June 1, 2015

A Letter Between Brothers!

This made my heart melt!

From: Ammon(10) to Zach(19)

Dear Zach,
I miss you and I love you! I can’t wait for you to get home because I’m gonna take you down in wrestling and Turkey bowl! 
Have you made any new friends in Portugal lately?
I always have you in my prayers, hoping that you will be alright.
Here is a poem just for you-

Z= zany
A= awesome
C= cool
H= happy

This is what I think of when I think of you. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I think of you because I think I’m going to go on a mission and hopefully go to Portugal and do the same thing as you.

That’s all for now Stink Brain!!
Love 
Ammon

From: Zach to Ammon

Ammonition!! 

well good thing that i still have 6 months left in my mission so that i can start working out and training so i can take you down in wrestling and turkey bowl punk!!

i've made a couple new friends, and some of them even speak english a little bit! have you made any new friends lately?

thankyou bud for always praying for me, i need it! i always have you and brig and mason, and mom and dad in my prayers too, but especially you and your brothers, im always praying that you boys will be able to make the right choices, and to also help your friends to make the right choices. once of my best friends, Holden, decided to go on a mission because i went and i was a good example to him. i pray every night that you are always a good example to your friends too!! and i know you are! 

I love you punk!!(:

June 1, 2015

Teaching about Decisions and Repentance

& Exploring on P-Day

Hi momma!

man those pictures of trek are super awesome! im totally bummed that i barely missed it! 4 more stinkin years is forever away haha. I COULD ALREADY HAVE A KID!!! or i could still be in Afghanistan..... hahaha(; well i waited as long as i could, but i guess i'll have to get your trek parables next week haha(: 

yea i heard about Elder Perry, thats no fun. and okay, im for sure sending Granna an email today. also, she sent me this totally awesome package haha, and i had no idea she was sending it, but it was chalk full of food! hahaha, i'll send some pics... speaking of which lucky you guys today, i have a TON of pics to send haha, we had some cool adventures today and last week.

well yesterday in church when my comp and I showed up, one of the counselors in the bishopric said that one of the people who was supposed to give a talk in church wasn't gonna make it, so he asked if i could do it haha.............. that jerk!! no not really, but it was like that last thing i was expecting haha, plus i looked like crap cuz my allergies are kicking my butt and i was all groggy from Benedryl... but nontheless i went forth! so I'll send you kinda like a summary of my talk with the scriptures that i used, and i'll let you guys pull you're own from it(:

I talked about Decisions, Repentance, and used these scriptures in this order:

2 Nephi 10:23 -- i talked about why would Nephi say to rejoice (i think that's what it is in English, i just have a portugues with me right now haha) that we are free to choose, and i talked a little bit about the war in heaven. A lot of the time we say that resurrection is free but eternal life isnt, because every single person, good or bad, who has ever lived on this earth will be resurrected, but only those who obtain celestial glory will be rewarded eternal life. but i explained that even the resurrection isnt free, because the resurrection (or the atonement and then defeating death) had to be because man is in a fallen state because of our free agency, and we gained free agency in the war in heaven, or rather kept our free agency by not accepting Lucifer's plan. but that for this victory over Lucifer, Heavenly Father lost 1/3 of His children. i can't imagine what it would be for a father to have to let one of his children die, but this is so much more than that because it's not just physical death, its spiritual death, it's damnation to Outer Darkness to never return again to the presence of the Father. but free agency was so important, that Heavenly Father was willing to let them go, so the other 2/3s could have it. so that is why Nephi says to rejoice that we are free to choose, because it's more than just a big deal.

Alma 32:21 -- i then talked a little about how most of the decisions we make (especially the ones we make in regard to keeping the commandmants) are made by faith, not by a perfect knowledge. but we believe it is the right thing and we have hope that we will be blessed for it.

Alma 34:32 -- then i used this scripture to explain a little that the time given to us to make all these choices is this life, the choice to accept Christ as our Redeemer BEFORE we die.

