We did get a letter from Taylor this week--his P-day has been changed to Wednesday. Note how excited he is by all of the exclamation points (I even cut out about 50 or so. . .)

OI OI OI!! Pessoas!!! [Hello people!]
Eu te amo todo!!!!!! [I love you all!]

Ok, now to tell you some more information!

My breakfast consists of a roll, meat and cheese, you can grill it or not and then some juice or water. EVERYDAY!!!!! Lunch and dinner alternate, but usually we have some meat, beans, rice and watermelon!

I wake up at 6:30 and shower then we have Personal Study. Right now I’m studying O Livro de Mórmon. I have breakfast after that and then class with our teacher Irmão Rocha. Then lunch, then more class with Irmão Ijan. Then dinner, then companion study, MDT, (more study) then gym where we play voleibol!!!! Then a snack and bed! We just language classes.... we are doing very well in Português! I don’t give myself enough credit or have enough confidence.... everyone says I can do it really well....

Funniest thing this week was eating an apple in .22 seconds!!! Yeah the whole thing. The strangest thing was getting a new companion and a new P-day. My new companion is way cool though, so it works out. His name is Elder Snyder from Boise, Idaho. He is pretty cool. Yeah the guys in my district are Elder Holmes, Orem; Elder Rich, Salt Lake; Elder Smith, Washington; Elder McKay, Washington; Elder Sharratt, Washington; and Elder Snyder, Boise Idaho.

The saddest thing is not getting mail or a package! Everyday I ask Irmã Gaspar if I got a package but she says no..... I do have to ask her in Português though.... The day I leave the CTM is April 27.

The most spiritual thing this week was practicing street contacts and bearing my testimony. ON FRIDAY I GO PROSELYTING!!!!!! It’s going to be so easy and cool!!!!

Most people here in the CTM get along just fine, there are still not a lot of missionaries here [because of the visa problems] but there are a lot here.... Português tomorrow—we are not speaking any Inglês.

On P-day we go out into the neighborhood until 5. Today we went to the São Paulo temple again, it’s great!

You can’t really see the night sky here in the city but when I’m in the field I will! The rain/thunder/lightening storms are amazing though!!!!

Have a wonderful week!!!! I love being a missionary!!!! Everyone who can be should be!!!!


Eu te amo!
Love, Elder Richardson!

(I understand that it takes anywhere from 3-12 weeks for a package to arrive. I'm hoping for four--I'm sending Taylor a package to the mission home so when he gets there at the end of April it will be there. If anyone wants to send anything, let me know and I'll add it to our package, or of course you can send your own! Small boxes (up to 4 pounds) are $13, make sure to say on the small green customs form it is a "gift" and check "return to sender if not deliverable." Don't ever list the value of the package over $20--too enticing that way. Call me if you have any ideas or questions.)

Here is Taylor in front of the Sao Paulo temple. Last week I was going to ask Taylor for a picture of him in front of the temple, and here it is! Too bad all my wishes don't come true that easily.

We were really excited to get this picture from his branch president. Look how gorgeous Brazil is!

They also sent us the following letter this weekend.

Dear Family of Elder Richardson,

I am your son's branch president in the CTM. Recently I attended a temple session with your son and his district. Afterwards, I took these pictures and thought you might enjoy receiving them. He really is an outstanding person and is learning and making tremendous progress here in the CTM. I believe he will be a real asset to the mission that receives him.

Sincerely, President Milton H. Brinton

Thank you President and Sister Brinton! We are really happy to have these pictures since we did NOT get a letter from Taylor today. What a disappointment. I'm not really worried, but it was so sad to keep looking for a letter and never receiving one. It left quite a hole. The mood matched the weather here today--dark.

Following are the other photos they sent.

Taylor and his two companions, Elder Rich and Elder Holmes.

The whole district. Sorry, I have no names for anyone else! But, I'm happy to see such eager faces. They all look very happy and ready to serve!

So, no news is good news? Whoever came up with that?

Look how happy these Elders are! We heard from Taylor today and he sounds great. It was fun because Taylor, his dad and I were all emailing back and forth at the same time. It's almost like talking to him! We knew, at that moment in time, he was happy and well, safe and sound.

Here is his letter for today.

Oi Pessoas!!!!!

Ok, it’s another week in Brasil, I don’t know if I put this last time but I got a legit soccer (futebol) jersey last week! The food here at the CTM is all brasilian, but we did have cheeseburgers and grilled cheese......hmmmmm.......

My classes are good we are speaking more and more Português. I can now do the first and second lessons.... they are simple but effective. I’m getting the conjugations down.....now I need verbs.......

We went to the São Paulo Temple again today, it’s great. Yeah at the temple it’s half and half, I do Inglês and they do Português so that’s it..... I understand most of it but not all..... and I know the order now, so I can just say it....

I love speaking Português, it’s wonderful, for those of you who speak Spanish I’m sorry but I will know what you are saying but you won’t understand me! Hey something I know in Português!!! Creed’s line “Cool beans” it’s Feijo legal.

Ok the way I comb my hair, I thought looked dumb, but everyone loves it. Tomorrow I am getting a haircut but only a trim....

This is for my family and anyone else who cares about this, the sleep schedule isn’t bad, I’m so tired anyway. Yeah, sometimes I want to go to bed at 8..... And when I speak only in Português I get worn out.....

Hey for those of you who know Elder Josh Valdivia, we are here at the CTM together!!!!! It’s awesome!!!!

Guess what, I found out an amazing thing I can do..... we have these apples here and I eat the whole apple when I eat it...(yes the includes the core) so some other Elders wanted to see how fast I could eat a apple, so we timed it and I got 1:07 then I got 1:05 then I got :45 then I got :42 then I got it down in :30! It was a good way to wind down....

