Oh hi, family. I didn't see you come in there.
First off, thank you so much for all the emails! It's hard to be beat a full inbox of messages from people who you love. It helps that you all speak English, too. I'll try to respond to everyone, but if I run out of time, know that I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally appreciate everything you said.
The highlight of this week was definitely Elder Scott's visit. He came to speak to us on Friday afternoon. A few hours before he arrived, a few districts, including mine, cleaned up the street that runs in front of the MTC. We picked up trash, swept the gutters, and picked weeds out of the cracks in the sidewalk. As we worked, some passersby would stop and talk to us. An old man with maybe six teeth talked with the members of my district for a while. I couldn't understand most of what he was saying, but he seemed to be grateful that we were helping. We saw him again later, and when he finished talking to us for the second time, he reached out, scratched my stomach,did the same to one of my companions, and walked away laughing.
Not all of the old men here are as nice, but they are all equally unintelligible. Today, as we were walking to the place where we write our emails, I greeted an old man on the street, who replied in the same way. We didn't stop to talk to him, but he continued to speak (or shout?) at us until we reached our destination. We walked into the shop, but he kept talking. We stopped and tried to listen to him, but I barely understood anything. I did catch him say something about President Obama, and I'm pretty certain that he was saying a lot of bad things about the Church. He didn't scratch my belly when he left.
Anyway, back to last Friday. Elder Scott was supposed to speak at 2:30, but he didn't start until sometime after 3. My companions and I sang in the choir, which is always fun. A lot of missionaries have been leaving (in fact, many had left that day), and only three have arrived from Provo in the last two weeks. I guess they're having visa problems. Anyway, there weren't very many people in the auditorium when Elder Scott spoke, which turned out to be really nice. He spoke about the importance of having the Spirit in missionary work. He also talked a lot about learning Portuguese and building unity with our companions. But the best part was his testimony. There's something different about hearing a living prophet or apostle bear his testimony; they don't talk about how they know that the gospel is true because they read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. Elder Scott almost seemed afraid that he wouldn't be able to express his testimony directly enough. He has such confidence, even knowledge, that the gospel is true. He bore powerful witness that Jesus Christ directs this church. I felt the Spirit so strongly while I heard him speak, and I know that he is an apostle of the Lord.
Everyone got to shake Elder Scott's hand after he spoke. The whole afternoon was incredible, and it more than made up for the otherwise boring week. I'm trying not to lose sight of why I'm here. It's hard to stay focused when you're sitting in a classroom all day, though. I'm just trying to be patient and do my best.
I'll try to write some of you individually now, but I only have a few more minutes. It's so good to hear from you guys.
love
elder wiggins
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sweet dreams sweet cheeks, we leave alone
Hi guys.
I survived another trip to the São Paulo Temple today.The freeways are crazy here. There are 5 million cars in São Paulo (the city, not the state), but I don't know how so many survive. Everyone drives as if the road was theirs, switching lanes whenever they want and moving as fast as they can. Motorcyclists weave between cars with wreckless abandon. It's insane. But I'm still alive! And the temple is getting better with each visit. I learn more every time I go. There isn't a temple in my mission, so I don't know how often I'll be able to go when I'm out in the field. It's a blessing to have one so close to the MTC.
I have Brazilian roommates now. Two elders, both from São Paulo, joined us on Thursday. One is about eight feet tall and looks like Michael Jordan, and the other has sweet tattoos on his chest and back.
Neither of them speaks a word of English. I love talking to them in Portuguese. We only see them at night before we go to bed, so we don't talk much. It's a little terrifying to think that I may have a Brazilian companion in just a few weeks.
