Brandon's Second Email! August 13th, 2015

So this week has been much much better than the last as far as knowing what to expect for each day... 9.5 hours in the classroom!!! hahahah So it has been raining like almost everyday. We measured in this fountain that was empty and after the rain it was 11 inches deep, then it rained even more!! So it is just crazy!! So this week we got to go to the hotel across the street from the temple and practice speaking spanish with families going to the temple and Saturday we get to go somewhere in the city for 5 hours and just meet and talk and teach people which we're all super stoked about! My spanish has been getting steadily better but it is hard to distinguish words here when they all do the SH thing for LL, and I just wish I had a better vocab. 

We teach these fake lesson things which are really good practice, but it is definitely difficult and every word is like a struggle. We always pray and stuff in spanish, and this week I was saying a prayer in spanish and realized I wasn't even thinking in english first. 

So last week there were 70-80 people here and for the past two days there have only been 20 missionaries! hahaha it is so funny how small and empty it feels. And there are two different time schedules and there is one American district and one Brazilian district on the other time schedule and then our district (6 boys), on the other time schedule. SO during workout time outside, which is very sad to say the least as far as things to do go, it is super bummer cause there are only 6 of us so all of our games are super janky! We have also been bummed cause the rain has been raining during workout time and practically all week. It rained soooooo hard Sunday and we were bummed cause that was when we got to go to take pics by the temple but it stopped litterally for like the 45 minutes we had to go walk around so that was great.  

We have a pretty busy schedule so I'll upload a pic of my planner to onedrive to see, but I am into the planning if I do say so myself. So my companion is super funny and is from Preston, Idaho. This summer, he caught two racoons and had them as pets. He is actually from Franklin, about 10 minutes outside Preston. It is funny asking my companion to come with me to do everything but you know I guess that's just how it is. It has been so cold the last two nights and I'm like shaking right now hahah. 

The classes go great and our teachers are awesome. Hermana Lastra in the morning and Hermano Peredes at night; they are really cool and both got off missions like a year ago. It's funny, everyone here is learning spanish on their mission by talking to companions so a lot of it is we can understand them but it isn't english, but they mostly teach in spanish now anyway. (NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO SAY IN THAT LAST SENTENCE) 

I don't have much else to say. This place is practically the same every day. Thursdays are P-day and we email any time from 6:30 am to 4 pm and we don't know when it will be until Tuesday each week. Saturday WE GET TO LEAVE !!!!!!! For five hours. Sundays are pretty chill!! We have lots of time to study and also practice spanish with natives. So we had 3 natives, and 1 Brazilian in our room but they just switched them so now we have 2 new Brazilians and we will get two spanish speakers I think? It's super confusing when they speak Portuguese cause it sounds similar to spanish but totally isn't.  I have gotten way better at putting on church clothes and mom, you were right, some of those pants I got were too short. We didn't unpack all of our clothes, we only took some of each and left the rest with our bags, so I haven't worn like half my stuff. It's funny how excited we can get to speak english now. Like this guy was here for one day from Utah to fix the font in the temple and it was nice to speak english and then sometimes, like maybe once a day we will say one prayer in english and it feels so nice to be able to say whatever I am thinking and not have to water it down to what I know....  

Saturday 2-7 my time I'll be out so I'm super excited for that! 4 more weeks here. I have a pretty sick countdown in my planner, I migh have put a picture of that too. I don't resent this place because I know I need to prepare to be a worthwhile missionary, but it definitely makes it difficult sometimes. I have been working out really hard for like 20 minutes out of the workout time, trying to not get fat. 

Pray for me on Friday, they told me I need a hircut and this stylish guy comes every Friday and he looks legit so let's hope he doesn't do something crazy. 

I love you all, here is my top ten 

10. I have only thrown up once this week

9. Finally learned what me te le nos and les are, makes listening to stuff way more realistic.

8. I can understand 99% of what my teachers say in spanish and like 80% of what the natives say. 

7. I can read verses in the scriptures in spanish and can usually translate it pretty close

6. I have been able to remember a lot more scripture references than before, haha I'm thinking that the 9.5 hours in a classroom Mon-Wed and Friday are helping

5. I have been very good about not getting super annoyed at people, even if what they do is annoying hahah.

4. We get 5 hours of chill sesh after lunch today so I can nap and do stuff.

3. We got to go to/take pictures at the temple

2. SOME NON RED MEAT THIS WEEK!!!!

1. I am on a mission serving the lord, and my testimony is strenghtened everyday even if I am frustrated/tired/over the classroom/annoyed, so I know it is spanish (I don't think he meant to say spanish?)

Elder Richmond