December 20, 2010

I had a great week, but had some disappointments too. Tuesday was an awesome day. I did a division with one of our LZ named Elder da Silva. It was such a blast. We ate at Bishop's and went off to work. Right before our Bishop told us he wants us to baptize 3 people before the New Year, and 2 in the first 3 weeks of January. He said find a way, or make it happen. When you're serving a mission, it's hard to feel the same type of a "pump" I feel if I'm going for a new max weight lifting, but I felt so much energy and motivation as we went off to work.

We went home that night and I had some letters to read but we just talked instead. It is amazing the people you meet on your mission. Elder de Silva is such a wonderful man. He told me the last time he heard from his parents was 4 months ago, and before that was a year ago. His whole family is active in the church, but they just aren't writing. The last email he received was from his mom and it said that is Dad has been a little less excited about church. He is so strong. He said he is just entirely into the mission now. It was so much fun to work with him. It was raining and cold, but we had a blast. (It has rained every since last week when I told you about the rain! Today is really hot though and it's actually kind of nice.)

The good news this week is with Andreza Bruna and Joice, particularly Andreza. They have been reading The Book of Mormon really consistently and we had been giving good chapters throughout but we challenged them to start reading from the beginning. We returned the next day and Andreza was in chapter 4. She said she feels the book is true. We watched the Restoration with them and they said they felt something good when Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They will travel during Christmas but I think they will be baptized in the beginning of January. It's amazing to witness the power of The Book of Mormon. They are consistently reading and it makes a huge difference. They went to a dance our ward had Saturday and went to church yesterday.

So this morning I was thinking about Christmas. I read about the birth and child hood of Jesus Christ in the book Jesus the Christ. There was a part I wanted to type out really quick. I just love it.

"His advancement was from one grace to another, not from gracelessness to grace; from good to greater good, not from evil to good;from favor with God to greater favor, not from estrangement because of sin to reconciliation throguh repentance and propititation....Jesus was all that a boy should be, for His development was unretarted by the dragging weight of sin; He loved and obeyed the truth and therefore was free." -Jesus the Christ ch 9

There is something about the birth and early life of our Savior that really sinks in with me. The humble circumstances of Mary and Joseph. As I was cleaning our house to day and thinking about our Savior, all of the struggles of this week were put into a different perspective. A faith and hope entered my heart, faith and hope that all would be okay. I imagined our youthful Savior, and his progression, unretarded by sin and I imagine worry as well, and my worries seemed to be for nothing. The trusting aspect of faith seemed to be what I was missing. I felt this motivation enter inside my heart. It was a mental connection, which caused a logical desire to work. But it was feelings communicated to my heart, that my the results of service to my God seem much less important than simply honoring Him by my service. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I testify that He lives. That He is everything and more than we read in the Bible. I urge anyone who happens to read this email, to study about the life of our Savior. Think about His life and what one who has faith in Him believes Him to Be. Then ask in prayer if these things are true. I know that the very best way to receive a testimony about the Savior is through the Book of Mormon, for the pages purely testify of Him. Through that book, and an answered prayer, I gained my initial testimony of Him. His reality has been testified to me many many times sense. I pray that an interest can be sparked in your heart to learn about the greatest story ever told. It's true. His sacrifice is so awe-inspiring. A perfect sacrafice. I love Him.

I love you all this day. I am so excited to hear your voices. I will call around 8 in the morning on Saturday I believe. I know it will work out because I will use the Bishop's phone. Friday night I think we're going to be at our Bishop's house until late if we get permission because the big celebration is Christmas Eve where you eat a ton of food and play games. I can't wait to talk!!! I love you all.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Elder Calvert

December 13, 2010

I am still here as you know! As I started to type an email to my mission president, the wind began to pick up, enough so I could see the dust moving above the street, and then rain began to pour. People were running down the street to try to get out of the rain. Then the power went out. Then a wet dog entered the place where we're emailing. It was pretty sweet.

I am excited to spend another transfer here. Salta de Pirapora has been my mission other than the CTM. By the end of this transfer I will have lived in this ward for almost 6 months. That's almost as long that I lived at BYU. My companion was joking that if I stay one more transfer, they'll probably send my membership records from Salt Lake to the ward here. Tuesday was the day that we had planned to go around and just say bye to everyone, but instead it was a day of work. Our district meeting was really sad, because there was going to be only one change in our district and our last transfer wasn't that successful as a zone. There was very little energy. We went to work that afternoon and received a call from our zone leaders with a little challenge to mark a date. I am so susceptible to motivating things like that. I can't explain it but it is in my blood or something. It was such a great day of work and we marked 3 dates for baptism that day. It was such a blessing from our Father in Heaven and the challenge got me going!

We met with this couple, Jean and Josiane who have two kids. This couple is awesome. They are very, very kind, and quite successful. It is very easy to picture them members of the church, and their kids are so well-mannered. Here in Brazil, you say bem-educado for people that have good manners. If someone does something rude, you could say (if you wish to call them out on the rudeness) "falta de educação." They are so smiley and kind and just a great family.

Wednesday was great as well, Wednesday morning we went to teach this girl named Leticia. She has a date for baptism the 24 of December. Our training in our district meeting was about listening. We taught her about the word of wisdom and she was concerned she wouldn't be able to stop drinking alcohol. The question popped into my mind , ask her about other trials she has overcome in her life. She went on to share a personal experience and at the end of the lesson she said, "That really made sense to me." She had done all of the talking, but the connection she made, with just a little help of pointing out that she is already overcoming a challenge so much bigger made sense to her. I hope it gives her more courage to stop. It really was from the Holy Ghost.

