hey family- how is life going? well i will tell you about my life. so much to say so only one email today. no time anyways. so i left friday morning, no elder scott. i meet the mission president thursday, talked to him in an interview. he gave me a blessing. it was awesome. i saw the new preach my gospel one book with everything for missionaries. it was nerve racking leaving, but now i’m over that. so i packed and left. it was way cool. thursday night i had one of the biggest spiritual experiences in my life. we listened to a song gift of the giver, stones in a river. each day of your life is a gift of the giver. the spirit told me while i was bearing my testimony to our district that a gift to me was to be in this district. the giver gave me this gift even when i didn’t deserve it. it was very spiritual and something i will never forget. so then friday we left and arrived at the mission home. it was crazy, i didnt know what was going on. i meet my companion. his name is elder cohen, from sandy, he went to skyline. he is awesome, speaks portuguese awesome, and teaches awesome, and has a great spirit. he helps me so much with everthing. he even shined my shoes yesterday. he is so cool. a great guy. so we taught a lesson friday night. it was good, i was so scared. now i have taught about 10 lessons or i mean listened and tried to speak portuguese. elder cohen does most all of it. i help as much as i can. the spirit is most of the time strong though so that is good. i have walked a ton, through many different areas. our area is mainly poor called bras cubas. elder cohen has been here for 5 months. our ward is huge, a big ward, one of the big ones in brasil about to be split. so that is good.
members are way nice and talk to us alot. so the language is coming. i speak a little and understand a little. but mainly i just try. it is way hard and fun so that is that. well byu won, that is sick. rob is engaged that is cool. pregant, engaged, you guys wait until i leave for everything. so i love being out here in bras cubas is it cool. i live in a house with my comp and two other missionaries. i work hard, we always get home late. it has been good. we don’t have enough time to do everything. so everyone sounds good. how is life? well it has rained alot here. i bought an umbrella one day, it was pouring. i will give you my scripture next week. wednesday is my pday. well it has been good. i have been humbled by these people it is nothing like home. they live in shacks sometimes. some houses made of cement. but it is different living here. i eat whatever comes at me. and all of it. disrespectful if you don’t and then they dont like you. so i do. beans and rice. it has been good. i had a mcdonalds ice cream cone yesterday, that was awesome. no cereal. well i got to go so you guys have a great week and hopefully i will have more for ya next week alright. thanks for the emails everyone they were awesome. i need to learn portuguese. people talk, i think of rush hour–do you understand the words coming out of my mouth. the answer no. i got a letter from brad too that was sick. do you know the address for the mission home? send a package of great candy. peanut m&ms are great. but i will live if not. have a good week with much love. thanks for the emails. please tell ozy hi for me at church sunday tell him to write me a letter.
elder hicks

hey mom- how is life? as a teacher. i hope it is going very well? no email from you yet but i might check back here later if i have time. it is still early. i have a great day. oh ya i have a great talk for you with your new calling in the ensign pg. 56- 57. this is great because with being in the young woman program these words can help you a ton. i know that you are there for a reason. you need to become friends with the young women. what age- high school or middle school? but they are going through some of the toughest times? high school is not easy for a latter day saint. i can say this through experience. you can help them to gain a testimony of the gospel. this will and could change their life. invite them to read the introduction of the book of mormon last two verses. and to read and see if the book of mormon is the true word of god. and then they will gain greater faith in jesus christ. and the rest will fall into place. to have them be quiter become friends with them invite the spirit into your life and their life. this
will make them care about the lessons and being uplifted with the words of the gospel. you can and will make such a great affect on them. you could help them through hard times. being a teenager is not easy. temptation is tough. i know. teach them. help them. become friends with them. and the lord will help you. you are the best mom ever and i know that these girls will come to love you. talking in class can be a problem i remember i talked a lot probably. inviting the spirit, having spiritual lessons will change this. they won’t want to talk in that type of a lesson. invite them don’t force them. guide them don’t command them. these our words from a young 19 year old boy but i think that they might be able to help. i love you mom and i hope that this will help. well 3 days crazy huh? i am so scared but it will be cool. write back and i will hopefully read it later today.
with much love
elder hicks

Well by now I think everybody knows that Ryan and I are expecting our first child. Everything seems to be going fine this month (which is exciting news!) The baby’s due date is April 28th. Which is very close to Ryan’s graduation on the 22nd. On Friday October 9th I hit my three month mark. When we went to the doctor last, we were able to hear the heartbeat again and the doc says things sound great. He said that the heartbeat was easy to find and that was a good sign. I am looking forward to the second trimester when I am supposed to start feeling better. We’ll keep everyone posted as time goes on.

