Week 4 at the CTM

Hey Fam,
How are things going? Everything is going well. I can’t believe I have one more month left. It is crazy. I miss you guys every day. Well hopefully Grandpa will be better. I went to the temple today. It was a great experience. Hey I have a couple questions for next week’s email. Dad can you find out from Randy Moe to see if I have to pack hangers or leave them at the MTC? I hear that they don’t let you stay for the full two years because of visas, so I think that I may come home a transfer early. I don’t know, but I know that I won’t be staying for two years. I just thought that was cool.

Hey Matt that is sweet that you will be receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. That is too bad with the Cavemen. At least BYU won. Hey I hope everything is going well. Hey just the other day I played basketball. We were playing speed and I whooped everyone. I told them that I played basketball a lot before I came. They could not believe how good I was. Thanks for playing with me before I came to Brasil.

Jani, well hopefully this week will go by better. Things are going slow and fast. I wish they would change the food schedule a little more. Hey, that is awesome that Austin is my little buddy. Tell him that I say hi. Mom I am receiving the letters, they just take some time but I get them. The stuff here is somewhat expensive. It is not bad but some is more than at home. I have enough money right now. Juli I hope everything is going well with you and school.

This week the Brasilians that were in our room and floor—6th went out into the field. I am going to miss them. I have grown to love the people already. They are like family. It was fun being with them. Hopefully the group that comes this week is as good or better. That is cool that I picked the same team as Stewart. I forgot that he picked that team. I miss you guys so much. Thanks for all for all of your prayers and support that you give me. Keep praying for me. I need all the help I can get. In a week and two days we get to go proselyting here in Sao Paulo. I am so excited.

Hey dad, I know how it feels to be in an airport for 5 hours and 30 minutes. That was how long that layover was for us. Well everything is going well. The church is still true :) . I went to the temple today and that was a good experience. I love going to the temple. Well I have been here for one month. Hey I leave on the 17 of November so tell everyone. Tell them that they can write me until about a week and a half before I go. The reason is that if I leave the MTC and they get mail they wait until the next transfer or a set of missionaries to go to that area.

Time is flying by. I can’t believe that I have 4 more weeks in the CTM. Well I hope everything is going well back at home. You can tell it is about summer time because it is hot. I am probably going to send pictures in the mail so they will probably be there in 2 + weeks. I hope that everyone will have a better week. I can’t wait to get out into the mission field. I can do the first lesson in Portuguese pretty well. We are working on the second discussion. I just love P-days because I get a little bit of freedom. I know it is not good to think of the CTM being a prison but it is. There are big gates and the food is terrible. Some days are better than others. I think of it as a spiritual prison. O well it is good. Well the church is still true :). Hey yesterday for devotional they showed us the devotional when Elder Scott came to the Provo MTC in August. It was a very good talk. There is a rumor going around the Elder Scott might come to the CTM on the 23 of Octobro. We talked with Presidente Woodward and he said that Elder Scott is coming to Brasil in 2 or 3 weeks but does not know if he will stop to the CTM. I hope he does cause then I could say I have met two Apostles. Hey want to know something cool? President Eyring is in Elder Wooley’s ward—a missionary in my district. Hey to answer your question mom about the district. Our whole district is going to Ribeirao Preto. I am so excited. Well hope everything is going well at home. Keep praying for me. I need all the help I can get.

Hey do you know what mission in Argentina Austin is going to serve? Do you know when he is leaving? That is cool for him. If you see him tell him I say hi and congrats on the mission call. Hey I have gotten sick—like upset stomach, diarrhea from the food here. Hey I wanted to tell you guys that I had pigs tail. I only had a little bit but hey now I can say I had pig tail. It is nasty but I wanted to share the worst thing that I have eaten here at the CTM. Hopefully Grandpa will get doing much better.
I love you guys so much.

Elder Shelley