So it was really good to talk to you guys on the phone. All of you sound like you’re doing well and are happy. SO to me that’s important. I was very happy with the phone call and left me excited to go work after the call. Although you guys won’t let me stay a little longer, I understand. so I will enjoy the time while I’m here. My comp was a little stressed out because his family didn’t call on the time they planned and was an hour late to call. his family called on a cell phone and they talked for only 20 min before the min. ran out on the cell. But he was a happy as can be. It was his 1 month mark yesterday also from the time he left his house.
But like I said I was going to go shopping to get a few small things. And so we did and I found a few really cool things and so I bought them. I’ll send a pic latter. But I hope the stuff didn’t leave a big dent in the bank account. if so a good job back at home will pay it off.... ha-ha but really its cool stuff.
Anyways as of the work side of things; this week was supper good! We finished off the week on a good note and with a good turnout at church with 5 investigators there. a few didn’t show up like they said they would which was disappointing. But it was a great week. Last night we were literally running around to finish our contacts also to teach our last lesson with member.  It crazy to see how everything worked out so perfectly. We defiantly had to work hard and to the very last min to accomplish everything. But we were blessed so much to see the lord put ppl in our path. With my new comp were really working hard. The both of us felt like the lord accepted our efforts and work we did this past week.
Oh on Thursday we also had a zone conference. It was really good. President gave me and 3 other elders time to share our testimony with the other elders who were there and it was great. I did warn everyone that I was probably going to cry so they all had a good laugh. (I almost cried though, but I held it back)
Anyways it was my last zone conference. but I’m outta stuff to say. I must have told you everything yesterday ha-ha but I love you all. Thanks so much for your support. I pray for ALL of you and love you so much. Love, -Josh

Hey everyone it’s me once again. ;) Well so it sounds like you all are wondering who my new comp is so I’ll just tell you. My new comp is from Fortaleza (north of Brazil) and his name is Elder Lima. He’s been a sweet comp so far and likes to work. Although he has 1 week in the field he’s picked up fast on the work rhythm and he has a big desire to work and talk to everyone. I must say training a native is a lot easier than an American who doesn’t speak any of the language. So as of now his training is going really good he’s got some blisters on his feet though from this week’s walking but he’s a champ. Also I was once again called District Leader to finish off the mission. I guess President didn’t want me to slack off at the end. (or die) ha-ha but I’m glad I’ll be able to just work. I also have two sisters in my district that are pretty new and every time I call they have some kind of question or problem ha-ha it’s been interesting let me just say that. As for the work it’s been really good. Were looking for some new investigators this week and have a few who are close to the waters of baptism. But this week should be a good week to bounce back up to speed.
About the phone call. Yes call me at 3:30 MY TIME!!!!  but it will be very good to talk to you all this next Sunday.
But this week something really cool happened here. The church gave away 300 new wheel-chairs to people who are in need. President picked 40 elders to be there and to represent the church and mission. Well my comp and I were two of the 40 elders and we had a very cool experience to help those ppl receive the new wheel-chairs. They also said that it would be put in the liahona also so that will be cool. Maybe I will be in the liahona for the first time in my life.... h-ha But after that I felt like I was so blessed. There’s a ton of ppl who have difficulties and struggles in their life and to be able to walk is a blessing its self. I’m so glad to be a part of this great and marvelous work here in Brazil. I know that the lord loves us and blesses us so much everyday when we read and say our prayers. It’s a perfect plan for all, with promised blessings to theses who follow the plan. I know that life has its challenges but these challenges make us become better and stronger ppl. It will be good to talk to all of you. Thanks for the support, prayers and love. I Love you all so much and pray for you daily. Love. -Josh

