Only 6 DAYS left until
I am on a plane! I will be a stranger in a strange land! I'm so excited it's
crazy! I was pretty apprehensive last week and had a half
break-down/melt-down/freak-out, but it was only momentary and now I feel much
better. I feel like I know what to teach, how to teach it, and to some extent
how to teach it effectively. The hardest part about these last few days and I’m
sure the days to come is that we have finished all our study material that is
MTC study material. We have started to move on to In-field language study
material. (We for some reason are ahead of what other groups have been at this
point. we are already done with everything and we are only here for 8 weeks not
the normal 9 that all other Italians are. So I guess the Lord must really need
us in the field.) Anyhow, it's hard to focus when you know that you have done
all they wanted you to in the MTC, and also when you know that in a week you
will be immersed in the language! It’s hard to plan lessons for our
"Investigators" here because we know that in a week they won't exist...they
don't REALLY exist now but it's even harder to care and love a fake
investigator when you know that you will be disappearing soon. Maybe there is
somewhere a lesson to learn in this for the field and transfers, I will have to
reflect on it I guess. Anyway we are all REALLY trunky and it's hard to work
but our Teachers, MTC President, and our Branch President have all promised us
that if we use this week wisely we will learn as much as we have in the last 3
weeks. Which in some ways I have seen. I'm not too nervous about the language
in Italy, I feel like with all the new programs in the MTC the missionaries
leaving for foreign language missions are more prepared than they have ever
been in the history of missionary work. I feel I can at least stumble my way
through any lesson and bare my testimony in some roundabout very simple really
wordy way about mostly anything Gospel related. Now I’m starting in on some of
the everyday words that I haven't been focusing on. Most if not all of our
study has been on Gospel related vocab and words we need to teach and explain
teachings and principles and doctrines. So now I’m finally to the point where I
can start learning everyday words like... Bank, Store, Sweater, Airport, Fork,
Cup, Window, Etc... They are mostly just places and objects. As far as verbs
go...I probably know about 100-125 verbs at this point. And probably know how
to conjugate about 50-75 of those correctly ha-ha, maybe only Nate will
understand conjugating verbs...we don't do it a whole lot in English. In fact
we do it in a completely different way. Ha-ha other languages are fun.
I'm doing really good
and trying to memorize plenty of scriptures. Since I really have nothing to do
other than study and study and that gets boring. I am trying to memorize the
scriptures that I think will be really useful. I have only 3 Memorized so far,
but my goal is 1 a day so here we go. I hope to have at my fingertips 100's of
scriptures in Italian that I can pull out as needed. Just from personal
experience practice teaching here in the MTC that seems like one of the most
useful things I could have. :) Also my Testimony of the Book of Mormon has
grown so much this week. I think I have learned one of the truths of missionary
work and why missionaries, when doing the work properly, have such a growth in
their testimonies. When you teach about something your testimony of that thing
grows each time. If you are working hard to give the best lesson you can then
it's a sure thing. Me and Anziano Malan had to give a lesson about Chapter 5 in
PMG (Preach My Gospel) (Which by the way everyone should read) which is The
Book of Mormon. The chapter is about how it is our most effective tool and the
key to conversion AND retension...retention...my English is getting bad... the
key to the keeping of converts once they are converted...sigh... anyways while
we taught about the Book of Mormon my testimony was strengthened and for the
first time in my life I think I understood what many great men have meant when
they said that they have a "Burning testimony of the Book of Mormon"
I can feel that smallest deepest inside core of my testimony becoming
uncollapsable like Enos. (I think in English its unshakeable faith...not sure)
Anyways I know that it is the most powerful and correct book on the earth and
know it will change so many lives.
I really can't wait to
go and help people...that is the hardest part of sitting here in the MTC for
this last week. Just waiting to go out and do the real thing. To go out and
REALLY change lives. To take this message that will do things for people that
will extend into the eternities!
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