November 2nd, 2011

Hey Family,

We just got back right this instant from a zone conference way on the other side of the mission and I'm sooo tired.  It was a great trip and I learned a bunch.  This last week flew by really quick and we had some awesome stuff happen.  We are about 7 weeks without baptisms in this area and last Sunday a girl came up to my companion and told him she was going to be baptized this weekend.  No complaints.  I also did a division with one of the members and he told me he served in rio de janeiro north mission.  After talkin with him I found out that he lived in the same house as Elder Hodgson.  I saw a picture of a little skinny sun burnt Jared!  That was pretty cool.

Tomorrow we've another training to do and we have about 1 hour to plan it tonight if we get lucky.  We like to live on the edge.

This week was pretty hard for my companion because he's been here for a while and has been working like crazy but having zero success.  I was grateful that I could do something to help him for a change and not feel like the noob for a little bit.  It really is inspired that we work in two.

Mom I watched a conference on genealogy today and it's like completely opened my eyes.  I want to know my family history!  What do ya got for me? 

Well I love y'all and I don't have anymore time, maybe I'll have to revert to using letters to send more information.

Have a great week!

Love you Brad have a great mission! (Ask the MTC President if i can come see you before you fly off to wherever that place is!)

Elder Romm

October 26th, 2011

Olá Family,

This last week was pretty intense.  I had to give a talk in sacrament meeting this week.  It was interesting because I didn't have any time at all to prepare during this week so it was weak sauce.  I just followed the spirit and it turned out okay I suppose.  I'm getting used to this whole 'on the spot' recruiting deal.  Sometimes we don't even know what we are going to do but when called upon its go time.  I think that maybe that is why scouting is so important.  It teaches the physical principle of always being prepared and then we go on a mission to learn the spiritual side of the importance of always being prepared.  I've been learning how to treasure up many things in my mind because we never know what we'll need.

It's almost Halloween!  It's not a very popular Holiday here in Brazil. 

How is everyone doing?  Brad, you have to send me a copy of your talk, I wanna read it.  I've been telling everyone my brother is going to the Philippines.  When they ask where it is located I tell them that it is right next to the ends of the earth.  Partly because I don't really remember where it is.  Close to Thailand and Japan and the ocean right?  I don't even know.

Well i love you all and hope you have a great week and a happy Halloween!  Choose the Right!

Elder Romm

October 19th, 2011

Mom, Dad, and Family,

How is everyone doing?  This last week flew by and at the same time was a million years.  I know that doesn't make any sense but just pretend you know what I'm sayin.  Lots of things to do with what appears to be an ever shrinking space time.  It's a good thing my companion is who he is because i think without him I'd be completely nuts by now haha.

I'm convinced that my companion has some kind of chemical imbalance in his brain.  I've been trying to keep track of the symptoms to make an accurate diagnosis but its been difficult.  Imagine someone that is bipolar but that never goes on a low.  He's running on 110% overdrive all the time haha.  He's super funny.  And he is learning English and actually speaks fluently already.  So we just walk around and sometimes he just randomly starts scream/singing primary hymns like popcorn popping on the apricot tree.  And since i don't want him to look like a wierdo by himself i start singing also.

We have found some really awesome people lately too.  We found a family that is legally married with two kids who all accepted baptismal dates and another young college student who is super smart.  We are seeking out the families in our area with all that we've got.  I want to baptize another family here before i leave so its getting intense.

Curitiba is very different from Paranaguá.  I've noticed that everyone here just wants to fight us.  I've never used the Book of Mormon so much in my life. 

Today we are going to the temple, I'm stoked!  Alright i have to go, man i need to plan better what I'm going to write.  My brain is like a blender put on high and being rolled down the stairs!

Love you all !!
Elder Romm

October 5th, 2011

Hola Família,

I love conference.  These talks were so helpful to so many of our investigators.  There were so many authorities that spoke about missionary work and the Book of Mormon.  I loved the talk by Elder Holland.  That was the most motivating priesthood session I've seen yet.  Things definitely are getting near the end. 

I love to hear the testimonies of all the speakers at conference, I always get stoked to bear my own testimony to anything that moves.

The spirit was so strong. You know that feeling that you get when you just are happy.  You feel like it's possible to succeed and you have a peaceful and calm feeling towards the future.  I like that feeling and i like helping others feel that. 

Well I haven't got a lot of time today, but I love you all, have a great week listen to some conference!

Elder Romm

September 28th, 2011

Hey Family,

So this weekend was intense.  We got a call from our APs and they challenged us to baptize this week.  We didn't have any baptismal dates for this Saturday and we were a little frustrated by their invitation.  But then my companion and i learned a very important lesson.  A few actually.  We decided that we did indeed want to baptize.  We believed that it was possible.  If it weren't then our leaders wouldn't have challenged us to do it.  We had the desire and the faith we just needed the works.  We decided that yes, we were going to do it.  Then we went a little crazy running after some people.  After we found three of our investigators that could be baptized we did everything possible to help them be baptized this last weekend.  Everything turned against us.  Our water heater at the church never worked.  All the youth would be away at an activity or in another state.  The parents of one didn't authorize it.  The other parents were upset because they thought it was too soon.  Both of the two young women we were going to baptize were passing through that time of the month and were nervous and didn't want to be baptized.  The young woman's president was going to be out of town.  The member that they wanted to baptize them would also be gone.  We didn't know why but we just knew that the Lord wanted us to baptize them this weekend.  We went to our baptismal font, cleaned it out and kneeled to say a prayer.  We prayed for hot water.  The two girls passed in the interview and were actually excited to be baptized sooner rather than later when they stopped to think about it.  The parents understood that we were just trying to do a good thing that would change their daughters lives forever, we filled up the font and the heater....turned on.  The bishop told us later that it had never worked since they installed it.  The baptism ended up being one of the most spiritual of my mission.

Woohoo!

I love you guys!  have a great week!!!
Elder Romm

September 20th, 2011

Dear Family,

The work continues and the weather is hot.

