Last week in the MTC

Hello family

I hope all of your week's have been busy and enjoyable

Well, I'm going to say it, I leave in 6 days. Our flight plans came in Thursday night and we threw a party. We leave the MTC at night. So I'll be making a phone call during the evening at the Salt Lake airport. Which means, Mom that if I read the letter right that you want me to call your phone. I don't have your number memorized so you will have to write me back really quick so that I can call. Okay so here is my flight path I don't have the times memorized but I can give you the idea. I leave Salt Lake around 10 PM and travel to LAX. We leave LAX around 1 in the morning their time and fly around, and I mean around, the Pacific ocean to Taiwan. We found out that it is faster to fly up to Alaska and down than to try and fly over the Pacific ocean. Any how from Taiwan we leave the next day at 5 in the morning and arrive in Bangkok around noon. So all in all we guessed that we have around 26 hours of travel time 18 of that being in the air woo hoo. Oh before I forget, Mom you wanted to send some goodies to eat..... Don't. They were kind enough to give us a 15 pound weight limit for the carry on and I think I'm going to have a hard time trying to take all the stuff I want to give away. Thank you for the thought though.

So I as well am amazed at how fast the last two months have flown by. I never thought they would go in the beginning. It sounds like you all have had great times in the last few months.
Sorry Mom for not getting the email to you, two weeks ago. I wrote it and it didn't send and because there is a timer on the program I couldn't check until the week later. I hope that goes away in Thailand. Don't buy another camera cord if you haven't already. Mine came with one it should be in my room with the camera box that I left home. But I couldn't tell you where it is now with Connor living in it now. Other than the things I asked for last week I thought it would be good to have two more garment tops I only have eight and think ten would be safe in case of emergency.
Thank you for putting money into my account I'm going to cash a little to have 100 dollars in my pocket in case of emergency. I spent a little here for dry cleaning and some other things that don't take the Blue card money.
Hosting was a great adventure for the day. We skipped gym to go to a meeting for it then they had us line up around the same place where you dropped me off. It was great to see all the new missionaries come in. I think they felt just as lost as I was on my first day. I had the opportunity to welcome in two new missionaries myself. The first one was from Oregon and had a large family. We took quick photos and sent him to get his tag. After he came back to me and we walked together to his room that he would be staying in. We talked about a lot of the things to expect the first week and I showed him the MTC on the way. After we got him to his room and made sure everything worked out, I dropped him off in the building where they give shots. Yea for needles ( here's a quick side note. They gave me my last hep A shot two weeks ago along with a Japanese esphlistusthingy shot that can't spell. Mom or Dad one of you need to call the MTC financial place and pay for the shot. Just hep A I think 66 dollars. I'll send home a slip if i can find it.)
Any how. The next Elder I got to welcome in was a surprise. I was sitting by the curb talking to the volunteer senior next to me when I hear. "Brand... I'm mean Elder Holt." I turned around to see now Elder AJ Clayton( I can't spell) who I worked with at the Desert Star for half a year and showed up for the drive in thingy that I did the last week I was home to say good by to friends.
We embraced each other and he said goodbye to his family. Then we started off again. It was awesome to see someone from home. Let alone be the first elder he meets in the MTC. One thing is for sure I've learned that the Lord doesn't let coincidences happen, it all happens for a reason. I think it made it easier to leave his family and GF behind.
Well I'm looking forward to the future and the phone call that I get to make home. I know this church is true. Being here has removed all doubt. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I have had it confirmed in my heart over and over again. I love you all and hope for your best and thank you for your prayers.

Elder Brandon Holt
searching in the darkness