1st week is amazing!!

Well, this week has been amazing.  I'm really busy, like really really busy.  I haven't even had time to think about home let alone miss anybody.  
Lindsay, Lauren your letters were a pleasant surprise when I opened my bag but I couldn't even find the time to read them until yesterday, but they were really fun.  I barely even have time to write in my journal or at least it doesn't seem like it because I have so much to say.  I sort of expected the MTC to be just hours of scripture study everyday, but it's not.  You have to really schedule and make the time to get personal study and journal writing in every day.
We have sooooo much Portuguese study pretty much all day everyday and

yet it still doesn't seem like enough.  Our third day in we had to teach our first lesson to an "investigator" (who turns out to be your teacher) but anyways our lesson had to be in Portuguese, on our 3rd day!!  So Elder Belcher and I probably spent a good hour and a half preparing a lesson and translating it into Portuguese.  We had our organized notes all ready when the time came.  So we walk up to the classroom, knock on the door, introduce ourselves, sit down, and we get about 2 lines into our lesson when Brother Anderson, our investigator, smiling, reaches over and shuts our books.... we were so scared and after a few broken phrases I bore a very short testimony and Elder Belcher remembered how to pray in Portuguese and we left.  That was terrifying and yet it's surprising how much you can say when you are put on the spot.  Our other teacher, Brother Read, came into class the first day speaking full on Portuguese which caught us by surprise.  It really makes you listen to what they are saying.  It's amazing how much we are all able to say after just a week of practice.  
My companion, Elder Belcher, is such a cool guy.  He is truly a peacemaker, never wanting anyone to have a hard time, always  ready to build them up.  
Overall the MTC has been a blast, gym time is especially fun.  My companion loves to lift weights which will be good for me, but most days I go play volleyball which is really fun.
My district is so much fun.  Elder Leonardo is one of the funniest guys I have ever met.  Besides him there is Elder Murdock, Elder Bishop, Elder Wilmeth, Ellsworth, Young, Bingham, Sister Nutt, Siter Calevosso, Sister Whitfield, and Sister Freshour.  There are six guys in our room which can be a little cramped but it's lots of fun.

General Conference this last weekend was amazing!!  I hope you all listened to it.  This was probably the first time I actually listened intently to what was being said while taking notes and I got so much out of it.  
After learning so much stuff about everyone in  my district, I realize now that my life has been really really easy and I'm not really sure why.  I've never lost a family member, I've never had a family member go inactive, or had to deal with my parents divorce, and my siblings never introduced me to drugs.  Hearing all of these hard stories from people and after hearing the stories in conference I realize that I've had very few trials in my life and I feel so blessed.  I love you all so much.  I can't even believe how many blessings I have.  It's hard to even fathom.  I don't know how or why but for some reason I got sent to the best family that has ever existed and I'm so lucky.
Here in the MTC I feel the spirit every day and I only feel excitement for the weeks to come.  Thanks for being so awesome, I love you all so much,
Elder Hyer

Here are the answers to some of your questions:

Q.  How many in your room/district are going to the same mission/or Brazil?
A.  We are all going to Brazil, half of us to Brasília, half to Curitiba.  Elder Bingham is going to Teresina, and sister Nutt is going to Belém.
Q.  How is the food?
A.  Decent, not as good as home.  Some days it's actually pretty good other days not so much.
Q.  What day is P-day/computer time?
A.  Tuesday is P-day, I'll probably get on the computer anytime from 9-11.
Q.  Will you be able to go to the temple?
A.  Yes, every P-day.
Q.  Do you have a better idea whether your visa will come through or not?
A.  Ha ha, nope.  Everyone in my district is waiting on their visas, for that matter everyone from our zone is.  I can pretty much say for certain that I'll get reassigned at least for a little while.