December 9, 2008

My family, I hope I get to send this one today.
I just want to write a few things that happened this week that you might be interested in. I can teach the first lesson with my companion it is really awesome. In Portuguese, and we did it for members who come to the Ctm and pretend like they are real investigators. It is really cool. WE got to watch ourselves teach after we had taught.It is so cool that you can feel the spirit even when you are only pretending to teach. MY testimony has been strengthened and that makes me happy.

I am so excited for Verle, and I need his address so that I can write him e-mails. Let me know as soon as possible please.

I heard some news about Grandpa just now that he isn´t taking anymore platelets. Wow, I am so sorry and know that I mourn his loss too.

I am half way through my MTC experience and that is happy. I love the CTM, but i am ready to go to work. I guess that I will get a real kick in the pants when i realize how much portuguese i don´t know, but it will be good too. I have written an e-mail every week, but I guess that are not getting to dad, and I wish that they would, but maybe if Melissa checks hers she will get it.
Hey family! I wrote last week to Melissa´s e-mail, but the e-mail was for the entire family. I hope you got it. But, I just wrote all of you a real letter, and it tells lots of good stories about my life here at the CTM centor de traning for missionaries. I think that is the gist of CTM. But i wonder what everybody did for thanksgiving. I hope it was really good. It was sooo good here, although they don´t celebrate thanksgiving they did at the CTM< and it was soooo good. Like definitely the best meal here so far. They had the works all except pie, but they did have cake and ice cream.

So I am not sure if you can, but i need a few things and I don´t get too much money here to wrok with adn can´t use my own, i am wondering if you could send me a few things.
lets see i could use tweezers, more ped socks, sunscreen, just a little for Goiania, bug stuff, and contact solution just the cheapest stuff at Wal mart would be just fine, I think it is something like three dollars, and here it is about 25 reias or 15 dollars so i thought that would be worth it to me and you if you wouldn't mind. I could also use hairspray. I mean I hate to be practical and all that, but these are things that i need. lotion might be great too. I sure love you guys and look forward to the letter okay it is like 8 pages and tells all about my experience street contacting this last week. Totally awesome I love being a missionary.

The other day here they had a big little ceremony for the turning on of the Christmas lights at the ctm. it was so fun we sang Christmas songs and had real ice cream bars with chocolate coating! SOOO good. Chocolate is basically the best thing ever! I sure love all of you and hope that all is well. Remember you will be blessed while we are gone.

Youare all probably getting Verle all ready to leave and stuff. Oh he is in for a real treat, but we probably leave the MTC at the same time. Weird.

My bazilleria roommates just left this morning at 4 for Londrina for their missions. They were so cute. They only stay for three weeks. It is hard to believe that IO have been here almost a whole month now. Sometimes it feels like forever.

I am getting better at Portuguese, and almost cried tears of pure happiness when my Teacher Irmã Maite promised us that we would be fluent in Portuguese on our missions. I think though that we have the best teachers and especially Irma Maite in the whole ctm. She is so great and loves us so much and all that, and she is a great teacher and everyone says that the missionaries that have her as a teacher learn the fastest and speak the best Portuguese. I feel like I am in good hands.

I love my district. They are gfreat although i must say it is hard sometimes being in the same classes with the same people all day everyday. But they are really good elders and i think that we help them. Not too many districts get to have girls, sisters, so they are lucky I think. Verle good luck. I love you so much and wish you the best mission ever. And I want to give you some money I think Dad or mom can do that for me. 150 okay. You work your heart out, and remember your love for the Lord is why you are doing this great work. It will bless your life and the life of your future family so much I know it. and It will be a great blessing to our family as well. I think they will more than recognize these blessings. You are doing more for your family while you are gone than you could if you were there. I know it sounds weird, but it is soo true.
People tell me that Goiania is muito quente, and muito baptisms. Awesome can't wait.
SIster Judd

I wrote this last week, but I can´t seem to get anything to send to you at this address. You should know though that I am not supposed to e-mail, nor receive e-mail from anyone outside of my family so do not give this address to anyone else please.
love you