9/9/2019
Okay so I'll start off by saying that I made it to Alabama!!
I'm serving in a place called Talladega! There is a huge NASCAR track here! Anyway storytime!
I was supposed to leave the MTC on Tuesday morning but plans changed early on Monday. Everyone in our room had packed everything up and we were all ready to go but then an Elder in our room found a... bedbug! Ewwww! 
It was so gross and then as we searched we found many more. We went and told the front information desk and then had us sit and wait until further info. We waited for 45 minutes and then one of the MTC district leaders came out and told us that our flights plans were going to be canceled until further notice. Ohhh..., we were all so upset and sad because we were so excited to get to the mission field. The rest of the group not in our room and district headed to Alabama but we were quarantined until they could get us cleared to travel. The front desk proceeded to tell us that they would have call in a pest control company and they would create an “oven” to put all of our stuff into so that any potential bugs would be killed.
It was so gross and then as we searched we found many more. We went and told the front information desk and then had us sit and wait until further info. We waited for 45 minutes and then one of the MTC district leaders came out and told us that our flights plans were going to be canceled until further notice. Ohhh..., we were all so upset and sad because we were so excited to get to the mission field. The rest of the group not in our room and district headed to Alabama but we were quarantined until they could get us cleared to travel. The front desk proceeded to tell us that they would have call in a pest control company and they would create an “oven” to put all of our stuff into so that any potential bugs would be killed.
Then they said that we would have to sleep in the same room that night until they could get us a new one the next morning. It was so gross but I was just grateful because my bed was one of the only ones without bugs!
The tender mercy in all of it was that I was able to be there on Wednesday, the day that my close friend Garrett arrived in the MTC. If I’d left as scheduled on Tuesday I wouldn’t have been able to see him.
After all this happened we finally got flight plans and found out we would finally be leaving Thursday morning! I was so excited!!
I left the MTC at 4:30am and left for the airport! The flights all went great and I made it to Birmingham where I was met by the mission president and his wife!! They are both so amazing!
I left the MTC at 4:30am and left for the airport! The flights all went great and I made it to Birmingham where I was met by the mission president and his wife!! They are both so amazing!
And finally I got to meet my companion! His name is Elder Daines and he is awesome!! I'm going to learn so much from him!
I've started to meet everyone here in the Talladega branch and they are all so sweet and kind! Everyone here wants to feed the missionaries so we don't have to cook much. I got my bike but we also have a car since my companion is the district leader.
I've started to meet everyone here in the Talladega branch and they are all so sweet and kind! Everyone here wants to feed the missionaries so we don't have to cook much. I got my bike but we also have a car since my companion is the district leader.
I don't have much time to write but we are teaching several people who are really receptive to the gospel and it is great to see the happiness that it is beginning to bring into their lives.
I already love my awesome mission president and his awesome wife, President and Sister Allred!
My trainer, Elder Daines is dope!
Anyway I'll talk to y'all next week!
-Elder Swallow
