I can actually see a future

So I've had a really important change in my life recently.

I can actually see a future for myself now. 

I couldn't before. I saw a gray "future" of me going to college 

and then a fade to black sort of thing.

Now I can see my future in Technicolor ha ha.

I WILL go to college and I WILL get a job that I like and I WILL get married in the
temple and have a big happy family and I WILL become an author....

IN other news... I've lost a total of 22 pounds.

And I'm really sorry to hear about the Little Red Hen problems. 

I hope people eventually get better about it, and I hope the puppies 

will be able to be good boys and not hurt themselves.

And I'm not sorry about the puppy baths in the morning :P mwahaha...

Thanks for your prayers and I'd just ask that you pray that I can literally hit the
ground running instead of limping like I am now... 

OKays that's it I think... I love you!!!

Our letter from Elder Lundy

Our letter from Elder Lundy was a little short today...but here is the main part of it.

Where is Elder Webster from? How many siblings? What number of birth order? Convert or lifer? Tell him your Mom is nosy if you need to ask him and tell him Hi for me.

He's from Sandy, Utah. A member for life with an older bro and younger sis.

What are your responsibilities in your calling as a zone leader in the MTC?

As zone leaders we welcome the newbies and choose people to play hymns, give prayers and bless/pass for church on Sundays.

Have you heard anything from your gang of friends from Wisconsin?

Megan emailed me today and last week and I think some of the others emailed me today, I haven't checked that yet though.

Are your legs still sore or are you loosening up a little now?

My legs still hurt a lot, but every once in a while they're not as bad.

Do you exercise in a gym or outside?

If it's not raining we're outside. If it is we play ping pong inside.

How is your money holding up? Have you bought much since you arrived?

My money's good, I've bought some stuff at the distribution center next to the temple and that's pretty much it. OH!!! I also ordered a hand designed leather scripture case that I'll be picking up in an hour!

Are you getting better at laundry and maybe ironing? (sorry I really thought I taught you how to iron)

I don't need to iron much, and the laundry machines here are really bad honestly.

You have what, about 2 weeks before you are in the field? Have they said when you will leave the MTC?

I'm leaving on the 29th in the morning I believe.

I told Elder Lundy about his dogs: we went to Ice cream Junction last week. It was great. We took Oliver and Cooper with us. They loved it. We bought them a baby cone each with soft serve vanilla ice cream in it. Dad and I licked our cones and they licked theirs too. We thought they might just gulp them down, nope we stood there with the dogs on the back seat of the van, us outside standing and ever one just licking away. What a sight kinda comical.

I really wish I could've seen the puppies at ice cream junction.

I hope you did well this past week learning the lessons and the language.  Are there any Brazilians in your “class” at the MTC?  Do you get much chance to get outside?  (AKA –How’s the weather in Sao Paulo?)

All the windows in Brazil have dark tinting to them so It looks like it's dark outside much earlier than it actually is so I get tired earlier than I should.

There are no Brazilians in my "class" btw. Just English speaking Americans.

Anyway igtg now...

Welp... I love you!!!!! Byebye

A few questions answered:

This week we had a few questions answered:

1.   Do you ride a bus to the Temple or walk to it?

We ride the bus 45 minutes to get to the temple.

2.   What are you doing that you lost 13 pounds?

We have physical activity nearly every day, plus I don't snack as much. And I've actually lost 16 pounds now.

3.   You said the food was good...but what kind of food do they serve you?

There's pretty much just some sort of fried meat at every lunch and dinner and rice & beans, then there's bread and fruit and veggies if we want them. Breakfast is weird because we have meat and cheese sandwiches every morning.

4.   What is your normal daily schedule like? Other than P-day.

Wake up,

get prepared,

study,

eat breakfast,

study,

physical activity,

study,

lunch,

study,

get taught and then teach,

dinner,

study,

get taught and then teach,

plan for tomorrow,

snack,

prepare for bed,

sleep.

5.   Are you able to speak any sentences in Portuguese?

I'm able to communicate in português already but at a very low level and mainly only about gospel stuff.

6.   Has anyone taught you any customs of Brazil?

No customs lessons yet.

7.   The MTC President sent us a picture of your class. You look to be one of the taller ones how many are taller than you?

There are two or three taller than me. My companion and I were on opposite ends of the group picture. And we actually got two knew sisters last week so they split our district into two groups of 6 and 7 missionaries... on and the old zone leaders left for the field yesterday so on Sunday my companion and I were told that we're the new zone leaders for Branch 2. Yay... that means no more free time on Sundays. So that's my big news I guess.

Eu amo vocês!!!!! (That means I love you all)

PS -  There was a massive devotional at the MTC yesterday. We had the whole area presidency speaking and there were an extra 200 field missionaries bussed in and the whole thing was recorded to be broadcast to every stake in Brazil. Alrighty, that's all I've got. 
I love you!

The food here is great

Just so it makes sense...

This letter is answering questions that I asked Elder Lundy -

Hi,

Okay, the food here is great; I haven't found anything I really
dislike. I think I brought everything I need.

There are four American Elders including me, and at times there will be a Brazilian and an Argentinian. (They don't spend as much time here.)

I'll take pictures but I can't send them until I leave the MTC because they rigged the computers to not allow pictures to be uploaded or anything.

P day is Wednesday. We go to the temple first thing in the morning,
then we come back, eat, send letters, then explore the surrounding
city. It's pretty cool, but it smells sorta weird. 
[I'm not surprised that he thinks this...We live in the country]

Elder Webster is pretty cool. They told us that companions are supposed to be nothing like each other and that's pretty accurate for us. I'm the oldest
missionary in my district of 11. They're all pretty nice.

So all our lessons except on Sunday are in Portuguese and we've been teaching "investigators" in Portuguese since the second day! "Investigators" are our instructors acting as nonmembers.

On the first Sunday my Branch President told a story about a meat factory employee who got caught in a meat freezer for hours after the factory closed. He was saved by the guard. Normally the freezers weren't on the guard's route but the guard decided to look for this specific employee because every day without fail the worker would say hello and goodbye to the guard and that made him feel noticed because to everyone else he was
invisible. When the worker didn't say his customary goodbye the guard
went looking. I was crying for the rest of the day after hearing that
because I related to it. For a while I was like the worker and always
greeted everyone, but for the past two years I became invisible. Those
times you reintroduced me as your son to the people from Nana's ward
that we spent 6 months with were really difficult, but I just laughed
them off cause there was nothing else I could do.

Anyway, the spirit testified to me that the purpose of my mission in Brazil was to let people know that they're not invisible and that people love them and that God loves them. That's great news about getting the house hooked up btw!! And I miss the puppies soooooo much. Would you be able to send me pictures every week or two??

And could I also get a birthday list? Siblings, in laws, and nieces and nephews... That would really help. What else... Oh!! I'm already down to XXX pounds! I've lost nearly 13 pounds already! Okay, I think that's it for now... I LOVE YOU and everyone else back there.