Week One - MTC

Ciao Famiglia!!
Grazie for the package! It was awesome!!!
And that's so exciting about the new stake preidency! Molto Bene! :)

I've been here a week?! What?! This week has been the longest week of my life! So go listen to the T-Swift song 22. "We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time" Ya I think she wrote that about the MTC. The spirit is strong, the food is....harsh, the language is beautiful, and my district = pure awesomeness! So I'm going to start from the beginning of the week, using my journal as a guide haha.

Wednesday I saw Keldon! We only got to chat for a few minutes and I haven't seen him since, we must be on different schedules, but he seemed happy to be here.

So usually districts are composed of missionaries speaking the same language but going to different missions, my district is awesome and we're all going to Rome! The girls I'm rooming with are so fun and I feel like we've been best friends forever (probably because we're together 24/7). My companion is Sorella Pancheri and she's great! We get along most of the time and there's a lot that we are learning from each other.

Sorella Pancheri & Sorella Wiltbank

So our teachers only speak in Italian. The first day I had no clue what was going on or what they were saying, but my heart just felt so incredibly happy, like it's been waiting for this moment forever. I already love these people and this language so much. Seriously though, Italian is the most beautiful language in the world! I think I already know more Italian in the past 6 days that I've been learning it, than I knew Spanish for the year and a half I took it. I can feel the gift of tongues working within me and it's so incredible to see. It's really a miracle. We've already taught 4 lessons in Italian to an "investigator" Raymond, visiting the states, and in yesterdays lesson we didn't use any notes! It was rough, but it was such a great learning experience.

Her District

Destination:  Italy!  

MTC life is hard. We're going going going every second of the day, and we're in a tiny classroom from 7:00 am - 9:00 pm. We really only have a teacher for about 3 hours of the day and the rest is all study time. My district has a really hard time staying focused, and I get so frustrated! But we're finding ways to stay on track and hopefully this week will be better! I'm on the Lord's time table right now, not my own, and I want to use every second of these next 6 weeks preparing myself spiritually and linguistically. There are people in Italy that are ready to receive this gospel. And I know everyone says that Italy is a hard mission, but Heavenly Father hasn't forgotten about his children there, there are people who need the gospel. I will find them. I will show them the light of Christ. I will speak to them in their own language. I will touch their hearts. And I will commit them to Baptism. Baptism is the starting point in their eternal progression, and yes I will probably be planting plenty of seeds, but my goal is to invite them to come to Christ and receive exaltation.

So people always say there was one talk or one experience that changed their outlook on their mission. I think I've already had mine....in the first week. Ya....awesome! Poiche.... It's called "Christlike Attributes" by Elder Bednar. It was a Christmas devo that he gave here at the MTC, but I'm sure you can find it on lds.org. Seriously this talk is for EVERYONE, and I won't spoil it for you guys. Plus there is wayyyyy to much that I learned and I couldn't possibly write it all in an email. But the main point is that we need to focus on being more outward in a society that pushes us to be inward. (read it and you'll understand, better....watch it!)

I've learned so much so far at the MTC. I've grown in ways that I never thought I would. I still have 5 more weeks :O. Gosh I just want to get out there! And I wish I could remember all of the things I wanted to email you guys about, but there was seriously so.much. that happened that I can't even remember most of it! Plus I'm running out of time for email! But write me some letters! We get mail twice a day and it is so refreshing to take a break and read a handwritten letter from home! But and email would be fine too! Or a Dear Elder...... or even better, a package! This all applies to all my friends too! Seriously guys, you're slackin! I even have an hour to email, so send me an email and I'll print it off and read it all week long! But include your mailing address, I might have to hand write a reply.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!! I'm sorry to say I don't miss you guys all that much.....only because I have absolutely no time to! There's so much to learn in so little time! But I still think about you often and pray for you every night (in Italiano btw).

The church is true. The Atonement is real. And I love being a missionaria!

Ciao!
Sorella Wiltbank

Other local girls in the MTC with her.

Sister Gardner (RV) & Sorella Wiltbank

Sorella Wiltbank & Sister Herring (SJ)

Provo Temple

Her tag and flag.