Semana 3 - O Dom de Linguas (Week 3-The Gift of Tongues)

Olà

Literally the hardest but the best week by far! I never believed anybody when they said it goes by this fast but it really does. I feel like I have only been here a little while but its been almost a month. So after I emailed on pday we went into the Brasil streets and actually explored more than last time. We went to the mailing shop so I could mail home but we forgot to buy some stamps so keep a look out for my letters coming in family! After that we of course went to Mr. Chenny's cookie shop to get my favorite cookies ever again. I get triple chocolate every time I go. I hate to say it but these cookies out beat Publix cookies by far!!! After that it was just walking around until I had to go inside for dinner.

So the thing between Pday (preparation day) and temples is just a lot of classes and us teaching investigators which are literally just our teachers so its kind of weird acting like they aren't lol. It really helps though because we can practice this while we aren't that good with the language quite yet. Friday was a little different.... We had a lesson to teach and my companion and I had a hard time answering his question because of the understanding barrier and our very little Portuguese. He sat us aside during our lesson time and literally told us that he knows we are not getting this language and that he knows how tough it is. He had to learn Spanish and English for his mission, he told his testimony about how if we ponder the gospel and pray and study more earnestly we will have a better time with it. This brought me to tears because I know that that is the honest truth and I know its HARD now but in 6 months with studying and heavenly father I will have it down. After that he said that he loves and believes in us because if it wasn't supposed to happen we would be in America teaching in English. Then he gave us a big hug and that I really needed that from somebody that understood how tough it is. I know that with struggles comes many blessings and success!

Saturday we went out proselyting in Saõ Paulo downtown to pass out 6 O Livero de Mòrmons to random people on the street. I was so excited to do this and so nervous because of my Portuguese but I know I had the Jesus Christ with me and I would do good. So some sister missionaries that are from Brasil helped my companion and I talk to some people. The last lady that I talked to told the sister helping me that she understood every single word that I was telling her and now I know why she looked so shocked in the eyes because here I am white as can be and speaking fluently to her but only with the gift of tongues is this possible being 2.5 weeks in Brasil. I wrote in a letter what I told her but I will put it here as well!  "Nòs mensagem is muito importante. Eu sai que O Livero de Mòrmon es outro testamento de Jesus Cristo. O Livero de Mòrmon abençoado meu vida. Eu sai que o Evanghelo de Jesus Cristo vontade abençoar você vida. O Livero de mòrmon es palavras de Deus." Knowing that she understood everything I just said proves that the gift of tongues is true and that Jesus Christ is with me at all times of my life especially when I am sharing it with his children in Brasil.

Its conference weekend and I cant wait to be honest  because this is probably the first thing I get to watch not with a voice over since I have been in Florida and I am so happy I get to hear the Prophets voice! Also Sundays have become my most favorite day of the week by far!!! We get to chill and watch a movie (which yes its in Portuguese and no sub titles -_- lol) so I usually just study or read.  I am only sending one big mass email in the CTM till I am in the field because I don't get to read all my emails because its only 45 min of email :( 

 
Love you all soo soo much!! Thanks for all the time you take to email me!!

Till next week!!

- Elder Hammond

Hola Semana 2!

Hello everybody!!

Ugh I have so much to say and so little time (45 min) and that equals more stress thinking of what to say then actually getting to say and talk about what I want to say lol.

Well this week has been really hard actually! I miss everybody so much but I can feel my saviors love that he has for me to send me on a journey to teach his children! If it wasn't for him I would not know where I would be today. I for sure would not be in the AMAZING country of Brasil now would I? Well my week has been hard because they throw you into teaching lessons just speaking Portuguese and sometimes the teachers have fun asking questions making your brain work harder because you know what you want to say but don't know how in Portuguese. 

So last week my district got split and even just being one week into my mission I learned to love my friends so much but my new district is awesome and I couldn't have asked for better friends. Sometimes you do get annoyed with your companion aka how I was yesterday because I just wanted to focus on what I had to do. We had a lesson coming up soon and nobody was being serious!

The food here is great! I mean the food in the city! There is a cookie place across the street and the triple chocolate is literally to DIE for!! I think so far I have gained 5-8 pounds here XD Its okay though because we get to play basketball a lot and run and sometimes weights but the weights are just cables that they don't let you go past a certain weight. 

Yesterday I watched a film and it showed the scene where the people killed our Heavenly Father (*He meant Jesus Christ) on the cross and it made me cry because I think its tough here in the CTM but he literally died for our sins and everything that we do so we could be with him some day. I have also grown a greater testimony (in Portuguese too) about how we can return to him some day and be happy with everybody that we know and have grown to love. My favorite scripture I heard last week is D&C 84: I think verse 85 or 88. If that's wrong I will mail home for that to be corrected. Uhhh I am hitting a wall of forgetfulness what happened last week because every day is blending together like nothing even happened. 

Ahh so last week we started to use tooth picks a lot and tended to just bite on it and everybody started to do that which now that I think about it is dumb. But we all called each other tooth pick guys... yeah idk why we even did that lol. But Elder Snyder that is in charge of kind of all the Missionaries banned them anywhere but the cafeteria lol. Elder and Sister Snyder are so awesome though! They welcomed us into the CTM home and everyday checked on us to make sure that we were all okay and if we are home sick that we could go to him and just talk. We are all really blessed to have leaders like them willing to serve as older couples to help the missionaries. All my leaders are awesome! 

We aren't allowed to wear skinny ties here and I bought 6 very cool ties!!

I have to get off now but I love you all!! Keep writing to me please!!

- Elder Bryson Daniel Hammond

This was such a fun surprise to get these pictures! This sweet sister (I think one of his instructors) sent these through FB messenger as I was reading Bryson's mass email. Thank you! 😊 She speaks Portuguese, so language is a barrier. I don't know how she found me on Facebook! I don't know if Bryson asked for these to be sent to me or what. Many mom's in the Brazil CTM are frustrated trying to get pictures of our missionaries. I found out it's not that the missionaries are "not allowed" to send pictures. It's that there are 600 missionaries in the CTM. All have only 45 min to email home and read their emails. There isn't enough internet bandwidth connection for several pictures to be uploaded and sent by all 600 missionaries. Some go across the street to Mr Cheney's Store (where Bryson said he gets his cookies from) to upload them and send home. Hopefully Bryson will get this chance at a point to send us photos from Mr Cheney's Store. I miss my boy!!! I love and miss you B!!!! - 💗 Mom

1st Week In!!!!!

First I wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER STETSON!!! I was so happy when I found out I got to email on his birthday!! Make sure to tell him Happy Birthday!

This has been one crazy week and it has felt like I have been here 6 months and I guess that is really normal because everybody says you kinda start to go crazy lol! So something I just want to get out of the way is that we are not allowed to send pictures while in the CTM (MTC-Mission Training Center). We can receive them but we don't have the ability to which is really bumbing me out because we just got to go to the Campinas Temple here in Brazil and it was beautiful!

In the mission every Elder gets a companion which is usually just one but I am in a trio so its really exciting and we are rooming with two Brazilians so we are having some language lessons with them some nights of the week. My companions are Elder Larsen and Elder Valdivia and they are really cool guys and awesome companions! I am also serving as a District leader so I am in charge of nine other missionaries to make sure we are all on task and doing what we are supposed to!

The first night we had in the CTM we had choir practice and I thought it was really annoying to have to do that but I actually really enjoy the times we get to sing in Portuguese because I only know but 50% of the words but I recognize the tunes and I could not feel the spirit any stronger in a room full of about 300-500 missionaries. So singing has become one of my favorite things to do especially when my whole floor decides to sing in the showers haha! We aren't that good sometimes lol

I have grown a stronger and bigger testimony as I have been here. Landing here with the last time I slept being Sunday and next time being Tuesday night I kept thinking what am I doing? And in this past week I have come to realize that God loves me and everybody so much and that I am literally a tool in Gods hands to teach his children so so much and I am the only person that can teach the people of Brazil. I sometimes get emotional because its such a struggle being away from my family and friends the people that I love so much. But I know that in the service of people I am only in the service of my Heavenly father (Pai Celestial) and if I love him as much as I do I am here for a much greater reason then I can even imagine!

I have to sign off now but I love you all so very much! Keep me in touch with your lives. If I am not able to reply its not that I'm ignoring you its just they don't give me enough time. I love reading of your lives!
 

- Elder Bryson Daniel Hammond

Insert: I have added some pictures of the Campinas Brazil Temple sense Elder Bryson Hammond is not able to send pictures while he is in the CTM (Brazil MTC). I'm sure the pictures he took personally feel so much better. But this way we can all see the beauty he felt this morning and shared with us. It IS really beautiful! 
💗 - Amy Hammond (Bryson's mom) 

First Picture of Our Missionary Sent Home by CTM

The day after Bryson arrived to Brazil we received a parents email from the CTM (Brazil MTC). They included a picture of our Missionary Elder Bryson Daniel Hammond. (Top left, second in.) From his family email dated 3/14/17 we found out he was called as District Leader his second day in the CTM. That must have been this day the picture was taken. We miss you and love you Bryson!! We are so proud of you!!! 💗 - Love Mom

We Made It!!!!

Hello guys!

I have arrived to Sao Paulo MTC safe! I am in a trio companion with Elder Larsen and Elder Valdivia and am so excited to get my room set up with everything I brought with me. I can already feel this beautiful country growing on me in many different ways especially the humidity lol. Colorado's no humidity actually is really nice sounding as of now.

My flight from Atlanta Georgia had to of been the longest and dreadful experience I have had mainly because there was a TV for every seat and yup I could not watch anything!! It`s okay though because I got to learn more about other missionaries near me on the plane. After landing not even two hours ago (I think) because it still feels like it´s Monday now, but as soon as I went outside and saw the culture surrounding me I fell in love with this country and I have only been here not even 12 hours. In the airport it was kind of hard because everywhere I go everybody is speaking Portuguese and the only English I hear is from the Elders and the Sisters. There were a total of 7 Elders and 4 sisters on our flight so it was very exciting!

I don´t have much time to email because we are about to eat lunch and its not even the day we usually email lol. I miss you guys so much already and love you all so so much!! I was just told that my official Pday is on Wednesday´s but tomorrow I will not have one. So my next email will be next week! Tell the whole family I love them all and cant wait to hear from them!!! :)

 Love,

- Elder Bryson Daniel Hammond

This is the email Bryson sent home to us to let us know he arrived to the CTM (Brazil MTC) safely. 💗