So today is my final P-Day in the MTC.  Just a little crazy.  These last couple days have been a little bit of fun, and a little bit of sad. I will miss a lot of the people I've met here at the MTC, and I've been saying good bye to them for the past little bit.  I leave tomorrow morning at 2:30 in the morning (WAY TOO EARLY).  The rest of my district leaves today at 1:30, but I will still beat them to the mission field, which I think is pretty funny.  While Elder Wimmer is gone and I'm still here, I get to be temporary companions with Elder Mertz.  He's a really great Elder from the district just behind us (well, 4 weeks behind us...) so I am excited for that.  I am really sad to see Elder Wimmer going though.  I was really blessed with him as a companion.  He put up with a lot of stuff (see the Halloween costume pictures) and helped me with a lot.  And it was great to see him grow as we were here.  I will definitely miss him as we spilt paths.

This week, whether I was aware of it or not, I feel was a bit of a spiritual growth spurt for me.  After Elder Wimmer recited the First Vision and gave me such a clear witness through the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of that account, I have spent the week seeking to grow that small seed of testimony.  Elder Wimmer also got to recite the First Vision in mission conference, which was awesome.  Partly because we got to sit in the front.  The plan was for all those reciting to sit on the front row and the companions to sit on the row behind them.  Since all the others reciting it were sisters, I was about to be in the second row with 6 sisters (Every single group was a tripanionship, until ours got split with Elder Eggersten joining....)  Not that I was going to complain or anything...  But things ended up being just a little different from that, which is alright.  I was just really happy to get that same witness again.  And finally, in the Temple this morning, I had the expereince where that need to know how everything works, and why that I feel makes so much of the difference in Math and Physics, just melted away, and I was able to just let things be, and know that somehow, everything works, and no one (definitely not me) can comprehend the mysteries of God on their own.  Anyway, it was just a great week, and great last huzzah with my current district.  I bought everyone a cream soda one day, and we got a picture by the Cream Soda Tree, named because it smells like Cream Soda.  Elder Wimmer and I also had the chance to bless the Sacrament this Sunday.... Only we do our meetings with the missionaries using "SYL" or trying to only speak their language.  Which, scarily enough, includes the Sacrament Prayers.  Now, because Chinese is tonal, thats a total part of the prayer, and  I was really freaking out thinking I would be up on the stand saying the same thing 5 times, and then finally, humiliatingly, and mercifully, the Branch President would let me do it in English....  but there were no issues.  Which I know was a blessing from God, because I hate tones.  Mostly.  I have been going to choir with Elder Wimmer, and its really fun. Its awesome becuase I like sitting by him, and he says I can match pitch (most of the time) so I just try to follow him, which is really kind of cool.  Anyway.  This week comes to a close, and a new adventure begins tomorrow.  A freezing adventure... Brrr.....

Elder Ethington

T.J. loved his district! Here they are pointing to the missions where they will serve. One of thses things is not like the others....
 Elder Wimmer, his companion for his 9 weeks of MTC training,  is right next to T.J.