September 24, 2014- P-day- week 3

Hello Family!

This past week has gone by way too fast. It seems as though I'm going to bed just as soon as I'm waking up. Yes! The Churrascaria was amazing! By far the best one I've gone to. It blew away that $50 place we went to, Texas de Brazil. The meats were less in number, but greater in taste. It was so good! Plus it was only 20 Reals, which is about $10! We were also able to walk around the city here and beyond the craziness of the center here. My companions and I walked around the neighborhood and ran into some real missionaries. The American missionary who had been out for around 4 months was speaking almost fluently. It got me excited for the actual mission field!

 

Anyways, things have been pretty normal here. Wake up, shower, go study for an hour, breakfast, more study, physical activity, lunch, class, dinner, TALL, class, and bed! Such a routine schedule. Thats why I love Wednesdays so much here. We are able to go around and relax from all the tension and stress buildup from learning Portuguese and how to teach. The Portuguese is coming along pretty well. I'm learning more and more everyday.

 

Yes! We just had a general authority here yesterday for the devotional. Do you remember Elder Causse? I can't remember what he is, but he came down here to settle property settlements, and he stopped by the CTM. It was a really good devotional! Last Tuesday, we watched a broadcast of Elder Richard G. Scott from the MTC in Provo. It was a really good talk on prayer and our relationship with Heavenly Father.

 

As for weather, it gets a little chilly here in the mornings, and one day it was cold for the whole duration, but other than that it is lovely weather. It is going to be so hot once summer starts! Yes, I write in my journal every night. And yes, I have Brasilian Reals (remember the r sounds like an h; also the z's and s' switch sounds).

 

My district consists of all elders, 3 companionships. Yes, I have been taking some pictures, and I've been drawing a lot. Oh! So, the other day, I was stacking chairs in my room to give me a little height so I could see outside when I draw, but I didn't lock the top two chairs in place. When I sat down, it came crashing down on my fingers which were on the sides. I crushed my fingers, and I couldn't move them for several hours. There was a ton of swelling, and they're still purple from the bruise. There was also a little internal bleeding! haha No need to worry though, just an accident that I'm recovering from.

 

Its great to hear from you guys. I hope John does well with the ACT and SAT. To John- remember not to slack off as your brother once did. Get the best grades you can, and try to focus a little more on school than usual. I promise you it will help a lot! 

 

Well, I shall keep you updated throughout my stay here, but there won't be much to talk about till I get out. And trust me, you will have plenty to look at from my pictures. Love you all very much!

 

Your son and brother,

Elder Matthew Taylor Collins