09 de janeiro (January 9)

The food here is pretty good. There's enough choices that you can find something you like. There are two different entrees, plus a grill-type line that serves either some kind of burger or hotdog every meal, also a different really good salad every meal, and then a wrap bar thing, where they will make you whatever kind of wrap you want (or salad), so that's always a good option. Plus soups and such. We do have BYU brownies every once in a while, they always are the mint kind with no nuts. They are very tasty! AND we have BYU ice cream every Sunday and Wednesday. YUM I try not to eat it too often though.

We do get to work out five times a week, there's a gym with treadmills/bikes/etc and free weights and they show church movies/ general conference on tvs while we run. Also there is a gym with a few treadmills/bikes/etc but also a track (they switch the direction you have to run on the track everyday, I thought that was pretty funny, but I guess it's some health principle that it's better not to run in the same direction every day) and also volleyball, basketball, and foursquare. The weather's been so nice, we've been hoping they'd let us go outside for gym, but I guess it's not really normal to staff the outdoor fields in the middle of January, ha. It finally snowed on Friday, though, and it's been cold since. Before it's been cold sometimes but sometimes it's been so warm we don't even need our coats. It's really odd.

Today we got to go to the temple for the first time since we've been here! (it's been closed for the holidays) It was really nice. The Provo temple is HUGE. But it was super good and nice and I really love the Provo temple, it brings back memories of walking over there from school.

Here is a funny story while I am thinking about it, it seems like it should be in some sort of reader's digest: I was in the laundry room reading an Ensign, there was this elder nearby carefully reading the back of a box of dryer sheets. His companion came over, and the first elder said "I don't know what to do with these!" The companion looked at it for a minute, puzzled, and then said "Elder! I've got an idea!" the other said "What's your idea?" And his companion said, "We ask the sisters!"

This week we went to the TRC for the first time, it was pretty awesome because there we just teach members, there is no pretending or anything. Just sort of like how the missionaries share a message when they come over for dinner. I volunteered there once when I was at BYU, so it was cool to go back, but on the other side of the table, ha. This one guy we taught, he spoke Portuguese SO FAST. and then we found out that he also speaks four other languages and is working on German. He learned them all from reading the Book of Mormon and talking to people. He served his mission in Idaho.

Sometimes the Portuguese feels like it is going really well, sometimes it is really frustrating and I feel like I don't know anything. Our investigators weren't keeping their commitments, so I was feeling a little discouraged, but then I talked to Sis. Jacobs, who is a teacher who subbed for us once, she is super sweet and nice and she's from Brazil and doesn't speak too much English, and she said my t's and s's sounded just like Portugal Portuguese! even though all our teachers are Brazil. So that made me feel a better =) But I need to work really really hard, the weeks just keep flying by and I'm definitely not good enought to say much of anything in Porgugal.

I love you all! I am so grateful to be here, and so grateful for all of you love and support