hey alisa- how is life? that is crazy? about lindsey. i wrote a long one to her because she wrote me yesterday and had the big news. how is life? good i hope. byu? well three days. jake good? pictures. a new one online i think. you can look at it. take a pic of jake and throw it on the site i will look at it. and some of the pictures with me and him. i like those ones. well have a great day. it is still early there about time for a nap and walk some streets. thanks for the support and love.
with much
e. hicks

hi- what are collies stats, they must be good. well i got to go. have a great week. byu won that is awesome. well got to be goin so tell everyone hi.
with love
elder hicks

what up- so how is the life of being pregnant. that is crazy, i knew something was up, but that is really cool. ryan and you have an incredibly challening life now. school, jobs, baby, you guys are loaded. maybe more than me. so how was the last week? it is 10:00 here in brazil 7:00 there so you are not even at work yet. i only had one email and i couldn’t get onto hotmail. so that sucks. did byu win? well you are three months. so you have known for awhile. that is really cool. when i leave lots of stuff happens. jake and then soon another baby- matt engaged, rob soon. wow. o well i love brazil. so something sucks way bad- i leave 22-friday that is so scary and great. i can’t wait to try my best. i always talk to brazy’s- for example the guy at this internet shop. speaks like no english. he is an investigator-on his second lesson-new name. he has been reading the book of mormon. i always talk to him and have become friends with him. he is a great guy and i know he will be baptized one day. but after today i will never see him again. so i will pray for him. that is cool right? one of the gifts the lord has blessed me with here and i am very grateful for this gift- is making friends. i will send home my card for the camera soon. and you can see the pics of americans and brazy’s that i have become friends with. it is awesome. i love talking to people. i love this gospel. i look back into my life when i didn’t care too much about the gospel. what an idiot i was. but i love the gospel and meu salvador jesus cristo, por sacrificio dele. expiac�o e grande. well back to the thing that is awesome and sucks. so elder richard g scott is coming to brazil, cool right. this week. well he is coming to the ctm to talk on friday. ya now it makes sense. i leave on friday. so we don’t know what is going to happen. i wonder if i will have the opportunity to listen to him. i hope i do, but i probably won’t. so if you see him at work, tell him that he missed me by hours. i really liked his talk in conference it was a great talk and helped me alot. but i do get to serve in the field on friday. what a great blessing and opportunity the lord has given to me to serve him my hardest. i love being a missionary, the lord has been so merciful to me. i hope i can be a great missionary for him. well so how was the bus ride? so in my writing do i sound different or still like the little bro. that is funny and chill. ctm is great with 3 days left. ryan and his job search going good? ah que mais. i think that last night i had a dream where i was speaking portugues to someone about something but i don’t remember it so i’m not sure, but i think. so that is pretty cool. well last week i went to a doctor for my high arch and my insoles were made wrong so we went back to the place but it was closed on sat. but then i was with an elder-senior missionary that speaks portuguese and we went inside a mall real fast for something. it was huge. it is funny because i have left the ctm for this foot thing 5 times now and i leave tomorrow i think to go back. so it has been cool to get a break and get out of the class. i was lucky. well we played a game last night of mostly likely- i won -to be a lawyer because i don’t lose an arguement, i won the snapping of the fingers. that is hitting the pointer in between the thumb and birdy and it snaps. i picked it up here and i can make a loud snap it is tight. i also won most likely to marry a brazy, funny could be true. jk. most likely to get hit by my first companion i will brawl him up. i think that was it. but the game was fun and some good laughs. the guys in my district are really great guys i have come to close to each of them. we are going to have a testimony meeting or bye meeting thursday night that will be intense. so how is work going? i don’t know my new address yet i wonder what it is, mom probably knows the mission home address. i can’t get onto hotmail. that sucks. well what else. so how is s-town. cold, today here is a little chilly feels good. no temple today. last week in casa verde crazy. well that is about it have a good day, write me back some questions and i will answer them later.
with love
elder hicks

