I can't even believe it's 2012 already, much less that I will spend the ENTIRE YEAR here in Italy as a missionary! Best year of my life!!!!
A few quick things - first, thanks to everyone who sent me Christmas cards! Last Thursday was a GREAT day because I got about 6 letters in the mail!! It was the best day ever! So Uncle Bry, Auntie Liesl, Nana, and Mom - I got your cards! Also thanks to the Dave and Fran Hafens who sent me a card! You are all so great! Also, Dad, Sorella Walton got your letter in the mail yesterday. She said "um, are you sure this has the right name on it??", but I think she liked it. I also realized that you probably don't know what her first name is! Haha. Mission secret! Oh, and if anyone is planning on sending anything to the mission office for me, we are going to Milano again on Jan 19th (to hear from Elder Caussé!!!) so if you mail gets here before then I'll be able to pick it up when we all meet together in Milano again. Also, remember that picture of my armspan in comparison of that with Sorella Huber's? Yeah, I don't think I mentioned this before, but I totally know her sister! We met in the MTC - she is in Russia. Weird, right?
So funny story, I got the Christmas card in the mail from you, mom, with the picture of our family. It's a good picture! I like it. I love being able to carry it around with me in my scriptures because I can show it to people we meet (who are always very confused at what nationality I am. Racial ambiguity. Love it.). Anyway, I showed the picture to Angela (a new convert, Giuseppe's wife, we called from their house at Christmas) and she looked at our family, pointed at you, mom, and said (this is a rough translation) "it's the mozzarella in the midst of all this chocolate!!!" Hahaha. Isn't that a great analogy?! It's so Italian. And I may have to add "momma mozzarella" to my list of nicknames for you ;)
If anyone is trying to think of something fun to send me, I think Italians would get a kick out of big marshmellows. They have no idea what marshmellows are. And they would probably be disgusted by them. Which is what makes them so great. Also, Dad, could you do me a favor? Two things, 1) could you make me a CD of Hawaiian music? I always listen to Hawaiian music on Sundays and have none here. And 2) Giuseppe LOVES war stuff. Loves it. I was talking to him the other day about it and he mentioned that he loves the eagle patch from the 101st airborne. Is there any way you could get your hands on one and send it to me so I can give it to him? He would love it. LOVE IT. Any cool Army stuff, actually. I told him that you and mom are going to pick me up from my mission and that we'll likely stop in Torino and he was really excited and wants to meet you both.
Okay, as for the pictures that are attached to this email - they are all from Sor W's camera! She is so much better at taking pictures than I am and she takes more with both of us in the picture. Here is the breakdown:
1) Me and Sor W in the elevator of our palazzo with our helmets on! Woo!
2) Us in downtown Torino
3) Me, Camilla and Sor W in our glasses! Camilla doesn't actually wear glasses... (she is Angela and Giuseppe's daughter. She's 12)
4) Us by our Christmas tree!
5) Us with ALL THE FOOD the ward gave us! Is that a pizza I'm holding? Why yes. Yes it is.
6) In our new hats!
7) Our zone! Torino zone!
8) On Christmas with our stockings!!! (Thanks mom!!!)
9) A bit of funny graffiti on a sign by the Olympic Park where we do lots of finding work
Gah! I'm almost out of time and I haven't even said anything yet! Well, yesterday we went to Milano again for a training meeting. I finally got to see Anz Moh and Anz Hatch, who I hadn't seen since we left the first day with our trainers (we are all in different zones). They are doing great and have already changed so much in these past 2 months. I am confident that they are going to be some of the best missionaries in our mission. At our training we talked a lot about the importance of focused personal and companion study. I've got to say, the hour of personal study that I have is probably the best hour of my day. I wish it was longer! We also talked about working with members, and the Assistants to the President asked us to do a quick 10 minute lesson on working with members. So Sorella W and I got to get up in front of about 10 missionaries and talk about working with members! One thing that we thought was really important was letting members know what our purpose as missionaries is. The first page of Preach My Gospel states the missionary purpose. It says that our purpose is to: "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them to accept the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." (gosh, that was hard to do in English!) Every missionary is asked to memorize this purpose within their first three days at the MTC. SO!!! CHALLENGE!!! I would like all of you who are members of the church (and even those of you who are not members) to ask the missionaries in your ward to recite to you the missionary purpose!!! Keep them on their toes! And if they can't get it right, ask them every week until they get it right. And if you want, you can ask them to tell you what they do every day to fulfill that purpose. But only if you want.
I can't wait for the end of this week because it means that all the holidays are over (Friday is Epiphany, when La Befana comes. Google it.) and Alina comes back! We are hoping to set a baptismal date with her very soon. Please pray that she will continue to read the Book of Mormon! She is so great!
Well, time's up. I love you all so much! I feel like I'm only just getting started in this work. But I have the entire year to really dig myself in deep and I am super excited about it. The Gosepl is true! Christ lives! There IS hope in this world!!! Happy 2012!
Lots of LOVE from Torino!!!
Sorella Soh
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