We were fasting Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before our second lesson with Jean and Josiane, and when we showed up Josiane was getting her nails done. I was pretty bummed and it was hard to focus during the lesson where we read some scriptures with Jean. I wish it could have been different, but I know Heavenly Father desires that they enter the church. I have faith our fast was not in vain. That day I saw lightening strike nearer to me then I ever have in my life. We were sitting in a lesson and we saw this huge flash of lightening like 50 feet away. It was so so loud, and Elder Cavalcante gave a little yelp and spilled his juice on the ground.

Sunday after church we went to eat lunch with Luiz Carlos and his wife Efginia. He is going to mark a date to be married this week! He has been trying to mark one for a long time, but something hasn't quite gone right so we gave a challenge to mark a date this week no matter what. If you have to make some arrange with your boss, just do it so you can get married and be baptized. Last night we went to a family night that had 26 people there. It was really good. Luiz Carlos was there with his wife and their two little boys.

So that was the week. I wanted to share a funny little story that happened on the street where we had our family night. We have one there every Sunday night and I guess a few years ago the mom who lives in that home heard a fight going on outside and went to the front of their house to see what was going on. She saw someone getting beat up pretty bad outside a bar but fortunately someone called an ambulance. Unfortunately the guys who were beating the man up decided to beat up the medics in the ambulance, and steal the ambulance. They drove off, and I didn't quite understand the last part of the story but I guess someone that stole the ambulance with them was injured and they drove them to the hospital where the police were there waiting!

I love all of you very much. Merry Christmas!! Love, Elder Calvert

December 6, 2010

Well another week has passed! I want to give you a little summary of the week the best that I can. Tuesday I did a division with Elder Lew. He is a really good buddy from California and it was way fun to work together. But first that morning was district meeting and we heard right before that President Cooley and his wife were coming to do interviews for missionaries going home this transfer. Two districts have meetings in our chapel and he came to our district meeting. I was able to ask him and his wife questions about our investigators and my companion and I did a practice with him and his wife at the end. It was so nice. I was a little nervous but, President was awesome in the practice and I really felt good about it.

After the meeting Elder Lew and I went to work in our area. We went to an investigators house, one I had specifically talked about with President and we applied what we learned with her. It was really great. He is an awesome singer so we had a blast singing harmonies together during our lessons. It was so so nice. Our last appointment of the day was to visit a less active woman whose fiance (she is in her 60`s) is in a coma. On the way there, we met another couple in our ward walking slowly. We talked to them and found out that her fiance had passed away. A neighbor came up and was crying, but the couple from our ward told us that she was still expecting our visit. I had met her on a bus two weeks ago and was coordinating to have the Elders go and give him a blessing on Thursday. He passed away Monday night.

We went to the door, where others had knocked but no one came. As we approached, I had thoughts of inadequacy to handle the situation. The truth is, no one can be entirely prepared for comforting someone in a time like this, you just have to do all you can. The people in her home let us enter and we went and talked to her. She seemed rather peaceful but she had not accepted it. She asked me to iron the shirt that her fiancé would wear for the funeral. It was a very strange thought as I was in the room of a man who had been walking and sleeping and living 3 weeks ago. I could feel so much emotion in the house. We said a prayer with her that night and told her we would go to the funeral the next day.

We arrived during a viewing of her fiancé the next day. There were so many tears and people talked about her fiancé. People of all religions were joined together, and the hope found that day was found through the Savior. Although the understanding of what exactly that means may have differed greatly from person to person, it was wonderful. We don`t know the woman who lost her fiancé very well, but we were there to support her. I watched her say good bye to her fiancé, it was a very tender, sacred, human experience. I felt a strong desire to comfort those that stood in need of comfort. I`ve always thought those requirements for baptism described in Mosiah were different. But I felt that desire to comfort. I wanted to share a little bit of the pain, and share a little bit of the peace I felt.

We had a lot of appointments fall this week. It was a little discouraging, but I learned a lot. I learned a lot about efficiency and more about giving your all. I still do not know about transfers, but I am praying to accept the Lord`s will. Please pray for me as well that I can accept His will quickly.

Sunday was Stake Conference for our stake too! I will pray for President Dudley. He will be wonderful. He is such a sweet man. We had a bus that was going to come and pick up our ward to go to the conference but it didn`t come. So the ward ran around a bit and we ended up having 3 investigators go to the meeting with us as well. The Stake President spoke about being financially independent, which will help us be more Spiritually independent as well. It was great.

I love you all so much. My prayers are constantly with you. I know that Jesus is the Christ. Pray for me that I can achieve my personal goals.

Love, Elder Calvert

November 29, 2010

Well Thanksgiving was very, very wonderful! I wrote in my journal that night for quite a while to really capture the things I was thinking and feeling. I've never had a Thanksgiving that was so wonderful, and it felt silly writing that and as I looked at pictures of our family all together, I was questioning if my Thanksgiving was really as great as I thought it was. But I know it was, because amidst many more things that could have potentially made it sad, I was so very, very happy on Thursday. I loved thinking about you all together and I felt a little bit of the excitement of the season in my heart as I thought of you throughout last week. Thank you for sending the pictures I really did love them Mommy.

When we were standing around and Irma Silvia was filming me and Bishop went into the other room, I had a feeling something was going on. I loved opening the letter and I felt very, very special. I can't describe the emotions I was feeling, but I promise it wasn't really sad, it was just emotional. I really loved it though and I loved being with Bishop and his family. I feel pretty ready to have a new area and see new things, but I would love to stay just to be around the Bishop and his wife and their two little boys. Their son Ricardo reminds exactly of my cousin Tyler Edwards, but just imagine him speaking Portuguese!

This last week we kept teaching these 3 teenage girls, Bruna, Joyce and Andreza. We taught them 3 times this past week and everything was all set for Sunday but they didn't come! I was pretty bummed. We also began teaching this 21 year old man named Dione in a members home and he is understanding so well but he didn't go to church either! All is well though. Luiz Carlos and his wife Efginia are going to mark a date to be married later this month hopefully and be baptized as well!

