Patience

Ciao Tutti.

That has been the theme of my life this week.  The Lord has been teaching me tons of patience and it is amazing.  

So I realize I haven't written very much in my emails so I'll fill in more details.  

My companion and I have started running in the mornings finally.  It feels soooo good and running along the sea watching an Italian sunrise... priceless.  Hopefully the running will start to counteract the effects of the constant pasta and sweets.  

We taught our English class yesterday and it is amazing.  The people really want to learn English and we have so much fun every week doing it.  We're starting to get more people interested in the church through English class and hopefully some of them can turn into investigators.  

We're working with a part member family and we shared the "Forget me not" lk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf with V. (we can't put names in our emails of our investigators so I will refer to them by their first initial.).  It was a wonderful lesson and my testimony was strengthened that we are all truly children of God and he loves us sooo much.  We visited the mom N. and shared a thought with her.  She gave us these cookies that were sooo good.  It was basically a sugar cookie that was hard and crunchy coated with sugar and cinnamon on the top.  Apparently they are only sold over Carnivale.  YUM!the talk in Italian is notiscordartime

So I finally got to meet my zone this week.  We went to Genova for training and it was awesome to meet such wonderful people.  There are tons of missionaries here in Italy.  Also we are going to get some Anziani in Savona in a couple weeks.  We are sooo excited because we have some single male investigators that we will be able to give to the Anziani so they can teach more effectively.  Anyway at the training we had interviews with President Dibb.  Well leading up to this conference I had been going through a really hard time.  I was tired and old injuries were acting up.  I was really discouraged and frustrated because I couldn't speak the language and I couldn't understand what the people are saying... still can't quite catch everything.  I felt really alone and like I was a burden to others around me because my trainer has to help me with a lot of things and translate for me.  I had so much stress and was starting to get really depressed.  So when I went in for my interview the President simply asked, "So how are you doing Sorella Hatch?"  I bawled for 5 minutes before I could even talk.  But he gave me some amazing advice.

1)  He asked my trainer and I to start running every morning.  that has already helped so much.  Exercise is a huge stress reliever.

2)  I needed to cut myself some slack.  I wasn't going to be able to speak the language or understand right away.  and it was ok.  Also I needed to be patient with myself and others so that I didn't freak out at every little thing.  It's a simple principle but I thought cutting myself slack meant not reaching my full potential.  In reality, cutting ourselves some slack is a step to reach our potential because it helps us integrate patience into the process.

I'm so grateful for that advice.  Now things are tons better and I'm learning the language faster.  I'm understanding more and feel more comfortable.  Also, we had these massive PB and J's at the conference on these huge massive slices of wheat bread.  I have a new appreciation for that simple snack now.  

When we got home from the conference I was tired and emotional.  We went out doing strada and it was cold and I was done.  We tried a different approach and when it didn't work I finally snapped.  I begged my companion to let us go home and make calls.  When we have given up and are completely relying on the Lord that's when the miracles come.  We saw A. outside our apartment as we walked.  Sorella Bennett shared a scripture about how faith is things we can't see but know are true.  Well that lesson was a miracle for me.  It helped me see that I needed to have faith in the approaches, in myself that I can do these approaches and faith that the people will feel the spirit.  Sometimes when we teach a lesson it is for us to learn from as well.  

So we saw the cutest old church a couple days ago.  It honestly looked like it was from the 1400's.  I love Europe.

So we had this pasta dish where it was literally tomatoes, garlic, onions, and mozzarella cheese on pasta.... delicious.  

So we committed one of our investigators A. to baptism.  That was a beautiful lesson.  He is progressing so quickly and we felt the spirit so strong.  He has a few things to do to prepare but once he does it will be amazing.  I learned a lot in that lesson.  

We have an investigator named J. and that was the highlight lesson for me.  We shared a scripture with him and set another appointment.  I got to bear my testimony to him and the spirit was so strong.  It was a gorgeous sunny day which is rare right now because it just rains all the time during winter.  I will never forget what he said, "Quando C'e Sole, Tutto E bello."  when there is sun everything beautiful.  

So I'm doing much better.  I'm starting to actually get used to only 8 hours of sleep and running will help.  I'm starting to understand more of the language and start using more words and tenses.  Language study really helps.  Sorella Bennett and I are becoming better friends and I don't feel so alone anymore.  The people are so patient and help me learn to speak better.  This last week was one of the hardest emotionally but I also saw more miracles this week than in a long time and feel really close to my Heavenly Father.  

So I'm going to try to include a new word/phrase, scripture and challenge in all my emails.  So the phrase for this week is Ti or Vi Voglio Bene.  So in English we only have one sentence to say, | love you.  in Italian Ti or Vi Voglio Bene means I love you but not in the romantic way.  It's I love you for family and friends.  The difference is Ti is for one person and Vi means you all.  

