One week left in the MTC

Oh, mi querida familia!

Muchísimas gracias for ALL of your letters, e-mails, packages and countless prayers. And bien hecho with catching on to dearelder.com! Madre, estoy muy orgullosa. I want so badly to be able to write you all back sheets and sheets but there's a slight back up...it may be a while. Know that I love you all very much, though, and I adore your letters and hearing about your lives.

Padre, I have to apologize for what I'm sure must have been a brief heart attack when you got a phone call from "Maria at the MTC Health Clinic" on Friday (this is why I had them call you and not Mom). Basically, I am fine. That old scar on my eye was irritated because it's been so dry here, so I've just been wearing my glasses for the past week. No te preocupes! I did, however, get to venture out into the real world on Friday since they wanted an eye doctor to check up on me, and that was quite a thrill for both my companion and me. ("Whooooa....houses....a street light....people running in short shorts..." thoughts like so.) That "real world" is just around the corner for us, too! We got our TRAVEL PLANS last Thursday!!! We'll be leaving on the 23rd (next Tuesday) at about 8 or 9 in the morning from the SLC airport. We have a few hours in Georgia before we hit Panama. It's going to be loco! That probably means you'll get to hear from me that morning...but Mom is leaving to Portland that day, huh? Ooh...maybe I'll see her at the airport after all (was that her plan all along? Mother...). Anyway, as far as my stuff goes, there's a service here called postmart that will call you to come pick up a box of my stuff after I leave. It's free, so don't worry about it. But yeah, keep Tuesday morning open and make sure you're awake! I don't know exactly when I'll get to call but it'll be sometime that day...vague enough?

So this is my FINAL WEEK at the MTC. And let me tell you, it's a busy one. This is our teaching week, which means we're running around scheduling appointments to teach other missionaries, teachers and "investigators" at the TEC. Estamos ocupados.

Oh yeah, and here's something fun: guess who gets to do a teaching demo for the new missionaries tomorrow? My companion and me! Our teachers recommended us (for some reason unbeknownst to me. Punishment? Perhaps I laugh too much in class...) Anyway, we get to be the first impression of missionary work for all these young ones coming in tomorrow. I remember on my first day thinking, "Man...I'm glad that's not me up there." And now....well, you see. But it should be an interesting experience :).

On a different note, I have a nickname here: "prayer girl." This is because I was the one who got to give the closing prayer at the MTC fireside on Sunday. There are some great perks with that--you get to sit up on the stands, meet the MTC presidency and the speaker (Brother Heaton--he's in charge of facilities here) and look out at the entire crowd of missionaries. It's a pretty cool experience to hear them all sing "We'll bring the world His truth" and have a front row seat. Anyway, since I gave the prayer, random missionaries have been pointing at me and exclaiming things like, "Hey! It's the prayer girl!" to which I wave my hand and bow. (Not really.) I am a celebrity. What can I say.

Anyway this is a bittersweet week. I won't gush on and on about my district and my teachers again but know that it's going to be a difficult separation. But I know that Panama is soon to be my favorite place and I'm going to love those people immensely. Our teachers always remind us of the sacredness of our call and I want to be sure I don't take that lightly. It's humbling.

Wow...not much time left. And this is my last p-day...I'm trying to think if there's anything else I need to tell you before I go...hmm...keep writing and praying! You should have my address already (though I'm not sure when that takes effect). If there's anything else, I'll include it in a special card for a special mother of mine who's having a special day this weekend...(you know of whom I speak).

Lastly, thank you so much for all of your support--EVERYONE. I know I have the best family, friends and neighbors. I love you all MUCHISIMO.

Gotta go prep!

paz.

con cariño,

Hermana Allison Brewster