3/9/2015

This week has been fun, and a lot of work but that what I am here for! And I love working! One thing is that I love being the district leader’s companion. Because I get to meet all the soon to be baptisms. These people are the best, because they just have the spirit working so hard on them to go to the light, it’s amazing. They just know the best questions, and you can watch the spirit teach them for you.

 Also I love resent converts. Because they know what has happened to them, they have the great change of heart and remember what a gift and blessing from God there baptism was. They know and can see the difference in their life’s from when they didn’t have the spirit constantly with them, to now when they have the spirit as there companion. Its amazing to see and is an extra example for me. Sometime I forget how much the lord has blesses me, so I am working harder to remember that in my life now. It doesn’t matter how one simple day goes, you have thousands of them, and as long as you spend them with a loving heart and an eye single to the glory of God, it was a day well spent. And no matter who you are, what back ground you have or what you did or didn’t do, God loves all of his children. 

With the language, people are still super confused when I try to explain things or say something I haven’t said 500 times, ha-ha, but I can do things that they ask me to do!! I understand them enough now so that one member can ask me to get something or do something or change something and I can do the right thing! Ha, little victories make my day really happy! 

For solid investigator, we have Jezely, she is the ….almost wife of our last baptism, she just need to be get the witness from the spirit and she will be baptized. And a lot of new people that we only taught a few times, and always finding more! 

Well that all I got, that I remember at this moment. Till next week

3/2/2015 hard week

First the bad, then the good. 

No one likes the hard week, when everything doesn’t work out. This week, was hard, we work our butts off. Knocked so many doors, taught so many lessons, and by Saturday we had no one to take to church, everyone said they didn’t want to hear our message right now, and I just felt like I was failing. The only hope we had was a man and is soon to be wife, that we only teach once a week( and this week we couldn’t because they were out) and they said they would go to church, but they would have to go by them self.( we couldn’t walk them to church).

 But this is where God showed me faith and enduring to the end is very important. They really did come to church!, and the man ( Uelim said like William) said he wanted to be baptized, and I got the great opportunity to baptize him, and it was one of the most spiritual moments of my life. I got to feel a little of the joy God feels when one of his lost children come back to him. I got to share with this man, the power of God to cleanse people of their sins. It was the best feeling I could ever think of! So remember this, even in the hardest  times, in the worse weeks, when people reject you, there is always Christ, and God that love you, and knows what you need and what will make you better. And God knows how to make a wonderful experience even better. I KNOW God loves us, I know he knows us better then we know ourselves. I don’t know when a better time that baptism could of happen to me, and I know that was God plan. There will always be a rainbow after the worse storm, God will always give you the blessing exactly when you need it. 

1/15/2015

So I didn’t write yesterday, sorry. I was in the main city of my mission Vitoria to get my papers finalized so I can live here and not worry if a police coming up to me, because now they can’t deport me! ya! ha-ha so other than that it been a really good week, we had a lot of investigator come to church, a lot of them little children but that’s still great! They stay and after some asked me (because they all want to learn English when I want to learn Portuguese) how to say in English they liked church this morning. That made me feel good! 

I talked in some lessons this week! granted it wasn’t long and didn’t make much sense to the people, but I did it, I need to get over the ‘ I don’t know the language so I’m not going to speak’ because the only way we can learn is by trying to do it!  though, not to blow my own horn or anything, I’m getting pretty good at prayers that make sense, because in every meeting and in every lesson people always ask me to pray (or if they ask someone else they say I give good prayers. I don’t know how to say, I said a prayer one hundred times today) but it’s good, I need every opportunity to talk to my father in heaven, prayer is so important in my life right now. Its crazy to think about. I pray all the time, in my head or out loud. And I know that is what keeps my spirits up most of the days here. The peace and love you get from a prayer is so awesome. I love it. 

Conversation with other missionary that don’t speak English are getting longer, and my companion, that is learning English, when I trying to describe a word, I can say the word (sometimes) in English, (thou he is really good at English right now). So progress! 

Today, I just want people to remember to pray in their hearts. It is -probably my favorite type of prayer right now. Because you just talk you can just let all your worries and all or your stress and all of your joy and everything flow and go to God. And he will give you peace, joy, and blessing untold. I promise that! You are important to God. So keep a prayer in your heart at all times, because, that keep God in your heart at all times. 

