Very Excited with a Hint of Terrified

Well, here we go! I report to the MTC in...10 days! I just have to get together a few last minute things, and then I'm off. I'm getting more and more excited and trying to keep the apprehension to a minimum.

Since I already speak German, I called the MTC to check in and see if I could get placed in an accelerated class. I spoke to the person who evaluates German speakers and got put in the advanced class! If all goes well and my visa comes through, I will only be in the MTC for three weeks, and then I'll be off to Germany.

I've been thinking about all the things I'm looking forward to when I get back in German speaking realms and here are just a few of them--

• chocolate, chocolate, chocolate (Ritter Sport of course, none of this Milka nonsense)
• Happy Hippos
• buying a Dirndl
• the yogurt. Oh my goodness the yogurt is good. I don't know what it is, but after having German yogurt, American yogurt tastes like cardboard.
• drugstores where the clerks are actually helpful
• old town squares and cobblestones and church bells
• Spaetzle
• German people and Austrian people and Swiss people

As time winds down before my mission, I am becoming more and more aware of all the people I have in my life that have done so much to help me get to this point. Thank you so much for all your love and support! I would love to get lots of mail on my mission and promise to try and write everyone who sends me a letter back. If you would like to get e-mail updates when letters and photos and things are posted to this blog, there's a little gadget on the sidebar where you can follow by e-mail.

p.s. Next Sunday (the 15th) Michael and I will be speaking in church at 3, and then there will be a little farewell party with cookies at 6. I would love to see anyone who is in the area!