This week was also hard, but better than last week. Some highlights -- we started playing volleyball with our district and other Italians during exercise time. It's really fun - I just have to figure out a way for me to get exercise time. That's something that's really frustrating - that I can't just go for a run on my own or exercise without someone having to be there watching me. On Tuesday we got to visit the Salt Lake consulate for our visa appointment. That was fun. I got SUSHI! I tried to take a picture but I had already started eating and selfies are hard on iPads. I also got REAL DIET COKE - to answer your question the MTC DOES NOT have caffeine. And it's fine, I don't need it...it is just a little sad. They have caffeine free Diet Coke but it's just not the same.
We got abandoned in a few classes (no teacher because the Italians were overlapping) so we had no teacher for a bit and then permanent teachers were assigned. I have Fratello Harbin and Sorella Blanford. I like them a lot. They are both super understanding and loving. I got to go for a run with another sister in my district and I was doing so well, and then I snapped in the end of the day...complete meltdown on Wednesday. I just couldn't remember anything I had studied for hours earlier and that's really frustrating. And then just some other stuff that waws frustrating me... So after dinner we were walking back to class and I didn't want to go and started crying, and then finally made it in and someone said something to me and started crying - like bad that time, and then we had to teach a lesson and I sucked at it and put in no effort and after Sorella Blanford talked to me and just let me vent. She probably thinks I'ma horrible person now, but I literally sobbed about the things frustrating me and how I'm not picking up and I don't learn this way, and then she gave me some suggestions for how to learn better and told me a story about her time in the MTC. And then one of the sisters in my district and I talked at night and I prayed really hard that night and yesterday was SO MUCH BETTER.
1 - Was the smoke from the fires bad? Has it cleared out?
3 - What scripture do you want on your plaque? (They want me to give them the information at church on Sunday)
4 - What is the food like? What do you usually eat?
5 - Did you get the sleep mask, duck tape, and mints?
6 - Where is your companion from? How about some of the other missionaries in your district? Tell me about them.
7 - How was church on Sunday? Do you have a full three-hour block, like regular church? What did you do on Sunday besides church?
8 - How are your classes going?
9 - What is your favorite Italian word that you've learned so far?
10 - What have you learned about the Italian culture or people so far?
11 - How was your trip to SLC for your visa?
The smoke was SO BAD. I meant to take a picture and then forgot but yeah, the smoke was bad and it still is. It smells like smoke outside today. A lot of times I can literally see (if it's not too thick) the spot on the mountain where it is funneling out. Breathing = non bene.Elder Bednar called Character of Christ. It talked about how the character of Christ is to always turn outward. Like always. It was pretty overwhelming, but something that I have been thinking about and trying to implement. I think it's helping a little. Also we had a devotional by Elder Neal L. Anderson in person and he talked about the temple which was cool. We met after to talk about it as a district.
I really don't know. Maybe D&C 30:11?
Non bene. So there is a wrap line, combo, and then two entrees and you can pick, but the lines are so long everywhere. It's the Cannon Center food but just less of it. They always have cut up fruit so that's good. For breakfast we usually just get a sack breakfast so we don't have to get dressed (class doesn't start until like 1:15) which is pick four - cereal and milk, muffin, fruit sometimes, yogurt that's gross and bagels.
Yes, thank you so much!
My companion is from South Jordan. Sorella M is from Chandler, Arizona and has a motorcycle. Sorella S is from Idaho and is so sweet. Sorella O who I ran with is from Orem and is so good at memorizing everything.
We have Relief Society, then district meeting or something 2nd hour, then a really short sacrament meeting (random people get called up every week so we have to have a talk prepared at all times on a specific topic) and then another meeting like training after sacrament meeting, then I think we have like lunch or something and then have devotionals and then a video at night
They are going, praying really hard for the gift of tongues. That's what is the hardest -- not being able to remember things I have been studying.
