Firstly, i want you all to look up the scripture D&C 62:3

Read it.

Think about it.

On Sunday, we had the privilege of getting Sheri Dew to speak to us in relief Society. Last night for the devotional, John H. Groberg (the man of the story ofThe Other Side of Heaven) came to speak. So awesome. He talked about testimonies. We all have a small testimony even if we don't think it's big. When we pray, we are testifying that we believe somewhere there is God listening. So, testify. Pray daily, go up to someone and tell them that you know Christ is your savior or something. The more you testify, the stronger you will grow, and angels record it in Heaven. That's pretty awesome.

Lily in Italian is gilio (gi-leo)

Look up the song Hurrah For Israel.  We sang that last night in the choir. It is a wonderful song. On Monday night the Germans left for Germany. they are in the same building as us downstairs so all of the Italians, the Romanians and the Germans sang God be with you till we meet again, in our languages. Time is bittersweet. I am excited to get out there and be real, but I love this spiritual boot camp and I love the people I have met. I will miss them. Good thing we have eternity, right?

Well, a district goal we had on Sunday was to empty an entire cereal column in the cafeteria. We went to Capn crunch. Between the eight of us and the help of some others whom we didn't count, we got down 25 and probably only had six worth left in the column, but the workers came and refilled it. We were so close! Fail. I don't know if we will try again or not. 

We have played basketball for gym and Sorella is helping me dissolve my fear of large, flying orange balls. it's fun. I enjoy it. this week we are going to do some biking and I will try out my awesome padded biker shorts 

I am out of time. Sorry. Five more days now. We head out Tuesday morning and arrive in Italy around noon there, which is like early in America. Don't know when I will get to email again if p-day there is on Wednesday. Stay tuned. 

If anyone sends dearelders, don't send any more to the MTC past 10am on Mondayor I won't get them.

We had a really cool experience yesterday teaching our teacher. We were supposed to be teaching Dario, the "investigator" but the spirit prompted us to go away from our plan and actually teach our teacher. He is having a rough time. I will write a letter and tell about that, because I am out of time and also shouldn't share the story with the world.

Don't forgot about me. Things are really real now.

Vi voglio bene!!!!

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved

 

I feel like a different person. I could have said that the second week at the MTC. This place is awesome, as I've said. I love it. We leave in two weeks. Mama mia I might be slightly nervous! But, it's good. life is good.

I never know where to begin. Today we went to the temple. Oh, it's always so wonderful.  Guess who we ran into? Sorella Tiechart! One of our teachers here at the MTC. She is from Whyoming, she looks italian though. She is amazing; we love here. She is so sweet. It was very happy to see here there. 

The highlight of this week: Monday one of the Germnas found a baby bird on the cement. he picked it up and tried to make a nest for it. Like, tiny tiny bird, smaller than my palm (I have small hands). Well yesterday morning we went to check on it, and found that it had falled on the ground again. So I picked it up and it got very happy, it stopped shaking and was very calm. we moved it to under a tree. It was so hungry, we didn't know hwat to feed it. Pretty much we were praying for it in every prayer we said. Well after lunch we fed it some strawberry, it pooped, and I felt like such a proud mama! We told our teacher last night, and her loving animals, had us take her to it. She picked it and took it home, and was planning to stop by a vet to ask what to do with it. No other birds had been helping it so we thought OK. Iam glad she took because we would have been distracrted knowing there was a baby bird lying around, can't fly and about to die. We'll find out what happened with it tomorrow: it think it's a survivor though. I can feel it.

So I believe I have talked about TRC(training resource center.) Tomorrow and next week for TRC, we GET TO SKYPE PEOPLE FROM ITALY! UM, woohoo! And, um, yiiiikes. We will be praying constantly for the gift of tongues, understanding and to get our message across. I am way excited. The lnaguage is great. It really is SO amazing how much I can speak and without the power of God and the Holy Ghost, it would not be possible. I am trying to improve my writing and speaking skills this week. The langugae is cmoing quite well. Mi collega and I had a lot of lightbulbs this week with conjugations and such so it's been grand.

I'll tell ya what, we have not gained weight, though (from my medicine) I feel like a fat balloon. I swear I'm gaining weightless fat. I am feeling well. No complaints. I take vitamins daily so thta's good. I hate my stomach medicine. Like I said, it's mkaing me fat. I omnly take when I absolutely need it, liek after eating spagehhti. 

If you want to learn the language famiglia, go to Deseret Book in Gilbert. get the little purple vocab and phrases book Italian. it's agreat tool. The big board display book shows you what conjugations and such.

Self control is staring a piece of German chocolate cake in the face... and then walking away. One of the biggest temptations at the MTC, I'll tell you. We have 2-3 different options for meals every day. Sundays we only get one option. 

So, I washed my one and only dress today. It shrunk length wise like 4 inches. How do I fix it?

Look up this song on LDS.org: "Mandate voci di gioia all'eternal" It is and Italian only Inni (hymn) and we are singing it as a district on Sunday. We love it. Popolo is the funnest part. 

Accoding to my district, they say I am Shmie, Anakin's mom form Star Wars. We all have a Disney Character, and they couldn't figure me out. So that's who Iam.

Did Mike read my little note? 

What's up with the plane that went down in Russia or whatever? Liz, you should update me on that and other such news. Thanks.

Two weeks and I will be heading to Italy. I think it is confirmed that P-day os Wednesday so you will go two weeks after next week, without email. No worries though. We stay in a hotel our first night thjere. More later. Gots to go to dinner. every day is the same thing, same scheule here, but new ecperiences and new things we learn. We have fun. T.C.  Christensen came this week; that was neat to here his stories.

If you have spiritual wolves tempting you, run away. If you can't run away then I stay strong until you can run away. The savior will help you with that. Turn to God in prayer for everythjing. Miracles will happen,  even if you can't see it.

Ti voglio bene!!!

Pics:​

Mia collega in our classroom, and Poco, the baby bird we saved.

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved

July16, 2014

We got to go the Marriott center this week for devotional. This is the walk over. It was nice to be in the real world :) This Sunday is our last evening there. Do a drive by around 7 and you might see us walking :)

   

Heather Hastings	Jul 16 (1 day ago)

I never know how to start these emails. New missionaries are walking in to the MTC as I type so it is loud and exciting. President Nally, the MTC president, ate breakfast with the Italians yesterday that was fun to listen to him. Do you know him dad? I think you are older than him. He served in Auckland.

I just want to say that I love being a missionary. It is probably the greatest experience ever. The MTC is amazing and I really love it here! It is a little bit scary to think I will be leaving in three to go to Italy, more because of the language than anything. I was thinking yesterday, that I have learned more Italian in 3 weeks then I learned French in 3 years. It is amazing. The secret? The Holy Ghost, the gift of tongues. Man it doesn't seem real, but I'll tell you, it is very real.

I don't have much time so I will try to be descriptively brief.

Anziano Harding always stands in a dance position because he is a ballroom dancer, and it reminds me of Becca. He walks flat like she does and walks on his toes.

We taught Dario this week and were trying to help him with his marriage. I had something profound to say about how he could talk with his wife to make this better, but thanks to the language barrier I had no idea how to say, so I advised him to tell her "Ciao, Ti Amo" and smile at her. We all then laughed hard and so now it's a little joke we have. You had to of been there; it was funny.

We did TRC last week. Training resource center. We practice teaching members who need help, in Italian of course. My life is always in Italian now. Tomorrow is SYL, speak your language. We are supposed to talk it all day to all the Italians. will be interesting. I feel like it might be a quiet day.

So I have heard rumors that P-day in Milan is on Wednesday. I sure hope not! I guess we shall see.

Well, I sent you my schedule. So I counted it up that we pray daily anywhere from 12-18 times a day. We sing about 4-7 times daily, Italian hymns (Inni). we sit in class for six hours, which consists of teaching, using TALL (the online language program) learning language and studying doctrine. We study personal, companion and language study for another 3 hours. Monday's are the worst days because we are so tired and wake up at 6 for 6:15 service. This week, we got released from cleaning early so we went back to sleep for a bit. Well, we slept through breakfast, and we slept through gym. A good two hours almost. then we got up and went to class. I feel like we broke a rule, but it was very much needed and I slept wonderfully since. 

This place is beautiful. Anyone who says they don't like it is just crazy! Though I will be ready for something new after six weeks, I think.

So I got lots of mail this week! Five letters from friends, a package and a whole bunch of dearelders from Liz ;) I enjoyed it.

If anyone writes me letters, please change the AUG06 to AUG05 to make it easier for the mail people. That is the day we leave. I don't have any travel info yet.

Mi piace cercare arcobaleni quando c'e pioggia. (I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain.) It has rained some this week. T'was lovely.

