(Excerpts from e-mail sent on 7/25/06)

..... The language is still going well, and we just learn lessons and that kind of thing, no memorized discussions. We gave a short version of the first lesson, about the Restoration of the Gospel (uo o Restaração do Evangelho) to a Brazilian district a few days ago, and they don't speak any English, so it was a cool experience.

So, Alex is going to France!! That's awesome! I just wrote him a big e-mail, so I have to keep writing this one, to make sure that mine to my family is longer than mine to my cousin. It takes two weeks for letters to get here, and yesterday was two weeks from the day after the first Sunday I was gone, so I got 4 letters, which was awesome. I feel so loved!! I got my first letter from Tyson (VanDerwerken)! It's pretty cool since we're going through the same thing. I can't wait to get out into the field, though, the CTM's not really my style. As much as I like being in a big city surrounded by people always and always inside, I won't miss it too much, I don't think. The biggest problem I have actually is that we sleep from 10:30 to 6:30, after sitting in class all day. I've never done anything as sedantary as sitting around all day, and I'm pretty sure I never slept for 8 hours at night. except maybe when I got my wisom teeth out. So I lie in bed for 60-90 minutes, reciting the First Vision in my head in Português. It's alright, though.

I meant to bring the letter you guys sent to answer some of your questions, but I forgot... sorry. Craig was asking about P-days, and those are cool, because we go to the temple and then get to leave the CTM, walking around to the stores and trying to remember the Portuguese word for cookies. I'm pretty sure I'm gaining weight here, although the scale is rusty and in kgs, so according to it my weight varies from like 73-79 kgs, which is like 160-180 pounds, so I'm not buying it. I might be a tiny bit bigger, but I can still fit into my small suit pants, and I've got 2 years in the field to lose any meat I get here.

I found out something cool for Craig: it's so easy to spell words in portuguese that they don't have spelling bees in Brazil. Good thing we're Americans.
Good luck with everything, guys, and know that i love you and miss you (but not in a homesick sort of way). have fun, kiss the mountains for me (I mean, I miss you guys, too, but I miss the mountains a whole bunch). Love you guys! Eric