine for a long time. if you could get a hold of his address, send it to me. he could be a part of a singles ward and really get into the blessings that the church has to offer.
mom im glad that everything is going well for you at work. dont worry about not having a whole lot of energy, it willl come with time.
dad is staying busy im sure with all the things of summer and work. is he gonna do a big garden this year again??
something funny that one of our investigators said last week ``if micheal jackson was mormon, he wouldnt have died alone...´´ kinda funny! she has realized that everyone in the ward is like a big family.
i love this gospel!!! i love you guys and i hope that you have an awesome week!!
fogo nos ossos!!!
Elder Coats

It's Loco de bom in Brasil

hey fam
everything is loco de bom here for me still and we are able to get around the area with out any problems now. we have a good group of investigators coming to church (including the cat lady that will be baptized this sunday) and we're teaching lots of lessons each week.
there are a lot of strong catholic believers here and yesterday we got into a pretty good bible bash! the spirit wasn't there at all though so i just bore my testimony of the true church and invited her to really think about the things that we had taught and we got out of there. it was a good experience. it was by far the biggest bash that i have been in on the mish...
i heard about the tragedy of lance jensen from micheal. its really sad to think that he was way young and that he was getting ready to be married but for sure he is resting from all the struggles and worries that we have here on this earth.
Jud got him another bike? i want a picture of it.
Arien's hero micheal jackson died this week.. but tell her not to worry cause we can still watch the thriller music video...
so ty hurt the same colllar bone that he hurt last year..? me and him have weak collar bones i guess. im sure that if he finished with school by the end of october he would be happy to get a full time job and just work for a while. then he could save up for school and go to college with me...
im glad that everything went well for you mom returning to work. before ya know it you will be back to full strength. tell dad that i want him to take the harley out for a spin this week to get some of the dust out. i loved watching him ride the hog with his hair blowin in the wind.
i love you guys and i pray for ya daily.
have a great week!!!!!!!
Elder Coats

Week of June 24th, 2009

Family,

today was the mission olympics here in ponta grossa!! we had a sweet run-down old gym that we rented for 10 bucks and just tore it up all day! basketball, soccer, volleyball and a uno tournament. it was way fun and i know that im gonna be sore tomorrow... but its all worth it!!
we also had our zone conference and it went really good also. President Araujo is a powerful man!! his talks are great and they always get us way excited to get out and work harder and harder.
we had a baptism last saturday in cold water but other than that it went good. a young man named Julio was baptised and his family even came to watch. they loved the chapel and really felt the spirit inside the meeting. he is a kid that has been ready for baptism for a long time. we just had to wait for his dad to get home from a work trip to give him permission. the rest of the family didnt really have a desire to get to know more but i know with time he will set the good example for them all. he is even talking about a mission already!!!
so we had a great week and even though it was busy as heck, everything turns out good and smooth with a baptism.
the cat lady is almost ready for baptism also. rejane has been to a bunch of family nights with us and she loved church. She and her son are marked for the 5th of july.
so mom your already heading back to work... i new that you wouldnt be able to just sit home for too long. you were just born and raised as a hard working momma!! im glad that you're feeling good. you make sure that those baggers lift all the watermelons and beer out of the kart for you.
i know that ty isn't gonna like the summer school thing but just tell him to stick with it and pay attention to mr. robertson. he wil get through it and still have time to do what he wants to do for the summer.
jud is gonna be completly through after the graduation!!! what a Blessing!! he is gonna be so much happier now. tell him to keep up the good work.
is arien liking the summer school job?
i bet dad is staying really busy now that its summer and everything with the coats rooter is at fulll steam. is his bike still getting him to and fro? i
love you guys so much and i know that you're all happy and enjoying the summer breeze!!
have a great week!!
Elder Coats

Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brazil

At the one year mark! June 11th, 2009

Another good week

Dear Mom,
we had another good week this last week and were able to teach lots of lessons and we invited lots of people to baptism. we have a baptism marked this weekend for a kid that we have taught all the lessons to and is anxious to take the bath of eternal life. he really enjoys all the activities that the church offers and hasnt missed a sunday in 2 months. we're just waiting for his dad to come home from work to sign the papers and its all 10/4. everyday we are learning more and more about our area and where the work is and also where the members live. it is a challenge to get thrown in to an area that you know nothing about and work but we're doing good. we had a family night last night with a bunch of members in the ward and the cat lady (rejane). it went really good and i gave a message about the importance of the family and temples. she loved it and were heading back there today to teach her a little more about the gospel. im thinking that she willl be baptized here in a few weeks!!
its good to here that everyone is doing good back home and that your re-covering well mom. it has rained pretty good here the last few days also. at night our little pink wooden shack gets a shaking when the wind blows real hard. i'll get a picture of it this week and send you one. its a cool little house!!
i cant believe the picture of the whole family that you sent me a little while ago. i was looking at it this morning and i couldnt believe that ty is so tall and the rest of you have changed a little too. (just ugly chloe is the same jk).
i hear from all the guys once and a while also and it sounds like they are all doing well. mike and kolby are heading home here before we know it. crazy!! time seems like it is flying!!
i love you guys!! have a great week!!
Elder Coats

Letter From the Mission President

Dear Family of Elder Coats,

It is a great pleasure to inform you that your son, Elder Coats, has been called to serve as a Missionary Trainer in the Brazil Curitiba Mission.

This is a position of great trust and importance to the mission. It gives Elder Coats an opportunity to train and to provide successful experiences for a new missionary. As you know, the first two months of a mission are extremly important in setting the course for the remainder of a new missionary's endeavors. We have great confidence in Elder Coats and we are pleased to give him this opportunity to have a positive influence on the quality of the missionary work in Brazil.

We are very proud of your son. We trust that you will continue to encourage Elder Coats to reach out for excellence as he serves the Lord in this new capacity.

Warmest Regards,
President Paulo M. Araujo

June 10, 2009

Yo Family,
ONE YEAR DOWN and i dont believe it!!!!! tomorrow will be the big year mark and i think im gonna burn a shirt or something to have a little celebration, that sweat stained smell should give the fire a good scent of course....! no it has been a great year and i have learned so much!!
me and my comp are doing good here and working to find the people here in the area. we're knocking a lot of doors this transfer.
it is like fall weather here for me but not to cold. the thermals are doing me good and i dont need any thing else for warmth, but thanks mom. the cold only last for three months so i'm set.
that's awesome that shelby coats is going to a mandarin chinese speaking mish!! that's gonna be an adventure for him. tell him that i said hi and good luck if you guys make it to the farewell.
i got the package and oh the potatoes are just fantastic!!! you should have seen my companion when i was making them. they dont have any instant food here so he was amazed when he tasted them and saw that they were just like normal potatoes. i have already given a sister in the ward a packet of taco seasoning for her to make us for lunch this next week. she wanted to give us something different so she is gonna make tacos.
so this week we were walking down the street and an older lady starts yelling to us "are you guys Mormons??" i told my comp that i could smell a baptism and we went up to talk to her. she was a little different and has about 16 cats living with her. we left a little message and she invited us back to teach her. its gonna be interesting and we're gonna help her the best we can. everything is going great and before we know it, i will be callling you guys for christmas.
i love you guys!!!!!!
have a great week and always be happy!!!!
ELder Coats

Nick and his new companion.

Even Big Rotweilers need to hear the gospel!

