Pictures and a little news from the Branch President's wife

We received an email from his branch president's wife with a couple of pictures this morning. Hopefully we'll be hearing from E. McGregor soon as well!

Dear Parents,

We are Elder and Sister Brooks – He is President of your son´s branch at the CTM in São Paulo.

They went to the temple today, but are not allowed to bring cameras, so we take their picture for them, and email it to all of you, so you know they are there, and doing wonderful. It is raining so much today, that we are just glad they would stand there for the picture because it poured just after this. Thanks so much for preparing wonderful missionaries.

We serve here in the Church office building near the Temple, in the Perpetual Education Fund. We only have 6 months left, and have loved Brazil and the awesome people here. Your sons will totally love this experience and have changed much since the 1^st day.

Sister Reva Brooks

Missionária do Fundo Perpétuo de Educação

News of Safe Arrival

I received this email today ! :

Dear Parents,

We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.

They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.

The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.

We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.

Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”

Please accept our love,

President and Sister Woodward

IMPORTANT INFORMATION . . .

WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE SENDING PACKAGES to the Brazil Missionary Training Center.
If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name and district and mail box numbers above the Brazil MTC address on all letters. Your missionary´s numbers are: District (23-A) and Box (5). Record these numbers for future reference.

Example:
Full name: (i.e. Elder Jeffrey Christopherson)
Mission name: (i.e. Belém)
District (##) Box (#)
Brasil CTM
Rua Padre Antônio D’Angelo, 121
Casa Verde, São Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040

DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers. We can only accept mail sent through the U.S. Postal System

And there you have it! It's nice to know he's there and that we'll hear from him Tues or Wednesday. I'm guessing he is having a great time!

He's off!

We took Elder McGregor to the Sacramento Airport this morning and got him all checked in then watched him go up the escalator to Security. We have enjoyed the time with him here at home. When he came home from BYU in December we assumed we'd get his mission papers in right away and he'd probably leave in February. Not so! He received his call Feb 13 and, of course, didn't leave until today. He and I have had plenty of time together and have enjoyed several temple trips, shopping for mission stuff, etc. Yesterday we went and saw Up, which was thoroughly enjoyable and a fun thing to do on his last day at home. I've been spoiled to be home with him during the day, unlike his Dad who is busy working so that we can go see movies ; ) (Thank you Bryon!)
Can I just say that my heart really goes out to mothers who put their sons on planes to head off without any further knowledge of when they arrive, how things went, etc. Having served a mission in South America myself I think it must be somewhat less nerve-wracking for me, although I do feel a deep emptiness knowing I won't be hearing from him when he arrives. In this world of cell phones and instant messaging it will take some getting used to. Of course, when I served in Ecuador it took two weeks for my letters to reach home and then two weeks for their reply to reach me (and only if the Ecuadorian postal system was not on one of its frequent strikes), so it's all relative, I suppose. Getting an email each week that just left his fingertips is an amazing thing.
I referred to an emptiness above, but that only applies to suddenly having all customary communication done with. I DO feel a great love and admiration for him and am so pleased with what a good person he is. He is confident, able, and has a great testimony of the restored Gospel. Plus he has a good sense of humor - always a bonus in my book.
Love you son! (ps - I'm finally crying).

It's official!

Last night Trent was set apart as a missionary. Our stake president came to our home and asked us all to share some thoughts about Trent (including Kelsey, whom we had on speaker phone) and then, using the priesthood, he, Trent's dad, and a dear family friend placed their hands on Trent's head to 'set him apart' as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to serve in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Portuguese-speaking mission. It was a lovely evening.

Mission Savings ...

Trenton's older cousin, Benten, served a mission to Jamaica about 10 years ago, and when he got back he gave Trent a bank he'd made out of a section of bamboo. Trent and his dad had quite a time getting it open just recently! Thanks for the cool way to save for a mission Benten!

Trent's "Farewell"

Trent spoke at church on May 17th (we chose this date because his sister was in town to be a bridesmaid at a wedding). We had some family visit and took some fun pictures. Thanks to the grandparents, aunts and cousins who were able to visit and we missed all the rest of you!

Trent's Brazilian VISA

He's good to go and doesn't have to wait around for a Visa! Church Travel said this morning that they have his Visa and are waiting for his name tag to be printed, both of which will be sent to us a couple of weeks before he leaves. Huzzah!