Alma 36:11-21 -- then i read the conversion story of Alma the Younger, to show a really cool, unique expirience. Pretty much all of humanity, with the expection of a very few, will just have one time to look back on their lives and their choices as a whole and to be judged on those choices once... after we die. But Alma had this really cool opportunity to do like a midpoint checkup on his life. he was out trying to destroy the church, and angel appeared to him, and told him that if he continued doing what he was doing he would be destroyed, he was so scared he passed out, and during the three days while his body was unconcious, he got to see all of his choices up until that point, and the consequences of them, and that's in verses 11 - 16. i explained that all of us would be in that very same position that he was in after we die and go to meet with God, if it hadnt have been for one extremely important event, the Atonement. Jesus Christ already paid the price, he already suffered those pains and fears that Alma was suffering, and He did it for all of us so that we dont have to suffer them, but we have to apply His Atonement in our lives, we have to REPENT. this is in verses 17 - 18. then in verses 19 - 21 we see what happens when a soul repents. Alma did it, and he was freed from his pains, free from his consequences, because Christ already paid for them. and it's something that each one of us HAS TO DO in this life, or we will have to suffer for our choices. 

then i bore testimony about how grateful i am that Christ has already paid for my sins, because Alma makes it seem pretty terrible, and im gratefuly that because of the Atonement, i wont have to suffer that. i also bore testimony about how grateful i am for the things that we learn in church, to help us make the right decisions, and to teach us to repent when we've made wrong ones.

well that took a long time haha, so i think i'll end there, but i've still got a bunch of pictures to send! have a good week, i love you guys, ill talk to you more next week!(: 

p.s. - take a bunch of pictures of all your sick adventures!!

 so we had district meeting, and the sisters wanted to take pictures..... like always... cant you just see on my face how excited i am? hahaha they were totally pissed at me too for those faces hahaha

I see Zach hasn't changed since he was 3 and I made him take a picture with some pretty girls!

Thank you sooooo much Granna!!! i totaly loved getting that package from you!! haha i love you so much!!(:

so i've taught myself how to make a mean chicken fajita haha, i'd be such a good mexican stay-at-home wife haha.

these are our two hamsters, the just run wild in the house haha, its really funny at night time cuz they're nocturnal, and so they'll climb into our beds and scare the crap out of us haha

Hahaha..... GROSS, all I can say as a mom!

 check it out!!! i found a fricken saguaro!!! you have no idea how happy i was to see this thing hahaha

we did some cool exploring at some weird tide pools haha, and yea i know, pretty much the sickest shirt ever... im still trying to figure out how to get the "A" at the end off though haha

 it was really hard to climb on that crap haha, good thing im a ninja

i got kinda stuck in a sticky situation..... 

 then we found this super sick cave among all these huge rocks. 




















this is my lovely comp Elder Phillips

 obviously the Catholics built this giant stone cross to be climbed on

my comp was trying to take a picture of the gay sunset, but some really buff, super handsome gentleman kept getting in the way...

here was the crew today... 

 today for pday we played basketball. we had a sick game of 4 on 4 full court... it's a great reminder of how out of shape you get on the mission haha. but its all good, we came away with the win haha

May 25, 2015

Spring Fever and American Food!!

good glory i shed a few tears when this baby came out....... not really, but i must've looked like a goof ball haha i was so excited..... good ole 'Murica

hey momma!

am i not too old to go to that camp?! haha i thought you had to be under 18? but works for me! haha. and i cant wait to go back to that condo haha, i made really good friends with this Tongan elder in the MTC, and he lives in Huntington, California, and he's inviting me to go back and kick it with him in cali for like a week or so haha. maybe in like early January or something, but we're still planning that one out! 

my week has been going good, but my allergies are raging here! holy crap haha, like im not saying that im glad this is my last spring in portugal... but it'll be nice to be back in the desert with less plants next spring haha! but hopefully this week it will rain, which should really help out. plus i just found out that at the farmacies here sell Zyrtec, so im gonna go get a Doomsday Preppers amount of that stuff maybe tomorrow haha. i feel like that little seahorse from Nemo, the one who's like "Hi! I'm H2O intollerant!" and then sneezes haha, but on the bright side im gonna have some washboard abs after how much i've been sneezing haha. 

Elder Phillips and i have been working hard on beating some sickness thats passing around, but we're doing pretty good at it haha. i do have a sinus infection, but i've been gargling salt water like a dolphin and eating oranges like mason eats chocolate, so i've just about beat it out of me. 

HEY! haha i just remembered! i was able to use a members phone to look at your instagram page, and i went way back and saw this really funny video of us after family prayers playing with Mallow haha, i miss that dog! and then this other one on Mason's where im like screaming and yelling while im making a sandwhich... its like i used to be loud and immature or something, it was really weird... haha. 

And nothing special for Pres Fluckiger, he's still around until July 1st (thats when he takes off). but guess what?! so we had our interviews with him last week, and i asked him if i could been done being a zone leader and train again, and he seemed really open to the idea, and he pretty much said yes, so i think im gonna be a daddy again!! haha im so excited! i have 4 transfers and all i wanna do is train and train and train and train! especially cuz i think this next transfer Pres Fluckiger will put another companionship of elders in Oeiras, so it would make it a 4 elder house which would just be a fricken dream come true, it'd be like Beja all over again, except this time instead of the middle of nowhere, we're right on the beach haha! its like leaving the planes of Texas and going to San Diego haha. 

and the new mission presidents get here i think the last week of June or somthing like that, so i'll meet them then! 

Please tell dad to take his GoPro to trek and get some awesome videos and stuff for me to see when i get home! i love you guys so much, have a good week! and tell Briggy happy birthday!! i'll be sending a package home tomorrow! love you guys! 

this is Yari, the awesome kid from Ecuador! the rest of his family will hopefully be getting baptised later this week too!

****AND THANKS FOR THE TIE MOM!!(: 'MURICA LAND!!

 so a few days ago we were walking along the side of the freeway, and when we came to this toll both some worker guy freaked out at us and said we had to get off the freeway, well we wanted to go to the other side but he wouldnt let us just run across, so he let us take the little catway above the freeway haha, it was kinda sick... but the guy was a turd!

so last week they set up a boxing ring in the middle of this mall and had like 20 different fights haha, starting from like 10 year olds and working up to fricken full grown men, it was funny. not nearly as good as the UFC, but it was cool

then i had a wonderful dance with the most charming model.....

today for lunch we went to this super sick American Diner called The 50s, holy crap its the best meal i've had since i've been in this country

......... oh.... and i shaved my head...... again haha(:

 here's the crew! and our not-so-American-looking "American waitress" bringing us milkshakes..... FRICKEN MILKSHAKES!!! do you know how long it's been since i've had a milkshake?!?! i can tell you exactly how long... the last milkshake i had was on December 11th, 2013.... thats a long time....... i almost cried

it was soooooooo awesome....... even the cup tasted good

May 18 & 19, 2015

Last Week of School in AZ

May 18

sorry momma!! i'll have to write tomorrow!! im fine, just super busy!! love you!!!(:

Ok Cutie! I want a letter tomorrow!!

LOVE YOU ALWAYS

momma

May 19

Hey Momma!

so sorry about not writing yesterday, we had a super packed day with a butt-load of crap about the gospel..... hahaha im totally sitting here by myself cracking up now haha. anyways! i actually miss those hectic weeks, cuz as kids we didnt have to worry about anything, we just hung on for the ride haha. you should let Brig drive to and from San Diego, it'd be good for him! but please make sure that y'all take tons of pictures on these trips! especially trek! man im so bummed that im missing it! by the time the next trek rolls around... ill be 24!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH thats disgusting.... lets never talk about that again haha.

im doing great, earlier today we had interviews with Pres Fluckiger, our last ones with him haha, he goes home July 1st! and i asked him if i could be done being a fricken Zone Leader and train again, and he seemed pretty open to the idea, which would be so sick! and maybe our house would become a 4 elder house which would be a flippin dream haha. my comp would stay ZL and get a new comp to be ZL with him, and i would get a son, and us 4 would keep kicking it in Oeiras. now all we're missing is that dang car they jacked from me! haha. 

