{i'm here}

Fam!
Goodness gracious i am here! Ha wow is all i can say! I can't believe it. These past few days have been a crazy roller coaster and now we are here and it's gonna be great to get going on all of this! Well i'll just start from where we left off on the phone but ya we got on the flight and it went well and i got a little nap which was much needed! ha but ya it was a little strange going passed the mountains and knowing that it'd be a while haha but all in all it was a good flight and once we touched down in Baltimore the nerves were crazy crazy haha we walked out of the plane and i couldn't figure out why people were lookign at me so crazy but then i realized oh yeah your a missionary and welcome to Baltimore ha it's weird to be back in the real world and all that but i'm happy though really really happy! Today is my P day by the way just so you all know Wednesdays are P DAYS ha So we were walking down the stairs and there was our mission president and sister belliston and sis belliston just jumping up and down and clapping and doing all that stuff and it was so great to right off the bat feel the love and excitement that they had for us. wow it was great and a big bear hug from our mision president was great from the moment i saw them i fell in love with both of them and they are such such great people wow! And the ap's were there as well wow they are way sweet elders. They taught me somehting right off the bat that you can be serious wehn it's time to be serious and have fun when it is time to be fun and they were just having a blast with us and all of that was a lot of fun. We got in the van and drove to the mission home. I cannot bleieve how many trees are here! You can't see any land marks or anything it's just thick and lush and it's crazy i kinda get discombobulated not knowing where everything is it's really funny but ya. What a great mission home it's a red brick house and just tucked back in all these huge thick trees it was amazing. So we had the first real meal out of the mtc and that was so so so good burritos and everything was fresh and wow i was kinda happy to have a nice meal that was homemade! So it was a really relaxing night but it just was weird to go from utah to maryland just like that and wondering whats going on and what's next and ya it's really strange, but it's really fun to try and get all of this down. So we met with sister beliston about health stuff and then an interview with president. Those were both great they really do care so much about us and i could jsut feel there love the whole time. Don't you worry mom i'm in great hands! Angel Caballero is here in the mission and he went to dixie and we were pretty good friends i knew him really really well and ya president showed me the board of all the missionaries in the mission and the companionships and ya that was way cool to see. President asked me about elder caballero and i just told him a little bit and he said he was a great missionary. So we stayed there last night at the mission home and transfer meeting was today at 9 am, so all night i was thinking ok where am i gonna go where am i gonna be who am i gonnna be with? I'm sure you all can just imagine haha but i fell asleep and it was all good. We woke up, got ready and headed out for the meeting. We had a little orientation on some things just the new elders and then they have this tradition werhe the new elders walk in when the elders start singing the opening song of the meeting and we walk in and all these elders stand up and look at us and are singing wow it was a crazy experience welcome to the mission i guess haha and so we had a good meeting and there are some elders going home and they sang a song and presdient beliston spoke and his wife and jsut thier love for the gospel and missionary work is really amazing. Then was the fun part we all got to get up and bear our testimonies to everyone and stay up on the stand and look down at all the missionaries, adn while i was up there i saw Elder Caballero down there and things started going through my head and one by one president would call our names out for a new elder and then have their trainer stand. Well a little time went on and guess who my trainer is? ELDER CABALLERO! Ya we go to the same high school and totally know each other and hear he is my trainer. I couldn't beleive it and i still can't haha he is the best and i know that he is a hard worker you can just see it in the way he works and talks wow this is gonna be a sweet time with him that's for sure! So we got done with the meeting and kinda hung out and talked to all the new missionaries. Dad the kid that was with me and mike on our recruting trip to byu is here in my mission! he's from idaho and i dunno if he's gonna go back and play or not i'm not sure but i swear this place is just a small small world!So i went and got my bags and my bike...My bike is perfect mom i'm so happy we bought that one and not a brand new one it's really really nice and it's gonna do the job just great i'm really happy you got that one for me thank you thank you! So a member picked us up and elder caballero and i and two other english speaking elders that we live with got in the truck and went to our new pad haha Oh and by the way mom i had two packages from you when i got there. Thank you so so much those were perfect i'll make sure to send you pictures of our nice celebration haha Thank you mom those were so so nice. So i'm now at some library in Glen Bernie is the town were in it's south of Baltimore. My new address is 303 Oak Manor Dr. apt. # 104 Glen Bernie, Maryland 21061. You can send letters here or to the mission home and they will get to me either or your choice. But our place is pretty nice. Not too bad at all and it's just different but i'll get used to it and it'll be great. We have a huge huge huge area cause there is only like 20 spanish missionaries in the mission but from what i can tell they are a bunch of great elders who work hard. So ya and we have a car every other day that we share with the english elders so one day is car and one day is bikes which isn't too bad at all. I can't tell you the feelings that i am having right now ha it's just so different here and i just feel so out of place but i am so