"BE GOOD!"

How was the hike!  I'm so happy that you guys got to do that and go have fun and get some exercise because here at the MTC we are in class for like 10 hours a day.  Sitting on a chair. And then 4 days a week we get a 50 minute gym time.  It is so much fun!!  Our district loves to play 4 square. I would definitely say I'm one of the best ones out there.  We've been playing almost every gym time since we've been here.  But now a whole ton of people are playing and some of them are playing super dirty.  Oh and I saw Cam at the Gym!  It was so cool:)  And I saw Katie like an hour ago because Elder Klumker got his haircut so me and my companion went with him so I could go see Katie.  So cool to see her.  She said that her and Jackson are going to try and come eat lunch with me sometime.

Ok Mom...  So every Elder and Sister that is going to Brazil that is in the Provo MTC is a VISA WAITER!  The district that is leaving next week that is in our zone just got their reassignments last night.  They are so excited to go.  And no one from my district has left since those 4.  Everyone in the MTC going to Brazil is expecting a reassignment because it is just so rare to get your visa but it's like opening a second mission call... what could be better?

So the food here is alright.  For every meal except breakfast they serve some kind of burger. Elder Klumker always makes a huge deal out of it in a joking way.   Whenever we have frys we always make frysause but it's not with ketchup and mayo, its with bbq sauce and mayo.  It is so good!   Elder Klumker introduced it to me and we always put it on our burgers if we get one.  We are district 69F so we call ourselves the 69F frysaucers.  It is funny.

Me and Elder Klumker with our legendary FRY SAUCE!

So for the Tuesday devotional this week we were told that it would be broadcast to all the MTC'S in the world.  Our whole district is in the choir.  So we knew it was going to be someone important.  It was Richard G Scott.  So cool.  He spoke on prayer and personal revelation.  We sang "Jesus once of humble Birth" and it sounded sooooo gooooood.

Elder Scott's talk was great too.  It was really funny during his talk.  He had some hairs sticking straight up in the back and he must have seen it in one of the monitors because at one point he was trying to get it down.  Pretty funny. As he was walking out it was dead silent as 3000 missionaries stood in respect.  As he was walking off the stage of the Marriott center he stopped, cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled.  "BE GOOD!"  It was so great. I love the 12 apostles.  And I had another Benson Moment.  Benson, guess what scripture he shared in his talk...... 1 NEPHI 4:6!   You're favorite one.

So this week we got two new investigators (they are just our teachers Irmao Dodge and Irmao Hodson).  They are so hard to teach.  I know the Gospel. But I don''t know the gospel in Portuguese.  It is also extremely hard because we have to adjust the first lesson to fit their needs but the hard part is in finding out their needs.

We learned about asking inspired questions to find out.  I'm still working on it but it's coming. Tonight we are doing TRC which is where volunteers come in and we teach them.  Sometimes members sometimes not.  Our district didn't know what it stood for so we made some thing up.  It stands for Teach'R Church.  We have so much fun as a district.  So much fun.

And I absolutely love Elder Klumker.  We just get along so well.  He reminds me so much of Christian.  Just so funny and is always wanting to do some thing fun.  He also uses a
Pilot G2 .5 (pen) religiously like Christian, so cool.

On Tuesday after we do service (cleaning toilets) we have personal exercise time so we run around the MTC.  I'm sorry if some of this is repeat information because I don't remember what I typed last week.  Let's see what else...  hey I was going to send pictures but I left my camera in the room so I can't but I might be able to send some later if I have time.  And should I just buy a card reader because they sell them here?  I will use my companions for now but let me know if I should get one.

So I will tell you a cool experience I had with Prayer.  We had just got done teaching one of our investigators and left him with the challenge to read the first chapter of the BOM.  After we get out of each lesson me and Elder M always pray.  So we went outside and knelt in the grass and I said the prayer.  It was just a normal pray.  At the end I asked God to help our investigator read the BOM.  Right as I said those words I just had this calm peaceful feeling come over me.  I almost lost my ability to speak. It was the spirit telling me that the BOM is true.  It was so cool because I hadn't even asked to know if it was true, the spirit just told me.  The BOM is true.  I started reading it over again on the day I got here and I'm on Alma 24.  It is so great.  There are so many things in it that apply to me right now on my mission. It is the best.

So I didn't end up giving a talk in sacrament meeting but I had one all planned out.  Elder M is a superererererer gooooooood singererererer!!  Like he was in the BYU mens chorus good. I've been talking to him for awhile about doing a musical number for something because that is what happens.  At every single meeting here there is a musical number.

Like last Sunday at the devotional this Black Elder sang the song that Dylan Valys sings (I think that is his name.  The one that sings better than I). He sang the one... I think it is called redeemer of my soul. It was soooo amazing.  Anyway so I've been trying to convince Elder M to sing in something.  I finally Got him.  He is singing I Believe in Christ this Sunday in sacrament meeting.  I'm so excited for it.

So there is this sister in my district called sister Reeve (but we call her sister heeve because in Portuguese the r makes an h sound sometimes) and she is one of the sisters who went to the consulate with her dad!!  She is expecting to get her Visa this week! Crazy.  I'm also sad that Elder Klumker is from Gig Harbor because that means that he probably won't get his visa for a while and I really super duper love him and want him to come to Brazil with me.

Oh so last night as we where going to sleep someone said something hilarious so I just let out my laugh.  All the elders say its so funny and whenever Elder Klumker hears it he just busts up.  Well that is all for now.  I'm doing great. Loving it hear and I only get homesick when I think about mowing lawns and going to high school football games because it's almost that time of year again.  But doing well.

I loved the box.  So great!  I don't know how we are going to eat all that food though because we are hardly ever hungry because our meals at the cafeteria are so stinking close together. But I do like the graham crackers, peanut butter and chocolate chips... I wonder what I'm supposed to do with those :)

Oh yes I did! And thank you for the supplies!

Yeah, we have alot of food.

Thanks for all your letters and dear elders.  I definitely get the most mail in my district with Elder Klumker at a close second.  There has only been two days here that I haven't gotten mail.  I will try to send some pictures.  I love all of you and think about you everyday. I miss moms cooking... oh how I miss that. I miss Amanda and Chris.... just being Amanda and Chris.  I don't miss Jackson and Katie because I get to see them.  I miss Saydi but not really because we are both serving missions.   I miss mowing lawns with Jefferson.  I miss watching Benson talk about and ride dirt bikes and his funnyness. And I miss wrestling with Wilson.  Oh Wilson.  I told Elder M about the gap in your teeth and how you put money up in it.  He thought it was hilarious. Talk to you next week:)

Tudo Bem

Elder Ostler