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