Hey well it was supper cool talking to you guys like you said and hearing everyone’s voices. Man I’m stuffed from eating peanut butter plain. (that peter pan honey stuff is so good) ha-ha but I’m glad everyone was there to talk. So it sounds like everyone will have a few days off so enjoy it while you can and be safe on the roads. Like dad said I don’t really have much to say this week because I told you everything on the phone call but I forgot to tell you was that on Christmas Eve I finished the 创Bom创 in port. for the 2nd time. Although I won’t be able to finish it in English before the New Year like I had set my goal but I’m getting close to getting that read too. But the Bom is such an awesome book. It truly helps and improves the lives of those who read it and study. I know that the book is 100% true. It seems like every time I give out a book of Mormon to someone I feel like I’m giving $100 million because to me it’s so worthful. But almost everyone who receives the book doesn’t realize the worth or the blessing that come from it. But really the BOM is a huge blessing in my life and I’m so glad I share that with ppl.
But yes we have transfers this next wed. 4th of Jan. SO I’ll probably get a new comp here with me. (Ill let you know next week) But yesterday we were teaching a man in his store when his pastor drove by, pulled over, and started yelling at us to the point where he was going to punch us if we didn’t stop teaching this man. When he entered in the store we looked at him asked him to be polite and respectful and I continued to teach the man. Well I think that ticked him off calling him out on his manners and that’s where he got in my face yelling. We kind of laughed at the pastor at his childish behavior like it was some kind of joke, and finished the lesson getting the guys address to pass in his house later. Man this pastor was on fire and deep down inside I was too. But while leaving he said a smart comment and said Have a good lonely Christmas and new year as we left the house, it wasn’t too cool. He defiantly wasn’t a man of god and acted like the devil. I’m pretty sure everyone on the street saw that. I really wanted to say something back but I wasn’t going to stoop to his level. So that was yesterday’s excitement. But the work goes on.
Also dad that’s sweet you talked to Mack. Man I was wondering what happened to that kid. Glad he’s doing well. Anyway I better send some pictures to you guys so I’ll finish this e-mail. But I love you all and hope your all safe! I Love you all, -Josh

Hey Everybody!!!
Well this will be a short e-mail because I’ll save the good stuff for the phone call but today I was burned. It’s really hot and we played b-ball for a good 2 hours straight. Then soccer for an hour. Man I’m already feeling that sting.... oh well next time I’ll put more sunscreen on. I also received a punch in the face while playing ninja (a kid’s game) then took a ball to the face to protect the goal! The two defiantly hurt and left me seeing stars.. ha-ha But that’s life right. But other than that things are awesome. Oh yes, I GOT the 2 packages and opened up one to get my meds. But I opened up the wrong one and opened up the b-day package.!!! Man I was just about to send picture of my trashed shoes. These defiantly will last for the rest of my mission! So it’s a supper good present. You guys like read my mind or something to know that. But everything inside that package was awesome. My comp was so happy he had a little something to eat so he says thanks. But it was perfect because I opened it up on the 15th. (Only a day late) As for the other package I won’t open it up until Christmas. I really need the meds but will suffer for a few more days just to have something to open up. I’m probably crazy to wait I’m really dying here without it. We also had our Christmas conference which was pretty good. Wasn’t as good as the last one because they didn’t let the whole mission meet up and just have one big party. So really being to far away from Curitiba our Christmas party only had like 30 missionaries... but it was cool I learned a lot.
But man its crazy Coles going on a mission. He’s going to like it a lot. You defiantly will know how Cory is going to feel sending off the first missionary in the family. I think it’s always the tuff not knowing what to really expect but the fosters will also be busy now writing e-mail, letters, and sending packages just like you guys are doing and Rick and everyone else. But all that stuff is part of the experience. Cole will do great and his mission will bless his family so much. It’s truly a blessing and the best place for someone to learn and help others.
Anyways when you call I’ll explain how the work is going here in the area and fill you guys in on everything. But I love you all be safe and write down your questions to ask me. We got to use our time wisely!! but until Sunday. I love you all, -Josh

