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