Watdawg In Salt Lake Cizzle Utizzle!

Hello from the Valley!

     I'm here in the Beehive state with John and Joy Belcher (and Tyson too). I arrived yesterday morning off Delta airlines. Peaceful flight, I slept on the plane. Even got a complimentary cookie and water. My flight was delayed 10 minutes because... the plane before us hit a deer on the runway. A flipping deer! I laughed as I thought of Bambi's mom. Only in the south.

      When I got off the plane there were missionaries everywhere about to go to Mexico. I talked to them and they where so excited about me going to the MTC. They said Elder Ballard might be there next week.

     Weeelll, I got to tour downtown! We went to City Creek which is a big mall just outside of Temple Square. It is a magical place, the creek runs through the mall. It's where the early Saints got water. We ate at a fabulous place there called Kneaders. Yummy bread, yummy hot chocolate, yummy pastries. I had a chocolate mousse dome, it was divine.

      Then we went to Temple Square, it was incredible. I got to go to the Joseph Smith Building, the Visitor's Center, Assembly Hall, and the Tabernacle! There were a lot of sister missionaries that talked to me and two of them were from Japan! We spoke in Japanese and they congratulated me on my call. That was fun!

        Then we got a grand tour of the Conference Center. It is bigger on the inside. There are so many cool things in there like the hall of Presidents, and the original paintings that depict the Book of Mormon. You know the ones we see all the time, but the originals. The one of Christ in America is HUGE!

        I even got to sit in the Conference hall and watch them decorate for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas show. It was pretty cool.

           We went at night and took the track train to get to downtown. (A plane and train in the same day!) The Christmas lights were on and snow is EVERYWHERE. I look out the window and see clear across Salt Lake Valley and can also see big white mountains. Just in the Belchers neighborhood there are three churches, all different stakes. In fact there are LDS churches and Temples everywhere. They even have food storage stuff at Walmart! It's crazy and so cool.

        Well that's about it. Time for another adventurous day. I've included some photos and there are more on the way. Hope you like them!

        Have a great week everyone! My next letter will be from the MTC! =)

Love,
Elder Cullen Watkins