First Letter from Missionary Training Center - 10/4/2006

Hello Family (dated 10/4/06; received 10/10/06)

I made it! I didn’t slip out the “Families” exit and run for the Provo hills.

Apparently I’m not going to Mongolia as a “welfare” missionary—just as a regular, non-proselyting one. My companion, Sister Balli, entered the MTC a week earlier to receive welfare training and will be starting language training with me this week.

Sister Balli is from Littleton, Colorado, but she doesn’t know Esther (different high school or something). Anyway, she just graduated from Weber State [Ogden, Utah] with a degree in elementary education. She has a brother on a mission in San Diego who has been out about the same as Brad [Cheryl’s brother is in San Jose, CA], so that’s cool.

I didn’t have a companion for the first half of the day because Sister Balli already went through orientation last week. I had to unpack all by myself, and it was kind of unnerving to start my mission without a companion. I was really relieved to meet up with her at dinner. We sat next to two French sisters who are on their way to Greece. Every Wednesday they have BYU Creamery ice cream in the cafeteria, and we all had a heaping bowl with hot fudge, caramel, marshmallow sauce and nuts.

I ran into Elder Harris Clarke [from Cheryl’s home ward in Bethesda, MD going to the Italy, Milan Mission], and he was super excited and smiley. He said he’d been having a great time and was really excited for me to be here.

To whom it may concern: I have also seen Sister Betty/Dantelle Despain and Sister Emily Vauterlaus [sp?], who I didn’t even know was serving a mission.

I’m really happy to be here, and I’m excited to start classes. I love you all. The church is true.

Love, СИСТЭР Johnson