So 2014!!! Wooooo! This year I come home right?! It was super weird this week when we pulled out a new calendar and started to look at dates for baptisms.... and then.... there it was..... the end!!! AAAHHH!!! We saw the rest of the year and wow, it’s scary.  But yeah, New Year’s Eve we just worked really, passed by a member’s house who had her birthday that night. The funny/cool thing was how we started off 2014. We did 3 companion exchanges in a row.. WoOow! Crazy. The first day I was with my old friend, Elder Smith. It was a good day and it was cool because we started talking with some guys drinking in the road and we just chatted a bit about 2013 and 2014 and they confessed that they know they are sinning and it opened up really well to talk about the gospel and repentance. I ended up giving one of them a Book of Mormon and he is loving it and is reading a ton and he feels it too! Cool huh? Then Thursday I was with Elder Tamanho, who is the other trainer in our house. He was trained by my old friend, Elder Queiroz. I think he felt much more confident with me this day because we invited everyone to be baptized that day in our 6 lessons and before he wasn’t doing it. Then... OooOoo.. I did an exchange with one of the Assistants of the President, Elder Bohmen. WOW! It was good. Ha, it is the first time I had one of my leaders do an exchange with me since Hump Day! Wow. So it was cool to talk with and share ideas of how we can help the mission. I liked it a lot, it was quite mixed up this last week but the mission is like this now. Ha, now you can see a bit why it is hard to find time to write, huh? So yeah, also I want to work better with members and church leaders. I don’t know if you guys have heard anything cool about members working with missionaries... I think our mission is lacking a bit with these ideas. But yeah, it’s going good. We had 2 families go to church this week, but no one will be baptized next week. So keep praying, we need help working with couples and families like we are doing.

So yeah. I am booked but it’s good. I am safe. and I’m very happy!
So there’s the news folks, 
Love ya!
-Élder Zac Cetraro

December 9, 2013

WOW!
I asked for Christmas Spirit stories, and I got wonderful testimonies. I have heard many many many tender testimonies on my mission, but I don’t think there are any testimonies that touch my heart more than those of my family. It’s true. It just strengthens my faith to know that this faith that I have is shared in my family and that we have the great hope of Eternal Families, it’s good when your family looks to the eternities.

So thanks for the Christmas spirit. This week was pretty good. Wednesday, we had a District Meeting and we made the goal of baptizing 33 people (one for every year of Christ’s life) this month. We did 6 in October, and 15 in November, so it will be quite the jump but it’ll be good. I shared my thoughts with the Zone about Christmas.

Friday I did an exchange with a new missionary from Portugal, Elder Carvalho. He reminds me of the black guy from Rush Hour, a very happy excited high-pitch missionary, Fun Stuff. That day I prepared a lesson to teach the Plan of Salvation using the Proclamation to the World,The Family. I got him all excited to baptize families, it’ll be good. This week we baptized 3 youth. Giovanna, who is 14 and is the neighbor/niece of Marcelo, she wants to serve a mission. Eric, who is the Son of Leonardo who was baptized last week, and Pablo who is the son of Fabrisso who was baptized two weeks ago. It was really special this Sunday because both of the fathers were conferred the Aaronic Priesthood, and were allowed to baptize their sons. It was a surprise for the both of them! It was really special to help baptize two fathers and then help them personally baptize their sons. My testimony grew of why God gave man His power and to work in His work. That day I was really able to see the glow of the joy in others when you help them do service in the work of salvation.

Today I had an interesting talk with Elder Villalba. I was sharing how I felt I have kinda lost the "Hang Loose" spirit here on the mission. He made up an interesting phrase. "Keep the Rules, but don’t let the Rules keep you." That really touched me. I have a strong testimony that God prepared the rule book and all the standards that are made here in the mission. All these things were prepared to help me have success. But the most important thing that God prepared for me to have success here on my mission.... is Me. I need to be myself. Of all the things I can be, a Missionary, a Leader, a Companion, the most important thing I can be... is Me. So I will try to help bring Me back out. Don’t worry about me though, Elder Villalba says I am too hard on myself and I probably am, but that really helped today. Elder Villalba will probably be one of my favorite companions. Because that is what he is, a COMPANION. Elder Galves was my Pai, Elder Hodson my Hero, Elder Medrado my Son... but Elder Villalba has been great. Maybe I have to help him in many of his duties, and keeping focused, but he fills in his part as a good companion. He never lets me get down, and always lifts me up. He says I have been good to him as well.... I don’t know what I do, but he says he feels really good with me. So yeah.

