Heading Out!

Ok wow! So busy week, haha. The main take away is that I’m finally done with the MTC. Which means as of Tuesday the 14th, I’m going out to Boston. I'll be sad to leave my district, but at the same time, I’m so excited to go out and officially get started, even if my experience in the field is going to start off behind a screen. My district is so great, and I love all of my fellow missionaries. We have had a lot of fun learning together, and all of their unique testimonies have helped to strengthen mine and allowed me to feel the Spirit more than I ever have before! My teachers are so full of love, and I feel how much they care about us and our experiences. Some tears were shed when everyone made their goodbyes on Friday.
On Friday after our first class, Elder Bailey came over, and we did Irmão Santos’ class together. It was a blast having him over; companion study was great now that we were finally in person, haha. We had a standard day after classes; the next morning I went for my final Bench Press pr and then we played racketball with Taylor. Elder Bailey was a natural. I’m happy we got to finally get a good day to get to know each other as well as do do personal and companion study. I’m really excited to have a companion with me full time that I can get to know and study the scriptures with. 
I have a testimony that having people to rely on in your life and to keep you accountable will not only help you keep up with your goals, it will help you to feel like you are pushing forward and progressing. God blesses us for our efforts and loves each and every one of us despite our many flaws. Just the same we must learn to love each other. I’m reminded of a General Conference Talk that asks the question of what comes first, action or love? If you're having a hard time loving people, sometimes you have to try and serve them. As you make an effort to look for ways to help those around you, you’ll find yourself loving them more and more. I’m not too nervous about how my companions and I will get along, because I know that if I focus on loving them unconditionally, I’ll have a good experience.

Saying goodbye to my boys! I'm sure going to miss them.

First Group Email!

Hello everyone! Today marks a week and a half "in" the MTC. You know, I always said I was gonna be bad at writing emails and no one believed me; they always said I would feel differently once I left. Well, they were both right and wrong, because I both have a lot I want to say and have no idea or incentive to say it, haha. Maybe it's because my entire family is here, and I can still see them frequently. 

My "classroom"

Today is easier though, because I can get away with giving a quick run down of what’s going on in the MTC/CTM. The way it works is we have a zoom call at 10:30-1:30 every day with Irmã Gabriella. In this call we learn a lot of basic Portuguese. It’s mainly review for me, but there are certain things that are new simply, because I learned more by talking when I was in Brazil rather than reading books. For example, I now know what ^ and  '  do, haha. 
From there we have a two hour break; this is when I do my companionship study. My companion’s name is Elder Bailey, a strapping young lad. He decided to go right after high school instead of waiting a year like me. He and I are getting along really well; helping each other with Portuguese and having hot seats where we ask each other questions to learn about one another. He for example, is an avid skier who loves all sports (especially basketball), hanging out with friends, and if he were to perfectly befriend any land animal it would be a cougar or a grizzly bear. You learn a lot about a person based on what animal they would have as a pet if they could. He’s a big hiker and camper, and I’m hoping we can meet up sometime and do something like that on P day. We only live 30 minutes apart, so that shouldn’t be too hard to do. From there we have another block from 3:00-6:00 with Irmão Santos. That lesson we practice a lot of Portuguese and have mock lessons with "Marcos" AKA Irmão Santos in a polo shirt. 

Our district with Irmão Santos (top right corner)