Venezuelan Missionaries Reassigned

"Thats way crazy about Venezuala. What is the "tension" exactly? I have never even heard of that President and also I dont know any missionaries who are serving in that region. The closest is James Swift in Guatemala."

Amid increasing tensions between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the US government, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has withdrawn all its North American missionaries from Venezuela, spokesman Dale Bills said Monday.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had trouble getting or renewing visas for its US missionaries, Bill said, so it has reassigned missionaries working in Venezuela to other Spanish-speaking missions in Latin America, the United States and Canada. Venezuelan LDS missionaries will remain in the country.

In just four hours Sunday, the Utah-based church removed an estimated 400 missionaries, some between ages 19 and 24 and others who are retired couples. The church has a temple in Caracas, and 144 congregations with more than 122,000 members on their rolls.

--from Salt Lake Tribune, October 25, 2005

New Companion - Elder Costa

"I got my first Brazillian companion, Elder Costa from Minas Gerias, Brazil. So goodbye to speaking English. But if that wasn't enough, Elder Costa has only been away from home for 3 weeks, including the 2 and a half weeks he spent in the MTC. So that makes me...TRAINER!!! Ahhh, way crazy. It's gonna be some trying times, but I'm gonna give it my all. I will definately learn more from this than he will ever learn from me. But he is way cool. His family isn't members of the church and stuff, but he loves the mission and is gonna be a hard worker. We are gonna baptize all of Bom Clima. For sure. Whew, I slept like 2 hours last night just thinking about it. But I'm up for the challenge. Maybe not for the restless nights, but we will have to see. So here goes nothing..."

"I'm excited that like half of the Elders from my MTC group are training. President Urry said training is the biggest responsibility on the mission, even bigger than being an Assistant to the President."

After several months of service, missionaries become proficient in teaching the gospel, and more effective in bearing testimony of its truth. If they are speaking a foreign language, they accommodate to its dialects. As they grow and mature in experience, they may be transferred to different areas in the mission and placed with different companions, or assigned to meet new challenges and work with new people. They may in time become trainers for newly arrived missionaries.

--from All About Mormons

Jacked By A Car In Sao Paulo

"...but afterward they took me to the first hospital in Cumbica, a sub-city of Guarulhos, and they cut my pants off me..."

Several weeks ago I was contacted by the bishopric concerning an accident that involved Curtis. He was crossing the street and got hit by a car. He was turned into it and it kind of picked him up, but, luckily, he landed on his feet. His companion was not hit. The driver stopped the car, came over to help and when Curtis started yelling at him in English he got back in the car and left. Curtis was taken by an ambulance to a medical clinic and then transported to a large hospital in Sao Paulo. He spent the night in the hospital under observation. His companion was in contact with his mission president, President Urry, throughout the night. He was released the next day and spent the night at the home of the mission president's assistants. He was back to work the following day.

Curtis doesn't want to make a big deal about it. He says he wasn't hurt, just shook up a little. I called President Urry and was told that Curtis was fine and was taken to one of the best hospitals in South America. He told me how impressed he is with Curtis' attitude and said that Curtis is a great missionary. He talks to him on a weekly basis and told me not to worry. I feel much better knowing that Curtis is with people who care for him and watch over him.

Watch Curtis' Talk About It

Making Contact Part 1

"What a spectacular week it was. Well, we taught a lot more and just did a lot more of everything, but I'll be the first to admit that there is much more that we could do better. Like contacts. Let me tell you a little about contacts.

A contact is when you go up to someone on the street at random and just start teaching and testifying about the church and the gospel. The ultimate goal is to get an address and mark and appointment, but sometimes that is difficult so you give them a pass along card. The goal is to make 10 contacts per missionary per day. I'm doing about 6. I need to improve.

Here is a funny contact story. So Elder Borland and Elder Domaredzky were walking in their area one day, called Vila Florida, its right next to ours, and they spotted a man with makeup on. So they decided they had to make a contact with him. Well, it turns out this guy lives in our area, so me and Elder Walker get the chance to teach him. Well, to make a long story short, it's been two weeks and he is now like our best investigator. His name is Fernando and he doesn't wear makeup, he just has really fair skin. He is unemployed but teaches little kids how to play futebol. He is reading and praying and going to church. He is the coolest and it just goes to shows what a simple contact can do."

Mashed Potatoes

"I love mashed potatoes and gravy now. But I have to have gravy packets sent to me since they don't make it down here. But I self taught myself to make the potatoes. Sweet, huh?"

Basic instructions for mashed potatoes to serve four: Peel three medium (5 to 6-ounce) potatoes. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Place potato pieces in medium pot and pour over enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, then shake potatoes over low heat 1 minute to dry. Mash with potato masher or fork.

Chipotle Mashed Potatoes: Cook and mash peeled white potatoes as directed above. Mix in 6 tablespoons nonfat milk, 6 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 1 1 /2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Buttermilk-Bacon Mashed Potatoes: Cook and mash peeled russet potatoes as directed above. Mix in 6 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk, 1 /4 cup crumbled cooked soy or turkey bacon, and 2 tablespoons chopped green onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes: Cook and mash unpeeled red or white potatoes as directed above. Mix in 6 tablespoons nonfat milk, 1 tablespoon prepared wasabi paste or 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, and 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Elder Tonks' Favorite Singer - Celine Dion

"So last Thursday we went to this members house to help him learn English. His name is Rene. We thought, maybe we will help him learn from a textbook or with proununciation, but actually we did something even worse. He wrote down all the lyrics to his favorite song, "All Because of You" by Celine Dion, and we helped him figure out what each of the words meant and proununciation. It was not fun. Celine Dion makes my brain hurt."

