First Official Email

Hey everyone! I made it to my first P day! The MTC has been a lot of fun. They put me in a zone with all the other elders that are speaking Portuguese, so we have elders going to Cape Verde, Brazil, Mozambique, and Portugal. They are all such cool guys and I am getting along with them really well. When you get here, you're sitting in a classroom learning Portuguese within 30 mins. The language is coming alright, I'm still trying to get the hang of it but I know that I need to be patient and I will be able learn the things I need to. My first night here I had a really funny experience. When I met my zone, they told my companion and I that we were in for a treat later that night. So after a day of orientations and classroom study, we went back to our dorms and the elders had a wrestling ring set up made of mattresses, complete with comentators with headsets, contracts that the fighters had to sign, special effects with the lights, seating for the rest of us to watch, the whole deal. The 2 elders who wrestled were both under 115 pounds, and it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen! That was definitely not something I expected to see my first night here.

My companions name is Elder Scowcroft. He's from New York City and grew up right in the middle of the city. He's a good guy and we get along pretty well! One thing about the MTC is how differently they teach you the language compared to school, and you need to learn a lot though just listening to your teacher speak! I think I've heard my teacher say 5 words in english since I've started. Yesterday we watched a talk that Elder Bednar gave on Christmas in the MTC a few years ago, and it's called "Character of Christ". I think every missionary here is suppose to watch it, but it's one of the best talks I've seen! It really put into perspective how much you need to rely on Christ in order to be a successful missionary. The MTC is pretty great, and I'm excited to see what's next! I love you all and have a good week!

-Elder Odom