FOUR WEEKS??

Ciao Famiglia!!

Can you believe I've been in the MTC four weeks already?? It feels like I just got here, but then again it also feels like I've been here my whole life. Weird how that works.

This week has been crazy! I was a little tired at the end of last week because my Miami trip was catching up with me, but I'm thankful that I can just focus on my work here from now on. We hadn't met with our "investigators" for a long time because of my trip, but we met with them last week and guess what? THEY'VE BOTH COMMITTED TO BAPTISM!!!! Okay, yeah, they're just our teachers pretending to be people they met on their missions, but both of them, Salvatore and Sonia, want to be baptized. IT'S THE BEST! Now Sor. Sobeck and I are working like crazy to teach them all the lessons. There's a lot to know! Yikies. It's been a challenge to keep things simple. But it's been a helpful kind of challenging because I'm learning a TON. Sor S and I are getting SO much better at teaching as a companionship. And I'll say it 'til I die THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL. Sor S and I go about 45%/55% in speaking during our lessons. IT IS AWESOME. She's doing great, as are all the other missionaries in our district. Anz Moh, our district leader got up in testimony meeting last Sunday and I was just blown away by how accurately he was able to convey his testimony after only 3.5 weeks of studying the language - and with other studying taking up time, too. Testimony meeting on Sunday was cool because we have all 10 Italian missionaries in our branch and then like 40 Brazilian missionaries who are waiting for their visas, so we just bore our testimonies in the language we are learning. I can understand about 95% of what the Brazilians say. Same for any Spanish speakers. It's pretty neat. And everyone in our district (except one sister) bore their testimony on Sunday. It was so rad. AHH. I love my district! Italy better watch out because we leave in 5 weeks!!!!!!!

Yeah. I'll be in Italy in 5 weeks. I'm freaking out. In a good way. AH!

So the sad news of the week is that our super awesome teacher, Sorella Swenson, is leaving us. She is an elementary ed major at BYU and she is starting her classroom teaching pretty soon. She couldn't get her schedule to work with her MTC schedule, so we're getting a new teacher. We're all pretty bummed about it because she is absolutely amazing. In class on Friday night we had the most fantastic lesson that was driven completely by the Spirit. Every single one of us cried, it was so powerful. I encourage you all to read the talk "Rise to Your Call" by Elder Eyring because it is so great. We read it in class that night. So cool.

I had some other cool scriptures I wanted to share (mom, could you maybe cut and paste the text of these when you post this to my blog?): [This is Katie's mom, I put the scriptures in the brackets after what she wrote.]

-Hebrews 13:24 - the last line is so great and gives me lots of comfort [Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.]

-Romans 1: 7, 15 (and 16) - so I know I'm going to Milan and not Rome, but Italy is Italy, right??

[7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.]

-2 Nephi 22 (the whole thing) - I found this the other day during my personal study and just loved it. Isaiah chapter and all! And I really love the last verse where it says that the Lord will be "in the midst of thee". "Thee" being singular. Meaning in the midst of YOU. Ahh. So cool.

[1 And in that day thou shalt say: O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. 3 Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say: Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.]

So our classroom is on the same hall as the Russians, and we've made friends with them. It's a lot of fun. We play kickball with them and they are just a riot. So much fun. And I've been learning some Russian words! (As if Italian wasn't enough for me). Be sure and tell Bethy! I know the words for "thank you", "elder", "sister" and "much yes". Haha. Most of them leave the same day we do, so we see them a lot. But 35 new Russian missionaries came to the MTC today, including 8 sisters! We get new Italians in 2 weeks, and there are 5 of them. Five. Yeah. Nuts.

And this is just a personal note, but could you tell my peeps to WRITE ME?!?!? I'm not going to tell you how depressing it is to not get ANY mail for like four days in a row. Nothing. Don't mind all my other sorelle and anziani who get at least one letter/DE a day and a few packages every week. It's the worst to have to sit at dinner in silence because everyone else is reading their mail and you just have to sit there picking at food that you aren't going to eat because it's gross. Ok. Thanks.

Also, could someone please send/DE me Brooke Baker's address? She's on her mission in Australia and her mailing info should be on her facebook page. I'd really love to write her. And another request for dad - could you please DE me the lyrics to Poliahu, He Hawaii Au and Pua Olena? Sorella Taylor (who is in the other class) loves to hear me sing and wanted me to sing a Hawaiian song to her but I couldn't remember the words well enough to sing much to her. She's funny. But those would be nice to have regardless.

That reminds me, guess who's singing in church in two weeks?? Oh right. That would be me! Sor Miles is the new music coordinator for our branch and so I got roped into singing in church. (There's no where to hide). I'm singing alto for a song called "My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee" I dunno who it's by. I'm singing with Sor Miles and two Brazilian elders, Elders Crook and Clark, with Sor Teichert on the piano. It's a really great song and I think it is going to sound awesome once we polish it up a bit. I'm excited for it; I haven't sung in church in about 23020349028 years. I wish there was some way I could record it and send a copy to you. We'll have to see what we can do.

Mom, I don't know if you've sent that package yet, but if you could send me those half notecards that I brought from Utah, that would be great! Also, if you (or anyone else) wanted to send me some healthy snacks like banana chips, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate covered pretzels (okay, maybe those aren't so healthy, but they're delcious. So sue me). I'm kind of kidding, but not really at all. Those class sessions are long!

So cool stuff, my district sets goals every week for things to memorize in Italian, and since I'm ahead of everyone else in the language, I'm way ahead also in my memorization. I've already memorized the missionary purpose in English and Italian, and the first vision in Italian. Just this last week I memorized D&C 4 in Italian! It's great!

Ack! I'm out of time! Man, these 30 min go by so fast! Well. I love you all so much! Thanks mom and dad for writing me letters. My district is kinda jealous of those :) Being a missionary is totally the right thing for me right now and I thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers. VI VOGLIO UN MONDO DI BENE!!!!!!!

Con amore,

Sorella Soh