Hey Everyone,
Thanks for all of the b-day wishes. You guys are awesome! But let me tell you about my day so far. Anyway today we had to practice a couple of songs as a zone to sing to President for Christmas. Then after my Zone leaders bought a basketball and we balled it up for 3 hours straight. Man I can’t even walk my back hurts so bad I got my fingers jammed pretty good and I’m unable to take my ring off my finger now. So that was the bad part, after playing b-ball in the rain my leaders took me to McDonalds and bought me a chicken sandwich and a Mcflurry that tasted amazing. Man they are awesome.!!! So far the day is going really good. It kind of doesn’t even feel like my B-day. I guess getting old never was too fun.. haha. Anyway the past week has been good. Were trying to get the members to do something and have more excitement. Matter of fact they weren’t going to have a Christmas party because the bishop is a little difficult. But Monday night they had a little get-to-gether and it was the best thing ever for the ward. I actually saw smiles on ppls faces! Also our investigators loved it so it was awesome, but were really trying toget the members to help us out here so were doing everything. But this last week we also taught a guys who had a bunch of grape vines that he takes care of. It was so cool to see millions of grapes, he said when they are ready we could cut some down and eat them. He also gave us a fruit that’s called ``Jabuticaba`` it’s almost like an oversized grape that you eat the liquid on the inside there really good.
But about the phone call. I think it would be better for me to just call on the phone we would waste a lot of time switching from Skype to the phone. So I’ll just call home and Jared could do the conference call with us. I want him to be a part of the whole conversation so just plan on the call. Anyway as for the time next week just give me a solid time on when Jake will come and I’ll work around that and I’ll give you a number to call me. But everything will work out.
But a lot of my friends are starting to come home now. Taylor will be the next or if not he’s home already. If I was smart I would have sent my papers in when he put his in and I would be at the end of the mission. I know that on the 13th of June I’ll fly out of this place and so I really don’t have a lot of time to work, kind of sad when I think about it really. I feel like I only have a year on the mission so I’ll have to make the best of my time.
But I was supper happy to hear that dads going up to henrys to ice fish!!!!! man that’s sweet I just better get the pictures ha-ha. I’m glad my packages got home that’s a good thing to me it’s a lot of work in those books. Tomorrow we will have our mission Christmas conference so if my packages are here I’ll get them tomorrow. I don’t plan on opening them either except to get my meds I’m dying here! but Grandmas I’ll keep until Christmas. The DVD player is only for the missionaries and we can’t take it out of the house on p-day we can watch movies that the church made, the tabernacle choir would be awesome also. I better wrap this e-mail up. Once again thanks everyone for the b-day wishes and for everything. You guys are awesome. But for some reason this b-day isn’t difficult like the first one. I think that Christmas will be easy to for me. But I love you all. Love, -Josh