These last two days we have done some serious walking.  We did a division with some missionaries in our zone and with the absence of my comp i was a little lost haha.  It's so great to have a companion who works and loves to work.  It makes all the difference.

This weekend we didn't baptize but the week before we did, I didn't have to time to write about that, it was awesome.  This weekend we did a fast with two youth so that they could be baptized and they told us yesterday that it worked!  Its actually a funny story because it's been 6 months since they first came to church and have never had permission from their parents to be baptized but when they fasted and their parents found out and they got mad and told them that they could be baptized if they stopped fasting.  woohoo!  Now we have them and two other young men that are super excited too for the 30th of September. 

We've started to read the Book of Mormon again and we are marking all the parts where it talks about any principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I'm finding a lot of details that I've never picked up before.  The Book of Mormon really does have the fullness of the Gospel.

The tender mercies and little miracles continue to happen and i just love that.  We never feel worthy of them but we just keep on keepin on and doing the best we know how to do, and praying for guidance.  I think my favorite scripture this week is D+C 64:25.  Our whole life is made up of a bunch of todays and if we just focus on making our sacrifice for today then that's sufficient.  A few minutes in the scriptures and prayer, a few kind words (in my case a few more contacts) and we're set. 

Well this work is great, I don't know everything about doing it but I do love trying.  There's just something about the Gospel that keeps you pumped.  Maybe its the unlimited re-dos you get or the promise of divide assistance or maybe the eternal perspective that it gives me.  Its just amazing.  And whats best is that its true.

I love you guys, have a great week!
Elder Romm

September 14th, 2011

Alright family here's the deal.

So last week was independence day in Brazil and nothing was open so my bad on the whole cliff hanger deal.  And now I have two weeks worth of updating to do and it just so happens that these last two weeks were two of the wildest weeks I've had on the mission. Let me make an attempt, if you guys just end up with a half of an e-mail you'll know I tried but failed.

This is the Lord's work and all who deny it will be left kicking against the pricks for eternity.

This week my companion and I have seen many, many miracles.

1. A man who has been coming to church with his family for a year felt the spirit in a gospel principles class and told us that he felt the desire to be baptize.  All doubts disappeared.  Later in the other week we returned to his home and told us that he was incapable of quiting cigarettes and felt that he needed to something else.  After 2 and half hours of battling in the spirit I followed the prompting i had been receiving for quite a while in the lesson.  As I said the words 'I suggest a priesthood blessing' he stopped dead still and said that after all the words we had said this phrase seemed to cut him to the core didn't know why.  Then he got all pumped and said "That's it! This is what I like about this church! Nobody else can do what you guys do!"  We gave him then a powerful blessing, however not removing his personal responsibility.  He will quit.

2.  We visited an English teacher who had a daughter suffering from brain problems and we felt prompted to share a message with him.  In the top floor of his school we taught him the plan of salvation in English.  We sat talking with him a while and the question, "what are you afraid of" kept popping into my head.  Finally I asked him and he stopped and looked at me and said ' you guys are the first people to ask me that question'.  We explained that even if his daughter were damaged that none of it would be permanent and passed to him the hope found in the plan of happiness.  Afterwords he prayed and he asked Father in Heaven to help his own daughter, something he had been struggling to do.  Then he looked at us and said man, I feel something really different.  Do you guys do this with everyone?  Yes.  He told us that something deep inside him told him that everything we said was true.  His daughter is back home and her illness is treatable.

3.  We did a contact with a MMA fighter in the street and set a time to return and teach him.  He's a big tough kind of guy but very humble.  As we shared the story of the Restoration of the Gospel he listened intensely and as we handed him the book of Mormon it was obvious to see the goose bumps shoot up his arms and tears fill his eyes.  When he looked at us with a surprised look he said, when I touched your book I felt something different,  I invited him to be baptized by one hold the priesthood authority of God and he said "yes" Then as I went to mark a date his cell phone began to ring loudly, but he didn't pay any attention.  The timing was to perfect to be a coincidence, but the spirit overpowered the distraction.

4.  While doing contacts in a division a young man who had visited the church Sunday night stopped to talk to us and asked if we were on our way to the chapel, we said yes even though we hadn't really planned on it.  We walked with him talking about what he has been thinking about the church.  He said that he started going to seminary everyday that week and that something in his life was changing and that he was even sleeping better.  We taught him about the restoration and invited him to be baptized, he accepted and after the lesson showed us the goose bumps on his arms and with teary eyes only said "thank you"  that was the best feeling I've had as a missionary.  Last night I talked to him and he is already in the 20th chapter of 1 Nephi and his grandma told him that if he wanted to be baptized that he could.  He then brought three more friends who also loved how they felt when they were in the chapel.  We will teach them later tonight.

5.  While walking on the street a 24 year old guy walked by me and I just stuck out my hand and said ' hey, how's it goin."  We started to talk and discovered that he had talked with a missionary on a bus 4 years ago while he was traveling, he invited us to go with him to his house to show us where he lived so we could come back and teach him and his girlfriend.  We're going there tonight. 

6. Yesterday we traveled to Curitiba for a training and in the crowded bus I felt like I should talk with a young man seated in front of me.  There were many people surrounding him and I thought to myself, if those people leave then I'll talk to him.  Not 3 seconds passed and all those people got off at the bus stop.  I said a prayer and just saw myself standing in front of him shaking his hand the the next thing I know I was actually shaking his hand.  I don't know where the courage came from.  I taught him the Restoration and gave him a book of Mormon.  I don't know if anything will happen, all I know is that the peace that I felt after having taught him with something I would go to the end of the earth to feel again.

My companion and I have decided that we like to be used by the spirit and every single day we get to experience these miracles.  This is the work of the Lord and his only true church, anyone who doubts it needs to take their blindfold off and spend a day with the missionaries.

When obedience has become a quest, confidence and testimony in the things that are true become immovable.