If you could, pray for my Zone, and that I can continue to serve them. Love you all!  Merry Christmas and good night!
-Elder Zac Cetraro

October 8, 2012

Heyyyoo family! =) I am better, don´t you worry!! I think I learned that it is important to be grateful for health now! Everything is good. This week was great! Now that we both feel better we WORKED together in our area like normal missionaries! It was great. Found new people to work with and we have one of our investigators from last transfer getting baptized this week!

So yeah, and the weekend was a party because of Conference, very chill! I loved Conference, I just soaked it up. I know I will study and use what was said. And it was so funny when that announcement was made, all the missionaries in our private English room started freaking out! Ha, it is going to change Mormon youth culture no doubt!

That is cool you got new iPhones. I seriously could care less about phones right now... it is weird, letting go of that was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. I forgot what my old flip phone looks like too. My mind is in the work, right? Ha, just means I will have an iPhone waiting for me when I return, right?

So about Christmas, you asked what I need. I am just going to throw out a couple things. NUTELLA =) it is just a little expensive here, I am sure there are better American foods you can send me but Nutella is just awesome with everything. Umm... maybe some shorts? I gave my comp my black shorts because he was obsessed about them and it was his birthday. Also maybe ties for the same reason. I am having a battle inside myself what should I do about the ties because every Brazilian wants my freaking ties because they aren´t real cool here. And yeah, I will probably start to lose my ties, Grrr.. They are just ties, right? Also, maybe just more music? We can listen to any church music, instrumental, or Disney and Enya. So yeaaah, look for some sweet instrumental music if you can, I might ask you guys to send a CD of the music that was on my ipod that I gave away. Oh and by that time I will probably need a new study journal. So maybe a little something like that would be nice. Also there was a sweet book I wish I brought that is just loaded with pictures of scripture stories. I love pictures and teaching from them so maybe that... buuut besides that.... I am living a simple life! I don´t know. Use your imagination. But yeah, your package made it. Sweet. Yeah! I will talk to yáll next week. LOVE YA!

-Elder Cetraro

Photos from the Sao Paulo MTC

Sao Paulo Skyline

Streets of Sao Paulo

America Day (July 4th) at the Sao Paulo MTC

American MTC Friends

September 17, 2012

…..That is cool about the Brigham City Temple. I will have to check it out when I return! I hope they have a Temple soon here in Fortaleza ;) It’s under construction. There also was about 1 million Catholics visiting my town this week so is was overflowing... kinda cool.

         Ha! My companion is trying to go on a diet right now. I told him he should just stop eating sweets. But when he went shopping the other day he bought about 4 rolls of cookies. He says cookies aren’t considered sweets here because everybody eats them. Hahaha, which is true, they have a whole aisle here dedicated to just rolls and bags of cookies.

         So about the work. I am doing really well. Everybody tells me I am going to be a great missionary and they can’t believe I have only been here for a month. The language is pretty good. Inside of lessons I can usually say and testify about anything. The Lord helps with that I´m sure. I am working and studying hard though. In the morning and nights I am constantly studying or writing or doing something.

         One thing that is super hilarious is that everyone wants all my stuff. You did a good job soupin’ me up with good stuff. My comp wants my shorts and Camelback, and the other wants my ties and watch, and the other wants my iPod. His name is Elder Santos da Silva, he is like my best friend here. I don´t really need an iPod here and they don’t have them in Brazil so yeah.

Anyways...   I’ve got to go but I love ya!

Pictures!

The two funniest kids in the MTC, my companion, Elder Anderson; and Elder Martinez, the Argentinean who learned good English from playing Pokemon

Elder Fernandes is the one on the left. He was the very heartfelt one that always bore his testimony. Elder Friere is the one on the right. He was so funny and ate like no other.

