First Letter!

I don't have too long to write an email today--only thirty minutes computer time, though I have plenty of time to write letters. I'm sorry, these are the only email addresses I can remember off the top of my head. Mom, could you please forward the email on and write me back the other email addresses? Thank you, thank you. And about thirty minutes email time--I think I really prefer letters anyway. I feel like they are more permanent and more thoughtful, especially when I won't have much time to read and respond to emails. And I love the feeling of getting a letter, and I love writing letters. And finally, I don't think I have spell check. Bear with me.

Okay. So many things have happened since last Wednesday, I decided just to focus on a few things that have suprised me since then here at the MTC:

1. There are six to a roomI didn't expect to be so packed in! It works just fine, though--we are all so busy that we are practically never there during the day, and everyone goes to bed and gets up at the same time (though a chorus of alarm clocks always starts around 6:15).

2. I love having a companion. I think I had started to adapt a lone-ranger sort of attidue over the last few years, so having a companion with me all the time was one of the things I was the most apprehensive about. But I love having a companion! Sister Jensen is practically perfect in every way. Being together all the time, I always have someone I can figure out how to get places with (every building at the MTC looks the same, which made it harder), someone to study Korean with (we spend our time walking place to place and at the gym quizzing each other), someone to share her books when I forgot mine, someone to plan with (so much more fits into a day when it's all planned out!), someone to teach with, someone to practice with.

3. Phrases first, words laterKorean is hard--I'm so glad I at least learned the alphabet before I came. I am starting to see patterns, which is helping me alot, but the primary purpose of our language classes is to get us going in the language tasks we will most need. We started with prayer, then learned a simple testimony, and now are working on introductions and "I would like to share a message about ______." (Though in Korean it's "I ______ message about would like to share." I've never learned a language this way. Interesting.

4. How different I feelThis is what I keep thinking about. I feel so different as a missionary. I don't feel discouraged--there is so much that I need to be able to do, but I haven't been overwhelmed like I normally would be by it all. I am more attentive in class and interact more. Also, I am so excited by what I am doing. I love the feeling of being a missionary--I am grateful for it and for how I am learning and growing.