Second email from Week 3

This email was from last week, sent about 3 hours earlier than the previously posted email:

Hey thanks for all the emails family,

The last week has been good. The weeks are going by a lot faster now. The first week every day seemed like it dragged on forever because it was new and I had to get used to sitting in a classroom for long periods. Sunday night we had a devotional with just singing that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes. There were a few narrations, in between the songs, about Christ and his birth. It still doesn't feel at all like Feliz Natal though. For Christmas we get to wear normal clothes the whole day and play games and such. I am excited.

The language is good. Portuguese seems pretty simple and there are always Brazilheiros here to correct us and to practice with. The group of Brazilheiros that entered the MTC the day after we did left yesterday morning. It was sad seeing them all leave because they are all so friendly and loving. We use a program called TALL 4.0 (technology assisted language learning). It doesn't work well and the connect is through Provo so it takes a long time to load. So actually we don't really use it.

To answer Matt's questions:
1. What should we name our baby girl?
I don't like either of the names you gave me. Delainey is weird and Robin is too short. How about Ada?
2. Do they still have "dignidade serena" (quiet dignity) signs up everywhere?
Yes they do, but the mission president and everything here is really really relaxed because of the small number of missionaries.

To answer Rem:
1. It's too bad you missed that buck. Did you end up getting any other deer than the one you shot near the time I left? Did anyone top my 7 deer this year? I am glad my skis are working great.

All of my companions are American. We got 2 Americans last week. My companions are Elder Collingwood and Elder Gentile. Last week it was Elder Collingwood and Elder Hodges but Hodges was 2 weeks ahead because he came from Provo. His companion is now Elder Cox since they are in the same class and at the same language level.

I know MY purpose in Portuguese and I almost have the first vision memorized. I think I am going to start on the articles of faith maybe this week or next.

I will try to send some pictures home in a month or two. I have like 2500 pictures left to take before my card fills up so it might take a while. Maybe I will wait till it is half full.

Well I have 2 minutes until the times runs out but I will hop on the computer outside of the MTC and check in about 2 or 3 hours. Tchau

Picture from Week 3

Week 3

Dear family,

Good job with the hunting season. Did I come out ahead of everyone else with 7? Just wondering. Thanks for opening the tie. Maybe when mom sends me a package you could include it. Is it good quality? I couldn't really tell from the eBay photo. Tell Rosie good luck for me (bom sorte). I wont be calling home for Christmas seeing as I am still in the MTC. Sorry. I'm glad you got to do baptisms. Does sans mean with or without (sans Bryn)? If you took her with you that's great and thanks! I hope she is doing well. Tell her I love her. Is she still writing me? I haven't received any letters from her. Just making sure.

Thanks for notifying me that I will be receiving packages. If I receive any packages after I leave the CTM they can't forward them to my mission so from now on just have everyone send to my mission please. Thanks. Can you make sure that Bryn has my MTC address for letters? I know that I gave her the wrong one and her first letter went to my mission I think. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all here. There is no snow. Not a lot of Christmas spirit at the CTM, but we do get Christmas day to relax and play games and I think we are getting some presents from the CTM.

Yes I met Elder Monson. He was one of the only 15 or so Americans here. He just left on Monday. The language is as hard as it should be but I have no stress that one day it will come easy. It just takes time.

We can travel about 3 or so blocks in each direction away from the CTM. I mostly just sleep and change and write in my journal in my room. You might get some pictures soon. The mystery meat is identifiable. It isn't bad. Only sometimes is it a mystery. We just finished learning the 4th lesson in English and are learning the second lesson in Portuguese now.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! I love you all. Oh and thanks for the pizza party. I am not hungry now but I am going to eat it next week or the week after, but I am taking the cookies today. Obrigado!!! Love you all. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Pictures from Week 2

We received these pictures in an email today, along with the following message:

Dear Parents of Missionaries,

This is a picture of your son/daughter and his/her companions in front of the Sao Paulo Temple. They attended the temple today, but as they are not allowed to take cameras, we took this photo of their district. Thank you for raising such wonderful youth who are anxious to serve the Lord. They are a great group of missionaries. We love serving with the missionaries at the CTM. We are Elder and Sister Lewis who are serving a mission with the Perpetual Education Fund in Sao Paulo. On Sundays we serve at the Missionary Training Center. Elder Lewis is the Branch President of your son's/daughter's branch. Enjoy the pictures!

