O Fim da Missao

After two years spent in Brazil, Curtis has returned home from his LDS mission. I received a letter from his mission president a few days prior to his return. I would like to quote a small part of the letter.

"Our hearts are filled with joy as we imagine that wonderful picture in our minds, of a missionary returning home with honor after a period of full dedication to missionary work. We know that our Father in Heaven is pleased with him. Your son has just completed a great and challenging part of his life; he overcame great challenges and exceeded his own limitations. You will see how much he has progressed in the last two years."

I have indeed seen the change in Curtis. He has grown spiritually as well as intellectually and emotionally. He is now at a point in his life where anything is possible. I don't know what the future might hold for him but I am confident that he now has the ability to achieve anything he wants to. I am very proud of him.

Coming Home

Curtis leaves Sao Paulo, Brazil late Wednesday evening, stops in Dallas, and arrives in Salt Lake City on Thursday, January 25 at 11 am. He is on American Airlines flight 689 from Dallas. We will welcome him home outside of the security gates in terminal 1. Come and join us if you can. Arrive early.

He will be speaking in church on January 28 at 10:45 am. The church is located at 5161 E 1300 S in South Ogden. We will have a luncheon for him after church at our house.

Leaving My Mark On Brazil

This is a copy of Curtis' last email that he sent from Brazil. He has grown so much since entering the mission field. He should be very proud of his accomplishments. I know that I am very proud of him.

"...gonna free fall out into nothing, gonna leave this world for awhile..."

Hey Everyone,

Yesterday we had interviews in my zone of Ipiranga. Of course I was last to be interviewed in our Zone. President Wilkins said something pretty interesting to me. He said, "There are some missionaries who run through the forest of missionary work with moccasins on, not leaving a single mark anywhere. Sure they get through and done and with honor, but sadly no marks are left. Then there are others, sure they may have moccasins, but they also have machetes and everywhere they go they leave their mark, on members, investigators, other missionaries, entire zones and sometimes the whole mission. And people don't forget them. Elder Tonks, you are one of these missionaries." He then explained why and it made me feel so good. I am not trying to brag or anything, it was really awesome what he said.

More and more as people say stuff like that to me I really feel like it is time to come home and start up with my other pursuits in life. I am sad to leave Brasil, but at the same time I am happy. I am happy that I did what I wanted to, that is, coming down here and serving a mission and not looking back no matter what happened. I had tests and trials, and made some of the best friends I will ever have among Brazilian and Americans alike.

I learned a lot about the Savior and the importance of living what you believe and how that is the only way that a person can be truly happy. I have learned to love and learned to learn and teach, some qualities that I hope are with me for the rest of my life. I have made it a pursuit to follow the spirit and know that when I do that I can make it over the tallest mountains and over the deepest seas. I have a new language under my belt and hundreds upon hundreds of the craziest and most spiritual stories that a man could put together in two years.

I look forward to the future with trembling and a little bit of fear, but more with great hope and faith in what will happen. I just have to do what is right, pray like crazy and follow through with my plans and goals. I know what I want in life, and I know how to get it, and hopefully I will apply the principles I have learned (sometimes the hard way) down here in Brasil.

I am grateful for all of my companions. I never thought I could survive 24/7 with the same person, but here I am, a living example. Elder Hirschi, Elder Walker, Elder Carvalho and Elder Dias all taught me patience in very specific and sometimes painful ways. Elder Pieper, Elder Stoddard and Elder Staley taught me the importance of loving those whom I teach. Elder Martins and Elder Silveira taught me how to have fun and still work hard, and with those two, how to work smart. Elder Costa taught me how to be humble and prayerful and to let the Lord guide us in all we do. Elder Hicks and Elder Jones taught me how to listen and be concerned with those around me and to think nothing but how to help them and love them and show them the way to salvation.

I have been in six areas in the Sao Paulo East Mission, not including the two months of crazy training before I got out here to the field. I am going to miss walking hundreds of flights of stairs in the MTC, riding the big comfortable air conditioned bus out to Cruzeiro, the walk through the circular park to Bom Clima, the climb up the hills to Taubate, the graffiti ridden walls on the way to the mission office in Belem, the sweaty train rides to Jardim Camargo Novo, and the underground Metro rides to the urban jungles of Vila Mariana.

