Our temple training in SLC was wonderful--just as you would expect it to be. There were 23 couples. In April there were eight and in March there were 11. So it was a large group for our trainers to accommodate. Five couples left a little early in order to arrive in Paris in time for the temple dedication. How fun would that be--to help open a temple?! There were three couples going to Nauvoo--including two sisters and their husbands. There were two couples going to Palmyra. But our group covered the globe--Manhattan, Washington DC, London, Frieburg Germany, South Africa, Bolivia, Paraguay, Samoa and Japan. One of our biggest thrills was seeing President Fotheringham from our first mission in Colorado. He was one of the sealers to work with our group and he requested that we be switched so that we could participate in his sealings. It was such a special highlight. We flew out on Friday morning. Getting our luggage packed and weighed was a challenge--but we made it. Our flight was 1 1/2 hours late leaving, but we were able to get the word to President Bench and he forwarded it along. President and Sister Bench are out of town and we haven't met them yet. President and Sister Nixon picked us up in Newark, NJ. He is a counselor in the temple presidency. We barely squeezed everything into the back of their CR-V. Our apartment is small, but it is manageable. The other temple missionaries had stocked us up with food to prepare several meals, homemade brownies, fresh cut flowers and laundry supplies. It was great. We only shopped a little on Saturday, which was a good thing, because the stores were crowded, the aisles are crowded and small and it was hard to get around. But at least we learned where a few stores are located. Sunday morning we lucked out. We are assigned to the Councourse Ward (Spanish) in the Bronx. It happened to be their Stake Conference, so the Nixon's rode out on the subway with us. Now we know how to get there for next Sunday. We came back on our own. We surfaced in an unfamiliar spot (we should have walked a block underground), so we had to navigate four intersections in a round-about to get to Broadway Street. But we are better informed for next time! :) Monday night we went out to eat with the other missionaries and we watched the "Fantasticks". It was "off"-broadway. It was just okay, not great. Tuesday we started in the temple. There are a few proceduaral differences, but we are learning them. It will take a while to learn all of the names of ordinance workers, missionaries and volunteers. We miss all of you, but we are excited to be here.