7/22-26/09
Hello All! I arrived safely at the MTC, on time, and was the first of my companionship to arrive. I got checked in and taken to my room where I met our roommates Sister Liljenquist & Sister Rhondean. They are going to Indonesia and have been here for 3 weeks which means after my 3 weeks they will still have another 3 weeks to go. I then went to get lunch because I was very hungry; as I didn't have a companion yet I sat by myself but was soon joined by a Sister Horning and her companion Sis. Marble who are heading to Winnipeg, Canada (Editor's note: It turns out this Sister is the niece of a woman in our ward who was Katie's visiting teacher before the mission.) and a Sister Brobst going to Phoenix, AZ who was also brand new and hadn't found her companion yet. Okay, I don't have much time so I'm gonna skimp on the details and just get the highlights. My companions are Sister Rummler from a small town in Wisconsin, also headed to Las Vegas West, and Sis Young from a small town near Bakersfield, she's going to Salt Lake South. Yup, I get to be in a trio! We are in Branch 53, District E; the Elders in our district are Elder Jensen from Baltimore (no he doesn't recall meeting Adam Salt) (Editor's note: Adam is a young man in our ward who just got back from the Baltimore Mission, well, almost a year ago actually.) he's our District Leader and is actually here waiting on a visa for Edinburgh, Scotland; his companion is Elder Perisich from Milwaukee, OR, he's heading to the Salt Lake City South Mission as well; so are Elder Hardy, from "as far south as you can get" in LA, with the accent to match and Elder Lotz (Lō-tz) from Virginia (his accent sometimes sounds lie a cross vetween Old VA family and Australia or New Zealand, it's very interesting to listen to.) Our first couple of days were really busy with group meetings and jumping right into class, but things are starting to settle in now that we have more time to study and actually do all the things we were told to do in all the meetings our first day. Our teachers are Brother Phipps & Brother Vallett. Bro. Phipps is real energetic and high speed while Bro. Vallett is little softer, but they're both pretty powerful & direct. They've also been real great at throwing us right into teaching: as a class, to other classes, and so on.
Well, I started this letter Thurs. night and I've only had snatches of time to work on it; now it's Sunday and some things have changed. The other new district in our branch has three sets of elders and a trio of sisters. From what I've heard, Sis. Young's comp was supposed to be a sister from Canada but I don't know why she didn't make it, the trio in the other district has a sister who's going to Dublin, but is waiting on a visa, so the Branch President (President Bishop - truly) is going to have Sister Sheffield (the visa-waiter) move into our room and be Sis. Young's companion. We're a little sad because after the first couple of days of being overwhelmed and quiet, we've been getting to know each other better and the dynamics are real fun; so we're trying to view it not as losing a Sister, but gaining a Sister. The district from our branch that is leaving tomorrow is going to Tonga (seems to be 2/3 1st generation from Tongan families living in Utah) but our zome leaders, coordinating sister & music director were all in that district - that's pretty much, well, all the missionary level branch leadership, so they had to completely reorganize. Guess who's the new music director? (Editor's note: Katie was the Choir Director in our ward before she left.) If you guessed ME! you can go get a piece of cake from the kitchen (unless you guys already finished it off, then just think warm, happy thoughts.) I think that's most of the overview up to now; I get to email on Thurs. so hopefully you receive this before then. I love you very much and am grateful for all our experiences together. Stay true, stay strong, the Gospel is true - shall we not go on in so great a cause?
Katie
XOXOXO
