PDAY First Week in Brazil!!

Whatttttss up everybody!!!

 

    This is Elder Barton and i am sitting in BRAZIL!!!!!! For those of you that haven't heard, I got my visa super quick so now im in the Brazil CTM and i will be here for the next three and a half weeeks!!! It is soooo crazy down here holy cow!! No one in this whole building ever speaks english haha its ridiculous!! I have learned soo much here already and I have only been here for one week!!!! We are allowed to go out on the streets on p day and walk around with in certain boundaries! So we just barely finished walking aorund and its absolutley INSANE! Haha this city is soo intense, I have never seen so many people in one place, and the cars on the road go sooo fast haha the intersections are like five different streets at once coming from all diferrent directions with like no stop lights haha, its so scary to cross the streeet! We probably like like such noobs because I was with my district and were all justa bunch of white guys all huddled up on the side of the road all scared to cross the street haha and theres a bunch of brazilian kids that just walk right past us and cross the streeet all gracefully... I feel like such an idiot haha...

 

    But this place is super awesome, it is WAY different than provo MTC thats for sure, theres soo much submerssion with the language and the food is crazy differernt, i've already eaten quail and i think goat one of the days just in the CTM. Pretty crazy haha! The CTM is a huge like scy scraper in the middle of Sao Paulo, its so sweet. We have such a sick view out of our room its awesome!! Our room is on the sixth floor, and were not allowed to use the elevators here so im gettuing super jacked calves which is nice... NBD. haha also i had a pizza party today thanks to SISTER BERTHA!!! That was soo awesome thank you soo much haha my disctrict was soo stoked! We went to the Sao Paulo temple this morning, which was super super awesome! Its soo pretty! First time doing a session in portuguese, so that was pretty sweet! It takes like an hour and a half to get there, and then we also go to the Campinas temple on some P days also... Both of my teachers dont speak any english, so its been really cool how much I have learned! We did an english fast one of the days, so we could only speak in portuguese for the whole day... If anyone spoke in english they had to do 10 push-ups per word... I was pretty sore the next day. haha. But I was actually surprised how much I was able to communicate with out using english, it was pretty cool! I was so tired after the fist couple days i got here, that plane ride was pretty intense and it was tough to get used to the culture and everything, I was having a tough time. But I have noticed that the more obedient I am to the rules, and the harder i work, the less home sick I am. I truly have gained a testimony of obedience being on a mission, it helps so much to just follow every single rule, because Heavenly Father truly does bless you for it and you have the spirit with you constantly. A saying that I heard that really applies to this is Obedience brings blessings, and Exact obedience birngs miracles... Pretty cool!

 

    There is so much that has happened since I was able to email you guys last, its so hard to put it on this email haha! But everything is going awesome here, i am working so hard I love it. I have two investigators (my teachers) and the lessons have been going really well! Elder Shapiro and I haven't been bringing any notes and just relying on the spirit to help us with our portuguese and it has really been cool! It's crazy how real the gift of toungues is, sometimes I just start saying things that I dont even know were theyre coming from. Its incredible... But we commited one of our investigators Gabriel to baptism! So thats pretty sweet! Its been awesome, i am starting to get more comfortable with teaching and I think we get to go on the streets and talk to REAL investigators tomorrow! Super excited and nervous haha its going to be crazy!! Ok I have to go, they give us barely any time here and we can't send pictures but everything is awesome here in BRAZIL! The thing I have learned most on my mission so far, is just how to have a natural love for people in general, especially when teaching people. Jesus Christ was the expert at this, whenever he taught, people felt the pure love from our heavenly father. Im going to try my best to have that with me as I teach, because Heavenly Father loves us all so much and I think sometimes i forget that! IF you guys can, try to watch the mormon message video called Earthy father, Heavenly father. And I promise  you will feel the love that God has for us! Love You all so so Much!!!

 

ELDER BARTON

Sent from the Brazil MTC President

IN BRASIL!!!!!!

Whats up!!!!

I made it safe and sound to the Sao Paulo MTC!!!! Holy cow it is crazy here.... Haha I am in for a treat!!! Im so exhausted, but its only 11 AM here and I still got a full day ahead of me that i need to conquer!! The drive here was pretty nuts, I was asleep most of the time haha but the freeways are so crazy! There are sooo many people crammed into this city its insane! The MTC is WAY different than provo hahaha like I mean WAY different! so far everyone has only spoken portugese nothing else haha. It is wayy smaller too, its just like a huge skyscraper in the midle of the city, pretty crazy... My companion is Elder Shapiro which Im super stoked about!! He was the one in my room, hes awesome. That was so awesome talking to you guys yesterday!!! Ill be talking to you guys all again really soon for christmas also! So excited!!! Im not sure when my pday is yet... But Ill give more info next pday with pics! Love ya guys!!!!!

