Last Letter from MTC

President Gordon Hall (left) Joao Pessoa 

President Garth Hall -- Florida Orlando

Mom added this picture after doing a little checking

on the internet.  They indeed are brothers. 

Oi Everybody,

Como vai? ! Eu estou muito muito feliz! Sorry that this email update took a little longer than last time. Since BYU's term just ended a lot of the teacher schedules change which means all of the class schedules got changed this week. My P-Day was shifted from Tuesday to Friday. So yeah its been one of the most crazy weeks here at the MTC.

For those who don't know already, I have a new re-assignment as I wait for my VISA to come in from Brasil. I will be serving in ORLANDO, FLORIDA! It almost sounds like a dream mission. It will be weird because I'm the only Elder on re-assignment going there. All of my companions and other friends here are all going to either Pittsburgh or New Hampshire. And I think I might be one of the only missionaries too because I only know of two Sisters that are getting reassigned there...and I don't even know them. So yeah very exciting to start my new adventure with new people.

Its kind of funny because the Mission President in Orlando is named President Hall just like the one in Joao Pessoa AND in the picture he looks just like my Brasil Mission President. I think I might be working for brothers! That would be super neat! I will be flying out early in the morning Monday and I'll get in Orlando around dinner time. I can't believe its already here! 6 weeks in the MTC was fun. I've learned so much in the past 6 weeks.

So whats happening out here...hmmmm! On Wednesday I was supposed to be a Host for the new missionaries coming in. Well all of a sudden the head security officer comes in and he took me and Elder Olsen and I did parking duties. Almost got hit by a couple of cars and stuff but it was a lot of fun. I'm glad I left at the airport because we had to have everyone say their goodbyes in like two minutes. Its a very very busy day at the MTC. 

Also, I got a letter a week ago today from the MTC President's wife Sister Nally saying that I would be performing a vocal solo at the Sunday Evening Devotional. I was completely shocked but it was special because Uncle Steve Allen was speaking. I sang an arrangement of "I Feel My Savior's Love". Apparently my Aunt or Uncle didn't even know I was singing and I didn't even know they didn't know. But anyway I go up to sing in front of the whole MTC and totally blank on the first verse...story of my life! But I improv a bit and they rest of the song went really well. Definently one of the best events of my life! 

Yesterday we had In-Field Orientation. Its like 9 hours of workshops and stuff. It was cool and fun but it was super long. One of the teachers was Elder Christensen who was in the District videos. But overall the orientation was cool because it made me so excited to go on the field. I only have 3 days left! 

Thank you for the support on the language. Something this past week clicked in my brain...even though its still really bad and really broken up I'm starting to understand what people say and can generate sentences that can be understood. I actually heard there are a lot of Portuguese speakers in Orlando. One of the Sisters in my District has a brother there and like the whole apartment complex he lives in is full of Brasiliaros. So maybe by the time I get to Brasil I'll be pretty close to fluent...who knows.

Spiritual thought of the week: President Packer's son who is in the Seventy came and spoke to us on Tuesday. He spoke on the importance of Family History. I highly recommend everyone here really focus on Family History. The Church has gone out and pushed this issue because we need to get these names and do the work. We're in crunch time! I love the scripture about Elijah "turning the hearts of the children to their fathers and hearts of the fathers to their children." That is meant in both a temporal and spiritual sense. The Lord wants us to find His children so we can help His sheep return to Him. I can't be doing the Family History work as a missionary but one of the best ways for missionaries to connect to their investigators is by talking about family. 

Alright everybody I don't have much more time but I'll be sending my next email from Orlando, Florida! I do not have the address yet but I will be sending it when I know. Thank you all for all the love and support. 

Love,

Elder Steven Untch