We were teaching this girl named Leticia last night in a member’s house before a family night and I was listening to this testimony of a woman who joined the church 15 years ago. The church is so much apart of her and her family’s life, you would think they had been members for a long time. I watched Luiz Carlos bare his testimony as well (the man who will be baptized soon). I thought of my frustration with dates falling, and things not going exactly according to my plans, and these less meaningful things seemed of no importance. I was listening to a woman who one day didn't want to join the church, but after praying in her bathroom, felt impressed to bear her testimony and testified that she knew The Book of Mormon is true. I listened to Luiz who had rejected the missionaries several times and used to be a drunk, bear his testimony. Early in the day talking about what his boss had said to him about his potential in work as we shared a lesson about setting goals for the future in all aspects of life.

I thought of Alma 26:30 where the Sons of Mosiah supposed their joy would be complete if they could be the means of saving some. There is something very special about this principle. Numbers are very necessary for recording and increasing success, but these numbers represent sweet people. One could baptize 100 or none on their mission, but the way we give our hearts to others is what will be remembered. Their isn't a way to quantify "hearts we touch" but I think it is a worthwhile measurement.

Elder Cavalcante and I just got back from a mall in Sorocaba with Bishop Tyler and Silvia. We went to eat at Pizza Hut and take picture with Papai Noel! It was really, really fun to be able to be with them. I will find out next p-day where I will be for the Christmas! I am looking forward to talking to you all very much. I love you all so, so much. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. I really feel them.

Love, Elder Calvert

November 22, 2010

Spencer hiding in the middle- scary!

Teaching at a waterfall. . .

He didn't tell me who these people are. . .

So this week was really good. We were able to find a lot of new investigators and people I'm really excited to teach. I am feeling a little bit more organized with the contacts that we are doing and I feel like I can be a little more effective in them now. It was the Bishop's wife's (Silvia) birthday this week and we baked her a cake on Tuesday night! We went over to their house Wednesday night to celebrate with them and it was really nice.

We are working with Daniella's sister Laura still to recognize the answers that she has received. She had a dream that the Book of Mormon is true and also had an experience where she opened the Book of Mormon and read a verse that was exactly what she had a question about. She says she knows with her mind but she doesn't know with her heart. We have talked about how we have to act in faith, and sometimes put our feet in the water before the Lord will prepare a way. In the visit by Elder Bednar, he said "The distance between the mind and the heart is not very far, but it's a long journey." We are praying and working with her to help her receive the answer she desires, and to recognize the answers she has already received.

We are teaching a 21 year old named Dione (Johnny) and he is a stud. He is really quick, and it is so nice to be able to teach to someone who understands everything. He accepted a date for the baptism the beginning of December. We are teaching him in a part member family's house and the situation there is so sad. The husband lives in the US and there are many difficulties with that but it would take quite a while to explain them all, but the mom hasn't been to church in years. She has a lot of hurt feelings that she holds inside and there was a little argument in our ward and I could literally see anger on her face as she talked about what happened. It was so so sad to see. It wasn't gentle or kind. The anger was a foreign, ugly thing. I sang a hymn and prayed that the Spirit could soften the hearts of the people in the room and I felt the Spirit but I don't know if it effected them.

I reached a little personal checkpoint this week. I feel very motivated during my morning and evening study time. To make a reference back to a past analogy that I made, those are my "times of dreaming of doing a 360 snowboarding and it's easy." In the night, I imagine the lessons and everyone accepts the teachings. Everyone accepts commitments. Everyone does what they will do. When I begin to work, there is an opposition and although I won't let myself physically stop, I don't feel the same fire. This week, while sitting in homes I began to feel the fire all day long. I wanted to teach teach teach! I have such an interest in the first principles of the gospel. They are so important to understand and to be understood. It is so easy for people to not understand them because we get into a routine of teaching. It has been the focus of my studies to really enlarge upon the doctrines. To really understand them. Hyrum Smith promised that as we preach them day after day, new ideas and additional light concerning them will be revealed unto us. Just some thoughts, study them!

I received my first Christmas present yesterday! A woman in our ward that teaches English bought me an English Portuguese Spanish picture dictionary. I had been looking at it in her house and it's so sweet so I asked her where she bought it and then all of a sudden I had a Christmas present in my arms. She bought one for my companion too and she said we could open them early, so I began studying with it this morning.

I am so grateful for all of you. Have a very happy Thanksgiving and know how grateful I am for you. Please continue to pray for me. I always pray for you.

Love, Elder Calvert

To start, I would like to let you all know how truly powerful prayers are. This week was so so wonderful. So to start, right after I got off the computer last week I heard that I wasn`t going to go to Pilar with Elder Otterstrom but when we got to our district meeting the next day, I was able to talk them in to doing it! Their area really did need one more day of work because it was going to be without elders for 4 days. We went to Pilar and it was wonderful. Elder Otterstrom is such a good buddy of mine. We marked a date for baptism in their area and really enjoyed working together. He is such a stud.

Friday night was really nice as well, we finished working for the night and the Elders from Pilar were passing through but they came after the last bus left for their city so they stayed with us that night. That night I received letters from Jenny and one Jimmy and my other buddies that are serving. I wrote in my journal that it was the happiest day on my mission! That night, I felt very close to those at home, very motivated to work, and so excited for the baptism of Daniella and William the next day.

The baptism went really well. I conducted the meeting wearing one of the white jump suits haha it was kind of funny. I baptized William and I`ll send some pictures from it. That night the Bishop invited us over to eat baked potatoes at his house. It was so, so good, especially because it was a little cold outside and man it was delicious.

