Valmor e Simone

Rabbits

Marco's Baptism

Filipe

Family Night

Alan

Maringa December 26, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS! And a very happy, happy new year!
I was so great to talk with you yesterday! You and Sharon are looking great and it sounds like life is going pretty good! I am so happy that Christmas was good and that you got to visit with a bunch of family. I hope everyone is in great spirits and had a wonderful Christmas! Yesterday was cool. We pretty much just visited the members. We watched a movie with Bishop called how rare a possession about the Book of Mormon that was really great. We ate dinner with a family of recent converts that are super cool and have a mom and sister to baptize still....OOOOooooOOO :)

My new companion is Elder Proulx. He is originally from Pennsylvania, but now he is living in Springville and will go to BYU probably. This week we are going to work hard and help lots of people come to Christ! We are going on splits with the members every day actually. It is really nice. I like that the ward helps us out so much here. It is really great. So, I can’t really think of anything new, kind of said everything yesterday.... but to quote Grandma Elaine, I sure do you love whole bunches! I realized that I am not good at taking pictures. I never remember to get the camera. So, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, and so a video must be worth even more, so I will send you a video of us singing to make up for the short letter. It got out of focus, but I think the sound is good.

I know that Christ resurrected from the dead to save us. I know he lives and loves us individually. I know the church is true. Just keep on Swimming!
Love, Elder Markham (Iron Man)

More Zona Foz (Steven will miss your companionship since he has been transferred to Maringa.)

Zona Foz

Beautiful Singing Elders!

Even More Singing

More of us Singing

Singing at the Ward Christmas Concert

Elder Markham got permission to wear a hat on very sunny days to prevent sun stroke.

Foz do Iguacu December 19, 2011

Hello Mother!
A Very Merry Christmas to you!

I am jealous that it is so cold there is Utah. Here it is very hot.
That is terrific that the surgery with Grandma and everything went so well! Congrats to Chad and Ashley as well! That is super, super exciting! Yeah!

So this week was roughish.
On Monday we had our Christmas conference like I wrote about last week. Tuesday was P-day. Normal. The rest of the week we just kept on working like normal. We found a really great family named Eduardo, Zenilda and Evandro. They went to church with us and it was awesome! Filipe is doing well, but is really scared to leave his other church for the time being. We didn’t really have all that much luck finding many new people this week. Life is kind of crazy with Christmas coming up. On Saturday we had a Christmas concert thing with the wards in Foz and it was pretty neat. We got to sing a lot and had some investigators there who liked it a whole bunch.

Now for the crappy news. Today is transfers and I am getting sent to Maringá. I didn’t really want to get transferred, but I´ll go where He wants me to go I guess.
I don’t know why but this week has been super hard. Not just this week, but we haven´t been having all that much success these last few. Elder Folland is great and I hope his new companion will be too. I don’t know him, but I´m sure President choose well.

For our Christmas call let’s do the following:
11:15 would be the best time for me. Night time is better to teach. If something changes I´ll try to let you know, because I´ll be in a new zone, so I don’t know anybody yet. Thanks for making a login and everything. I’ll use it for sure!

I love you more than anything else! Please know that I know the church is true and that God loves us. I testify of his called prophets today. I wish a merry Christmas and lots of love and spirit this week! Send pictures!
Lots of love:
Elder Markham

Zona Foz e Casavel

We Want You in Brazil Londrina! (Elder Markham & Elder Folland)

Vrooom!

Agua! Elder Markham & Presidente Travares

Good Food!

Churrascaria

Christmas Tree

Birthdays this Month

Foz do Iguacu December 13, 2011

Hello Mommy!

So thank you very much for the letter this week! I am glad that things are going so well back at home. The Lord is really blessing us so very much. I will pray for Grandma because she can´t stop running for sure! To answer some questions: That’s totally fine for them to use the truck. It needs to be driven. Also, about the exotic birds, Paraná isn´t really very exotic and so people only have those things if the buy them. It is more to the north that has the crazy forests and stuff.

This last week was interesting. Monday we spend 10 hours on the bus going to Londrina. I got really sick from I don’t know what and it was sort of miserable. Tuesday we had leadership conference in Londrina and learned a bunch of cool stuff, just that I was still sick and didn´t pay attention all that well. Wednesday we spent another 10 hours on the bus trying not to be sick. The rest of the week was kind of slow. The assistants came here to work with us because they gave some training at the Christmas conference. That was cool and it is always fun to see them. Yesterday was the conference and so today is our P-day. The conference was great. We ate at a super fancy restaurante called Fogo Dourado. Bom demais! We had a little program and I got to play piano a whole bunch which was fun. The really funny news is that I talked to Sister Tavares about why I was getting sick. She called São Paulo and they determined it is a problem with the heat. I am super white and it has been about 110-115 here the last few weeks. They authorized me to use a dress hat to stop getting sun burned. It will be funny to be the only missionary walking around with a hat equal Parley P. Pratt style. I´ll send you a picture when I buy it.

Anyways, I love you all so very much. I love to read the conference talks and I know that we have a living prophet here on the earth. I know this gospel is true and brings great happiness to our lives. Keep up the great work!
Love Elder Markham

Pointe de Paraguay

My Birthday Party!

Knifed

Escape (Boarder Crossing)

Elders Moroni e Braga

Elder Markham and Elder Tolland

Happy Birthday Elder Markham! Yum Lemon Cake!

Foz do Iguacu December 5, 2011

Hello! Mother of mine!
How good it is to hear from you!
I was very happy to get your happy birthday letter and everything! I am glad that thanksgiving was fun and the food was good and everything. That’s crazy about all of that wind. I wish it were cold here.... I think i might die of hotness! But it’s all good right?

So last week was pretty normal. Worked hard. Ate food. My birthday lunch was pretty awesome. Irmão Carlos in our ward used to work in a really nice restaurant and he made a whole ton of really really really good food. We ate some lemon cake that was absolutely excellent!

We brought a new family to church yesterday named Erni, Maria and Lucas. They are really cool. Also Filipe accepted to be interviewed for baptism this coming week and also Rafael (the brother of Viviane and Ana Carolina)! We should have a great week. This week will also be Friend Sunday and a pizza party in the church. It should be a great chance to involved ´people in the Ward. I am leaving for Londrina in about an hour for leadership training and Conferencia of Christmas will be next week. Also tell grandma and Debbie and Bill very thanks for the letter!

I know that we have living prophets in our days. I know the plan of salvation is real and that our families can be together forever. I love you soooooooo much and I will continue praying for you. Keep up the great work!
-Elder Markham