3 Sept. 2013

Thanks for the email. Its is a little hard to believe that this is my final week in the MTC. Its kinda of nice, because I'm going a little stir crazy here. This week has been pretty interesting . On Saturday we found out that our district is being split and being merged into two different districts b/c the school is starting at BYU and it screws up the teachers schedules. I'm still with my companions,but starting tomorrow, I will be meeting with another district in our zone. My original district will remain intact, we just won't have class together anymore. Oh well, worse things could happen and we are leaving in a week. We also are getting new teachers as well, and I really don't like that b/c my old teachers were awesome. Irmão Gabriel and Irma De Campus were the best. Last Wednesday I got to host new missionaries coming into the MTC which was a lot of fun. Basically, you pick them up on the sidewalk, help them drop off their stuff, pick up study materials and get them to class w/o any major melt downs. Some of the elders were walking in the 3-4 suitcases and it was really funny b/c all of my stuff fit into one. I saw one sister with 5-6. One of the missionaries I hosted was from Noblesville and went to Noblesville high school. He's also in my zone and is going to Brazil. Fancy that.  it was really kinda of cool.  One of the Elders in my district was sent home this week due to medical issues.  It was really sad, b/c he was a great guy.  We all sang to him, " God be with you till we meet again" before he left. It was really touching.

Fun fact that I don't think I've mentioned about the MTC. All of sacrament meeting is in your mission language.  So sacrament meeting is all in Portuguese and whats really cool is that I can understand about 99% of whats being said.  You have to take into consideration that all the talks are given by elders and sisters who are at the same level of Portuguese as me, but it is still really cool to hear/see.  So Tom, if you go foreign, get ready to experience Sunday in your mission language. That reminds me, Teresa got her mission call she is going to Scottsdale AZ. I'm really jealous.  We get our reassignments on Thursday or Friday and I can't wait to see where I get to go. We figured out that the elders and sisters that reported this last wednesday, we'll be reassigned to the same missions that they are going to. I'm hoping for Tempe AZ, but my district thinks I'm going to Detroit. 

Yesterday was pretty interesting. We played volleyball out in the rain b/c it actually rains here about once every week to 2 weeks. Kinda of nice. Our teachers said all their goodbyes as well and showed us pictures of their missions in Brazil. None went to Manaus, but this new teachers not teaching us did and he got back 5 months ago.  Listening to him talk about his mission was a lot of fun. Apparently we'll be mostly staying in the actual city of Manaus b/c of the 3.1 million people in my mission, 2.8 are in the city and only the ZL and APs go outside the main city really. It is really hot about 40-50 degrees outside (100-112) with 100% humidity.  They have a lot of foods and fruits there we were told that we were supposed to try. Our mission president is really strict but really nice at the same time. He runs that mission kinda like a business and it runs really smoothly. I was also to never translate " I'm full" literally even though elders there will try to make you do that, b/c the meaning to other Brazilians is that you are pregnant. Good advice. 

Thats great to here that Fishers won the HSE-Fishers game. Its been awhile since I think we've won. It will be fun to get back and watch a football game. One of the things I really miss in the MTC is music. We're not allowed to listen to any music until we get out into the field, so the moment I get out I'm buying as much MOTAB as I can.  They do sell all the motab cds here in the MTC, so if I have a little left over and I'm going stateside, I might get some. I miss all you! Eu seu que o Livro de Mórmon e verdadeiro, é Jesus Cristo é nosso Salvador é Redentor. Eu amo meu missão!

Love 

Ben/Elder Battraw