Letter from Pres. Earl Madrid MTC President 6/23/10

Dear Parents,

Here is living proof that your missionary arrived at the Madrid Spain MTC.  We will take care of them, teach them and get them ready to baptize a lot of people here in Spain.  They all looked tired but we will keep them up until 7 today and then put them to bed.  In the morning they are given a preparation day and then we start in earnest.  Thank you for sending them.

Pres. Douglas Earl

Reply from a mom letter

 Ok...so I just sent the one email...but I have to tell you how amazing technology is.  I am on Delta's website...and it shows in detail exactly where your plane is.  I just hit refresh and it shows the change.  Right now...you just got in Colorado.  This is the best thing.  Its as if we know exactly where you are.  I know you're having a blast right now.  I love you so much Son~  I hope this works for when you go over the Atlantic...I might be up all night just watching...Love ya..Mom

Yeah, on the 767 the in seat displays showed where we were at all times when you pulled it up. We had the big nice plane to Madrid, but the 757 was just the 200 model.

*I love how he really believes the 757 is a small plane...it makes us laugh*

#5 6/23/10 in Madrid now

Okay, I'm in Madrid now. And it's nine hours ahead of home, just so you know.

Flights were long. Four hours in a tiny 757, then we ended up getting delayed in Atlanta so they could clean the new plane. When the airport is so large it requires a subway to all the terminals...

The flight over the Atlantic was much better. The 767 is a real plane, so there was more room. Landed about 10:40 local time, and it's 2:30 here now. All the luggage made it too, along with most of the food. Only in this modern age can we eat like kings at 35,000 feet. Oh, and we made a friend in the steward, so we had all the amenities. Like the first class sleeping kit.

Did I mention there is now 15 missionaries in the whole Madrid MTC? Compared to 2350 in Provo?

Yes, it's the tall building next to the Temple. Floor four is sacrament and classes, five is dorms, and six is the cafeteria. The lower floors are apartments and hotels for the temple workers and visitors.

The Madrid temple opens the 28th, and so they're going to give us two sessions for missing the one this week.

Everything is nice and realistic here. It's not a military school like Provo has to be due to the size. A little warm, but not very humid, thankfully.

Europe is...different. Roads and cars are tiny, but at least they drive on the right side of the road and the left side of the car. My truck would take up both lanes. :)

It's p-day tomorrow, so I'll write you again then.

#4 6/18/10

I kinda wondered if you got my phone message. I'm leaving for Spain on Tuesday, so don't send any thing else or they'll just send it back. I'm supposed to be going to the consulate sometime today or Monday to sign for the visa.

The first flight, Salt Lake to Atlanta, Georgia, is Delta flight DL 1664, departing at 10:50A and arriving at 4:39 local time, for a 3:49 flight. The second flight is DL 108, Atlanta to Madrid, leaving at 655p and arriving at 9:35a on the 23rd. Would you mind, firing off in a Dear Elder, the vital stats (seating numbers, engines, etc) of the Boeing 757-200/300 and 767-400 planes?

Yeah, I got the book that day. And the cookies too, so I've had them for a while.

Spanish is coming fine. I know I've been blessed in that regard, and with wonderful teachers here. Luckily, I managed to go to the temple today. When we get to Madrid, the temple is closed for the first week, then open. Shouldn't be too long. The carpet in the Provo temple is getting pretty rough looking, so it's good they're going to beautify it again. It is the Lord's house, after all.

How's my cat? Still being a knucklehead? And Booboo? I have the scripture for the plaque, but not on me. I'll send it in the later email I'll do in a bit.

Until later,

Bradley.

Letter # 3 6/11/10

No, don't fast. We're specifically instructed not to ask family to do special fasts. They'll be here soon enough.. Still haven't gotten the book, but most of the mail hasn't been sorted yet. It'll probably come today. Still here, learning and teaching.. We'll only get one more temple trip here in before it closes the 21st for five weeks of renovations (they're replacing all the carpet), so with luck we'll get to Madrid in time-the Madrid Temple is right next to the MTC there..  I can only think of one thing-foot powder. Shoes get stinky some times.   Nothing out of the ordinary here-it's all mostly lessons. We had the biweekly Apostle visit on Tuesday-Robert D. Hales came to speak to us. Very nice talk.  I haven't had a chance to look up those scriptures yet. Yeah, I keep notes in my journal. Sometimes I end up staying up slightly later than normal, but it's not too late. I guess, while we hadn't heard, the Church is exploding in the Mesa/Tempe/Phoenix area. You wouldn't believe how many missionaries here are headed there.  From what we've been told, the average Spain delay is a week and a half. Better than Mexico-there are some who've been here 15 weeks, and are now being temporarily reassigned until they can get the visa in.
We'll get them eventually. Until then, thankfully we have good teachers.. I've been giving my companion a hard time (our branch's zone leaders are leaving Monday) and telling him "Well, if we're called as the zone leaders, plan on being here a while! :)" We won't be though-it'll be from the newer district.  Being a district leader isn't too demanding, but zone leaders have to get up earlier on Sundays...... I can't think of anything else to write, so that's it for now. I may get back on later with a bit more. Since the return key isn't working with the software this morning, I'll just end here. With love, Bradley.

Letter #2 6/4/10

Heh, I know I'm more than a glorified mailman. Most of the time I'm a guidance counselor of sorts for the eight other Elder's in my district. Lots of meetings and paperwork too ;)

Well, I'll just say it now: Our visas have been delayed, so we won't be leaving for the Madrid MTC as early as we planned. Apparantly it's hard to get Mexico, Brazil, and European visas right now-some elders have been here 15 weeks-and we're hearing that the U.S. isn't the most popular country at the moment, which is causing much of the problems.

Would you send one of the Gila Valley Temple pics? I think there's one on top of my bookcase in my room. The Church doesn't quite have the media machine up and going regarding it yet. Oh, and some peanut butter Rice Krispie treats, please. ;)

 We were able to go to the temple today-that's on every p-day, though the temple is rumored to be going down for maintainence in a few weeks (they're supposed to replace all the carpets).

Yes, people get regular snail mail up here, or you can use www.dearelder.com and send one that way. I'd send letters home during the week, but they ask that we only write letters on p-day's anyway.

Not much homesickness yet-I think I've been blessed as a district leader. When you're so worried about the rest of the district, you don't think too much about yourself. ;)

Yeah, I had planned to get in the pool before I left, but it wasn't quite ready.

The language is fine. I'm learning what I need to, and working on the rest. Though the Spainards tend to speak it with a lisp, so we'll have to tweak it on the fly.

Luckily, our building had the mattresses replaced a few months back. Some of the other elders say the old ones are pretty flat.

The Elders would like it if you could keep me up on the Celtics/Lakers scores.   That's the one link "to Babylon" most want to keep up with, and it's pretty harmless.

Yeah, I kinda had a list of movies to catch up on before I left, but keep a list in case there's any I missed.

I think that's all I have for now. Tell Booboo I said hi.

Bradley

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