Hello, family! This is my first e-mail to you! I have only 27 minutes left to do this in, and I'm hoping I got at least one address right, here. If I botched both, and you're not related to me, I'm sorry, please disregard the following, and, I dunno, maybe right me back to let me know I screwed up? Obrigado!
Things are going well here at the MTC in Provo. Has it really only been a week? Time seems to be rather elastic here. Days drag on forever and ever, but the weeks seem to fly quickly. It must actually be nearer to two weeks now, I suppose. Not sure. We must just be blessed so we don't have to focus on what time it is, since there are many, many weeks yet to come.
I'm actually sad to leave here for Brazil. I thought I'd be happy, but I really like it here and I'll miss my district a lot. Elders Tom, Lewis, Howlett, Gray, Bell, Scadden, Ulbrich and Millett are great guys. We've all become so close so quickly. And of course, the Irmas (Sisters), are very cool, too. Irma West, for instance, hails from Britain, and gave up Caimbridge to come here on her mission.
Still, I'm excited to at last reach the nation to which I have been called to serve. Sad I have to relearn an MTC schedule, but excited. It will be fun to meet new people again. Though I tire greatly of saying good-bye. I will enjoy and relish the chance to say hello.
I'm writing a letter home again, no idea if you've got my last one, but I'll be writing another one anyway. Tell Katie I'm sorry I couldn't get a letter to her. I had a lot to get done in a smaller P-Day last week. This week I should manage better.
I'm also writing my friends when I have a chance between studies, so let them know that I'm doing that, and likely I'll have to wait to get word to them till I've left the country.
If you get this Matt, I'd like your home address, too, so I can write to you, as well. I know that e-mail is very convenient, but written letters are very uplifting for me at this time. It's nice to hear about people back home via letters.
This is an incredibly happy time of my life. I did not think that serving a Mission could be so uplifting. I was sure it was just going to be simple service that I would endure. Maybe the hard times have yet to hit, but at the moment, I am simply very, very happy.
We've practiced the first language a great number of times, Elder Lewis and I, so I think that's coming along nicely. We're improving at identifying needs of investigators and tailoring our message to fit those. In fact, we're improving at teaching in unity and in effectively studying as well! Still, I'm sad to leave Elder Lewis, especially since he is the only Brazil-bound Missionary in our whole BRANCH not to get his visa. If it comes tonight or tomorrow, he may yet leave with us.
How are things back home? Is everyone doing all right? Megan and Colin doing well in school? Katie's new job working out well for her? Dad's biking going well? Is work coming along nicely for you, Matt? How is Chingu? Has he done anything crazy since catching that mouse?
You said there was a storm? How was that? It's so dry here sometimes in Utah. The first three days my eyes itched constantly. I'm not used to the mountains being A) Nonvolcanic, and B) at the edge of town. And there are no TREES! Everything seems so bare! Oh, and there are churches EVERYWHERE.
We went to the temple again today. This time we went in. Very nice. The Provo Temple's grounds are very beautiful, and the inside well . . . it's kinda small in there, actually. Nowhere near as big as the Seattle Temple, I think. And the grounds, like the rest of this desert, are bare of trees. Well, mostly bare.
I've taken some pictures, but I don't know whether they'll turn out. I'm gonna get my film developed before I leave, because I think I accidently rewound the film and then, I dunno, not sure. I hope they do turn out, since those have my The Standard Missionary Photos on them. In front of the sign, and by the big map. If they don't, I think my roommates my have them on their digitals. Dunno. I hope they do, though. The scenery, alien as it is, is very beautiful here. Especially the fountains in front of the Temple.
The MTC has it's own smaller book-store, I guess, even though we're tech. on BYU campus. So if you haven't seen me in there, it's likely because I have been in the MTC bookstore instead. No time to go wandering. This time is the Lord's time, and thus sacred, and our things are supported through sacred funds, so we haven't a lot of time to waste doing nothing.
Tonight I get back my Portuguese scriptures and hymnal, which I've had engraved. We have to rush from the laundry room to the book-store to do it, and then from there to our residence hall in order to change in time for Dinner. (All meals are Missionary Dress. ALL. And all meetings on Sundays and Tuesdays require jackets to attend. Consequently, I have to stuff in a haircut and getting my suit cleaned on Monday?)
In any case, it's going to be a rush. It's 240 now, which means I've about an hour to do regular writing of letters in before I leave to do laundry at 4, and then at 5 I have to hit up the bookstore, and then at last make it to dinner at 6, so I can be in class I think at 645. I think. No idea what they'll feed us for dinner tonight, but chances are I'll eat more than I should, and still not finish my meal.
Needless to say, we are fed well here.
We are perpetually busy it seems, and Tuesday and Wednesday will be very weird, as they'll be my first loosely scheduled days, due to travel. Nevertheless, I enjoy having something to do all day. Having a purpose for every moment of the day has made me feel so much better, compared to last year, when I felt so useless, doing nothing and watching my friends go on with their lives.
We got new Red-Dots in on Wednesday! It felt so good not to be the New Guys any more. I'm sorry, the New Elders. We're not meant to say things like "Guy" anymore, as we're to refrain from being too casual, since we're representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Nos sommos representates do Senhor Jesus Cristo.)
My knowledge of French has proven useful in a number of ways, like understanding verb forms, but at the moment, grammatically I'm a nightmare. We have talks due on Sunday em Portugues, too! Nossa!!
I'm down to three minutes, so I need to say goodbye, in order to let the computer shut down properly AFTER the letter sends. So I send you my love, and hope that all is well. I bear testimony that what I am doing is what the Lord wants me to be doing, and that the Gospel is true. Stay safe and well until, next I write!
With Love,
Elder Bryan J. Barney
(Eu sou Missionario de A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias!)
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