excited to just get to work and do all i can. Last night the ap said something to me that really stuck out he said well your here and now you have 3 options 1. you can have the time or your life love the mission and work as hard as you can and enjoy it 2. you can grind everyday of your mission and end up hating it in the end 3. you can go home. and i thought a lot about that last night and i'm jsut so excited to fall in love with the people and to fall in love with the mission and work work work and just do everything i can tell we are going to have a lot to do and a lot of land to cover but at the same time i wouldn't have it any other way. I am so happy to be here you have no idea. I know that the lord blessed me with someoen that i know and someone that is like me for a trainer and i really think that the sky is the limit for elder caballero and i! I can't really tell if we are in the ghetto or not here but it seems like a pretty nice area ha but i can't really tell where we are there's trees everywehre and it's tuff to figure out but that'll come through time i'm not worried but ya i feel great about this place. Wow the humidity here is different, ha dad all i could think of when i got here is when we were at fenway park and i looked over at you and said dad i'm leaking! cause thats what i'm doing here yesterday was worse than today but for the most part it's not too bad just a tad bit warm ha but i'll get used to it. I really have no idea what to expect but from talking to my companion he has loved it here and everyone seems to be really really close and everyone is happy and i just always wanna be seen as that way too because this is seriously the best time of my life and i wanna take advantage of everyday and not miss a day. So today after i'm done emailing were gonna go to walmart and get some food and i need some pillows and a blanket of somethin cause all i have is sheets so mom i hope thats ok i dunno what to do but i know i will just get a cheaper blanket and then we can talk about it next week and you can let me know what you would liek me to do but i should be totally fine and our apartment is pretty nice. We need to clean it up a bit but i know i'll be the one thats gonna be keeping us nice and tidy haha it's not liek they are slobs they just need a little jordan clean up and they'll be good. The other elders that i live with have been out for 2 months and 14 months and they seem to be pretty cool. Ahh i just can't believe that elder caballero is my trainer and that here we are two kids from the same high school and now were companions and he's my trainer. Seriously i've been praying for a good trainer and my prayers have been answered for sure! I can't believe i am here and i can't believe this crazy journey i'm starting up but it's time and elder caballero is fluent in spanish and i know that's gonna help my spanish so so so much and that's another blessing for me as well! I can tell that these next few weeks are gonna be tuff but i'm excited to just work work work. I have been so blessed to be here at this time i know it. So after we go to wal mart and get that stuff were gonna go back and do laundry and make dinner and then we have an apt tonight at 7 and were gonna try and get them to commit to baptism haha i'm nervous! and then after that we are going to another one at 8 crazy crazy and just to remind you all these are in spanish so we'll see about that! haha this first day we just get thrown into the fire and i'm so happy that it is this way for sure. Elder bowden is in annapolis and elder hale is in d-town baltimore haha so it'll be fun to see them grow too. I can tell i have so much work to do and so much stuff to do but i'm so happy cause at the mtc you just don't get to feel like that but out here you get here and you just know that there is work to do! Elder caballero is a horse i can tell that i'm just gonna be riding him for the next few weeks but we don't have a branch here and he's like "Elder Hammer we're getting a branch started" and i'm so excited for that. There is work to be done that is for sure and I couldn't have asked for a better trainer. I think i have every last thing that i need here for now and i am prepared and now it's just time to rely on the lord. These missionaries have a light and glow about them and they just are sweet to be around! I dunno what to say other than i'm really really excited and i just am ready for this crazy journey to begin. i'm excited for me adn my new pony(bike) to start stompin the pavement together and to really really work ha can you tell i'm excited people cause i am. Elder caballero didn't have anythign bad to say about safety here and siad that this area is really good area and that he feels safe and that were watched over really well so mom don't worry. Wow i'm at the library right now and i never realized how sheltered i was ha i'm seeing some eye opening things and people here and i just wanna stand up on the table and give a sermoned so they can all quit lookin so mad and sad ha But wow Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore! Jace kars and hailey i can't wait till tomorrow i can start singing "Good morning Baltimore" haha. Well fam i know i'll be hearing from you and i hope i ahve got you all caught up to speed on everything. But ya i'm happy and i'm excited and i'm ready! Don't you worry about a thing i am in good hands and the lords with me. just like i said yesterday fam. We have everything in life and we have no need to complain and i just am so happpy that i can look back at home and know that my fam and friends is healthy and happy and safe! I love you all so much and i feel the love of your prayers for me. I'm gonna need them i'll just tell you that much haha but family i love you all and everyone who writes me and all my pen pals and i just am grateful for all that you do i know it's only through email but i mean every word that i say! Thank you thank you thank you. Today is my P day so i'll be talking to you all in a week with i'm sure an eventful email haha. I love you so much and i'm happy and excited don't forget that ever ever. The lord is with us and it's time to start pounding the pavement. I love you all!
Con mucho Amor,
Elder Hammer (Residing in Maryland haha)