I love you all and I'm out of time!
Elder Romm

August 31, 2011

So my comp is gone.  It was so fast.  Now I'm here with Elder Smith from Colorado, he got here today.  He too is the man.  I was his first Zone Leader when he got to Brazil and now he's my companion.  It's gonna be great because he, like Elder Brown, has never heard the words 'Slow down' and only knows how to teach and baptise.  The Lord is like really trying to kick my trash these days.  But its what I wanted and asked for.

We baptized two people this weekend.  We have 2 more here in two weeks that we have to prepare, we have to learn the area together because its huge and I know nothing.  Its usually in these situations that you recognize how much the Lord is really involved.  We've seen a lot of tender mercies and really seen how we are literally used as tools in the Lords hands.  That is my favorite feeling.  I had written down a bunch that I wanted to share but left my old planner at home.  They are all awesome.  I remember one time we prayed to find new people to teach that wanted to really learn and progress, then not even 10 seconds later a car came to a brake melting halt right next to us and the girl inside asked if we were Mormons and where and when the church was.  Then she went the next week and now we are teaching her.  Another time we went looking for an address but it didn't exist and we were just standing in the road looking at each other wondering what to do, then a kid on a motorcycle stopped right in front of us.  It was a guy we taught in the street that works as a delivery boy.  He stopped and told us that he read the Book of Mormon and felt really good.  And we taught him a lesson right there and then he drove away.  Coincidence?  i think not.  There are so many others too!  It's so awesome!  One time we knocked on an investigators door but she was alone and we couldn't go in, but then a member came walking around the corner at that instant and we asked her if she could enter with us and she did.  She said she almost never takes that route to her house but that day she just felt like it. 

Another thing I've been able to see is that the Lord uses us to reach all of his children that need him.  We were walking the other day and we just started talking to a man beside us, Getulio, we found out that he was a College Professor of Theology, and that he was paid by the Brazilian Government to study in the united states to introduce a post doctorate program into Brazilian education.  He speaks fluent English, Portuguese, Spanish and Hebrew (at least).  Plays and writes many types of music on many instruments.  And he is Catholic but said that he is aware of many of the faults in his own religion.  He had heard of the Book of Mormon but never received a copy.  We had the opportunity to teach him and testify of it's truthfulness.  Later that same night, because of many other unseen delays and cancellations we found ourselves on a street corner next to a drugstore.  There we met David.  David was kicked out of school before learning how to read.  Is 21 years old and addicted to drugs and alcohol, and earned what he could shining shoes.  He recognised us as representatives of Christ, and asked us for help.  We talked with him about the love the Lord has for him and about his potential as a son of God. We gave him our number a bag of cookies that we bought. 

To the Lord there is on difference between Getulio and David.  They both needed him that night and we had the opportunity to be the ones to help them.

My time is up, but I love you guys, if this letter doesn't make sense it's because I wrote it flying!
Elder Romm

August 10th, 2011

Hey family!

Sorry but I only have about 8 minutes today so I'll be really brief. 

My week was awesome.  Our zone is getting way better and we are having seeing more results and the other missionaries are seeing miracles as well and that is the best part.  We have been teaching the first lesson to anything that moves and it has been awesome.  Everyone is learning about the restoration of the Gospel whether they want to or not.  We have taught some members as well lately and the spirit has been so strong.  I really know that Christ lives and that ever since the beginning of the Earth God has called prophets and revealed to man how to be happy and that this knowledge was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith!  We have been able to see how this little bit of information can really change someones life.  I have some pictures that i wanted to send you guys but my little connector deal went belly up again and i don't know how to revive him. 

I think one thing that i have learned in this last week is that the Plan of Salvation gives us the right perspective to be happy.  I learned that the trials and endless challenges are part of the game and after this 'light affliction that lasts for only a moment' even thou it seems heavy at the time will lead us to where we want to go.

I love you guys, have a great week!  Remember to read your scriptures!

Elder Romm

August 3, 2011

Family,

Yea I'm still a ZL.  I personally think that Pres. put me with Elder Brown in hopes that all his knowledge and work ethic doesn't end when he dies.  Its a bit of pressure but I'm down. 

We have been playin basketball lately on wed. mornings.  Today was the second time we went, and it was pretty fun.  I don't know if this rim is regulation but the two hand slam is still happenin.  At least two times...then it dies as my legs lose all force.

This last week went by so fast.  We baptised again, that was sweet.  But it rained a bunch and the rain makes missionary work complicated.  People don't usually like to stop and talk to us.  It was pretty funny though because my companion has zero shame and talks to whatever moves which usually ends of bringing about some funny stories and awesome experiences.  We started talking to this drunk guy with a huge back pack then all of a sudden the cops came swooping in and took his butt to the ground out of no where.  I just put my hands up and started walking away.  My whole life flashed before my eyes.  I think we helped bust a drug dealer that day.

I hope Jess is leaving some fish in the water for me.  That was a nice walleye, but I think that mine was bigger....yep, ya it was.

How is Brad doin?  I haven't heard from him in a while.  Is he gettin stoked for the mission?  I'm getting pretty excited for him. 

Well I love you guys, have a great week and be happy!

Elder Romm

July 27th, 2011

Dear Family,

Well i have had a pretty sweet week.  We baptised my first Saturday in the area so that was like a sweet bonus all of a sudden.  His name is Daniel and he is a detective for the police.  He is like 6'3" and speaks perfect English.  It was pretty cool to teach him a little bit before his baptism.  I'll send the picture when i take it off my comps camera.

We've had so pretty interesting experiences lately.  We teach an English conversation class every Saturday afternoon.  Its basically us talking in English with whoever wants to come.  This last week we had Daniel and another guy.  And while we were talking with them we discovered that this other guy, Evandro, is the reining world champion Brazilian Ju jitsu fighter.  It was hilarious.  My companion was talking with him and we were thinking we had just misunderstood him but nope.  Elder Brown was said 'Wait, like champion champion?  Of the whole World?'  That's not somethin that happens everyday.  He already came to church and he's gunna come this week too.  Then a few days ago we were walking in the street and my companion did a contact with a young woman and then after talking a little with her we found out that she is the 'Miss Morreits', number one model of a nearby city.  We taught her about the Book of Mormon and she was very interested.  You get to meet a lot of cool people when you talk to everybody that passes you on the street haha. 