Elder Barton

(These were sent to us the night before Elder B left for Brazil)

super sweet statue at the MTC

elder uchytil and I... homies 4 life

This is our district with STUD brother Gabriel, our teacher

Irmao Gabriel, he is such an awesome teacher... I have felt the spirit so much from this awesome guy... He has been such a huge influence in my life in the sort amount of time i was able to spend with him

last supper at the provo MTC

Elder B's Visa has arrived!

HEYY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! those pics are so cute, i miss you guys sooo much! The reason I am emailing you right now is because I GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I AM LEAVING THE PROVO MTC THIS TUESDAY AT 4:35 AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow I am freakingggg out! A bunch of other elders in our district got theres also!!! AHHHHH I dont know if Im ready I kinda want to stay here longer! Its such a wierd feeling! Im not sure if i will be able to call you guys or not, but im pretty sure ill be able to email you the night I get to the mission home! sorry they havent given me any deets yet this is all I got! Ill see if I can email you one more time this week when I get more Info... LOVE YA SO STOKEDD

Photos from Beau's first email while he is in the Provo MTC 11/11/14

I'm tactical, enough said

                                                        Elder Johns and I killing it

                                                      District Selfie at the Temple

                                                        Elder Martineau is HUGE

                                                                   Artsy

                                                                 Provo Temple

                                             Elder Shapiro, Elder Uchytil, and Elder Schofield

                                                 ​Elder Johns and I at the temple this morning

                        ​This camera you got me is AWESOME (or im just really good at taking pics))

                                                            Elder Johns and I

                                                                  Our district

                                                              Our district studying

WHAT UP WHAT UP EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is Elder Barton reporting live from the Provo MTC!!! I want to start off by saying how much I LOVE this place... I have felt the spirit so strong every day since i have been here. I was pretty nervous riding on the plane down here, I didn't know what to think and I was pretty scared and emotional. But as soon as i stepped foot in the MTC everything changed, I felt the spirit instantly hit me. We started off with an awesome devotional and met all of our MTC presidency and companions. I get along super well with my companion, he is an awesome kid. His name is Elder Johns and he is such a little stud. The first day was also pretty funny because we had to wear little orange dots on our name tags and people could spot us from a mile away and they would yell "Welcome to the MTC elders!!!!" haha we felt like such noobs but also so comforted and supported at the same time... We have been studying portuguese for like 8-10 hours each day its crazy, but my language teacher is such a STUD! His name is Brother Gabriel and he is such a cool guy, I have already learned so much its awesome.. I know how to say a prayer in portuguese and bear testimony NBD... haha, but seriously this place is amazing, they provide is with so many resources to help us learn its awesome. 

   Elder Johns and I have our first investigator!!! (she is a pretend investigator but she only speaks portuguese and acts like a non member so that we can teach her) We have had three lessons with her already, her name is Isabel. Even though she is a pretend investigator, the spirit is always so strong when we teach her. Especially last lesson, Elder Johns and I taught her about the Apostasy and Restoration of the church through Joseph Smith, as I was speaking with her, my tongue felt loosed, and we were actually able to understand what she was saying! We testified that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if its true and we also invited her to be baptized! She said yes to both and the spirit was so strong. We teach her again tomorrow and are so excited, hopefully it goes as well as last lesson haha. Sunday was also an awesome day, it was such a spiritual FEAST! Like were talking a thanksgiving feast!! Haha, we had an awesome devotional by Elder Condie who was a former member of the seventy, and he spoke about the Holy Ghost, and really emphasized that it is the Holy Ghost that does the teaching, not us. We need to always strive to have it with us as missionaries. A quote that he said from Gordon B. Hinkley that I really liked is "The Holy Ghost is the testifier of all truth, who can teach men what other men cannot teach one another." That is so true, just as i mentioned earlier about our lesson with Isabel... It went well because the holy ghost did the talking... Not elder johns and I, and that is the true power of conversion for ourselves and investigators. We watched a video of David A. Bednars talk called "Character of Christ" he gave it in the MTC a couple years ago... You should all look this up if you haven't heard it because it is seriously life changing.

 

    I also have the best district ever!!! We are like all best friends already and have such good relationships, its awesome. Last night we had a testimony meeting that came out of nowhere while we were studying... We went around the room sharing conversion stories and why we are on a mission. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life. Some of the Elders stories in my district are unbelievable. It was so awesome, we were all bawling by the end of it and had a huge group hug haha... I love my mission so much already, and I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ and carry the holy ghost with me for these next two years... I love you all so much and thanks so much for all your support!!!

Love,

ELDER BARTON

Write to Elder Barton!

Beau is heading to the Provo MTC on Wednesday, November 5th. He will learn Portuguese and prepare to serve while he is there and waiting for his VISA to arrive. We will post his Provo MTC mailbox number once we receive it! You can send him some love at: beaub@myldsmail.net.