The scripture this week is D:C 4:7.  

The challenge this week is to have more patience.  

Vi Voglio Bene!  That is pronounced Vee- Voleeo- bene

Sorella Hatch

FOCACCIA!

Salve Tutti,

You may ask why I start out this email with the word Focaccia... well let me explain.  Focaccia is white bread with oil and some spice.  It sounds plain but it is one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life.  We get it for snacks and it literally puts me in a happier mood.  This week we had an awesome lesson with an investigator.  She has committed to baptism except that she's leaving the country for a month so we have to wait until she returns.  The day we taught her had been a rough day and I just wanted to go home and sleep.  Well at the end of the lesson, the member that came with us gave us 4 huge slices of focaccia.  It was a miracle in itself for me.  It honestly confirmed my faith that the Lord takes care of his missionaries.  It sounds silly but it tasted so good.

So how's Italy?  Well Italy is pouring rain for three days straight.  It's riding bikes with brakes that die a little more everyday in the pouring rain.  It's being tired, hungry and constantly praying out loud or in my heart all day.  It's eating fresh home made lasagna at a dinner appointment and going to food heaven and back.  It's riding for hours on trains trying to talk to as many people as we can.  It's studying and listening to the spirit trying to figure out what we need to teach the investigator that day.  Italy is a lot of things.  Even though some of them are good and some are bad, overall, they are the best experiences ever.

Right now we are working with a lot of less actives and investigators and it has been a miracle to watch how the Gospel changes their lives.  We talked to a gentleman while we were waiting for the train.  At first he kept rolling his eyes and looked really annoyed at us.  But after we prayed with him, his countenance literally changed and we could see that he was happier and felt more calm.  

We had a miracle day where we taught six lessons in a day.  Keep in mind that lessons also count as literally sharing a thought with someone and saying a prayer after.  But we were able to exceed our goal for the last two weeks of how many lessons we taught.  I've learned that when we are precisely and exactly obedient, that's when we can accomplish miracles.  

I'm learning a lot about patience.  I have to be patient with myself, the language, others around me... everything.  There are many times where I feel like my patience is gone and then the Lord puts someone or something in my life to remind me to keep going and not freak out over every single detail.  As hard as it is I'm grateful to learn these concepts.  

One funny thing is that apparently I don't annunciate my words all the way when I speak Italian.  Well some words mean different things depending on how you say the word.  I don't even want to know what weird sentences have come out of my mouth lol.  

This week, I challenge all of you who aren't missonaries currently, to find one person and share something about the Gospel with them.  It may be scary or awkward at first but it truly brings miracles into people's lives.  

Vi Voglio Bene!

Sorella Hatch

Salve Va Italia!

Salve Tutti!

That's right.  I'm writing.... in Italy.  And may I say, I'm in absolute paradise right now.  I'm sitting in a cute computer shop typing on a key board designed for English and Italian.  A little odd but awesome.  So the flights were soooo long.  I felt like a marshmallow after landing in London because I was so puffy from sitting so long.  Our flight was delayed in Dallas so we were there for 6 hours instead of 4.  Luckily the airport rearranged everything and we finally landed in Milan.  On the way to Milan I sat next to a girl and was able to give her two pamphlets and answer tons of questions about the Gospel.  Missionary work doesn't start once you get to the mission. It's happening now.  My mission president is President Dibb and his beautiful wife.  We dined on home made lasagna, pizza, salad, and gelato my first night here.  After 7 weeks of cafeteria food and three days of airport food, it was the best meal I've ever eaten.  We stayed at a cute hotel and the next day met our trainers.

So for those of you who went to Lone Peak with me... my trainer is Adrianne Bennett or Sorella Bennett.  It has been the biggest blessing to have an american sister, from alpine who speaks English.  We work really well together.  We are in Savona which is on the border of an ocean... don't know which one but suffice to say it is gorgeous.  Savona is a city.  It's all apartment buildings and mom and pop shops.  The streets are TINY therefore the cars and scooters are tiny.  But it's so charming.  Italy is interesting because ancient Europe meets modern day Europe.  There will be a paved asphalt street and then you turn onto a street with mossy cobblestones.  

So I thought I was prepared for Italian when I got out of the MTC.  Yeah I was way wrong.  It's been a real challenge here.  The people speak very quickly and have thick accents so I've spent most conversations being quiet and trying to catch what people are talking about.  But Language study is a huge help.  I'm learning a lot about the patterns of the language which is helping me speak and sound more mature.  I absolutely love hearing Italian conversations every where.  It is truly a gorgeous language.  

The food here trumps anything I've ever eaten in the U.S.  I've eaten more pasta covered in thick delicious sauce in a week than I ever ate in my life.  I've had Kabab which is equivalent to a really greasy subway sandwich but it was delicious.  And Gelato of course which is sooooo soooooo good.  We've had a few dinner appointments which are my absolute favorite.

We travel by bike, train and walking.  Trains are amazing teaching opportunities and we've had some amazing experiences.  I love biking.  After 7 weeks of sitting in the MTC, it feels amazing to hop on a bike after every lesson.

I'm exhausted, hungry, tired and an old injury is acting up but I've realized that that's part of the work.  Being a missionary means never being fully comfortable except for when you're sleeping.  But It is amazing.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.  

We have a small branch here but the members are wonderful.  Their examples are so inspiring.  They have rock solid testimonies and you can see the light in their faces when they come to church and talk about the gospel.  I bore my first testimony in Italian and Sacrament meeting was so spiritual.  The church is alive and well here.  We have a good pool of investigators, less actives and members that we regularly visit.  We also have a senior missionary couple in our mission and we work with them a lot.  It's interesting that I'm happiest when we are at the home of a member or less active or teaching an investigator a lesson at the church.  Service really is the balm for any worry, or fear.  

The people are amazing.  Street contacting or Strada is easy because everybody is willing to talk to anybody.  The people take their time eating, traveling and talking.  Life is at a slower, more relaxed pace.  It's refreshing and I love it.  Also the people dress so stylish all the time.  It's so fun to see.  

I've seen so many little miracles throughout the days.  It is the greatest honor and privilege in the world to be a missionary.  Every day is a new day filled with adventure, blessings, trials and the light of the Gospel.  

Ti Voglio Bene Tutti.

Until Next week,

Sorella Hatch

Our zone with the mission president and his wife

Me, Sorella Bennett and our mission president and his wife

All of us in this picture went to Lone Peak

Me and my collega Sorella Bennett

Kabab and a dessert... didnt know what it was but it was delicious

GELATO!  My first one ever in Italy.  That would be chocolate and black berry,

My side of the room

VIVA ITALIA!

Ciao Famiglia e Amici!

So I know I wrote Wednesday but saying that today is P day because I leave TOMORROW MORNING for Italy we get P day today.  So a little update, Sunday was amazing.  We had a wonderful mission conference where they talked about trusting in the Lord.  They discussed how we need to trust him with our missions and that everything will work out the way they are intended to.  They talked about developing the faith of a little child (Mosiah 3:19). We had sacrament meeting.  My "calling" in the branch is music coordinator and my companion and I were able to organize a bunch of Elders to sing I Need Thee Every Hour... the men's choir version.  They did it for our opening hymn.  It was one of the most beautiful numbers I've ever heard.  I felt such gratitude for these amazing Elders.  We had a massive branch testimony meeting and everyone cried and bore the most spiritual testimonies.  After that we had more studying and then a departure devotional.  I learned a lot at that devotional that this truly is the Lord's work.  We are his instruments and he is working through us fulfill his work.  After dinner (which tasted heavenly because it was fast Sunday) we had a fireside and then watched The Mountain of The Lord.  It is a film about the construction of the Salt Lake Temple.  Then there were some tearful goodbyes to several friends who left this morning.  Hope you all travel safely!

One thing that I've learned this week is that forgiveness and love can heal all wounds.  I won't go into detail but suffice to say that friendships that I thought were destroyed have now been strengthened and I'm grateful for the trials we went through.  It was hard and there were many times where I didn't know what to do or how to proceed.  But once again I've learned that the Lord has an answer for everything. 

One blessing I've received has been to meet Sorella Durante.  She is a sister from Milan going to France.  It has been soooo fun to get together with her when we get back to the residence hall at night and speak Italian for a few minutes.  She has been so patient with me as I've learned and made goofy mistakes while speaking with her.  She laughs because I sound like a three year old when I speak because I have hardly any grammar or conjugation.  She is awesome.

So at 3 am tomorrow morning I will be up and getting ready to go to Italy.  I fly from Salt Lake to Dallas, Dallas to London and London to Milan.  I will be traveling for over 24 hrs which will be awesome and exhausting.  But I am definitely looking forward to sleeping for more than 6 hours.... I plan on somewhere between 8-12 on the plane. 

The MTC has been one of the hardest and best experiences of my life.  I have learned these principles:

We can do hard things.

Missionary work is the Lord's work.  It is never just the efforts of the missionary.

My zone is AMAZING and I will miss them so much.  I will treasure the friendships I have made here forever.

I've learned so much about patience and charity that I never thought was possible.

The Gift of tongues is real.  It is manifested every day.  When a missionary speaks in a foreign language, and they qualify for it, the gift of tongues is manifested.

Christ is our Savior and knows us personally.

We are children of a Heavenly Father who knows us better than we know ourselves.

Trials are a blessing because they are an opportunity for us to grow and become refined.

Charity, the pure love of Christ can heal and solve any problem we have with others.

I love the MTC and I will miss all the amazing people around me.  Love you all!  See you in a year and a half.  Next time you hear from me, it will be from Italy. 

Vi Voglio Bene.

Con Amore,

Sorella Hatch

This was taken during the practice.  All these Elders sang I Need Thee Every Hour

The Italians

The District

Missions worldwide

Awesome Elders!

Da Map!

Gonna miss these people!

soooo excited for Milano!

Felicita Nuovo Ano!

Family, Friends, other missionaries,

Wow!  Can you believe it's already 2014?  It's incredible.  What a year it's been for me.  

Also, I will be in Italy in 7 days.  I cannot believe it.  I'm soooo soooooo soooooooooo excited to get to Italy.  I cannot wait!  What an adventure it's been to prepare for Italy.  Honestly, I'm hoping to get the best companion in the universe and literally speak Italian for a month with no English.  I can't wait to dive head first into Italian culture.  

So Christmas at the MTC was amazing.  We got up and opened presents.  Thank you sooooo much family and friends for the wonderful gifts.  The spirit of Christmas was truly in the air.  After breakfast we had 20 minutes for email time.  Then choir practice.  Singing Where Shepherds Lately Knelt really brought the spirit.  It was such a powerful song.  So guess who came Christmas morning.....  (drumroll) None other than David A. Bednar himself.  They passed out 200 cell phones to the crowd and it was a massive Q&A session.  They rigged it so that all the other missionaries from the other MTC's world wide could email their questions and we texted in ours.  I learned so much and it was incredible.  We had a Christmas lunch where I really appreciated the food at home.  We had a talent show where several missionaries showcased their talents.  An Elder did a magic show and won the standing ovation of the day.  Another Elder did a Yiddish bottle dance.  Basically he danced around with a bottle on his head.  It was hilarious.  We watched a jazz music program by Ray Smith, a prominent figure in the Jazz music industry in Utah.  I snoozed through it because a lot of the music was slow and smooth.  We watched the MOTAB Christmas concert Home for the Holidays.  They featured Alfie Boe aka JeanvalJean in Les Mis.  He sang Bring Him Home and it was the most wonderful performance.  The whole day was awesome.  

So I learned about miracles this week.  We had set a baptism date for our investigator Luca (aka our teacher Fratello Knutson) but events came up and we needed to postpone it.  There were complications in that process and it got to the point where we needed a miracle.  I spent 3 days panicking and then a miracle happened and it all resolved itself.  I bear testimony that the Lord truly holds us in the palm of his hand.  He knows what we need but sometimes we have to wait it out and keep persevering before the Lord removes the trial from our lives.  

My Italian is really coming along.  I'm starting to be able to pick up on the grammar patterns and I can almost understand every word our teachers say.  It is soooo fun learning this beautiful language.  I've been working with my teachers a ton and they are the best.  Here is my testimony in Italian.

Io so che Gesu Cristo e nostro Salvatore e Redentore.  Io sono molto grato per l'Espiazione.  I so Thomas S. Monson e la profeta di verita.  Io so questo chiesa e vero.

I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  I am so grateful for the Atonement.  I know Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet.  I know the church is true.

I've learned a lot about people this week.  I've learned many things about myself.  Sometimes it's really hard to change a lot of things in a short amount of time but here are a few truths I've learned:

Our actions influence everyone around us.  It is up to us whether or not those actions are good or bad.

It's so cliche but actions do speak louder than words.

The quote "Be nicer than you have to be because everyone is fighting a hidden battle." is sooooo true

The people surrounding us are never there by coincidence.

As always a mission is incredibly difficult.  But I wouldn't trade any of these experiences for anything.  The good, the bad, all of it is wonderful.  

Love you all, miss you and the next time you hear from me... it will be from Italy.  

Arrivederci!

The beautiful schwester Zenger going to Germany

Christmas eve with the fresh pellengrino we got from investigators... Buona Natale

our Christmas tree

Christmas lunch

Missionaries on Christmas

Elders Houk, Oldham, Hallulli, Smith and Fabiano... love these elders in my zone

the purpose of Missionaries

This is the missionary purpose and task list

All these missionaries are from England.  It's sooo fun talking to them and hearing their accents.

I'm friends with all these Elders going to the Netherlands.  They are awesome.