The 'Cousins' reunited at the MTC for a short moment, one headed to Brazil and the other North Carolina.

Week 5..... Well it's been 5 weeks in the MTC. It's been crazy, we are all learning so much. This week we got some new B's or elders, they seem pretty cool. They are all super athletic, so it makes gym time so much better. This week we had the chocolate milk challenge. It is... whoever drinks the most glasses of chocolate milk without puking. I put down 6 large classes... (keep in mind 7 glasses is like half a gallon) and we have like 25 min to do this, so I drank 6.... and wow I was in so much pain. I couldn't move for the next hour with the fear of throwing up. My companion he drank 8.... and was doing good, but then like 10 min later he ran to the bathroom.... and well let's just say all of it came right back out. So the record stands at 6.... it was nasty, I almost died. ..... then the next big news is I got my assignment, I will be going to Atlanta GA. If you think about it, it is not that bad....... but when I get there I hop on a plane and I am going to Sao Paulo Brazil...... I got my visa and will be leaving March 03 and will be heading to Brazil....... oh my goodness I am soooo pumped. I got my visa just in time. I have 9 days left here, and then I am gone. Gone for two years, and I am soooooo pumped... It is super scary though, because I don't know any Portuguese.. well I know a little but right when I get there I will be teaching,.,.,,, and well it's sooo crazy. Anyways that is my amazing news this week. Hey so your cousin Julie Mckay sent food and stuff, and it was really nice, tell her thank you because it didn't come with her address. It is crazy, I love it here and I am going to miss so many people. I already have learned so much and now I am really going to be a missionary!!!!!!! Hopefully I will grow 4 inches, any ways love you guys Elder Homer "Represent Him Well"

VISA'S APPROVED

Hey mom, this is my soccer look

This is the tallest guy I have met here, he is 6'9.5. He is sooo tall. I drew this picture with the help of a friend.

NEW HAIRCUT

week 4 (Happy Valentines Day) I will start at the beginning of the week. On Sunday we only had 7 people in are ward, and 5 of them came from my district, so that was fun. In church the bishop will just call two people to come to the stand and give talks, so we always have to be ready!! So far I haven't had to give one. The Portuguese has been very slow, I feel like I am understanding less, oh well some day I will get it. This week had been dull, we just spend 12 hours every day in a class learning.... and the days keep getting longer. So for my visa, word got out that the church has a ton of visa and are holding them until the end of the 6 weeks. I don't know yet about mine. Hopefully it will come soon so keep me in your prayers. The worst day this week would be when we had 5:45 service...... wow that was soooo early, like uggg. I was so tired that whole day. Our zone did get 8 new missionary's which was very nice, and then Friday we had are no English day, where we don't speak any English.... it's really hard, but we manage. The spiritual part of this week was when one of the elders was feeling very sick, we gave him a blessing... and right after he was fine, no sickness, no headache, nothing... it was a miracle and proof that this is real. That is crazy to hear about Landan, I will look out for him. It is crazy that you guys have gotten so much snow, all it does out here is rain..... like every day. I am doing good, the Portuguese is coming very slow, oh well and tell me if you got any of my letters!!! love you guys and can't wait to hear more!!!!

Week 3 This week stared out really long. We had to learn so much and memorize so much....... I was getting a little frustrated because it was coming slow. Later I got a major headache and I was dying. So my zone leader gave me this chill pill, to relax me... and it was good at first, it got me to go to bed super fast... but then when I woke up...... wow I was dying, the world was spinning I couldn't walk straight hahah. Lets just say I will never be taken a chill pill from another elder again hahah. We had a devotional on Sunday and the speaker got up and was like, so tonight is the Super Bowl... and I was like what! time has all ready moved that fast. I am so out of the world. I know of nothing that's going, with sports or news or any thing, I guess that's a good thing. Later that Sunday we saw the Joseph Smith video in Portuguese and well, I didn't understand to much, but it was really cool. So this week our district is trying to get closer so we wear the same color ties together. Mondays- red Tuesdays Blue- ect. But one day we decided to go short ties..... they were so funny, and as we were walking around many people started to do them, then later that night there was an announcement thats said we were not allowed to do that any more...... hahah they might put it in the white handbook now. we started a trend!! So every day at gym, I will work out then run then play some volleyball...... oh my am I getting good again. I keep hitting it harder and harder, so much fun. Our teacher this week says that all the people down there are ready to hear the Gospel and all we are doing is showing them the light. So Friday we had are first English fast. It is were we don't speak English at all that day and only Portuguese and well lets just say i didn't speak much haha. So this Friday we had TRC which is when members from Utah that want to hear a message come and we try to help them with there problems. So our fist guy, was like 28 and he spoke very fast in Portuguese, and well he told a story about his wife that he love so dearly and what my companions got out of it that she died last year and he was hurting a lot. so Elder Peterson shared with him Ether 12:27, then he asked how do you feel. he looked at us with tears in his eyes... and he paused. at that time i felt the spirit so strongly... the warmth and love.... I have never felt that in a long time, but right there not really knowing what he said I felt the spirit speak the truth to me!!! that was a night to remember, but then it got even better. We had a lesson from brother Pinho and he started by asking "what has god done for me" He then played "If you could Hie to Kolob" and we wrote all that we are blessed to have... wow did this open my eyes I took so much for granted. HE then said to close your eyes and ponder about what he's given us.... HE played "Real Image of Christ- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", I felt the Lords love. I sat there feeling the warmth's the joy the happiness the peace from the Lord. I had the Holy Ghost with me. That experience I can never deny because the spirit was so strong in the room, I cried. He then let us leave the room to go say a prayer of thanks. We all bore our testimony's and then wrote down all that we felt... and wow I have never felt the spirit that strong before. I know this is true and I know this is where I am supposed to be!! Mom dad and famliy I love you all so much, I miss you, but I know that the lord is blessing you more then we know because I am out here.

