Cuiaba Brazil Weather

Friday, January 18, 2013

Week #5 at Provo MTC

Oi Familia? O que esta acontecendo? Just another week here at the mtc. The days go by so quick and just melt together, it seems like yesterday that it was already our p-day. A couple big things did happen this week though, I was called in Sunday morning and I asked by one of our Branch Presidency to be the New District Leader. I wasn't expecting to be asked to be it at all, I was completely expecting my companion Elder Saxton to be the new District Leader. I guess the Lord had other things in store, I'm excited though and feel that the Lord is teaching me something that will be able to help me throughout my mission. Basically all the District Leader does in the mtc is interview senior companions every week and see how everyone is doing and help with any problems that there might be. Luckily are district is awesome and we all get along great. Also I pick up all the mail and have some meetings with the branch presidency every week and report on our districts progress. We made some goals last week to commit to Fala Sua Lingua. (Speak your language) which pretty much is a new program that pushes us as missionaries to speak the language as much as possible. We all talked last sunday and we felt that as a whole district we needed to use our study time the best that we can and to not only squander our time but more importantly the Lord's time. We have done well this week and have all read aloud from our Livros de Mormon. One of the best ways to learn your new language is to read it aloud from the book of mormon. Already we have seen a difference in our speach and comprehension. Our district is doing great with the language and are picking it up quickly Elder Saxton continues to do better everyday too. The teachers and missionaries in my district ask me alot why I know so much portuguese. I'm always taken back when they say that cause I really don't feel like I know much. Cause I really don't. I just tell them I took a lot of Spanish in school and it has helped me out in ways I could never explain. I'd be a lost missionary if I hadn't learned in Spanish before coming to the mtc. It really has helped so much. Spanish and Portuguese have alot of different words and prononciations but the languages are set up basically the same and our spoken in the same manner. I would almost say that Brazilian Portuguese is easier than spanish in many ways. Nevertheless I can do nothing without the help of the Lord. I so glad he started preparing me even as far back as in 8th grade when I took my first spanish class, and especially here I rely on him so much with helping me speak and understand. We learn the language a whole lot faster when the Spirit is your own personal tutor and helper. Anyway our zone leaders left to Angola, Africa on monday and so we had to call some new Zone leaders. Who just so happen to be our roommates! Elder Thayne and Elder Williams are our new zone leaders . They came in a week after us and I told them a long time ago that they were going to be the new zone leaders once our current ones left to the field. I guessed right and they are now our new zone leaders. They are both going to Portugal which is why I suspected they would be called just because the Elder going to Brazil could leave at any time if their visas came, also they are really friendly and outgoing which is definitely a desirable trait in zone leaders. Me and Elder Thayne probably get along the best in our entire zone, our personalities are very similar and we just like talking to new people and preaching the gospel, and having fun at the same time. Great guys and I love them alot, they will do great. Another amazing event that happened this week was we had an apostle come for Our Tuesday night devotional. Probably my favorite apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. What a great man, he spoke with authority from on high and counseled us that we better come home from our missions with at least one convert. And that it had better be ourselves. He talked about how saddened he is by inactive returned missionaries and he told us pretty bluntly that we had better never go inactive after our missions. At the end he was to give a dedicatory prayer for 3 buldings that had been renovated. When he addressed Heavenly Father in the prayer it was as if the ceiling of the gym had been taken away and that the Lord himself was gazing down on us and listening to one of his chosen apostles.The prayer was really cool he blessed every part of the mtc and he blessed us during the prayer that even as these buildings are rededicated that we as missionaries will rededicate ourselves to the work. Many of us including me were brought to tears and I know a big part of it was that we could feel the Lords love for us. Elder Holland blessed that mtc that there would never be any acts of violence here, that there would never be guns, or explosives or any form of weapon intended to hurt someone here at the mtc. As he said these things I could feel the deep love that Heavenly Father has for us and how he would never allow such acts to take place. What a great blessing it was to have him come and I loved it. No visas this week, in fact we talked to the travel office and it sounds like there is a very high chance we will be reassigned. I'm fine with that though we will see what happens. Thanks also to Grandma Dale and Grandma Farm for sending me big sugar cookies and brownies and candy, they were awesome and we are still eating them. Thanks again so much. Also today our district was assigned to host on the 23rd so that will be a nice switch up of things, after 6 weeks missionaries are eligible to host. I'm excited to see Aaron too, I really hope he is in our zone there is only 2 portuguese zones and the odds are looking good that he will be in ours. I'm super excited for you guys to go on your cruise it sounds like so much fun, make sure mom and dad speak alot of spanish just for kicks and giggles. Also the green sweater is Elder Martinaues he has several and never wears them so he let me borrow it in the mtc, and the jacket is another of our district members Elder Merril, he let me use the zip out part of it what a blessing they are, thanks again for all the mosquito stuff let Kay know I love him and will always be grateful for him being my sunday school teacher and for all he has done for me. thanks for the pictures too they were fun to look at. Also a fun fact about my mission is that all the teachers I talk to only know that it is hot. And one of my teachers told us that are going to Cuiaba that we are in for a surprise cause it's the hottest mission in brazil. I'm not so sure though I guess we will see. If they reassign us it will have to be southern cause no one going to Brazil is prepared for the cold weather. No one got reassigned last week cause they were all going to portugal or Africa. I'm good with everything here though I don't need anything, the byu bookstore here on the mtc campus has most anything if I ever need it. Also every friday night we have a shoe shine party, I'll leave a picture of it with this email, good times everything is kinda the same day after day so we try to liven things up when we can. Love you guys all and I want you to have an awesome time on your cruise, be careful and don't spend all your money, thanks again for the letters and emails I enjoy them so much. Love you guys all again, the mtc is great missionary work is the greatest thing and I love it all. -Elder Kennington

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