Well i am extremely tired.  We played basketball for the first time on my mission since the mtc.  My comp loves basketball too. 

So i saw those pics of brad and that one chick.  Was that Kayla?  If so she is more ripped than i am!  That is extremely depressing!  People always ask me if I'm the oldest boy in the family and when i say 'yes' they look at the picture of brad and jess and say, 'heh, ya but i bet you get your trashed kicked ay.'  Now if they find out that my little brother's girlfriend can beat me up too I'm done.

Alright well i haven't got much time left.  We are always running.  Everyone says that missionaries get tired at the end of the mission.  My companion missed that memo.

Love you guys!!  Have a great week! 
Elder Romm

July 20, 20011

Hey family!


So I got transfered this time. The Campo Comprido chapter of my mission is closed and now im in Paranaguá. A city a little east of Curitiba that is on the coast. Its pretty cool so far. The familiar smell of low-tide is pretty comforting =P I also met an Elder today that was in the mtc with Elder Trevor Lott! That was pretty cool too. Here its a lot hotter than Curitiba they tell me and so far it's true. I'm pretty sure that this is going to be my last área because Paranaguá is known as 'the place where zone leaders die.' I'm excited, my new comp is at the very end of his mission and he is super set on ending with honor so it's gunna be great. Elder Brown from Georgia. He's the Man.

Well I dont have very much to say about the people or the area yet because i've been here for about five hours but it looks like we have a lot to do and little time left to do it so we're gunna be pretty busy.

How are you guys? How has Brad done in his last couple competitions? I heard from one of the Elders say that when his buddy got home he had a brother in the mtc and the President of the mtc let him go and talk to him for like 45 minutes, maybe i can do that with Brad before he gets shipped off to the far places of the Earth. =]
Alright well, have a great week everybody. Pray for me so i can have the energy i need to keep up with this guy over here! haha!
Elder Romm

July 13, 2011

Dear Family,


It was so great to get all your e-mails! Thanks for remembering me! Holy smokes!! Taglog! I don't have a clue what that sounds like. The philipines will be and awesome experience, half the mission was waiting to know where Brad was going. I really hoped he would come here but the will of the Lord definitely trumps me.

This last week has been absolutely amazing. It seems like the work has done a 180 degree turn and now we are just doing awesomely. Yesterday was one of the best days i've had on my mission, it was a great birthday! We received about 9 references from the members this last week and they are all awesome people with real desire and potential and now we have a lot of hope. And it seems like the only thing that changed was our attitude, we just decided to have faith and then boom, instant blessings. I know it was because of the prayers of my family too, this was the first thing that came to my mind when these miracles started unfolding, so thank you! (keep it up!) =P

So today i cut my hair. The lady didn't blend the ridge. Shel knows how that makes me feel. When i got home i went to the bathroom and use a gillete razor and some cheep scizzors and i cut my own hair, and it actually worked out! I took some pics of it haha. My companion was laughing pretty hard. I guess i'm not 100% cured of my ocd but we're gettin there...
I saw some pretty sweet pics of waterslides and a super dark Bradley, i call fake tan!

Looks like a lot of fun! Did you guys film Brad opening his call? I'm so stoked for you Brad! You're the Man! I'm sure all those little people over there are love to have their very own giant! You may become more popular than you expect haha.


Well i love you all sooo much, thanks for all you guys do!

Have a great week!

Elder Romm

June 22, 2011

Dear Family,

Brad sent in his mission papers?  Whoohoooo!  So in about 3 weeks we'll know where he's going?  (Brazil for sure)

What date did he put as his availability date?  I found out this week that i will be home on the 28th of December this year...just a fun fact for y'all. ha.

Today we went to the temple, it was awesome.  I always love going there.  It seems like you wake up from the nightmare of your worries and just get a break.  everything is so much clearer!  I wish everyone could experience what that is like.

I also cut my hair in a different place than usual today.  A bunch of older women thought i was pretty cool being a foreigner and all.  My companion was listening to our conversation and just shaking his head.  I sure miss Shel's hair cuts.  They are killer.

Well this last week flew by again.  It seems like every other day I'm using the computer to send e-mails i don't really understand how that works.  We have a baptism marked for this Sunday.  Its a 10 year old boy who came with his mom to church for the first time this Sunday.  After the meeting he came running up to me and gave me a huge hug and said "Hey i wanted to be baptized with weekend alright?  Convince my mom!"  I had a good laugh about that.  We are going everyday to their house.  Its actually the grandson and daughter of Sister Nilza that had the stroke.  We are pretty determined in baptizing the rest of this family and it looks like the Lord is too.  Rivânia, the mom, has been praying and reading the book of Mormon for a while asking for an answer and she has received about 4 answers so far.  It drives us crazy because she simply doesn't want to accept it.  I have faith that this weekend she will be baptized with her son. 

It seems so simple to us missionaries.  We promised that if they read and pray about it then they will feel super good and will know that it is the Spirit confirming that its true.  Then it happens many times exactly as we said it would and then they still can't seem to accept it.  I have spent many hours pondering why that is exactly.  I was answered with my own example.  If you ask me what is right, i can tell you.  Maybe I can even show in the scriptures why it is right.  But to make it a part of who i am is a whole different story.  Unfortunately change is a little difficult.  Especially a change from carnal, sensual, and devilish to meek, humble and patient.  Things from the natural man side seem to stick a lot better than things from the spiritual side.  Why else do pornographic images endure a lifetime in our minds with perfect detail but we cant seem to memorize a certain scripture?  Only by the Holy Ghost is a change of heart possible.  When our very desires are changed then we can start to see some progress.  When we teach people and they feel the spirit this starts to change their desires.  Ultimately the choice is theirs if they prefer truth or apostasy but at least the answer they can't deny.  That is where i start to get emotional haha.  As Alma says there in Alma 13:27, i sometimes find myself desiring and exhorting so much that it hurts sometimes.  That's just part of the game.  While sometimes we have downs that seem to break a record in depth with every fall we also experience highs that can only come to those truly humble and penitent that seek happiness.  If sometimes we feel like things aren't going to great it, doesn't necessarily mean we are doing it wrong, it just means we haven't finish yet!  After all, the tree of life wasn't planted in the middle of the path, but at the very end of the iron rod.  No diligent effort goes unnoticed or unrewarded by the Lord.  That's been a phrase that has helped me out a lot this last week.  We actually had some great experiences just because we deemed it worth a shot!

