Eleven More Days

Buenas Tardes Familia!

 

How are you?! I'm really great. Laundry is done, preparation day was great. We went to the temple, it's a beautiful snow free day in Provo Utah. Eleven more days. It's not real. ELEVEN MORE DAYS at the MTC. In America! ahhh. So me, Elder Bray, and Hermana Davenport all leave on the 23rd and we get our travel plans 10 days before we leave aka tomorrow! Hermana Cavazos left us yesterday, she got her visa. It was a sad goodbye, we had at least 5 "last photos"... aye so sad. Hermana Franc leaves on monday. She'll be in Tampa Florida! whoop, whoop. and so the goodbyes begin. Elder Draper and I stayed up super late last night talking. Well, I have a whole new image of him now. So much more respect. He's a whole different person to me now. Weird right? There was so much about his life he didn't share because he didn't think people needed to know. We're on that level - and I feel so ungrateful for all the blessings I've been given. I feel like I've just taken for granted having a strong family. Siblings who love me, and parents who have testimonies of the gospel and love each other and want the best for their family. I'm grateful family. What did I do to deserve you guys? to deserve the blessings of the gospel? Thank you. Thank you for my childhood and for your love. Thank you for the safety and security you've given me. Elder Draper's had a tough life. But he's here. he made it on his mission. and that's what I told him. He can be that person he was never given the chance to learn from. I love you family, so so much. This gospel is true.

Yesterday I got to host the new missionaries aka I've been here forEVER and I know the campus like the back of my hand. Basically you just open the doors of the incoming missionaries, take their luggage, stand their awkwardly as their family crys because they're leaving their son slash daughter for two years and this is their final moment that they've been dreading, and then take the overwhelmed missionary to their room and to get all their stuff. Seriously, I wanted to tear up and cry with some of these families - SO SAD! I helped one elder going to South Carolina, one sister going to San Diego and one elder going to South Korea! Elder Peterson. he'll have to be here for 12 weeks. I told him it flies by and he'll love it. Can you imagine being here for 12 weeks...and having to learn Korean. Yikes. Spanish is one thing but an asian language would be so hard. i can't even imagine. I got your kayak photos. Loved the "water princess" glad that wasn't one of my sisters...hahahaha. you guys are pros now. Yeah!

I love my Toms! Thank you! I've gotten so many compliments.

There's this one district in our zone who we like to joke around with and pretend we're better at volleyball and basketball than them [we're not, we're awful] --- anyway remember how we had these too small desks and then when a an older district left they gave us their huge magical desks? [if you don't --- that happened about 4 weeks ago] anyway we have 7 people in my district, except when hermana Cavazos was here I gave her my desk and I used a little one. Anyway, since hermana Franc leaves on monday I think [as a district] we should surprise our rival [but really our friend] district with the beautiful desks, because they're the only ones in our building. But my district is all upset because they want keep them until the very last moment and then give them away. If we gave them away on sunday night, we'd have to use the little desks for a whole week before we go. I'm right, right? where's your charity?

Also, I got to the fourth square again in gym - I know I'm proud too. It's becoming a routine thing for me in gym.

This week Elder Russell M. Nelson of the quorum of the twelve apostles came to speak to us--- again! how cool, he came at Thanksgiving time to speak to us. But he mostly talked to the training mission presidents and senior missionaries. Which -- cool story --- There is a Chile MTC but only Chileans or local Southern Americans go there, but yesterday - we had a lesson with the president and his wife of the Chilean MTC! aaaand funny story leading up to that. We had to look like really cleaned up and sharp, but they didn't tell us this until like two days before so I didn't have time to schedule a haircut----so I was panicked! what would you do! anyway, after hosting and before class - Elder Draper, me and Elder Bray when back to our residence and Elder Draper cut my hair. Then I tried to make it better and I gave myself a bowl cut! AHHH. Oh my gosh, I wanted to cry. I was so embarrassed. You're not allowed to cut your own hair at the MTC - idk why that's a rule. but it is. Just here at the MTC? hair cuts are free. Anyway, I've been walking around with a hideous bowl cut for the past 24 hours and I'm dying.....

OK, kidding. Somehow Elder Draper was able to fix my hair. he's so impressed with his work. he'll come over and do a 360 look at me and nod his head. hahaha. It looks good.

 

I love you family. Eleven days?! Chile. Goodbye America. I love the mission. Amo el CCM pero estoy listo para salir.

 

P.S.

I am SOOO happy Chesney is doing well. I love that girl. Whenever I feel myself getting even a little bit sad - I think of her and when I'll come home and how happy she'll be.