May 26, 2016

So it's not still week one and I don't know how to change that... but anyway this week flew by! The days are way long but the weeks are short! Haha so my companion that doesn't have a front tooth got a retainer with a plastic tooth and lost it twice, the last time for good. But the first time, we were peeing and he got done before me, looked in the mirror and saw his tooth wasn't there so he takes out his case, and slams it on the ground! Haha then I'm still peeing in the urinal laughing, and he comes over and hits the wall that stops people from looking at the private parts. Then he starts curb stomping his shattered retainer!! Haha so I calm him down and we go back to the lunch place and there is the Mexican lady just hauling, sorting cups and trash and I thought to my self, she would have found the tooth for sure! So I peek my head in and ask, "Did you find a tooth?" And she smiles and says, "A Key" but I thought she meant "aqui" meaning "here" right, cause Portuguese. Anyway, everyone around is going nuts cheering because she had it, she throws my a key with a lanyard covered in gross food and I catch it, it's all on my hands, and I say "What do I do with this?!" With a big smile on my face and she tells me to go! And I'm like lady what do I do I need the tooth! And shes like, oh a tooth? No i don't have that. I'm sure it was way funnier in person but then this lady in the back was like "I have a retainer with 4 teeth" and I said, "I don't care, do you have our tooth" and she was like yeah you can have one of mine, and I was like lady!! Get me the tooth! And so we go it. Haha it was nuts.

So we aren't allowed to check our visas but I did it anyway, what are they gonna do, send me home? So there are 4 dots that line up and if you have all 4 your visa is ready to be picked up, I have all four and my companions have 1! So i'll know on Friday if I go or not, I checked my visa a week ago from today so I should have it. They have huge Tuesday night devotionals here and an apostle is coming so I'm excited! We aren't allowed to take pictures with him unless we have a valid reason, but I have a plan. Sleeping at the MTC is good and bad. I sleep with 4 guys so it's not good for me. Two elders fall asleep and start breathing so loud, it seriously sounds like they are sprinting in their dreams haha. But I love it here! I miss home but for sure not enough to come home. LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!

May 19, 2015

The first week was the longest week of my life. Now things are picking up so I'll be home soon! Well some things this week: we had a tie draft, so everyone gets their worst tie and chucks it in a pile, then draw names from a hat to see who picks first and stuff! It was fun, never before had I seen so many hideous ties. Me and my companions are teaching two investigators that are really our teachers but holy crap. Jazilo is calm but not interested in the church, Maria gets way angry and speaks 200 mph. I start laughing because I'm used to her teaching and she gets way mad and is just on her phone the whole time. I hate people, haha. During a lesson with Jazilo, I accidently said Jesus atoned for our fishes, rather than sins so Portuguese is hard. The two words are way close together. Today the chunky texan with a lisp left so things should be so great now. My companion will finally stop scaring people because he got a front tooth! He's also creepily obsessed with our teacher or "Maria". My other companion Henwood whose never kissed a girl, said when he gets home, he will kiss 20 in 3 months. Such loose lips of him. Gym time usually is just okay because all the elders suck at sports. I'm trying to hurry so sorry this email has no sentance structure, Galaway would be so mad. 3 Elders in my zone got reassigned to Idaho and Arkansas, I just want my visa. We got two new elders, and one of them just paces for 45 minutes straight before bed. He's so weird. Anyway I like it here, even tho it doesn't seem like it :)

May 12, 2015

Hello everyone! This has been the longest days ever but they are picking up so I'll be home soon :) right as I got to the MTC I started classes for Portuguese. It started out cool cause I was learning and all, now I'm so sick of listening to the teacher talk because I've hear her say it all before but don't know what the heck she means. I guess for 7 days I'm doing good, but I don't feel like it. I only get an hour to email so if my grammar sucks I'm sorry. Missionaries have been telling me what Campinas is like for those that have been there, and I guess they have holes for toilets and sleep in hammocks in shacks so I'm way pumped!

I'm in a trio companionship and they are pretty weird but I love them. They both love me and think I'm way funny. Elder Henwood is awkward but funny, today we were talking and saying "nigga" and stuff, then I said "black people" and he corrected me and said, "African". It was funnier than how I just said it I promise. Anyway he is tall and never kissed a girl so it's weird talking about girls. He's okay with it tho because he "got plenty of hugs" as he would put it. Kissing and hugging are the same, take my word for it ;) Elder Buchanan is way funny. Him and I get along so good and always have the same thoughts about things or people. He's missing a front tooth but other than that he's ight! We are around each other nonstop and things haven't been bad so that's good.  I just want to go to Brazil.

The rules for elders and sisters are gay, like I got in trouble for offering a freezing girl my jacket. Like da heck? So much has happened but I don't even have time to tell you. I'm doing great, miss most of you, haha. But send me letters through "Dear Elder" please!! It keeps me from going insane cause I get to read those all the time.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Elder Howard