Well i love you all and I'm so happy when i hear about the experiences you all have and the things you learn every week.  I'm sooo grateful for my family, there are lots of things that learn from you all.  Things that i took so long to recognise but just recently seem to have "clicked."
Have a great week hold firm to that iron rod!

With a ton of love -- like a surprising amount,

Elder Romm

June 15, 2011

Dear Family,

How goes it?  Sounds like everybody is starting the summer out very busy already!  Football camp and what not.  That's awesome.  This week was pretty slow for us.  With the cold weather we are finding that the hearts of the people are becoming pretty frigid as well.  We were pushed to our limits a few times this week.  Some serious progress was made haha.

We had one of our best progressing investigators sent us a message this week saying that they didn't want us to come back to their house again.  For no apparent reason.  This happened on a day where we spent the whole day walking and knocking on doors and being rejected.  I was pretty discouraged after this.  I started to let all those 'poor me' thoughts in and gave more attention to them than to the thoughts i knew i should have been thinking and following.  It was like i forgot what i knew.  I started asking a lot of questions.  Why is it so hard?  Why don't people accept the truth easier?  Why does it seem like Satan is always one step ahead?  Why are there so many people here and just a handful that are willing to follow Christ?  After about two hours of this we went home and i did the only thing i could think of doing.  I prayed and cried.  Then i went and started reading the Book of Mormon.  After a while one of the District leaders called and i started to talk to him.  I was joking around with him and told him that i had become less active.  We talked a little bit and he read me some scriptures and i was feeling a little better.  Then later that night i started to think about what i said about being less active.  That is literally what happened.  I had successfully taken about three great and spacious steps towards apostasy.  I realized how foolish i was.  It was like Satan threw sand in my eyes and then i just lowered my arms giving him as many free throat punches as he wanted.  I felt ridiculous.  I went into my room and begged forgiveness from Heavenly Father. 

Its been a slow climb back up the mountain after that fall but i have definitely learned my lesson.  If the enemy throws sand in your eyes in the middle of the battle and you cant see everything; you may not even know what to do, but if you remember whose side you're on and don't let your guard down you'll always come out on top.  The very next day our investigators called us and asked us to come over, it turns out that they had gotten into a fight with each other and one of them sent us that message just to make the other one mad.  They made up and felt very sorry for what they did and now are even more dedicated in making and keeping commitments with us.  The wife, who was pretty weak-sauce called us personally and promised that she would come to church this week.  And thus we see that the Lord works in mysterious ways to bring about the salvation of many souls. Alma 24:26-27 and 1 Nephi 8:5-6 Confidence!

Have a great week! i love you all!  Confia nele porque ele nunca nos desamparará.

More Pictures!!

June 8, 2011

Dear Family,

So we had transferences but i stayed here!  Yay!  I'll be here for a total of at least 6 months now.  I'm pretty stoked because this is like the best place to work.  Close to everything and because we are the zone leaders of the assistants we have access to all the good stuff first ha ha.  Elder Hann stayed too so we are pretty excited to work together for another transfer.  I've been here for a while so today i destroyed our house and moved everything around to try and get a new vibe going, we'll see how that works out.
It was pretty funny too because I've already said bye to everyone here in the area because i was certain that i would leave but now I'm gonna have to be like, surprise! i lied! ha ha.

This last week went by pretty quick. And this week is passing even faster.  We've had lots of opportunities to use the priesthood these last couple days and I've really been grateful for the experiences we've had.  We visited Sister Nilza that we baptized two weeks ago a gave her a blessing.  We had given her daughter that is taking care of her a blessing of comfort the other day and she told us about how ever since that night she hasn't felt the feelings of anguish or overwhelmed in anyway.  Also that she had a dream where she was wanting to be baptized and she was searching a searching for Elder Hann and I but she couldn't find us anywhere; she thought it was funny that she wanted us and not her pastor.  So did we.

There is a hymn that i have been thinking about lately, in Portuguese it's 'assombro me causa' but in English i don't know what it is.  Its a sacrament hymn.  One line in English that i love is where it says 'it is so wonderful that he should care for me, enough to die for me-'...Yes that one that your thinking of now.  I've been studying a lot about repentance and its pretty interesting.  First off you feel worse then the dirt beneath your shoes than later you feel so good that you think your shoes aren't even touching the ground.  I feel like i need to be so much better and feel like there's so much missing in my character but then i get on my knees and i hear a voice that says 'take it easy, you're a lot closer than you think, try again and you'll see!'  This tender mercy and millions others are given to me and all just because He cared enough and He loves us enough.  I remember playing video games before the mission.  That one Mario cart on the baby course on the Nintendo game cube.  Jared had made a record on that course that seemed impossible to beat.  Every time i started out i had to make the first corner so perfectly and couldn't leave any space at all or else i for sure wouldn't be able to beat it.  Whenever i messed up the action was automatic, 'start button - restart race'.  How cool would it be if that option was available in real life!!  As i turned on the replay 'ghost' from the high record time i could follow his line and measure how well i was doing in the race and judge my own status and how i was going along.  Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ these things are options to us in real life!  Christ came to earth and did everything perfect, he set the record for this life.  Showed us how to make the corners and evade the pitfalls, knowing it wasn't as easy as he made it look he gave us the restart option of repentance and baptism by immersion.  Then left us a guide, the Holy Ghost to show us exactly what line to follow and where to go.  And whats better yet is that he made it a team race!  He had to go it alone, but we have the support of our Bishop, Mom and Dad, and many others! 

