Hello from Chicago

Hola mi familia!!!

Im here! I made it! with only one huge tear in my suitcase....the airport people yes did ruin my blue duffal duffel..no se but they runied it. ripped it all down the seam and tore off the handle..so guess who will need to get a new suitcase here?! ME! Yaaaay!

ok so this is the low down of what happened.......oh and im gonna just start from some stuff I forgot to say at the MTC cause that monday my brain was just fuddled up with all the things I had to do... SO total weight gain at the mtc=4lbs. I did suck up my fear and get a hair cut at the mtc...only cause it was free but you know I should have followed dads advice is that you get what you pay for. I told the lady that I only wanted a trim of like half an inch because I KNEW she would cut more off...just like how sister Putnam went in and told them she wanted 2 inches off and came out with 8 off...so the lady ended up cutting off a good 2 21/2 inches off and yes its crooked. the left side is shorter than the right. and it was the fastest hair cut I have ever had en mi vida...15minutes. in out boom done.

ok and then departure of mtc started at 2:30 in the am on tuesday morning checked in at the travel office and rode on the bus to the salt lake airport with 17 other missionaries headed here to the good ol chicago. once we got off the plane the president and his wife greeted us, we loaded our bags up and he gave us all a pass along card and a BOM and said he would see us at lunch. The AP's Elder French and Elder Gates took us from there to the above ground train that everyone here in Chicago calls the "L" and told us to seperate and we have to give away our BOM...oh and did I mention that mine was in Spanish? GAAAAAA sooo scary...but so the adventure begins right?! So I started talking to this man on the train and asking him about chicago and the things in it, his life a bit, where he worked...found out he was very catholic and ot interested at all but I got to talk to him about what we as missionaries do and stuff so that was cool. Then the stop right before we were supposed to get off this black couple hops on the L and they start talking about school and other things. I said hi and they looked at me and the wife said "You a mormon aintcha?" "Yes I suuure am" "I heard ah you and your little bible" "oh really? well its called the Book of Mormon. Have you read it before?" She said she used to have one and I told her it was an awsome book. My favorite. Her husband then started asking his wife what the book was exactly and she turned to me and said "well she knows!" so then I got to explain what the bom is, and that its another testament of Jesus Christ and yada yada. The woman than says "ya they used to just give those books out for free" I told her that we actually still do...but my book was in SPANISH remember?! so I gave my pass along card to them told them to call the number and then I looked at an Elder and asked if I could have his book and he gave it to me so I gave it to them. Told them if they had any questions they could call the number on the card and someone would be soo happy to answer it. Told them to read 3 Nephi chap 11 and then bore my testimony about how any question you have about life, any problems you have the answers can be found in the book of mormon. This seriously happened in like 2 minutes because the next stop I had to get off. but IT WAS AWESOMEEEEEE!!! I couldnt believe that I actually did it! I just gave away my first BOM and it really it is soo true that people know who we are simply by the was we dress.

After the "L" we got off and went and I had my first taste of Chicago deep dish pizza with the president and his wife. We then took pictures and the APs again took us..and we went on our walking tour of Chi-town...so basically. AAaaaamazing. LOVE the city. My heart belongs in the city...love love love it. our tour was awesome! we went and saw a whole bunch of places like the sears tower and michigan st. But I guess the city is really pretty dangerous so they dont have sisters actually serve in the city...:( que triste but esta bien porque I will be where I am needed. But oh man...Seriously I am so going back. OH! and there is a blog that the president has that there will be pictures and videos of our tour up on the website...Idk what that is now but I will have it soon and be sure to give it to ya.

After the awesome tour..oh and btw the weather was sooo awesome. it was like 67 degrees which apparently has been the best they have had lateley and its only supposed to get cold.er. weeeee

We went to the mission office which you will NEVER guess where it is by....no guesses?....ok Ill tell you...Hooters. yep. hooters. what an awesome place for missionaries to be seen going in and out of right? hahaha but we had some little orientatation thing where we got our new missonary debit cards and stuff and then we went to the mission home and had dinner, a health orientation with sister doll and then our mission pres interviews....seriously when my head the pillow that night I was out..proly out cold while my head was heading to the pillow.

Then today. woke up had breakfast and headed to the naperville stake center where all the new missionaries had ANOTHER orientation and then all the trainers came into the room and boom. I knew who mine was the moment she walked in. She sat directly behind me and I just knew it was her. Surrre enough..President called my name I stood up and he said your trainer is "Hermana Layton" yep the one behind me. you know how I knew it was her? She had on a green headband with yep a flower, and she just popped out like shes the one. We are serving in Rockford IL and then also there is one city in Wisconsin that is part of the Chicago Mission and yep I got that one city. can you say welcome to the sticks? Im in farm land. so like the video that we watched said...be. prepared. to. drive. and they were not lying. we drove all day to get here. which is why my email is gettin to you all soo late. but I am sooo excited. Sister Layton seems awesome and I really feel that great things are going to happen and hopefully my spanish will be one of them. because seriously the spanish here is not the same that I learned or was speaking in the MTC. HELLLLP ME! haha nah it will all be good it will definately be an adventure. Its just so crazy that Im out here in the actual field doing actual work and talking to actual true natives...

Oh and our apt is called the mansion. because it literally is for the missionaries. It is a two bedroom two floor condo, with a garage, kitchen, washer dryer, and 2 1/2 baths. its soooo huge. it used to be for the 4 elders here but they moved to a new apt and we got this one. so its pretty awesome. this is gonna be kinda weird only being the two of us. Ive never lived in an apt with only one other person before. and we drive a malibu...her name is barbie. We have a cell phone and we do get to text. Our mission president is a pretty technological loving guy..him and his wife have a droid, and some sweet video cameras...so we benefit from that.

Tonight we teach english to some people of the spanish branch and so this should be interesting. Im so nervous but I know it will be good. This spanish thing I want to come to me soo bad....

I loved talking to you all yesterday. I sure miss you guys. Dad Im seriously so happy about your job. That is awesome and it sounds like a pretty big deal. thats seriously soo awesome. so I cant wait to get the update from you!

Hope you have a great week I need to go do some shopping.

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Hermana Maughan