I feel like I am writing either my autobiography or my eulogy right now, but I know that the future holds many challenges and much happiness for me.

Coming home is going to be awesome, there is so much I want to do but on the other hand so much I am going to miss and long for down here in Sao Paulo. Being a missionary, wearing the nametag, teaching really spiritual lessons, talking to at least one insanely crazy person everyday, zone conferences, seeing people accept the gospel and change every aspect of their lives because you taught them a few simple discussions, putting into practice the advice received from President Urry and seeing the blessings, and then hearing a little more advice, which is always needed, from President Wilkins and putting it into practice as well. And the blessings continue as they were always promised to.

I am grateful for my testimony which has exploded during my time here as a representative of the Church and the Lord. I realize how weak and little I was spiritually before I came on the mission, and how the mission looked me straight in the eye and told me, "Now its time to grow up, to shape up, and to stand up for what you believe and make sure that other people know it." I don't know where I'd be today if I wasn't a member of the church or if I didn't have a family who supported me and friends who showed me the way. I can never truly thank people for that.

I have realized that you can't get through life unscathed without the cuts and bruises that life always throws at me, but with the right attitude we only get stronger, better and if we play our cards right, closer to the Lord. I know that this is the Lord's Church. I know that we have the one thing that can bring happiness to any person in this life and especially in the life to come. I am grateful for the programs of the church, especially missionary work which has helped me to grow up, spiritually and mentally.

I know that families can be together forever. It is really strange that the Lord would give us families in the first place if He would just take them away when life ends. That doesn't make any sense and that's why it's not true. Families are forever. I know that today we have prophets and apostles, that President Hinckley is the Lord's mouthpiece on the earth today. Some of my best mission memories were watching General Conference and "sticking with the Bretheren" as an Apostle of old has said. When we follow them, we are blessed, simply, and when we don't, we suffer the consequences of our actions. Thank goodness for our free agency and I know when we give it to the Lord, he gives us everything he has.

Most of all, I know that Jesus is the Christ, that he gave his life for us that we might live again in the Celestial Kingdom of our Father. We can never really comprehend even a little bit of the pain and the agony suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, but as we go through our lives filled with trouble and letdown, we grow up unto the Lord and understand why he did it for us and what our new found potential is. The price was paid and the demands were met on all levels, and all we need to do now is keep the commandments and make covenants and stay true to them and we will get the blessings that were always intended for us even before the foundation of the world when we first spoke up and said we would gladly follow Jesus Christ and the great plan of redemption.

I am glad I served a mission and I love those whom I have served and have helped me every step of the way. I look forward to the future and I hope that life goes on being the blessing that it has for me these last two years. I love you all for the support you have given me. I hope that you can all help me come back into the fold easily and comfortably. Well, next time you hear from me you'll be talking face to face with me. Thanks again, and I will see you all on the other side. Much love, for the last time, from Sao Paulo, Brasil...

Your Favorite Missionary Ever, Elder Curtis S. Tonks

How To Be A Good Returned Missionary?

"If you could find a good article along the lines of "How to be a good Returned Missionary?" would you send it to me? I'm sure there are books printed but I need merely an article. Just the basics, I'm not a returned missionary yet!"

The Returned Missionary

Elder L. Tom Perry
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This afternoon, I want to address my remarks to a special group. During the last many years, hundreds of thousands of you have returned from serving full-time missions. Each of you heeded the same call the Savior gave to His disciples:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:19–20).

It was your privilege to go to the many parts of the world to carry the Savior's message—an invitation to come unto Him and enjoy the fruits of His gospel. You were privileged to live in different cultures and learn different languages. It was also a time of building your own personal testimony of the mission of Jesus Christ.