``If we want to be Diamonds, we better be able to take the pressure.``

Hey everyone what’s up? Sounds like it’s starting to freeze in Idaho and at the same time I’m turning into a baked Cookie. (But I’m getting a little brown on the outside. I need to be pulled out of the oven pretty soon) ha-ha. Anyway it’s been like 26 days since the last time it rained and so it’s pretty dry here. I feel like I walk in flour at times. Reminds me a lot of the times when I worked for Jody and we did some house foundations in the dirt that was fluffy like flour. I can still see my foot sink in the powder walking with a form. Anyway a lot has happened this week. I’m must say it was a difficult week in the work aspect and things were not in our favor really. But this week is a whole new week so I happy with that. Yesterday I had a leadership meeting that was really cool. Learned a lot from pres and sister cordon. I really like these meetings because pres cordon is a little more chill and plays around to make things fun. But in a way to remind us that (having fun is part of the work.) President Cordon
But I finally got everyone’s letters and so I’ll respond to them and get them sent off when I can. Also before I forget, start planning out things with Jake to know when he will call home. I will most likely use Skype this time because a member has a laptop and I’m pretty free on when I can do that. So just say a time and I’ll plan around that. But tell Jake to choose a time when it’s good for him. He gets first choice because it’s his first time and so I’ll work around him. Also start thinking of questions and writing them down on a paper so when we do talk we talk use our time wisely. (Ill do the same) Also I was a little disappointed today when I went to go pull out $$ from my account. Turns out my card expired and well I’m left without money to get some things I want. I wanted to get a handmade hammock that is really pretty but I’m out of money and now I have no way too pull my own money out so were going to have to do something to fix that. I also can’t send Jake his Christmas present I bought him because I have no money.
Jc said you got my present so that’s really good. It was cheap but cool and so I got it for you guys. I sent my books home and I hope they made it too because it has important stuff also so let me know when you get that. pls.
Now for my past few days. Well THEY ARE BACK. and I’m talking about the fleas..... Man Thursday night we discovered the problem when I found that I had one on my shirt. Then the next night we spent a lot of time trying to kill the ones on our beds before sleeping. Man it’s so hard to kill one. Stepping on them doesn’t work and you have to cut them in half with your fingernail. We also haven’t slept very well because of that. Yesterday we finally got some stuff to kill them and we had a better nights rest so that’s one of the problems we are having... also a good note now is that the fireflies are back too and they are sweet to see. I wish they would show up in pictures because there are so many here
This Sunday was also interesting also because in elder’s quorum they were explaining on how to give a health blessing. Well during the practice they started saying that women could also be a part of giving a blessing and stand in the circle when the man gives a blessing. Now I don’t speak up too much unless have too or need too and I’m usually pretty quiet in that class but when I heard that I about fell off the chair and had to stop that false doctrine out fast, about 8 ppl were agreeing that women could do that. So in a nicely manner I told them how the church was founded and showed them a scripture in D&C that stopped that idea. Kind of crazy if you ask me......... Wow so ya that was the big apostasy this week. They always have little stuff but I forget to tell about them.
Oh and now in our mission all the missionaries will receive small portable DVD player. I was one of the first to receive. But I not sure if I like the whole idea of the DVD players. They come with DVD of training videos but still it’s going to be a huge temptation for a slacker missionary to put a movie in a watch it. But the DVD player can be used in a very good way. Well I’m out of time. I don’t have any pic to send home because I sent my card home. So I love you all. Be safe wherever you all and start asking Jake when he will call home. Love you, -Josh

Sweet well I got your pictures this week in the e-mail and it look like it’s a blast down there in Idaho. Killed some of my homesickness too and made me feel a lot better. About the letter and packages, my zone leaders will go to Curitiba tomorrow and I’ll get me mail that’s been collecting for over a month now also we will see if the packages will be there. So next week I’ll let you guys know and respond to all your questions. But becarefull driving, the Bucks will be crazy running around for doe’s and they really don’t look out for cars or ppl. It’s also that time of year that if I was at home I would also be living in a tree until the sun goes down or until that buck steps into a shooting lane. Seeing the deer was way cool also. But it all will be their when I get back so I won’t worry. Also if the owner puts the land up for sell buy it and I’ll pay ya back dad. (it would be sick to own that part of the bottom lands) sounds like everyone is spreading out over the US this week kind of cool, but just be safe. Jc is growing up so fast and I can’t believe it. Jake is also working hard and is baptizing and that so cool. It makes me happy to hear that.
But now for the work side. Man its HOTT here. There isn’t wind and it’s pretty difficult to find ppl in the streets during the day or to get them to answerer the door. We have been knocking doors this week and have had little success. Usually you see someone stick their head out of the window to look at us but then they disappear and won’t leave the coolness of the house to talk to us. But last night we were blessed and decided to knock on a door to try our luck one last time before going to a couple investigators houses. Well we knocked on the door and a lady came out to talk to us. Told her who we were and she said that her daughters were visiting the church about 2 years ago, so we asked to talk to all of them and they let us in. Well after talking to the dad (who’s 70 years old with hot pink hair) we shared our message with them and marked baptism dated with them and they all were very happy. It was a blessing for us because we’re not finding very good ppl to teach who will commit to things. But it really got me and my comp excited to find this family. Although the dad who’s 70 is married with a 45 year old girl and they have a 3 year old boy. Which is a little weird but very common here (the dad was very prideful of that) Anyway my eyes are often red at the end of the day wiping the sweat off my face constantly which isn’t too cool but it’s part of the job so I’m pretty sure I’m a fan of colder weather than hot weather at this moment in my life, ha-ha so what I’m saying is, I MISS SNOW but send more pics and visit the river one more time for me. Count the stands also.... but I’m doing well I’ll let you know if I got my packages next week. But I love you all!!!!!!! Be safe where ever you are. Love, -Josh