I'm not sure what else to say. I am hungry right now and chibo (food) is on my mind. I love you all. My life is great, and I hope yours is too. I pray for all of my family and prospective family every morning and night so with that, I hope that you are all doing your best, being your best and trying to be more like Christ. Work hard, know that he LOVES YOU and He and His plan is really all that matters as long as we follow him. Maybe I will write a letter describing more what class is like. We are going to the temple today so We'll see how much time I have. 

Ti voglio bene!!!

P.s. thanks for the letters and all. Keep them coming. just know that sometime within the next 17 months, I will write you back ;)

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved

More picts from Open House

Heather's Singles Ward Bishop

 Cousin Stephen and Kathy Maready and family

Heather sandwich!

 

 YW Pres the from family ward, Southern Estates and current RS President.

Chelsea from Saratoga Springs, UT

Week 2 Letter at the MTC

mama mia, where do I begin?

"e su queste io scrivo le cose della mia anima" 2 Nefi 4:15

Yesterday: Elder Anderson from the quorum of the tweleve came to speak to us. It was wonderful. At dinner, there were these little bamini running around, and I got really excited to see real life children. They still do exist outside the MTC. Well, I asked one of the Elders who was escorintg them, who they were. Turns out It was Elder Anderson's grandson. His name is John and looks about six, missing his two front teeth. Adorable. Elder Anderson spoke about the Holy Ghost: It is a gift from God. In fact, it is THE greatest give anyone could ever recieve. Think about that... shouldn't we treasure it more than we do sometimes? I Love being at the MTC. there are certainly things that I dislike, but I still love it overall. It may actually be difficult to leave.

4 luglio: We had a "musical devotional". Before every meeting, they start at 15 till and we all sing prelude hymns. Then they had some awesome talented missionaries play like a crazy violin trio awesome song, and a crazy awesome piano piece. Then someone spoke to us; I don't quite remember who. Then, our big treat was we got to watch 17 Miracles. it was cool to look around and see all of the missionaries teared up. Then, precicely planned, just as carrie Underwood finished singing they announced we could go out to the south side of the MTC and watch the fireworks from the road/grass. They really weren't that great but hey, it was really cool. Minus the fact that we went to bed at 11;30 and had to still wake up at 6:30. I was so. Tired. Molto stanco! I think Monday I finally was having a deep, restful sleep... and then I woke up. But I'll tell you what, It's not so bad. The days are loooooooong but time is going by fast already.

So the big news: We don't really know who people are anymore. "Maria" was our first investigator. Well, we committed her to baptism and that was that. As of Saturday Maria was no longer maria and became our second teacher, Sorella Teichart. Also, on Monday we got two new investigators: Lidia (our new teacher/Maria) and Dario (our teacher Fratello Knutson.) We still call sorella Teichart Maria. it's fun. So, we taught Lidia about families and she took it really well. We need to plan for our next lesson now. With Dario, we had planned to teach him about god and Families because he is a hardcore Catholic and is having marriage problems. We get there, say a prayer, and end up tlaking about prayer the whole time. he was very interested that we don't read a prayer and said he might try to pray with his wife. So we are going to give him the lesson we prepared for him the first time, next time. grazie per lo spirito santo per helping noi sapere cose to teach him. 

I proabably could spill out full sentences in Italian, but I am tring not to because I know some readers won't be able to translate it. the language is coming along well. i feel like I am the slowest one in the class- not that I'm comparing myself. Our branch is going to sing a song in Italian this sunday. that will be fun. Anziano crowther has a major crush on our teacher, Sorella Teichart. It's pretty funny. I just gotta say that it will be very difficult for the Italian men not to woo me when I get there. it will be an adventure.

Guess what? I am the oldest in my district. That's a first. Everyone is 19, but younger, and graduated in 2013. Except Anziano Wright, the ginger: he is 18 and graduated this year.

Also, I have not cried since I left. I was actually surprised. (aside from what I told Liz/mom). When Matt and K dropepd me off, we jumped right into everything and I've just been going with it. I have been pretty calm. Just thought you would like to know. I hope all the family is well though. Send letters! We check the mail twice a day and dearelder is free, so you have no excuse. Dearelders come at night and mail comes all throughtout the day. In the morning on Wedneday we print off emails so I can read them at breakfast. 

Life is good. If anyone wants to tell me more about Catholism that would be cool and helpful. Like their traditions and such.

read: Helaman 5:12

re-read it.

"The spirit of Christ was making a difference in his life by making a difference in him." That's how the holy ghost works. It is molto bene :)

To voglio amo :)

Ciao.

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved