MTC Letter #2

Mom, Dad, Zack, and anyone else who might be reading this!!!

Thank you everyone for all of the letters and support this week! It has been such a crazy week for my first week in the MTC. First of all, I have a new companion, Elder Seth Allen from Utah, This is because one of the Elders in our district went home because he was too homesick or something. It was hard to see him go, but at the same time, I think it allowed me to really realize why I'm here and how blessed I am to be out on a mission. Anyways, Elder Allen is the coolest guy ever! He's from Utah. He loves all of the same comedy shows as me, and we are always making eachother laugh. Also, interesting connection: My old companion Elder Murphy from Australia bore his testimony to me and told me that a certain Elder Neal Morrisette from Southern California really affected him and helped him get out on his mission! It's so cool to see Elders from Simi truly make a difference. Needless to say, my district up here is soooo great, and we have such a great time together!

Learning Italian up here has actually been going super well! For the first few days, it was super hard and I had a constant headache learning the language. You know how I get mom haha. However, I decided to dedicate all my free time (which isn't much) to learning Italian, and it has definitely helped. One of the Elders up here, Elder Crescenti, is actually an Italian who is going to Romanian. He doesn't speak any English, so we always hang out with him, and we actually learn a lot of Italian just talking to him! It's great!  We have this disgusting bathtub in our residence hall that no one uses, and its become the butt of a lot of jokes. We convinced Elder Crescenti that the word for food in english is "Tub." He always runs around now and sings "Mi piace tub" Which basically means I like the tub. I feel bad, but its so funny to get him to say stuff like that. Sorry if no one thinks that's funny... I guess you just have to be here to appreciate the humor. Anyways something cool happened a few days ago. During District meeting prayer, I was asked to say the prayer and so I knelt down and said a prayer in what I thought was English. When I said Amen, everyone was looking at me all weird and the Branch President's wife told me "I sure wish your parents were here to hear you talk." Apparently I said the whole prayer in Italian and I had no idea! Ever since then, the language has been coming really easy to me, and I'm becoming so much more confident in my speaking abilities. The gift of tongues is sooooo real and I know that becoming close to the spirit has helped me to take advantage of it.

As far as anything I need, I think I'm pretty much good. Mom, you'll be proud to know that I've only lost one button off one of my suit...... I'm planning on fixing it as soon as I have time. I've actually been ironing shirts too which is surprising. Also I've been trying to eat really healthy, even though the food here is great! However, I run alot during gym, and I'm kind of foursquare champion haha. I see Elder Rice a lot up here, and we always have a good laugh with eachother. He's a good kid haha. Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know that I am soooooo happy here in the MTC, and that I am truly loving missionary work! The first few days were really hard for me, but once I realized that this mission isn't about me, but that its about millions of people in Italy that need to hear the gospel, I've become so happy up here! Thank you Mom and Dad for encouraging me to serve a mission, thank you dad for setting such a great example of serving a mission for me, and thank you mom for teaching me everything I need to know! Mom, I love you so much its not even funny!!! Also Zack, you have so much to look forward to! A mission is so cool! Prepare now so that you can be as ready as you can be when you leave!

Io so che la chiesa di Gesu Cristo dei santi degli ultimi giorni e la chiesa vera. Io so che Thomas S. Monson e un profeti di Dio e che mediante l'espiazione di Gesu Crist possiamo la vida eternal. Nel nome di Gesu Cristo Amen.

P.s. I have some pictures but I can only send them in the laundry room... so I'll try to next time.