A Super Excited Birdie!

Hello Family!

This is my last letter I'll be sending you from the MTC! Actually, I might find time next Tues. morning to write, just before I head out. I leave Tues. (10th) morning at 10 AM. We fly out of SLC at 1;30 ish and arrive in Denver at about 3. We fly out of Denver at 5:30 and fly all night to Frankfurt, Germany (woohoo!). We have a lay-over there ALL DAY and don't fly out that night until 11 PM. I wish we could leave the airport to do some sight-seeing, but that's not allowed. But I've never been to Europe before, so that's cool... I guess I'll be there/Asia for the next 15 months though haha... Anyways, we fly straight to Yekat from Frankfurt, and arrive at Yekat at 6:55 AM. Haha, just in time to start a full day of work! Actually, from what I've heard, most of the time you get on a train/bus for about another 8 hours or so if you're in a different area than Yekat. So, that's two red eye flights if you were wondering and two, maybe three full days of travel. I'm super super super excited though to get this thing started. I'd say FINALLY but time really has gone fast, so I don't feel like I've been waiting forever here at the MTC.

I'm going to need to withdraw more cash from my account. Is that ok Dad? I don't even know how much $ I have, if anything. For every pound you have over 105, it's 15 dollars including your carry-ons. The international flights are really picky about weight and bags sizes so I'm doing my best to not have ANY excess weight charges, but everyone is telling us to plan for the worst. Almost every missionary we've talked to said they had to pay some sort of ridiculous fine. I hope I can get my violin through too... From what I've heard, I can call you guys on the phone from the airport. So, I think I'll make a quick call from the Denver airport, so probably around 4 PM on Tues if that's ok. I won't have a lot of time, but maybe just a quick hello. Should I call mom's phone? Let me know. Oh, and if I have things I don't finding room for in my bags, I'll leave them here at the MTC and Meesa can come pick them up after I leave. You're allowed to do that if I just leave them her phone number. It's 635-6727 right? If that's ok. It won't be much and I figured she can take it home at Thanksgiving. Let me know. I don't know my address yet in the field, so I'll let you know when I get there. I'm not sure we have the Pouch service there either : (

Anyways, enough business. I needed to get all of those things off my chest before I could write anything else though.Sounds like the funeral was really touching. I thought of their family alot all week. They are just so loved. Really, the news about Aunt Cathy really motivated me to share the Gospel with other people. It's real, ya know? We really will live together forever and we can know that through Jesus Christ. So sad not everyone knows that. It made everything I teach a little more personal, and it made me thankful for everything a little more. Dad, wow you're in the St. Pres.! Super cool. I know everyone back home really looks up to you and Mom in Las Cruces, thanks for all you do. I'm so sad you're not my Bishop anymore though... I know the Singles Ward is REALLY going to miss you.

I feel super ready to go! We had a really good Fast and Testimony mtg on sunfay with our Branch, and it's so coll to be a missionary. Haha I know I sound really dorky, but it's true. Such an amazing opportunity. Don't worry about me, Russia ain't no big deal! Haha... gott run. Will try and write some hand-written letters today still. Love you all tons and enjoy the Holiday season for me while I'm gone! All the kids look super cute in their halloween costumes!

Birdie