First off, I'd like to apologize for the comment last week about not writing me letters. It took until Saturday for me to get the letters you wrote me on Sunday (sent on Tuesday). They are in the process of moving the mailroom here at the MTC, so that's why there are no DearElders (I'll abbreviate that DE) right now. I think tomorrow they'll be back up? Don't know. But thank you for sending me letters! And DEs. I do not, however, apologize to my lame friends who have not written me at all (with one exception and she knows who she is).
I can't believe I've already completed two weeks at the MTC. The first few days were long, but since my first Sunday here the time has positively FLOWN by! I'm learning a TON, mostly about myself and how I need to teach investigators and work with my companion. I love Sorella Sobeck! I think I drive her nuts most of the time. Haha. But we're working on being better and working together. I can't really remember what I wrote in my email last week (it takes up time to look over it!), but in any case, I'd just like to reiterate my witness that THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL!!!!! Ah. It is SO real. it truly is remarkable how much my fellow missionaries can understand - and how much they can speak! Every single one of them can bear their testimony and pray in Italian. Amazing. The gift of tongues is so real.
This Monday was the first day that we went to the Training Resource Center (TRC) where we got to talk to and teach real people as themselves - RMs, students, members of the church - in Italian. Sor. Sobeck and I walked in to meet our first person, and lo and behold, it was my friend Breckyn!!! She studied in Siena with me last year! It was totally funny. And then in the room next door was my other friend from Italy, Maria (she and Breckyn came together to practice their Italian)!!!! It was totally cool! I've also seen my friend Aubry, who works custodial on my floor (she served her mission in Rome and is awesome. She wrote a poem dedicated to me the night before I went to the MTC). And then the other day in the cafeteria I ran into my friend Geneva!!!! She's the totally awesome one that was in my ward and I love so much. It was great! The other sorelle ALWAYS see people they know, so it's nice that I get to run into my friends sometimes, too.
We have two new "investigators" this week. They are really our teachers, but they take on the roles of people they actually taught, so it's neat. We were meeting with Luigi last week and it was going great, but then we ran out of time with him. It was a great learning experience, though. So our new investigators and Sonia and Salvatore. Sonia is super cute and nice and is going to be fun to teach. Salvatore is an old man who lives alone and loves fishing. He talks A LOT and really fast. The first time we met with him Sor. S could hardly understand two words he said! I'm so lucky that I was able to study so much Italian before I came here, and especially that I was able to go to Italy to practice. It's been such a blessing for me to be able to focus more on the doctrines I'm teaching and less on learning the language. I think my district is torn about my speaking skills, though, because it's helpful for them to have me as a walking dictionary, but also annoying and frustrating that I'm so far ahead of them. I'm trying to help them as much as I can. They already know more Italian than I did after two weeks! I didn't have the Spirit helping me as much as he is helping them!
Our teachers, Sorella Swenson and Fratello Mortenson are AWESOME. Sor. Swenson is one of the most spiritual, amazing people I've ever met, and her Italian accent is really good, even if it's a southern accent. She is so sensitive to the Spirit and I have learned so much from her. She is great! Fratello Mortenson just got home from his mission two months ago! His Italian accent is really good, too. He is so excited to teach and has a great energy. As of yesterday in our class there are only the four sorelle roommates in class. Anz Moh and Jones were in our class, but they moved to the other class to be with the triplet of sisters and Anz Hatch so that he wouldn't have to be alone in class. Anz Hatch was supposed to be companions with another Anz from Albania, but he never showed up so they had to reorganize us a little bit. We're sad to lose the Anz, but they are just one classroom over.
I'm going to Miami next week! I leave reaaaaally early on Monday morning and will get back late on Tuesday night. I'm not really excited about having to do so much flying in such a short amount of time, but hopefully my visa business will all be squared away after that!
Sundays are the BEST days at the MTC. They're just so great! We have lots of great meetings and end the night with a fireside. It's great. Last Sunday we watched the "Music and the Spoken Word" 9/11 tribute. It was really moving. I can't believe that was 10 years ago. Isn't it amazing how far we've come in so many ways in 10 years? Wow. Oh! And last night was our Tuesday night devotional! We never know who is going to be speaking until he walks in. Yesterday, it was Elder M. Russell Ballard!!!!! It was AWESOME!!! It was a really great devotional. AH! The MTC is so great! The days sometimes seem long when we're sitting in class for forever, but the weeks have gone by quickly. It's funny, the checkpoints of the day are basically mealtimes, so I always find that I look forward to going to eat. Even when I'm not hungry! I'm afraid I'm going to gain a ton of weight here because they always have dessert (AND COOKIES. YUM.) Haha. We've only had cod nuggets the one time, though! I didn't even eat any. Oh darn. Tell Squeaky that I'd rather have a fajita quesadilla over cod nuggets :)
Yesterday (or the day before. can't remember) I memorized the first vision in Italian. It's not a long segment, but I did it! I'm excited. Italian is the best. I can't wait to get over to Italy!!!! It's going to be great. The Italian people need the gospel so much! It really can (and DOES) change lives. Ah. So exciting.
Well, I'm out of time!! It goes by so quickly! These 30 min are seriously the most nerve-wrecking minutes of my entire week! So much to say in so little time! BUT. I love you all! Thank you for supporting me in my choice to serve a mission. I know it's the best thing for me.
Have a great week!!!!
Love,
Sorella Soh
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