It still feels like I've been here for an eternity, but alas, it's only been five days haha. Our days are scheduled every hour from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to bed.
My days look like this: wake up at 6:15 to be to class by 7. At 7:30 we eat breakfast. And then classes, classes, classes, planning, planning, planning.
New things that have happened since last thursday: we had our excercise time finally. Our zone tends to do things together, so we all went outside to play beach volleyball. I'm happy to say that I was able to add to my tan, and I hope that by the time I get home I won't be a whitie-mc-white-face.
The next time, we went inside and I was able to participate in my first game of foursquare ever. It got pretty intense. An elder in our zone was in the foursquare team in highschool haha.
Speaking of our zone, it is fantastic! We have two districts ( one for all the portugal missionaries, and one for the rest of the portuguese learning missionaries). we eat all of our meals together, and we walked around the temple this past sunday. One of the zone leaders is Elder Dick, my elder's quroum president/ home teaching companion from BYU, so it was fun to see a familiar face.
Our lesson with "paula" (a pretend investigator) went about as well/ bad as I was expecting. We prepared our lesson in Portuguese, but probably not as well as we should have. However, I could feel the spirit, and I know she could too. That's the thing, the spirit can be felt in all languages.
In the past few days, I have learned a lot (both spirtually and in portuguese), but something that has stuck out to me is that in order to teach in a different language, I need to learn in my own language the principles and doctrines. I like a quote that one of the sisters in our district mentioned: " pray as if it all depends on God. Work as if it all depends on you." Through faith AND works, we can do all things. We just need to do our part as well.
Do you want to know all of the names of the elders and sisters in my district?! Probably not, but I'll tell you anyways: Sisters Foster, Shephard, Johnson, and Jones. Elders Ozuna, Boyle, Day, Hermann, Scott, and Tester. I feel that we are getting closer and becoming better friends, and I'm sure that when we say goodbye in five and a half weeks, it will be hard. Elders ozuna and Boyle, and sister shephard are the only other missionaries going to Porto in the MTC!
I joined the MTC choir on Sunday, and we are apparently the biggest in MTC history--almost 1,700 hundred missionaries were in the choir yesterday. We sang at the devotional, and our speaker wasn't an apostle..., but it was Elder Holland's son, so I'll take it haha.
My companionship was the third row from the front. As I said, my district is probably the coolest one here, especially elder Fortes haha. He is just the life of the party, and so nice to everyone. I won't tell you which one he is, but from one of the pictures, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out lol.
The food here isn't as bad as I was expecting, but it also isn't the worst haha. Daniel-- you were right, fridays are pizza nights! Not pizza hut, but another brand, but I'll take it :)I want you all to watch the devotional by Elder David A. Bednar " Characteristics of Christ." It will be life changing. It's basically about how we need to turn outward and serve others when we might be tempted to turn inward. It's about 45 minutes, but it will be worth it for you to watch it.
Now, I want you all to know that I am doing great, but there are times where the homesickness is so much. Like Ill just be walking to my class, and think "I just really want to go home, this is so stressful, I miss my family." But it doesn't last long, and I'm back to normal, but I want you all to know that I miss you so much and love you with all my heart.
I wrote one of you and told you that one of the only things I know how to pray for in portuguese is " por favor, abencoa minha familia". An d I include that in all of them. It is hard hear, but a good hard. All of us missionaries are growing and we are a force for good.
Believe in Christ and believe that he loves you and wants you to grow and improve. I love you all, and loved hearing from someo of you this week. I was in tears while I was reading because of the love that I felt.
Com Amor,
Elder Barker
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