10-17-11 Learning

I guess that means that the UW beat Utah!! And 5-1 that is great:)

I wish I could read conference talks... haha because hearing them I didn~t understand a lot honestly.

First off, Day light savings time in Brazil... exists.... and is really exciting when your companion realizes that we lost an hour overnight when you are in the shower. haha sunday was kind of like that.

This week was hard for me to keep my mouth shut a few times. People don~t realize when they are being rude. One family home evening a return missionary father and my companion swapped stories about funny situations and stomach problems of Americans here in brasil. For me it hurt. I was surprised how much it hurt. Before my mission I laughed at these stories too so I can~t be too upset but people don~t understand what it is like. They don~t understand what it feels like to be utterly lost in a conversation to be unable to do anything yourself because you can~t speak the language. They think it is funny that Americans suffer here. I really just want to stand up and yell at them. That it might be funny for them but these are real people suffering And its hard, not because learning a language is hard but because it is the hardest thing in the world to sit in a lesson and feel the spirit and not be able to say what you want to.

I am relearning the importance of rules and when rules are less important than people and when people are less important than rules. It is a balance I thought I had before my. That is an attribute that Christ had Perfectly and it is an example I want to learn from.

Wright I hope that was good. Haha my english is a little shaky right now and my skills as writer are not what they used to be. I tried to pray in english the other day and it was almost impossible haha. It was definately an awful prayer.

Mom you really taught me about faith. Every time I felt lost or alone as a child you helped me turn to the gospel. I remember as a child I asked you in a safeway one day, `mom what if this isn~t true what if this gospel isn’t true ‘it was a very profound question for a child now that i think of it but you answered it perfectly. Remember what you said? You said, ìf it isn’t true will I be ashamed of the way I’m living right now at the end of my life`?

I am learning that same lesson now. Haha. It is amazing how much a little time will do to help people. I imagine Christ always had time for people. Like the Woman who touched his robe and was healed. He stopped and talked with her when the disciples wanted to leave. I am glad you shared that experience with me because it helped me understand the lesson I am learning right now.

I will write to the ward if you want but I always thought it a little tacky when missionaries wrote back to the ward and the bishop read it over the pulpit. But here it goes:


Elder Noel