September 29, 2009

Dear everyone,

I love Brazil, I love Portuguese, and I love the MTC (for now). Today was my first full p-day because my district went to the Sao Paulo Temple last week. The temple is beautiful inside and out, but I´m glad that I experienced Sao Paulo a little bit more today. We´re allowed to go anywhere within a small area surrounding the MTC -- it´s only a few blocks -- and I love seeing what this place really looks like. We made a district goal to smile and say hi to everyone we walked past today, which turned out to be really easy. I can´t imagine what the Brazilians thought when I shouted ´Good morning!´at them with a dopey smile on my face and my pants practically hiked up to my armpits. But I don´t care; I am so grateful to be here. I love learning Portuguese and struggling with it, and I am learning so much about the gospel from our church meetings.

On Sunday night we were supposed to have a fireside, but the speaker was unable to arrive. The MTC president, President Woodward, selected a few of the converts in the congregation to talk about how they discovered the gospel, including an elder from Mozambique. I enjoyed their testimonies a lot, but I took the most from the words of the MTC president´s wife, who spoke last. She spoke about the 130+ MTC workers who commute to work for hours every day to make sure that all the missionaries are safe and comfortable. She also talked about the dozens of meetings that have to take place every week at the MTC just to keep things in order. I had been thinking just before she spoke about how fortunate I am to have been born in the United States to a perfect family and in ideal conditions. And after Sister Woodward spoke, I realized how blessed (because I don´t want to say pampered) I am, even now. I am just so thankful that I can be here to prepare to help others discover the gospel. This is an amazing opportunity, and I try to remind myself that it shouldn´t be a sacrifice.

A new elder joined our district this week, so I´m not in a trio anymore. His name is Elder Tyree, and he´s staying in our room. I don´t hate any of my roommates or my companion yet, but I definitely see how the little things could pick at people. Elder Woodhouse is my companion now, and he´s a good guy. We both have some work to do on our Portuguese. It can be really discouraging at times because we don´t always work as hard as we should be. I just try to keep a positive attitude, and I think it´s working.

The MTC feels like a prison sometimes. But when I look out my window or walk along the cracked sidewalks, I still get the feeling that I´m on a different planet. I got my hair cut (really, really short) yesterday by an old Brazilian man who has been cutting missionaries´hair for twenty eight years. He sang in Portuguese the whole time, and I felt again like I was so far away from anything familiar or comfortable. And I love that feeling. This is such a great adventure, and it´s getting better every day!

Oh, but Jana still would have done a better job with my hair.

Everyone here is so positive and helpful. I love the spirit of fellowship that I feel in the MTC, and I can´t wait to start preaching the gospel to people who are waiting to hear it.

I am definitely going to miss eating waffles and watching General Conference in my pajamas, but I am excited to hear from the general authorities this week.

I miss you!

love
elder wiggins

First message sent from Brazil MTC

I can´t believe it has only been a week since I left California; it feels like I have been in Brazil forever already. I sent a letter home a few days ago and I don´t know if you have already received it. Some of this may be old news to you.

I am alive and safe. I guess that´s important. Today is my sixth day in the MTC, and EVERYTHING has happened since I arrived here.

I have two companions: Elders Woodhouse and Wilson. Elder Woodhouse´s companion is at the Provo MTC because of visa issues, so he joined Elder Wilson and me. They´re both from Utah (in every sense of the word), and we get along all right. Elder Wilson is really confident and sure of himself, which can get on my nerves at times, but he´s okay. I think it´s just that we are very different from one another. It helps that Elder Woodhouse is here (no relation to the Woodhouses in our stake, I asked) because I get along with him really well. I´m actually really glad to have two companions most of the time; it has helped me to transition into missionary life. It can be rough when one person has to go somewhere and we have to follow them, but it´s not a big deal.

The MTC is a great place, and I am enjoying myself. Everyone here is incredibly friendly and I have already made some good friends with other missionaries. All the Brazilians I have met are kind and patient, and a lot of the Brazilian missionaries are genuinely funny.

The food is good, but I think I´m getting fatter. My favorite thing here is the guarana flavored soda: guarana is a native Brazilian fruit, and the soda tastes like fresh apple juice mixed with some ginger ale. So good.

Portuguese seems pretty similar to French in a lot of ways, so I´m glad that I had some previous language training. I´m still not very good at speaking it, but I can bear my testimony and say most of a prayer in Portuguese. Whenever I feel discouraged about the language, I just try to remind myself that I have only been speaking it for a few days.

Sorry if this is boring. I think I stopped being funny and articulate, if I was ever either, immediately after being set apart as a missionary.

Sao Paulo is a beautiful, colorful city, and I am anxious to see more of Brazil. It´s a strange place, and I can´t wait to get out in the field and start doing some real work.

I miss you tons, but I´m not so homesick that I can´t concentrate on why I´m here. I´m doing really well, and I hope you are too.

love
elder wiggins

Message sent to my parents today from Pres. and Sis. Woodward from the Brazil MTC (Brasil CTM):

Dear Parents,

We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.

They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.

The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.

We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.

Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”

Please accept our love,

President and Sister Woodward

Important information . . .
PLEASE REPLY to this email so that we know, you know your missionary is safely here in Brazil.

We Strongly discourage sending packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center.
If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE Strongly eNCOURAGE sENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name and district and mail box numbers above the Brazil MTC address on all letters. Your missionary´s numbers are: District (38-D) and Box (48). Record these numbers for future reference.

Example:
Full name: (i.e. Elder Jeffrey Christopherson)
Mission name: (i.e. Belém)
District (##) Box (#)
Brasil CTM
Rua Padre Antônio D’Angelo, 121
Casa Verde, São Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040

DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers. We can only accept mail sent through the U.S. Postal System

My address for now:

My address until mid-November will be:

Elder Jefferson Robert Wiggins
Brazil Ribeirao Preto Mission
District 38-D Box 48
Brasil CTM
Rua Padre Antonio D'Angelo 121
Casa Verde, Sao Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040

The Brazil MTC can only accept mail sent through the U.S. Postal System (no FedEx, UPS or other deliveries will be accepted).

From November on, you can send letters and packages to the mission office:

Elder Jefferson Robert Wiggins
Brazil Ribeirao Preto Mission
Rua Cerqueira Cesar, 481, Sala 606
Centro
14010-130 Ribeirao Preto SP
Brazil

I would love to hear from you, and I promise I'll write back!