Week Four

Como Vai Minha Familha?
This last Tuesday we had Richard G. Scott come and speak to us about recognizing and following the promptings of the Spirit. He expressed his great love for us, and gave us an Apostolic blessing of the gift of tongues, and confidence in our work. He also gave the Sister missionaries a blessing that they might be shielded from danger. There was much crying during our district review afterwards. It was such a blessing to have two Apostles of the Lord in two weeks. There are twelve people in my district plus our two teachers. I told you that I'd have a personal trainer in my district, and my prophesy came to pass. Elder Buttars is a certified personal trainer, so this last week we started a program and today I am finding it difficult to sit down para the lap of lunges we did around the ginasio track. I feel you cannot really understand how amazing it is here without knowing some things about my district. Elder Buttars is from Boise, 22, and he already spoke Spanish and a little Portuguese, so he has been helping a lot with language study. Elder Dearborn is from Colorado, he is pretty shy, but he gets about twenty letters a week from girls he claims to be his sisters, but we know better. My companion Elder Grandy is from West Jordan, and he basically a highlander. he had to give up bringing his beard, and his collection of kilts to come on a mission. Little is known about our District Leader Elder Gubler, only that he is from Vegas and that he was a towel boy at a casino pool, other than that he is a mystery. Elder Hales is basically the clown of our group, he is from Salt Lake, plays the cello, and makes us laugh till we think the cafeteria milk will come out our nose. Elder Higley is from Alabama, he enjoys killing snakes,eating them, and wishes to study them as his career. Elder Hurst is from Ogden and the randomly strange awesome Elder of our group. Elder Patterson is from Phoenix already spoke Portuguese and is going to get married as soon as he gets home. There still a couple Elders and Sisters I wish to tell you about but my time is running out. The Church is True. I love you all

Week Three

Oi Minha Familha

This place just keeps getting better and better, especially when I get boxes of halloween cookies. At this last tuesday devotional the head of security came up to the mic and reminded us that we don't stand for hymns and that the only time we stand is when an apostle is present. During our opening hymn who should walk in, but Russell M. Nelson. It is so amazing to listen to an apostle who is speaking directly to you about what you are doing at that moment. It looks like because of the elections going on in Brazil that signing off on visas moves at a snails pace, so in two months I'll probably be writing from South Carolina. We had our second practice investigating experience this week. My ability to speak Portuguese in down, but I'm glad to say that my ability to understand Portuguese is up. I don't think I've told you this yet but the Hymn Secret Prayer is much better in Portugeuese. The first day of class another district came in and sang it with us. We later had to sing it in english at a fireside in English and it was so boring. My district loves all the goodies you've sent, but they only lasted about two hours. As part of our goals as a district we must give testimony at least three times a day in Portuguese, and we aren't allowed to speak English during meals. We'll be going to the temple later today for endowments. See you all in two years,

Love Elder Short

Tenho um testimunho

que Dues nos amas, e que Jesus Cristo e nosso Salvador, e que ele morreu por nosso pecados

Eu falo isso coissas em nome de Jesus Cristo Amen

Elder David Short's Letter Week 2

segunda week

Week Two is well underway. We've have successfully started the district traditions of Red Gravata Tuesday, Greenie Gravata Wednesday, and Ugly Gravata Friday. Portuguese is coming Rapito, but our practice discussions in the language have my companheiro and I stressed. We had our first TRC activity where we had to contact three people(volunteer actors) in Portuguese and then give the last one the first lesson. Our guy was really nice and afterwards gave us some advice and then shared some of his experience with serving in Brazil. For our district picture we made a ten elder pyramid; it was pretty sweet. We were able to go to the temple for a session as a district today. It was really awesome to experience a different temple with all the awesome elders, and then to talk about our experience. On our Tuesday devotional we had President Edgely of the Presiding Bishopric came to talk to us. We've pretty much been settling into our routine. Elder Grandy and I got haircuts this moring before going to the temple (pictures coming soon). Love you all. Send Cookies! and tell whoever to write me (I want to make the other Elders Jealous).

 

Elder Baixo 

Elder David Short's Letter Week 1

Oi Minha Familia!

I miss you all, but it's hard to think of home with all the mind blowing awesomeness that is going on. I was late getting to the CTM so I had two companheiros before I found meu assigned companheiro. Meu companheiro is Elder Grandy, he's pretty much the most awesome guy ever. He's from West Jordan and is scottish in heritage, so mention of his claymore made him my favorite person. My district is made up of Elders and Sisters who are waiting for their visas to Brazil. The other companionship in my room, Elder Hales and Elder Gubler, are also going to Goiania. Today is only day four, but I already feel like I'm getting a grasp of the language. We started Portuguese by learning how to pray, and all our prayers since then have been in Portuguese. Today in out class we worked on bearing our testimony. Elders Patterson and Buttars in my district already know some Portuguese so they've been helping a lot during MDT. I get so excited that I feel like I'm going to defenistrate something. Words cannot describe how Belezer it is every waking moment here. Everyday we here about other Elders who's visas have come in, and it gives us hope. Thursday eight visas came through for another district. Our branch president is Irmao Braithwait. He's really nice, and he served his mission in Brazil when his mission was half the country. My head is too full of the things going on right now, that I'm having trouble thinking of things to say. All I can think of is how excited I am to go out and serve. Eu voces amos. Till next week. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Dropping David off at the San Diego Airport October 6th 2010

David was excited and the rest of us were too. Not many tears shed (that will be later).

David and his Mom's Mom Cynthia Shirley

Family Pictures before David's Departure to the MTC

Write Me

My mailing address in Provo is:

Elder David Edward Short
MTC Mailbox # 257
BRA-GOI 1207
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Write me and I will write you back