The shopping spree funded by Zac’s debit card for Elder Fernandes and Elder Friere 

MTC Roomies

Sao PauloTemple in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo Temple with companion Elder Anderson 

The Brazilians Zac lives with. Elder Galves (his companion), Elder Santos da Silva and Elder, Queiroz (two zone leaders) and Elder Cetraro

September 10, 2012

…..This week was a good week. We have been traveling up in an area that is like the “Cliffside” of this valley. B-E-A-UTIFUL. Made me realize how much I miss the mountains. We have a group of kids around our age that we have been working on. I think we have 1 definitely going to be baptized and another one maybe. Today was mixed up a little. We played B-ball with another district and had another BBQ. It was great.

I learned something this week. All this time I have been expecting everybody to help me. But I learned this week that no, I am SERVING, which means I am here to help everybody around me - even my companion. If he is slacking, I need to step up. He got sick this weekend and I think he realized that as well.

 Love y´all!

-E. Cetraro.

September 5, 2012

Okay, finally ready for some info!?!  So I am in Juazeiro do Norte. Apparently it is the crib of leader and great missionaries and a real privilege. The church is very new here, I think it was like 10 years ago they opened it. So it is real work here. The best way I can describe it is that it is the Mos Eisley, Tattooine of Planet Earth. Reaally HOT, always sweating inside or outside. In the middle of a desert, kinda don’t even know what it is doing here. Not a lot of big buildings but everything is made up of real compacted houses and markets. Everybody just chills out in the streets, so the streets are always full of people.  There are speeder bikes always zooming by (motorcycles) full of interesting characters and sometimes I feel like I am in a whole new world because of the language =P pretty cool. I guess President either thought I was a good leader or a “small town" boy.

So yeah, I am in the Field! I love it! It has been real good. It didn´t take long for me to learn to love the people. The members are exceptionally nice, having lunch with them everyday really fills me up. They really have a love for the missionaries because pretty much all of them are converts. This last Sunday was testimony meeting. I understood everything and there is a young lady who has helped us a lot in our lessons. She has been very helpful and I feel like I have really helped her out as well with her struggles with her non-member family and the love for missionary work. She bore her testimony and said something that hit me so hard. She said "Cada Élder é um anjo" or "Each Elder is an Angel" =) =) But it I´ve been reading a lot about angels in the Joseph Smith story and in the book of Moses. And I am honored to be considered one. The descriptions are just... glorious, ha. In Moses 5, in like the second to last verse it says that angels have preached the gospel since the beginning of time. So yeah, Heavenly sent messengers, what an honor. It has been easy to love the investigators as well.

Okay my companion. E. Galves. He is a cool kid. President says he is full of enthusiasm. He is a great kid, and a suuuuper great missionary. We both started out from scratch here and he has done an excellent job at getting us started. He is really direct with the investigators with commitments, which helps them get along a lot easier. I have helped him a ton with English, he is going to be fluent by the time our time is over ;)

The experience over all is great! I am learning a lot and the work is getting done. I promise in the next 2 weeks I will have a baptism.. or 2. It is so great. I love learning and applying the gospel. I love the people, the food, and my friends. So Yeah... ya have any questions.. let me know!

LOVE YA LOTS

-Elder Cetraro

August 14, 2012

"Hey everyone... the day has come, they are releasing me out to the real world!! The MTC has been a great experience for me meeting all the great young adults of the Church and it is going to be hard to say goodbye. But the mission is going to be full of them, ya just gotta make the experiences good! My Portuguese is really good, but I am ready for the transfer of the big dawgs of the MTC to the fresh greenies of the mission field. Just like middle-school to high-school aaall over again. We went proselyting for the first time yesterday and are going again in the center of Sao Paulo next Monday. I loved learning and working and being able to be the DL of my district, a lil’ shout out to them - Elder Anderson, Boehme, Yost, Gee, "Hyphen", Sister Gee and Young.

So we kinda got jipped for our last P-day. We had to go to the Campinas temple today. (Which OMG I loved it! Suuuch a gorgeous temple.) So we returned about two hours later than we usually do, and now we are going to listen to a Seventy who chopped off another hour and a half off our P-day.... oh well!! So yeah, last week here. Kinda crazy, kinda sad. Really excited though. I loved my experience here and I KNOW I worked hard. The calling really works. As soon as I got here I found diligence and focus I didn't know I had. So yeah, I can leave here being as prepared as I could.

Tudo Bem!

Alright... there goes my time... I love you and talk to ya while I am in the field! =D

August 7, 2012

   Whaaaatt!!?!?!? China caught back up?! I actually have been following the Olympics this week through the instructors, sounds like it’s been back and forth, nose to nose with USA and China! Crazy.... OH - and I should probably tell you I already have plans for the next summer Olympics. A bunch of us were talking about it since half our district is going to Rio. Since we are all going to be fluent, we were thinking maybe we could try to get jobs as translators down here for the Olympics and it would probably be a free trip down! =D Sounds like a good plan right? Look at me, I already have plans for my future... well at least one thing =P

   Jub Jub got sold eh?? That is good that you sold it... makes me wonder what I am going to do about a car when I get back! I'll miss good ol’ Jub Jub.

   So you are talking in church eh? Well that's awesome! I remember I liked writing talks, it gave me a pretty good excuse to study the gospel, heh =P.  Gosh I'll miss hearing you guys speak. I remember last time Dad talked it

was about tithing and he made me cry... about tithing!! I still remember what it was about though. That we should almost do a ceremony of gratitude every time we pay our tithing. Crazy how I can remember all your life lessons huh?

     I am leaving here to Fortaleza the 21st. So you guys could probably write me one more letter. I sure enjoyed all the letters I got last week from the Jenson family and Riley and aaaaallllll of them told me about how awesome the Dark Knight was and that was it. Awesome. Ha and just a lil’ funny.

     So what's up with me??? uuummmm I don't know this week went by quick. I finished my 1,200 verb dictionary the other night. Crazy thing is I remember most of the useful verbs so I almost don't need it. This last weekend was fast Sunday. I learned a lot about humility. I was sick, hungry and tired... but I have never felt so close to the spirit. I learned I should strive to almost be weak... or more like meek, and this way we will be closer to the Savior and the Lord will use us more as his messengers. Received new Brazilian roommates that will be going to our same mission!

Love you all and have a LEGAL SEMANA!

-Elder Cetraro

July 29, 2012

MAMA MIAA!!! =D =D me a lova you muito muito!! aaha... Today is a good day! I'm still a little giddy because today for lunch we had noodles of every kind and all sorts of sauces. I put on extra olive oil for Gpa Mike ;). AND we had a delicious dessert. Never is there a good desert AND a good meal. So yeah, awesomeness going on down here =)
[Editor's Note- Zac answers the question "Are you glad you left on your mission 6 weeks early?" in the paragraph below.]
And yeesss! Me and Elder Boehme who came early with me can't stop thinking about it. I can't wait to see the batch of kids who come in tomorrow. I wonder which one would of been my companion??! I'm happy I came down here though. Honestly there is nothing more fulfilling than preparing to serve the Lord. And I kind of love to study!! Just the little nerd I am. Everyone is starting to get sick of studying but I'm diligently still going on. Today I think I am going to finish my 1,200 word dictionary of verbs I've compiled. After all the long processes and editing I've been doing I think a lil’ portion of them have stuck. I am excited for the field of course! The Africans said they flew in through Fortaleza and it was sooo beautiful, and I ran into a person at the temple today who said the Mission President and Wife are the best! Good to know I'll have good mission parents =)
Speaking of the Africans.... they are gone =\ They seriously were amazing kids. Soooo fun. Soooo spiritual. We basically became brothers, and now they are gone! ='( Me and Elder Fernandes were especially close. He was always talking heart to heart with me and last night we all sang some of our favorite hymns together. I will miss them but I definitely think we gave them the blessings they deserved. I think if I could give to anybody, it'd be these boys who are definitely going to be giving their all for the work the next two years.
Olympics eh? That's pretty cool! My teacher fills us in on a lot of news. But yeah, keep me updated on anything cool on my Countries, ha. Oh and you asked about the sister. She transferred a week ahead, about the second week we were here so she could have a companion. She was very emotional about not having one, and you know when the woman is not happy, nobody is. So yeah they bumped her up. Now our district is just a bunch of stinky smelly boys ha.
So stories for this week. Had an eventful weekend. My companion rolled his ankle baaaad. He is on crutches and it looks like he has elephantitis it was so swollen. But we don't think it is broken, so hopefully it heals before he leaves. I gave him a priesthood blessing, which was very cool. We watched a Mormon Message about priesthood blessings afterwards, which brought tears to my eyes, then I read Taylor's letter which brought more, and later on we listened to an amazing conversion story which brought even more. It is a joyous life when you have tears of joy three times a day. =) Have a wonderful week and love ya muito!
-Elder Cetraro!

