And the fun begins...

Hello

Mom, Dad - - The package arrived and I separated my stuff out and left the box in my classroom. Tay knows where it is and will come get it when he gets a chance. Thank you for the DearElders it really brightens my day when the District Leader calls my name that I have mail. I wass getting a little down after not getting any for a week. Then, they just keep pouring in. Thank you! I sent you a letter yesterday full of pictures. Had to get Hep A shot yesterday. Costed $71. Used Citi. Dad - could you periodically send me my balance just so I can keep track. I'll be getting a card just for the mission funds, but I'd like to know the backup just in case. The package arrived and I separated my stuff out and left the box in my classroom. Tay knows where it is and will come get it when he gets a chance. Thank you for the DearElders it really brightens my day when the District Leader calls my name that I have mail. I wass getting a little down after not getting any for a week. Then, they just keep pouring in. Thank you! I sent you a letter yesterday full of pictures. Had to get Hep A shot yesterday. Costed $71. Used Citi.

I'm not sure which airport I'll be calling from (SLC - GA - Munich) so just keep on your toes.I'm not sure which airport I'll be calling from (SLC - GA - Munich) so just keep on your toes.

Today is my first official P-day and my last. THis morning we went to the temple. It was really a great start to the day. We got three new sisters into the International Branch...and they don't speak much English (and one doesn't speak any at all). They come from Calipasi, Hong Kong, and Mongolia. Since all of the sisters in the branch are going to Temple Square, they now have their own separate training for that this week which means that I"m the only sister left in the classes. Therefore, I am in charge of the new sisters. Our first task was to send them to gym. 5 min later, they show up in my class telling me they don't have gym clothes. So our adventure begins. We have to go visit "Maria" the lady in charge of supplies for all of the international students. They go in and ask for anything they need and it's given to them for free. The problem was, the Mongolian sister spoke no English, and we spoke no Mongolian. PROBLEM!!! Since she's going to be serving in Korean, we tried having one of the Korean stuents speak with her. Turns out she doesn't speak that either. PROBLEM!!! Luckily, my teacher served his mision in Mongolia so the lady looked up his number and I had to call him from her cell phone (because it was a long distance call). He was able to help us communicate to her everything. She hasn't been through the temple either we found out, so we had to call him up again and explain that she should not open her garments yet. Throughout the day, we made a total of 6 trips down to the office as the sisters realized they were missing stuff. There is now a chair in the office that has a sign on it that reads "Sis Lind's chair ONLY". I'm quite proud of that...NOT. Then, I was told that I am the "walking companion" of the sister from HOng Kong. She does speak English. Because it's her first week, she has a completely different schedule than me so I'm only her companion in the cafeteria and in the residence hall. Other than that, she is to be with the other new sisters. Adventure no 2 = I'm in class, my MOngolian teacher is with us, but exchanged with our other teacher so he could go with the Mongolian sister and her companion to get her immunizations. I had to play charades in order to explain what she would have to take from her rtoom to get the shots. Then, my teacher, Bro Kunz, took over and I was escorted back to class. When he had communicated everything to her, he left to come teach while they were getting their shots. Then, we have lunch. I get to the cafeteria after a teaching appointment as a member for the Elders in my class. I sit down with the other new sisters and realize that little Sis Chan is no where to be found. After playing another game of charades, I discover that Sis Chan didn't need to get shots while the others did, and she just wandered off. I go get the Zone Leaders (Elders from my class) and we go on a manhunt for her. Turns out, she had gone and gotten a sack lunch and was sitting on the grass behind our classroom. Panic!!! It happened again later in the day, when she went with the sisters to get more clothes (while I was in the Teaching Center) and they wandered away from her. Now, she jokes that I need to get a leash for her or a GPS locator and stick it to her. I'm getting to love the missionaries in the international branch. The first few days of the switch were EXTREMELY hard. I had even asked if I could be placed back in the 9 week program. But, the other day I was studying Charity and one particular scripture has stuck with me ever since. 1Peter 4:8 "Have charity with you always...for charity shall cover the multitude of [differences]." THAT is now my motto scripture and I've gotten to use it in class when we were each assigned a Christ-like attribuyte to present. Looking forward to the mission field. I have a goal to read the whole BoM in German before I step foot on German soil. I started yesterday - 166 pages everyday. IT WILL BE DONE!!! Considering it's super hard for me to sleep on planes and the fact that I love to read, I'll be able to do a lot of reading then. THere are 10 missionaries traveling with me so no worries of me traveling alone. It's the district that I got really close to when I was still a newbie. I can't wait. News - the sister/my companion who'd been having the serious seizures was sent home yesterday. MId tears, she promised us she'd be back. I truly hope she is.

To the roommates - thank you for your letters. I'm so glad you're all there to tell your horrific and funny moments. It makes my life seem a little boring. NOT!! Ashley - I need your address so I can keep in touch with you.

Hermana Palmer - I don't know HOW you survived being in the same room as those cockroaches. You' would practically set off a nuclear missile if there was a spider in your room.

Hermana Nelson - Got your letter. Thank you!! Hopefully the one I sent to you arrives eventually. I sent it a couple of weeks ago, but you said it takes 20 days for mail. Be expecting it any day.

EmJ - I met a couple of Elders going to your mission yesterday. They just arrived about two weeks ago so they may be here when you arrive..

Gotta go,

Love and prayers

SISTER ANNE MARIE LIND