Dear Family and friends,
So this week has been crazier than crazy!! I am doing great here at the CTM and I am loving the work and the power that the spirit can give to us if we try to accomplish our work by faith in the Lord. Where to start.
First people I Have Met: For Jadon Allen and all the guys on the Cross Country Team or were on the team and for Coach Selby: I have met an elder here that ran over in Italy because his dad was in the military. He ran a 4 min 45 sec mile!! He is pretty cool and he told me that over in Italy the automatic qualifying time for the mile competition for their area (our “state” competition) was 4 min 44sec. Crazy!
Also I have found so many look alike elders here it is insane!! There is an Elder David that looks like someone from the Red Mountain football team. I will try to send pictures but it is hard to find ways to do so. Also I have met so many people from Argentina, Paraguy and all over. There are elders from Africa here and the Honduras!!
Next is Letters: Last week I said that I was sending some letters but I didn't have time. I am sending them today and also I am able to receive handwritten letters here at the CTM!! So please send them because waiting until my Prep Day (Wednesday) to get an email from my family is too long!! Also if you send me a handwritten letter please include empty envelopes that I can send them back to you guys because I forgot to bring any. Some of these letters were written a week ago and a lot has changed but please send me letters with support and pictures of you guys because I am horrible at remembering faces.
Food is next: The food they feed us is so close to American food. Every day there is always beans and some kind of meat whether it is steak, chicken or something else. Also every Wednesday is pizza night and it is amazing!!! The pizza is not like American pizza but they are a Brazilian spin off. Like one of the pizzas is a chocolate banana pizza - where instead of pizza sauce it is like nutella and bananas on top!! It is so good!! Also for Bro. Smith the Seminary teacher at Red Mountain and the other seminary teacher that went to Brazil whose name escapes me at this moment, the hot dogs here are to diiiiiiieeeeeee foooorrrrr. Oh I water at the mouth thinking about them!! To show you how good the food is I have gained 5 pounds in the first 5 days and I am slowly on the rise for another 2 pounds. hahahaha.
Activites: Here they have a track that is probably 150 to 175meters with the sharpest turns ever. It is rubberized but not very good. Also they have two volleyball courts and a basketball court and they did have a weight gym but the CTM had to gate it off because they don’t have a license to run one according to Brazilian law.
For Mother: Did you get the email from missionaryties? It is run by a business owner across the street that helps send letters, food and other things to missionaries here in the CTM.
My district is composed of 11 people at the moment. they are all so dang awesome!!! For me when I felt so scared about leaving and if I was ready or not, all the people in my group are just like me. They thought that they wouldn't be able to go because they didn’t feel ready either.
So week two has finished. I have had many spiritual things happen to me. First we had the 1st Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric come and visit us here for devotional this past Tuesday nightand I got to shake his hand. Come to find out that the day before I arrived Jeffery R. Holland came and yeah I could feel the spirit so much and it was amazing!! I love being here!! Now everything I want to talk about is slipping my mind because we only have a little time to send letters and it is a mad dash to write everything!! If you have any questions please send them to me in letters because I am in the CTM until October 21st. Also please send me pictures because I want to remember you guys.
I am sending letters to you this week and love you all!!! At the start of this second week I was starting to become a little homesick and scared because I don’t speak the language very well and all that jazz. It is a lot to take in here that I am in Brazil for my two years.
Cool things here are that grafitti here is an art or something because every wall is painted with markings and stuff like that. Also I am making a tie that has all the amazing elders and sisters that I have served with and the names are racking up I may need more than one tie.
Scriptures for this week are:
D&C4
Mosiah Chapter 7 verse 33
Mosiah Chapter 2 Verse 22
Jacob Chapter 4 verse 7
2 Nephi Chapter 31 verses 19-20
2 Nephi Chapter 3 verse 13
Helaman Chapter 3 Verse 35
D&C 100 Verse 1-8
To let you all know that in these first two weeks I have grown so much spiritually. I love the routine and all the people. I know that this gospel is true and that if you have a doubt that it is not you need to search deeply and pray to our Heavenly Father for your witness. If you think that by just praying and waiting on your bed for an answer that it will come then think again. When we pray for an answer we must also act to find it and the Lord will guide us to it. Faith is a strong thing and can defend against the greatest of challenges that will come your way. Never doubt in the Lord because with him anything is possible!!! Sorry I have to go but yeah I miss you guys a lot and all of the fun things that I did with you all. Also just to give you a sense of what the area is like, I have heard multiple gunshots nearby and what sounded like machine gun rounds going off!! hahaha!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Sincerely,
Elder Hoopes
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