Pictures!

First day here in Sao Paulo airport.  (I feel ever grosser than I look!)

Me and meu otimo professor! Irmao Israel (last name is Martinez I think?)

The awesome view from my bedroom on the 7th floor (the side with less city buildings.)

My district gettin' some drinks.  Our favorite thing to do on P-Day :)

July 24, 2012

.....Being DL has been good. One of the first goals I set was an English fast that we just finished today. We started yesterday after lunch and didn't speak English until lunch today, which we had at a Rodizio! OOOMMMGG DELLLIICCCIOUSSNNESSS =) =) Had probably half a cow, even the heart! Which was the best =) (the chicken hearts sucked) But yeah anyways, the fast was good. Me and my companion did a real fast as well and I think it really helped my district. It was hard writing David & Laura's letter this morning because I was thinking in Portugese... here comes the Portugese dreams, right?

$400?!?!?!?!?! Ooooh my gosh, I started lol-ing when I read that? Is my car really that pathetic. I love my JUB jub... poor thing.... take Riley for a spin in that thing, so what if he crashes it! Ha, so sad. BTW driving down here is crazzzzy! And yeeeah, I did hear about the Dark Knight killer thing... reached all the way down to Brazil. My district has been teasing the crap out of me about the Dark Knight, sacrificing not seeing it and leaving early! I can't wait to see it! But don't tell me ANYTHING!
Yeeeup, hump day! Flew by quick, eh? Also has seemed like I've been a missionary forever too though.
Well, I love you muito and I'll talk to y'all next week!

July 17, 2012

So news from me.... it's actually been kind of eventful! Said goodbye to my old roommates. Love those guys... I thought it would be hard to replace them but guess what! My new roommates are soooo COOL! They are from freaking AFRICA! They showed up late Thursday night while we were in bed so I hopped out and helped them. One, Elder Fernades, is 23 and was converted when he was 21. The other is like 20, Elder Freire, and is always laughing. They are so "fixe" (cool) and we became best friends instantly. You guys need to go onto lds.org and watch the new video on the church in Africa and that is exactly how I feel about these guys. They have such powerful testimonies. It just shines through them. They have so little, but they have so much to give. They came here with no money but they have been taken care of by all the Elder friends they have made. They are always bearing their testimonies to us. They speak only Portuguese so it really makes me want to learn more so I can connect with them. The first couple of nights they were here we played a bunch of circle games with them and our other friends that require little or no language.  (We've learned so many fun games this week in class and at night its been so much fun) and I don't think we've ever laughed so hard. Elder Freire laughed so hard he cried.
So that's been fun. Also something big that has happened is this last Sunday I was appointed the DL [District Leader] of our district. Our old DL got bumped up to AP [Assistant to the President] so I got the spot. Sooo yeah. I think I'll do a good job. I've done a lot of the goal setting and getting us to focus in our district. I also know though that I have much to learn and that this calling just means I get to serve more. Which I am ready for.
I love you all, and I hope your summer unfolds with many more adventures =)
Com Amor,
Seu Élder,
Èlder Cetraro!


**Note from the Editor: Here are the links to the videos Zac refers to in the letter above- "Emerging with Faith in Africa."


The Church In Africa Part One
The Church in Africa Part Two: Bernice's Story
The Church in Africa Part Three: Mahmud's Story