Hey mom!

Are you keeping up on the blog I started for you? Let me know if you have any questions about how it works or if you forgot the username and password.

A whole week has gone by.  It's weird.  It doesn't necessarily feel like I just got here, but I do feel like I've finally gotten the jist of things.  I never thought I'd get used to going to bed at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30, but I think I finally am.  We eat dinner at 4:30.  It didn't sound so crazy when I realized I was eating breakfast at 7 and lunch at 11:30.  I'm not even hungry when I go to bed. Our schedule is pretty tight.  After we leave for breakfast, we don't get back until 9:30, and then we only have an hour to wind down, take a shower, brush and floss, write in our journals if we want, and get into bed.  Our classes are in 3 hour blocks, and sometimes we have them twice a day.  We spend a lot of time practicing teaching people, which I love.  Our teachers act as a "progressing investigator" and we teach them multiple lessons across the span of a few days.  I realize it's not exactly what it will be like in the field, but it helps us get used to the idea of sitting down with people to chat, and they do a really good job of staying in character.  Other than that, we study a lot out of the scriptures and eat a lot and only get 50 minutes in the gym every day, so I do a lot of exercises by myself right after I wake up and right before I go to bed.

Ok so I have some big news! I went in to get my travel itinerary, and they told me that my visa wasn't going to come in before I left the MTC, so they're just going to reassign me to an area in the U.S. until it comes in.  I'll be here for a whole transfer, which is 6 weeks long.  Which also means that I'll be able to write more letters by hand and you won't have to worry so much about me being attacked by a machete-wielding rebel silverback gorilla!  I'll let you know as soon as I find out where I'm                      so I have some big news! I went in to get my travel itinerary, and they told me that my visa wasn't  going to come in before I left the MTC, so they're just going to reassign me to an area in the U.S. until it comes in.  I'll be here for a whole transfer, which is 6 weeks long.  Which also means that I'll be able to write more letters by hand and you won't have to worry so much about me being attacked by a machete-wielding rebel silverback gorilla!  I'll let you know as soon as I find out where I'm going, but they said they won't have it till next Thursday, so when I write you again I will have just found out.  I admit, I was disappointed at first, but my companion (Elder Sato) has helped me realize how much of a blessing it will be to stay for a little longer in the U.S.  Plus, when I went to the temple today I was praying about it and I felt really good.

I've met some really cool missionaries here, like I said from all over the world.  Did I tell you about the French people I met? We see each other every now and then, and it's always awesome speaking with them.  A new girl came into our zone, and she's from Paris, so we get to talk a lot more because we also have gym at the same time.  Which reminds me, I ran a 6:38 mile after not having timed   myself for probably the last 3 years.  I was pleasantly surprised, but I'll be working on getting better.   It was right after lunch, so I had a splitting side ache after like 4 laps (10 laps for a mile).  Anyway. I'm eating a lot, but not too much.  I would have sent some pictures but I forgot to bring my camera to the laundry room, where we have a couple computers to write while laundry's going.

I gotta run, but I'm super excited to see the gym get constructed! PLEASE attach some pictures next time, I need to be connected to the outside world, especially the Garland world! Wish dad a happy belated birthday for me, I can't believe I missed it. Hope he's doing well in Vegas.  It would probably take a day or two for the package to get here, but in light of my newest assignment I may need some stuff, like my scarves and whatnot...I'll let you 

I've met some really cool missionaries here, like I said from all over the world.  Did I tell you about the French people I met? We see each other every now and then, and it's always awesome speaking with them.  A new girl came into our zone, and she's from Paris, so we get to talk a lot more because we also have gym at the same time.  Which reminds me, I ran a 6:38 mile after not having timed myself for probably the last 3 yearsIt was right after lunch, so I had a splitting side ache after like 4 laps (10 laps for a mile).  Anyway. I'm eating a lot, but not too much.  I would have sent some pictures but I forgot to bring my camera to the laundry room, where we have a couple computers to write while laundry's going.

I gotta run, but I'm super excited to see the gym get constructed! PLEASE attach some pictures next time, I need to be connected to the outside world, especially the Garland world! Wish dad a happy belated birthday for me, I can't believe I missed it. Hope he's doing well in Vegas.  It would probably take a day or two for the package to get here, but in light of my newest assignment I may need some stuff, like my scarves and whatnot...I'll let you know!

How's the rest of the family?

Love and miss you all so much, and I think about you every day (I keep that token in my pocket!).

Elder Garland