I'll have to look for those videos and talks about light, i love Elder Bednar and i fricken LOVE deep doctrine haha. 

sorry this is so short, but i dont have too much time today, but next week should be a lot better! i love you guys and ill see y'all soon! 6 months is gonna go by way too fast haha!

May 11, 2015

Just Talked for Mother's Day!!

Hey momma(:

yea i love the lacrosse shirt, im wearing it right now! haha. and i usually take my tag off if we start playing sports or messing around and wrestling cuz i end up losing it. i've already lost like 10 and so i have to keep buying new ones haha, luckily their only like 1.50 haha. and i would be totally fine with going to college in January, just not in Utah. i might even be down to do BYU hawaii just cuz i think that would be super sick, but other than that im all for college... in AZ(: 

for a list of towns i want to visit in portugal:

Tomar

Beja

Lisbon

Amadora

Oeiras

and i would really like to stay in Oeiras or Cascais, but Cascais can be pretty pricey when it comes to hotels, but i bet in December its a ton cheaper. but Cascais has some amazing beaches, like the ones with a ton of giant wierd rocks and stuff. but okay, i'll start thinking about that a little more(:

haha well yea i really dont have much else to say haha(: but i love you guys, and those pictures of Fossil Springs are awesome, we're gonna have to have some adventure packed trips when i get home, but thats still 6 months away. i love you guys so much! ill talk to you next week!(:

While in my old area Amadora we got to go visit this awesome member family! and this is Elder Braga

me and Joseph... i mean elder Leung haha! we just finished eating lunch and i was so full ithought i was gonna barf haha

May 4, 2015

One Week Till Mother's Day!!!

yesterday we had lunch at a members house, and the little boys had some other boys from the ward over. so after lunch the member was giving us a ride home and we we're all crammed in the back haha

Hey Momma!!(: so we cannot do skype this year :( ......... hahahah just kidding(; we'll be doing skype at a members house on sunday. if i do skype at like 4:30 or 5:00pm here, it'll be like 9:30 or 10:00am in AZ, does that work for you guys? and what is your skype address? on sunday i'll be able to email freely, so we can coordinate better(: but yea im super excited too, its really weird to think that it'll be the last time haha!

i still do not have the package. the office hasnt been able to go get it because the post office (and all the government buildings) have been on holidays, so today is the first day that its been open in a while, so hopefully later today the office will get it and i'll be able to get it tomorrow or something haha. and you wont owe the mission anything, they just take it out of my monthly account, so dont worry(:

and yes, im very excited to be staying in oeiras! haha, its pronounced "oh - way - ruz" but you kinda roll the "R". Phillips and I get along great, we have a ton of fun together and get good work done too, i think thats why Pres kept us together haha. but its my stinkin 5th in a row as ZL, and we have interviews with Pres on the 19th, so im gonna ask him to train next transfer. and its going good with the Ecuador family, they come to church every week, and we're gonna go visit them tomorrow, and hopefully mark a day for all of them to be baptised this month, so we're pretty stoked for that! 

okay sick! and while you guys are planning, can we come for at least a week please?! cuz right now im in my 6th area, and i will most likely have one more (and it'll probably be my last area, yikes! haha) and so if i end with 7 areas and we come for 7 days, that gives us a day to spend in each of the areas, to see the people and the sights and stuff! so maybe like 8 or 9 days if its possibly to have a day or two to just chill, or go do somthing cool? 

and thats suuuuuuuuuper weird to see brig all dressed up for a dance with a smokin' date haha, he's getting way to fricken old! but that picture where brig is folding his arms and Brittany is laughing is wwaaaayyy funny cuz even though brig is huge now, i can still see him folding his arms and doing that little head flick thingy that he's done since he was tiny hahaha. and yea, at least they look HAPPY!! haha, thats probably the biggest difference hahahahaha, i love making fun of my past haha. 