Well lessons, I am starting to understand some. Still working on that. I know that they are really trying, and some of the quietest people, you can see it the messages touch them the most. Hopefully we can get all of them to come back to church next week, and get baptized! Woot! Well, I sure I forgot stuff, but I think that all for this week! 

Love you all a bunch! Pray always! And enjoy insanity and peace! 

Elder Cody McKay Hendrickson

New years (January) 2015

Well it is 2015, and I realized I will be in Brasil all year! ya me! So I been wondering why I been so hot this whole time I been here, and dead tired when I get home. Well my companion told me it is been 38-45 C, which means 100 to 115 F, with humidity, and it getting hotter! But its all good. I’ll live. They have told me that there is an area in our mission that gets in the 50s C (which is around123s F) with humidity. So ya! I not in the hottest area! 

Other than that, my week been good, lot of meals, and lot of lessons, I think I am starting to understand some of the lessons and what people say, but I still got a way to go before I am able to understand everything. Speaking is super rough, I don’t know how I am ever going to speak well, but missionaries from the US have done it before so I going and give it my all. 

Oh and I like their new year here, they all wear white all day, to be like ‘this is a new me’. That’s cool I think!

And I’m loosing weight here, I am now less then I was back at home! So MTC fat-gone, Chicago fat-gone! yep yep, doing good! 

I love the bakery here, they have freaking amazing sweet breads, and fruits, and fruit drinks.

But candy, not so great here. I am sad about one thing. It hasn’t rained yet, I want it to rain! Because they say it is so heavy rain they get completely soaked like they jumped into the river, and I could use a swim right now. Ha-ha. Anyways. That’s about it.

Just going with the flow, learning alot

Elder Hendrickson 

you can email cody at      cody.hendrickson@myldsmail.net

or mail at :

Elder Cody Hendrickson

Avenida João Baptista Parra, 633
Salas 1501/1502
Edf. Enseada Office, Praia do Suá
29052-123 Vitória - ESBrazil

Christmas 2014

Hello everyone!! It is great to talk to you! It feels like forever sense I been on a computer to write you guys! Brasil is beautiful! So amazing. Always hot- I sweat even when I sleep! I will not have a white Christmas; it’s actually the hottest time of the year now! Coming here is a super humbling experience, I can’t speak with people and I can barley understand them if they talk really slow. But you know what they say when you hit rock bottom, you only can go up from there. I have a great companion; he is going home though so I get another one next transfer.  People here are really nice I got a coconut for free! And drank it then and there, with a dissembled pen ha-ha. And again it is beautiful. I hope you are all doing well! I’m surviving so far, all of the Brazilian think because I am American I am "like glass" which is probably true

compared to them. Have an awesome week

From Brasil. Your "little" Cody 

So this week was good, Christmas and just getting into the swing of missions here in brasil. They are different then the USA missions. Still really hot, still no rain, I want it to rain, because everyone says that rain here is so crazy thick and I want to see that! I getting more relaxed too! (If you can believe that) just learning to go with the flow of the people. They are not rushed at all. So I am in the city, Linhares it’s by Vitoria, but I can’t see the ocean... But I know I will get an area by the ocean eventually.Your "little" Cody

Some other things Cody told us on Christmas are that their apartment is very humble, there are 7 missionaries living there and they only have cold water. Which he says is not that bad because it is so hot there the cold shower is a nice thing. His companion speaks English and Portuguese  so that is a tender mercy for him. I think not speaking Portuguese  for a month right after learning it really kicked his butt so it is hard relearning it when the native Brazilians speak so fast. But he says it is getting better, he’s catching words and sometimes sentences and has his companion to help fill in the pieces he misses. He says the Brazilian people are super nice – which is a nice thing for this mommy to hear! 

Well I just want to thank you all for your love and prayers and support of my sweet ‘little’ Cody.    Lora

Last week in Chicago !