So, I think I've experienced Brazil to its fullest already: I have now had an avocado shake (not bad) and cashew juice (they have it in the cafeteria). There's a little restaurant just next to the MTC that sells burgers and fries. But that's not the best part. For one or two reais (pronounced HAY-eyes; one dollar is worth about 1.5 reais right now), you can have the most delicious fruit juice in the world. They have piles of fruit, some of which I don't even recognize, behind the counter, and they just throw some of what you want into a blender with sugar and ice and mix it. So far I've had guava (my favorite so far, and only 75 cents), banana, watermelon, mango, pineapple, and avocado. The juice is so good. It's like sticking a straw right into the fruit. We're going to eat lunch there after we finish our emails. Needless to say, I am excited.
There's another place that sells pastels, which are basically like gigantic, fresh Hot Pockets. They have desert or lunch pastels. For a few reais, you pick whatever you want, and they fold it into a pocket of thin bread dough and fry it. My favorite is the strawberry, banana, and caramel. So good.
My district had a Portuguese-only day this week. We couldn't speak a word of English until lunch. It was helpful to see where I'm lacking, but I found that I can get by all right most of the time. I run into trouble when I'm talking to Brazilians, though. They speak so fast!
I'm really excited because Elder Scott is going to speak to us this Friday. There are a lot of people leaving this week, and I heard that there aren't any new American missionaries entering the MTC, so he will have a pretty small crowd. One of the zone leaders said that we will all be able to shake his hand, which is cool. The only downside to Elder Scott coming is that my district won't be proselyting on Friday. At the end of the sixth week, everyone gets to go proselyting within a few blocks of the MTC, and we were going to go this Friday. Everyone says that's the highlight of staying at the MTC. We'll probably still go sometime, I just don't know when. And I can't wait to hear Elder Scott speak.
My companions and I have been singing in the MTC choir, and I guess everyone is going to sing a song for Elder Scott. I have come to cherish the time when I can hear music, especially when it sounds good. It's pretty tough sometimes to go without music or movies or any of that. I noticed that I don't feel homesick unless we talk about the things we miss. I try to stay focused on being here because I really miss the freedom I had back home.
We watched "The Legacy" yesterday. It isn't any better in Portuguese.
Amo vocês.
love
elder booga
I survived another trip to the São Paulo Temple today.The freeways are crazy here. There are 5 million cars in São Paulo (the city, not the state), but I don't know how so many survive. Everyone drives as if the road was theirs, switching lanes whenever they want and moving as fast as they can. Motorcyclists weave between cars with wreckless abandon. It's insane. But I'm still alive! And the temple is getting better with each visit. I learn more every time I go. There isn't a temple in my mission, so I don't know how often I'll be able to go when I'm out in the field. It's a blessing to have one so close to the MTC.
I have Brazilian roommates now. Two elders, both from São Paulo, joined us on Thursday. One is about eight feet tall and looks like Michael Jordan, and the other has sweet tattoos on his chest and back.
Neither of them speaks a word of English. I love talking to them in Portuguese. We only see them at night before we go to bed, so we don't talk much. It's a little terrifying to think that I may have a Brazilian companion in just a few weeks.
So, I think I've experienced Brazil to its fullest already: I have now had an avocado shake (not bad) and cashew juice (they have it in the cafeteria). There's a little restaurant just next to the MTC that sells burgers and fries. But that's not the best part. For one or two reais (pronounced HAY-eyes; one dollar is worth about 1.5 reais right now), you can have the most delicious fruit juice in the world. They have piles of fruit, some of which I don't even recognize, behind the counter, and they just throw some of what you want into a blender with sugar and ice and mix it. So far I've had guava (my favorite so far, and only 75 cents), banana, watermelon, mango, pineapple, and avocado. The juice is so good. It's like sticking a straw right into the fruit. We're going to eat lunch there after we finish our emails. Needless to say, I am excited.
There's another place that sells pastels, which are basically like gigantic, fresh Hot Pockets. They have desert or lunch pastels. For a few reais, you pick whatever you want, and they fold it into a pocket of thin bread dough and fry it. My favorite is the strawberry, banana, and caramel. So good.
My district had a Portuguese-only day this week. We couldn't speak a word of English until lunch. It was helpful to see where I'm lacking, but I found that I can get by all right most of the time. I run into trouble when I'm talking to Brazilians, though. They speak so fast!
I'm really excited because Elder Scott is going to speak to us this Friday. There are a lot of people leaving this week, and I heard that there aren't any new American missionaries entering the MTC, so he will have a pretty small crowd. One of the zone leaders said that we will all be able to shake his hand, which is cool. The only downside to Elder Scott coming is that my district won't be proselyting on Friday. At the end of the sixth week, everyone gets to go proselyting within a few blocks of the MTC, and we were going to go this Friday. Everyone says that's the highlight of staying at the MTC. We'll probably still go sometime, I just don't know when. And I can't wait to hear Elder Scott speak.
My companions and I have been singing in the MTC choir, and I guess everyone is going to sing a song for Elder Scott. I have come to cherish the time when I can hear music, especially when it sounds good. It's pretty tough sometimes to go without music or movies or any of that. I noticed that I don't feel homesick unless we talk about the things we miss. I try to stay focused on being here because I really miss the freedom I had back home.
We watched "The Legacy" yesterday. It isn't any better in Portuguese.
Amo vocês.
love
elder booga
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
This Heart's on Fire
Hi family,
This Friday is Hump Day. It's not really important or anything. I just can't believe I have already been here for a month. You should celebrate by seeing Where the Wild Things Are, but don't tell me about it if you do, because I'll feel jealous.
A few days ago, one of the elders in my room went home. He wasn't my companion, but he was the first missionary that I met when I was still in Dallas. His parents are divorced and he said that there were family problems back home, which is apparently why he left. He spent much of his last day speaking privately with the MTC president. It was weird, though, because he told us that it looked like everything would be all right and that he would be able to stay. He didn't come to our evening class at all, and when the rest of us went back to our room, he and all of his things were gone. He left a note with his address on it, but that was it. The MTC president said that he could come back in six months, but we'll see what happens. He had a really serious girlfriend, so who knows.
Anyway, it was a pretty jarring experience. He was a good guy, and his departure was a complete shock. I'm in a trio again because he left, which is kind of a letdown. I'm with two great guys who want to learn and work hard, but everything is a little bit more difficult and inconvenient when there are three of you instead of two. We get by all right, and we're working better together every day.
The MTC is pretty uninteresting at this point because we do the same thing every day. But I am definitely progressing in my language skills and my knowledge of the gospel. Last night my district practiced teaching the second lesson in Portuguese to some Brazilian missionaries. I'm not sure how it worked out this way, but we hadn't taught a full lesson in Portuguese yet, so I was pretty nervous about it. It took me about three hours to do it, but I made it through my portion of the lesson. I wasn't using any notes or anything, so I had a pounding headache for a few hours, but I enjoyed doing it. The Brazilian missionaries are friendly and patient, and I love trying to communicate with them. It's so surreal.
I've started a little project to maintain my sanity for a while. I'm going to write down the lyrics of songs that I liked and try to translate them into Portuguese. I figure it will be a good way to learn words that I otherwise wouldn't, and I can revisit some of the music that I miss.
I don't have Annalisa's, Ben's, Wes's's's's's, or Kari's email addresses. It would be cool to include them in these emails, if they want them.
A bunch of elders from our floor left for the mission field last night. It was hard to see them go, but it just made me want to get out there more. I am enjoying my time in the MTC and constantly feeling the Spirit, but I want to get out of here and start serving people. It will be nice to have some stories to tell you guys.
Amo você!
love
elder wiggins
This Friday is Hump Day. It's not really important or anything. I just can't believe I have already been here for a month. You should celebrate by seeing Where the Wild Things Are, but don't tell me about it if you do, because I'll feel jealous.
