Broken down like a war economy - Dec. 25, 2009

Feliz natal, everyone!

I know I already talked to all of you today, but I still wanted to tell all of you that I love you. I enjoyed the time we had on the phone together, although it was short. It was a good reminder that you're all still there, that there are some people in this world who know what I'm really like, and that Jana forgave me for eating John's Snickers bar (sorry). I don't have much to say to all of you that I didn't already, so I think I'll just send some photos for Mom and Dad's new frame.

Merry Christmas! Feliz Natal!

Oh, only thing. Dad: I don't know if anyone reads the blog, but I think that would be a great way to get some people's addresses. They (assuming there is a "they") could just post their address in the comments and you could forward them to me. I want to stay in touch with people from back home. Gimme yr addresses!

Okay, that's all. I hope you enjoy your delicious Christmas dinner and feel just a tiny bit guilty that I might not have a real meal tonight! Just kidding. What?

okay bye

booga

All the clouds have silver linings - Dec. 14, 2009

SUP.

I had my first baptism yesterday! Hooray! Carol, one of those two girls who I mentioned last week, came to church with us and decided to be baptized later that day. Unfortunately, I wasn't there to see it; in fact, I didn't even know she was baptized until after I came home for the night.

The zone leaders are staying with us for a few days, so we're doing divisions until they leave. I spent my whole day making contacts with another elder and a member, and none of us had a cell phone at the time. We came home before my actual companion, who showed me a picture of him and the girl in baptismal attire and congratulated me on my first baptism. Fart.

I'm not really upset about it, but I wish I could have at least been there for it. Oh well. It's more important that she chose to be baptized than that I wasn't there to witness it.

Other than that, my week was pretty normal. Kind of. It's hard to compress my week into one email because the days are so long and packed with events. But, a few things of note:

We had interviews with my mission president on Tuesday in Pirassununga. We took a bus to the chapel there, where I stumbled through my interview. It was rough. He doesn't speak a whole lot of English, so he just asked me some simple questions. I felt discouraged, though, because I don't have any missionary friends here yet (we met up with our zone, and I didn't know anyone) and I couldn't even communicate with my mission president, who is supposed to strengthen and counsel me.

Then we took a bus back home. Thing is, we had to stop and switch buses in a town called Aguaí. The bus that we were supposed to take was coming from São Paulo, which was experiencing heavy rainfall at the time. Our bus couldn't make it, and a new one wouldn't show up until 6 that night. So we spent five hours or so making contacts with people. We didn't have any of our proselyting stuff (copies of the Book of Mormon, pamphlets, etc.) because of interviews. It was almost impossible to make any meaningful contacts because of that. The rain didn't help, either. People don't want to listen to you when it rains, and it rained a lot this week.

My companion ate a salgado (unhealthy stuff inside a pocket of fried bread dough) a few nights ago and became really sick the next day. He did nothing but sleep and puke all day. I gave him a blessing (my first ever!), but it looked like we just had to wait it out. I studied all day (almost read Our Search for Happiness cover to cover) while he recovered.

Oh! Something I forgot to mention last week: I'm kind of the ward (/branch) organist. I played in sacrament meeting last week, and it looks like I will be for the rest of my time here in Mococa. It's terrifying to accompany people right now, but I want to help these people in whatever way I can. And even though I'm not great at playing the piano, I think I may be better at that than Portuguese.

Anyway, all is well here. I appreciate your prayers and love all of you very much.

luv

booga

The world that you need is wrapped in gold, silver sleeves

Can I just say something really fast? I love all you so much. Seriously. Reading words of encouragement from people who know who I am, who know what I'm like when I can actually communicate, who know my first name, really lifts my spirits.

So, I didn't really do anything special for my birthday. I told a few members at church yesterday that it was my birthday and they congratulated me and pat me on the back. But we spent the rest of the day trying to make contacts in the pouring rain. My companion and I had a meeting with the ward mission leader at the church at 7:30, so we walked (or swam) for a half hour or so through the rain. I've never felt so wet in my life. That might sound gloomy when you read it. I've never felt so wet in my life! Pardon my French, but what the ***, Brazil! This is such a bizarre experience. I am trying to follow the counsel of Elder Wirthlin and learn to laugh when it's tempting to feel crestfallen (Do you remember his talk, "Come what may, and love it"? I think it was the last one he gave in Conference before he passed away. It's one of my favorites.)

My companion and I forgot that yesterday was Fast Sunday, so we started our fast after lunch yesterday. We're going to break it after this, and I think I'll take the opportunity to buy myself a little birthday treat.

Speaking of treats, I tried açaí for the first time this week. It's supposed to have the most antioxidants of any fruit in the world or something. It's super good.