Church was really good, we had 9 investigators in church and really hadn`t done much with inviting people because we had been so busy with the baptism. Samira, the girl that Elder Schoen and I baptized taught a lesson in young womens and gave a talk on Sunday. She is so strong! She spoke about reference and I learned a ton. She made the point about reference is more than just sitting quietly. We need to make sure our thoughts are reverent and in alignment with what we are learning at church.

One girl I did a contact with last Saturday (one week ago) went to church too! A woman in our ward invited her to a family night last night and we watched the Testaments. Goodness, I can`t tell you how wonderful things are. I just feel like blessings are being poured out upon our heads. I don`t feel like I deserve them truthfully, because my faults and weaknesses are very present before me. I thought of the promise about paying your tithing in the Old Testament and it talks of receiving a blessing without room enough to receive. There is also another quote by President Snow that I don`t know exactly in English but something "There is no person that is so interested in the success of a missionary when he is preaching the gospel than the Lord, whose children are hearing the message." The Lord is so anxious to help us. He is actively helping us. We just need to look for it and be more grateful.

The reason I say it was the happiest day on my mission is because I could have thought of things to be bummed about. I could have thought of those I love at home, or other frustrations, but amidst what once were crushing difficulties months ago, I felt so much joy. With each trial we have, our capacity expands to be filled with that much more joy. I think in Nephi 4, Nephi describes of his joy being so full. This is the man who is writing these beautiful verses about his beloved father passed away.

One more story, we passed by this woman Crystalvanha on Thursday. She was hit by a motorcylist a year ago and broke her tibia and fibula. She has to have a woman come and do chores for her because it hurts to walk. She only leaves the house to go to the doctor. Her husband is mentally sick. Her children never call and she says she has given up trying to call them. They have said they will come visit but they never do. If I were to describe her state, she is crippled, physically and emotionally, and hopeless. How many of us feel like this is our Spiritual state? How many of us think we are grounded because our weaknesses are too great? We`re hopeless because we are still suffering and haven`t found a relief? Just as the Lord can heal Crystalvanha physically, he can likewise heal you, and I in all aspects of our lives. Alma 7:23 asking for WHATSOEVER thing you stand in need, both spiritual and temporal. It doesn`t matter how miniscule or silly or simple it may seem, He is our Father. Anything that is a concern for us is a concern for Him. I love this work. I love you all.

Love, Elder Calvert

November 8, 2010





I am sitting at the computer literally dripping with sweat here in Brazil. It is nuts.

This last week was very strange and very difficult. We began to do a goal of 10 contacts everyday. This was an old rule in the mission here, and from what I hear it began to be just a check the box type of thing. I made a goal to never miss a day, and a few nights this week I was booking it around making contacts to get in 10 before we went to sleep. It was pretty rough adjusting to this new 10 contacts a day, because you can let yourself be governed by the contacts really easily. It is so easy to go through the motions of the contacts just to get them done so you don't have to think about it, but this week we had a ton of really good experiences. In Preach My Gospel it says that the Lord will place people in our paths that are prepared for the restored gospel. I believe that this is true. I acted and did the contacts. I now have proof that this is true.

Tuesday, I was talking to Elder Otterstrom on the bus back to Salta de Pirapora (the Elder's in Pilar do Sul eat with us on Tuesdays) and we were talking about faith. I believe that much of baptising is about our attitudes. I am not denying the hand of the Lord, but I think we limit our ability to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord because we don't work enough by faith. We let reality and fear govern our actions rather than faith. I have large goals and I was asking Elder Otterstrom if he thinks I am right to strive for more, expecting that the Lord will be able to use us more for His work. I felt confused, as many others weren't as supportive of the idea. As I was talking to Elder Otterstrom, a man came up to me, asked for a pamphlet, I asked him if the missionaries could pass by, and he accepted. In my moment of wondering if we can dare to do more, the Lord gave me this experience. It was a reminder of how this is entirely the Lord's work.

So we will have a baptism this weekend! I am so excited. Daniela is progressing amazingly in the gospel. She accepted to live the law of tithing and we actually went over there early today and she had her highlighter out and was highlighting pamphlets we had given her. So just a reminder she has 2 sisters with dates for this weekend and her son as well. Leticia her youngest sister didn't go to church so she can't be baptized this week but the others did!

Laura is still praying and waiting for an answer. She had a dream Saturday night and we talked about it and helped her recognize that it was an answer. I was kind of irritated walking over there on our p-day, but when we sat down and began talking about the gospel, these feelings left. We prayed that we could focus in the moment although we were looking forward to email and other things and the Lord answered our prayers. Scripture came into our minds, and the three of them will have an interview for baptism tomorrow! I will go to Pilar do Sul with Elder Otterstrom and I am so excited. You really develop friendships on the mission. I am looking forward to tomorrow so, so much. I really love Elder Otterstrom and it is kind of like a little vacation with family. We really believe in each other so it's such a blast to work together. I feel unstoppable with him.

As for the pictures, they are pretty self explanatory.

This one is the Catholic church in the center of the city. It is really pretty huh? I'd love to come back here some day.

This is from a family night we did with a family in our ward. I'm glad you can see these pictures! I love you all so much.

I say this week was hard because I feel like my weaknesses were made very plain. It was extremely humbling. I ask for your prayers and I'm sure I will find comfort in knowing my love ones are praying for me. I know the Lord hears our prayers. He is so very, very aware of us. I will continue to pray always. Thank you for all of the support!

Love,

Elder Calvert





November 1, 2010

Dear Family and Friends, November 1, 2010

I am still here in Salta de Pirapora! I am so glad that I get to stay another transfer here, we have so many people to teach, many people that are progressing, and I really love the people in this city. I will also be able to eat Thanksgiving at my Bishop's house! I can't believe about Jeff. He is such a good guy, you can tell how much of a stud he is by his attitude. He is so, so positive. I will be praying for him as he makes this adjustment in his life, but I know it won't slow him down at all. I love him.