Elder Tyler Kenison, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! BENEVIDOS!!!!! Puerto Rico , Legal...... That’s Ótimo!!! You will be a great missionary! When do you leave? That is ótimo!!!

Ok now for Justin Richardson, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

I love it here, it’s so much fun here I love it, being in Brasil is great. I love being a missionary, it’s one of the greatest things I’ve done. I know this church is true, I know I’m doing the right thing, I know this is where I’m supposed to be, I love serving the Lord, it’s wonderful. I love you all, know that your Savior or Salvador as we say it here loves you too!

Remember that, and pray for the missionaries daily, I do.

Love,
Elder Taylor Richardson

(Thanks to all of you are interested in what Taylor is doing. Remember, you can leave a comment and I'll pass it on to him.)

Tuesday, March 16, 2009 Letter

Oi Pessoas!!!!!

Hey, everything is going great in the Brasil CTM! I love it here I´ve been here for about 2 weeks and I haven't died!!!! The food is great, it's all Brasilian! Guarana is flowing like wine or whatever the phrase is....

I have been to the São Paulo Temple 2 times now!!! It's really cool!!!!! I don't have much to actually do, I just go to class and then have gym time, where we play voleibol or baskete! It's so much fun! They do have a track but you know how I can´t run! I got a Rolnadinho soccer (futebol) jersey.

I love being a missionary, now we are learning a lot in Português! I can pray, testify, teach a simple first lesson and even make a few simple sentences! I don´t know all the verbs yet. I'm understanding most of it..... supposedly there will be monkeys in the trees where I´m going.

Today a guy stopped us and told us off for whatever reason, we couldn´t understand him!!!! I'm about 3 hours or so ahead of you!!!

The weather feels like a super hot day in Utah !!!! So it's not bad, it's just bad because I'm in Church clothes the whole time! It's almost like Bear Lake , so I'm used to it. Our rooms are like our tents and then I'm used to wearing 2 shirts anyway so it's not bad, only the tie.

I love it here, I'm so happy to do this! It's great in Brasil, I'm happy to be here!!! I love being a missionary, and Português is coming along great! I love how they say our name, Hisharsong..... they can't say it right.... the R has the H sound and Ch is different and it's like they ignore the D and the 'on' is hard they don´t close their mouths..... It's good though.

Send me letters!!!! Especially the girls!!! We are having a contest to see how many girls that aren't family can send you a letter in the CTM!! Help me out, I said I had at least 5 or 6 or so!! Please don't make me a liar! HAHAHAHA!!

Look for my address on Facebook!!!! and send them FAST or Rapido!!!! Rapido, Rapido, Rapido!!!

And one last thing!!!! Tara Rowley HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! I know it's a little late but this is when I could do it!!!!!!

Tchau Mundo!!!! Eu Amo Você todos!!!! (I think that's right.)

I love you all!!!

Elder Richardson!

Brasil!

We got an email from the CTM in Brazil saying that Taylor had arrived, had been assigned a companion and a was getting settled in his room. They said that the "Cafeteria food is abundant and very good." Here's my favorite excerpt from their letter:

Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”

What a good reminder that the Lord is in charge and always there ready to help Taylor and every missionary do this very important work.

We got another letter this weekend from Taylor's Branch President's wife in the CTM. She sent a picture of Taylor and his two comps (from the Provo MTC). I don't know if they are still companions or have been reassigned. She said this photo was taken Thursday night when they first met with them. Hey--they look happy and not too terribly plagued with jet lag!

Taylor sent an email today--this was his first P-day in Brasil. Here's a little of what he said.

Everything is great here, I love it in Brasil!!! Ok there is sooooo much to tell!!!! I love being here, I don`t know where to start..... ok here it is. We have some Brasilian teachers and some missionaries here, one of the missionaries looks like Antonio Banderas!!!!! He is totally cool too! I found out that I'm learning a ton here especially in Portuguese. We went to the Temple this morning, it was great. It was PortEnglish, half and half. I love it here, I can't think of what else there was to tell you. Have fun, I can't think of much so love ya lots. Rock on!!!!!!

Love Elder Richardson

You can see he's a man of many words. I love the part where he says there's so much to tell, so--where is it? I am excited to hear more about Brazil!

Hey--Taylor's in the air! He is currently (right this very minute) flying over the ocean, almost over South America. He has been in this part of his flight for half the time--has just over 4 hours to go. He flew out today from Salt Lake to Georgia, had a short layover, and then headed for Brazil. It was great to see him in the midst of the "Army of Helaman." There were about 25 missionaries leaving today for Brazil, including a senior couple who will be in the area office. They have been in the MTC in Provo for 10-1/2 weeks, and most of the other missionaries have been there for 3-4 weeks, according to Taylor and his two companions; however, they don't really know because they were't been there long enough to really get to know anyone other than who was in their own district.

He seemed very happy and "at ease." Way more at ease than last week, as you can imagine. I'm glad he seemed to be comfortable and not worried at all. They all seemed like they just wanted to get on the plane.

We didn't know if we'd even meet up with the group, but there they were--probably only arrived about 5 minutes before we did. He was second in line to get his luggage checked in, so we had plenty of time to chat while he waited for the rest of the group. It was nice to have a little time. While Taylor was in the line waiting for the security check, he kept looking back to where we were. I think he was happy to see us. Just before he went down the ramp to his desination in the airport, he made sure we saw him wave. It was a good parting.

Taylor and his two companions--Elder Rich and Elder Holmes.

All in all, it was a wonderful day--kind of a total "closure" thing. Maybe that sounds dumb, but I think I'm relieved that he's actually on his way to Brazil. I've been bawling more today than I did before, but I have been feeling a lot of gratitude today for missionaries, missionary work, and a wonderful son who is beginning an incredible new adventure.