Sister Monica Painter: LEAVING TODAY

April 8, 2013
(Last email from Monica in the MTC)

Sawadii Kha Family & Friends! Leaving TODAY!

I leave the MTC at about 4:30pm. We're running our last errands. Sadly I didn't have Tom's phone number, so I gave Post Mart dad's phone number to tell Tom the box number or whatever. I also sent the address of the place-- it's really close to BYU. :) And it's free. Awesome. Be sure someone goes and gets it-- it's got a LOT of stuff I don't want to lose! Like.... my MTC memories!! Haha. Please and thank you.

My itinerary is still the same, in theory, so I will be calling later tonight, some time after 5:30pm. AKA, don't get mad if I call late while I'm in LA. But it's possible I may call in SLC because my companion Sister Crockett needs to call then. So it's very possible I could be calling you around 6:30pm but before 8pm. Then after 9pm or so, I think. We land in LA at about 8:50pm. So I will do my very best to get a good time span in there. Then I leave LA around 11:30pm. So Between 5-7:30 and 9-11:30pm are the sweet spots for calling.

I'll probably call with some quarters first, calling dad's cell phone, and then when I know where you guys are, tell me which phone to call. :) If Missa can't be at home, I'll call her seperate.

My whole group of Thai's going today

I can't believe I'm actually leaving. 9 weeks in here and I am pretty itching to get out there and go. I'm actually not super nervous, I'm just excited. Hoping to make a good first impression on my mission president. So hopefully I get some sleep on the flight. I'm expecting to be a little exhausted with jet lag but I'll do my best to "suu suu!" (fight fight!)

Anyway, not a lot to report other than that. EXCEPT CONFERENCE WEEKEND WAS AWESOME!

Talk about the best way to leave the MTC. It was amazing. I was so touched by all the talks-- didn't even get sleepy once. Also, VOCAL POINT came to the MTC last night and performed their religious songs. It was so cool. What are the odds of that? Jared will be jealous when he finds out.

I think what I've learned as an overarching lesson is this: God and Jesus Christ are real. (Simple, but true.) God answers prayers, and neither of them ever let us down. If we center our lives on what they would have us do, we will always have reason to rejoice.

Rejoice on friends and family! Trust God, Love Him, and Obey Him!

Also, I decided I am really going to miss my district from the MTC. It's true that you make life-long friends on a mission. I've got a swarm of little brothers we need to adopt.

I AM OFF TO THAILAND!!!!

LOVE, FOREVER AND ALWAYS AND THROUGH ETERNITY AND AFTER,

Your Thai-- Sister Painter