Halfway...kinda

Hey Family,

Friday was officially the halfway point, of my stay here in the MTC. Its crazy to think that I've been in Brazil for a month already. It's even crazier to think I'll be in the field in another month. I don't see how that can be possible. I should have more time. Fortunately we are immersed in the culture, so unlike Warren and Spencer, I won't have to wait until I'm in the field to realize "I don't know jack".

Today we went to the São Paulo Temple for the first time. The interior of the temple has some of the most amazing woodwork I've ever seen. Every wall is trimmed with wood, a friend of our MTC president from back when he was on a mission hand made most of the furniture, and the entry way has the most amazing stain glass work. It is truly fit to be a house of the Lord. Plus, that temple is only have an hour away, it was nice to get back to the MTC at 11:15. Its looking like it'll be a great day.

Yesterday I got my first piece of mail from someone outside the immediate family. I take that back. Friday everyone from my mission got a letter from the Mission Prez welcoming us to the mission. Well... almost everyone. 5 of us got letters that told us we would be coming down to the mission home with 4 other americans and 7 brazilians. The problem: Elder Brough from Salt Lake seems to have been forgotten. We've had a pretty good laugh about him not getting a letter and being omitted from the statistics. I just hope the President remembers him at some point. I don't know what would happen if we showed up withone more than the number he'd expected. Anyways, I got a letter yesterday from Kari Green. She was in my ward down at BYU. She was in the ward the whole year but I didn't meet her until early March, didn't know she was in my ward until two weeks after that, and had never seen her before mid February. But she still wrote me a letter. It was great to finally have a "real" piece of mail. If its from a relative the district doesn't count it. So far I'm tied for second place.

Another friend of mine from BYU came down last week. Elder Finley is heading to Recife and we got to talk for a while. Its great to have old friends here that I can just shoot the breeze with when we get a break from our constant study. 13 hours a day in a classroom really starts to wear on you. My district keeps getting compliments from the staff here. They keep saying we are learning the language at a startling rate, with little to no accent, and we are told we have the gospel topics learned better than most districts at this point. In a place where we are constantly reminded that we don't know the language (by talking to the native elders), and told that we'll regret every moment we don't take advantage, its nice to be told we're doing well every once in a while.

We've settled into the routine so now we just have to wait for the field to come on its own. Then again, we do have proselyting again this Friday. Pray for us.Our Portugese needs all the help we can get.

I'm doing great so stop worrying about me. I love you all.

Best Wishes from Brazil,
Elder Haws(mo)