So this will probably be the last time I write from Chicago, or North America! Next Monday is the day I fly to Brazil! So ya! I super excited and nervous, I hope I didn't forget too much of Portuguese! Ha
oh well we will see when I get down there!
So here in Chicago is still going good, we got another investigator this week, she is so awesome! She invited the missionary over because she said " God poked me and told me they have something you need" so
ya!!!!!! Freaking awesome! I love it when God prepares people like that! So she is so excited to learn and the next lesson she want to bring all here kids. Life pretty good. Still struggling with getting people to church on Sunday, but that the struggle of all missionaries.
Didn't have to bible bash this week! Super happy about that. And our original Jehovah whiteness investigator said he is reading the Book of Mormon now! So all well that end well ( he moving to Hawaii( or just a trip, but he says he not coming back) so when I leave he is leaving
Chicago too!) Oh and also this week coming up I get to go to the Chicago temple!
Because I am leaving and I wanted to, I miss the temple. the Mtc I
went ever week, so I excited. Still don't know if I going straight to
Vitoria or to the Ctm in Brazil. Haven't got the final flight planes.
We well see where I get to spend Christmas! It like a present!
Having fun in the cold, waiting for the warmth!
The "little" Cody Hendrickson

12/1/14

So this week has been good. Thanksgiving was great. It was probably the

most food I have eaten from the time I was at the MTC, oh such a good
food. With the Preeces (yes he is the son of the Kathy Preeces in my ward!)
He is so cool, and his wife and kid are so nice. Anyways we are
still talking to our investigators. We still haven't been able to get
them to church because the mom has had legs surgery and she can't walk
there, she doesn't want them walking there by them self. But we have a
plan now of how we can get them there! There is a member that lives
close to them and he has a car that he is willing to pick them up! So
yea! We have another one that was doing well but he brought another
Jehovah whitness man there that only wanted to bible bash and tell us
how Jesus has already come and they know it was 1914... When the bible
says no one know the day or the time that the son of God will come
again not a man on earth or an angel in heaven... that’s in Mathew,
chapter 24 verses 36-40 ish. And also they could answer where the
other book of Joseph was. Man, it’s crazy sometimes and I am bad at this.

Because I want to bashed right back. I need to work on that. But I will calm down next time I promise. I like it here weather wise it been nice for Saturday and Sunday. It still freakishly cold here so much colder than Utah. It goes through all of my clothes and you put layers on just so you don't get frostbite all over. Super great man got baptized his name is Samuel, he was in the darker part of life and he decided one day to not serve the devil and to serve God. Thats when he found the missionaries (that day) and he’s super good. Read the whole book in like a week. Its so good to see the people that God has prepared. God loves his children, and will lead them, to understanding in the time he knows they will understand and follow. I would love to hear from you guys! So that’s all I can think of, Have fun!

From your 'little' Cody
Elder Hendrickson 

chicago 11/24/14

Hello! This week was good! Well it was so cold Tuesday! And Wednesday
and Thursday, Friday was good and Saturday and Sunday was warm! Like
fifty. It nice! Amm teaching wise we have a few people that are
really strong and wanting to go to church and get baptized, but I need
to find them rides, because the mom just had leg surgery. And they
live in a kind of sketchy neighborhood. And another guy that we are
just meeting, he is good man but has some deep devotion to the bible
and his church. But I got him interested in reading the Book of
Mormon! It is so cool. Because we showed him the two sticks one of
Ephraim and of Judah. It caught his eye. And he promise to read it so
we'll see.
We been haven a bit of fun too here. We when to a south part of
Chicago Saturday and walk about for a little bit waiting for the train
to go to a baptism. No collectables shops on that side sadly but I
still got some time to look up at the sky scrapers! They are so tall I
can't even to believe that people would do that! It crazy, oh the
newies and a bunch of cool shows are showing in Chicago theaters that
I wish I could see but, oh well.
Oh I got my plan tickets for Brazil a few day ago! It on the 15 of
December so ya I will be in Brazil for Christmas! Yay me, I hope I
haven't forgot a lot of what we learned in the MTC for the language.
We will see when I get there! Ha-ha. Doing well, here in Chicago and
loving and sharing the good word, and hoping they want to hear it! Oh
and I have already seen the Christmas YouTube video the church is
sending out and it is awesome! You should watch it when you can! So
good.
Here a few thing I am grateful for. My family, my friend back at home,
my companion, clean water, and the temple, the Holy Ghost, and Christ
love for all of us, I glad for people and their natural way of wanting
to be kind and talk to one another, and the people that are stronger
then me and living in places and that I could hardly images. This
time, take a moment out of your busy life to be thankful for the
little thing and the people in your life and thank god and all the
people that change your life. The church is true
your "little" Cody

