Brazil or Bust!

I land in Atlanta at  3 Utah time. I fly for Sao Paulo at 5 Utah time. I’ll call as soon as I can, probably around 3:15 ish. eu nao sei se eu puder chamar voces de a manha, mas eu vou tentar! (I do not know if I can call you guys in the morning, but I'll try!)  If Malena isn't there, I’ll call her depois eu falar com voces. ta bom? (after I speak with you, Okay?) 

We just said good bye to our teachers. They are amazing people!! Irma Read let us go through her mission journal. They both got me soo excited to go!! I know it will be very hard, they left no doubt about that, but I feel so ready to go and do. I cannot wait to get out there!! I really shouldn't be, but I’m even a little excited to go out there, try and talk to people, and then realize I actually don’t speak this language called Portuguese. um pouco. (just a little.) 

So I started packing yesterday! I got this tip from another teacher I’ve grown really close with. Go to the custodial closet and get the vacuum and garbage bags. I put my clothes in the garbage bag, then the hose of the vacuum, and turn it on. Thus, sucking the air out. Further thus, significantly shrinking the amount of space taken up by said clothes. My before full suitcase, weighing in at 47 pounds, is now a full suitcase weighing in at 37 pounds. :) Both of them. And I have an empty carryon bag waiting to be packed with more of my stuff. SO MUCH STUFF!!! Where did all this come from!? Mas ta bom. (But okay)

So, crazy story. Elder Bradshaw, the guy who had been here for NINE weeks because of tonsillitis, is finally gone. The intercom came on and said "can Elder McKee or Elder Bradshaw please pick up a hall phone and call the front desk?" so we did. The conversation was something like this. 

Me: "hello, this is Elder Mckee calling as requested." 

Them: "Is Elder Bradshaw still packing? The van is waiting for him to leave for the airport right now."

Me: "He never got flight plans telling him he was leaving" 

Them: "You two better get to the travel office right now." 

We run past the class room, he grabs his stuff and says a half second goodbye as we run out the door. We get to the travel office, and they say "the van is gone, were you not ready?" Bradshaw says "you guys never gave me travel plans! i didn't know i was supposed to leave today!" they say "oh yea sorry, can you be packed to leave in 20 minutes from now?" we run to the residence, and start shoving everything in his bags. Then weighing. Moving stuff. Weighing. Moving stuff. Slowly a pile of shoes, clothes, books, papers, hangers is building as he's realizing he doesn't have room. Now, disclaimer, he had been in the travel office every day for a week asking about his visa and when he can leave. As of 5 days before this, the travel office had been supposed to issue flight plans. They blew him off each time he was in there, thinking he was just another annoying missionary wanting to leave. So, none of this is his fault. We get all the stuff in his bags, about 40 minutes later, and run back to the travel office. We go in, and he says "you guys gave me 40 minutes to pack, and I have no idea if my bags are under 50 pounds. What can we do about it?" they say "it will probably cost you around 300 dollars per bag".  Bradshaw says, "no, it wont cost me anything. This isn't my fault." they say "sorry, here’s a trash bag incase you have to leave stuff behind" then we went out back, and he hoped in the car of one of the travel people and he was gone. The van was long gone, and he had 2 and half hours to get to the airport and get on his plane. Seeing as he didn't come walking back in the room that night, I think he made it. 

I’m probably going to have to give a small talk tomorrow in sacrament. They give everyone the topic before hand, and then call two people at random in the meeting. I should probably write some stuff down, but honestly I feel like I could totally just get up there and in Portuguese talk about the importance of having faith in Jesus Christ for 5 minutes without notes. Super easy. tudo bem. (all right)

Thank you so much for the sip-in treats. My district loved them, and they love you!  They all say you are so cute…well, Elder Bush didn't say that...Haha They ate them up so fast!!  Also thanks for the phone card. I think that should work in Brazil, and if not I’m sure they sell them down there. I'll find a way. 

I love you guys!! You're all amazing. I have no doubt that this MTC is where I was supposed to come. I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else. I can’t wait to be in Brazil in 3 days!! Airport in Sao Paulo means time to see just how well I can understand them and talk to them. boo ya!!! I seriously cannot wait!! Here’s how I imagine my first conversation going. 

Me: "oi, como esta?" (Hi, How are You?)

Brazilian: "owievniweavn iewnfignv uie4eruibver uenariupnd;sne honvo;av" (Although that may look like Russian, those aren't actual words, they just represent how much I would understand.)

Me: "........."

Brazilian: "lievnikni idnvwoaevnoansdlngfs"

Me: "Sim..... Este livro e para voce..... tchau!" (yea.... this book is for you.... bye!)

and I cant wait for it. :) haha 

I'm so excited to go start actual real life missionary work!! Every one says it takes the first few months of being clueless to figure out the language and get used to it, though I might be that way for the first few years. But that’s ok. :) Through the Lord I can do all things. 

Cool quote I heard today "if you try and base your happiness off the circumstances you're in, more often than not you will fail to be happy." 

Love You!!

Elder McKee

PS...So I weighed myself again, and i am 10 pounds over my original weight, meaning I gained 15.... no idea how... :) hahaha I don't look fat i promise!! :) but here's how it went. I got on the scale, and it said 160. My jaw drops, because of course I'm confused. Last week I was 145. Legit this is what I said. "Elder Bush, hold my ice cream while I take off my shoes to get a better reading." Something about what I had said caused me to stop and think…