I have always been honored to visit with you returned missionaries over the years—many of you long to return and visit the people you had the privilege of serving. You are anxious to share moments of your experiences in the mission field. In your wedding announcements and your employment résumés, you insert a line that identifies you as a returned missionary. While you no longer wear a missionary's badge, you seem anxious to identify yourselves as one who has served the Lord as a missionary. Moreover, you have fond memories because you discovered the joy of gospel service.

I have also learned from many conversations with you that the adjustment associated with leaving the mission field and returning to the world you left behind is sometimes difficult. Perhaps it is hard to keep alive the spirit of missionary work when you are no longer serving as a full-time missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

May I offer just a few suggestions?

Read the October 2001 General Conference talk

Packing Suitcases

"But yeah, luggin' the suitcases made me think of how hard it is going to be to get all my stuff to the USA. Elder Harris, from my group, and I were talking yesterday about going to the huge hotel house in the mission, where I lived with the triple bunk bed, and we are going to lay all of our stuff out all over one of the back rooms, his stuff on one half of the room and my stuff on the other half of the room, with our open suitcases in the middle, then we are going to sit back to back and do that chin stroking pondering pose and try to logically understand how we are going to get 500 lbs of stuff into a 250 lb suitcase, or soemthing of that nature. Can't you just picture that in your head. That is what is going to be like."

Institute Of Religion

"One more thing, I want to take Institue Classes when I get home, but I need someone to sign me up for them. If you can do it online at the WSU Institute that would be great. Ask Detrick what classes he is going to take and have him sign me up for the exact same ones. That would be the best, I would have someone I know in my classes. Could you please do that for me? Call D, he will help you out. Do it soon, who knows when the deadline is..."

Institutes of religion provide weekday religious instruction for single and married college students. Young single adults of the appropriate age (generally 18–30) are also welcome to attend. Institute of religion programs are established under the direction of priesthood leaders and CES when there are sufficient numbers of LDS college students.

In addition to religious instruction, institutes provide students with opportunities to grow spiritually through service, social interaction, and leadership training. Institutes also assist parents and priesthood leaders in encouraging youth to serve missions and marry in the temple.

A variety of classes are available in Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, LDS history, family history, courtship and marriage, doctrines of the gospel, provident living, missionary preparation, and teachings of the living prophets.

In areas with large numbers of Latter-day Saint students, institute classes are held in Church-owned institute buildings near colleges or universities. In other areas, classes may meet in meetinghouses, in rented space, or in homes. There is no fee for institute enrollment. With appropriate approval, priesthood leaders and CES representatives may also organize institute classes in local Church units. Priesthood leaders should direct requests or questions to their CES representative.

Especially for Institute Students

My Redeemer Lives

"I love the words to the hymn President Hinckley wrote called My Redeemer Lives."

I know that my Redeemer lives,
Triumphant Savior, Son of God,
Victorious over pain and death,
My King, my Leader, and my Lord.

He lives, my one sure rock of faith,
The one bright hope of men on earth,
The beacon to a better way,
The light beyond the veil of death.

Oh, give me thy sweet Spirit still,
The peace that comes alone from thee,
The faith to walk the lonely road
That leads to thine eternity.

(Gordon B. Hinckley, “My Redeemer Lives,” Hymns, no. 135)

My Redeemer Lives

Feelin' Trunky

"Well, I wouldn't be so trunky if everyone didn't say to me every five minutes, oh Elder Tonks, don't you go home in like 17 days and then I have to correct them and say, no that's 15 days, nice try. I really feel like I am taking crazy pills with all the reminders that missionaries, members, President Wilkins, and others are throwin' out...."

trunky

Homesick. Refers to the act of sitting on one's packed trunk, eagerly looking forward to the day when one's mission will end.

die

In mission parlance, to be released from one's mission and return home; e.g., "I hope I die here in Babylonville, Elder. I'd hate to have to adjust to a whole new area before going home."

Derived by analogy with the process in LDS theology whereby spirits leave their premortal existence, are born physically and die on earth, then return to the spirit realm to await resurrection and judgment.

Mormonspeak - A humorous definition of Mormon words and slang

Bilhete Único

"Hey, you can look up something interesting and put a post about what's called the Bilhete Unico here in Sao Paulo. We use it daily but it's really hard to explain. Its a bus pass kind of thing that gets us free rides within two hours of the first use."

