Doing well in Brazil!

Hello family! How is everyone! I loved hearing about all the stuff that has been going on and sounds like a busy week! Things here have been wonderful. I love it and especially today! It has been raining all day and we got to go to the sao paulo temple, which was pretty cool but under construction. It was really a sweet experience. Its tough though listening to both portuguese and english but its the same spirit like I had said :) I loved it and I hope the family will get to go to a temple out of the country some day. Its a neat experience. Oh and just so dad knows, "sao" is said like "soun" so he can learn some pronunciation. The language is still coming slowly but surely! I can't believe how tough these weeks have been. Tougher then anything I have ever done and that is a sure thing. We maybe get an hour at nights to ourselves then off to bed and up at either 6 or 6:30 depending on the day.

Rest of the day is....
7-8 personal study.
8-830 is breakfast.
8:30-1245 is a bunch of language learning things including computer programs.
1245 almoço (lunch). I just really like that word. haha
130 til 5 is more language/study things with a teacher
5 is dinner
545 til 930 is more class. It is crazy busy in other words!

So I have been loving this whole mission ties thing because I have been getting those letters the same day. They said in the mission field that letters would be delivered within 3 days of you sending it. Thats a lot quicker then 10 days. I have also been getting letters in the mail pretty quick. Yours came within 7 days mom. Way fast! I also got a few others from the family too. Another thing that was sweet about missionties is that the lady owns a cookie place and gave me 4 free cookies for you signing up! Yum! There is like no good chocolate here in Brazil so I am very glad for a good cookie here and there :) Today while walking around the city we stopped by a place and I got my much wanted jersey! I bought a londrina one just for the sake of my mission and it was pretty darn cheap! 20 Realis which is roughly 13 bucks. Not bad at all. Nice underarmor material and everything.

So some fun stuff that happened to me this week... one thing I learned about which was scary/funny was I met someone from Londrina. (another person). They were talking about how there were tons of snakes there. after 5 minutes of conversation and me freaking out about them (you know how much I hate snakes haha) found out he was talking about girls. Apparently the girls that want to marry missionaries here are called "snakes". Actual snakes are referred to as cobras which he said there are none there! Thank goodness! He said there are spiders bigger then my head (which we all know is ginormous). Scary! Another random thing happened when we were playing volleyball as a district and I was asked to go check the time. I walked over and picked up someones watch and picked up a cockroach with it. It was huge and pretty dang nasty! But I am proud to say I have now picked up a cockroach. Accidental but it really happened! haha.

Today, I realized how bad drivers are here. They are crazy so you gotta be really careful when crossing the street. Its scary. You think utah drivers are bad or cali drivers... not compared to sao paaulo drivers! haha. We also saw on the freeways there are street vendors. The traffic is so bad that they have street vendors on the freeway selling things like treats all the way to slabs of meat! Made me laugh. RANDOM.

This last week me and Elder Mcguire got to go and do our first TRC (which is basically teaching fake investigators). We were told last minute that it was ALL in portuguese. We got there and they were 15 yr old kids who did not speak any english at all. Scary moment for both of us. We struggled but we made it through. Got the kids to laugh a good 4 or 5 times with using words that didn't make sense... Talent? I think YES! We also have brazilian roommates I don't know if I told you about. We got them last week and have become super close with them. One is a convert to the church and the other has been a member his whole life. Elder J Silva and Elder Mederos. Both awesome missionaries. Elder M speaks some english but elder S doesn't speak a bit of it! None! Its fun talking to him and we hang out looking out at the city and just point at things and learn the words from both our language. Its really fun and its awesome getting to know things about him. He also says I sing like Maria Cari. However you spell that.... haha. But I thought it was funny becayuse I always make up songs about him in Portuguese. Even though I don't know much obviously... lol. I love it though. They are awesome and help me learn lots!

So last funny story before I need to leave is that I got to do another teaching thing with my teacher. That made no sense... I taught a lesson to my teacher in other words. We taught her and at the end we said "pedimos orar" which is can we pray? And she said yea. So my companion started praying and she raised her hands and started yelling Gloria! Gloria! Praise Prayer! It threw me off guard.... I started laughing so hard though and I feel bad but I looked up and she was dying laughing too. Its a good learning experience for me though because if I were to laugh at a real investigator that would be really bad. Lol. I wouldn't do that though!

Thank you for that letter you sent me mom. We got asked to do that lesson for our district meeting (because I am the assistant district leader which I forgot to tell you about) and we taught it. We had 45 minutes and the CTM president and his wife were also there in the front row. Let me tell you... That was scary. We did really well. I used that talk in it and they really loved the lesson. Good work :)

I love you all and can't wait to hear from you all again! Write lots of letters! I might not have time to write back to all of them but I will for sure love reading them!

Elder Millett!

Temple Visit in Brazil

Following is an email sent by the Brazil MTC Mission President and his wife.

