Mission start date changed

Yesterday we received a phone call changing our mission start time because the visas aren't ready yet.  They estimate that they will be received in the middle of June, so to be safe, our new MTC entry date is now July 1st.  So, now I need to update our countdown clock.  We now have 67 days to go instead of 32.  Because of the extra time, we are going to adjust our language training to an hour a week instead of cramming it in so fast with 3 hours a week.  Then, maybe we can do some other projects around here as well.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that this date is accurate and that we aren't called to postpone again!

Language Lessons

We have been having Portuguese tutoring from the Provo, Utah Mission Training Center (MTC) for the past 3 weeks.  We each have our own tutor, and meet with them via Skype for 3 hours per week.  These lessons have been going well.....way better than I expected!  I can actually carry on a conversation in Portuguese now!  Well, a basic conversation.....what is your name, where do you work, where are you from, telling about my family, etc.   And, the conversation must be VERY slow!  I feel like a toddler learning to speak.  I think Gary is doing great, though he may say otherwise.  He feels that his progress will greatly improve when we actually get there and he is immersed in the language.  But, he has been reading the Book of Mormon, chapter by chapter in English, then listening to the same chapter in Portuguese.  And his tutor has been pushing him in other areas as well.  Today, I learned the basics of praying in Portuguese.

We learned of an app for the ipads called google translate that has helped too.  You type in or speak a sentence in English, and it will translate it to whatever language you want.  Very helpful as we try to come up with sentences for our lessons!

As of today, we have 40 days till we enter the MTC on May 27th.

Our mission call

On Saturday, Feb. 9th, we received our mission call.  Not in the normal way......we were in Indiana at Shelley's house, and the call came to Arimo, so we called Denice Rawlings who was working that day in the  post office, and asked if it had arrived....and then had her open it and read it to us.  We were called to serve in the Brazil Cuiaba Mission, to serve as office specialists (working in the mission office).  We are to report to the MTC in Provo on May 27th.

Melissa and her family had come over that day to see us at Shelley's, as well as to see Shelley's new baby, and surprised us by bringing Kori too!  So the 3 girls were together with us the day we got our call, which is what they were hoping to happen.

Now to the process of applying for a visa and getting things in order to leave!