Email received June 27, 2016

Mom,

We weren't able to do a whole lot this week. We had divisions twice this week, so that was a pleasant change of pace. Normally when I complete another month on the mission I like to buy an ice cream or something similar. This month I didn't buy anything special. This time I had a division with the Elders in Timon! While I was there, we scheduled some time to go and visit two of the people that I baptized there! Lindalva and Jerônimo! It was GREAT to see them both after so long! Lindalva bought a cake for us to eat and we talked for a while. I was able to take a picture with them both to remember! After I left Timon, the baptism record of Lindalva was lost and her member record was never created. After almost a year, they finally were able to recreate the record and create her member record! She said that she is also working toward a trip to the temple in the future! It will take a little while for her to save the money, but she is still very firm in her decision! That made me so happy to see that she has a strong desire to go to the temple even though it won't be easy for her. A great example of dedication to the Lord! I will attach the pictures along with some others for you to see! Other than that, not a whole lot went on this week.  Glad to hear the Corey and Spencer are both doing well! I was thinking about them a few days ago and what they are living and experiencing where they are. Should be very interesting! There are some fast-food places here. There's one or two McDonald's that I've seen and one or two Subway's here as well. Other than that, there's just a chain that they have here called Bob's. Pretty much the same thing as McDonald's. But they all are very far away from my area and are pretty expensive as well. So that makes it kinda hard for us to eat there.
We only had one that we are actually teaching there that will be a pretty long process to get him to baptism. But we'll keep working with him. Other than him, we didn't have anyone at sacrament meeting this week. Not sure about the box. Will call the mission office today to see if it got here or not. At least the people that weren't there were on trek! It really is an amazing experience!

Have a great week and be sure to stay busy!!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Elder Gunnoe

Email received June 20, 2016

Mom,
This week went alright. We ended on a good note and had two baptisms this Saturday morning! Two boys, one is 13 years old and the other is 10 years old. After some time attending church, they were able to be baptized this weekend! Both were confirmed on Sunday the 19th. We also had one man go to sacrament meeting that I didn't really expect to be there! We found him knocking on doors and he already knew a little about the church through a friend of his and when he played soccer there quite a few years ago. We haven't been able to visit him at home and teach him since then, but he went to church on his own this Sunday! So that made me pretty happy! Other than that, not too much to talk about this week.

At least it only gets that hot for a couple of months in the year and not the whole year round! (I told him about our hot weather here the last few days)  During the last months of the year, the temps at night are around 90.... But that's life here in this part of Brasil! Oddly enough Ruby's came into my mind yesterday when I was thinking about food.... We'll have to go there when I get home! If I don't get in the other classes, that's fine. I'll find something to do! I think the box will get here this week or the next. I am going to the mission office every Monday, so I am able to get cards and boxes as they get here. That was a picture of my Eccos. I think they will make it to the end! Although they look pretty bad, they have a solid plastic under the rubber. So I think they'll make it!

Have a great week and stay out of trouble!!!
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Gunnoe

Email received June 6, 2016

Mom,
Wow. Not too much time to respond this week, so I'll just have to respond to the questions and comments. This week was a bit tough. We had all day meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday and then interviews with president on Thursday which ended at almost 6 for me. So we only had Friday and Saturday to really work and visit people. And these two days were challenging. We had trouble catching people at home and very few people were receptive in the contacts we did. So it wasn't the most productive of weeks that I've had. But we were still able to teach a few really good people! We actually didn't have any investigators at church this week. So that was a bummer. But I am not going to let that get me down! We were able to finally catch a husband and wife at home that we taught a couple of weeks ago and were able to teach them again. The lesson went very well. They are such nice and humble people! When we got there, the offered watermelon and we ate a couple of slices and then at the end they sent us off with a huge slice and two pieces of cornbread! They are very open to hear what we teach and are willing to keep the commitments that we make with them. I am excited to see what comes of our other visits!  Glad to hear that everyone was able to finish the temple prep class and are all excited to go through the temple! I wish I could be there to go with them, but I know you will be there in my place.  Hope that you have a great week and are able to resolve everything! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Love you so very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Cole Gunnoe

Email received May 30, 2016

Mom,
This week went well. We were able to come across some new people this week that are really interested in learning more about the gospel. It's always nice to find new people that are really interested in learning more. Now we just have to work on help them to progress and continue growing and learning. We had a ward talent show on Thursday last week! It was a really cool activity! Ardia sung a song with another recent convert playing the guitar. It was really cool! It was nice to see that Adria is feeling at ease with the other youth and members of the church here! The lady that you asked about is progressing well! She set a goal for herself to be baptized on the 22nd of June! So that was a big step for her! We will continue working with her so that she can be prepared for that date that she set as a goal! All in all, things are going good! Know that all is well here and that I am happy and healthy and always eating plenty! So happy to be here serving the Lord and having part in the work of saving souls! Even I'm not the one who truly teaches people, I am happy to be an instrument in God's hand in bringing about the changes that the gospel brings.