Dear Family,

We are pleased to be able to send you a picture of your missionary´s recent visit to the temple. The morning they enter as a group is a very sacred experience for them, and it is an experience that is always anticipated with much excitement. We know they will treasure this remembrance.
It is a great honor to serve with each of these fine young people and to watch their growth as they learn more about their sacred calling of a missionary. We have a great love and respect for each one of them.
Thank you for your support for them. They love to receive emails and letters from you, and feel of your love. We know that your family will feel the blessings of their service.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Degn

Cameron's first letter from the CTM!

Oi!!! I am in Brazil! This is wonderful out here and I love it beyond belief! The city is great and the CTM is just awesome. I feel as if I am sorta in jail though... It is pretty fun. We got to go to the Campinas temple today and it was an amazing experience. I loved every bit of it. I can't believe I am here though. It is a very weird feeling. Well I know how much you like the details (mom) so I will try and write as many as possible. Well to start off, the food is.... EH... That is all I can describe it as. I got sick from it one day already. But they said the more you get sick at first the better. You basically become immune to it. I hope that happens. The idea of dessert here is kind of weird too. No chocolate, just like pudding and weird snot looking stuff that tastes like sugar. Its weird but at the same time it is great. My companheiro <--(yep learned that word!) is elder McGuire and he is awesome. He is from Vancouver WA and its way funny because I have met him before at school right after I opened my mission call. He likes a lot of the same things I do but hates soccer... So i don't know how we will get along. kidding. But the language is super tough. I think i went this whole week only learning a few phrases and words but they said that is normal. I learned how to do a basic prayer, testimony and a few other little things. Its a lot of fun with the teachers we have. One is Irma Da Silva and she doesnt speak any english. Well a little... But we play charades which is a lot of fun. Makes things interesting. From the CTM here we are on the 6th floor. They have elevators but we are not allowed in them. So in other words, I got up 6 flights of stairs atleast 10 times a day which is equivilent to Ripped legs after the next few weeks. Right? lol. Our view from up there is sweet though. We open the window and you can see Seattle times 100 out there. Thousands of skyscrapers and buildings build on top of each other. It is pretty sweet. I can't complain. Another interesting thing is we have choir every sunday and tuesday where the lady here is so serious about it. She wants harmonies and melodies and I just want to sing a normal song. We only sing in Portuguese too. Its tough. I don't know what I am saying but I know its true! My roommates (district) think I am a "good" singer and are trying to turn me in to do a solo. Not gonna happen... So everytime the conductor is listening I either sing really quiet or I just don't sing very well. (you can imagine what that would sound like). haha. They also do their firesides here in two languages so it is so hard to listen but the message behind them are so nice. Its just so hard working with my short attention span listening to English then waiting for the translator to translate it into Portuguese after every sentence... Its killer! But the message behind it is worth it and I know it is teaching me patience. The language in general is teaching me patience. I am starting to realize how not orrganized this letter is and how much I can't spell. There is no spell check on this computer and all the letters are in Portuguese... lol. Glad I memorized it at home! The rooms here are really nice along with the building. The cockroaches are a nice touch here and there too. The heat just adds to everything too. It has been so hot (90F plus some) but are somewhat chilly nights. It really does snow in Londrina they say too. Glad I got warm clothes but they say in the summer its very dry and as hot as Arizona summers.... This is gonna be tough! I already am dying from the heat as it is... lol. How is everyone doing at home? I realize it has only been a week but I know lots has probably already changed! I can't believe a week has gone by already too and I can't believe I will only be in the CTM for 6 weeks total. I am starting to see why maybe they do Nine weeks normally. I understand completely. It is really tough out here but I know it is gonna be so worth it. I miss all of you guys already and a lot of my friends too! But that just comes with it... I know why I am here and I am in that mode about focusing on serving the Lord.

I sent today a letter to you guys through mission ties I think you should try and use. They can get a letter to me within 3 days instead of the regular 3 weeks. Could you maybe send it or tell about it to close friends if they want to do it? And also send it to Emily please? That would be great! I just love letters and I want to be able to keep up on what is going on and not have to wait a whole week always to hear from you all.

I love you all and miss you guys so much! Thanks again for all your support and for the great people you are to me! I can't wait to hear from you all again! Write lots of letters everyone because they are always much appreciated :)

I will message you again on Wednesday of next week hopefully! If we have enough time that is...

Ate Logo!
Elder Millett

Cameron has arrived in Brazil!

Cameron is now in Brazil, has been assigned a companion and is busy learning. His preparation day will either be Tuesday or Wednesday so we will receive an e-mail from him at that time. Please note not to send packages to the MTC since they have no way of forwarding them on to the missionaries once they leave the MTC. Handwritten letters are encouraged!

First Day..

Cam was set apart Monday evening as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He left Seattle early this morning and is scheduled to arrive in Sao Paulo Brazil 2:00am Pacific Time. We haven't heard from him at all but as they said, "no news is good news".

After being set apart

Connor, Elder Millett, Matt

The only picture at the airport.