One Week to the Field!

Oi!

This week was so fast.

The last group of missionaries ahead of us left for the mission field yesterday. That means we're the oldest ones here now! It's crazy to think about haha. I feel like I just got here, but I'm ready to start the real thing! In 6 days I'll be making all my own food, walking 10 miles a day, and hardly understanding anyone haha. It's hard to believe that it will actually happen after sitting in A/C and eating amazingly for 5 weeks straight.

I think for how long I've been here, my Portuguese has progressed very well. I can express what I need to and get the general idea of what people are saying. Sometimes I understand everything, but sometimes it sounds like blloperãçãogliequééolhmfgsaçãê. Our district is having four days of only Portuguese this week. I set a goal before we started to say less than 25 words total in English during those four days. I knew it would be way hard but possible. Monday morning, our first day, I said 6 words in English within 20 minutes of waking up,so I thought my goal was ruined, but after our second day, yesterday, I've said a total of 13, all accidentally haha. The next two days are the final two, and I'm going to make it! Everyone else in the district says over a couple hundred a day in English still, so it's often hard to keep focused on solely Portuguese, but I'm making it!

My time here at the CTM has been awesome! I feel like my mission hasn't really begun yet, even though it has, because pretty much all we do all day is sit in a building. Shortly though, it will be come very real! I leave for the campo (Português term for mission field) Tuesday morning. In the CTM, my knowledge and usage of Portuguese, my testimony of the gospel, my faith in Christ, and my desire to work as hard as I can have all grown significantly, so I can confidently say I am well prepared for the next phase.

Hopefully in the field emailing will be completely better. I should have more than a mere 45 minutes, and I'll be able to send pictures! Finally! Haha, one funny thing I saw here, but haven't written about yet is that on the way to the temple a few weeks ago, traffic was slow on the interstate, and some guys had a stand set up in the median and were walking BETWEEN THE CARS ON THE FREEWAY TRYING TO SELL SELFIE STICKS. Hahaha, Brazil is great! I hope all is well in America!

I love you guys! Amo vocês!

Elder Anderson