The First Letter

Mother. Because of you, everyone in the MTC knows my name.  On the second night here, while I was getting ready for bed, the intercom system came on over the entire MTC and they asked for Christian Graf to come down to the main office.  I had no idea why or what would have been going on, so I quickly went to the main office without my suit on because I didn't know if it was an emergency or not.  Turns out it was just a package from you, and you wanted me to immediately have it.  Well, that's very kind of you, but it sure freaked me out haha.  So I thought that my days of being called down were over, but just the other night, a security guard shows up in my dorm room and says I need to come to the main office with him.  Everyone was thinking I was in trouble, but when I got to the front desk, it was only because you were worried that I had not received the first package.  Once again, very sweet and kind of you, but I'm sure hoping I've seen the end of security guards and my name being called over the entire MTC intercom at night.*

Anyway, on Friday, I was walking down the hallway of the building that my classroom is in and I saw Kevin in one of the rooms, I leaned in and said "Elder Graf!" and he turned around and was just as happy to see me as I was to see him.  He told me he heard my name on the intercom, go figure, and we chatted for a little bit.  Don't worry, we got a picture, and we've seen each other several times since then because our classes are in the same building.  In fact, if he's in his classroom, he should be in the room just above me right now.  So that's pretty cool.

Also, I ran into a girl from Woodland, but I don't remember her personally - we went to Tafoya together though and we would've been in the same ward.  Her last name is Benbrook, sound familiar?  She's going to the Korea Pusan mission so I see her all the time.  Anyway, let me know if you remember her family.  The Korean missionaries are all so much fun, the last hour of every night is just filled partying it up in the dorms - err, uhh, cough, I mean being reverent.  We actually had missionaries straight from Korea fly into the MTC just barely, we're supposed to be meeting them tonight - that'll be super exciting to see what they have to say about the country, we'll definitely be bombarding them with tons of questions.  As far as the Korean language goes, yeeaaahhh, it's going to take a while.  It's like pre-school all over again: I can read the language, often times will mispronouce something or forget what it sounds like, and read at the speed of five words a minute.  But it'll come in time.

Finally, in answer to your question - yes you should visit President and Sister Shin.  They are the most fantastic people I have ever met, so you would totally be missing out if you didn't see them before they leave to Korea.  He has about 100 missionaries to look over right now, and considering the fact that I'm new, he may or may not know me by name.  But I'd give it a shot anyway.

Until next week!

Elder Graf

PS I'm expecting letters every day, and I mean it.  DearElder.com, family, DearElder.com.**
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*Disclaimer #1: Funny story, actually. We had Christian tested for allergies a month before he went into the MTC, and of course the results came one day after he got into the MTC.  I called the MTC and asked them if they could very quietly, discreetly give Christian a package that told him that he is HIGHLY ALLERGIC to dairy and yeast.  The package had some medicine the doctor wanted him to take and other information about his allergy so I told them that it would be good to get it to him right away.  Mike dropped it off to the MTC on Thursday afternoon and they told us they would call him to the office.  A few days later, we got a letter in which Christian said that he hadn't received any letters, packages, etc. Anyway, once again I called the MTC and asked them if they could contact him and make sure he got the package.  I once again told them that Christian wouldn't like any attention called to him.  Boy was I surprised to get his email stating that the MTC world now knows him by name:-).  
**Disclaimer #2: He's gotten multiple letters and a package every day, but apparently his district leader hasn't picked them up every day? Either way, he is one spoiled little Elder :)