Well Elder Bednar was awesome. It was so good to be able to see all of my buddies that day. I saw my companion from the CTM, Elder Bavender and my really good buddies from the CTM. I hugged Elder Knoblauch probably 20 times throughout the day, everytime we saw each other, I really love that guy. Also I saw Elder Schoen! It was so good to see him! We sat together during lunch and I got to talk to him about his last transfer and catch up about things. It was wonderful. I got tons of letters that day! Thank you so much for the support of everyone, it really boosts me so much.

Elder Bendar spoke to us for two and a half hours or so. It was so so different then I expected. His wife spoke before him for about 5 minutes and then he began. He started off by saying how we are agents. He will not call on us, but we will volunteer. The entire time, he just asked us what we learned from the talk. He was so gentle the entire time. He would ask questions to have certainty that he was understanding us, but before he would always say, "May I ask you a question?" Then the discussion switched to talking about what we're learning from this experience. What he vocalized and I realized that everyone was learning something very personal from the Holy Ghost. Everyone was learning personal things about how we can improve our service to the Lord. He vocalized how so often we play "guess what's in my head" to teach in the church. He just asked us how we felt about the talk. What really "hit" us. There was no right answer. It really was a wonderful experience. I think I have a lot more to learn from everything that he taught. He closed by saying I want you to personally decide what you will do different, and then discuss this with your companion. It was a wonderful day.

Daniela, Laura, Leticia and William are progressing really well. I have faith all will be well for them to be baptized on the 13 of November. Daniela, the mother of William stopped drinking coffee in 1 day. She works during the night time and this was a huge sacrifice but she is so strong in her commitments. She really has a testimony and wants to do everything. We have a recent convert, Samira that is so awesome with missionary work. Yesterday we went to her house and when we were leaving she said "Come over on Tuesday and I will bring a friend you can teach."

According to Preach My Gospel, this is the ideal form of missionary work, when members invite nonmembers to be taught in their homes. President Kimball said it is infinitely easier for someone to accept the gospel if they see the principles in action in the lives of others. He also said the key to the future growth of the church is member missionary work. I believe we have a misconception of our role with missionary work. We fail to recognize that we have a mouth, just like our missionaries. Prophets have said there are people placed in our group of friends who are Spiritually prepared for the gospel. I write this with a prayer in my heart that we can be awakened to the sense of our duty. With 2 missionaries, our Kirkland 1st Ward or _____Ward can only grow at the rate of those two men, according to their faith and the will of the Lord. But with a ward of 50, 100, 200 a stake of 1000, the work can grow dramatically. Bruce R. McConkie said that in his opinion, we are not baptizing as many as the Lord expects of us. So what can we do?

I hope that as you read these words, you feel a little incomfortable. The truth is, we can do a lot better to be missionaries. I know it is difficult. I know it is uncomfortable, but just because it is uncomfortable does that mean it is wrong? No. Many things in life are extremely uncomfortable. It is extremely uncomfortable to be away from those I love. I have a very tender heart, and it is uncomfortable for me. Does this mean that a mission is wrong? No, it is so very very right. The same is true with member missionary work. It doesn't matter how many times we have tried, succeeded or failed in the past. Faith with out works is dead. Our responsibility is the works. With member missionary work, we need to work! I think it is a very realistic goal to invite one person in this next week to be taught in your home by the missionaries. If you think it will be awkward it will be awkward. Exercise positive thinking and think about the Eternal Significance. How grateful I am that generations ago, someone opened their mouth to our ancestors, and I have this wonderful gospel in my life. I love you all so very very dearly. This gospel is so true. Let's listen carefully to those around us and the Holy Ghost. The Lord is so anxious to help us. Believe in other people. Really believe in them. Listen to the desires of their hearts.

I had an experience last night that really touched my heart. I was sitting on the ground talking to a less active member in front of her house while my companion stood in the street reporting numbers. Two teenage girls came up to us talking and said, is that your son? He just threw a sandal over the wall! She said oh no, were they big ones? I saw them earlier and replied yes. I saw her nervously look into her house for her ex-husband, and I could literally see fear in her eyes and she said "He'll hit him". I felt it as well, and said no, no, don't let him! She said "Well I can't lie to him!" The son walked back slowly and when he got close enough to see, see said so relieved "Oh it's my sandal! Okay sweetie, we'll got get it tomorrow" and that was that. I told her how much it meant to me and how wonderful of a mother she is. She said "My kids are my life."

I feel the same feeling in my heart right now that I felt last night. I am so grateful for my tender family. I love you all so much. I appreciate gentle words and gentle touch so much. 2 little quotes from Enzio F. Busche that I love, "Avoid rush and haste and an uncontrolled word. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet." Thank you so very much for all of the gentle love I receive through emails and letters and prayers. We can always pray to our gentle Father. I testify Christ lives. I trust my Savior.

Love,

Elder Calvert

October 25, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Every week passes like a blink but so, so much happens. I want to start with Wednesday. We've had this woman Daniela and her two little boys going to church for two weeks now. We went to their house and she has 2 little sisters, Laura and Leticia that live there too. 9 people total, lots of people! So right before we went in we stopped and prayed to invite the Spirit. I was the most nervous before teaching about the restoration then I had been in a long time because I knew she was liking church and I really wanted it to be a powerful first lesson. I was praying during the lesson the whole time when my companion was speaking and trying so hard to listen to any “brush” of the Spirit on my mind so I could know what to say. We taught a very Spiritual first lesson, Daniela asked me what I felt about my first time in church and I explained I was born a member but I shared of my experience with prayer at EFY of 2007. I could see that they felt the Spirit and we marked dates with Daniela, her two sisters and her son that is 8 years old. Laura gave the closing prayer and said something like: I'm so grateful for the missionaries in my home and this message, because I personally really want to do what is right. I really want to get to know this church. It was so so wonderful and I was just in awe walking to our next appointment. It was so wonderful to be the hands of the Lord. I really felt like we accomplished something, but it was just the fact that we were there and willing. The Spirit communicated to their hearts.

