June 14, 2013 First P-Day

Hey Mom and Dad,

Today is my first Pday here in the MTC. We were suppose to have one last Friday, but we ended up having class and other things instead.  The MTC has been really great so far. It's like I'm living in Helaman Halls again because everywhere I go I see Elders and Sisters from BYU. 

Portuguese is coming a lot better now.  I've probably learned as much Portuguese in the last week as I learned Spanish in 2 years of high school.  They just dump so much language on you.  The teachers literally never speak English except when they are teaching more spiritual topics.  The reason for this is because "the spirit talks to you in your own language." I thought that was pretty cool.  Last Friday, my companion, Elder Lutz, and I had to give our first lesson in Portuguese.  That's two days after we have entered the MTC! Needless to say, that was pretty rough. We just went in there with notes and read them right off the paper. It wasn't very good. We've been giving lessons almost everyday now.  Our first investigator's name was Narivaldo. He's from Brazilia, sorta. In reality, Narivaldo is just another teacher here in the MTC but he is playing the role of one of the investigators he actually met on his own mission.  We get two new "investigators" next week.  Already we can give our lessons with just one note card with a few verbs and nouns that we have a hard time remembering.  It's pretty awesome. The investigators may not be real, but it really does feel like the real thing when we're in there talking to them. 

The MTC is getting so much better.  The first few days were way rough.  They were not fun.  Now that everyone is in the groove of things it seems like time just flies by.  Our schedule is pretty much get up at 6:30, eat, study 4 hours, eat, study 4 hours, eat, study 3 1/2 hours, go to sleep. It varies a little on Tuesday (service day), Friday (pday) and Sunday, but otherwise everything just blends together.  The other day I was so excited to get out of class and eat lunch and then I looked down at my watch and realized it was 8:30pm and that I had already had lunch and dinner.  I might be going a little crazy, but I still love it.  My companion is from Austin, Texas.  He used to play football and looks like Bane from the Batman movie.  Our district has 10 Elders and 4 Sisters in it.  4 of us Elders are going to Belo Horizonte and the rest of them are going to Sau Palo South.  They are all way awesome.  When we have discussions, I'm always surprised by what the other Elders and Sisters say.  I'm in the MTC choir.  I know that sounds weird because I'm an awful singer but it's a choir of  1,400 missionaries and 1,100 local member, so you can't hear my off pitch notes. It's all for a special devotional on Sunday, June 23.  The first presidency will be there which is way cool. There is supposedly a special announcement.  Everyone here says that China is being opened, but that's doubtful since rumors just spread like crazy when there are over a thousand missionaries crammed so closely together.  All the Tuesday devotionals are now at the Marriott Center because of how many missionaries are at the MTC.  They just flood in every Sunday. It's amazing.  The spirit is incredible here.  All day it is so strong.  I've never experienced anything like it.  I feel like I'm walking on holy ground all the time.

 Thanks for sending letters. I love you all so much.

 Jordan