6 Month's Out!

Zach has been Serving the Lord for Six Months!

6/17/14

hey momma!! im super sorry, but today has been crazy and we have no time, so im just emailing to say that im gonna send a real email tomorrow!!(: love you! have fun in Hawaii!!

Zach sent the first note to let us know he'd write the next day. Alway the considerate boy! :)

Hey momma!

sorry about yesterday, an Elder got transfered out of here to fill a spot somewhere else, and it just made the whole day hectic haha. and you guys are in Hawaii now, so i have no idea when you'll get this, but here it comes anyways!(:

This past week was pretty good, and its getting pretty warm here too, but i've yet to feel it get hotter than good ol AZ and i doubt it will, so im not too worried(; haha but coming up in about a week and a half this city of Montijo is gonna be having huge parties or something, and they do kind of a mini "running with the bulls" where they block of a bunch of streets and let a bunch of bulls loose and everybody just goes nuts haha, its gonna be so sick!!! i guess like a year ago or so an Elder was doing this bull thing, and he ended up getting hit by the bull and stabbed in the butt by its horn hahaha, but he's like the only one to get hurt, so the stats aren't too bad(; but me and my comp are dying to do it, and we're gonna take a ton of pics(:

The teaching around here has slowed down a bit, and im not sure if its cuz of the World Cup or all these festivals coming up or what, but its getting tougher to find new people. but on the flip side it gives us a lot of time to be with the investigators we already have and recent converts, so our relationships with them have been growing, and our focus as a district this transfer is to strengthen the Branch and get them to start really participating in the missionary work, so maybe its just all part of the bigger plan(; haha

So ive been reading the the chapters in 2 Nephi where he's quoting Isaiah.... and holy crud haha, if you thought Isaiah was hard to understand in English, Portuguese is absurd haha. but its cool to me to see the passion and... haha holy crap i cant think of the word i want to say in English, it means like excitment or gung-ho attitude... that Isaiah has for the work of progressing the gospel. im pretty sure if he were alive today he would be one of the best missionary's every haha(:

well i forgot to bring my camera with me to send pictures, but maybe if we have time later this week i can jump on and send some(: 

i love you guys and ive been thinking about you guys alot lately, and i know this totally makes me a hypocrite... but i need more pictures!! hahaha(: sorry, ill work on sending some too!(;

Love you guys!!

Zach is Gearing Up for the Running of the Bulls in his area, let's all PRAY he is safe!!

6/23/14

Hi momma!! man holy crap that trip looked awesome, we definitely have to go when i get back haha!! and holy crud those pictures of Gavin were so funny haha(: and im glad the letters made it, i put them in kind of a sketchy looking mail box so i wasn't sure if it would make it haha, but sweet. and do the boys like the ties? they're super thin cuz thats the style here, i dont know how it will fit in back home though haha, but i figure the boys are kinda like me and dont care too much what others think about them(; haha. and dang you guys sound like you're having a blast this summer! my letter is kinda short this week too, so does that mean my pictures make up for it too?? haha, ive got to get back into the habit of taking more! and this week is the Bull Runs in the streets!! im so flipping stoked!! it starts this wednesday (the 25th) and goes until the 30th!! so ill get plenty of pictures and videos, i just wish that i had a go pro!!! hahaha, but next week ill probably have more stories(; haha i love you guys and ill talk to you next week!(:

This is elder André, he's from Angola, Africa and doesnt speak a lick of english haha!! the house im in is a 4 elder house and he's in the other companionship, but we hang out all the time(: 

 this elder André cutting my hair!!! haha, i didnt want to have to pay somebody, and i guess he used to be a haircutter back in Angola... but it wasn´t till after he started that i realized the people in africa only haved shaved heads haha.... but it turned out to not be so bad, but i did take scissors to it a tiny bit after, but now it looks good, so dont worry(;

this is one of the streets where they're gonna do the bull runs (which by the way are the 25th!!! two fricken days!!!!) they set up these huge gates and line the roads with huge wooden baracades haha, its gonna be so sick!!(:

 this is what the streets look like, and pretty soon they fill the actual street part with sand(: ill send more pictures of the thing next week!!(:

this was a sunset over the bay that heads out to the ocean... its been really nice lately(:

ITS SO PRETTY. haha, we saw this while we were walking... we ended up looking at it for like 20 minutes... i want my own Bently(:




There's a kid here who's ten years old named Jonny, and he's like my favorite person in all of portugal so far haha. he kind of speaks english, and just a little bit ago it was his birthday, so i got him a nerf gun and one for myself, and we have little wars all the time haha, ill have to get a picture of him soon. but yesterday we we're over at their house and me and him were taking turns writing insults on each others arms haha

Catching UP!!

Zach Got Transferred on May 26th!!

hey Momma!! im sorry, i have like no time cuz i got transfered! right now im in a city called Montijo, but my area is called Vasco de Gama B, and im serving in a 4 elder house!!! im already really looking forward to this transfer!! i love you guys and hope that you guys had a killer time in mexico!! i gotta go but i will have more time next week!!(:

We got a little more info out of Zach on June 2nd!!