Family, I love you guys all, and it's so good to hear you. I will do my best to answer all your questions with the little time I have. Mother, I did get the usb thing, so I will send you guys photos all the time. Where do I start, well I am tired 24 7 like I want to sleep where ever I am. But I keeping pushing myself to learn more. This week we also had to give service, at 6 am and let me tell me, it's no fun, like it's killing me that I am so tired. But life here has been amazing, it's funny so one of the elders in my district gets letters every day from his mom off dear elder, and they are so funny, and then other elder gets packages all the time. also ways full of treats, so we all dig in. But surprising I am now getting in shape, we work out every day and the food here is amazing, my six pack is all ready coming back in. Though, I guess that is not why I am here haha. We play volleyball, basketball, and hit the weight room every day, even though we only have an hour we get a lot done. We are in class for 10 hours in the day, different teachers are coming in all the time, and they are trying to teach us... but wow is this hard. I am getting a little frustrated, but I guess that it is my fault. It's amazing how much I have already learned. I just need to relax and keep moving on. We now have two investigators we are teaching.... one of them doesn't believe in god.... and well that makes it hard. haha Also being District President, I have so much paper work to fill out. It feels like another calling, but I just keep moving on. BIG NEWS, so I checked the status of my visa and it said that it is ready for pick up. They said it should be here in a week or so, so I am very excited and it gives me hope that I will make it to Brazil. I can't believe it's only been a week, it feels like it's been a month. Time here is all a blur, haha So mother-, can you maybe send me a sweatshirt, or something. I love you so much, Duncan- remember to work hard and to choose the right. I know trying to learn a new language is like impossible, but keep up the good work. Also be careful about the girls, they can be fun but try to save your money, and keep working hard in basketball I want you to be starting soon. Dawson- so keep up the good work. I want to hear the great news when you win all your track meets. oh and the chocolate milk is amazing..... like god like, I have like three glasses for every meal haha. Declan- so i haven't got your letter yet..... sorry hopefully it will come soon. and it sounds like your having an amazing time, your teacher for pe is right, you are becoming a very good volleyball player, just keep working on it, I want to hear that you made the team next year. That's cool that mom took you to the play, thank her a lot, and some of the food here is better than moms..... but not all of it. like I told Dawson the chocolate milk is amazing...... god like. I don't think I could get enough. Dad- yeah that's what I thought, but I was told, that they knew a head of time and they felt like I didn't need a companion so maybe it was meant to be that way., and thanks for everything, the work here is far harder then I thought it was going to be. But I am doing it slowly, trying to learn Portuguese has been the hardest thing for me. I will keep up the good work, and I will make sure to learn all that I can, I know that I have already learned more about the gospel then I have learned in my years at home. so many great teachers. oh and for who every asked how many apostles have come.... a lot we have devotionals twice a week, plus the ones on Sunday, and the story's they share are unreal. I love it here but at the same time, I want to just sleep. But I really am enjoying myself.

Dalton was the second one to arrive at the MTC, this is the MTC Mission President meeting him.

A trip to the Provo, Utah Temple, nice that it is right across the street from the MTC

Jan 25, 2014 Hey mother, so my P-day(Preparation Day)is Saturdays at the MTC. Wow let me tell you I am having so much fun. I have some amazing roommates and love my district. So my companion never showed up, so I am what they call a solo elder. Which means that I just jump around from different groups and kind of do what I want. It is really nice but at the same time I wish I had a buddy to be with. Guess I should be thankful that I am still called "single" haha. Learning Portuguese has been the hardest thing I have done..... like wow am I bad, it's only slowly coming to me. We have all ready had to teach a lesson to an investigator in Portuguese.... that want well OK I guess haha. We have another one later tonight so maybe I will be able to do a better job. My class is so much fun, we all joke around and learn a ton. My day is soooooo busy I can barely keep up with it. We have to get up at 6:30, and then we have classes until 9:30 and lights out at 10:15.... wow what a full day. Also the food here is amazing. I believe that I am gaining some weigh... oops oh well, I will burn it off when I get to the field. So they said that my chance to get my visa here is very slim, and that I will be sent somewhere first, so pray for my visa.... oh and please pray so that I may learn Portuguese faster... or that I will remember what I have learned. So yesterday I was made District President. which just means that I have a ton more work to do. Guess it's a blessing. I have already received packages from family and letters from friends... wow they are fast. and I will email photos for the next time.... I keep forgetting to bring my camera to the lab, but that's fine, I will get them to you next time. well it seems that the boys are having an amazing time, make sure you tell them to write letters and send emails... just use Dear elder.... because I have more time to write, and not much time to email. I love you guys so much and I have many more stories to tell Love you Elder Homer

Jan 21, 2014 4:30 AM was the start of Dalton's two year adventure. You know it is going to be a hard goodbye when on the way to the airport Dalton plays the EFY(especially for youth) version of "We'll Bring the World His Truth", and mom is already crying. How do you describe saying goodbye for two years, you can't, you just take extra long hugs, and remember that now he is in the Lord's hands and service. As I said goodbye, I just remind myself what an amazing experience this is for him and it makes it okay.

Jan 20th found the Homer household very busy, trying to make memories to keep for the next 2 years, Here are a few reminders of that day. What do you do for fun when it is negative outside.....bowling of course!!!!

Dalton was set apart through a priesthood blessing Monday evening as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by President John Gulisane.

The last thing we had to do was pack. How do you fit two years of your life into 2 suitcases, not sure how but we made it.