First Contact!

Finally, our first note from Daniel since he got to Brazil!!  The note from his mission president told us to expect an email either Tuesday or Wednesday, so you can be sure we were checking the computer both days!!!  I even came home from work at lunch today to see if it had arrived.

 Here is an excerpt from the email (slightly edited):

 

Now that I am here in the CTM, it has been so much fun.  My companion Elder Young is a really fun person to be around.  Sometimes we have a hard time being serious all the time.  But I mean how could I be serious 24 hours a day?  I have to sit in like 5 hours of classes, then eat, then 5 more hours in class.  Plus waking up at 6:30 in the morning is not going so great right now.  But this time in the CTM and mission field has been a blast.  All the missionaries that we came with on the plane are way sweet, so we have all gotten pretty close.  

 

I have learned so much and am growing very close to the Spirit.  Plus, I am actually picking up the language pretty well (moito bem).  I am loving Brazil.  The atmosphere has been amazing and on Sunday, they had a soccer tournament and the whole city was going nuts.  It sounded like we were in Iraq.  The Brazilians love my Ronaldinho jersey, and we talk about soccer all the time together. 

 

Brazil is so beautiful!   We went to the Campinas Temple today, and that was such a neat experience to see the country more and to realize that the Spirit and the endowment session are the same everywhere.  Even if you can't understand everything that they were saying.  I love being here so much, and I know you are probably getting sick of me saying that, but it has been great! 

 

The view outside my window is so amazing!  The cool thing is I was told that my mission is even more beautiful than where I am at now.  Not to mention the Brazilian people, or at the least the ones that I have come in contact with, are so nice.

 

Daniel included a few comments for specific family members that I have passed to them, and then he closed with a message for the family:

 

I love you all so very much and miss you.  Always think of me in your prayers.  I will be doing the same for you.  God be with you until we meet again.

 

It was just a short email, but it really helped to hear from him.  Even though he is certainly having a great experience, there was just a bit of homesickness evident.  So, if you have a chance, please send him a short note (see the address here on the site).  Our stake president counseled us that he only gets to see email once a week, but he can get snail mail every day.  I’m sure Daniel would very much appreciate that!!