I am so glad that i know these things are true.  With all my heart.  Of the billions of people that don't know it, i take peace in knowing i can say "I personally testify that it's true"  those are powerful words that have a powerful effect. 

I love you all sooo much and hope you guys have a great week!  Loves!

Elder Romm

June 1, 2011

Dear Family,

This week has started out a little rough.  The end of last week was pretty good, we baptized Nilza!  She is such a funny lil old lady. It was such a awesome experience to be able to teach her.  She suffered a stroke like 20 years ago and so she had problems walking and such but she is so sweet.  It was so hilarious when we taught her because ever since the first message we shared with her she recognized our message as pure truth. Never in one moment she doubted, its incredible.  She would always say funny stuff about her old Church's that she went to, like how they are all run by "the beast down below."  We laughed a lot.  She always told us that she had to get baptized asap because she was waiting to die. We always told her that surely it wasn't so.  We baptized her on Sunday afternoon and on Monday afternoon she suffered another stroke and has lost a lot of memory and ability to walk and talk.  She remembers that she was baptized and is telling her daughter and grandson that they have to be baptized before she goes and that she is just going to leave everything in the Lord's hands now.  

This is the second time in my mission something like this happened.  Its pretty difficult for her family now.  I feel so good that the members here have really stepped up to help them out.  They have all come together to buy things they need and volunteered to help with anything they need.  It all works out too perfectly to be just by chance.

Transfers are on the 8th of June, I'm not sure if i want to leave the area. It doesn't feel like I'm going to leave so we'll see what happens.  I've been studying a ton about repentance lately and I'm getting a little bit more of an understanding about our dependence upon the plan of redemption.  My responsibility and my purpose as a missionary is getting clearer everyday.  Sometimes it makes me a little frustrated that it seems like I'm the only one with the whole picture; but it drives me to always better myself at helping others fit together the pieces.  I love my job, its a rough one, but it is very, very needed.

I love you guys, I know the Lord is watching out for my family so be happy and don't let any blessing pass by unnoticed or unrecognized!  Enjoy them all!! (after all that's why we're here =P)

Love Elder Romm

May 25, 2011

Hey Family!

So i gave my talk this Sunday, i think it went well, i got super nervous because we have a huge ward but i was very sincere and humble so i think it worked out alright.

Your emails made me so happy!  It was so awesome to hear about all the nice things that were happening over there because of you guys!

This weekend we baptized Josiane's sister Mariana, it was awesome.  A very busy Sunday.

I would like to share with you guys a part of my talk, i wont be able to type everything  because i doubt i can remember everything i said and i wrote it in Portuguese and so idk if i can translate it correctly back into English =P 

The opportunities we have to serve are very sacred.  We are all children of our Father in Heaven and he trusted us to care for each other.  He is far away and wants his children to be happy.  That's why if we want to serve God, we serve our neighbor (mosiah 2:17).  It is by serving others that we strengthen our testimonies (alma 32:37) and become who we need to become.  As the Lord commands us in 3 nephi 27:27 we should become as He is,  and would there be any other way for us to do that than by following in the footsteps of he who "came to serve and not to be served"?...

...Early in my mission i learned that to serve we do not need ability nor talents but only desire.  Arriving in the mission field i discovered that i did not speak Portuguese.  That made preaching the Gospel very difficult. I talked and talked and talked and the people always looked to my companion and said "what did he say?"  I spent many hours praying that in some way i would be able to reach the people and tell them of happiness i experience because the Restored Gospel.  I couldn't tell them so i decided to show them.  I couldn't speak, but i could smile!  I smiled in all places and at all times, in the stores, on the road, in the houses, on the bus, i was always smiling.  Many times i was not sure what was going on but i sure was smiling.  And something happened, people stopped noticing my lack of Portuguese but the abundance of smile.  They started to ask "why is he always so happy?"  "whats he got that we don't?"  I then could fulfill my purpose as a messenger of the truth. 

I felt so good to hear about your service on to another.  I think i understand a little bit how Heavenly Father feels, I'm far away and can only do so much to help and when i heard about the nice little things you all were doing i could understand a little but more about the importance of our responsibility and opportunity to serve our neighbor.  Thank you all for your wonderful examples to me!
I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Elder Romm

May 18, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad,

This last weekend we baptized the deaf girl, it was really awesome.  She was baptized by the only other deaf member of the church in Curitiba and it was the first time this happened in our mission.  It was really cool.  I took some pictures but for some reason my adapter continues to be broken, i wish it would just fix itself already.

How has the visit been with all the little kids back at home?  Did you guys take some pictures to send to me? 

I have the assignment to speak this Sunday.  Its the third time i have to give a talk.  I was doing so well!  Every time it was time for the missionaries to speak i always got transferred.  I get to speak on how my testimony grows as i serve.  I don't know exactly how to prepare this one but I'll figure it out.  I'm a little nervous because these members in this ward are a little judgemental of the missionaries but if anything bad happens I'll use the "I'm foreign" excuse and it'll all work out.

I think there is a year and four month curse on the mission.  After last Friday I only have had dreams where I am in the airplane or I'm packing my bags or something extremely terrifying of the sort.  I think the spirit does this to keep you on your toes.  I'm not ready for this yet.

Have a great week and write me! 

I would like to ask something from you guys, i would like you all to write me your testimony this week and something nice you did for somebody, that would just make my month!

Love Elder Romm

May 11, 20011

Dear Family,

It was so great to talk to you guys this mother's day!  I don't know if that was the last time I'm gonna call or if I'll be home after Christmas but either way its just around the corner.

