3rd week!

Hello, Family and Friends!

First off, thank you for the letters and emails!  You all are amazing, and I'm sorry if I haven't replied yet.  I promise you I haven't forgotten....I just have no time to be online....haha.

Today is my last P-day at the MTC!  I'm leaving for Japan on Monday!!!  They're flying me to Detroit and then to the Chubu International Airport....which doesn't make any sense to me, since Utah is closer to Japan than Detroit, but whatever....  More time for scripture study and sleep, I suppose.

So, this week, all three of my roommates left for the mission!  Like I said last week, Sister Fahl left for France last Friday, Sister Hales to Houston for a temporary reassignment, and my lovely companion Sister Ng to New York, on Tuesday!

I miss Sister Ng so much, haha.  She was super nice and patient with me, and had such a good sense of humor (:  I'm going to miss her bold testimonies during lessons, too.  Man, I wish I could have taken her to Japan with me :P

My new companion is Sister Wilhelm, who I already knew, because we were in the same Zone (her companions/roommates left before her too).  She is going to Taipei, Taiwan, so, another Chinese speaker for me (:  There are three Japan-bound missionaries in the group that came the week after me, and we have class in the same building, but I don't get to talk to them too often.  The elder is going to Nagoya though!

This week has been pretty much the same as last week.  The same food, same exercise schedule, same classes.  Most of the missionaries in our district left earlier this week, and now there's only 5 of us, so our district is called District 14-x.  "x" for "extended," since we're here a week longer than normal.

Sometimes I kind of wish that I could have come a week later, but I've been learning really important things, especially because the teachers just teach us now, what they think we need. By the way, I'm pretty sure I have the best two teachers at the MTC.  So, I guess if I hadn't come on the 22nd, I never would have met them (:

One highlight of the week was the Tuesday devotional!  Mom and Dad, you will never guess who spoke!

It was Elder Evans!!  He was a mission president in Nagoya, and I'm pretty sure he was the one that has come to Oakton Stake for Stake conference, right?  I really wanted to go talk with him since you had the chance to, but I just couldn't make my companion fight through the crowds of missionaries just to say hi....haha.

The devotional was an answer to many unspoken questions.  Him and his wife talked a lot about their experience in Japan, and I just had the feeling that Nagoya really is the right place for me to go.  Elder Evans also talked a lot about families, which I really appreciated, because I've had some questions lately about the doctrine surrounding families.  That was probably the first time in my life that I've listened to a talk and felt that it really was directed towards me.  It was exactly what I needed/wanted to hear. Tender mercies (:

Also, last week at the temple we decided to do sealings, like President Wheatly recommended.  I really really loved it, and I was completely mesmerized by the mirrors half the time, haha.  I'm going to miss going to the temple!

So, about travel plans....You already have my itinerary, so I assume you know the details of my flights.  I don't have it in front of me, but I think my flight leaves sometime in the 8:00 hour.  I am supposed to leave the MTC at around 5:00, so I'll probably end up calling you sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 (so, 9:00 and 10:00 VA time).  It's hard to say, because I don't know who my companion will be and what they are planning on.  My phone card lets me call for 6 hours, though, so I'll just keep on calling back if something doesn't work.  If there is a certain time that will not work, let me know ASAP!

By the way, I got my medications, but I still haven't received the Yakkan Shomei.  I'll print it off though, and it might come this afternoon or tomorrow.'  Also, I just mailed my sheets and some books home, so if you could stick that will all of my stuff that would be great.

I'm trying to write some letters, but I may not get them sent until after I get to Japan.  We'll see....  In the meantime, could you please thank Sister Quan for her letter?

Well, the next time I email will be from Japan!  Wish me luck!  I still have so much to work on, especially asking meaningful questions and picking up on those subtle hints from the investigators.....  Blah, I''m so bad at this :P

If there is anything urgent I need to know, send me a DearElder!  If not, I'll talk to you on Monday (: