Quatro Dias na MTC (Four Days in the MTC)

It's been a crazy first week in the MTC. It's been amazing though.

We learned how to pray in Portuguese on Thursday, bear testimony on Friday. Friday evening we taught our first lesson entirely in Portuguese. We were all really stressed and a bit discouraged because we didn't know enough of the language yet to really talk to our (pretend) investigator, and then we had to teach another lesson Saturday morning and there was very little time to prepare. But Saturday went better than Friday and we have another lesson tonight-- Pday ends at fiveish. The language is coming along, but it is hard. I just want to know it already! We try to say all our prayers in Portuguese and talk as much as we can.

Most of our time is spent in class, doing personal study, and studying the language. Yesterday was the best day yet though. We had Sacrament meeting, which was about half in Portuguese, half in English, and then we watched Music and the Spoken Word, and it was the Christmas special-- it was really great. Then we had Relief Society, all the sisters in the MTC. It was a great meeting, the returned-missionary daughters of the MTC presidency spoke about spending Christmas on a mission. One of them had gone to Portugal! She told us about the traditions and food (salted cod for dinner.. don't know how that will be, ha). The talks were all so wonderful and uplifting.We had choir practice in the afternoon, we decided to do the MTC choir and I think it will be a great experience even though I can't sing very well. We are singing a lovely song, we will perform it at devotional tomorrow.

My poor companion is sick, we spent a good part of our P-day in the health office and have to go back tomorrow. I am praying that she gets better soon, and also that I don't get sick. I am doing just fine so far, but I am being very careful. The Elders in our district gave her a blessing. It was pretty sweet to watch, they had never given a blessing before, and were so excited, in a reverant sort of way. It was such a sweet, powerful, and sincere blessing, and I am so grateful to have such wonderful priesthood holders around! They take good care of us, put away our trays in the cafeteria for us and such. They are super young, barely nineteen, all of them.

I love you all! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here and to serve a mission. Thank you for all of your love and support.