FAMILY!!!
So, flying was quite the adventure. Remember where you dropped me off at security at the airport? Yeah, well I thought I was doing okay with the 5 minutes of responsible adulthood I had just acquired but then I got to my terminal and realized I didn't have my carry-on bag with me... The best part is that I turned around to go back and was met with "Do Not Enter" signs and escalators that only went the opposite way so that was fun! I was concerned though because I could practically still see you guys and I was already helpless! But the good news is that they put it underneath the plane for me and transferred it all the way to Munich! So that was one less bag I had to keep track of! Blessings in disguise, right?!?
So, flying was quite the adventure. Remember where you dropped me off at security at the airport? Yeah, well I thought I was doing okay with the 5 minutes of responsible adulthood I had just acquired but then I got to my terminal and realized I didn't have my carry-on bag with me... The best part is that I turned around to go back and was met with "Do Not Enter" signs and escalators that only went the opposite way so that was fun! I was concerned though because I could practically still see you guys and I was already helpless! But the good news is that they put it underneath the plane for me and transferred it all the way to Munich! So that was one less bag I had to keep track of! Blessings in disguise, right?!?
People were so sweet the whole way and there were a couple experienced flyers that I encountered that were so eager to share this new experience with me because it has gotten so old for them so it is nice to be able to tell a newbie that there is a magical footrest by your feet and stuff. It was actually really cute!
I didn't meet any missionaries going to the MTC because my flight plans changed the morning of! I showed up at the airport for my 11 AM flight and they told me it was bumped up to 7 AM and that there was no way I could have known... so at least it wasn't my fault! So, long story short, my new flight arrangements were PHOENIX》LA》PARIS》MANCHESTER! Definitely a longer day than anticipated! ((Grandma will be so tickled to hear that a sweet man named Roger gave me the window seat from Phx to L.A. and it was delightful!))
I hope you guys are coping well with me leaving because even though I have little heart attacks occasionally and freak out that I am actually doing this, the Lord has SERIOUSLY blessed this missionary with peace of mind and heart! It is exactly like signing up for trek for the second time... I was still nervous because I knew I was signing up for extreme physical exhaustion, but I did it because I knew that I was also signing up to have one of the most enabling and testimony building experiences of my life!
Some thoughts from the flights:
▪Grandma, I got a window seat
▪I became a foreigner in a matter of hours and was wishing Uncle Steve was with me at the Paris airport!
▪I had an egg and Turkey sandwich for lunch and I FINALLY got to sit down and eat it. I took a big bite and out shot a HUGE glob of yellow yoke on my skirt... it is just another testament to all my friends that like runny yokes (cough, cough - Madi) that it is gross and just causes problems 🤣
▪when I freak out about leaving, I just remember that I only have 18 MONTHS to make this the best mission I possibly can and I will have ETERNITY to look back on it! That thought is enough to jumpstart my hardworking engines and help me recommit to work hard and enjoy this insane journey... I give that pep talk to myself basically on an hourly basis in case you were wondering
The MTC is the most aesthetically pleasing place EVER and brings so much peace to my heart! When I got here there was a total of 80 missionaries! I grew to love some of them SOOO much just in these few days as they have offered encouragement as we have made this change! There were people from about 5 different missions here altogether and there have been a few main "groups". Native English speakers going English speaking to London, people learning English for the first time, people learning German, and people learning Greek for the Greek Athens mission. Today almost ALL of them went into the field though! All that is left here is my German learning district and the Greeks (because they are here for 9 weeks!) So, there are only 20 of us here today! Tomorrow, another 20 missionaries will come, but they are all English speaking so we are going to be the only Germans for a while!
My Pre MTC teacher is one of my three teachers, but she has only taught once. But I LOVE the other two! One is a tiny, young, native German named Schwester Schumann who terrifies me! But she is a great teacher and the other one is Brüder Robinson who I love! They mostly just speak German... which is annoying, but oh well! My comp and I have already taught an investigator 3 times in German! And I am awful at it, but that is why we are practicing right!?
Okay, I just have to get this off my chest... GERMAN IS KICKING MY BUTT!!! Not even joking, I thought about coming home a couple times this week, but fear not, I am not a quitter and I KNOW God knew what he was doing when he called me here (even though I think he is nuts) BUT my companion is the best! She is SO supportive! She is from Denmark so the language is new, but it is more of an extension of Danish so it is coming SO fast for her! This would be way harder if I didn't have someone that could make me laugh as hard as she does! And learning about her culture is SO fun! I love it!
Love,
Sister Reay
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