HI MOMMA!!!

i know you're really gonna hate me for this one, but i dont have much time today): we have a bus to catch soon cuz we're going to this big shopping center called Free Port so that i can buy the boys birthday presents!! hahahahahahaha WAY TO GO BRIGGY!!!!!!!!! you have my permission to marry Brittany, cuz shes super pretty AND cuz then ill be brother-in-laws with Bronson(; haha(: im sorry but i dont have my address right now, but my new comps name is Elder Harris and yea he's way sick(: and we're in a 4 elder house which is awesome!! yes i got the package, thank you so much!! and the city Montijo is a lot bigger than Tomar, but our area is only a little bit bigger but its still sweet! and in the branch here there's about 70 people or so in church every Sunday which is a huge change and its awesome!! haha(:

Briggy -- holy crap i cant believe you're 16 and driving haha!! dude have fun in that jeep, that thing is so killer!! and now that you're at the "dating"age.... DON'T GET ONE STEADY GIRLFRIEND!!! IT'S NOT NEARLY AS FUN!!! haha, trust me on that one, this is the only chance you have to kiss a bunch of girls, cuz once you're married that's it!! haha, be smart, but go out there and have fun!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUNK!!

Mason -- well i dont think i like you anymore, seeing as how you will be taller than me when i get home.... jerk... haha(; holy crud you are getting too old and too big haha, make sure you and Briggy stay best friends cuz you guys will be one stud duo in the jeep tearing up Red Mountain haha(; and you cant date yet... but that doesnt mean you cant kiss girls... im pretty sure haha(; have fun with that one!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!

ill be sending a package home soon, and it'll have birthday presents for the two birthday boys (if ammon is sad tell him that he will definitely get his own on his birthday;) haha) it will also have letters and a pin drive with the pictures and videos i have since the MTC(: ill try my hardest to send it this week!!

well now i really gotta run, but i love you guys so much and ill talk to you again soon!!(:

a good scripture ive read a lot this week and shared a lot with investigators is Alma 37:37, but ill let you guys get to that on you're own(;

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Finally a Detailed Letter! June 9th

I asked Zach some numbered questions and here is his reply:

Hi Momma!!

holy crud those lucky turds!! those guitars are so sick!! they better be getting good, cuz ive been working in my free time with my little piece of crap guitar, and i can actually play a few pretty sweet songs!! and ive decided that when i get home im buying a gnarly drum set and i wanna get really good at the drums, cuz i think that just sounds way fun haha(:

and now answer time!(; haha

1) yes im definitely happy! i totally miss Tomar, which is funny cuz i never thought i would, but i love this city too. Having so many people in church, and just a big branch that is so closely knit together like a family, its such an awesome change. Also being in a 4 elder house is pretty freakin rad too,we're always messing with each other or playing games with each other and its just a blast cuz its like living with a bunch of buds!

2)yea i get along great with all of them, my comp Elder Harris is from Ogden, Utah, and we're super similar, we both love the military and physical stuff. he's way into rock climbing and snowboarding. His dad was a Navy SEAL, and he definitely wants to be in the military too. we talk a lot about it, and ive actually been putting a lot of thought into being a Marine again... but we can talk about that later!!(; haha. the other two elders are Elder Thayne from somewhere in Utah, and Elder André from Angola, Africa who doesn't speak hardly any English haha. but we all get along super great and its just a party all the time haha.

3)already answered (please see above) haha(;

4) Rua José Ladislau de Sousa

    Nº29  2ºESQ

    2870 - 413 Montijo, Portugal

5)i live in an apartment, but its a lot bigger and nicer than the one in Tomar, the other elders say its one of the nicest ones in the mission, which is pretty sweet haha

6) yea so far i like the people here a lot, this city just seems a little bit more upbeat and lively than Tomar

7) right now we've got about 4 or 5 people/families that we're teaching or passing by regularly, one lady is ready to be baptized and really wants to be, but she has to get married first to the man she's living with, and i guess they're having a bunch of problems with the paper work, but we're hoping around August she'll be able to be baptized!

8) yea im pretty close to the Ocean. our area doesn't acutally go to the coast, but we're bye this huge bay that fills during high tide, and drains in low tide, so we go back and forth between the smell of the ocean and the smell of swampy tide pools haha, its funny(:

9)yea im doing my best with mission rules! but lately ive slacked on my working out in the morning and im starting to feel it, so im gonna start getting back into the routine, but i think about 2 or 3 weeks ago i weighed myself and im around 160 pounds, but IM NOT FAT!!!! haha, i actually think ive been growing a little bit, which would be so sweet haha(:

10) i never really have much of a topic when i study cuz i always end up jumping around reading all kinds of different thigns, but now im working on ready the Book of Mormon all the way through in Português, and im in 2 Néfi 5 or 6, and i read about a chapter or two a day.... haha i just realized i wrote Nephi in português, which is Néfi haha, but i'll leave it(;

11) when we're working or having lessons or things like that we're definitely spiritually minded, but when all four of us are hanging out in the house, especially since two of them go home pretty soon, our conversations can be all over the place. never anything bad, its just like hanging out with buddies haha. but the other day we had this huge converstion about crazy spiritual stories we've heard or been part of and it was really cool, so usually yes haha(:

man thats so awesome!! im so stoked for those guys, our ward is turning into quite the army!! haha, thats so rad! and if sammy goes to Brazil then we could speak it up together in português after!! i definitely have to know where those two are going as soon as they get the call!

daaaaaannngg you guys are lucky!! make sure you take a crap ton of pictures!! haha and who's watching the boys?! haha, i cant wait to be able to rock out with those kids on guitar!!

well i hope this email helped to answer some questions!(; haha, i love all you guys so much, and there definitely are times when i can feel your prays pushing me along, and i hope you guys can feel mine too!! i dont think ive ever prayed so hard for so long as i have for you guys, its funny how really understanding prayers can open your eyes so much to the powers that they have! 

well you guys should be getting a package probably sometime early next week, and i hope you guys like it!! sorry it took me so long, but im a poor missionary, so cut me some slack!!(; haha i love you guys and ill talk to you again real soon(: tchau tchau(:

What an AWESOME BOY!

Hopefully next week there will be pictures! ;)