With Love From Rome: We are Here to Learn to Love Other People

Ciao Ciao Ciao!

Missionary "Thumbs Up"

I can't believe that another P-day has come. The weeks are starting to fly by and it feels like I was just writing home yesterday.

New Mission President

We heard about our new mission President coming in July. One of the teachers we sit with at lunch is the Italian teacher for the missionary couples and mission presidents, and he showed us a picture of the new Rome President. He and his wife are President Michael and Anna Kay Waddoups

Missionary Life - Italy

We've been asking our teachers a lot about missionary work and missionary life in Italy. Apparently we are allowed to take NAPS, which probably made me the happiest sorella ever. They have their own kind of siesta in Italy and as long as our lessons and planning are done we are allowed to nap during that time.

Also, I've heard that it's SUPER difficult to get packages in Italy from the states. The mafia basically can do whatever they want, and Sorella Mikesell said her brother (who served in Rome) had to pay $180 for a small birthday package. So looks like I won't be getting any packages from the states.

But I am seriously so excited to go! It's crazy to think that in three short weeks I'll be waking up in Italy.

Missionary Life - MTC

The MTC time is going by so fast. As much as I want to be in Italy, I'm starting to get a little sad to think about leaving. I absolutely love the Sorelle in my district, and I'm sad to think that we most likely will never serve together again! We keep making post mission plans together. They are so funny.

Will Work for Chips

My companion was having a hard time staying focused during language study, and we made a goal to memorize the First Vision as a district by last Sunday. So during language study time we were working on it, and to keep her motivated I had to feed her a Sun Chip everytime she got a line correct. -- haha She LOVES Sun Chips. So much so that we make daily runs to the vending machine and she runs out of her card money the first day, so we have to go to the bookstore to buy a big bag of french onion. I've never seen someone love chips so much (which is a big deal having lived with Paige for so long).

MTC Bucket List

Also, she is all about MTC traditions and she has a bucket list that we are continually crossing off like "Elder Day" where all the sisters dress up to look like elders (as much as we are able) and the other night she had all the sisters dress up like ninjas for pictures.

"Elder Day"

Things I would never do of my own free will. But I love her to death. We all get a long really well and support each other fabulously. Our room time is so valuable to me because we all come from such different areas in life so everyone has something valuable to contribute to our conversations. They teach me a lot.

Close Quarters

We got new sisters in our room last night. So I had to give up my mirror and extra closet. Sacrifices of a mission right? They seem really sweet. They are both going to Little Rock, AR so they will be gone before we leave which is so weird.

Spreading Rumors

Oh and we got to hear from M. Russell Ballard on our Tuesday night devotional which was pretty cool. I totally guessed it would be an apostle because we were singing "Consider the Lilies" for the choir.

I might have accidentally spread a rumor causing a frenzy among the sisters when after the opening prayer at practice I said "Cat's out of the bag guys, It's Elder Bednar." Ooops.

FHE with Grandpa Ballard

But Elder Ballard gave a great talk. He focused on the Savior and read from the Book of Mormon in Third Nephi. It felt a lot like a Family Home Evening with grandpa teaching the lesson.

He emphasized the fact that we aren't here to learn the gospel, we already know the gospel, we are here to learn to love other people.

He talked a lot about how the Lord is trusting of his young people, one line I really liked was "The Lord is learning to trust in you as you learn to trust in Him." It's a powerful feeling to know that the Lord is trusting His work in your hands.

Overheard at the MTC

As spiritual and powerful the MTC is, it's also the place where I hear the weirdest things.

On this weeks episode of "Overheard at the MTC":

"Wolverine is probably one of the 3 Nephites"

"Do you think my hair scares people?"

"That's not Hipster, that's Hippie"

"Do any of you sisters need a hug? I'm going around giving hugs."

"Nowhere in the White Handbook does it say that I CAN'T DANCE"

"I'm going to ask you guys a question that may arouse some bad feelings: Who likes the movie ANTS more than A Bug's Life? "

"Did I sound Ghetto? I've been working on that."

Some other highlights of the week was when we made Anziano Birberg say "I'm a Beautiful Butterfly!" (from the movie A Bug's Life) and when we made Sorella Andersen say "IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE!" (from Despicable Me) because that's what she sounds like most of the time.