April 5, 2013

So we can send emails while at the MTC, which is awesome.

I sent you a snail mail letter, so hopefully you got that. I mentioned my companion is Sister Casperson, she's from Washington/Utah. She's really nice. We have been joking lately about the amount of candy lately in the MTC from all the Easter packages parents have sent. Mine got here first though, so we all enjoyed the chocolate eggs. The bunny was delicious too, even if it wasn't a my spot at the breakfast table where it usually shows up...Thanks!

Today is my first p-day. I didn't know this but, my first 4 days at the MTC counted as one of my weeks here. We were able to attend the temple this morning and get to do laundry and write letters.

At the end of my first week I have taught 4 lessons, shared my testimony, and prayed, all in Portuguese. It was a bit of an adventure though teaching an investigator on our second or third day. We did not feel confident in our abilities to speak the language. But, with the help of our Heavenly Father, we were all to communicate with our investigator pretty well. Our teacher is Irmao Wetherby. We also just got Irmao Mummey as well; we are his first district at the MTC. He got off his mission in December. Almost all of my branch is Brazilian Portuguese speaking missionaries. I think we just got one district going to Portugal. I have about 6 hours of class on any given day, personal study, more language study without a teacher, and and hour or so using a computer program to learn Portuguese.

We a member of the 70 come and give our devotional on Tuesday night. He had some great remarks about how the "most important work we will ever do is within the walls of our own homes" and then relating how going on a mission will help us accomplish that work.

My cough has started to calm down, thank goodness, I felt really bad for everyone getting to listen to me all the time.

There a ton of sisters here and the numbers increase each week. It is truly exciting to seem them come. I have seen a few people from school; two sisters I worked with on Get Connected Council, Sister Porter and Sister Moser, as well as one of my first FHE brothers. A few sisters in my district are going to start at BYU Idaho when they return, including my companion, so I took the liberty to tell them about what an amazing place it was.

I played four square during gym yesterday after a reminder from Alena that I went to Majestic Way Elementary for a reason. I'm a bit rusty and know way too many rules for my own good, but it was really fun. Ahhh, the memories.

When Ben dropped my off, the elder that greeted me on the curb, helped get me organized and escorted me to the check in desk was assigned to the same mission as me, which I thought was exciting. My whole district is going to the same mission. My whole branch is going to Brazil, except for one district that just arrived and is going to Portugal. I think it makes a difference on Sundays because then everyone speaks Brazilian Portuguese. When we pass Spanish speaking missionaries, they see our name tags and say "hola, come esta" and we respond with "bom, e voce?". We get some funny looks and some "what language are you speaking sister?". It's pretty funny. I think they just see the Jesus Cristo and assume we speak the same language. But, we do not.

Well, I think that's about all of my time. I love you and hope you have a wonderful week! Try not to miss me too much.

Sister Hoggan

P.S. In case you missed my address it is:

Sister Hoggan

MTC Mailbox #123

BRA-RIB 0507

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, UT 84604-1793

Sister Rebekah Hoggan (and her dad) after officially beginning her mission, March 24, 2013.