Hey Family what’s up? Well I’m SUPER short on time today because I just got done with training and so I really didn’t have a p-day. But I will get a new companion tomorrow and he’s straight from the MTC so I’ll be training once again to finish off the mission. I’m excited for this opportunity knowing that the lord takes good care of those who train. ;) so tomorrow I will get my new comp. I have no idea who he is yet or where he’s from so you guys will have to wait until next week.
As for the week it was very good. We didn’t have a baptism but we were able to work really hard and achieve some great goals. So I was very happy with the work. Oh but we did have a confirmation Sunday ``Angela`` Sunday was also supper crazy from all the rain during the week the kids were crazy the whole time. There was a ton of screaming and running going on. We were also called into the primary to teach. I must say it was the best thing ever. I laughed so hard at the things the kids say. For example; we asked the kids who wants to serve a mission, and one said. ``I feel like I shouldn’t, but I think I’ll go anyway`´ it was supper funny. After we taught they gave us letters that they wrote to us. It was pretty sweet.
About the call, tell me a time that’s good for you guys and I will have you guys call me at the church so it will be good. But I’m happy with knowing that I’ll be training. It’s probably the best part of the mission and the experiences that come from it.
I talked to the Elder who took my place in my last area and he said that he’s getting sick of being compared to elder hope. I laughed because I didn’t know that they actually liked me there. So it was a cool thing to hear for me.
But I have to go. I don’t have time to send pics. sorry, but I love you all a lot. This will be my last transfer so I’m going do everything I can to finish off good. Thanks for everything. Love -Josh

So the week turned out a lot better than it did last week and were were able to help ´´Angela`` be baptised. The baptism went good and she was very happy. Im glad I was able to help her and see her be baptised. Shes been taught for 10 months now and so we were able to put an end to that. I will say that it wasn't easy and a lot of prayer and fasting involved.
As for our week we did really good on getting all the goals and passing the mission standard in almost everything. We were able to do a ton of divisions with the members and even got one of the members excited to serve a mission. ( I think he wasn't too sure about going but he said I'll finish my papers this week and send them to utah) it was cool. Last night I talked to a member from another area, it was cooling down for the night and my comp had his coat and I was in a regular white shirt. The member was like you must be from idaho laughing I said yeah and he was like I served a mission there he named the areas he passed through, Rigby, Salmon, Challis and Pocatello. When I told him I was from Rexburg he about died. We had a good talk about Rigby and Salmon Idaho I even showed some pics of the Salmon Bridge and he was like going crazy because he knew exactly where I was at. It was pretty crazy I got to talk to a guy who knew where I was from. But sounds like all my friends are coming home now and that this Sunday will be busy for you guys going to all the meetings. Good luck. But I'm almost out of time. But I'm doing well and my comp is at least keeping up. I swear its like pulling teeth to get him out of the house though I'm thinking about breaking the mirror in the bathroom just so he will stop looking at himself over and over again he's as bad as a girl. Its going to be interesting to see what will happen this transfer. Oh by the way transfers are on the 2nd of this next month. (its a shorted transfer.)
But I love you all thanks so much for the love and your e-mails I really do appreciate the prayers and everything. Keep out of trouble and go fishing for me. Its been a while since I have gotten pic of some fish.  jefff sent some not too long ago but it wasn't enough. ha-ha Love -Josh

