First Letter (My Dearest Family)

HEY!! Okay these keyboards are ridiculous!!! You cant press the return key!!! Its Wednesday! MY PDAY!! Awesome I know! I love it here!! Of course my first couple of days were really really hard adjusting to the missionary lifestyle but I love it!!! My district is awesome. My companion is ELder Dahl from (Oak Harbor, Washington). He is a little guy 5'8" about 120 lbs!!! Imagine me and him companions! haha he is an awesome guy!! Its been hard getting used to him. But its getting there. I wake up every morning at 6:30 no problem though. I have adjusted to the time very easy! IT feels great going to bed so early! I probably should of tried to do that before! It's awesome! :) I can't tell you how much I have learned. I am just itching to get out there and serve the Lord!! I am so glad I am an English Elder because I am only here for 2 1/2 weeks!! My departure date is weird! They tell me either the 15th, 16th or 17th!!! I want to know!!! But yeah I was conducting my district meeting the other night. Wait why would I conduct a District meeting?? Because I was called as District Leader!! :) I love it! Such an awesome calling. My district consists of 8 people. 5 elders all going to South Dakota. Me, Elder Dahl, Elder Woods (the guy from Phoenix), Elder Kocherhans (Orem, Utah), Elder Getz (Tree Mtn, Utah!!!) Elder Woods is a funny guy. Elder Kocherhans and me have so many things alike. We have the same Ecco Shoe, CTR Ring, Basketball Shoes and we are both the youngest! So cool! Elder Getz is a good ole farm boy!!! He lives on a farm about an hour from here. Nice guy. He is an auctioneer!!!!! He talks so fast!! He has the coolest accent!!!! So cool! I love the gospel so much! Last night for our Tuesday devotional a General Authority came!! Guess who came?!?!?!?! Richard C. Edgley!!! The presiding Bishop of the Church!!! How awesome is that!!!! He gave such an awesome talk!!! I go get the mail and I am so excited everytime I get a letter so far I have got letters from Pres. Smith, Brynae (kymber's sis), Whitney, Chelsey, Lee Anderson, Dad and today Mom I got your package!!! Lets just say I needed it! :) I love it! Our Zone (or branch) has people going to Tacoma, Washington, Hungary, Albania and SDRC!!! (South Dakota Rapid City) I am so excited to share the gospel to all the world. Today we got to go to the temple! How awesome is it!! The Provo temple is so different than either Salt Lake or Mesa. Nothing compares to the Mesa Temple to me though!!!! Family & Friends the gospel is true! I am here as a PERSONAL representative of Jesus Christ!!! To teach and preach the gospel to all the world! I am here for a purpose and I know I am here. They keep you so busy here!!! I am running all around. Being DL I am in tons of meetings plus my classes and breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food here isn't that great. Its edible but its alright, but not amazing. Every now and again there is something good, but it is a huge adjustment to eating 3-square meals a day! Oh by the way I have lost 4 pounds here! haha Sometimes I don't eat dinner because I am so full or in a meeting. Its not a big deal they give you soooooooooooo much food. But they give you a 30 min timer on email and I am going crazy typing. I hope this all makes sense, but I try and write as much as letters as I can. I write them whenever I get a chance. But let people know I am always wanting a letter. Either through Dear Elder or just mailed. That Dear Elder is a huge thing though!!!!!! Mom, I lover you so much!!!! Dad, I love you so much!!!! I love life!! I am so excited I don't know if you are getting that yet!!!!! Well I just want you to know I am doing great! I love you all so much!

Your Elder,

Elder Michael Corey Rudd