day 28

Way to go for T-Webb!!!  (a nice boy in our ward that got called the Philippines, Angeles mission) Thats super exciting about Grant and Brandon (both friends who just got their call and are going to the same exact Peru mission on the same day). Grant emailed me about it and i said hes going to a spanish speaking in general so that counts.

This week has been a really good one. Not much has changed but ive improved so much with the language and its getting easier and eaiser as we go. Today we went to the sau paulo temple. Its so small compaired to provo!! But the celestial room is BEAUTIFUL!! Lots of motorcycles and scooters here, they dont care about the street rules they just go in between the cars and busses! Its so crazy. I prolly wont be able to send pics till i get out but once i do get out ill send a bunch!! Not a whole lot has happened that is exciting enough to write about but once i get out ill have alot more to say!!

Is being at the CTM SOOO different than being at the MTC?

No not a whole lot just the language is different, better food, and you get to go out on the street on your p-day!! thats what we did today and just got back from. I got some cheap sandles that are really nice! We went to a bakery and we ait some coxinas and they were sooooo good. Dad i want you to go to Braza ezpress and order two of them!! Take scott and all your buddies!!

Better? Harder?

The work is a little harder only cuz the language and speaking it ALL THE TIME is soo hard!!

And all they alow us to play for gym is vollie or basquete. and im getting so good at vollie (volleyball)

day 21 Oi!

He said that he didn't have time to write an email..and just answered ALL my questions.

questions:

I guess since you emailed on tuesdays...are those your pdays while you're in the mtc?

my pdays are now on wednesdays in brazil

tell us about the temple...had any special times there?

Today we didnt get to go to the temple cuz of the thing you said but they didnt tell us that... they just said cuz the busses were not running today (not true)

what will be  your new mtc address?

Just send things to the Piracicaba Mission address, it takes too long to get the the CTM here.  The MTC pres said not to send anything here but to send it to my mission home there in Piracicaba. cuz it would take too long to get here..(when you send packages send them with a picture of Virgin Mary on it so the workers dont steal anything. and also put stuff in cheap looking things that dont look expensive)

i wondered there if they speak english for the main part of the mtc...like i think they would here...but there in brazil...it might be just portegueses...

ALL IN PORTUGUESE itso so hard to be speaking it ALL THE TIME. all the teachers know english and can speak it but choose not to to help us learn the language.

Did you get new companion? Still the same?  Where are they from?

Still the same.

Is it so beautiful there?  

i cant really see anything cuz were cooped up inside all day long!!!

Are there wild animals running around?  like wild dogs, chickens?

there are mostly just a couple dogs running around.

Are you warm enough?  What is the degrees like? I made your mission wall and kinda made my own mission map for you.  I felt pretty proud.

yea im warm enough and its like 70 all day long with some humidity and it is super stuffy 

Food the same there?  More brazillian?  What's been your favorite?

theyve had lots of chicken and its been pretty good. i dont know my fav yet...

What's the hardest part of the mtc now?  Is it even called that? maybe the ctm?

yea its called the CTM but its just the language bridge that we have to get over and itll all be ok.

You got questions? for me?

nope no questions.

day 13 Flying out

No i didnt feel to bad... nope no barf bag.

yea both flights were a total of 18 hours.

i slept most of the way to brazil and there was a whole row not being used so i went back and it was a window row and so i got to sleep alot and take lots of cool pics!

day 12

 Elder Smith's companions

 Elder Smith with Christian's trainer in the Philippines, Elder Wood.  He comes over several times to visit us.  We love Elder Wood!  So nice to see another familiar face in the MTC!

Provo MTC District

day 9

I GOT MY VISA AND I'M LEAVING ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no idea if i'm ready for this but god has a better plan then I do!! I'm leaving Tuesday morning at 6AM then flying to the Detroit airport and then a 4 hour layover and then off to Sou Paulo!!!!!!

day 6...finally!

Hey all I'm doing alright with the work, and the language is super hard but getting easier. I am in a trio with Elder Lyon and Elder Kershaw and it is terrible being in the Trio but im getting through it with help from the lord. I've gotten so much help from him with all of my problems. Two nights ago i had a rough experience with my comps and i just knelt down and prayed for about 10-15 min. I wanted some help with REALLY knowing that the gospel is true. So we are already teaching a pesquisedor (investigator) her name is Susi and her real name is you'll never believe me but her name is Rachel Pike!!! I didn't really know if it was her at first but then i asked my teacher what her name is and he said it was her. I told him that I knew her and all my comps and my teacher just bust out laughing. The CTM is really  hard and trying. I know that the work will get easier with the help of the lord if i ask for it. I know that what im doing is the lords work and i know that it'll get easier. 

           Im starting to read the BOM all the way through. Its hard to balance personal with language study time. I have the best teachers though, one is Bro. Pinho and another one is Bro. Bitner they are both so helpful with the language and all the problems with the work. I feel like i can talk to them really about anything. 

           I love you all!!!!

           Love Elder Smith (the youngerest)

P.S. Tell people to write me