Week of June 3rd, 2009

mom
its good to hear that everything is going good and the surgery went smooth. so now you just need to take it easy for a few months and get all healed up. im sure that it will go by really fast and at least you get to sit in the sun and enjoy the weather while you re-cuperate. surgery is not fun but you should feel a ton better when its all through.
i forgot that it actually gets cold here in the winter months!! we are starting in to the cold months and it is actualy really cold!! im glad that i brought my thermals from home and our house has some big good covers. they're a little smelly but no worries... when we got to the house there was practically nothing in it cause the area has been down for so long. we're geting her up and going though. its a sweet little pink wooden shack. kinda funny.
my new comp is getting into the swing of things and were trying to get our teaching group built up. we have a few familys that are good and interested so im thinking that we will be having some baptisms before too long. that sounds like a sweet new job that Jud is doing. i love working during the summer! ty is gonna be staying busy for sure now at RKT and also at the store. i thought arien was going to get a little break but now she is going to go into summer school also! im sure that dad will also stay really busy now in the summer months. just you mom, take it easy and drink lemonade on the porch. i bet grandma will be hanging out with you alot, that will be snazzy!
i love you guys and i hope that all continues to go as it is going!! im gonna work hard here and do my best to get this ward (Dal Col) strengthened. have a great week!!!!
ELder Coats

Nick's New Area

Nick's New Area:
Ponta Grossa, Paraná
Ponta Grossa is a city in the state of Paraná, Brazil. With a population of over 300,000 inhabitants, it is the 5th most populated city of Paraná.
It is the second industrial pole of the State, exceeded only by Curitiba—the State's capital and largest city. Ponta Grossa, also known as the Princesa dos Campos—Princess of the Fields- is the home of the Ponta Grossa State University (UEPG).
Ponta Grossa is also home town of the "Parque Estadual da Vila Velha" (State Park of Old Town), a park made up of rocky formations formed over millions of years. Each rock formation has its own name, depending on which object/animal they look like.
Another attraction of the city is the Münchenfest - A National Stout Festival with national and international concerts that lasts a whole week and occurs at late November and the beginning of December.

New Area, New Challenge May 26th,2009

Hey Fam,
so pretty big news for this week... i got transfered and im training and on top of that were re-opening an area that has been shut down called dal col. the area has been shut down for 5 months. my new companion is brazilian but he is a greenie that got here yesterday.
this is gonna be a huge challenge in front of me but its all right cause im gonna really step it up and take it on. we have no idea where anything is and pretty much gonna start from the ground up, knocking doors and getting addresses.
i left Curitiba and am now in Ponta Grossa. it is straight up country and hicks here. right down my alley. the roads are all made of red dirt and lots of farms. just blessings!!
thats great that it is really warming up for you guys back home and everyone is already enjoying the warmth. i got the letter today with the pictures of the fam. i couldnt believe some of the changes in everyone. ty,bald again and everyone else just a little diff in their own little way also.
its good to hear that the whole family is doing good and staying busy. we are truely blessed and i know that there are just more blessings to come.
i pray for you guys daily and i know that the lord will continue to give us a helping hand. this new area will be a huge challenge but the blessing will be rewarding. i love you guys and have a great week!!!!!
Elder Coats

Week of May 20th, 2009

Dear Family,
This week passed by really quick and lots of good things went down for us. We had the baptism on Sunday but it was quite the challenge. We got there and the whole town was really low on water and the chapel ran out of water while we were filling up the font so we marked the baptism for later in the day cause the water would be turned back on. We got there that night and the propane ran out to heat the water and it was a cold night. Priscilla the lady that we baptized wanted the water as warm as we could get it. Also Elder Pierce wasn't too excited to get into the freezing water. We went out back and messed with the propane tanks and got what was left of one of them to get the water heater pumping. In the end, it all went good and she was so happy afterwards. we had two baptisms planned but the other one can't get baptized yet because her aunt won't let her live with her if she is baptized... kinda sad. She still is coming to church and i believe that later on she will be baptized.
Next p-day i'm guessing that i will head to a new area. i would like to stay here a little longer but i guess we'll see what happens. i'm happy here but wherever the Lord sends me, i'm happy to go.
We ate at a mexican all you can eat restuarant hoje. it was way good and i forgot how great mexican food was. i was so full afterwards and it was fun to eat something with some flavor!!
Ty and Arien are done with school for the summer now!! It went by so fast. Months are passing like days.
We had an awesome zone conference yesterday and Pres. gave us some awesome talks and new techniques. I'm excited to try some new things. Everything is going great and só alegria e bénçãos!!!
Have a great week!!!!!
Elder Coats
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