Friday we went to the house of a friend of Samira with Samira and taught the first lesson. Her name is Gleice and she accepted baptism with a date. (Just so you all know, we invite to baptism every single lesson. When we mark a date, it means they accepted baptism and a date, when it's just baptism, it is baptism without a specific date marked.) We asked her to pray and she was going to try but she started crying and said she couldn't. It was so wonderful after to be able to talk with her. My companion began to talk right after and I was so grateful he did. I felt in this comfort zone with her and although it was a potentially awkward situation, I think it went okay. She told us that she sincerely thinks this is the path she wants to follow, she just doesn't know if she is ready. Samira was so great though and talked about her fear, but you just have to pray and you will know. She is such a good person to teach with and she has absolutely no fear. We're going to teach many of her friends.

Right after that we had our second lesson with Daniela and her sisters. We had to walk about an hour to get there, all the way across town and our appointment was in 10 minutes. I read a talk about faith that morning that Elder Bednar asked us to read in preparation for his talk, and I prayed we could some how get a ride there. We were walking and saw one of our other investigators talking to a friend in a car! We went and talked to her real quick and they lived the neighborhood next to where we needed to go. It was perfect and was completely a blessing from the Lord, we very rarely receive rides, it was awesome!

To close, I want to type this little analogy. I love thinking of analogies, and I had these thoughts come in to my mind during a scripture study this week. It really helped me this week as I feel so much drive after scripture study but sometimes get discouraged during the day: I remember laying in bed the night before going snowboarding the following day. I would think about the trick that I wanted to do. For many years, it was a 360. It was completely effortless in my mind. I did it over and over in my mind the night before, so many times that it was easy. It was as though I had already done it. But when I woke up and was actually on the slope, it was so different. All of a sudden the jump was so much bigger. Many, many days I dreamed about doing a 360, but didn't actually do one. Because I am a dreamer, the thoughts of the next time I would have a chance would enter my thoughts as we drove home from the mountains that very day. Already I was planning the next time I could try. When you learn how to do any trick snowboarding, you hear that you have to commit. Even though it seems scary and really big and hard, you have to commit to doing it. If you don't commit, you won't do it. So many things tell you you're going to fall, or you can't do it, but if you commit, you really can.

Our difficulties in our lives are like a 1080. Maybe we can only do a 180 right now but today we can choose to improve a little bit. We can choose to commit to move forward. Soon we will be able to commit to a 360. Then, what once was impossible will seem routine. If we continue to improve and commit, eventually it will be a 540. One day it will be a 1080. It is all about commitment to improve today.

I have such big dreams about my mission that I will serve here in Brazil. When I read the stories of Alma and Amulek, I am with them. I feel it. They were such wonderful missionaries. I want to learn. I want to be like them. I have huge dreams. I have a 1080 I want to do. We all do in our lives. Maybe we can all do a 180 right now, but work, work, work. Commit! Commit to improving today. All we have is today to improve. Don't let the thought of, you can't do it all right now, keep you from doing all you can today. I think that this is a principle of faith. I will commit to giving the Lord my best today. I know we can be used in His hands. Alma 26:30 the sons of Mosiah thought there joy would be full if they could be the means of saving some. I have such a wonderful life. We all do. The future growth of the church is dependent on the members of the church. Share the gospel. God doesn't give us the spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind (2 timothy 1:7). Don't have fear to share the gospel. Don't fear to commit to today!

Love, Elder Calvert

PS: My friend from Redmond Stake, Tanner Paxman, is coming to Sao Paulo Norte! That is so so sweet! I'm so pumped! I will have the same amount of time as Elder Schoen when he trained me when Tanner arrives in the field so it is possible that I could train him. That would be sweet!

I don't know if I’m getting transferred yet! We will find out like a half hour after we finish emailing.

The primary program went well! I was very nervous. I really don't play the piano so that was kind of rough but I practiced and did what I could. I played with them for half of the songs but some were just the melody, but I thought about President Uchtdorf's talk, “Lift where you stand”.

October 18, 2010

This week was really, really good. I usually only talk about the end of the week, but we had a wonderful Tuesday. I have a really good buddy named Elder Otterstrom and during our district meeting we taught together to practice/apply the principles we learned from our training. It started off really well, and ended up going really bad! I knew it was bad. I wanted to make up excuses but I didn't. I eagerly asked what I could do different and what I could change. I think this is something that I'm learning to do better. Actively seek feedback, even if you have to humble yourself a lot.

So later that day we had a practice for the Primary Music Program. We had scheduled to do this big lesson to receive references for a family at 6:00 and we left our chapel, about 3/4 of a mile away from their house, at 5:53! I was booking it and when we got out of view of the people at the chapel, I took off running (in our training to deliver this message it was stressed how we have to be on time) My companion was yelling stop, stop and was just half upset half smiling but I yelled something like, "We have rules that we have to stick together, and i'm running!" I was running down this big hill and I heard him yell behind me in English in an awesome Brazilian accent, "You use steroids!" I was waiting for him by the door and when I showed him my watch, it was 5:59. A minute early even! It was really funny. We had that lesson and received 75 people to teach! It went really, really well.

