Olá! (Week 3)

Hello everybody!

Everything is great here in the Sao Paulo CTM. Thank you all for your emails and words of wisdom.
This week was a busy one as always!

This week we went on splits with Brazilians! We basically spend half of a day with your new companions. We do this three days in a row. So everybody meets in the Auditorium and meet up with your Brazilian. We then go to lunch, prepare a lesson and then teach an investigator and be taught. My companion split companion was Elder Silveira. He is about 3 hours east of Manaus. He is awesome. Speaks no English which is good for me. It was soo much fun for those three days last week.

This Saturday we are going to get on a bus and get dropped off somewhere in Sao Paulo to go Proselyting!! I'm so pumped!

Brazilian missionaries that are serving in Brazil only have to be here for three weeks. So my Brazilian roommates left today! Don't worry, I gave them a fresh cut before they headed out to the field. They are awesome! They left notes under our beds last night. We had so much fun with them. One of them, Elder Conhado is from Sao Luiz which is in my mission. He has only been a member for a year and a half but has a strong testimony. I read the Book of Mormon every night with Elder Ferreira. He helped me pronounce everything perfectly.

Last night it rained for the first time! The entire CTM cheered. We don't have A/C (we have a nice big fan though) in our rooms so we always have our windows open so it was cool to hear the entire CTM yell out their windows when it started to rain.

My district is growing so fast. We are so close too.

Here they are!
Sister Oaks (yes she's related to Elder Oaks, she is also one of the 7 piano majors at BYU or something like that. She plays for devotionals and its the best thing you have ever heard.)
Sister Pope ( from California)
Elder Bingham (Pennsylvania)
Elder Laywer (Virginia)
Elder Degroff (Parowan, Utah)
Elder Cobb (Nampa Idaho)
Elder Saunders (Chicago)
Elder Clark (Texas)
Elder Belnap (Rexburg)

We are all so talented in so many ways. Whether that is musically, physically, personality, or finger tricks. I love them all so much and we work so well together.

We are expecting two new Elders today from the Provo MTC that had to wait for there Visas.

Everything is going great here! Love you all so much.
Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God!
Keep up the good work!!

Elder Hillam

Our district!

My companion, Elder DeGroff and me

The Barbershop

Haircut!

Howdy Folks! (Week 2)

Hello Everyone!

Feijo Legal! (cool beans)

The CTM is awesome like always! It is amazing to hear how much has changed back home in the last two weeks! New ward in the church building, and starting at 11:00am. What!?!!

Struggling for time right now as always!

Last Wednesday we did District Haircuts. My Dad gave me all the equipment for hair cutting. So I cut all of my district's hair in my room. It was a blast! So if you ever need a nice fade or a fresh cut, just come to room 522 and get on the waiting list. I charge a full days worth of credits for the vending machines. Kidding but not kidding!

So here's a little more about the CTM. There are currently about 380 missionaries which is the most they have had at one time for a long time. Everyone's Pday (preparation day) is on Wednesday. Because there are so many missionaries, we are emailing today during our physical activity slot.

There is zero downtime here. I have also gotten really good at expressing myself through body language. It is so fun with all the Brazilians; we learn so much from them! On Pdays we go to the Sao Paulo Temple or to the Campinas Temple. Then we have some "free time" where we can walk around Sao Paulo, buy stuff, etc.

I am the district leader of nine other missionaries. We all get along and love each other so much. Every district has a little classroom where we spend most of our time. Whether we are studying, learning, talking, or even sleeping (jk)-- we do it in our classroom (sala de aula).

I'm learning Portuguese fast!!--Cause that's the only language here. For devotionals, Americans are allowed to use a headset with a translator.

Love you all so much. Sorry, this email is all over the place!

Elder Hillam

First Week in the CTM (Week 1)

Hey Family!!!

Elder Hillam here! Only have 25 minutes of emailing on the weird keyboard so good luck reading this! I'll be emailing next Tuesday.

The CTM (Centro de Treinamento Missionário) is the best place in the world! It currently has a little over 300 missionaries, so it's really fun to see all the people you get to know every day. The food is amazing! Rice and Beans every meal, with another main course too. We eat sooo much. I am learning Portuguese really fast because it's the only way to communicate here!! The Brazilians are way too much fun. We have two Brazilian roommates in my room. They don't speak any English, but we all have so much fun together. We will sometimes spend 20 minutes just trying to get our point across-- or we are singing head shoulders knees and toes and a bunch of random stuff. All the Brazilians also love to sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the shower so that'as really fun too. I love them soo much!! Oh, and you have never seen so many people doing that finger flicking thing; after someone sings for a devotional, everyone does it. I've got it mastered now. Just imagine 300+ people doing that finger snap trick. All the devotionals and everything is in Portuguese so you're really immersed. At the CTM we're also really lucky to be able to go explore Sao Paulo. We can just go outside to buy food, check out the food, clothes, shops etc.

All the Brazilians call missionaries from Utah "A Fábrica" (the factory) because Utah just pumps out Mormons. Hahaha!

Having a family that speaks Portuguese has really given me a head start in learning. I'm getting pretty good at understanding everything.

My companion is Elder Degroff from Southern Utah--He has like 300 cows.

Everybody knows Grandpa Hillam here!! Everybody asks me if I'm related-- Like everyone! The President of the CTM is President Martín Silva; after he called my name for a roll call, he told everybody in the room (about 100 missionaries) how much he loved Grandpa. He said (using a translator) that Harold Hillam saved my life in some aspects. I could see a tear coming out. I hear so many more stories about him here. It's awesome.

Our Branch President is from Portugal and lives in Viseu; his counselor is President Fluckinger who was Madi Hillam`s first mission president (my cousin).

It's non- stop here--from 6:30 am to 10pm. I am also district leader and have to teach the Elders this Sunday in Priesthood meeting. We also teach investigators in Portuguese.

Oh, and there's no WIFI at the CTM and they don't let us send pictures cause there is no bandwidth but I hear there's a place down the street so I can upload pictures there.

Oh sorry if I didn't respond to you today. Just don't have the time!

Ahh man!! There' s so much more I would like to tell you!! About to cut my whole district's hair in a bit. Thanks, Dad for the hair cutting equipment!

Love you all!!


Elder Austin Hillam

 São Paulo

 São Paulo

The Campinas Temple

Elder Hillam has arrived in Brazil! (Week 1)

Elder Hillam here!

I made it safely here with all my luggage! The CTM is awesome. Beautiful courtyards with large trees and plants.

What's more awesome was the plane flight to São Paulo. We all were joking before the flight that we could give out a Book of Mormon to someone on the flight. Well, I sat next to the most classic Brazillian lady! We were friends instantly. She taught me all sorts of phrases and words. We even became such good friends that she wanted me to meet her mother all the way at the front of the plane, so we did. I introduced myself to her mother and told her she was beautiful ;)

So her name is Soriah. Her mother is Catholic and her father is Muslim. She said she never fit in. She says the work of the LDS church is beautiful. She lives in Ohio and has missionaries that pass by her house on bikes. She said she would like to go talk to them when she gets back!!! Let's goooo!!! Anyways overnight using my little Portuguese dictionary I wrote that this book makes me happy, told her thanks so much and that she was beautiful and gave it to her when we landed. She was so thankful to get a Book of Mormon. Said she had goosebumps.

Going through customs she came back asking if I could take a selfie with her. I took a picture with her to which ill send another time.

Awesome experience!! So I won the bet.

Oh, and President and Sister Bassett was on the plane too. He is in the general area presidency. They have dinner with Grandma once a year.

Love you all. Thanks so much for helping get here.

Tchão!

Elder Hillam