Dear Family and Friends,
I am sorry that my
letters are not getting home fast enough. I don’t know why because it only
takes 6 days to get here from the US. The elder that went to
Mountain View is Elder Farnsworth. He is not going to Brasilia but
will be finishing around the same time as I will because he is going to BYU
like I am.
Second, I am thankful for all
the love you guys have given me in supporting me to go on a mission. Without
all you guys I would probably not be here and now that I am, I am grateful!!
Being in Brazil has given me a new perspective on a lot of things about what
the big world is like. It is definitely different than just
living at home.
I forgot to tell all you guys
but when you receive your mission calls you are seeing one of the people I
know. The person on the front of the packet baptizing the investigator is the
son of the CTM (MTC in Brazil) president here. He is President
Swenson’s son!! That was something I couldn't believe I forgot to
tell you guys. Also for those that know Logan Skinner or his sister
Karli, I have seen Logan (Karli's brother), now Elder Skinner here in the
CTM. He got here last Wednesday with 109 other Americans, which was
about a half/half split of fresh Elders and Visa Waiters. He was having a tough
time and I was glad that I was here because I was able to give him some comfort
and a better motive to drive on. He is a good kid and he got a
companion from Africa that speaks English. Also there is another
elder here that is from London, England and he is the second elder ever from
Europe to come here to Brazil or that is at least what the Swensons have told
us and he is so cool. I got him to sign my tie.
For all those going on a
mission soon or in a few months I would suggest taking something that you can
use to remember everyone you meet. I have met so many cool elders
here and so I have gotten them all to sign a tie that I picked out of all the
ones I have had and would take a picture with them also. You don’t have to use
a tie, you can use a book, a flag or whatever but there will be a lot of cool
people that you will meet out on your mission.
Conference, oooooohhhhh don’t
get me started, oh wait I am about to get started. hahaha. Conference down here
was amazing. Conference was in English and those that needed
translating headphones would use those but wow! My companion and I
were stunned by all the talks, they were amazing and yet in the same way
chastising. My favorite was Elder Tad R. Callister and Elder David A
Bednar. There talks hit me because it is amazing to use for teaching
investigators about why we preach the gospel. There were also so many quotes
that reminded me of you mother. In Priesthood session, dad can show
you where, but one of the speakers talked about typed notes and so many other
things that just wanted to make me cry because I thought of you and everyone else
and how they have helped me get here!!!!
It is crazy to think but I
only have two weeks left here in the CTM and then I will be out in the
field!! I also only have 100 weeks left in my mission which seems so
short but that just gives me more reason to try harder and be more motivated in
preaching this gospel. I love being here in Brazil but I also miss you guys a
lot!! Please send me pictures because your mail gets here quicker than mine
gets up there.
I am going to try and send a
package when I get up in Brasilia where my companion can help me and it is for
Jadon Allen, Kyle Gallagher, and Coach Selby. There will probably be
a few more things in this package for you guys back home.
Now for the big hitter this
week!! My distrito (district in Portuguese) got to go proselyting in the
STREETS of São Paulo!! Our instructors gave each companionship two Book of
Mormons and then they set of loose in a big area right by the Drama house where
plays are done and there were so many people. I was so scared at first and didn’t
want to do it. I kept thinking that I would freeze, my Portuguese is not as big
of a vocab as others and I worried that would not even be able to understand
the people.... My companion was great, he got his first one on the bus ride
there, yes we got to ride on the public bus which was pretty crowded, and then
he got his other one in the next 10 minutes. We had an hour and a half total to
give away our Books of Mormon and we would go home early if everybody passed
them out quicker. When we got there the people were extremely nice and
understood that our Portuguese was not as good as others and that we were
Americans trying to practice our Portuguese. I got both of mine in the last 15
minutes. I was so scared and once I broke the ICE I met a guy that was trying
to learn English and he said he wanted to know what time church was so he could
go. My companion and I also met a guy that immediately tried
to Bible bash us and so we spent 45 minutes with him as he was describing how
the Biblia Sagrada (the only bible allowed in Brazil) is the only true book. We
just stood and talked and we tried to share our testimonies but he wouldn’t
hear us and so we moved on.
I love you all and please send
me mail even if mine are taking forever to get back up there. I will try to
find a faster way to send it to you guys.
Sincerely,
Elder Hoopes
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