Thought I could define it
One look in your eyes when it proved me wrong
I find myself speechless
This feeling of completeness is so strong
And I was convinced that my heart had reached it's limit
Until you created this new place in it
Your touch wraps around me
In love that knows no boundaries
Now, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you
You're the answer I've been needing
Life has a whole new meaning, now
All because of you

Elder Borland

"This is Elder Borland. He lives with me and is the coolest thing since canned peaches. Even though he likes rap (50 Cent and Jay Z mostly), the Denver Broncos, and other stuff that I don't like, he is still a cool kid. We talk a lot about professional wrestling, rap and its crapiness, and things of that nature. He is from Highland Ranch, Colorado, right near Denver. We throw up the "Rock" (a Jay Z thing) and also speak like the other Rock, the wrestler/actor/all around cool guy. So yeah, Borland, he's the man, if ya smell what Elder Tonks is cookin'."

February 8, 2006

"We had conference last week and I got to hang out with Elder Borland one last time before he heads back to Colorado and eventually to Weber State to play basketball. You'll have to keep an eye out for him."

Happy 20th Birthday Curtis!

"Hey Dad,

I talked Elder Walker into letting us come back to the email place to do email so I could send you one telling you and the family thanks for the presents. Everyone was impressed that you wrapped them and whatnot. I love the Jesus the Christ book. It will be good to read, so informative and spiritual, but I probably won't read it until I hit my 1 year mark because I'm studying a bunch of other stuff, including that Pearl of Great Price manual. Thanks for that. Also, right now I am wearing my Docker socks and have already started the family a tape with the Sony recorder, which is at least 8 times cooler than the GE one that I had. The rewind button on the old one always fell off. Also, the Ute blanket, quite fantastic. I spread it out on my bed and folded up the mission blanket that everyone gets and put it away, not planning to use it again. The Ute blanket is so gosh darn soft, I love it. Its warm just to lay on top. On Saturday, the actual bday, the Elders in the house and I are gonna make french toast, eggs and biscuits and gravy. We are gonna have to rough the biscuits because I don't know how to make them. But it will be cool. We read the 1985 Book all the way through as a group, then I think Elder Walker and Borland each took a turn reading it. The Isaiah and the Book of Mormon tapes will be good, I just read that part of the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi that has the Isaiah chapters, and it's impossible for me to understand without some kind of outside help. But yeah, I think I will send the family a few tapes a week from tomorrow or the Thursday after. I LOVE YOU Dad, thanks for the package. It will be weird to turn 20, but hey, I'm here in Brazil doing something that will give me a major boost when I get home and I'm glad for it. Plus, I learn something new and cool everyday, from Portuguese to how people skills work, how to sell something to someone, although what we have to give is free and the greatest thing a person could ever accept. Dad, I love you and I hope you and the family have a good one. Tell everyone Hey Hey at Grandmas big suprise party and tell old Gramps happy bday. Im thinking of you all and love you all dearly. Your all the coolest. Keep on Rockin' in the Free World for me. I love you...again...and forever. See ya all later (if more than one person reads this). Bye Bye.

Elder Curtis Tonks"

The Fall of Adam

"The other night we were teaching one of our older investigators about the Plan of Salvation, and we got to the principle the Fall of Adam, which is highly debated."

The process by which mankind became mortal on this earth. The event is recorded in Gen. 2, 3, 4; and Moses 3, 4. The fall of Adam is one of the most important occurrences in the history of man. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had physical bodies but no blood. There was no sin, no death, and no children among any of the earthly creations. With the eating of the “forbidden fruit,” Adam and Eve became mortal, sin entered, blood formed in their bodies, and death became a part of life. Adam became the “first flesh” upon the earth (Moses 3: 7), meaning that he and Eve were the first to become mortal. After Adam fell, the whole creation fell and became mortal. Adam’s fall brought both physical and spiritual death into the world upon all mankind (Hel. 14: 16-17).

The fall was no surprise to the Lord. It was a necessary step in the progress of man, and provisions for a Savior had been made even before the fall had occurred. Jesus Christ came to atone for the fall of Adam and also for man’s individual sins.

Latter-day revelation supports the biblical account of the fall, showing that it was a historical event that literally occurred in the history of man. Many points in latter-day revelation are also clarified that are not discernible from the Bible. Among other things it makes clear that the fall is a blessing, and that Adam and Eve should be honored in their station as the first parents of the earth. Significant references are 2 Ne. 2: 15-16; 2 Ne. 9: 6-21; Mosiah 3: 11-16; Alma 22: 12-14; Alma 42: 2-15; D&C 29: 34-44; Moses 5: 9-13.

--- from LDS Scripture Study Helps

O Senhor Fala Inglês?

"Elder Hudson and I went on a split to record a CD for this English School down here in Guarulhos called Smart! So we thought it was gonna be like "Hey, you two, speak into this tape recorder!" But no, we were quite wrong, they paid for us to take a taxi to the studio, and it was someting out of like MTV Cribs or something, the house and the studio were so nice. We recorded about half the CD on the $2000 microphone and next Monday we are going back to record the rest. I'll get a copy and send it home so you can all hear my English skills. They are numerous."

Many Brazilians in various fields of work use English to correspond with other nationalities. The English language is neither the first or second language in this immense country, which is twice the size of Europe and has a population of 160 million inhabitants. However, millions of Brazilians use English as a foreign language and the country recognizes the importance of English as an international language.