Hey there Famalee!

How yer doin?? You liked the surprise phone call from the Bishop? We had a meeting with the Bishop this week and I guess he has an app that allows him to call the United States for free. Ha, I think it was more he likes to practice his English more than anything so he thought he would call you guys up. We almost did it yesterday for Father’s Day but we forgot. I think I got a little jealous, I started to sweat and all watching someone talk to my family, ha. But yeah, tell Dad Happy Father’s Day!

Wow, week 2 for you guys. I can definitely see that you guys are being blessed physically and spiritually. I think I would love to have part in the move and meeting every one, but then again, it seems like a lot of work organizing things, and I’d probably have to help even though I suck at it. You guys have cool firesides and camps to keep you busy up there so that is very good. I can’t believe that Riley will bless the sacrament and be driving, and WORK?!?! Hahaha alright stop right there... Riley working... now that will be good for him.

Well, my week was very interesting! It started out very slow I think because I did some Portuguese test along with some other American Missionaries at a college campus Tuesday. Ha, wow. I can honestly say I felt a little trunky there. The whole campus scene brought me back to what I would be doing if I wasn’t on the Mish. I thought it was funny because I really got that "Doing a Test" Buzz that I am sure I only get when I take a test. I love taking tests! Ha, so that was fun. It was cool because I got to see Elder Hodson. I probably won’t have another opportunity to see him again.

We also received a new Sister in our district. Sister Bailey (relative of the Prophet) will now train the new American and next transfer train two more. The wave is coming! For us, this week we focused a lot on our two little baptisms. I don’t know if I told you but we have a member who is like the neighborhood mom who brings a bunch of kids to church. There was one little hyper cute girl, Mayara, who already has been coming for 2 months. Last Sunday she said she wouldn’t go to church and instead she would go to the beach with her family. We told her she can’t be baptized if she does that... and guess what she did... she went to church. Ha, so there at church she got all happy and is asking me... Can I get baptized now?!?!  So we taught her every day this week and it was funny helping these two little ones learn about Joseph Smith, repentance, baptism and the commandments. (I showed them an example of me taking someone’s coke and then feeling bad and giving it back and saying I would never do it again, and then it is hilarious to see that every time I ask what is repentance they tell this example exactly how I did.) The little Rafael said he was super nervous, so I told him to pray and ask God to see what he thinks. The next day he said he wasn’t nervous anymore because he felt that God approved, Sweet huh? It was cool because it was 1 month of mission for my comp yesterday and it was his first baptism. We both gave a talk yesterday at the baptism. The parents of both children came, they were very flaky before so that’s why we really didn’t get to teach them, but I could tell they really felt the spirit there so maybe now the door is a little wider opened. It was funny to see the reactions of the two little ones after the baptism. The little girl I baptized went swimming afterwards.... how embarrassing... and little Rafael said he wanted to do it again. 

So yeah. I think that sums it up for my week. I love you guys, I can’t believe it will be 1 year this week, I am excited! tchau!

-Elder Zac Cetraro

June 10, 2013

Helllooo!

What a great letter! I can tell summer has arrived! The emails are packed with good funness, it’s great to hear about how things are going with my family. Wow it seems like yesterday I was receiving emails telling me about the action packed summer, and the thoughts coming to my head.. hmmm I could of been there! WOWZERS!! Next week I will be doing my Hump Day! You can prepare the party, your misery is halfway over!

As for me the week was very good. We didn’t have any really rough days but it was cool because I am feeling the pressure of leadership and I really need to watch closely not to slip. For happily we aren’t very lost. I am amazed at how well I can create a mental map and know my way around. My comp, and the Sisters that I work with were shocked too. I just know how to study the map for 2 seconds, and then I am ready to go for the day. I blame it on all the many days I spent driving around town with my buds. In our many adventures, especially with Braxton; he was always the driver and I the navigator. Ha, I couldn’t help but think of my family too in a whole new place and wondering how they are adapting, and if maybe I could be a good help navigating you all. (Editor’s note: Zac’s family moved June 1^st to a new town, close to where he attended school before his mission)

I helped the Sisters out a bit this week and I got to do my first 2 baptism interviews this last week. It is really great to be there in that step of the person’s conversion. We know that an interview sometimes makes the baptism happen, and is a great help in someone’s decision to baptize. Luckily I had two well-prepared young men, but it is awesome to really be there motivating and inspiring people about the baptism experience. I get to really psyche them up! Besides that our work is going well. We have a few youth that are getting ready to be baptized. I want to help more complete families, maybe you guys could pray for that for me.  But helping Elder Alves is a great joy. He really listens and loves me. He always is telling me how my advice is helping him a lot. Especially since he is very homesick, he is a very clingy type of person (I on the other hand am not) but it’s great. 

So yeah, btw, I GOT THE PACKAGES!! Ha yes, I got 2 in fact. So I hope you can relax now. I thought it was funny, Elder Galves is my Zone Leader now, so it was him that gave me the packages, but knowing him, he can’t give me a package without asking me for some ties. Ha, I told him that I have a bunch of ties back home that my Mom send ages ago waiting for him. I’m sure he’ll be bugging me about it for a while now. Elder Galves really is a great friend and a great missionary. I shouldn’t have been so hard on him during training. But I know we are great friends now.

So yeah. There is my little email for y'all for the day. 

Play on my beloved family!

-Elder Zac Cetraro

…So I decided I feel really removed from you guys, So I want you guys to all write me a letter this month. It’s summer, and letter writing is a very lovely thing to do on a nice sunny morning. Ha, my greenie was telling me how weird it is to be away and I felt like I couldn’t sympathize with him, I feel really distant from my old life. Ha, I thought it was very cool though that a year ago yesterday I entered the temple, and here this next year is when all the mission jumble started to happen. But anyways...

Sorry! I forgot to bring my camera today, so I can’t show you pictures of my new companion.  I thought it was amazing since the first moment I met him how he really could be my son! Ha, we are alot alike. His name is Elder Alves, and he is a little bundle of joy. Ha, They probably gave me the most Sunshiny of the group of 25 peeps there. He also was DL in the MTC and he has a great desire to serve, serve, serve. He is a little forgetful like me, and is super optimistic. He never stops complimenting me, and telling me how grateful he is to be my "son" WOW. I love the little guy.

So as for the week, it was a little slow getting everything going. It was a little sucky because I had a big cold my first two days. I REALLY like our Bishop, Bishop Feitosa. He seems like a very playful punk type of guy, but I like it. He was a very good missionary and you can see how it transferred over to being a very good bishop. He is super organized and he helped us a ton this week giving us tours, giving us numbers, introducing us to people, and even one night he drove me to the pharmacy and brought me a ton of medicine. The members here also, are great! There are eager to give us references and help us out. Funny thing is with all of that though, the ward still is pretty small. The attendance is like 60 people. So I really hope I can help them out a lot.

So how is it going being a trainer and everything? Well, I really feel like Heavenly Father on top of all my other responsibilities has put one more. BE A BATIZADOR! Really, I feel like every thing is set up perfectly for us to have success, now really I just need to fire up and GO. I like training a lot because how I am, I like to tell people how to do things. Ha, it is a very natural part of me and just about every other minute I go into lecture mode with him. The awesome thing is, he loves it! Ha, so that is good. I know God has invested a lot in me and that now is my moment to shine, I will work harder now than any other time of my mission, I will work with all my Heart, Mind, Might, and Strength. Things are only looking up from here.

Tchau! 

-Elder Zachary Cetraro