First week in Chicago! 11/17/2014

Hello everyone!
So I’m in the Windy City right now and it is cold! I’ve been wearing three
layer every time I go outside! In the past week it been in the 30 for
highs and teen to single digits for lows, and it snowed a couple times
this week! So a little different then Brazil! Ha-ha oh well. I’m doing
really good here, I have an awesome companion and we have a family that
wants to get baptized by the end of December. Also we are re-activating
a few member as well in the area (it is really hard for these people to
get to church because it so far away and most people I am teaching
don't have cars.)
Something cool is I can see the Sears tower from my bed room window.
Sadly we walk and ride buses everywhere we go so we can't get very
many houses in one day. But we still can get to three of four people
in a day. This city is big! And the main downtown area is so tall!
With some awesome building and art pieces, which is out of my area
sadly. But all is well so my mission right now is the south side. I
have China town in my area and a lot of diversity in my area.
Also I do not like technology because my iPad works... But it is not
loading different aps and it is so slow! I might be getting a
different one in a few days... Oh well when I go to Brazil I won't
have to worry about that stuff. Super cool people in this area,
ya!, from "little" Cody

Nov 4 1014

Hello people of the world!

This week was pretty fun. I’m on my last week here at the MTC, it’s really weird to think that I am leaving next week. Because it feels like I have been here forever!!! And for no time at all! It’s weird. I love hosting (it is where we help the new missionary in to the MTC from the curb to his/her room) and I get to do it again this week .

My first zone leaders left this week, they were the best. They really helped us get comfortable here and helped us feel good about everything. They were awesome! They got re assigned, they will be great missionaries. 

A lot of people get there visas and flight plans to head off to their mission. It super fun seeing where everyone is flying, and how long the flights are, it’s crazy. 

Today I had a cheese bagel, I like eating cheese bagels. I Have a bagel almost every morning because the breakfast are not very good here. Though all of the meals here aren't very good. Oh well, not important.

My companion got his visa to go to Brazil. He is super excited. Actually everyone but the people going to Vitoria got their visas. But I haven’t so I got re assigned for now.

One of my roommate really hurt his ankle. It not bad enough to stop him from going to his mission right away. But it is all bruised up! It almost looks like frost bite. It’s pretty cool. He is still walking on it. 

Anyway, I have had my fun making you wait, I got re assigned to serve in the Chicago mission. I am super excited! This will be so cool, but I’m still hoping my visa to Brazil  comes soon!!

OK bye!

Your "little" Cody

Oct 28, 2014

Hello,  So I am in Brazil now, its cool here, don't understand what most people are saying, and this building is HUGE. A few days ago I was out on the streets and they were telling us how to just talk to people and give the book of Mormon. So I was trying it, this guy was talking and I really wasn't understanding... apparently he really wasn't interested... I understood that when the knife can out. I said sorry, I think in English and ran away. Just kidding I’m still in Provo, but that would be cool wouldn't it!  My visa is not here yet, its all good, maybe next week. A few more people got theirs, but I didn't check. Really, state side or Brazil, I’m happy to server were ever the lord wants me to. Other than that my week was pretty normal. It depends on the day, or even the hour if I can speak Portuguese or not. Which I would say is frustrating for my companion and me. Cool thing that happened, the  70 that spoke Portuguese at general conference,  he came to Provo and spoke to us. He spoke in English, but wasn’t good at it, which comforted me because I was being hard on myself for not speaking well yet and he was an extremely powerful speaker and still struggled with the language. So it was nice for me.  He forgot a scripture he was going to say and, then he just laughed and said, see even a general authority messes up which was super comforting.     In other news, I love the temple, it an amazing place! And in the temple the veil is super thin! I would say everyone should go there more often. Do some initiatory in the temple. I have a new friend on the other side now because of them. It was so amazing, during the speech, the temple worker stopped, because I was feeling so nice, and said, “sometime  they are allowed to come down and see there ordinances done”, and I just felt the man hug me.. It was indescribable feeling of joy! and I will never forget how happy he was to have me do work for him. oh and I love giving blessing!!! They bring the spirit so strong!! The blessing was from one of the sister missionaries. and I didn't know anything to say so I just open my mouth and the blessing came out and I had no clue what I was saying but it was said and it made me feel amazing.   All is well, or tudo bem, in Portuguese. The hard part of the MTC is making it through the days, week fly, it almost been a month I been in here and I leave 13 days under two week. Which is crazy because I fell like I just got here, and I been here for way longer, it hard to describe. Anyways, till next week.           Your "little" Cody.

Oct 21 2014

So this week has been pretty fun! Not to say there wasn't any hard times ,but over all good. Tuesday when we went to the Provo temple the funniest thing happen, we lost an elder in the temple! So we were going though and they forgot him in one of the rooms, and he just sat there for 45 minutes! Ha-ha. It was beautiful because I could sooo see this elder just sitting there completely happy twitting his thumbs!

Teaching in our language is getting easier. Today I had another first visit with an investigator and we both didn't have notes just had our scriptures. Which is super amazing! For me at least, there is a few people that is almost know Portuguese already (but there like the Italian, and elder Jones who knows French). So I proud of myself. 

On Sunday I didn't have to speak but my friends did a musical number (elder Jones can play the piano like a master, and elder Chitano can sing, he is Italian.) and it was so beautiful! In the lesson for priesthood our teacher gave us a perspective of how we small we are, and how amazing it is that God loves every single one of us. 

My ear is getting better and I can speak, sounding like a cave man, to people. I pull my teachers a side a couple time to have them explain a few thing. And that really helped me learn what I needed to do more.

Well that about it for this week, love you all. If you have question, comments, concerns, complements, quibbles or quotes you have for me send away!

From your "little" Cody 

Oct 14 Oh life is fun!!

So mom you asked a LOT of questions so I answer them first. My compenarho (companion) is named Elder Didrikson, he from Smithfield UT and he awesome! Super chill and funny. Oh so funny story, we were teaching an investigator (fake) and we both had on pink ties. So he asked us if we were gay!! We said no but then he went on to point out we live together, are wearing matching clothing and we are all way together....so yeah... he later turned out to be my new teacher. So now we have two teachers... and two new investigators. Remember that all this conversations and in Portuguese. Its slow coming for the Portuguese, or it just feels like it. I can understand it well, but it’s hard to form sentences. And spelling is almost impossible for me! 

I got the package!! It was sooo good, thank you. . No word on visa, our branch president said we should not talk about the visa, because they will come in God’s time. P-days are like Christmas every week!! Typical regular day is -wake up study, eat breakfast, lesson, then study, eat lunch, lesson then study, gym, eat dinner, study, teach the gospel in Portuguese to our investigators, study, go back to the bedroom, study, go to sleep.. Every day.  I miss home life but it’s all good, I’m having fun and loving life.

Callie and josh, I am so happy for you that you are loving Naomi!! I know she is in good hands. I miss you guyS so much. My roommate got sick of me telling them I was an uncle and showing her picture every time they started talking about families! 

Oh and Nanny, I have an Italian roommate, he is amazing man with a great conversion story. He reminds me of you nanny so much, and make my day so much happier every time I think, 'that was said like my grandmother!". 

Well that is all for now, love you guys!!!

 Your "little" Cody 

(First email) Oct 7th – we had just written him that baby Naomi was born 3 days after he left

The night before Cody left for the MTC

3 days later!

Hey guys, that is so exciting!!!!!!!! She is so beautiful! Oh I can’t wait to see her. I so happy for you Josh and Callie! You guys will be amazing parents. My time here has been hard, and I won’t lie, its hard to keep my feet under my head sometimes. In the past week I have taught two discussion in Portuguese, every day they have taught us in Portuguese for our language class. And every Sunday, we have to write a talk (3-5 min) in Portuguese for church. We might not have to give it the president just chooses in church. I have been stressed. But I have also had some times where I have been super happy and felt great. So I’m still kicking and hoping that the Lord will pull me though this. I love you all so much. Miss you mom, and dad. And I miss my big brother. But I still think this is where I need to be. It been shaky at time but the Lord gives me glimmers of hope and love for what I need to do. I miss my nanny too. We have an Italian boy living in my room! He is so funny and remind me for nanny so much with the way he says thing and the jokes that are funny to him, I miss you guys and love you so much. Tell little Naomi that her uncle loves her and is so excited to come back and see her. But I have a calling and a work to do. 

Well until next week your "little" Cody. I love you all 

P.S there is a thing called "dear elder" that you can send me emails that I will get the day you send it, I will not be about to respond.  Hint hint