My First Email

Hey Family!
So this is my first e-mail ever in the mission! Pretty cool, huh? Things are going really well. I am having a great time so far. I've been really busy with a new language and studying the gospel and going to devotionals and large group meetings and eating MTC food and going to gym and whatever else you can imagine! It's been fun though and I have a really good group of guys for a district. Oh! And the English speakers in our district are going to the Florida Tallahassee mission so there's a small chance that Braden might be in MY district when he comes here. That would be sweet. I'm really glad I'm here. I know it's what I'm supposed to be doing and I know that it will be an amazing experience. I've already had some really good experiences and I've only been here a week!

Albanian is definitely going to be a tricky language to master, but that's why we've got the gift of tongues goin' on, ya know? I know the mission is going to fly by. I'm not very good at teaching, but I know that I will get better as I practice and as the Lord continues to help me. Just as it says in Alma 38:5 I'm going to "put my trust in God" and he will do the rest. I really want to get to Albania. I just want to be able to speak the language and go teach the people over there. I know there are people that are just dying to hear what I have to say. I want to be able to see a change in people's lives and to fall in love with them. It's funny because it's just me and Motra (Sister) Bentley out of the ENTIRE MTC (2000 missionaries) that are going to Albania. We are so lucky! I never thought of it that way until one of my teachers said that. But we really are so dang lucky to be one out of a thousand that are going to Albania.

I just want you to know that I love you and I miss you guys. But we will see each other again very soon.

-Elder Erik Swenson