Just bene. Say it constantly. if you wanna up it you can say molto bene. That is how I SYL (speak your language). Also principesa. When we play volleyball and the serve doesn't make it over everyone yells principesa and the person re-serves- it means princess.
Fratello Harbin said he only didn't like one food his whole mission. and it was polenta with gorgonzola which is a normal food that some people like.
It was nice to get away - we still had to go back to class and teach, literally didn't miss anything but our study time. Everything went fine! No problems. Everything went smoothly. Like 10 of us went in to the room and signed and flipped pages as they told us to.
12 - What books and study materials did they give you? Are they in English or in Italian?
Preach My Gospel in English and Italian, Italian scriptures (fun fact: we don't have our own LDS Bible because of copyright, so we have a different bible without JST ad it doesn't look like ours), then a purple book with grammar like Alyssa had, that small book we saw at the store, a grammar binder and another big Italian book (we haven't opened the last two). We mostly focus on memorizing right now the basic core - which is a page ofphrases and four columns of words we have to just straight up memorize along with our missionary purpose, the first vision, Moroni 10:4-5 and the baptisimal invitation - all by Saturday. I am maybe 63% there.
No.
14 - What was the most interesting thing that happened this week?
For our service project I think we are on the planting comittee the whole time (which is dope, no cleaning bathrooms) and so yesterday we spent and hour and a half pulling out the BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.
15 - Is your stomach doing better?
Yes. Much better than last week.
16 - How are your feet doing?
Good - I have mostly only been wearing my black Naots and my brown Clarks because they are so comfortable. I wore my red shoes today. I think I might send them back home. They aren’t working for me very well. The heel pads are very squeaky and when I sweat I slip out. But they are so cute!
17 - Have you been able to take a picture in front of the big map, pointing to your mission yet? I want one of those! And I want a picture of your name tag!
No - I took a pic of my name tag in front of the Salt Lake Temple, but I don't know how to send that. I will try to take another in front of the Provo Temple today.
18 - Have you seen Carli or Addie, or anyone else?
On Sunday I sat by Carli in choir! I don't see her as much as Addie - Addie is on my floor but is leaving Monday!! Like 3 weeks early!!
19 - Did you go to the temple again this week?
We are going to the temple.
20 - What did you do/are you doing for P-Day today?
Wake up, laundry, email (most important), then we will eat, finish laundry, go to the temple, then ??? Study probably and play volleyball later, clean the room?
The tights we ordered from Uniqlo arrived yesterday so I'll get them mailed to you. Is there anything else you need or want me to send with them?
- I don't need anything else.
Did you get the Dear Elder care package?
- Yes, I loved it and it helped me stay awake in class. I hate having late class. It's hard for me. And no requests, they give us dessert like everyday so I don’t really need anything.
LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!
Girls in my zone on the bus to Salt Lake. In the front left is a girl who was in my freshman ward. The girl to the left of me I hope is my companion at some point.
On Front Runner. I kept hoping I would see Dad.
Sorella O and I got sushi!!!
It was so bright I couldn’t open my eyes at all. This is a guy we met named Tony. First off he’s Italian so we were speaking Italian on the bus and someone started talking to him. He’s from New York and his dad was #4 in the mafia. He doesn’t know why but he decided he wanted to move and went to a bus station, didn’t know where he was going and then got the idea to go to SLC. His friend was investigating the church so he joined, didn’t go anywhere and then the missionaries took him to the Christus Statue at Temple Square and he just started crying and said he was ready to read the scriptures they had assigned him. He’s a 9/11 survivor - he is a chef and had a kitchen in the World Trade Center his sister went in to work that day but he thought he should get a bagel. Which was like unheard of because he ran a kitchen. He lost his sister and half his staff but he survived. He talked about how he knew those things happened for a reason. It was awesome. It was just such a tender mercy to not only meet an Italian but also a convert and he was just so inspirational and motivational- we can do this.
At the Provo Temple today.
Our room.
My coats in my suitcases. Everything else is in this small closet space!
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