A few days ago, one of the elders in my room went home. He wasn't my companion, but he was the first missionary that I met when I was still in Dallas. His parents are divorced and he said that there were family problems back home, which is apparently why he left. He spent much of his last day speaking privately with the MTC president. It was weird, though, because he told us that it looked like everything would be all right and that he would be able to stay. He didn't come to our evening class at all, and when the rest of us went back to our room, he and all of his things were gone. He left a note with his address on it, but that was it. The MTC president said that he could come back in six months, but we'll see what happens. He had a really serious girlfriend, so who knows.
Anyway, it was a pretty jarring experience. He was a good guy, and his departure was a complete shock. I'm in a trio again because he left, which is kind of a letdown. I'm with two great guys who want to learn and work hard, but everything is a little bit more difficult and inconvenient when there are three of you instead of two. We get by all right, and we're working better together every day.
The MTC is pretty uninteresting at this point because we do the same thing every day. But I am definitely progressing in my language skills and my knowledge of the gospel. Last night my district practiced teaching the second lesson in Portuguese to some Brazilian missionaries. I'm not sure how it worked out this way, but we hadn't taught a full lesson in Portuguese yet, so I was pretty nervous about it. It took me about three hours to do it, but I made it through my portion of the lesson. I wasn't using any notes or anything, so I had a pounding headache for a few hours, but I enjoyed doing it. The Brazilian missionaries are friendly and patient, and I love trying to communicate with them. It's so surreal.
I've started a little project to maintain my sanity for a while. I'm going to write down the lyrics of songs that I liked and try to translate them into Portuguese. I figure it will be a good way to learn words that I otherwise wouldn't, and I can revisit some of the music that I miss.
I don't have Annalisa's, Ben's, Wes's's's's's, or Kari's email addresses. It would be cool to include them in these emails, if they want them.
A bunch of elders from our floor left for the mission field last night. It was hard to see them go, but it just made me want to get out there more. I am enjoying my time in the MTC and constantly feeling the Spirit, but I want to get out of here and start serving people. It will be nice to have some stories to tell you guys.
Amo você!
love
elder wiggins
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Best day of the week after p-day
Dear family,
Hi guys.
My third week at the MTC felt a lot like the first two. I´m running out of things to say in my journal because every day feels pretty similar to the last. Time is moving faster now, and I understand Portuguese a little better every day.
General Conference was great, wasn´t it? I´m not just saying that because I´m obligated to, I swear. All 400-ish of the American missionaries watched it together in the auditorium. I was surprised how short it felt-- by the end, I just wanted to hear from President Uchtdorf or Elder Holland again. Speaking of which, Elder Holland was amazing. I bet his address about the Book of Mormon will be remembered for a long time, and not just because he gave it in a fire-and-brimstone preacher´s voice. To be completely honest, I have been questioning the strength and even the existence of my testimony since I arrived here. They don´t give you time to find your testimony here. We learned how to say "I know the Book of Mormon is true" in Portuguese during our first week ("Eu sei que O Livro de Mormon e verdadeiro." SUP.), and they don´t ask whether you really know it or not. They just expect you to. Anyway, I´ve just been thinking a lot about it all lately, so I think I drew the most meaning from Elder Hales´s and Elder Holland´s talks. As much as I love the meaningful stories and lessons that most of the general authorities presented, I found it especially powerful to hear direct testimonies concerning Heavenly Father and the Book of Mormon. I didn´t take many notes during their talks, but I really felt the Spirit. And just to clarify, I know that I have a testimony of this gospel, and of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I just get a little discouraged sometimes, so I was especially grateful to listen to Conference.
And I loved hearing President Monson speak about giving service and being slow to anger. Even though I´m still in the MTC, I am already beginning to see how important it is to put others before yourself. I´m doing my best to be selfless and kind.
