Ciao Carissima famiglia!
Thank you so much for the emails and letting me know whats going on! I love hearing from you. I think this past week has been difficult because I havent received any written letters but I knew I would have emails but I couldn't read them so it was kind of weird though. Its all good, sorry, not trying to chastise you. I do prefer writing you back individually in written letters because there is more emotion. So please forgive me if I don't seem very excited or very emotional in the letters. I just dont have enough time to do so. But in written letters I do. Bear with me.
Wow~! Ok so a week and a half is soooo much longer as a missionary! PHEW! It's been so great though. Ive learned so much.
We get to go to the temple every P-day and its amazing. I learn something new or feel something new every time! COOL!
Thanks for letting me know about people thinking about me, btw, it means a lot. I feel so disconnected here from the outside, like I literally feel trapped in here because we are always inside and there is a fence going around the MTC grounds.
So let me tell you this experience first, itll sound bad at the beginning but youll understand why I'm sharing it.
So there has been some conflict in our district...surprise surprise, missionaries are still human. One of the anziani was being kind of rude so I said something to him about my feelings being hurt (slightly aggresssively) and it kind of became a little spat. but within 5 minutes we worked it out, apologized and moved on. I'm glad I had that experience, because even though I might not have handled it with grace I had the courage to say something and resolve the issue before it got worse. It also showed me that I need to be more humble and charitable so I'm glad I handled it the way that I did because it was a learning experience.
Like everything seems to be here, our teachers are amazing! They are so filled with the spirit. This one young man, Fratello Weller, teaches with the Spirit so much and it is soooooo strong! I love learning from him because you can see the light of Christ within him.
OH! And do you remember that investigator I told you about, Patrizia??? Well....turns out she's actually our teacher now, so we taught our "now" teacher as an investigator before we knew she was our teacher. We also saw her in the temple today, which was really nice. It felt kind of like seeing Tracy.
We've been learning so much Italian. I've been saying my prayers in Italian mostly, I say some in english when I just can't explain myself the right way in Italian. I know the Lord knows my heart, but I just want Him to hear my words and know that I feel them, rather than stumble through them. It's so great though, because I understand most everything that our teachers tell us and I feel really good about it. The more we practice, the more the Spirit will help our knowledge grow.
I shared this thought with Eva in a written letter, but I dont know with whom or if she shared it, so I'll share it again. This isn't a Missionary Training Center. Missionaries don't need to be trained, the Holy Ghost teaches through them. Missionaries need to be shaped/molded. This is a Missionary Molding Center. I am becoming the proper vessel to become a proper missionary. It is so amazing. I can't wait to "not recongnize myself" as you said, Mom. This is the coolest thing ever.
OHHH! And Russell M. Nelson came to speak to us yesterday. Him and his wife are so amazing. The spoke about missionary work affecting the ancestry of the "investigator" (I vcall them friends now, as Jeffrey R. Holland calls them). He spoe about so many things and I wish I could share them all but he talked about how OUR LOVED ONES ARE PRAYING FOR US ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEIL. Grandpa is praying for me, Liam is praying for me, and EVEN MORE SPECIAL THAN THAT. Liam and I are both missionaries on either side and we are both saving souls. Through the Atonement, the souls who have died without receiving the fullness of the truth can be saved. He wears a nametag bearing the Lord's name, just like me. We share this work and we are excited and happy to do so. I know this is true and I will explain how I know in a minute.
Something Russell M Nelson's wife said that I thought was odd, but true, was that we can pray to the Lord to access the strength and faith of our ancestors (essentially)/ She said. "who do you need to help you yoday?" and I thought about it, and my answer was Grandpa...and Liam. But Grandpa because of ...."well he's my friend of course, don't you know?". I need to treat everyone I meet that way. And Liam because He has so much strength, HE IS A MISSIONARY. He has been a missionary for the past 13+ years. How much more powerful can someone be?
We had a Teaching experience this week sometime in which we taught an Italian speaking MEMBER. We went in there planning to get him to read a passage and apply it to his life. That was the plan and that happened, but the Spirit completely took over. We had him read Moroni 10:32 and I asked him how he could live the scripture and he said minimal things and then I asked him if how he could help others live this scripture and it was something similar but he really thought about it and he said it was a great question. Sister Strong and I really felt that the Spirit had touched him (Eric), and we are so glad. It was a great experience.
I saw Gabby. She got here last week and I've seen her a bunch since, it's totally awesome! WOOT WOOT Sister Beck!
OMG! JESSIKA CHAVEZ! I am so excited that you will get to come here after all.
YOU
WILL
LOVE
IT!
This is the happening place to be. I love you so much. Do work, girl! Get ready for this because it is going to blow your mind!
____
I'm trying to take care of myself and I haven't gained a ton of weight or anything , but I could totally improve on Health and Exercise. I'll get better though.
I also need to work on focusing and remembering that this isn't a social experience. This is a spiritual work!
I'm going to be making life-long friends in Italy! I love those people already!
TANNER
I got the business cards! They are so great!
Do you have those batteries that you could send?
You have acciomplished so much in the last two weeks and you have so many goals. Good for you!
I am so proud of you! YAY EMT program! And Ward Clerk that is so great...you are so much more than worthy...The Lord called you, don't question Him.
EVA
Your light will shine so brightly to those around you. Remember yourself. Never give up because it is hard. It doesn't matter. Always shine, always be better.
MOM
You are amazing! Your spiritual insights are so perfect and so true! All of the things you said in your email are so on point! You said it girlfriend, the Lord was shaping you to be a better version of who you are.
Keep learning, keep praying, and He'll keep telling you what you need to know.
I'm so sorry I didn't get to talk to you on Mother's Day. I thought about you all day. I love you
Janice Kapp Perry spojke to us on Sunday for Relief Society and it was awesome. We sang most of the songs she wrote and she said that music is a good way to bring the Spirit, and it's SO TRUE! I feel most connected to the Lord when I pray to Him through song.
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I have been struggling with being friendly and charitable to everyone. There is a Sister who talks so much and there is like never any silence, but I've been handling it very well and I know it is a shaping experience. I am befriending her and that is helping me deal with it. This is good for me.
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT WROTE ME. I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR LETTERS AND THEY HAVE MADE ME SO HAPPY. I WILL BE WRITING YOU ALL PERSONAL LETTERS SO EXPECT THEM IN THE MAIL SOON. I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF ME. YOU ARE SO SPECIAL, ALL OF YOU!
Well this is it for now. I'm going to send more pictures after this email.. they wont all fit in this one.
(the picture of the elder's nametag with the 3 last names is Anziano Betchi. He's from Cameroon but from Canada now. I thought you'd get a kick out of that...just like I got a kick out of the new and improved hello song....We wanna sing like......do, well hello" ;)
I love you all. I love you, I love you, I love you, I do!!! :)
I hum Aardvarks song when I feel like I need a piece of home, and I look at your pictures. Thank you Tanney for the album. And Eva I tell some of our stories to my district! Ha ha it's awesome. Mom, thank you for being a woman who is strong enough to raise me. Thank you for loving me and supporting me. Thank you for being my mommy.
I LOVE YOU!!!!!
LOVE YOURSELVES, TOO!
-Sorella Carlock
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