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Dearest Family,

Wow, what a day, huh? My feelings this day are in some ways very apparent whilst others are hard to name. I've really been excited for "my turn" - I feel as if it is now my time to leave home and really set a foot out into the world. And of course I feel sadness because I won't be home for 2 years. But I think I'm over that now. I wasn't concerned about the MTC; in fact, I was really looking forward to it. From what I had been told, it'd seem like a long EFY without the girls. Now that I'm here, it is kind of like this, with that total immersion in the gospel. But now I have a companion, I have to wear a suit the whole time, etc. Enclosed is a copy of my schedule for the first day.

My companion, Elder Norton, is a big tall guy from Lymon (sp?), Wyoming. Or Montana. But those states are practically the same anyways . . . He's a great guy. He'd been with his g/f for 4 years! Daaaang. The other two fellows in my room are cool, too. They're both from UT, and all 3 of them have fun explaining all things mid-western to the "Californian"! Like Fry Sauce? Apparently it's like 1000 Isalnds, but not . . .

Love, Nick Elder Onken