Elder Kasey Lightheart

Merry Late Christmas everyone!!  This week was most certainly a standout, largely because we got to celebrate Christmas here at the MTC as missionaries, but for other reasons as well.  From the sharing of Christmas treats to beautiful choir singing, and from watching my favorite Christmas movie of all time to saying goodbye to one of our own loving missionaries from our Branch, this week was most certainly jam packed.   This week started with our P-day on Monday, and was followed by Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Basically, the first 3 days of this week were just days off.  We still had class Monday night, and had another TRC (Teaching Resource Center) appointment, where we taught an actual Brazilian couple from Sâo Paulo, who recommended that we try the pizza in the city.  The lesson went great, and although it was near impossible to understand the husband due to his super speed speaking, I was able to understand the majority of what his wife was saying.  At the end of the lesso

This week was seriously sick! Literally. But even though I caught a cold this week, I have to say, it was probably my favorite week yet.  For one, I've grown so much closer to my district, District 23-A. To give you a run-down, my district consists of 8 elders including myself, and 1 solo sister missionary. My companion Elder Ruis is honestly one of the best matches for me. He can be pretty sophisticated, and he is super smart considering he tutored Calculus and Physics in high school to many many students. He also, however, has a very goofy side, and says some of the most random things ever; you have no idea. He is from Southern California, and claims to know all the trends and memes of our generation, and is constantly singing a different rock, rap,or even Taylor Swift song while walking from place to place. He has a strong testimony of this gospel, and is just the most wonderful companion. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes we can get defensive or cranky, and since we

These are photos of all the elders in my zone that we took on Sunday! This week has been so slow, and yet so fast at the same time.  Funny how that works.  The days here are just going by faster and faster each day as I get used to the schedule of things. Although, that's not to say that things aren't still changing and ramping up.  The first 2 weeks here we taught an "interested person" about the gospel in English, but tomorrow we are teaching a lesson to 2 members of the church in Portuguese, so wish my companion and I luck! Seriously though, it is incredible how quickly I am learning the language here.  Sometimes I still feel inadequate when comparing myself to others and how much of the language they know, but when I take on an outside perspective, I realize just how amazing it is how far I have come.   On Tuesday December 10th we had a huge special devotional in which President Dallen H. Oaks and M. Russel Ballard attended, and spoke. (Fo

This is a picture of my companion, Elder Ruis, and me, after attending the temple today! Hello everyone! So as you may or may not have heard, I am off serving the lord for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 2 years in São Paulo, Brazil. Currently however I am training at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah for about 6 weeks while my Visa is finalized.  So far it has been both an absolute blast, and also one of the hardest things I've ever done. Arriving at the Provo MTC Wednesday afternoon, December 4th, I was quickly introduced to the campus, and then immediately thrown into class after class of Portuguese study, and gospel study, as well as welcoming devotionals, workshops, and lessons.  The first day, even though I arrived at around 1:00 PM lasted so very long, and even once we retired to our bedrooms, my mind was so occupied with racing thoughts, that it took me forever to fall asleep. Nonetheless, this week has been amazing!! My compani