2 July 2010: Provo MTC

Dad & Mom,

So I tried to email but I use my LDS account and I have no idea what that is so I can't email because I can't get the info. I haven't used that in 7 months. I kind of remembered your email address but I didn't want to guess. It's pretty hard to stay awake when you sit for 4 hours straight learning.

I heard Boston lost, and I heard today that Brazil lost to the Netherlands. Right before I was about to get there too.... Mom said Michael was bored, but he only has a few months before he can do something.

Spanish is ok, I actually talk to the Spanish elders when they contact us outside. Portuguese is pretty easy and I can understand it. When we went to the TRC I could understand whatever the guy said.

I might have seen Amanda but I'm not sure. I'm in the same building as the Filipinos just a different floor.

Mom, I'm, used to it here. I'm going to have to change and pack and I'll be with people that were together for 3 weeks. [Referring to his upcoming transfer July 6th to the Sao Paulo MTC.] You don't have to travel with an elder, But I will be with everyone else in the MTC who got their visa to Brazil since they leave on Tuesday. We have the biggest zone in the MTC with 117 missionaries and 4 zone leaders all waiting to go to Brazil. You should probably use sunscreen next time. [Mom got a bit too much sun at an activity.] That's good that it's raining since it's hot there it will be a good tornado season.

Elder Hawkes

Phone call

[Dad received an unexpected phone call at work from Elder Hawkes. My first thought was, "uh-oh, what happened?", but Jeffrey was just calling to let us know his visa had come through and he would be leaving for the Sao Paul MTC on July 6th. I asked him if he was excited, and his reply was basically a not really. While he had been disappointed previously that he had been sent to the Provo MTC instead of his original assignment of the Sao Paulo MTC due to visa issues, after two weeks in Provo he had got to know his district and enjoyed being with them, and having to start all over again didn't seem too appealing. He did comment that he'd had the opportunity to listen to several visiting General Authorities and that had been a spiritual experience, so there were some positives in his outlook too. We were only able to talk for a few minutes before the automated operator warned us his time was up, but it felt good to hear Jeffrey's voice and tell him again how much I love him.]

26 June 2010: Provo MTC

[Jeffrey likes to write responses to letters without including context, so don't know exactly what some of the following is talking about.] Nobody cried, Evan lied. I forgot to call you and tell you but I guess you called him anyways. [Jeffrey's roommate from BYU-I picked him up at the Salt Lake airport and took him to the MTC.] I don't miss home at all, so I don't expect you to miss me. That would be nice if the people of Brazil are like that. I'm not an avid picture taker so my pictures will probably be just the same. I'll try to think of some spiritual experience I guess, it won't be glorious though. I will be able to sleep the same amount in Brasil. Besides, they are 14 days, not 10.

I didn't include my email because I don't have one yet. It's easier to just write letters since I only have 30 min to email. I'll set it up one of these days. I'll send you the paper and it has the fax number on it so I have some legit proof, not just random dates. [Referring to hepatitis A immunizations, presumably.] Utah Momrons are still crazy, they talk about random stuff I don't even know about. His name is Elder Henrie. [Elder from Preston, Idaho.] He said he knows uncle Carl, but he said Carl was his principal. That's good, now Michael can get off her back. [Who knows?] I think oil hauling is a side job and he turns it into a clean diesel. [Referring to a potential temporary job Michael was considering.] Michael is a bum, tell him that.

This week a bunch of mission presidents are being released so the general authorities are here for a few days. We had a special devotional yesterday and Dallin H. Oaks spoke. We sat in the 8th row, that was kind of nice.

I saw Tyler Haws (plays basketball for BYU) and I saw Elder Poulsen a few times. My roommate played WR for Utah so I hear a lot about them. Apparently they moved to the Pac-12 and the Texas teams stayed in the Big-12. I heard Brazil won too against Ivory Coast.

P.S. My neck is being rubbed raw so I win. [Apparently a debate with Mom about who was right about which shirts were better.] Now it's all calloused, so it's ok, but I warned you. It's going to be a long 2 years. I also got to go on a road trip because my roommate chipped his tooth. So we got to go outside of the compound and see the real world.

June 2010: First letter

Mom & Dad & family,

So I don't know your email address so I guess I will just write ya a letter. It's going pretty good so far. Portuguese is not an easy language. I swear they are so lazy. They just add random sounds and change letters into other sounds. Spanish kind of hurts me because I usually pronounce it in Spanish because it looks exactly the same.

My companion is Elder Bryant from some place in Utah that I can't spell. All the elders in my district of 12 but 3 are from Utah. They are all youngins too. They have crazy Utah Mormon lingo and words. There is one from Preston who knows the Swainstons.

It's all good, the days go on forever so far. But my roommates, Elder Anderson, Elder Fralick, and Elder Bryant, are great. We laugh every single day so it's fun. My district is awesome. Except for the sisters, always trying to be the mother. ;-) There isn't much to write about.

Elder Hawkes

P.S. Mom, I need hepatitis A records sent to me because my card only shows Hep B so whatever...