Friday was a huge day for me here. I was walking around our home doing morning things and studying Portuguese and stressing about all of the things we need to do, when I decided to go read a letter from my buddies who are serving missions. I picked up Morgan's and Dane's letters to their family and read them. I think I have some of the biggest studs for friends. I love those guys so much. The message I got from both of their emails is that they have learned to give their best and leave the rest up to the Lord. I remember reading Dane's words "I think that's where I've changed the most on my mission. Instead of being ridiculously competitive (I remember Dane freaking out during basketball and wiffle ball in his backyard, Zackary and Morgan and Chase can attest to this) to just doing my best and knowing the Lord's will- will be done." I was standing near my bed, and everything was different. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made. It hasn't stopped either. It was as though it opened my mind to everything differently. I was stressing about what we can do differently, how we can find more people, what we can do better, to all of a sudden, completely at peace. There is a lot of unneeded stress in our lives. I forgot about freaking out, and then went and just talked to my companion. It was really, really nice.

Friday night we had a family night in the home of a part member family. Early that week we broke a piece of glass that is symbolic of the church Christ established. We brought the scraps and the complete piece and spoke about how any amount of reconstruction could not give you the exact same piece of glass. I think it went pretty well, it is a very hard situation with that family. The mother is waiting for an answer and has been for quite sometime.

Sunday I gave my first talk in Portuguese. The Bishop came up to me and asked me to sing right before as well, so I sang and right after gave my talk. I talked about baptism and made an analogy of baptism being the ticket to enter the stadium to watch your favorite soccer team. We can't have a ticket that someone went and made a Xerox copy of. We have to have the real ticket, the real baptism. Honestly it went really well. I really enjoy speaking, I truthfully haven't felt nervous to speak in Portuguese in big settings like this at all. It really is a miracle.

I love you all so much. I really do feel yours prayers so much. I am so grateful for my friends that are serving missions. I pray for them everyday. I love you all so much!

Love, Elder Calvert

Sometimes He Lets it Rain- October 11

I wanted to share two particularly meaningful experiences that happened to me this week. I will say this, that so much happens between the weeks of emailing, that it is impossible to give a good summary. This week I had one of the hardest weeks of my mission up to this point. I already look back on it with fondness. It is so funny how it works. I am sitting at Infozion where I email, and I feel this energy and drive to do it again. I know it will be hard. But I feel the Spirit and excitement as I think about the work we can do this week.

It rained a lot here this week, and one of the days I was seriously sooo sad, I can't even tell you why. We had to drop some stuff off at our house, and I learned a tender lesson from the Lord as I cried to Him in prayer. I learned that in my efforts to learn and grow and become, there has to be rain. Just as it was pouring down rain in Sao Paulo Brazil, it was pouring down rain on Spencer. It is impossible to grow without rain. It was an obvious, but needed analogy.

Tuesday we got a call to go and give someone a blessing. It is the mother of two boys that are in the ward here, and she is not a member. She is part of a family that has many members in the ward. We went on Wednesday. We arrived at the house, and we talked with the woman who is skin and bones. She can hardly see. She is so weak. We began talking more and I learned she has diabetes, and is dying very slowly from the complications. She has to go to a health post, and is a long long walk in order to check her blood. They had no paperwork about how to treat diabetes, and I was so concerned at the lack of organization after our family had that huge orientation and all of this support and help. She said last time she went in she was at 500 or 600. We gave her a blessing, and on Sunday her son said that she was doing better.

Sunday morning we had confirmed 12 people to come to church. 5 ended up coming and I was frustrated. I was still a little sad when I was asked to help bless the Sacrament. Sitting in front before the meeting started, I saw many members of the family were rushing outside of the building, tears were on the face of those remaining inside. It was evident that something had happened. I looked down at her 15 year old son, waiting the pass the Sacrament with tears streaming down his cheeks. His 18 year old brother sitting in the back, holding his little cousin on his lap. I saw cousins, and friends crying with the family as the woman suffering was rushed to the hospital. It was testimony meeting and one of the relatives came back to Sacrament meeting to bear her testimony about the Savior. The older son got up and bore his testimony that he knows the Lord doesn't forget us. As I sat on the stand and looked into the faces of these people, I felt such a love for them. It was a very tender experience.

I felt so much gratitude for the health of my sweet sister, who is such a wonderful example of strength. Everyone here prays for health. I thought it was vain repetition. But how grateful I am to be healthy, and to have a healthy family. I was praying for an experience with gratitude and how very gracious the Lord was with me, as I felt so very, very grateful.

October 4, 2010- 4 months!

This week had many firsts. I had my first Conference on Friday and it was wonderful. After the meeting, I was able to talk with those who presented the training that we had and I really enjoyed it. We learned about how to use members more in the work and we were introduced to a program about receiving references. The singing was really fun too, I had one leg propped up on a chair to rest my guitar and my other leg was shaking like crazy during my singing. I tried to go up on to my toe, and all sorts of things but it was still shaking like crazy. It went really well though.

I received many many letters and that was so so good too. I love all of the letters from the missionaries, you can absolutely keep sending them. I have so many and I'm going to read one a night. After conference we came home and marked a date with Aguenauldo. He is this awesome man about 30 years old who has this little girl we know (her sister was baptized) stay at his home because her mom is not very stable. She calls him grandpa. He also takes care of his mother who is very sick. He is so so kind. He went to church but had to leave early to go home to take care of his mother. I love talking with him and we're going to go to his home after we finish emailing.

Saturday and Sunday was conference! I watched it in Portuguese, but it was still very good. I will be honest, I was so emotional the first hour of the first session I don't even know what happened. There was a constant stream of tears for an hour as I could hear the English words muffled in the back ground by the louder Portuguese, and thinking of the ears of all of my loved ones hearing the same things. After an hour of sentimental thinking I settled down. I couldn't sup really deep out of all of the talks, because I learned a lot. I look forward to reading them in the Ensign. I loved the music. I think it was the last song or second to last song of the last session that just really touched me. I loved it.

