I made it! My first week at the MTC

Dear Everyone!

It is so great to finally have the chance to email all of you and let you know what I've been up to! It was so strange the first few nights I was here to not be able to call or write anyone and let them know how I was. Luckily, they have mercy on us the first night and let us right a short letter home. Family, did you get it? Hope so.

Note: Caitlin was the winner for first to write me, followed closely by Mckenzie. Grandma, you got third. But I love all the letters anyway!!! You all are the best.

The first day I was here was great! I was so excited to finally get started after months of anticipating what being here might be like. We had innumerable orientations, introductions to teachers, etc. After our initial orientation with our families, we had "in-processing" (I know... like the military, right?). We had to wait in several lines to get our room keys, companion assignments, missionary handbook, schedule, spanish books, etc. Also part of this was a checkpoint where they check your immunization record, and if you're missing any shots, they poke you right then and there! They were going to give me a flu shot, but luckily I had the excuse of having a little bit of a sore throat and stuffy nose, so I managed to get out of it. After allllllllllll of that waiting in line, I finally got to go to my room and meet my companion. Her name is Camille Blanco, and she is from Maryland, in a city which is a suburb of Washington, D.C.. We're both headed to Houston, Spanish-speaking. It's been great to get to know her and talk about Houston and what we think it might be like. Later that night after dinner, we had the opportunity to go and meet our district, with whom we'd be in class for the rest of the 9 weeks we'll be here. They're all great missionaries... very mature and dedicated to the work. We were a little nervous to be in the minority amongst throngs of 19-year-old young men, but with the district we managed to get into, we should be just fine.

In other news, Hermana Blanco and I recently (as in yesterday) got moved up to the intermediate Spanish class. At first we were excited, but when we found out that we would have to switch districts, branches, bedrooms and everything, we weren't so sure about it. We loved our teachers and all of our district members (4 hermanas and 4 elders total). But yesterday (monday), a brother came and got us (and two other elders who were being moved up). He took us to our new class and we got new schedules, new room keys, new books, and new mailboxes.

Here at the MTC, there is never a shortage of things to do. They have you scheduled back to back. I feel like I'm rushing almost all the time (with the exception of the times that I'm sitting in class, of course), but it feels great to be so deeply involved in such a great cause. We received numerous discourses on using our time wisely, as well as the fact that we are now on the Lord's time, and we need to make sure we use it in His way, and thus Hermana Blanco and I have been very careful to make sure we are as obedient as we can be. Let me tell you... it is glorious to wear something that isn't a skirt! It hasn't been horrible wearing a skirt and nylons everyday, but wearing pants is most definitely more comfortable, and more my style.

I apologize for the choppy-ness of my writing. My clock is running out, so I have to go, but I hope you are all doing very, very well. Please feel free to write and I will do my best to reply.Love,Hermana Austin Hollenbaugh