Life-long Delta Customer
Hey friends! Another uneventful week here in Missão Guarulhos but that doesn’t mean it was a bad week. Most of this week we spent with/ helping Ika as he gets ready to move back to the states.
Before we get into this email, did you do last week's challenge? No? That’s okay. I'm not mad, just a little disappointed. You can try again this week!
Até Mais, Ika (this section is long but he deserves it)
This was Ika's, the American in the ward that works for Delta, last week living in Brazil. In case I haven’t glazed him enough, he's actually the best person in the world. Lemme run you through the week with him.
Monday was p-day and we spent all day at his house; eating a ton, talking a lot, playing guitar. It was so much fun. He showed me the back end of Delta logistics for all of South America, which was sick, and casually offered me an internship lol. Casual side quests out here. He also sent us to go buy drinks for lunch and we may or may not have gotten lost in his apartment complex. How many Elders does it take to find a market? More than 4 for sure.
Wednesday he got us lunch. We were supposed to have lunch with a member but that fell through an hour before. Within 30 minutes Ika had a four course meal on his table for us. We walked in and he said “I have no clue what half this is but enjoy” and then continued to say he had to go to work but we could stay however long we wanted. Casual. My comp and I finished eating, cleaned his apartment and dipped. Wednesday night he had us over AGAIN because why not. He fed us MORE food, of course, and we definitely broke curfew… but it's okay because it's our last week with him.
Thursday we went over in the morning but, this time, for a service project. It was move out day for him and he started packing about 20 minutes before we got there (just like me fr). We spent a few hours packing all his things and hanging out. It might have been like 40% packing, 60% hanging out but… shhh. He also gave us a good chunk of his belongings because he didn't want to pack them. We literally went shopping in his apartment. We got things for the kitchen, water bottles, (american) snacks, souvenirs, ties, and so much more.
Sunday he had me take his headshot to update his Delta profile lol. We are supposed to have lunch and film a video with him today which is going to be fun.
In the end, Ika has been the definition of Christ-like. He has shown me what it's like to have perfect Christ-like love and charity. I aspire to be like him. He has had a massive impact on my life and, although he gives us a lot, the biggest impact has been mentally intellectually, and spiritually.
Divisões
I had two exchanges this week. Honestly nothing special but it's something to write about. Wednesday my comp and I were supposed to go to the office for a meeting but, Tuesday night, at 10:25pm, my ZLs got a phone call from the Assistants to President (APs): “Elder Urbano is going to stay in Guarulhos and go on an exchange with Allen.” My ZLs shot that down really quick (Allen is another new missionary from the states that knows about as much Portuguese as me). It was funny watching my ZLs tell the APs how bad of an idea that was and the APs giving up and hanging up. Wednesday morning I woke up and found out that instead of being with Allen they were sending me to a different zone for a 6 hour exchange.
The exchange was actually pretty good. We had the most successful day I have had on my mission and Elder Santana was pretty cool. He's Brazilian so I fumbled together some conversations with him throughout the day. He blindsided me in a few lessons by saying “my companion will talk about…” and I had to piece together a lesson on the spot. The Gift of Tongues went crazy during those moments.
Saturday I went on an exchange with my ZL, Elder Bingham, who is definitely a role model to me. He is a good missionary but even better dude. We had a pretty slow day work wise (we did mark a date though) but the day flew by so fast. We yapped a lot. I told him stories about BYU and my friends (shout out all y'all, love ya) and gave him advice about college since he will be starting at BYU-I next year. He is planning on transferring to Provo when I get back so that’s going to be a party. He gave me some mission advice but we mainly told each other stories all day and bonded. It was so fun and nice to just talk with someone for hours while walking. At the end of the day we played guitar together which I love doing.
Random
I took my first ride on an ônibus and holy goodness the drive those things like they are rally car drivers
I opened Duolingo for the first time since week 2 of the CTM and skipped 72 units of Portuguese.
Saw a Team USA plane fly over
We had Stake Conference this week
I got a Rubik’s cube (finally)
I drink at least 6 liters of soda a week
Passed some road cows
I got the biggest hug from my mission president
We had family night with a young couple from the ward and played Cover Your Assets. Let's just say it got intense at the end and I had the most epic comeback. Wish you could've been there. The husband also made homemade pizza and desert pizza. I need to be able to cook as well as he does.
I have listened to 102 General Conference talks since I got set apart in August
Vocab
Exchange (Divisão) - spending the day with a different companion (usually with a leader) for more training and to learn from each other
Date - day someone will get baptized
Stake - a group of wards (congregations) in an area
General Conference - A semi-annual conference (first weekend in April and October) where leaders of the Church teach and speak about various topic
Quotes
Flashback: “You know… like *flaps his arm like a bird*” [Elder Johanson, 9/13/2025] “I know the word bird.” [Holanda, 9/13/2025]
“...it's going to be hotter where you are going after what you just said to the sisters.” [Elder Johnson, 10/26/2025]
God's Hand
Gift of Tongues
He gave me my family. A loving supporting family.
Emails from friends on long days
The kind heart of Ika and him being ready to help when we need it
RAINNN
Spirit Studies
This spiritual thought is going to be formatted a little differently than what you are used to but it's good. Trust.
This week a lot of the talks I listened to were centered around friendship. My thoughts were drawn to the impact that people have had on me, my true friends. I truly believe those true friends, that helped me progress on the path back to our Heavenly Father, were sent by Him to help me. A General Conference talk titled “True Friends” by then Elder Henry B. Eyring, from April 2002, discusses that your example and love will be remembered and lift someone's soul forever. I have a testimony that people are put in our lives to have an impact on us, and likewise we are put in other people's lives to help them.
As I continued to listen to the talk my attention was grabbed by two friends we can always have with us. Christ and the Holy Ghost. We are taught to love his disciples, one of the Great Commandments, and in turn he loves us. As we keep his commandments we are his friend. We are also promised that he watches over those that struggle as friends would.
Elder Eyring followed up by inviting us to be an example of being a disciple of Christ. He explained that you can do this by; feasting upon the words of Christ, having the companionship of the Holy Ghost, being obedient, and testifying. When it comes to the last point, he taught to testify simply. Testify of Christ.
So that's what my studies this week surrounded. The effect a true friend can have and what you can do as a true friend. I know people can change your life and you can change others. I know Christ is our friend and loves us as a friend and more.
Challenge
Sit with someone that is sitting alone, make them see they are loved, be their friend and show them what it means to be a child of God and disciple of Christ.
Until next p-day, and guess what! I'll have TRANSFER NEWS! I'm almost done with one transfer… infinity more to go. Email me! I know you want to :) brandon.urbano@missionary.org
Muito amor,
Elder Urbano
