Semana 5- Brazil MTC

Dec 11. 2012 

Hey y'all,

I can't believe that I’ve been out an entire month already!! Thats crazy!!! So here is the basic run down of my week. We've been studying and teaching like crazy in Portuguese. The language is coming well and I apreciate all the thoughts and prayers that help me. Thank you all! Life is pretty much the same here everyday. Learning and studying like crazy and speaking portuguese as much as I can. Both of my instructors are sisters who have recently came home and they are insane. I am extremely grateful that I already know english because it is extremely hard to learn and even to explain to our Brazilian teacher when they have a question in english. We've got some new people in out district who came from provo after getting their visa, so our room is very crowded and it is miserable when the AC doesn't work, but i guess thats brazil. Sempre Quente.

Cultural experiences of the week: Today we went to a churrascoria for lunch and we did just fine talking with the people, it went slowly, but we got our point across, it is a lot easier to understand what they are saying to us, than it is to speak it. The food at the bbq joint was really good, very brazilian, but very good. oh in other news i became a Brasalero (brazilian) this week. Sis. Steadman came and asked me on saturday if I would be willing to sing with a group of brazilians and hispanics and help them out with the harmony part. We had a practice that night and it really was a bunch of brazilians and hispanics and then two white guys there to help. A couple of the brazilians were impressed I could roll my r's so well and that I read the spanish easily. Then at the fireside that next sunday President Degn announced that we would now hear a special musical number from a group of brazilian and hispanic elders. When I got up there with them, i saw people look at me and whisper, "is that applegate?" So according to President Degn I am a brazilian now. Eu sou um Basilero agora!

Also in the way of music I am singing a solo this coming sunday in the Fireside. A quintet of us are singing A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. it is a pretty cool arrangement too. I am super exicited for that. Anyway life is good here and I am enjoying it. P-day is pretty short and 30 minutes for email is not very long, but i am happy for the time I get. Love you all and thanks for the Prayers!

Um Abraco

Elder Applegate

Note from Mom:  I am leaving his letters just the way he writes them, without correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  It will be interesting to see the change in his English skills as he continues to learn Portuguese.