I can´t think of many things to say about life in the MTC. It feels like a mix between the dorms at BYU, Sunday school, and the Shawshank Redemption. We have time to study by ourselves, with our companions, and as a district every morning. Then we have gym, which is surprisingly the best part of the day. I just play volleyball and try not to think about the eight hours of class that will follow. We have either ham or bologna sandwiches for breakfast every morning except for cereal day, which is the best day of the week after p-day. For lunch and dinner we usually have some kind of meat with beans and rice. Wednesdays are pizza days, which are also the best days of the week after p-day. I don´t even know what I would do if cereal day and pizza day fell on the same day. I´d probably just die.
Anyway, class is fine. I love learning Portuguese and studying the lessons in Preach My Gospel. I always feel a bit silly and self conscious when we practice teaching, but I know it´s all worthwhile. We get to go proselyting during our fifth and seven weeks, and I´m really looking forward to putting all this training to use.
I want to send pictures of the city to you, but we´re not supposed to take our cameras outside the MTC in case we are robbed. I have a great view from my bedroom window, though, so maybe I can send a few next week.
I love you. All of you. I think about and pray for you every day, and I hope that all of you are safe and happy.
love
elder wiggins
Hi guys.
My third week at the MTC felt a lot like the first two. I´m running out of things to say in my journal because every day feels pretty similar to the last. Time is moving faster now, and I understand Portuguese a little better every day.
General Conference was great, wasn´t it? I´m not just saying that because I´m obligated to, I swear. All 400-ish of the American missionaries watched it together in the auditorium. I was surprised how short it felt-- by the end, I just wanted to hear from President Uchtdorf or Elder Holland again. Speaking of which, Elder Holland was amazing. I bet his address about the Book of Mormon will be remembered for a long time, and not just because he gave it in a fire-and-brimstone preacher´s voice. To be completely honest, I have been questioning the strength and even the existence of my testimony since I arrived here. They don´t give you time to find your testimony here. We learned how to say "I know the Book of Mormon is true" in Portuguese during our first week ("Eu sei que O Livro de Mormon e verdadeiro." SUP.), and they don´t ask whether you really know it or not. They just expect you to. Anyway, I´ve just been thinking a lot about it all lately, so I think I drew the most meaning from Elder Hales´s and Elder Holland´s talks. As much as I love the meaningful stories and lessons that most of the general authorities presented, I found it especially powerful to hear direct testimonies concerning Heavenly Father and the Book of Mormon. I didn´t take many notes during their talks, but I really felt the Spirit. And just to clarify, I know that I have a testimony of this gospel, and of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I just get a little discouraged sometimes, so I was especially grateful to listen to Conference.
And I loved hearing President Monson speak about giving service and being slow to anger. Even though I´m still in the MTC, I am already beginning to see how important it is to put others before yourself. I´m doing my best to be selfless and kind.
I can´t think of many things to say about life in the MTC. It feels like a mix between the dorms at BYU, Sunday school, and the Shawshank Redemption. We have time to study by ourselves, with our companions, and as a district every morning. Then we have gym, which is surprisingly the best part of the day. I just play volleyball and try not to think about the eight hours of class that will follow. We have either ham or bologna sandwiches for breakfast every morning except for cereal day, which is the best day of the week after p-day. For lunch and dinner we usually have some kind of meat with beans and rice. Wednesdays are pizza days, which are also the best days of the week after p-day. I don´t even know what I would do if cereal day and pizza day fell on the same day. I´d probably just die.
Anyway, class is fine. I love learning Portuguese and studying the lessons in Preach My Gospel. I always feel a bit silly and self conscious when we practice teaching, but I know it´s all worthwhile. We get to go proselyting during our fifth and seven weeks, and I´m really looking forward to putting all this training to use.
I want to send pictures of the city to you, but we´re not supposed to take our cameras outside the MTC in case we are robbed. I have a great view from my bedroom window, though, so maybe I can send a few next week.
I love you. All of you. I think about and pray for you every day, and I hope that all of you are safe and happy.
love
elder wiggins
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