Travel Day

Well, Mackenzie made it!  He arrived this morning in Brazil at 6:20am (2:20am PST).  Before switching planes in Dallas he fired off this quick message to the family:

Alright so ill be boarding in 20 minutes and im gonna head down to my gate.  my flight is on time and i will soon be on my way to brazil.  tell everyone i love them and i will write when it is pday i guess!!  and real fast.. a lady came up to me and asked where i was coming from and i said i was going to Brazil.  so she was like oh wow you just left today! yuuuppp.  turns out her husband served his mission in France!! he seemed a little older than you [Dad] though so i figured that he was a few years before.  but i told him you [Dad] served there as well.  made my day a little less boring waiting here.  im hopping off the computer. love ya

Obviously texting has taken it's toll on his ability to write (just kidding) but you can tell already that the boy has changed focus and is even more ready than when he left Sacramento this morning.

The MTC in Brazil has asked the following:

DO NOT SEND PACKAGES to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving, not the MTC. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers.  The cost to get this type of correspondence is exorbitant.

So, as we wait for his next letter, here are a some pictures from the past few days.  More to follow.

Elder Sant walking off to catch his tram.

Mackenzie with the Elders currently serving in both the home and YSA wards

Elder Sant and Jonathan

Hugging Christopher for the last time.

Marc too

Family Picture w/ President Cassinat after Mackenzie was set apart

Family picture at the airport joined by Bob and Karen from American Airlines.  Dad knows them well from all his travels

Elder Sant

Mackenzie is leaving for Brazil tomorrow!!! AAAHHH!!

His contact information after July 25th will be:

Email: mackenzie.sant@myldsmail.net

He can receive email from anyone, but will only be able to email his own family.  Make sure to include your snail-mail address in any email to him so he can write back.

His mailing address from July 25th to September 20th will be:

Elder Mackenzie Sant
Brazil Goiania Mission
Brazil Missionary Training Center
Rua Padre Antonio D’Angelo, 121
Casa Verde
02516-040 Sao Paulo – SP
Brazil

His mailing address after September 25th will be:

Elder Mackenzie Sant
Brazil Goiania Mission
Rua 18, 110, Salas 1105 a 1107
Ed Business Center, Setor Oeste
74120-080 Goiania – GO
Brazil

Copy and paste, or write, the addresses exactly as shown above.  Postage to Brazil is $1.05 for a standard first-class letter.

Packages containing anything of value are discouraged because they may not reach him.  Care packages (cookies, candy, etc) might reach him, but allow plenty of shipping time, especially if you send anything while he is in the Brazil MTC.  Make sure you do not send any dutiable items that might incur customs charges for Mackenzie.

You can also write a letter to him at www.dearelder.com .  Address the letter to Elder Mackenzie Sant and select the Brazil MTC (from July 25th thru September 20th) or the Brazil, Goiania Mission (after September 25th) from the list of missions.  Note:  The cost for DearElder letters to Brazil is the same $1.05 as writing your own letter due to Brazil postal regulations.