Love, Sister Lewis

Week 2

Hey Family and Friends,

I found out on Sunday that I will be leaving the MTC on the 19th of January. That's 2 weeks earlier than the normal 9 weeks. My companion E. Collingwood is leaving on the 12th. Elder Hodges (the American that arrived last week) has been a triple with me and Collingwood this week. Today 2 Americans arrived. I haven't seen them yet. One is going to be a triple with me and Collingwood and the other is going to go with Elder Hodges. Elder Hodges is 2 weeks ahead of us with the language because he was in Provo for 3 weeks. This week Elder Mordecai and Elder Cubbage moved into another room with Brazi's and Hodges moved in with us. Then last Friday Elder Douite went home due to homesickness and so his companion moved to another room and became a triple with some other Brazi elders. So right now its just us 3 (me, Collingwood, Hodges) in room 520, but today the 2 Americans will be moving into our room. I really like having the Brazileiros in my room because we can talk to them and learn from them in the mornings and before bed at night. Contrary to popular belief, I have no trouble waking up in the morning. Usually we all get to bed around 11 and maybe 11:30 most nights.

The language is pretty hard and I feel like I haven't really progressed. We were mostly learning the lessons in English last week but we just started more Portuguese. I can't wait until the day when speaking the language will just come easily. The food here is okay. Rice and beans are great. Random meat along with the rice and beans for lunch and dinner. For breakfast we have rolls and ham and cheese to put on them. That's it. It's kind of weird. My companion has gained about 2 kg since being here. I have stayed about the same.

The CTM is really empty without the usual 250-300 Americans. I like getting the personalized teaching and having more time to talk with the Brazi's but sometimes I feel that gym would be way more fun without only 5 people.

Today I went to the temple this morning and it was wonderful yet again. It took us about 30 minutes to get there and about 1:30 minutes to get back because of traffic. Crazy! The CTM kind of feels like a jail sometimes. But the Presidente is really nice and not too strict. He used to be the Presidente of the Porto Alegre North mission but I haven't really talked to him much about it. Currently I don't know of any Brazi's going to my mission but 6-8 of them went out last Tuesday for Porto Alegre North. If you guys have any questions about how I am doing or want to learn more about the CTM just ask me some questions.

Tell Matt and Savannah and all the kids thanks for the emails last week. I am sorry that I haven't gotten a chance to respond back to them yet, but maybe someday. I am excited Erin is having another girl.

I don't think this email platform supports photos. I will be sending Bryn my memory card in a month or 2 so maybe she will share a couple of photos with you.

Could you ask Sarah what she wants for Christmas? I may wait until I get the the field to get the present because I will have much more freedom in buying and sending then! I will hear from you all next week. Love you!

Elder Steele

First Email from the CTM

Hey,

I have arrived safely and on time. Please email me at JonathanSteele@myldsmail.net from now on. I can reply to this email here today but after this I have to use myldsmail.net.

The flight was good. It was really really long though. I met up with 3 other elders and a sister at the airport in Dallas. We all sat near each other, but not next to each other. I gave up my window seat so a married couple could sit next to each other, but I wish I hadn't so that I could have rested my head on something.

Mom - thanks for the immunization, I can't believe I forgot that. But it may have helped me not have to get that one shot that I forgot to get.

It was really hot and muggy here the first day but after it hasn't been too bad. We have an air conditioner in the class room. We were the first American elders to arrive in 6 weeks and there were only 12 other elders here. 4 americans left yesterday and we got a sister and another single elder today. So total 12 - 4 + 2 = 10 + 4 (my group) = 14 Americans, I think. Maybe only 13 though. I can't remember.

My companion's name is Elder Collinwood. He is very nice and we get along well. I like him a lot.

I have attached some pictures to this email, hopefully you will get them. It's only some of the pictures I have taken and I didn't have any time to filter them out so you might get some meaningless ones.

There are about 60 Brazilians here. Usually the CTM has somewhere between 250 and 350 elders, around 250 of which would normally be Americans. I don't know why but no one is getting their visas and over 200 Americans are waiting in the Provo MTC. I like being the only Americans here though because the only people we can talk to are the Braziheiros, which forces us to learn the language faster.

I live on the 5th floor of the CTM. We have to use the stairs since there are only 2 elevators, because the president uses it, and so we can get exercise. It's not too bad. In Brazil they count the bottom floor as the zero floor so I am actually on the 5th floor.

Class is pretty long. Almost 8 hours a day. We are learning a lot less Pórtuguese and more about the lessons than I thought. I guess we are going to be learning the first lesson in Portuguese pretty soon which sounds pretty difficult. We do know some Portuguese but definitely not enough to do that.

The food is good. Rice and beans and some kind of weird meat and lots of fruit every day. For breakfast they have bread and ham and cheese. It's not that great. The other meals are fairly decent though.

Sorry this email has no real format. My thoughts are jumbled right now and I am trying to write fast so that I can go walk around the city a little bit and pick up a few things, like 3x5 cards and a water bottle.

My bed is really short. My feet hang off the end about 1 inch. It's not bad though. Please don't send me any packages to the MTC. And get creative when you send them to the mission, because I heard a lot of things get stolen. I haven't met anyone I knew before yet. Just a Brazilian that looks just like Jacob from New Moon and one that looks kind of like Obama.

I will hear from you all next week I guess. Tuto Bom!!!

Pictures

Here are a few pictures of Elder Steele on the night before and the morning that he left for Sao Paulo: