June 22, 2011
Dear family and others,
Well, another week has passed and it´s been about the same thing everyday here at the CTM. We are still learning Portuguese and learning how to preach to others, we are kind of practicing with different scenarios so that we will know what to do In the field. I feel that a lot of the other missionaries in the district are getting the language down a lot better than me, except my teachers say that I am doing really well, so I don´t know, maybe.
Probably there are only two interesting things that catch my attention a lot here at the CTM. The first is volleyball and Gym Time. Except this week they decided that it would be a good idea to work on the gym floor, only the corners, during our time, and our time only. I talked to Elder Craft about this and he said that during his gym time, he´s been able to play in the gym. I was not happy. So instead our district had to go to the weight room and I kind of felt like Brian Regan in there, not knowing how to use the weight equipment.
The second interesting thing over here is the bums that we can see in a little triangular park outside our window. At first I felt bad watching them, but they grow on you. Especially when their way of living improves. One guy brought a mattress to the park, and some other guy brought an office chair and things like that. We´be been taking pictures to document this and I will show you when I actually get out to the field since, for some reason, we are not allowed to hook our camera up to the computers here.
I got a haircut yesterday, with a two on the sides and then tapered it up to I think a four, maybe a three, I´m not too sure. I like it better. I can still comb my hair over and after I take a shower (which is now around 4:30 since that is when we get out of gym) it doesn´t look too bad.
We go to the temple every Wednesday, on P-day (preparation day), and the session is in English. I keep forgetting to bring a camera so I can get a picture of the outside or something because it is beautiful.
The streets outside the CTM is awesome. We went to the post office and dropped our off our mail, we went to a store that sold office supplies and I got myself 100 flashcards, which I cut into 400, to help with learning Portuguese, and I bought 100 envelopes for mail for only 8.50 Reais which will be useful. What I´m looking for today though is a contact lens case. I heard it is possibly in a store where one can just pull up into the store with a car, but I don´t know for sure. For now I am borrowing a lens case from a roommate, Elder Noel (he is not my actual companion). He has contacts that can stay in for a month that is like approved by doctors or something. I also need to find a wallet because the one I have smears all of my cards; I haven´t used it here, of course. Oh I also got two new ties last week, one is black with diagonal white stripes, it´s nice, and the other is hot pink with a red floral pattern that is kind of like that tear drop pattern which I have forgotten the name of.
Our district is awesome and our teachers as well. I will see you all in two years.
With Love,
Elder Brady
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Kevin's First Letter From Brazil
June 15, 2011 Wednesday
Dear family and everyone,
OK, today is finally P-day. The city of Sao Paulo is huge. I have a view of the city from our dorm and the city stretches in just about every direction. On the way to the CTM, the people who drive here are crazy. They change lanes constantly, well I do that too, but everyone does it here. They say us Americans drive like grandma´s compared to them. There were spots on the free-way that didn´t have any lines for lanes, but they drove through as if they didn´t notice they were missing. The motorcycles are also allowed to pretty much go anywhere on the road.
There is no enter on this computer so I have to make large spaces for paragraphs. I also only have 30 minutes to write. My companion is Elder Hansen, and he is from Arizona. The rest of the guys in our district are pretty cool, most are from Washington, some from Utah and California and such. I got called as District Leader on Sunday so now I have to be a good example to everyone, which is kind of hard, especially in the morning (as we all know I am not a morning person).
The weather is pretty nice over here, even though it´s winter, but it can get cold, like down to 67 degrees or something. Everyone else says it´s hot, while I have to pile myself with clothing during the day. But other days it can be bright and sunny and get to about 75 or maybe a little higher.
We have gym time just about every day and we all as a district play volleyball together, since we have the perfect amount for a full game. The cafeteria food is all right, but I´m excited to go out to the Field to have food, because the teachers all say that it is so much better.
I have two teachers, one in the morning and evening. Irmão Costa is really good at teaching Spanish, because his English is not the best but still understandable. On the other hand Irmão Ramus has very good English since he served a mission in Washington, and he is better at teaching Preach My Gospel type of stuff. We all have fun learning Portuguese, except I´m sure that everyone in our district has ADD because we start asking how to say random stuff in Portuguese. Today I´m going outside the CTM and I am going to buy some flashcards, and maybe some pens because my other pens all stopped working. I don´t know when I will send the pictures from my camera since I don´t know how to put them on these computers. I don´t think they would like it either.
It´s great to hear from everybody. I miss you all. Oh, the temple is beautiful over hear, except during the session I had to go to the bathroom really bad. But other than that it was great. I will talk to you next week. Don´t post too many e-mails so that I have more time to write while at the CTM. This keyboard takes some time to get used to too.
Ciao!
Elder Brady
PS - Note from SLB here: Kevin would love some handwritten letters as he has a limited time to read email. I will post his address below. Thanks for checking in.
Elder Kevin Patrick Brady
Box # 13 District # 23-A Brazil CTM
Brazil Florianópolis Mission
Rua Padre Antônio D'Angelo, 121
Casa Verde, São Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040
Dear family and everyone,
OK, today is finally P-day. The city of Sao Paulo is huge. I have a view of the city from our dorm and the city stretches in just about every direction. On the way to the CTM, the people who drive here are crazy. They change lanes constantly, well I do that too, but everyone does it here. They say us Americans drive like grandma´s compared to them. There were spots on the free-way that didn´t have any lines for lanes, but they drove through as if they didn´t notice they were missing. The motorcycles are also allowed to pretty much go anywhere on the road.
There is no enter on this computer so I have to make large spaces for paragraphs. I also only have 30 minutes to write. My companion is Elder Hansen, and he is from Arizona. The rest of the guys in our district are pretty cool, most are from Washington, some from Utah and California and such. I got called as District Leader on Sunday so now I have to be a good example to everyone, which is kind of hard, especially in the morning (as we all know I am not a morning person).
The weather is pretty nice over here, even though it´s winter, but it can get cold, like down to 67 degrees or something. Everyone else says it´s hot, while I have to pile myself with clothing during the day. But other days it can be bright and sunny and get to about 75 or maybe a little higher.
We have gym time just about every day and we all as a district play volleyball together, since we have the perfect amount for a full game. The cafeteria food is all right, but I´m excited to go out to the Field to have food, because the teachers all say that it is so much better.
I have two teachers, one in the morning and evening. Irmão Costa is really good at teaching Spanish, because his English is not the best but still understandable. On the other hand Irmão Ramus has very good English since he served a mission in Washington, and he is better at teaching Preach My Gospel type of stuff. We all have fun learning Portuguese, except I´m sure that everyone in our district has ADD because we start asking how to say random stuff in Portuguese. Today I´m going outside the CTM and I am going to buy some flashcards, and maybe some pens because my other pens all stopped working. I don´t know when I will send the pictures from my camera since I don´t know how to put them on these computers. I don´t think they would like it either.
It´s great to hear from everybody. I miss you all. Oh, the temple is beautiful over hear, except during the session I had to go to the bathroom really bad. But other than that it was great. I will talk to you next week. Don´t post too many e-mails so that I have more time to write while at the CTM. This keyboard takes some time to get used to too.
Ciao!
Elder Brady
PS - Note from SLB here: Kevin would love some handwritten letters as he has a limited time to read email. I will post his address below. Thanks for checking in.
Elder Kevin Patrick Brady
Box # 13 District # 23-A Brazil CTM
Brazil Florianópolis Mission
Rua Padre Antônio D'Angelo, 121
Casa Verde, São Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Kevin arrives at the Brazil CMT
The following letter came to Kevin's parents. It is comforting to know the missionaries are being looked after.
Dear Parents,
We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time. We promise to take good care of your missionary.
They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.
The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.
Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.
Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”
Please accept our love,
President Donald L Clark and Sister Zaza Clark
ADDITIONAL information . . .
DO not send packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving not the MTC. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package can not be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you. The only other option is for us to open the package and forward the letters and photographs, giving the rest of the content of the package to the missionaries that are here.
WE Strongly ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers. The cost to get this type of correspondence is exorbitant.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Elder Brady is off to Brazil
Well, this is SLB here (aka - Mom). I'll be keeping Kevin's blog up to date. I thought I'd post a pic or two of our Portland Airport adventure this morning. We are looking forward to his first email and we'll post it here for all to enjoy. Until then . . .
Monday, June 6, 2011
Last Day!
One more day . . . tomorrow at this time, I'll be on an airplane. I hope to hear from you all.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Countdown!
Well, there are only 4 more days until I take off for my mission to Florianópolis, Brazil. My parents will be updating this blog weekly with letters and pictures. If you ever want to catch up on how I'm doing in Brazil, just stop by here. Thanks!
You can post your comments here and they will get forwarded to me. If you want to send me an email, send it to my parents at: topofkee@aol.com which will then be forwarded to me.
There will also be an address posted on this blog once I get to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Brazil. You can send me letters there too.
Flying out on Tuesday! See ya in two years.
Kevin
You can post your comments here and they will get forwarded to me. If you want to send me an email, send it to my parents at: topofkee@aol.com which will then be forwarded to me.
There will also be an address posted on this blog once I get to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Brazil. You can send me letters there too.
Flying out on Tuesday! See ya in two years.
Kevin
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