God is Real. I can feel it

Hey Mahm!

So I got erythang that you sent except the messenger bag and the third pants and ties :) Everyone in the zone was soooo jealous because I got 3 packages and 1 letter at interviews with the president. Don't worry, I shared with erybody. I told them to thank you so you might be getting a few random emails in Portuguese... just so that you know why. (Btw thanks).

This week was a blast! We had a few crazy experiences. One guy said that he thought that God was a group of alien intelligences and then he started to give us his schpill of how he thought that the ten commandments were written with a laser and how Elias was captured by aliens and just all this crazy junk. 

We also got rejected a bunch this week. I think the Brazilians are a little annoyed about the world cup. Well at least Argentina didn't win. 

Well R was confirmed. Then he got the Aaronic priesthood, then he gave it to his son. All in under 30 minutes. Yeah there were a lot of hands on a lot of heads yesterday.

We got transfer calls this morning and it turns out that I'm leaving, staying LD. I'm kindof bummed out... The last time I was transferred I cried like a baby. There still haven't been any tears yet, but I know that they will come. Dangit. This is the worst part of the mission. Always. I don't have anytime to say goodbye or anything. I don't know who my next companion will be.

The mission is a good representation of the plan of salvation. First of all, it's a choice. You come out and you learn things here that are impossible to learn elsewhere. You can't compare one person's mission to another person's. It's impossible. Your mission is unique. You learn how to LOVE, how to be away from home for a while. Then you go back, and before you know it you have the rest of your time in front of you. One day we all will go back home to our Heavenly Father. We learn things in this life that we could not learn at home. I know that God is real. I can feel it.

I love you!

Elder Tagg

Hey Dad,

So I got transferred.

I have been thinking a lot about how fast this year has gone by. If the second year goes by so much faster, I don't know how i'm going to catch it all. I have been pondering a lot; What will I do this next year? What will I change... what will I learn?  It's a lot to think about. I am kind of bummed about having to leave Planalto. I have spent most of my mission here. But I knew it for a while now... My work here is done. I feel the Lord is pleased with my work. I'm on to bigger and better things!

Love 

Elder Tagg

R Gets Baptized!

Dear Mom

So I re-sent you those pictures. I hopes you get them.

Yeah I hit a year this week :(

This week was great. R was baptized. It was amazing and there were tears EVERYWHERE, even from R. Which was odd because he's a big tough guy covered in tattoos. It made me realize that nobody is immune to the spirit of the Lord.

We worked our butts off this week. If I had to have a butt replacement for every time I had worked my butt off on my mission I wouldn't have time to work in the first place. I would probably just go buttless... yeah sorry for that one - I probably need to work on my virtue. I have changed on the mission I promise.

Brazil got their pants handed to them by Germany. And then Holland. And then Germany won the world cup and became four time champ. One more and they'll be tied with Brazil.

Actually I was with Elder P on a division when Germany played Brazil. At 40 minutes during the first tempo (half?) it was 5 to 0 and we were all like, "uhh, I think we should probably head home before the riots start." So we left the favela (slum) we were in before halftime and started running for home. It was empty on the streets. not even one person was not watching the game. we got home and then we got the call to pass on to all missionaries that they were to get home immediately and not leave to work for the rest of the night. But it wasn't even that bad. Brazilians like to complain a lot about stuff and sometimes they will get angry enough to start breaking things, but they also forget really fast. Within 24 hours, it was all back to normal again. there are a lot of 7-1 jokes going around now. people are calling it the "eterna 7-1" because this is going to be eternal. I was at the store the other day and I asked for six breads and the lady was all like, "você tem certeza que não quer levar sete?" ("are you sure you do not want to take seven?") and then we laughed. Because it was funny.

But your son is doing just fine, Momma. I have been thinking about that also. About you guys coming down here when my mission is over. I am also thinking about extending my mission, but not for a whole transfer. Because that way I will be able to catch the sealing of R and T at the very end of my mission. and I kind-of already promised him that I would. So it's already settled. Maybe if we time it right you guys could meet me at the São Paulo temple. And maybe you could meet R. I will talk to my President tomorrow about it, because we have interviews with him tomorrow. vai ser dahora. (will be dahora?)

And by the way thank you for the pants I got. I only got THE BLUE ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (if you didn't get that you aren't my mother) the other packeges eu ainda não recebi. (I have not received)

And yes, I want Dad's ties. I will never ever ever evereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverevereverever trade them. 

Love 

Elder Tagg

Poor Poor Elder T

Nice!

Elder F, R, and Elder Tagg

Elder T and R

Baptism Day for R

Solid Investigator

DEAR MAHM

So this week was was great we worked hard. On Saturday we taught English to a bunch of Brazilians. Then on Sunday we get to sacrament meeting and we had 2 new investigators at church - M and Dô. Then guess who just decides to MARCH ON IN, UNINVITED? it was R!

