Last week in America!

Dearest Family,
This is officially the last email you will receive from me in the
United States can you believe that!?
Time has literally flown by. Although it seems like years ago when I
think of what I did before the mission!

This week we've received our travel plans. We all just freaked out. We
never thought this day would come and yet here it is!
Contrary to popular belief (aka-my last email or so) We are now
leaving Monday August 20th. It was a bit of a shock. But I'm kind of
glad. Cause then only half of us would be left at the MTC and that
would be depressing. But yeah expect a phone call around 7:30 ish am.
Sorry Mom. I know it's super early but I literally have no time
inbetween layovers. Unless you want a super expensive call from
Moscow. We leave SLC at like 8:45 and fly straight to NYC-JFK and have
a 45 min layover and catch a flight straight to Moscow. Then we spend
the day in Moscow filling out lots of fun paperwork and then head out
to Novosibirsk. I sent a hand written letter with the flight numbers
and details just in case there's some airplane crash and you all are
crying because you have no idea whether or not it was me. haha. Just
in case!

Today we spent the day packing. Found out that the Delta flights from
SLC to NY and NY to Moscow are fine for weight restrictions but Moscow
to Novosibirsk is different. Only 44 lbs per bag and a 22lb carryon
and personal bag. I have like 20 lbs in books so yeah gotta find a
place for that. Be expecting a little package from me of stuff that
couldn't fit or I didn't need anymore. I'm sure you'll enjoy it alot.
haha.

This week nothing super exciting has happened except for the fact that
ETHAN IS HERE! I'm sure he told you some stuff in his email (speaking
of which will you forward his to me? and forward mine to him?) Or I
guess if you just give me his address I can send it to him. Last
wednesday I finished my email and told Sister Biggs. Ok. We gotta
hurry I think we might have missed him already. And literally right as
we walked out of the building he was walking down the path towards me.
It was like a scene in a movie.You know the people one the beach
running towards eachother. It was kind of like that. haha. He was like
"oh hey. Sister." You know his way. And then I asked him if I could
hug him. Being an awkward missionary I am. And we hugged. But he was
like "ITS MY SISTER. ITS MY SISTER." really loud so people didn't
think we were breaking the rules. it was grand. I told all the elders
in my district that if they saw him to give him a hug. And literally 2
seconds later some elders from my district walked by and were like
Elder Carling! And attacked him. It's the greatest. I consider my
district my new brothers. They are seriously my best friends and it
makes me so happy that they were almost as excited as I was to see my
brother. Since then they've seen him a couple times and hugged him and
yelled at him. I'm sure Ethan thinks it's weird. But he would love
most of them. haha.
We've seen eachother almost every day since then but just in bits and
pieces. Like hey there! And then off to class or to teach an
investigator or off to gym. But Sunday we were able to walk to the
temple together and take som sweet pictures. Mom you are going to cry
when you see them. They are great. It was a nice day out. And we also
got to eat dinner together. It was the best. I was remembering how
growing up Ethan would come into my room while I was getting ready for
bed. Or while I was already in bed and just talk to me till the late
hours of the night. We'd talk about middle school drama and our
friends and just random stuff. And now we're both MISSIONARIES! Can
you believe it! It's pretty cool. I'm not going to lie.

Friday we all fasted for C. Biggs because she got a letter from her
mom saying that the MTC president had called and said that if they
didn't figure out what was wrong with her hand, she'd be reassigned to
a mission in the US. It was pretty cool to see all of our
zone/district come together because of that. But let me tell you.
Fasting and being a missionary is hard. Especially fridays. Fridays in
the MTC are death. We have gym in the morning so there is nothing to
break up our day and study time. And so let me tell you. We were
feasting on the words of christ and russian study all day to distract
us from our hunger. I'm happy to say that my death fridays are over.
Because this friday we have "in field orientation" aka stuff to do
with contacting and being a real missionary. We had our last weekly
planning session in the MTC and Elder Bunnell and I were practically
crying. It is a weird thing to realize we're going to Russia. It's a
weird thing we're doing. Who goes to a foreign country with a really
hard language they barely know and talk to people out God? Oh wait....
ME! It's crazy. I'm definitely really anxious and quite scared to be
honest. So I need all of your prayers a lot this week. Or pray harder.
lol. No. But I really do appreciate all of your support and have felt
your prayers. It's a pretty incredible thing being a missionary and
thinking about all of the prayers being said on our behalf.

Sunday in Relief Society- Sister Rosemary Wixom the general primary
president came and spoke to us and I was bawling the whole time. She
told us about the millions of primary kids praying for us in their
prayers. And I was just so touched. We also sang "I Belong to the
Church of Jesus Christ." and yeah its just a little primary song but
have you paid attention to the lyrics. I really liked. "I believe in
the savior jesus christ, I'll honor his name. I'll do what is right.
I'll follow his light. His truth i will proclaim." I don't know what
it was about that meeting but I really felt God's love for me. Every
time I think about it my head explodes. He loves us SOOOOOOO much! He
has given us so much. i just can't believe he trusts me with his
children in Russia and wants me to teach them!

One more thing and I've got to go but we had a cool experience in
class with Brother Duffy. He had us write our concerns on the board.
Mine was just the all inclusive. I'm going to Russia in a week! But
then he had us open our scriptures in the book of mormon and try to
find something that addressed our concern. And it's incredible! Each
of us found verses that addressed how we were feeling. I read in Alma
26:37 "God is mindful of every people whatsoever land they may be in."
And I also really loved D&C 31 it's addressed to Thomas Partridge
about his mission call and I crossed out his name and put mine in. It
was pretty cool. I know that God will be helping me as I go to Russia
and that he wants me to be there and He'll help me to know what to say
and direct me what to do! it's incredible! I'm so grateful to be a
missionary and to be serving the Lord. I'm freaking scared. But I'm
extremely grateful. It's going to be an amazing experience. And if it
goes by as fast as the MTC has. I'll be home before I know it thinking
it was a dream. I love you all thanks so much for everything!