October 23, 2011 - Querida Familia!!

October 23, 2011
Querida Familia!
Esta semana foi muito louco!

Tons of Visas. About 75 came in on Wednesday. And four of those visas came to our District; Elder Hobbs, Reeves, Johnson, and Glenn. It was so exciting! Haha, it was hilarious when they got their visas. We were all sitting in class and then the intercom came on and asked Elder Glenn & Johnson to come to the Travel office. They came back with their visas, and then about 10 minutes later, this Brazilian woman’s voice comes over the intercom, and she says in a booming voice, “this is the Voice of Heaven! Are there missionaries going to
Curitiba?”
And we all responded, “Yesssh!”
“All of you come to the travel Office!”
So Elder Barkdull, Hobbs, Reeves, and I all go down to the travel office, super excited. We get there and they look through the Curitiba Visas, and they only had Reeves and Hobb’s visa. BLAST! Oh well, it was so exciting to see everyone get their visas. It will be weird, though, because they all leave Tuesday, so starting Wednesday, we’ll only have four people in our
District: Sister Patton, Elder Trevisanut, Elder Barkdull and me. Lessons/Study time will be weird, but I think it’ll be really good, because we’ll be able to participate more. It’s sad though. Elder Olpin got reassigned, and left yesterday for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It sucks, I can’t quote Arrested Development and Avatar with him. But I know he’s going to do awesome, he has got this missionary thing down. Ahh! I just want to go to BRAZIL! I just want to jump right into the field! I know that that’s where I’m supposed to be, and I just don’t want to wait anymore. I love the language, and I just want to go master it. I know that there are more things I can learn here at the MTC, but I feel like I know the basics pretty well, and the next step is to just go out there and teach with the Spirit!!! Oh well, I shouldn’t get so worked up, I still have a month to go in the MTC, and I’m still learning tons here. This is where the Lord wants me right now, so I just need to make the most of this time to grow! So today there were a lot of releasing’s/callings. Elder Barkdull and I were called as Sacrament Coordinators, which means we assign people to pass and bless the Sacrament each Sunday, and make sure there is bread and water. Hobbs was released as District leader, and Trevisanut was called to his spot. So, E. Trevisanut is our District leader, over four missionaries. I’m so glad that I wasn’t called, because DL meetings cut into lots of Study time, which is not cool beans with me. I love my personal study time. The Book of
Mormon is legit! I had to stop marking stuff though, because I was marking everything. 2 Nephi is completely red. I know you sent me extra colors, but I still haven’t figured out a good system for marking. Do you have ideas? I’ll definitely do a color for the Atonement, and then another color for prophesies/fulfilled prophesies, but then I don’t know what to do. Some guys in my district mark scriptures by what lesson they correspond=d with but I kind of don’t like that approach, because I feel like I’d only use the scriptures for what lesson they were marked for – nothing else. Sorry, I just realized I’ve been blabbering for half a page about scripture markers.
So I had a strange day Friday. In the morning I had gym, and I saw Nate Tuttle. He works here as a missionary babysitter during gym time. It was cool catching up with him, especially since he served in Brazil.
Now, the weird part. During Personal Study, this guy comes in our classroom and asks to speak with me privately. His name was something like Weatherby, or something. And he’s the guy that Alexis Tuttle is engaged to, LOL, super random and a little strange. I mean, it’s really cool that he came to talk to me. He just said that he knew I was good friends with Alexis. He was a really nice guy, I’m happy for her. It was just a little out of the blue.
Well, I guess I’ll just finish this letter off so you can hear from me sooner. I hope all is going well for the family. I’m praying for Autumn, that her teeth will be ok. I also pray for dad, so that he can have an easier time at work. Tell me how life is going out there. How was Landon’s Primary thing? Have you been able to visit Folsom again? How are our neighbors? Do you still walk in the morning? Mom, have you been mugged at Lucky’s yet?
Family name, five things you want to know about the MTC life.

Tell me five annoying things that I used to do that, that you don't have to worry about, now that I’m gone.

Tell me five things you all like about San Jose, that you didn’t realize before -- go out and find things you like if you don’t have enough reasons.
OK, you have to answer these questions. I want to know how you’re doing at home!
Read the Scriptures, Pray every morning and night and moments in between. Know that the Lord is with you always, if you keep his commandments.
Love, Tudo Bem,
Elder Avram Twitchell