CTM Life

Hey everybody! Just in case you guys didn't know, I´m not dead...yet. Nah, I’m kiddin. These past 3 weeks have been pretty cray cray if you ask me. I've been learning Portuguese like a mad man and I still only know how to say good morning and good night - LOL. I've basically been surviving off of my Spanish and hoping that people can understand what I’m saying. Fun fact, I've basically gotten in trouble for my transgressions like 3 times already! Let me repeat that they were transgressions and that I didn't know I wasn't allowed to play ping pong on Sundays. Since the first day I was able to understand why everybody calls this place THE PRISON. 

It might not seem like it, but I actually miss all of you guys a lot but I know that there is no better thing that I could be doing right now other than serving a mission for my Lord and Savior. Through most of my CTM experience (yes it’s called a CTM and not an MTC) – Faith has been a big factor in receiving and asking for blessings from the Lord. I haven´t prayed this hard in my entire life, but I likewise haven't been this blessed in my life either. I cannot emphasize enough how important faith is in receiving blessings from our Father in Heaven. To me it is made super obvious considering every blessing you receive is THROUGH YOUR FAITHFULNESS. So that's pretty neat.

 Campinas Brazil Temple

Oh, I basically took a vow of silence for two days and only spoke when absolutely necessary. I found that when I was quiet that I started to get some good revelation! I was praying for some revelation a lot this past week on how I can better learn the language and how I could be the missionary the Lord wants me to be and it came to me in the form of talking to Papa...I don’t really know how to explain it, but it was as if I was having a conversation with him in my brain and I almost cried. I told him how much I missed him and he said the same. He told me that "This isn't high school anymore" and that I need to focus on improving myself by setting time aside to practice the language and to not be too caught up in the drama of the CTM. So cool! So the other missionaries realized how sweet that was and now they are taking "vows of silence" to help receive revelation. I got to do a session in the Campinas Temple this week! Since it’s been hard to fall asleep here, with the club bustin their speakers every night right next to me, I try to fall asleep going through the temple blessings in my head. I love the temple! I have also never been so in love with acai!!

Acai Berries

I have been gaining weight so that is always nice, on top of that, I am the biggest baller in pick-up basketball and the literal center of comedy in this dang place. Every Pday is a blessing to me because I'm actually outside and free to breathe some g-dang fresh air. Anyways, I love you all and I hope things are going good! My new mission mantra is....if they don't make a “safety zone” segment about me, then my mission is a failure. Haha. See ya!!

The Church’s new missionary safety video series is patterned after a fictitious studio show called “The SafetyZone,” with hosts talking about safety principles and showing “highlight” clips.