I Got A Letter!

This is the best part of her first letter:


"The first night I was here, I kept thinking, "If I left now I could walk to Cali's house in like 40 minutes at the most."


She's so funny! The first few days at the MTC are usually pretty rough. It's a hard adjustment into missionary mode. She is doing better now and is loving her new adventure. She says that the language is going well and she is learning so much.

The Drop Off

We dumped Jordan off at the Missionary Training Center today (where she will stay and train to be a missionary for the next 8 or so weeks). Man, it's hard. Dad explained it best when he said, as we were pulling away, "I feel like my heart was ripped out and I left it at the MTC." Dramatic much? I don't think anyone was prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that was today, but we will survive.

Since the beginning of time, there has been a welcome/farewell meeting at the MTC. Basically, it was 20 or so minutes of torture that included a small talk and a couple of songs, then the crowd was instructed to keep the good-byes short, then the families go out one door and the missionaries go out another.

However, that has recently(ish) changed. I think about the time of the swine flu out-break as a way to avoid the spread of disease. I think the people who work at the MTC were just tired of escorting out sobbing families. So, now they have the MTC drop off. Jordan joked that she had been practicing her tuck and roll. You literally pull up to the curb where missionaries are waiting to grab suitcases and wide-eyed new missionaries and whisk them away. It's a super quick hug and that's basically it. The families climb back in the car and drive away and the missionary walks into the MTC to start their big adventure. Not sure which method hurts less, but at least the band-aid drop off is fast so that's a perk, right?

As 'Hermana Scanlon' walked down the sidewalk, Dad yelled out after her, "Good luck Hermana!" only he said hermana like HHHerm Anna. We were all literally laughing and crying at the same time. Dad: "Just trying to lighten the mood!" He's funny.

Doesn't she look like a missionary?

She was over her 50 lb per bag weight limit but after packing and un-packing and re-packing about 20 times, she decided to worry about it when she leaves for the field. Good luck!

I wanted to document how cute her feet look before the million miles she will walk in the next few months. They will not look so cute in 18 months.


Enjoying the 'last supper' at Olive Garden.

Saying good-bye to good friends Ari, Jenn and Jonathan.


The 'drop-off'

Buena suerte hermanita! Vas a ser una misionera buenisima!

(Good luck hermana! You are going to be a fantastic missionary!)

We will all sure miss her!