Oh hi...no bid deal, this is just my last real p-day in the MTC, ah what?
My brain is struggling to process that a week from now I'll be in Italy. Let us focus on the present though...
To begin, I'm sending home my box of mail today. On top of the sweater I'm sending is also a letter for Ms. Margaret and the 4th years from girl's camp that I tried to send her December 14th and I got back yesterday, not sure what went wrong there. And under the envelope is, for your viewing pleasure, a cliche' picture of me and the map pointing to Italy, and then a not so cliche' pic of me and some other Sorelle and the map. I also ordered a CD today of all my pics thus far that I will send you right before I leave. Let me know when you get them and make sure the pics really are there, and then I'll delete them off my camera and make room for Ye Olde Italia.
Craziest news of the week was the shock I revieced in the cafeteria on Sunday during lunch. I was just minding my own business navigating over to the soup through herds of people with scary looking roast beef when I see none other than my friend Tom Bell. To help jog your memory Mom, he's the one Carol Ann and I were always teaching how to cook. He's now is 27 and graduated the summer before me. He told me he had been approved to serve another mission and I said non ci credo, and he was like for reals. I guess the story is, in summary, he came home a year early when he was 20 from his mission in Vegas because of health problems that he needed surgery for. At the time he felt like he should just recover and move on to school and whatever was next in his life. But now after graduating and working for a bit and thinking about grad school he really felt like he should finish his mission. He talked to his bishop in Seattle and no one really knew if he'd be able to. Then two Fridays ago he gets a call and the ask him to come to the MTC the next Wednesday and he's now here getting ready to serve in San Diego for a year. I seriously felt like I was living in a dream when I saw him and he told me this story. Our Sunday temple walks were at the same time so we had a nice little chat, but it was still so surreal. Don't worry Carol Ann, I'm sending you our awkward missionary pic soon. It's really great how much a part of our lives the Lord can be when we let Him, He's not going to let us royally screw up if we're trying to do the right things.
Mom, you wanted some more details about Tuesday. I land in Chicago at 12:09 and I don't take off for Frankfurt until 3:50. So when in that first chunk should I call who where? I wrote this in a snail mail letter you may have already. I think I can buy a calling card in the book store here to use at a pay phone. Is that enough info for you to write back with when I should call and stuff? Also. I've been told that if I get real mail that arrives here after I've left they'll probs forward it on to my mission home, but dear elders just get thrown away, so at the latest, I wouldn't send any dear elders after Sunday, maybe even earlier. It's a convenient system, just not very well organized and they come late a lot. But anything sent on the weekend I should get Monday before I leave.
In the TRC this monday Sorella Bunker and I taught two cousins form Messina who were delightful. They are married and live here now but it was so great to talk to real italians AND understand them when they talked! They were so happy and enthused that I just couldn't wait to be in Italy and just get going. I know it's going to be a bit of a slap in the face to transition into the field vs. MTC mentality and be surrounded my real Italians speaking so fast and having to take to strangers (gross) but I know that it'll be okay. I've been called to do this. God doesn't give us anything we can't handle, and the harder the struggle the more we usually learn if we don't resist. Our devotional last night was really good for departing missionaries. It talked a lot about how sorrow is not the same as discouragment, the importance of happiness and joy in your work and to just LOVE people. Talking with our Sicily ladies just reminded me how lucky I am to go to such a loving and living culture.
I think I'm going to cut it short so I can send E-Dude a birthday note. Much love to everyone, as always. Thanks for the thoughts, prayers and notes. Be good.
Sorella Bush
- Non ci credo - I don't believe it.
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