Have a great week and stay out of trouble!!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Cole Gunnoe

Email received May 16, 2016

Mom,
This week went pretty well! We were able to do a couple of divisions with other areas to do some baptismal interviews there and were able to stay busy! This Saturday (14-05-2016) we were able to have the baptism of a young man that we have been teaching for a couple of weeks now! He is such an amazing young man! He is one of those investigators that once he is baptized, I don't worry about him leaving the church ever! He has a really strong testimony and is always working hard to learn more! I have never taught anyone quite like him before! He was truly prepared by the hand of the Lord to encounter and accept the restored gospel at this time and the scripture in D&C 29:7 that talks about the elect of God and how they hear His voice and willingly accept it. It was and always will be a great honor to have been an instrument in God's hands in the conversion of one of His children! We were able to have a woman that we are teaching at the baptism and then at church on Sunday which was great! It was her first time in the church building and I think she liked it a lot! We will be visiting her in the next few days to see what she thought about the meeting! When I said that, I meant as a literal and set-apart representative of Christ. I know that I will always be representing Him, but not as I do now. It will be a bit different when I get home, but I know very well that I will always be carrying His name with me. I will make up a list of a couple of things to send next week for you! I will definitely hold on to a couple of things that I used all this time, but not too much. We will be going to the part of the city that has hotels today, so I'll see if I run across anything! That would be the best way to do it. Go up to the coast right away and visit there and then come back down to Teresina. I think it would be good to pass 2 full days there in Parnaíba to see everyone and also go see some sand dunes that are there close by. Then we can come back down to Teresina and visit the areas here. We could stick around here in Teresina from Thursday until Sunday. Then head out on Sunday maybe after lunch. So glad to hear that the recent converts are going strongly and are going to the temple! That is something that really can make all the difference!
Hope you have a great week and that things continue going well!!
LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Elder Cole Gunnoe

Email received May 9, 2016

Mom,
It was really nice to see you and dad and to be able to talk to you both and Conner and Renee as well! It doesn't seem like it's been as long as it has been! But soon it will all be coming to a bit of a sad
close. Sad because I may never have the honor of being a representative of Christ and because I will be leaving a place that I have come to love so much! But it is all in the Lord's time and I am excited for the things that await after the mission! Even though I know that it won't be a walk in the park, I know it'll be worth it! Sad to hear that there will be people leaving the branch! But I'm sure they have their reasons. And that's awesome that Nate will be going to Tampa!! He and Carter will be going to the MTC pretty close to each other! That'll be a bit of a changing period for their families and for the other youth! Gotta run, we have to prepare a zone meeting for tomorrow. Sorry this was so short!
Have a great week and stay out of trouble!
LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!!

Elder Cole Gunnoe

"Was a bit smaller than my hand"

Email received May 2, 2016

Mom,
This week went well! Seems like it went by so fast. It was really nice to go back to Timon and be in the city again! I was only able to visit one person that I baptized there. I went and saw Irmã Laureana! When we got to her front door, I knocked and her husband came to the door.  I saw that the weeds were pretty big in front of their house, so I jokingly asked if they needed someone to pull the weeds. He just said no and shut the door.... He isn't a member yet and I thought that he didn't like the missionaries anymore. So that made me a little sad. But I decided we should wait. After a minute or two he came back and let us in. When Irmã Laureana came into the living room, and saw me her face just lit up! I almost cried and I think she did too. I think that feeling is about what it will feel like when I come home. Because I felt as if I was in my own home and it was just the weirdest thing!
But it was such a wonderful feeling! It was truly amazing to see how much she has grown spiritually! I really could see the difference! And above all, they opened a restaurant right beside their house! So their house is full of food supplies and kitchenware all over the place! But they are both so happy! It was truly wonderful to be able to surprise her with a visit at her own home after over a year! Back here in my area, things are going well. My comp has just a little bit of trouble with always going to visit the same people when we should only visit them one time a week. And when we go there we stay more time than we should. I am trying to work on a way to bring up the subject so that we can be better about that, but you know me, I´m not one to speak up much. I still have trouble in speaking my mind and my feeling, but it's something that I am really trying to work on lately. So we'll see
how that goes. Other than that, things are going smoothly down here.  We will have a Leadership meeting with an Area 70 on Friday! So I am really looking forward to that! The rain (what little we had) has come to a stop. So it's sunny almost everyday. Sometimes we have a cloudy day. But not too often. Glad to hear that all is well and that everyone is happy! I really liked the pictures you sent! Looks like everyone had a lot of fun at the reception!  Glad to see Nana and Brittany and Vern and Amy and Eliana all there too! I really miss everyone of them!
Tell everyone hi from me and send the whole family a big hug!!!
Love you very much!!!
Talk to you Sunday!!!!

Elder Cole Gunnoe