The Bilhete Único is a contactless smart card that can be used for paying the fares in buses and in Metro and CPTM trains. In essence, a single billing of the card grants a person up to four trips in São Paulo's public transportation system (but not four trips on trains; see below for details). You can get the card at no cost; charge them with the minimum amount required in newspaper stands, state-owned betting shops (known as "loterias"), supermarkets and other establishments - look for the red round "Bilhete Único" logo. You can use the card to pay for your trips in the public transportation system as follows:

On buses: upon boarding a bus, you'll be charged R$ 2,00 and can board up to three other buses in a two-hour period without being charged a second time.
On the Metro or CPTM trains: for a single trip in the underground train system, you'll be charged R$ 2,10.

First Metro/CPTM train then bus: you'll be charged R$ 2,10 when passing by a Metro or CPTM station's turnstile. Once you board a bus, you'll be charged an extra R$ 0,90 and will be able to board two other buses in a two-hour period - starting from the first validation at the train station - without any further payment.

First bus then Metro/CPTM train: once you board a bus, R$ 2,00 is charged from your card. Upon entering the Metro or CPTM systems, you'll be charged a further R$ 1,00. It's possible, after leaving the Metro or CPTM system, to board up to two other buses without any further payment in the two-hour period that starts from the first validation, depending on whether you boarded one or two buses before entering a train.

(click image to enlarge)

Curtis lives between the Vergueiro and
Sao Joaquim metro stations on Line 1 - Azul

Sao Paulo Metro

Working The Ipiranga Zone

"Right now I am with a good friend of mine, Elder Barney, who is in my zone. We are just getting finished with a split, we call it division down here, and we are going to meet our companions and go have some P-day fun. Elder Barney works in Vila Prudente, and having worked there with him, I have officially worked in all the areas in this zone from the time of being a secretary to now, as a zone leader. The areas are: Belem, Mooca, Sao Joao Climaco, Monumento, and the three vilas, Vila Industrial, Vila Prudente and my current home, Vila Mariana. I am probably the first one to ever do that. Not to brag, but I sure am cool."

Vila Mariana is a borough of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Placed in the south of Sé, east of Pinheiros and west of Ipiranga, it's a dynamic area of the city. It comprises the districts of Vila Mariana, Moema and Saúde. Like Pinheiros, it's a wealthy area and it comprises some of the most famous symbols of São Paulo, like the Ibirapuera Park, the Obelisk and Mausoleum of the heroes from the Constitutional Revolution in 1932 and the "Monumento às Bandeiras". This bourough also has in its limits the headquarters of the Federal University of São Paulo and its medicine school. This borough is also the place where Athina Onassis lived, when she married the Brazilian rider Álvaro Affonso de Miranda Neto (the "Doda").

The Book Of Genesis

"I finally got done with my study of the Book of Genesis. I cannot even start to tell you all of the cool stuff that I learned. The Fall in Chapter 3 was probably the biggest learning experience of them all. I knew most of the stuff but thanks to Joseph Fielding Smith and my Old Testament study manual I learned at least 5 times as much as I used to know. I love the story of Joseph of Egypt as well, talk about someone who was always protected by Lord. When I get home, you can all come over and I will teach you the beginning of the Bible like it has never been taught before."

Book of Genesis - In the Beginning...

The Book of Genesis is the "Book of Beginnings" in the Bible. Genesis, Greek for "Origins", recounts the Creation of all things in six literal 24-hour days, the Fall of Mankind and the Curse, the subsequent Worldwide Marine Cataclysm (Noah's Flood), the Dispersion at Babel, and finally the birth of the Jewish Nation. Together, these events cover roughly 2,370 years of Earth's history. The Book of Genesis is divided into two principal sections: (i) Chapters 1-11 covers the Creation to the Dispersion and (ii) Chapters 12-50 covers the birth of Israel, from the calling of Abram (Abraham) until the death and burial of his great grandson Joseph in Egypt.