Last Week at the MTC

Familia!!!
Can you believe that it's my last week in the MTC. I will be in Ecuador this time next week. Here is my travel itinerary:
LV: Salt Lake City, UT 6:00 AM
AR: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 9:35 AM
LV: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX 11:25 AM
AR: Miami, FL 3:10 PM
LV: Miami, FL 6:00 PM
AR: Quito, Ecuador 9:55 PM

It's not too bad of a schedule. Only 5 hours of lay-over and 10-11 hours in the air. I have to report at the travel office at 3 AM on Monday morning. I can't wait to go. I'm a little bit nervous but I know that the Lord will bless me. I can call you while at the airport. They never said how long but I think I just will call Dad's cell and home. I'll call when I'm in Miami. Not exactly sure what time it will be for you but I'll let you figure it out. It's funny that I got your letter with the calling cards because I had just bought one literally 15 minutes before my District Leader gave me your letter. Oh well. I'll sell one to someone in our district.
My Spanish is going pretty well. I can understand just about everything when it's said slowly and fairly clearly. Well see what it's like in Ecuador. I actually got a letter from a girl in our zone's mom who went to Ecuador. I learned some really cool things. They speak with a shuh sound with the ll in spanish (normally it means a yuh sound) up in the mountains. Down on the coast they cut the ends of words off. They also talk really fast. I just hope that I start off in the mountains because that will be an easier transition, but I know that wherever I go is where I need to be. I just hope that I'm prepared enough and that I'm constantly worthy of the Spirit. Today we have our final teaching appointment and I'm really excited. Both Elder Vogl and I have gotten to know how we teach and we work really well together now. It's going to be hard to leave because I love my district and zone so much.
Elder L. Tom Perry came last night to our devotional. He's the second apostle that has come since I've been here. It was an amazing talk and I took so many notes. He finished like 10 minutes early though so that kind of stunk, but oh well. I've learned so many things since I've been here. I've realized our progression by the way we teach in the referral center. It's amazing how many BoM's we give out now. Well I'm almost out of time so till Monday.

Love,
Élder Hakes