The First Letter!

The first letter arrived today ... it was post-marked 1-25-08, and is VERY short, but it brought a smile to all at our house. It sounds like Josh is doing great. Although he hasn't told us anything else about his companion, we do know that his companion is the District Leader and Josh says the other elders in his room are "pretty cool."

Apparently he also wandered over to the Chinese language area to flex his chinese on those going to Taiwan, according to Josh, "they thought it was cool that I could talk with them." As far as Spanish goes, he says that he is "already getting to greet everyone fully in Spanish." His tutor at the MTC is "none other than the studly Allen Tucker!" (our Bishop's son who was two years ahead of Josh in high school and who served a mission to the Mexico City mission ... Josh has looked up to him for several years).

Josh's P-Day will be on Mondays, and so we will be expecting letters on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

The phrases from his letter that seem most to sum up how things are going say: "I am OMEGA busy." "This is a cool place!"

It has begun

On Wednesday, January 23, 2008, at approximately 1:30 pm, Josh entered the MTC. He was last seen (by us anyway) smiling from ear to ear as he walked down the hall to begin his missionary life. Prior to entering MTC there was a farewell breakfast for him at Denney's in Provo. Attending the breakfast were (in no particular order): Elder and Sister Turnbull (his grandparents who are serving a mission at Cove Fort, UT), Val and Connie Robison (grandparents), Becky Miles (grandmother) Jared and Michelle Miles (his maternal set of parents), Todd and Marci Richardson (his paternal set of parents), Kiah, Ayla, Brieann, Logan, Kindra (siblings), Michael Robison (uncle), Brock Richardson (defensive lineman for BYU .... oh yea, he's also a cousin), and Jay Helquist (formerly Elder Helquist who served in Clarkston where he became friends with Josh)

Welcome

This blog has not yet begun. It will begin though. I will post information about Joshua Richardson's mission exploits, updates and some thoughts along with pictures as they are available (or at least some of them). So, be patient, Wednesday (the day he reports) approaches.