Area 1

On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 4:40 PM, Matthew Tippetts <matthew.tippetts@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I’m in the field. I opened a new area with my trainer Elder Long and we already have had a

baptism. Yes I’m working hard. I want to be one of the best missionaries. We have another

coming up this week if we work hard for it too. Also I got a haircut. I am bald. My zone cut my

hair. 4 on top 2 on sides. yeah. Shortest I have ever had in my life.

I love you guys tons too. I want my Christmas letter so bad from the seminary building. I still

haven’t gotten it yet. Ah well. I’m doing a lot of hard work. My ward hasn’t had missionaries

that are good for 6 months. They did nothing. In fact they wrote nothing in the area book. That’s

why they took all the elders out. But now me and Elder Long went in and we are stepping up to

the plate.

Comp from Pocatello and bus ride wasn’t a bus ride. My bishop picked me up. It was about an

hour, hour and a half. We are south and a little east from Curitiba.

My P days are on Mondays.

Let Becky know I love her too. Until next week. Goodbye love you

From: Matthew Tippetts [mailto:matthew.tippetts@myldsmail.net] 
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 5:44 AM
To: Francine Tippetts
Subject: Re: Howdy!

 Let me tell you a little things. I have time so i wanted to wright some things. CTM was not good but getting out here everything has gotten better. I still have my struggles with the language but it will come. I went on a division with an Elder who is known to be the worst Elder on the mission currently. I was tough because all we did was talk to members so we got nothing done. I felt terrible that  i wasted a day. But i did the best i could do. Oh and Capela is chapel cabelo is hair that is what i ment to say. Me and my companion Elder Long have been working really hard. The Lord has blessed these people and it was hard to get the ward to see that we are Elders who are willing to work. They havnt had any good missionaries for 6 months. Now we are here to reopen the area and make things right from what the previous Elders have destroyed in their laziness. We are doing well. The ward is barely opening  up to us now. Our bishop loves us to death and he is a really cool. guy. We have brought 4 people happiness of baptism and a mother who saw her kids get baptized now wants to get baptized. Now we are getting her married legally to her husband who is really cool. He was one of the first people i met here. He is an inactive member but he is really caring. He just lost his ways and we told his wife that he can baptize her since he has the priesthood. All he would need to do is get an interview by the bishop and he will be able to. When she heard that. Oh my her eyes started to tear up. They started loving each other even more. They were walking around, his arm around her. It was great. They are working to get back and it is a great process to see. We taught their children and they were baptized. (two children) when they heard families together forever. WOW. both of them freaked and started looking to their parents. Pressure is on. haha. The brother of the first baptism was baptized yesterday. Like i said in another email he was way excited. And now we are working on Sergio´s wife. We have been teaching a man who is fluent in English and he is getting ready for baptism. He has been tricky to work with but we have been getting him to see the light. It is really cool to see his process coming along. He is a really great guy. He is a captain in the police malitia and that is really good here. Soon in two years or so he will be Major and then he will go to Lt. Colonol. Colonol is highest rank here. He doesnt know if he will be able to get that high because you can only work for 35 years for the police here and he has 25 already. He has seen somethings that will just blow your mind away. Our first day we where there he pulled up Joseph Smiths testimony and said I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. I know because of these things and listed them off. It was like....what the heck. It was awesome! The family the had evil spirits is doing well now. They have had no problems anymore. Their faith is growing and it is great to see. Now we are just trying to get the parents to see the light their children has seen but they are moving soon. They love us so much. People are great down here. A lot get so drunk and they walk down the sidewalk waving their arms. It is scary because you have no idea what is going to happen. And it is Brazil so you dont really know if they have been possesed so you just walk on the road or other side of the street hoping they dont see you. But the Spirit just leaves so fast when you see those people. Doesnt feel good at all. My first book of mormon handed out was to a drunk guy. not supper drunk but drunk. He was funny he was telling me that we are best friends stuff like that it was funny. Havnt heard from him again. Well i got to go goodbye.

From: Matthew Tippetts [mailto:matthew.tippetts@myldsmail.net] 
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 7:06 AM
To: Francine Tippetts
Subject: Re: Oh yea

Yesterday. I contacted a guy who was drunk. Yeah so this is how it went. I was smiling so he thought i was making fun of him. So i stopped smiling then he thought i was mad at him. So my companion Elder Long said no he isnt he just doesnt understand anything. He was trying to make things better and it worked. I gave him a face like uhhh yeah i understand things, but afterwards he said he said that because he thought it would help and it did. So the guy asked if he could hug me. What does my companion say. Pode. (means you can) What the heck! So this guy hugs me. The tightest hug i have ever felt in my life. His chin digging into my shoulder and his shoulder in my neck so i cant breathe. When he was done he had teary eyes. He said, I felt a strong energy. He then took my right hand and........he kissed it. He then continued, Ahhhh! we have the same color of eyes. It like made the guys day that i had the same color of eyes. When we said our goodbyes he then hugged me once again. Thats my funny story for the week hope you enjoyed it.