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.
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