Dad, you asked me to talk a little bit about the church here. The branch is pretty small even though there are enough members here to fill two wards. A lot of the people are inactive. Every Sunday we walk to our investigators house to bring them to church with us. I think that's one of the hardest parts about it out here: very few people own cars, so they have to walk for miles every Sunday to attend church. And if they don't have a strong testimony that this is the only true church of Christ on the earth, why would they make the trek?

The active members are great, though. We eat lunch in a member's house every day, which is awesome. Beans, rice, chicken, salad. Stuff like that. They feed us a ton, and I do my best to express gratitude for it. Also: I have never eaten so much (or, consequently, weighed as much) as I have here in Brazil. After lunch, one of us elders leaves a message for the family. I have been chosen to do it pretty often, which is tough. I'm still struggling with the language, so it's difficult to give a substantial message. But I always bear my testimony and I hope people can at least understand that.

Mococa is a beautiful place. We had a conference this week where Elder Godoy, a member of the Area Seventy, spoke to us. I don't have much to say about the conference itself other than it helped to remind me of my purpose here. But we took a three or four hour bus ride to Ribeirão Preto, and the countryside that we traveled through is just gorgeous. Flat green plains with trees every once in a while for as far as you can see, and the sky! Man, the sunset at the end of the day is something I always look forward to. It's breathtaking.

The city itself isn't quite as beautiful, but I don't mind. The houses, roads, and sidewalks are slowly decaying, but the people don't seem to notice or care. So I try not to, either. The people live in really humble circumstances and many of them still work for hours and hours every day to support themselves. You can learn a lot from their dedication.

Others spend most of their time in bars. I think there are an equal number of bars and churches here. You can't really blame people for being a little disillusioned or confused by the things they have been taught about religion, but it doesn't make the work any easier.

We have been teaching two little girls who were really excited about being baptized, but backed out at the last minute. Their mother and some of their siblings are inactive members, and their house isn't that great of an environment. We lost the support of their mother, and now they say they want to learn more in the gospel before they get baptized. Any tips on how I can help them?

Also, their mother's name is Beth, but it is pronounced "Betch." I still feel a little guilty when I say her name.

This email has been a little profane. Sorry about that. Also sorry about the rambling. But I don't have much time!

Thank you, all of you, for writing me and wishing me a happy birthday. I love you so much and think about you every day (though I am still trying to be focused!).

Until next week,

booga

And our ashes will fly in the aeroplane over the sea

Hi everyone.

My second week in the field went much faster than the first, which may have been the longest week of my life. I think I'm starting to get the hang of things out here. It is still really difficult to communicate with people, but my companion is a really strong speaker, so he hops in when I struggle.

I have been trying to pretend like I have confidence. It's easier when I'm around members because they understand better why I'm out here. I don't have to worry as much about saying things correctly because they will be friendly and understanding either way. The Church is small out here -- we only have a branch, and we hold our meetings in a house -- but the members are strong. I think the branch president is a cool guy. I say "I think" because I can't always understand him. Man, it would be nice to know how to speak Portuguese.

My companion and I are working hard. He is consistently diligent and ?I try to follow his example. We spend a lot of our time walking. We work primarily in two neighborhoods that are on opposite sides of the city. There are times when I wish we had a car, but I don't mind walking most of the time.

We have had investigators at church for both of the Sundays that I have been here. It feels really good to see people keep their commitments. Most of them get lazy or change their mind when we try to bring them with us on Sunday morning. People have some weird ideas about religion out here. Most of them just go to the church that's closest to their house. Many of them think that God is in every church. It's hard to explain why they need to come to this church instead of that one, and it's REALLY hard to explain it in Portuguese.

But I am glad that I'm here! I am learning a lot and growing up a little. I try to remind myself to keep a positive attitude all the time. It gets tough, though. I notice that my mind usually wanders when my companion is having a normal conversation with someone. I am definitely getting better at understanding people. But I space out when nothing makes any sense and I think about home and music and stuff.

But I'm aware of it, and I'm fixing it. I memorized in Portuguese Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision this week. I took a part of it each day and repeated it in my mind while we walked. And whenever I thought about what all of you were doing at that moment, or what my friends at BYU might be doing, or any of that, I made myself repeat my daily portion of the First Vision. I memorized it, so I guess it worked.

Sorry for rambling on; I usually have a few notes of what to write about, but I didn't do that this week.

Mococa is a nice place, and I am happy. I feel exhausted at the end of the day, but I'm not sure if it's from working hard or walking a lot. I am trying to figure out the difference between the two. I am learning how to stretch myself and take responsibility. It isn't easy. But I am growing and having fun and being Brazilian. The gospel is true. I am thankful that I can serve the Lord for this time. I love all of you very much, and I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

okay bye

booga

Elder Wiggins's New Address

Update from Jeff's dad:

Elder Wiggins would love to receive letters and packages in the mail. With his birthday coming up on December 6th and Christmas soon after that, we can brighten his days by sending some love and sunshine from family and friends back home. Here is the address to send all letters and packages to him, probably through the end of his two-year mission:

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

Maybe there's no harm in a wasted summer with no drama; we're gonna stay in

Okay, hi, family!

I am sitting in a cramped internet café in Brazil sending an email to all of you. That's a little weird, huh? This email is probably going to be long and maybe uninteresting, but the ending might be great! It probably won't be, but who knows? Let's read on...

I only left the MTC last Tuesday, but it feels much longer than that. Those of us who were headed to Ribeirão Preto had to leave at 4 AM to take a bus to the airport. We had a one hour flight from São Paulo (the city) to Ribeirão Preto. I was already pretty nervous about leaving the MTC because everyone in my district except for my companion was going Maceió. Just traveling to the mission was a little scary because I was already surrounded by new people.

We were greeted at the airport by President and Sister Vieira and the assistants, all of whom were very kind and welcoming. We loaded up our bags, took some pictures, and headed to the mission office. We ate, they gave us some paperwork and talked about entering the mission and all that. OH, before I forget. Jana: Elder Ellis says he knows you and that he used to surf with Nate a lot. He's going to be the new financial secretary, so that's cool.

Anyway. We went to the mission home (which is in a beautiful place overlooking the city) and ate lunch. Then we watched a slide show about the mission that reminded me of the slide show Andrew and I watched in our Intro to the English Major class (think cheesey (cheesy? cheez-ee?) music and nostalgia that you don't share with the people in the video). That was a bit weird.

(Sorry for rushing through all this and leaving the story flavorless; I don't have much time.)

After we finished, they shepherded all the new missionaries into the kitchen while our trainers quietly entered the living room. We reentered while they belted out "Chamados a Servir" (Called to Serve). We took our seats and President Vieira called us up one at a time to met our trainers. After the new missionary announced his companion's name, all the trainers freaked out and fell all over themselves with excitement. It was pretty awkward.

My trainer's name is Elder Goodsell. He's from Virginia, and he's been really great so far. He isn't the type to be overly enthusiastic, but he is sincere and diligent, and he is helping me to adjust to being a real-live missionary.

Mococa is a nice little town. It kind of reminds me of the areas you see in California that are near the beach. There is definitely a summer-y feeling around here, and I often think that it'd be nice to go swimming. Sometimes I half expect to stumble upon the ocean even though we're surrounded by land for hundreds of miles on all sides. Most of the buildings are dirty and the streets cracked and broken, but I don't mind it much anymore. Most of the houses are small and made of brick. Our apartment is kind of a dump, but I've gotten used to it. I might recommend that we clean it because it looks like no one has for a few years.

The people seem very nice. They might be really mean, though. I'm not sure. You know, because I don't speak Portuguese. It's incredibly difficult to communicate with people. I thought I did all right in the MTC, but I'm struggling to even teach parts of the first lesson now. Thankfully, Elder Goodsell speaks really well, so he's able to help me out when I need it.

I'll try to talk more about the details in the coming weeks. I just wanted to get the facts out. Just know that I'm doing well and trying my hardest.

Oh, fun story (because you asked, Andrew): Yesterday Elder Goodsell and I contacted a woman who was sitting with a girl who looked maybe fifteen years old. We were talking about the church and all that and the teenage girl left. Something you should know: it is really common for women down here to show off. You know. Like, it's hot, they wear tank tops, right? Anyway, the teenage girl wasn't trying to hide anything. She left and came back holding a baby. I didn't notice it at first, but she started breastfeeding her. So, yeah. I made it four or five days before I saw any of that. I wish I had made it longer. And I didn't expect it from a girl who looked like she could go to Arroyo Seco.


FOR MOM AND DAD: What should I do about my retainer? I would bet that there are zero competent dentists around here. (please could you send me a new one please maybe please?)

Also, FOR WHOEVER: If you want to write me letters or send me packages, PLEASE just SEND THEM TO THE MISSION OFFICE. Everything: letters, packages, wedding invitations, money, AMERICAN CANDY (please?). Send it to the mission office. And Dad, could you update my address on Facebook and all that?


I'm out of time, so I'm sorry about any typos and I'm sorry I can't send any individual emails this week. But I lovelovelovelovelove receiving them from you and hearing about what is happening in your lives. Thank you for your prayers and your support. I love all of you.

elder wiggins

I cherish with fondness the day (before) I met you

Okay, first. Congratulations, Brady and Annalisa! Ellie is adorable. I loved looking at all the pictures of your cute little family (I think picture attachments are allowed here, Annalisa). I was really surprised to find out that she was born because I read an email from Mom before I even knew that Ellie was born, and she mentioned that all of you talked on Skype and that it was good to see Ellie. I didn't even know that Ellie was a person yet. I can't wait to meet her. It's too bad she will practically be a teenager by then. Anyway, congratulations, and happy early birthday, Brady!

Missionaries usually go proselyting twice while they're here at the MTC. You might remember that I wasn't able to go the first time because Elder Scott came and spoke to us (no complaints there, by the way). For the first time, we proselyte around the MTC, within the same boundaries we have on p-day. For the second time, we drive as a district to downtown São Paulo and spend three hours trying to give away two copies of the Book of Mormon and talking to as many people as possible. Having not gone the first time, I was pretty terrified to go proselyting at all, and being surrounded by an ocean of people who don't speak English didn't help. But Elder Woodhouse and I did our best, and we ended up having a great experience. We spoke to a lot of people, including an atheist, two Catholic men, and an Indian artist who spoke about as much Portuguese as we did. While we were talking to the Indian man, a woman hastily approached us and made it clear that she wanted a Book of Mormon and that she was in a hurry. She almost left without getting one because we couldn't really understand her, but we gave it to her and showed her the phone number she could call to talk to the missionaries. Still don't really know what that's about.

Those two Catholic men that I mentioned seemed pretty receptive to our message, though. We found them in a park and tried to talk to them. I can only communicate basic phrases in Portuguese, but that's all it really takes to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon. So we talked to them and tried to understand what they were saying (that part of the language is coming along pretty slowly). One of the men said he already had a Book of Mormon (might have been lying, who knows), but the other didn't really know about the Church and he said he hadn't been a practicing Catholic for years. He seemed really grateful to receive the Book of Mormon, and I hope he reads it. But even if nothing comes of our day of proselyting, I grew a lot. I'm constantly becoming more confident of my testimony, and I found that it was pretty easy to talk to people once we had started a conversation. Elder Woodhouse is friendly and outgoing, so we were able to talk to people without too much trouble.

My afternoon instructor, Irmão Ribeiro (Hee-BAY-roo, kind of like the name of my mission), took a candid photo of Elder Woodhouse and I making our very first street contact EVER, and it turned out amazing. It looks like something out of Preach My Gospel or something. He showed it to us yesterday, but it said there was a file error on his camera and the colors were all messed up. I hope it isn't ruined, because I want to show it to all of you.

So that was the best part of the week. Want to hear the worst part? I ALMOST TALKED TO YOU (that is, Mom, Dad, or Sam) ON THE PHONE ON SATURDAY. The wire on my retainer broke the day before, so I went to the doctor (a senior missionary who is notorious for prescribing sniffing salt water as the solution to all medical problems) to see if I could set up an appointment with the dentist. He said I should come back on Monday so we could figure out a time to meet with one. I mentioned that I wanted to tell my parents about my retainer before I spent a ton of money replacing it. He asked if I could send emails all day, every day. I thought he was being sarcastic, but he honestly didn't seem to understand that I can't email people whenever I want. I told him that Tuesday is my p-day. He asked for my phone number. I hesitated and gave it to him. As he was dialing, I quietly freaked out to my companion, who was waiting in the adjacent room. The doctor finished dialing (ON SPEAKER PHONE) and told me to explain what had happened while the phone rang. Thankfully, no one answered. I don't even know what I would have said if any of you had picked up. But in case you were wondering why you have a missed call FROM FREAKING BRAZIL, that's why. Because my retainer broke. So, not a huge deal. Thanks for not picking up the phone.

So, this is my last week at the MTC. Time is strange here; I feel like I've lived here forever, but I can still vividly remember saying goodbye to everyone and packing my bags to leave California. It doesn't seem that long ago. Anyway, I'm really excited to go to Ribeirão Preto and start doing some real work. The MTC has been great, but I'm ready to leave.

Oh, the MTC. Listen to this: there are more missionaries waiting in Provo to receive their visas than there are missionaries (American and Brazilian) at this MTC. Once my group leaves next week, there will be twenty or thirty American missionaries in the entire MTC, and it looks like there won't be any incoming Americans for the rest of the month. I'm not sure what is going on with the visas, but I am so grateful that I didn't have to deal with that. I'm sure that I am in Brazil for a reason.

A quick story to end everything. When I woke up yesterday, there were pieces of some kind of animal on my bedroom floor. I though it was a bird. Turns out a huge moth (I mean, huge. Like, I really did think it was a bird) flew into our fan and was cut clean in half. I have a few pictures of it, but they didn't turn out very good. That's the first experience I've had with crazy Brazilian wildlife, but I'm sure it won't be the last!

I love all of you very much.

elder wiggins

Take the poison of your age, don't lick your finger when you turn the page

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

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

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

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

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!