My favorite moment of all of conference was in the Priesthood session (we went and watched it in Sorocaba). I forgot who it was but the first speaker asked all of the missionaries and mission presidents to stand up. In our chapel in Sorocaba the 8 missionaries who were there stood up. I imagined all of the missionaries all around the world standing up at this time. There is such a strength that comes in thinking of the others that are serving with you.

I read a letter from Travy today and I love reading about him and all that's happening. I'd love to have his address. The closing hymn of the Priesthood session was ” Called to Serve” and I felt the Spirit so strong. I saw Creighton Hardy, a friend who lived on the same floor at BYU, like 8 times during the singing. It was awesome to see him. Oh and I loved seeing Mary! Our family doesn't even know her that well, but I just love her and I loved seeing her. My favorite talk was President Uchtdorf's and Dad that is definitely the first one that I want to read. My Bishop is going to download conference in English and put it on my ipod.

We weren't able to teach a ton this week because of 3 days of conference but what we could teach went really well. We are teaching Jamil and Sueli, a couple that we were walking by their home and just starting talking. I was walking close to this wall and rounding the corner and all of a sudden it wasn't a wall but a little front gate and she was standing there so a conversation started and now her husband has received an answer and knows The Book of Mormon is true. We were also walking past the work of a past investigator who called us in and said she wants us to come teach her again. She got engaged and stopped coming to church but I we are going to teach her again and try to teach her fiance as well.

Things are going really well here. I have so much that I want to improve. I am learning how wonderful small and simple things are. I have a few things I do every day, that just take diligence. Looking back, I can see how much those little things have added up to and it's really wonderful.

I was reading The Book of Mormon this morning in English and I learned a wonderful lesson of diligence from Nephi. 1 Nephi 3:7,15 are wonderful. When Elder Bavender's Uncle came, he called verse 7 the principle of anything, and verse 15 the principle of everything. Do everything you have to in order to complete a commandment of God. Nephi demonstrates his faith so well. The first plan, Laman goes in and it fails. His brothers were already ready to quit! How often do we do this? I think sometimes, maybe we were supposed to come here just to learn a principle of diligence. To show we are willing to go where the Lord guides. But no, Nephi understood the principle was not to simply travel, but to accomplish. He comes up with a wonderful idea to make a trade. They return to Laban with most, if not all of the worldly possessions. They were willing to trade it all for faith in a wise purpose of the Lord. Nephi didn't even know the wise purpose, but he trusted in the Lord. What happens? His plan fails. It failed miserably, they lost all of the possessions and Laban tried to kill them all. Imagine how Nephi felt at this time. Do you think he thought this plan was going to fail? No. I imagine he went to the Lord with this plan and believed it would be successful. But it failed. His brothers beat him. An Angel came. Nephi valiantly states that they need to go back again. They return and he continues on alone and all works out. The commandment was not try. The commandment was do. His words were not, I will go and try. His words were I will go and do.

There are many things in our lives that we know we are to do. I am praying to know what is my role to do here in Salta de Pirapora at this time. What is there for me to do? There is something for all of us to do in all times during our lives. Mosiah 8:18 says that "Thus God has provided means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles. Therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings." God has provided the means. Man has to provide the obedience and diligence.

Love, Elder Spencer Calvert

And More pictures- Yeah!

Sitting eating Breakfast- Watching the Rain.

Calendars that Spencer Made!

Practicing Today!

September 27, 2010

Hello!

It's amazing how fast time goes here. I am emailing today with 2 other elders from my district. They came to Salta de Pirapora because Elder Lew and I are going to sing at our Zone Conference this Saturday and we needed to practice. We're singing Dream Big and he will play piano and I will play guitar. It will be really fun.

This past week was really good. Serving a mission is so much bigger and grander than I am. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and bearing me up. Tuesday morning I got to listen to the EFY CD that Emma sent me. I was so excited to listen to the new songs and feel a little boost of Spiritual energy. The song “Walking in Sunlight” came on and it is my new theme song. I love it. It lifted me in a way that was a gift from our Father. That day it just poured down rain, and we were sharing an umbrella but it was kind of squished so I just walked in the rain and there was an uncontrollably large smile on my face. I was singing the first line of that song over and over "It's a beautiful day, even though it's dark out there". I have listened to that song so many times and every single time it brightens my day. Thank you so much Emma for sending that to me.

This week was pretty normal over all. We're still adjusting to the new transfer, but I feel confident. I study every morning and am reassured by the promises of our Lord in the scriptures to take care of us when we trust in Him. I wanted to share a little story about Sunday night. I was lying in bed and I woke up to what sounded like a bomb. It was a HUGE explosion and it sounded like it was really close. About 2 seconds later I heard what sounded like ashes falling on our rooftop. I got up and realized that it was rain and thunder and lightening. The lightening was every few seconds. It was raining so hard that I really thought it was going to flood, so I had my head lamp in my hands as I was laying there, in case of an emergency. It was kind of funny the next morning, but I was ready if something happened! It's been raining so much but I really do love it. It reminds me of home.

My companion gave me some pictures that he had on his camera so I have a little bit more to talk about.

So this one with me holding the rooster is at an investigators house, Luiz Carlos. He will be baptized when he marks a date to be married and I am holding his rooster Michael Jackson.

This picture with the field in the background, was at an American Football game that we watched a few minutes. It was the first time in his life that my companion had seen Football and it was so so funny to hear all of the Brazilians watching- ohh and ahh and be so confused.

This last one with 3d glasses was because Sueli, the grandma of Samira wanted me to take a picture with them. Okay!