First E-Mail!

Here's Heather's first e-mail to us. We haven't gotten the letter she talks about, but we'll post it when we do!


Hello Family!!! Has my letter gotten to you yet? I sent you one on the first day, almost a week ago, so it might not be yet! It has the instructions on how to write me.

So let´s see, what should I tell you first?? In my letter I wrote you about the flight down and the first day. But I can´t really remember what all I told you! I told you about my companion, right? How impressive she is with her degree and everything? She´s great. We're becoming really good friends already! It´s just the two of us in our room. We were hoping to get brasilian room mates when they arrived on Thursday but no such luck! We really want them because they´re sooo helpful in learning the language. Sorry, this keyboard is crazy and I have such little time, I feel like my “voice” doesn´t sound like me!But I only have a little bit to write.

So I already wrote about the first day. After that…the first week was a little crazy. The normal schedule was all crazy because we had a ton of orientation meetings, etc. But this is our normal schedule: up at 6:30, to breakfast by 7, to the classroom by 7:30, personal study til 8, companion study til 8:30, then classes begin. In the morning we have Brother Ruiz (until lunch at 12). In the afternoon we have Brother Lopez (Until dinner at 4:30). Both are AMAZING! They´re both like only 6 months back from their missions, I think. Ruiz is from Sao Paulo, speaks somewhat limited English, which he learned from companions on his mission. Brother Lopez is Argentino, but fluent in Italian, English and Portuguese! He´s a great teacher for that reason, he knows everything about learning a second language. Ruiz not so much, but he's still fantastic. Both of them are the funniest, sweetest, greatest teachers you could ask for!! They keep the 4 hour blocks interesting the whole time. They completely hold our attention and move between teaching us missionary skills like street contacting and teaching us language the whole time.

I´ve learned so much in classes already! We learn how to approach people (here you need to be aggressive because otherwise people will shove right past you and keep moving.) As for the language, Portuguese is not going to be a problem! On the first day I could understand when the teachers would say simple things like “Can I erase the board?” And “How are you guys?” and stuff, just because it sounds like Spanish. I can already read Preach My Gospel, mostly, since I already know basically what it says. It's nice to be able to help the others a bit! Our district is great. It´s me and Sister Johnson with 9 elders. They're all very funny and silly in a new-missionary kind of way.

So…everything is great!! I´ve gotten slightly homesick only a few times, I was wondering how I would do with it, but they keep us rushing from 6:30-10:30 so there's not a lot of time to think about it. But I do want to hear loads and loads from you guys! I know there's stuff I forgot, but I only have a half hour to write. But yeah, send me either emails here to sister.madsen@myldsmail.net, or send them to the CTM so I can get mail!:P It's a very exciting thing here. Oh, and check out missionties.com or something, they're sending you a free add, they advertise at this internet café (across the street from the CTM). See if it's too expensive or what, it sounds kind of too good to be true!

Oh yeah, so this is our P-day! We get to go outside around Sao Paulo! It's amazing, apparently it's the largest city in the southern hemisphere?? I had no idea. It's huuuuge. Brasilians are SO nice! They love to practice English with us. It's about half and half, brasilians and Americans in the CTM. Everything's great, I love it so much!! I love you all, please write and tell me how you are, and check out that website! And send me pictures of sweet Caroline!!! I love you all!

Muito muito amor,
Sister Madsen