This past week we have been looking for a better way to meet people to teach.  We decided that when we knock on doors it seems like they always have the higher ground and can get away easier, so we took our battle to the streets and we discovered that they can't run very easily when we corner them!  Haha.  Its been interesting but we'll see if this new technique works out.

Thanks for the picture of Al's fish, i sent it to my President so he can suffer with me.

This weekend we have two baptisms marked, Josiane and Mariana.  I'm learning a lot of Brazilian sign language teaching Josiane, its pretty awesome.  But it gets pretty difficult when we start mixing three languages together. 

After Sarah told me about that huge bag of Swedish fish she bought i have dreamed every night that I'm eating Swedish fish.

Hey what is the name of that slushy from Taco bell that is mango and strawberry?  I was trying to describe it to my companion but i couldn't remember.  Do they still have it?

Oh and i hear that Steph is coming to visit, that will be fun, all the little'uns running around, Nammy's house will be the happening place. 

I'm looking forward to the next couple months, we have been challenged to be better and to look a little bit harder, walk a little bit more and use a little more faith to achieve the miracles and promises found in the scriptures.  One thing i noticed this last phone call is that if we're not talking about the gospel i don't have anything to say.  That's pretty weird but its true. 

Well i love you all more than you guys know, and I'm always thinking about ya'll.  Have a great week and do something nice for one another!

Love
Elder Romm

Pictures!!

May 4th, 2011

Mom and Dad,

Hey hows it goin?  Sorry about last week, our p-day was changed to Friday because of transfers. 

Happy Mothers Day!!!  What time on Sunday would be best to do the call for you guys?  For me its best whichever time after 2:00 my time.

Today we got to go to the temple and it was awesome but now I'm way tired and we didn't have time to take a nap.  Bah!  But it was definitely worth it so I shouldn't complain.

This last week was interesting, we had a conference with Elder Holland and Pres. Monson that was broadcasted in all of Brazil.  It was pretty intense. 

So my companion is awesome.  We discovered that we are like exactly the same person!  And since I am pretty vain and love myself we get along great!  Ha ha, that was a funny joke.  But really we have a ton in common, but he had a band before the mission so he's a little bit cooler than me, blast!

Yesterday we changed it up a bit and went to teach in a different area and it ended up being very successful.  We were 5 for 7 in knocking doors and here in Curitiba that is pretty flippin sweet.

Well my time is running out so I'm gunna have to go.  I don't want to give you to many updates because then I will run out of material for the phone call this weekend.  Elder Hann and I are practicing our English already so we don't make fools of ourselves.  It's actually pretty funny how bad we are at English.

Love y'all!
Elder Romm

I'll probably send an email with the number to call this Friday or so.

April 29, 2011

Hey Family!

So this past week has been rough.  I thought Easter would soften the hearts of the people to be more open to a message about Christ but I was so very wrong.  It seems like another tradition on Easter here involves large amounts of life destroying alcohol. And anybody can ask me and I will tell them that alcohol is exactly that, life destroying.  I've seen some stuff lately.

It turns out that i was right in my hunch that my companion would be transferred.  After a short 6 weeks I am with another companion!  This time he's a missionary I already knew very well.  Elder Hann!  I don't know if you guys remember but I talked about him a bunch in my first letters from when I got into the field.  He's from my group that came from the MTC.  He's from Arizona and he is a stud.  He has changed a lot since the last time a saw him a year ago.  He talks different and acts different and its like he's got fire in his eyes.  I'm pretty stoked.

I don't know if you guys remember about the deaf girl I talked about a few emails ago, but we taught her and her family again last night.  This time we had a young woman go with us that knew sign language so she could translate for us.  We had always felt the spirit very strongly when we taught this family but this only left us very confused because the family never made any progress but the lessons were always very edifying.  Last night we discovered exactly why.  We had to teach very slow and in the most simple language that we could.  Explaining every principle of the Restoration of the Gospel as clearly and basic as we could.  As we taught we felt and could almost see the spirit catching the words that came out of our mouths and thrusting them into the hearts of this family, especially Josiane who has a hearing problem.  I had never taught like that before and the spirit was extremely present.  I felt the greatest feeling of joy as I saw her understanding growing and how she accepted every truth we taught her so humbly and the joy that she showed in hearing and understanding the good news of the restoration.  She finally had the opportunity to express what she was feeling to us and to her family.  She told us about how she felt so different during all our lessons, that she felt the love of God during our lessons but she didn't know why.  She explained that the same feelings she had had during the other visits she was feeling again.  I took the opportunity to explain to the family that what she was feeling and what they were feeling was the Holy Ghost testifying that everything we taught was true and good.  My companion started to testify and he talked with a different tone in his voice.  It was like the voice of an apostle giving warning and declaring that Joseph Smith was called as a Prophet of God and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is exactly what it is, the only true and living church who's power, guidance and authority comes directly from the mouth of the Savior.  Nobody in that moment could deny it, I knew it was true and I know Josiane knew it.  She accepted to be baptised.

I am sooo happy that I have been baptised by someone having authority!  I am so happy that I have to right to the company of the Holy Ghost!  I am so grateful that I know what that means and that because of this knowledge I know exactly who I am, where I came from, why I'm here and where I'm going.  I am so grateful for the atonement and for knowing that despite all my errors may be as scarlet they may be white as wool because of the Savior.  And I'm even happier that I get to share this with others!  Especially my Family!  I love you guys! Every single one of you! 

Big Hugs
Elder Romm

April 13th, 2011

Hey Mom and Dad,

This past weekend we had Sanderson's baptism, it was really awesome, lots of people were cryin and all that good stuff.

My companion and I are starting to understand one another in our teaching and we are starting to teach a little bit better together now so that is good.  This is probably a sign that one of us will be transferred because that just seems to happen a lot.  We have been teaching a family with two girls who really want to be baptized and we found out this week that the parents don't have anything against them being baptized this next weekend.  That was definitely a tender mercy from the Lord because one of these girls was living with her grandma and her grandma is not a big fan of ours.  But this week she moved back to her mom's house and her mom loves us.  Score for Jesus!

Today we had a training that we gave to our Zone.  We assigned missionaries who don't have a lot of time on the mish to give the trainings and they rocked the house.  These missionaries that are arriving in the field now a days are at least three times cooler than i am!  Today we learned that true and complete joy is only achieved in and through Jesus Christ and his gospel.  And if you want to experience it you either have to share it or share it, then share it again.  Missionary work exists not only for us to help others receive salvation; its to help us receive salvation.  I gave a training about how we can recognize the spirit and how we can recognize his whisperings.  I definitely learned more than the other missionaries did but that's alright.  I shared a few experiences that we've had these past few weeks.  One was when we were teaching a lesson about the plan of salvation to a family where one of the daughters is deaf.  We taught with power and authority and testified of the blessing of the Resurrection and how that they could be an eternal family through the Restored Gospel.  After and during the lesson everyone was very quiet and a great peace filled the room.  Then the girl with the hearing problem looked at me with her eyes wide open and started to show me the goose bumps on her arms and pointed upwards towards the heavens and then pointed to her heart and let out a deep breath nodding her head and smiling.  She didn't understand a word we said, but the Spirit testified to her in her heart that what we were saying was true and good and she could feel the presence of the spirit.  I don't speak her language but the spirit does, i wish i knew sign language so i could ask her exactly what she was feeling and what she understood. 

I'm excited for Brad and Jess.  You guys are going to embark in the service of your God.  Where you will work side by side with angels and the holy ghost.  It is impossible to take part in this work without having spiritual experiences that also uplift us, leave life-long impressions and that strengthen our faith in Christ as our Savior.  Christ lives and he is very much involved and ever present in our lives and this is His church and gospel, and its here to help us if we let it.

I love you guys!  Spread the love!

Elder Romm
(I wanted to send pics but I think my adapter thing is broken)

April 6th, 2011

Mom and Dad,

Wasn't conference awesome?  It's seriously the best time for a missionary.  I could watch conference all the time! In fact, I'm watchin it right now! haha.   We have also had leadership trainings this whole week so I'm feeling so uplifted i just don't know what to do with myself!

I thought it was very funny how much Pres. Monson and the apostles kept burning the young men who aren't getting married.  The other American elders and I had some good laughs.  We would just like to comment that some of us are still on the Lord's errand and everyone needs to just hang on a sec!  Hah.

We have a baptism this weekend, he is a stud.  An example of somebody who lived in the world for a long time but managed to really hold it together and follow many important commandments until we got to him.  His wife is a less active but wanting to come back.  He is an occupational therapist and works with mentally challenged children.  He has got a ton of patience. 

We are really going to be looking for some miracles in these next coming weeks,  we've been taught a lot about faith in these trainings and about how we can really work miracles in this work.  We have some people with very hard hearts and very strong addictions that we need to help.  But i really believe its gonna work out. 

When we choose to believe we really open a lot of windows (of Heaven).  I walked out of the church after watching general conference and after feeling so strongly that spirit and the absolute peace that i was carrying with me i started to look at the people on the streets and the thought came into my mind, the world has no idea what they have just lost.  I can't deny that what i felt was power of the holy ghost testifying to me that it all is true.  And if i decided not to accept the Book of Mormon as truth or the Prophet as a man called of God the spirit would never ever be able to give me this confirmation and that peace of mind, sureness in my heart, would not have ever arrived to me.  Our testimony is the most precious thing we have, and its something we can share with everyone!

Be Happy, Love you guys, have a great week!
Elder Romm

March 30, 2011

Hey Mom and Dad,

So a few more days until General Conference!  Woohoo.  I have always loved general conference but I think on the mission I've really acquired a more profound love for these 4 days of the year.  It's good stuff.

So this last weekend we baptized Carlos!  It was awesome, one of the best baptisms I've had on the mission.  He was very prepared.  And he's a hilarious kid.

Sometimes I wish I could have a camera always filming what happens during the day.  I always have very interesting experiences, experiences that make me chuckle when I think back upon them but that were very painful or difficult in the moment.  Like how my companion guesses the weather and is always wrong, or when we meet crazy people to teach.  That movie the best two years should have been filmed in Brazil and it would have turned out a little more like Nacho Libre.  I think when I get back I'll hire Jack Black to play my role and make a movie.

Brad remember how you used to flex and ask me to punch your muscles to show me how strong you were and I would give it to ya right in the jugular?  Well I told my companion and my ward mission leader about that and they about wet themselves.  I wanted to apologize btw for all those throat punches.

Love you guys!  Have a nice weekend!

Elder Romm

March 23, 2011

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today we went to the temple and it was awesome.  I love going to the temple.  The only hard thing about it is that eventually you have to leave =/

Looks like we are gunna baptize this weekend, we are only waiting for the 'okay' from the mom.  I hope everything works out.  His name is Carlos and he is 16 and reminds me a LOT of Jess.  Very strange.  I always get trunky when we teach him. 

So Brad its official, you can finally tell people your older brother is now more afraid of you than of dinosaurs.  And if people say that dinosaurs aren't scary you tell them that its just because they've never seen one.  I'm pretty sure i have, and it wasn't as scary as you are.

Me and my companion are getting along well, he's very OCD.  I'm not so OCD anymore so its pretty entertaining to watch him.  I just laugh and say "you're sucha noob."

I've been studying a lot of old conference talks and I was wondering why the heck I didn't catch all this good stuff when I listened to them 3 years ago.  There was one that I liked a lot that talked about the plan of salvation by Richard G. Scott.  I never really had thought about the plan of salvation in such a way.  Usually when I studied the plan I could only see the part about condemnation if we neglected our probation but he showed how it really is much happier.  And there was another one that talked about remembering patience with ourselves and remembering who we are.  I think it was the April 2006.

Well my time is already gone, just wanted to say that I love y'all and hope everybody is happy.  I'm gonna send some pics before my time runs out, loves!!

Elder Romm