Doing laundry before 6 in the morning... because? I don't know, it wasn't my idea.
I look exhausted. I'm been doing well here, not as good as I hoped because I have a pinched nerve in my leg from playing 4square (or maybe from riding 5 miles on an exercise bike?) But just like what happened this last summer, my right leg has seized up and hurts like Galileo, oh well. I spend 8 hours a day in our class room sitting down, so I expect it to heal quickly.
Last night, I finally had a chance to sing and preform in the choir. We sang 'Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands' and it really brought the spirit to the Devotional. Elder Hamula of the Seventy spoke about the cycle of faith and truth but mainly the highlight was singing. I've missed singing.
Also last night, the switched the leadership in our zone, and we now have 2 romanian zone leaders, and our district leader is my companion Anziano Mortezazadeh, I think it's all ready gone to his head. The hard part is actually the Romanian Zone Leaders. The branch promises us that our whole zone will be great friends, but our teachers ask us to speak Italian or Romanian 100% of the day, so we don't ever talk except sunday. At lunch the Romanians sit together, and us, the Italians sit across the room. It only works because we share the same dorm floor, and go to church together.
Io so che questa chiesa ha la verita! Ciao
l'Anziano Isaac Benge
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
6 Years Later...
It is kind of funny how we spend 6 years in the MTC, and only 2 years in Italy... At least that's what it feels like. If I didn't have an ounce of logic, and you asked me how long ago I had sent an email, I'd say it's been at least a couple months since my last email. Nope, that's not true.
Italian is an awesome language, when you can speak it. I've memorized and (internalized) The missionary purpose, The first vision, 1 Nefi 3:7, Moroni 10:7, Baptisimal Questions, and several lessons all in Italian now. My English is terrible, and I'm at language equilibrium where our district is supposed to only speak Italian, but I don't know any words, and so I try to use English, but I can't remember any English words either. Just typing this last paragraph took 10 minutes or so because, you know, Inglese.
Anyway, Wednesdays I am privileged to visit the temple in the afternoon, so I will be heading there at two pm, just like last week. The Provo temple is Awesome, and I'm pumped that I can go every week.
Italian is an awesome language, when you can speak it. I've memorized and (internalized) The missionary purpose, The first vision, 1 Nefi 3:7, Moroni 10:7, Baptisimal Questions, and several lessons all in Italian now. My English is terrible, and I'm at language equilibrium where our district is supposed to only speak Italian, but I don't know any words, and so I try to use English, but I can't remember any English words either. Just typing this last paragraph took 10 minutes or so because, you know, Inglese.
Anyway, Wednesdays I am privileged to visit the temple in the afternoon, so I will be heading there at two pm, just like last week. The Provo temple is Awesome, and I'm pumped that I can go every week.
Sunday Devotional was great, and we were treated with a conversion story by a Korean lady (who just moved from Korea 10 days ago, but the missionaries in the MTC thought they were teaching a member in Korea via Skype, turned out she wasn't a member, and decided to move to Utah for better schooling, and to join the church. She had a translator and all. :) Pretty awesome.
Tuesday devotional was by a member of the Seventy, Elder Clarke, and he gave some gnarly thoughts about missionary work, love, and etc. His talk definitely grows my testimony. I wish I could say more, but my Email time is 3/4 over.
My district has become closer, but also busier. We now have 3 teachers, and 1 'investigator', and TRC on Thursday. (starting tomorrow) I don't know what TRC stands for, because it probably is English, which doesn't help anything, but generally it's like giving a Home Teacher lesson to a member of the Church. So, an Italian RM, or Bishop or, some other member volunteers and we teach them in Italian.
I don't have pictures this week, I just wish you all health. Salute!
This gospel is amazing! Ciao, fine a che prossima volta!
--
Tuesday devotional was by a member of the Seventy, Elder Clarke, and he gave some gnarly thoughts about missionary work, love, and etc. His talk definitely grows my testimony. I wish I could say more, but my Email time is 3/4 over.
My district has become closer, but also busier. We now have 3 teachers, and 1 'investigator', and TRC on Thursday. (starting tomorrow) I don't know what TRC stands for, because it probably is English, which doesn't help anything, but generally it's like giving a Home Teacher lesson to a member of the Church. So, an Italian RM, or Bishop or, some other member volunteers and we teach them in Italian.