we had our zone meeting this past week, and theres a really cool video that we used about Wilford Woodruff's conversions story called "A Search For Truth". its a super cool story. other than that i've been asked to be the ward pianist... again haha. we didnt have anyone to play yesterday so i played (which was a mistake haha) and i guess they like it, so now im stuck! haha, make sure the boys are comfortable with playing the hymns! haha

well im super excited to see you guys on sunday! i love you so much, see y'all soon!!(:

a couple of days ago we were out walking, and someone had just left this perfectly good greek-style pillar by a dumpster haha, so i just had to take it home. haha, its made out of stone and is pretty heavy, i was getting some super funny looks from people on the train and stuff haha

the picture of us eating at the table is with a member named Rafael, he's like one of the sickest members ever. first off he's huge, and he does MMA, he's like a wizard on the piano and saxaphone, and he fricken has a motorcycle!! him and i always get distracted at church talking about bikes haha.

and then this old couple is just one of the funniest old couples ever. the old guy in the wheelchair can barely walk, but its super slow, so someone always gets him in the wheelchair, well now he always asks for me to push him cuz when i push him i make engine noises like its a sports car haha, and his wife can kinda speak english... kinda... and she tells me all the time "if you crash, i punch your face, i kill you!" haha but she's super nice, i have no idea what their names are though hahaha

 so last week we had our zone meeting, and then after we had some elders over at our house for lunch. i can make some pretty mean chili, and we have a mexican elder in our zone haha, so i told him i would make him some, then some other elders overheard us and wanted in, so we all went back to our place and had a fricken fiesta haha. we even found some tortillas, and then got some lime and everything haha

and this was my breakfst this morning, a mango, some hot chili peppers, and a coca cola haha, breakfast of champs! 

 so me and my comp got some hamsters!! haha, they were only 5 bucks at the pet store haha. the lighter grey one in the corner is mine, his name is Butthole cuz he bites a ton, and the darker grey one is my comps, and its name is Wolf cuz my comp is gay... hahaha just kidding, but its name really is wolf though

and here's their sick house that we made for them out of some cardboard boxes haha. they have this like space tunnel thing that connects the two boxes, a wheel for running, and some ramp thingy to climb. plus some very nice interior decorating haha. we're gonna give them Redbull this week and see how fast they can run on the wheel haha

I Love this Crazy Missionary of Mine!!

April 27, 2015

Short and Sweet

and no Pics this week :(

Hey Momma!

well is still dont have the package, but thats just because the office hasnt had time to go get it, they said that now they have everything they need to get it! so thank you very much!(: 

haha, and im in the same situation as you in Nephi! haha, its really tricky in portuguese too cuz it aint even my first language haha, but its good. one thing i tried doing though is opening the bible and reading with it, because Nephi isnt just talking like Isaiah, he's actually quoting Isaiah, he's reading off the brass plates to his brothers trying to use the scriptures to help correct and teach them. i read a talk once that pointed out a few differences between Isaiah from the bible we have, and Isaiah that Nephi is quoting, and he said that these differences come because the bible was altered a lot by men over the years, but the account in Nephi is more accurate, because it was a direct quote in the same language, then when the Book of Mormon was translated to English, it was done by the power of God, not the knowledge of men, so the "plain and precious parts" werent lost in the translation.  but even with those parts, its still really hard to understand haha!

well transfers were this past weekend, but me and Elder Phillips are staying together here in Oeiras and we're staying as Zone Leaders, so nothing really changed haha. its the first time im staying 2 transfers with a comp outside of training (like other than when i was being trained or when i was training). but im stoked cuz now we can both continue to work with the rest of the family from Ecuador. i seriously cant wait to show all you guys everyone here! i was thinking the other day, its funny how some of these people become so close to you, who otherwise would have no effect whatsoever in your life. like if i never came to portugal i would have never know these people, but these people are some of my closest friends haha. have you guys thought at all about when we will all come back as a family? like maybe in December after the boys get out of school? cuz its getting to the point where people are starting to ask me when im gonna come back to visit haha.

well i might get back on email later today, cuz i realized i havent taken any pictures this week haha, so later today if we do something cool and i take some pics, ill get back on real fast and send them haha(: but i love you guys!! have a good week!