So if I haven't told you... R is a ex investigator whose wife is an inactive church member. He has a brother in law on a mission right now. Elder T and I were really making progress with him, until he disappeared. So he lives in a closed apartment building and we lost contact with him. We would pass by his house a lot and wouldn't be able to talk with him.

But anyways. R walks in and sits down. and i was all like duuuwaaa?!?! so i got up and plopped myself down next to him to say hi and he says, "Elder Tagg, eu quero me baptizer." (I want to be baptized) straight up. he already stopped smoking (a common problem here in Brazil). He just wants to be baptized like NOW!!! so we decided to pass by his house later on that day.

We also taught these super crazy evangélica people (that's like the religion that everybody is here, there are like 58713945087124714561243238 different evangelical churches here). When we prayed at the end the wife left the room and then came back with a veil over her head and was all like "esto pronto agora" (I'm ready to go?). It was weird to say the least.

Then we taught our recent convert P about the plan of salvation again and my companion brought up outer darkness and pauloma was all like "whats that?" and then we had to explain about outer darkness to our recent convert.

But anyways that night we taught R and he is solid! He reminds me a lot of Elder Blake

SHOUT OUT TO MA

HOMEBOUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TE LOVE MEU IRMÃO PREMORTAL

But anyways R is awesome. at the end of the lesson they offered to buzz my hair for free... seeing as I was in desperate need of this and I am dirt poor, I accepted. 

tchão, amo vocês

Elder Tagg

Doing Great

Hi Momma,

So I'm doing great. The end.

Just kidding! 

So this week we got a new president and found out that all this time we have been allowed to watch the Brazil games during the world cup! What!?!?! So we got to watch the Chile vs Brazil game... It was really weird. This whole entire time my companion has been going on literally non-stop about how much he is against the cup and how much he doesn't like football. But yeah, so we find out we can watch the game and I'm all like "eu acho que seria melhor se a gente só ficasse em casa e estudasse atê o jogo termina." (I think it would be better if we just stayed home and studied until the game ends) and he was all like "não, nos DEVEMOS assitir o jogo" (no, we should watch the game). He is so funny. So we watch the game and I kinda want Chille to win so that we don't have to deal with another game causing riots and stuff. But at the same time I want Brazil to win. So really I'm kind of indifferent I guess. However, my companion was getting all worked up about the game. Sadly, I ended up getting like the second migrane on my mission and I was just not a happy camper : (

So President Broadbent got to the mission and his Portuguese is not the greatest, but he'll learn. He is a very loving man. 

Love

Elder Tagg

God's Love for You

Dear Mom and Dad

Today I went to the temple and I literally have 5 minutes to type you guys a letter before I have to work.

I just want you to know that I love and appreciate everything you do for me. God loves us in a similar way, on levels that we cannot understand. Sometimes I like to just stop and feel it. You too can feel God's love for you, Just look for it. 

I love you 

Elder Tagg

No Letter

We did not receive a letter this week from Elder Tagg.  I have heard that they were allowed to watch Brazil play today if they could find a member to invite them over.  I assume all is well but he's just been watching football today.  Maybe tomorrow!

Kelly

Copa do Mundo (World Cup)

Hey Mom,

So this week was awesome!  We are doing a lot of finding and teaching and things are going great. I'm seeing my personality start to come through better in my teaching and it's becoming more 'mine'.  I'm starting to own it. It's a really great feeling. (Don't take this for pride, it's just something exciting for me).

The next couple of weeks are going to be interesting because of the copa do munro (world cup). During some of the games we will move our study hours around to avoid the craziness. But don't get worried, because I live in probably the safest city in the mission. It's also like the richest ward in the mission. There is only one bairro that I need to evitar (evitar=avoid). Jardim calux (Garden Calux). its a giant favela (slum).

Even though we aren't allowed to watch any of the games, I'm trying to keep track of the scores and write them down to remember. I'm missing a lot of them though. Could you send them to me? I like Neymar.

During the cup I am going to do something that the zone leaders invited us to do. We started by fasting and finding things that we can do to consecrate ourselves to be better missionaries. Then during the forty days of the cup we will be working on these things to do better. 

The mission rule is going to change here in a little bit about backpacks. For a long time our Pres said that we could still use backpacks... but now we are switching to side bags and I have no idea how to get one. Do you think you could send me one? Just something small.. Just enough to fit my Portuguese scriptures (witch are a bit larger than English ones) and some pamphlets. something conservative. probably a low maintenance fabric that wont show sujeira facilmente. (dirt easily) LOL

Te love! (love you)

Elder tAGG