CTM!!!

I definitely didn't think I'd get a Pday till like next week but they were kind enough to let us have one the day after we got here.

Yeah.... so... haha it was a crazy long flight, and I did end up taking the 3 Nyquil on the plane, but I guess it didn't QUITE wear off because I was still exhausted post-flight.

Umm... yeah, haha the drive to Sao Paolo was totes cray cray. I mean, seriously, it's worse than Europe. I'm not even kidding! I'm not sure what I was expecting, & I hate to say it but I wasn't impressed at all when we made the drive to the CTM. The only way I can describe it is if you take Atlanta, Little Five Points & East Point & stick it in a foreign country, you have Sao Paolo. Graffiti EVERYWHERE. Like more so than I was expecting.

But oh well. My new comp is Sister G, & she's ADORABLE. From Maryland. I already love her! & we had a chance to go to the Sao Paolo temple today. Which, you me & A need to go when yall come down! It's gorgeous on the inside. I love it!

as far as the CTM goes.... ehhh.... haha I'm trying to have an upbeat positive attitude about it, but I ache for my district. *Le sigh* I'm not homesick. I'm Provo-sick.

I couldn't help remembering Irmao Rodrigues in Provo who told the story of his companion in Portugal who spoke terrible Portugues, yet he taught with such power, such conviction, such spirit, that the members still understood him in spite of the language barrier. Bro. R went on to say, it really doesn't matter if you speak terrible Portuguese, the members & investigators are gonna feel your spirit & they're gonna be converted by the Holy Ghost. NOT because you speak flawless Portuguese.

And the rules & expectations are vastly different here. In addition to adjusting time zones, language, & power outlets, they're on military time too AND kilos!

GAHHHHH!!!! NAO SEI!!!!!!

Haha. I haven't had a breakdown yet, & I'm half kidding. It's just the mere fact of the matter is that I just barely got adjusted to Provo & their rules & now it's adjusting to the CTM & their rules... we can't even take pictures at the temple!

Anyway, things are good here. The teachers are incredibly nice & muito sympatico. & I do love Sis. G. So it's all good in the hood yo. OH! & there's kind of an equivalent "dear elder" thing here in brazil. It's called "mission ties" or "missionary ties" this guy from a cookie shop "Mr Cheney's cookies" scans letters & emails em to yall! And I think you can do like an email thing too. It's not free, but I think it's cheaper than anything else you could try! Next Pday, I'll ask him about it :)

The city's interesting... doubt P would like it much, but I bet once you get outside of it, it's mais melhor :) The lingua is coming along. Actually, haha funny story, our professor let me & Sis G go back to our rooms last night at like 6, & after we unpacked, Sis G took a shower at 7ish? I was STONE COLD ASLEEP by the time she came out & slept the WHOLE. NIGHT. THROUGH. And even then I was still nodding off during the session at the templo haha. whoops!

(Btw, they won't let you attach pics here either -_- which is driving me crazy!!!) But I love you all so much! 

Here's the addy to the CTM, I don't have my actual mailbox number, but I'll try to do my best to remember it

Sister VerHoef

BRA-LON

Rua Padre Antonion d'Angelo 121

Casa Verde

CEP 02516-040 Sao Paulo-SP

Brazil

Next Pday I'll send yall the actual one next week. sorry! they're kind of disorganized here haha... 

church is true, book is blue!

Chiao!!

(Editor's note: The website she's referring to is MissionTies.com.)