Kyle entered the Provo MTC on Wednesday January 25, 2012. Online it shows that his visa for Brazil is ready for pickup...but the church has not received it. Until then he will be in Provo! We received his first email yesterday (1/30/12). What a relief to finally hear from him. I know that is every missionary Mom's need, to get that first email and know they are ok. Below is Kyle's first letter to enjoy. I will try to figure out how to attach pictures as well :)
Hey guys! How is everybody doing? I hope everything is going well in the outside world. So I've gotten everybody's letters but I missed the mail on Saturday and had to wait til Monday. So your letters are on their way. So the MTC is hard. It's getting better though. I definitely wanted to come home on Thursday, that was by far the worst day. I missed everybody and Portuguese was doing dirty things to me. It still is but after talking to a few missionaries (one going to Tahiti that has to learn tahitian? and french and one that's going to Ukraine that has to learn russian and ukraine) I kinda figured out I don't have it all that rough haha. So my companion isn't too bad, well kinda, but he's a cool kid. His name is Elder Kamalu from Kaysville. He is going to the Brasilia Brazil mission. He's not like over the top about anything but he played basketball and football in high school and everything just comes naturally to him, so he can be really cocky and arrogant about some things. The annoying part is he sent his visa application in 2 weeks ago and got his visa on Thursday. I sent mine in like 2 months ago and it still hasn't come...that pretty much cut me to my very soul. but ummmm lets see, the rest of my district is awesome. It's me and 4 guys. We are all speaking Portuguese. Elder Fry, Elder Barton and Elder Rhodes are all going to Portugal. We all live in the same room and have the same schedule so we're pretty much best friends now haha. Elder Barton is one of those really genuine guys. Just the most caring person I've ever met. We went through the temple today and after he made sure to hug us and tell us he loved us (not gay). He's an awesome guy...I love him! Elder Fry is pretty cool too. He's from Portland and is really funny. Elder Rhodes...he's a nice guy just really weird. He was doing martial arts in his G's the other night and he's not the skinniest of guys. He also kind of smells and I have no idea why. And of course when Elder Kamalu leaves tomorrow I get Rhodes as my companion. YAY! I swear I did something wrong.
But the only thing I really hate about the MTC is the language. The first day our teacher wouldn't speak a word of english to us and I had no idea what was going on. By Friday we were teaching an investigator that is from Brazil and doesn't speak a word of English (or so they say) I think he's just the world's greatest actor. And it's rough cuz so far I've learned like simple gospel things. I can say simple prayers and bear my testimony kinda, but like I can't just have a conversation with the guy. If he doesn't say what I want him to I'm messed up. For example...I told him that Joseph Smith was the first prophet of the church, which is true, but then he asked what about Moses? I tried to explain the difference between the restored church and like the old church and I failed...horribly. So I struggle with not being able to connect with him on a personal level and whats worse is they don't teach us regular everyday words. They teach us strictly gospel stuff and the rest is on our own. Our investigator doesn't speak the portuguese we are learning. He speaks a language that sound like somebody is fast forwarding a tape. Ridiculously fast and like skips entire phrases. I'm pretty sure I've never prayed so many times in my life. The hardest part is not having that friendly face or person just to talk to. I know "that's what your companion and all those people are for" but it's not the same. I'm just taking it day by day powering through. I made it through the first Sunday so hopefully things will start looking up.
Things I need for future letters: weekly sports updates and any other updates you feel are worthy of me reading. There is an Elder that played on the U football team last season. He is my neighbor. Elder Hinson I believe #18 I want to say!? Kinda cool. I think that's it. I had to pay $40 for a tetnis shot and $20 for a sweatshirt cuz it's really cold here and I had no warm clothes.
In closing I love and miss all of you. Keep sending the letters and prayers and anything else you can think of cuz I'm gonna need it. But I know I can get through it and that it's the right thing and that the Lord is with me. Oh and really exciting news...the 50th anniversary of the MTC is tomorrow and rumor has it that apostles and a member of the 1st Presidency is gonna be here. Hopefully Uchtdorf. I think I would cry!
<3 Elder Rindlisbacher
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