I don't have pictures this week, I just wish you all health. Salute!
This gospel is amazing! Ciao, fine a che prossima volta!
Anziano Isaac Benge
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Week 1?
Time passes incredibly fastly slow here. I feel like I've been here for at least a month, but it's only been 1 week!
Today another group of Elders and Sisters arrive, and they all get stickers to let us know that they are new, and I get to be the one saying 'Welcome to the MTC,' over and over again.
The beginning of the week sucked because our schedule was printed wrong, so our entire zone was lost until they got us a new schedule on Saturday. Also, there are no Italians here except us, (or Romanians) so our Italimanian Branch has no leaders, and we all kind of make stuff up when we have no answers.
Like, today, we did laundry, but nobody in our Zone knew where it was, so we all just wandered and asked until we found it.
Our branch presidency is amazing, they all speak Italian except one counselor, and they are all fun and nice to talk to.
My district is composed of Me, my companion, Elder Mortezazadeh (More-teh-zah-zaday) from Highland UT, and the other companionship, Elder Cowden from Holiday UT, and Elder Segura from Houston TX. They are great guys, and were already good friends. The only problem I can see is that they are all Body Builder types. 2 play rugby and they do like 75 pushups a night.
Anziano Segura (left) and Anziano Cowden (right)
Mio Nome
Anziano Mortezazadeh
I kind of miss Layton, but every time I think about it, I realize I don't miss it at all. There's no babysitting, and no Dairy Queen, and I get to sleep in until 6:30.
The food is better than Northridges, but worse than Mom's, but the worst food they have is the Italian food.
On Saturday we have service (we vacuumed), and then Sunday we had a devotional and watched Character of Christ by David A Bednar, it was great!
Tuesday (yesterday) we went to the Italian consulate (in SLC?) and we took the train to get all our papers in order, then, that night, Quentin L. Cook talked to us about missionary work. It's amazing to see what an apostle can do with the spirit.
Now I want to open my mouth and Invite, invite, invite.
This whole week we've been teaching Claudio (a role-play investigator) in Italian. Somehow, we can understand him, and we've been teaching him great!
The only thing I love more is Language study, I already have pages of Vocab memorized!
Anyway, sorry about the disjointed letter. I have to go! Ciao!
Today another group of Elders and Sisters arrive, and they all get stickers to let us know that they are new, and I get to be the one saying 'Welcome to the MTC,' over and over again.
The beginning of the week sucked because our schedule was printed wrong, so our entire zone was lost until they got us a new schedule on Saturday. Also, there are no Italians here except us, (or Romanians) so our Italimanian Branch has no leaders, and we all kind of make stuff up when we have no answers.
Like, today, we did laundry, but nobody in our Zone knew where it was, so we all just wandered and asked until we found it.
Our branch presidency is amazing, they all speak Italian except one counselor, and they are all fun and nice to talk to.
My district is composed of Me, my companion, Elder Mortezazadeh (More-teh-zah-zaday) from Highland UT, and the other companionship, Elder Cowden from Holiday UT, and Elder Segura from Houston TX. They are great guys, and were already good friends. The only problem I can see is that they are all Body Builder types. 2 play rugby and they do like 75 pushups a night.
Anziano Segura (left) and Anziano Cowden (right)
Mio Nome
Anziano Mortezazadeh
I kind of miss Layton, but every time I think about it, I realize I don't miss it at all. There's no babysitting, and no Dairy Queen, and I get to sleep in until 6:30.
The food is better than Northridges, but worse than Mom's, but the worst food they have is the Italian food.
On Saturday we have service (we vacuumed), and then Sunday we had a devotional and watched Character of Christ by David A Bednar, it was great!
Tuesday (yesterday) we went to the Italian consulate (in SLC?) and we took the train to get all our papers in order, then, that night, Quentin L. Cook talked to us about missionary work. It's amazing to see what an apostle can do with the spirit.
Now I want to open my mouth and Invite, invite, invite.
This whole week we've been teaching Claudio (a role-play investigator) in Italian. Somehow, we can understand him, and we've been teaching him great!
The only thing I love more is Language study, I already have pages of Vocab memorized!
Anyway, sorry about the disjointed letter. I have to go! Ciao!