First Email from Elder Heperi

Hi everyone,
Well, I~ve lasted thru my first week at this place, and made it to my first P-day! Glory be! Holy Prison as it is sometimes referred too as (even by the MTC Pres.). Flight over was...long. I only slept two hours. But it was way cool hanging with all the missionaries at the airport while we were traveling. We got a lot of strange looks, especially in Dallas and Brazil. So I~m like, alright, this mission thing is pretty good. I can do this.Then of course we arrive at the MTC, and everything changes. I sit in a classroom for eight hours. The room never changes, my seat never changes. Then we eat, go to bed.

Oh wow that was tough at first. By Friday, I thought I was wondering if I was mentally strong enough to last through this. Spiritually, I love it. The MTC (or CTM pronounced Say-Tay-Ehm) is very uplifting, and I~ve found that I have a great love for teaching the gospel. At least when it comes to English.

When it comes to Portuguese, I was way frustrated by trying to learn it. And when I thought that I~d have to teach in it, it just really overwhelmed me. But now, even though I~m far from being anything close to good, I see that it~s possible. They tell us here that there has never been a missionary who has not learned to speak the language. On Friday, I was convinced that I was destined to be the first. Now...I still might, but I don~t think so much so anymore.

Now, don~t get me wrong, I love being here, in the sense that I know that the Lord wants me here. Yeah, class is hard, and being in the same building 6 days outta 7 kind of can make people (everyone, not just me) go a little crazy sometimes, but overall I love it. I~m very grateful now for the advice that that Russian-boy Rob Magleby sent me. He said that he just got it into his mind to like the MTC, and he eventually did. Of course, he was in Provo, which has more buildings, but I~ll see how I can tolerate it. I~ve heard different advice from different Elders, but apparently if you can get past the first month, it becomes a little easier, at least in your minds. We~ll see.My district is good. I get along ok with everyone, some more than others. My companion is a good guy as well… It~s amazing to me that I could be the one to tell someone to settle down a little, but there you go.

Brazil (Braz-iw) from what I~ve seen of it, is beautiful. I was kind of imagining a lot of jungle stuff, but it appears to be more like some kind of very green New York City. The weather actually has been pretty pleasant, although the first day I thought that I was gonna be doomed to sweat for two years. but lately it~s been quite nice, Although it~s quite hot today, which I~m told is how it most likely is going to be. Although, I would love to trade the classroom sitting stuff for walking around.

The food is good at the MTC. Lots of Beans and rice, which I find very appealing actually. I could actually eat that for two years straight, I like it. Although, my digestive system appears to have to be adjusting to other shtuff here. I~m told that~s kinda what it~ll be like for two years, so I hope my bowels can take it. (heh heh). Also I~ve noticed that there is no apostrophe on this keyboard, just a weird squiggle, so I hope my contractions can be understood.

I~m trying hard to obey all the mission rules. It~s actually quite an adjustment, and sometimes I do feel like it is like a prison. (again, not my words, heard it from the MTC Pres.) But I~m obedient to them, even when I don~t understand all of them. I wake up at the right time, and get up and don~t take pictures on P-day. I know that the Lord will bless me for it. Most missionaries are obedient it seems, and I want to follow that example.I got pictures, but apparently I~m in the wrong kind of computer lab to send those, so I~ll have to send em next week. It~s pretty, but just the MTC.

Oh, I hope that my letter got received. Remember that the pouch system does NOT work anymore down here. You just have to send the letter directly. And please send me a letter anyone who reads this. No one has got any mail in our district, make me the first! Also, I~m not allowed to respond, or even read I think, e-mails from anyone else, but if anyone wants to shoot me and e-mail, MTC Pres. says it~s okay to have it forwarded by a family member. Can you be in charge of that, Levi? Talk to my friends, and if any of them wants to send me an e-mail (maybe not too lengthy, I only get 45 min. a week) they can do it thru you. Again, letter would be best since I can read it more often and have a hard copy, but this can be used to get anything too me fast.

Well, time is almost up. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and stuff, and I~ll keep working on this end.

Love,

Elder Heperi =w=