Hi everyone,

       well the plane ride was awful!! I slept a little bit on the way to atlanta but on the way to manchester i probably only slept for like ten minutes. it was terrible i thought at one point when we were over the ocean we were going to die because the turbulence was so bad!! but we made it. When we got to manchester i had all of my luggage but one of the girls had got left in atl so i was grateful i had all my stuff or i literally would have died. all of the missionaries got on a bus and it was like a 30 min drive to the mtc. i looked like death when we got here so i have no pictures of that because i deleted them...

       the mtc is great!! i am learning so much but it is very overwhelming! i don't mind the class part but the teaching part is so scary! we have to teach our teachers and it's not fun at all.. the first time i taught was on saturday and after that i wanted to leave and come home because it was such an awful lesson but we didn't pray with our "investigator". That was definitley the problem. because the last two lessons have gone great because we have prayed before them! i am learning to teach but i still really really suck at it.. My companion is sister murphy and she is really sweet! she's 6ft and she's from ireland!! we also room with two other girls, sister laborero from england and sister javed from pakistan!! they are both great! i definitley have not had a hard time making friends here so that's good!! i would rather hang out with the elders but i guess i will just be a good missionary and obey haha. i'm in the ammon district and we like to have a good time!! it's just me and sister murphy and then 7 elders and we just goof around the whole time and sometimes get in trouble. haha oh well. i got in trouble yesterday for chewing gum!!! no gum is the gayest rule i have ever heard of!!

       President and Sister walker are the mtc president!! sister walker is president hinkleys daughter!!! isn't that so cool!! she is so sweet and we get to hear some stories about her growing up and stuff like that. they are both amazing!! the spirit is so incredibly strong here it feels like i am in rehab because they are draining my soul of worldly things.. it's not a bad thing tho.

       we went to the temple today and it is gorgeous!! i loved it! three people in the mission went through for their first time today so that was fun to go through with all of them!! and then after we went to chorley to shop and i wanted to buy everything but i was able to contain myself. the 280 dollars turned into 147 pounds. i don't even know if that's right so hopefully they didn't rip me off!! there was non church music in the stores so that was great to hear haha..

      there is this scottish guy that works here and apparently they hate people from utah!! he makes fun of me all of the time. he tracks me down in my freaking classes to bug me about it haha. the sad part is he talks so fast and with his accent i can't even understand him haha.

         but i love it here and i don't know how i am going to be gone for a year and a half. every five seconds i want to call and tell you what's going on!! i haven't broke down yet so that's good but i feel like it's going to be soon!! it's really hard being away from you all but i know i am supposed to be here!! i really do love it but it is just going to take some getting used too!!

       Tell nathan great job at his games and i loved the pictures!! and i want you to send real pictures and letters as well cause we can get that during the week and i need something to help me get thru to the next pday!! thank you so much for all of the letters in my suit case and for the pictures!! it made me cry!! i love you all so so so sosososososoos much!! it has only been a week but it feels like it's been 5!! so glad that i don't have to be here for 3 freaking months i would die!! i love you all so much and miss you like crazy!! pleaseeeeee write!!

   love syd

      also i forgot some stuff haha. i have already been on the computer for an hour and we are only supposed to be on here for 30 minutes!! woops!! but on the plane me and a couple elders sat behind an english lady and she gave us some advise to be quiet cause us americans have a bad rep for being loud and obnoxious haha. and uh well we were not that quiet and she kept looking back at us but we couldn't help it because there were missionaries all over the plane and we just all bonded so we were all talking to one another. i just hate not talking to any of you and i think it just might kill me!! be safe and i love you all again!! do you want me to send pictures over the computer or just send you the card? ok talk to you next week!! love love