Here we are in ROMANIA!

Denny's new wheels!

Here we are in Romania!

We are the couple on the right and as you can see we still look the same. What you don't see is our aching feet and blisters because the young couple on the left just walked our feet off traipsing all over Bucharest in a futile attempt at teaching us all about Romania in a day! We now know how to jump on and off autobuz (buses), Metrou (subway), tramvaii (streetcars). What we know for sure is we are more confused than ever and we will be staying in our apartment for the duration of our mission.

The Edwards. A beautiful couple who ended their mission today. We now live in their cute apartment.

Missionaries in the Salt Lake City airport making that one last phone call home.

View from our balcony. The street noises couldn't be louder if you had a tent on the sidewalk! We love it though!

The bedroom/office combo suite.

A true European kitchen---efficient and cozy.

Our living/dining room. This table will seat 10! This little apartment is light and bright and sparkling clean. We are so lucky to have it!

A typical intersection. This picture was taken from the mission office and it shows a pile of cars making turns anyway they can. They have never heard of "left-turn lanes" so they all pile up and inch into position and then make a run for it.

Today's sunset. This picture was taken from our apartment complex. Now the day is over...finally!

We're Leaving for Romania TOMORROW!

It's finally here! We're trained, we're prepped, we're packed, we're excited! The butterflies in our stomachs are beginning to fly in formation because at 5 a.m. Monday morning, we'll be on our way! We have absolutely loved our experience here at the MTC. It's really something you have to experience to even imagine it. It is like the biggest, happiest cruise ship in the world and tomorrow we'll do our 18 month "Shore Excursion"!

Internet time is hard to come by with 2 ethernet and about 20 couples waiting in line. I'll be the "Blogger" you've come to know and trust once in Romania on Tuesday. Promise! Until then, A revedere!

Here is the close-up of us at "The Map".

Janet Harmon picked up a car-load of women at the MTC for a morning hike on Squaw Peak. The colors were breathtaking!

For our last Saturday, Steve, Barb, Jon, and Izzy came to Orme for one last romp and of course, a dinner at Cafe Rio. The kids are precious!

We'll miss you guys!

MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER

The "in-famous" picture every missionary has to have!

This is our group that entered with us on Monday. The Sister in the front sprained her ankle just hours before. In this group are missionaries going to India, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Marshall Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, Guatemala, France, Nepal, Philippines, Korea, Florida, New Jersey.

You can't believe the sea of suits and white shirts. This is the cafeteria.

And finally, this is how we felt on Friday afternoon. Total overload. The instructors joke that they do their best to help us to drink from a fire hose!

The MTC is an amazing place. If there was ever a heaven on earth, this is it. There's just one complaint... At the end of the day, we are so exhausted that we fall into bed only to begin again the next morning at 6:00am. We study Romanian with our tutor until 8:00p.m. and that is after classes which start at 8:00a.m. The food is fabulous and we eat when we're not really hungry just because "it's there". We have met wonderful people and hundreds of missionaries who walk around mumbling in their newly learned language. The Elders love us and go out of their way to open doors and move out of our way. We have learned so much that we are overwhelmed. Why do we love it? You just have to be here!

Some of you have asked for our mailing address here at the MTC. Here you go!

Elder and Sister Linerud

Provo MTC

2005 N 900 E Box 64

Provo, Ut 84604

The Drop-Off