New Week

Jared Sampson	Aug 27 (1 day ago)

Hello Everyone.  Some of you have expressed concern to the fact that I have been starting my letters "I am not dead".  This is a true statement.  I yet live.  I also don't anticipate death in the near future.

 

 Life Update:

First of All, I got special permission to play my tenor recorder here and also got special permission to have one of my branch presidency members accompany me.  He was a music major at BYU a while ago and so he can just make up a part for me since I can't do that for myself while I play recorder.  I hopefully will be auditioning this Thursday or maybe next Thursday.  I had a great Quartet lined up and had some fantastic music with Elder Keele and Elder Chun, but Elder Chun decided he is working too hard and has too much to do so we aren't doing that any more.  Good for him! (not as good for us but this was something extra anyways).  There are a decent chunk of people here that I know.  

 

We have been learning lots of Portuguese recently.  The language is coming well like the turtle that beat the hare except we are all mostly just turtles. We have two investigators right now, Nathan and Raimundo (High-moon-dough.  R's at the begging of the words are more like h's).  However they have been gone or sick recently a bunch so we have been teaching a lot of first contacts which are sometimes good and sometimes not as because you can't really prepare because you don't know what they struggle with.

 

Our district is getting smaller.  One of the Elder in my room that I am close to and another one that I am also close to both got their visas yesterday and are on a plane heading to finish the MTC in Brazil.  It is bitter sweet because we are super tight but it is also great that they got their visas.
My toe is doing pretty well.  I played soccer on it yesterday and wrecked.  I am still careful and stuff.  I made a goal but shot left footed on my good foot.  Dribbling and passing are fine on my right though.

Elder Lundeen and I are staring reading the book of mormon based off of a talk we heard by Elder Bednar on Sunday.  We read the entire thing with one question in mind and mark it up and make notes and stuff, and then once we are done, we do it again.  In 30 years I will have 300-400 copies of the Book of Mormon all on different topics or answering different questions.

I have more I could probably say but I won't because I am out of time.  Use your imagination!

Responses:
I am sorry I didn't respond to anything last week.  Right after my email time was up I got all of your letters, and then on like Thursday a bunch of us got letters that had been sent on the 8th. Haha. Whoops.  Not my fault.

Summer:  Your poem was amazing.  How old are you?  21?  It was really good.  I hope you are having a great time with school.

Ryan: I am glad Mrs Billing Class is good and that she got a new lizard.  Is it young and entergetic?  How is being a deacon?

Kelsey: Congrats on making the MV volleyball team.  Don't hurt yourself and be better than everyone humbly.  I very much know Hidi Shurtz. She is good at volleyball.  Do you know your student council position yet? 

Lindsey: How did you end up with an emergency acting job?  I'm glad you got to see the Scarlet Pimpernel again.  It was a great show.  How is being a Jr?  My Companion says thank you for saying hello.

Jared: Keep up the good work.

Brad: Read my email and enjoy drumming with people.  I mostly just drummed alone most of the summer and the soco season last and before that.  Don't take drumming on a real line for granted.

Mom: Thank you for sending me stuff.  It's great that Nicholas is home.  I just need room febreeze for sure.  All the smell good stuff you can send can work though.  They did the same surgery as last time.  Thanks for your letters.  What are you doing now that school has started and you aren't in charge of young women any more?  If you could also send: Sharpie Gel highlighters for me and my companion in multiple colors (if you can't find them or can't figure out what they are, nothing is fine too), Can you send me my black dress pants I got new from Mr Mac that I didn't bring.  The black ones from my suit they told me were washable but they aren't so I am only going to take one of them and I will take the black ones instead.  Can you get me a nice version of the Portugues bible with tabs?  I don't need my name on it or anything, but the one they gave us is not that great and has no tabs. The binding is like the same paper as brown paper bags.  Also if you can get a mini hymnal in portuguese with my name on it if they have those in easy access.  Great too.    Also, sometimes the roof of my mouth isn't as great as usual.  Can you get me Dr. Edmunds email address and I can ask him about it.  Also, can you do me one more favor?  The people in the mail room told me that they will put up my picture if I break the package record for one day (11), so if you feel inclined to have someone whip up a sweet picture of me (from my photogenics shoot) with a caption "Elder Sampson.  Record holder: 16 Packages" and send 16 packages in one day, that could be fun for all of us. 

Dad: We have enough food that isn't sugary too. Thanks though,  I'm glad fathers and sons was well represented.  What are you doing since you aren't teaching this fall? 

Let me just say that I love you all equally even though I wrote Mom a short essay in response.

Love,
   Elder Sampson