Wow so another week has passed bye and it really seems like yesterday I was here at the computer. Well since I didn’t have time last week I’ll fill you in on the stuff I have been doing. Well starting with last Sunday during sacrament meeting there was a fight in the bathroom and two kids were going at it pretty good when the dad of one of the boys walked in and decided to have his share with the 12 year old boy. He punched the kid a few times in the chest and then threw him up against the wall and was strangling him when another member came in and he let go. Well now the police are involved and things are crazy. (And the ward doesn’t have a bishop) I’m glad that none of the ppl who were involved came to church yesterday like they said they were because they said that it’s not over and the last thing I want is our investigators to see problems like this so yesterday church was chill and they finally called a new bishop. But we must have run into some bad luck or something because we were going to have another baptism. Wellington who’s 9 years old passed his baptism interview and was supper excited to be baptized when Sunday morning his mom talked him into waiting. (She’s also a member.) So for the 2nd week in a row and the 2nd time in my mission the baptismal font was full of hot water and nobody was baptized. Next time this happens I think I’ll go soak in the warm water and get some use out of it. As of now there is still water in it because where going to try for his baptism on Wed.
I also meet one of the guys who live in Rexburg again (He’s the one who called you guys up and his brother lives in Mud Lake.) But the guy is one of the temples sealers in Rexburg so I’m sure Jim and Grandma knows him. By the way HAPPY B-DAY JIM.
My interview with President went really well also. Our talk was shorter than normal because he said we would be talking again in less than a month but we talked a lot about the area and my comp. For me the interview was really cool because for the first time in my mission he told me why he put me in an area. So he he put me here to get this ward and area into shape and that I was to lead and teach the members even the bishop how the church runs and how the Brazil Curitiba Missions works. That means correcting things and to push more for meetings every Sunday and some other stuff he said and for this I was released as district leader to give all my time and effort to help the ward. (Don’t ask me how I’m going to do all this.) But this ward doesn’t have leaders or anything so it’s a mess. I always try to remember back to our ward and how things work so I go from the wards examples.
But even though we have had two baptisms fall I’m still doing everything possible to get them back and were working super hard. My companion is doing good and were working good together. It’s not easy because after lunch when we teach he like falls asleep for like 20 seconds and wakes up. He will even be talking and doze off and I have to hit him in the leg to keep him up ppl laugh but it’s like crazy. I never have seen anything like it before. But the work goes on.
But tomorrow Jordon Ostermiller comes home from his mission and I want you to go to his homecoming talk for me. He’s become a good friend writing me more than another friend. But I love you all, be safe and do what’s right. Thanks for everything again. Love -Josh

April Fools (way late on that trick) ha-ha Well I have a good reason why I didn’t e-mail on Monday like normal and it was because we went to the temple today so our p-day was moved to Wednesday for this week only so it’s for a good cause. Anyway I did call the office to find out that you already called, you can cancel Missionties no big deal for me now.
But the temple was great. It’s been over 7 and a half months since I have been and so it was really good. Also my temple recommend expired and yesterday I got that renewed with president and taken care of tomorrow, I will also have an interview with him. It’s going to be the last one until I have my ``leaving interview`` so conference was great huh I learned a lot for sure! This Sunday we lost out on a baptism and here’s what happened. There was a lady who been taught for 10 months now and well she stopped smoking and everything and passed the baptism interview and was at church ready to be baptized. When she said I’m not going to be baptized this week I’ll wait for my son to come next week. So we talked to her and talked to her and she ended up not being baptized but she should be baptized this week! Any way this week I don’t have too much time so I got to go. I love you all. I wish I had time to write you guys to tell you everything but I will say this. I’m getting good at taking care of kids now so mom if you need help I got a lot of patience. Jk it hasn’t been too bad.
I love you all. -Josh

PS. I’m doing well and I’m happy.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey what’s up everybody? Are you doing well? So about transfers. Well I’m not going to lie, the last place I didn’t want to go was back to Curitiba and well, I was transferred and I came back to Curitiba go figure right. But I’m not going to complain I know that there’s a reason behind everything. But I left my last area saying goodbye to everyone and it was very sad. I’m almost 100% sure that it’s my new favorite area. I have so many friends and I offered them a place to stay if they ever wandered thought Idaho. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them take that offer up in the future.... FYI But I felt really good leaving the area knowing that I gave it my all. I’m not sure how my young comp E. Allen felt about it, but for me I was happy.
But my new area is called Jardim Merculio and my comps name is Elder F. Rodriguez. (Brazilian) he’s from the north from a city in Recife. He’s the only one in his family that’s a member and was baptized at 16 years old. I often wonder how he manages to leave for the mission when he had no support from family It would be tough. But getting here I received a call from my new zone leaders and the call wasn’t what I expected. So this week has been really good and I know my new comp E. Rodriguez just loves the changes that are going on here in the area for me he’s been really good and he hasn’t done anything bad yet. He also has health problems from what he tells me so he can’t walk too fast. He’s got 7 months in the mission. For me he’s been really cool and he’s funny.
Also I got the package!!! YES thanks so much for the stuff. You guys are the best. Oh one more thing I finally was released as district leader. Man it was really cool being able to do interviews and stuff also dad its super cool you’re going to be with E. Ballard.!! But I love you all be safe and listen to the words of the talks in conference. I learned so much and I’m sure you guys did too. Remember ``what think Christ of me? `` Love you all. -Josh