hey family- how is life in s-town? well another week gone and one and a half left at the ctm that is so crazy huh. ya im way scared and happy, excited, nervous. i don’t know. i will love walking the streets and not just sitting in a class. but miss many things. i leave the 22 i think. well good news. i had mcdonalds on friday it was delicious and glorious. we ate it after we went proselyting. it was fun. my portuguese is coming along. still way hard to teach and talk of course. eu preciso para trabalhar com esta lingua. mas eu estou tabem. ya that is how it goes. well what is happing there? i got the three packages yesterday, it was awesome. i have a great stash, i have a picture im going to mail home and a package with some stuff. took ten days. so that is good. thanks alot for the package, it was very generous. tell grandma ware that she is awesome, i got one letter all week and it was from here. i loved and love getting that letter. grandma you are the best. i got ten or something like that the week before so it is alright. mom you can throw in a sports page or a little note in the packages. that is important too. just throw in a little note, that is cool. but thanks. we went to the s�o paulo temple today it is way beautiful, it was good, i love going to the
temple to feel of the great spirit of the lord. a little bit ago we sang i am a child of god to the guy in the internet shop. me and him are amigios and he is an investigator. he had the first discussion and the second on sat. i was talking to him about the gospel and o livro de mormon. mom you said i am a friendly person. it is true, a great gift that heavenly father gave to me. i know a lot of people in the ctm now. it is cool. today is a holiday no shops open so that sucks. the missionary program hit a big turn this week. new discussions are taking place, now called lessons they made a new book. one book with all lessons and all missionary stuff, one book does it all. we get it this week in english, comes in portuguese in december. but it is way cool. discussions changed a little in what is said and order. it is great works very well. we already started teaching them in portuguese rob will be interested in this. i think there is 5 before baptsim and 4 after. it is great. the guy in this shop is way nice, i think he will get baptized in awhile. that is cool. i love the brazy’s iam good friends with a ton of them. i got some pics. im sending home in the package or maybe in a letter. well one more week done. it is crazy. i love being here. the weather is warming up again, it got cold for a while. yes i got the debit card, i have
enough money. no ties needed here don’t send me any. im going to send some
in the package. i bought a way cool one for our district tie i have one for dad, since i stole a few of his. grandpa hicks is in my prayers. i hope he starts feeling better. how are you rob and dad? rob how is school. i wrote you and email, did you get it. write me so i know your address. you can always help me. dad how is school? well what else happened this week. my testimony has grown a ton, im a different person now. that is great, i love this gospel so much. i thank my heavenly father for the chance he gave to me to serve him. the lord has helped me out so much, i serve my best and hardest for him. thanks for the support at home. rob you want a sick tie? ya i bought you one today-pink good or orange. it is from brazil. well byu sucks and needs to win. i hope they make a bowl. utah doesn’t play anyone hard but they are way good. beck looking better, collie is tearing it up as a freshman. my prayers and love go to you all. mom you are the best everyone in my district was so mad when they saw how great a mom i have. all the candy- i have a sick drawer of candy-i took a pic. well got to be going now it is time for a quick nap and study. with love
elder hicks

hey how is it going? how is life? sounds like your trip was good and tiring. one more week done. i will give you some highlights. 1- i ate McDonald’s on Friday- it was amazing. 2- went to the São Paulo temple today it is very beautiful. 3- another week done. 4- we got new lessons, the entire missionary program is changing. new discussions, new stuff all in one book. i get the book this week. i have already started teaching the new discussions in portuguese. they are pretty similiar to the old discussions just a little bit different. well i leave the 22 in a week and a half. that is very crazy. i am so scared and excited. byu sucks and needed that game. what is going on. who was unlv q, i know one of them-skitcen or something like that. well got to go. much love. i am sending home the card for my camera. i got a ton of pictures with brazy’s and people, a lizard, my candy stash, it is good. put some pics on the site. paz e amor
elder hicks

hey how is it going? how is life? sounds pretty boring. one more week done. i will give you some highlights. 1 i ate mcd’s on friday- it was amazing, nuggets were glorious. 2 went to the sao paulo temple today it is very beautiful. 3 antoher week done. 4 we got new lessons, the entire missionary program is changing. new discussions, new stuff all in one book. i get the book this week. i have already started teachin the new discussions in port. they are pretty similiar to the old discussions jsut a little bit different. well i leave the 22 in a week and a half. that is very crazy. i am so scared and excited. byu sucks and needed that game. what is going on. who was unlv q, i know one of them-skitcen or something like that. well got to go. much love. i am sending home the card for my camera. i got a ton of pics with brazy’s and people, a lizard, my candy stash, it is good. put some pics on the site. ya i am way nervous to leave. you know that i know everyone here at the ctm, it is kinda funny. but the language is coming. it is so hard to understand brazy’s sometimes. that is why im scared. but hey i love serving the lord. i love being a missionary for the lord. it is an amazing experience. im grateful for the lord to let me have this chance to serve him. hey have a good day. cheer up. i have way hard times here also. alot of them. you still have a life to live. well, not much else to say. read the scrips that will cheer you up. think about all the things you have been given. i see some houses here and bums and i feel so bad. read in the scrips about charity and love in moroni that will make you so happy. tell everyone hi and that i love them love elder hicks

hi family- i am supposed to use this email acount when i email. but i still use both. how are things going. everyone sounds really good. i love reading the emails. hopefully the packages make it. if not i know a kid going to my mission later that can bring it to me. thanks for the support and love. well the week went by fast i was looking forward to conference all week. the ten hours went by way fast. we watched it in english in the gym, with all missionaries, in our suits for each session. it went by fast. i took good notes learned alot. my testimony grew. i learned new things and old things. i love listening to the prophet about his counsel. i know everything they say is true. well i love conference. for the first time i had watched it all, i got about ten letters last week. i love getting letters. i got some from doug, kent, lips, darren, justin and others. it is the best getting letters. jake sounds like he is growing. i am going to send a package home today with some stuff in it for everyone. with my card for my camera. i will put some cool things in it. so last week was an amazing week. i went to a place to get my insoles made last wednesday and then i get to go back
tomorrow. but i had a great experience. i will tell it now- we walk in, it was a trashy part of town. the translator i was with is cool, i was already friends with him, he is going with me again tomorrow. i sat down, they had me put my foot right then left on a paper and it made a ink outline underneath. the guy said a few words in english at first but not much. after we got this done and were paying, it was 80 reis for the soles. the guy started talking a ton of english. he spoke well, he made a joke- someone who speaks 3 languages is tri lingual, 2 bi lingual, 1 is american. it made me mad but i kept talking to him, i said what language does everyone in the world want to know, answer is english. we talked more about speaking the language of the country you are in. that is true, he spoke 7 languages. he asked if we were mormons. we said ya, he said he has seen our church- which is really the sao paulo temple. he asked how long i
have been here? how long i would be here? asked about the girls? i said i didn’t know-good answer, i was smart. he asked if i like brazil? if i have friends here? about the language? he was big on languages. is my first name elder? i didn’t answer that one yet. he asked what makes our church different from other churchs? i didn’t get a chance to answer him right then because he had a phone call, but the conversation kept going on and off. later we were leaving and i wanted to answer his question. i pulled out a o liro de mormon card and started talking about it. the conversation continued. he said that he was a jew, and his mom was in the holocaust in poland. i was amazed and scared. do jews believe in christ- i don’t think they do. but i continued. all of this is in portuguese with me and both with him. i started to make a promise with him about this book, if he reads and thinks about it, i would try my best and hardest to learn this language. that was big in the earlier conversation. i told him how i study the language all day everyday. we then shook on our promise. it was amzing, now it gets better i get to go back tomorrow-wed. and look at my soles. and i will be able to talk to him about the book of mormon and tell him to pray. tell of its truth throught the spirit. i am so excited for tomorrow and nervous. i am going to take a book of mormon with me in portuguese so i wonder how things will go. it will be fun. then on friday we get to go proselyting again. i don’t have much time left. but i wanted to share that story- i have talked to a jew about the gospel. so how is life at home in sandy? it was weird seeing downtown-conference center. that is my home town. but i loved conference. my question was answered somewhat i am still seeking for my answer. it is a very important question too. but i love the gospel. two more weeks in the ctm, a group left today that i was good friends with. that was weird. no temple today, last week we went to the sao paulo for the first time. i’ll get a card next week. i am not quite sure about the scripture i have a few in mind. i’ll have it soon. there is a package at the post office right now i will get it in a few
minutes. i will send one home today tambem. also. language is coming, way hard though. i love being a missionary. my prayers are always for all of you, i love how byu won and collie is so good. he can hopefully only get better. utah must be amazing. they have a problem though, urban meyer is going to quit and go to notre dame. that is his dream place. and soon. no coach. program will be hurting. byu is working to bring in norm choe too i think. i hope. oh ya the weather here got cold. it has been nice from way hot to cold. like utah. it is nice right now. well i better wrap this up. i hope grandpa hicks feels better. i love you all
elder hicks

hey didens- i had a good email but then it got lost. i got to go to so it will be very fast. byu won, way good. coliie must be good. jake sounds great and doing well. conference was awesome. i watched it all in a suit. two weeks left. i don’t know anything. being a missionary is cool. kurt you know the new apostle that is cool. i am going to send my card home so you can look at it. read mom’s email it is good and long. i love the updates tell me more. anything about sports. jazz are going to be good. well got to go time is up. love you guys
bye
best of luck
elder hicks

p.s. have a good trip, with the family