Sorella Wiltbank: Welcome to the MTC. Welcome welcome welcome welcome.... (I sing that every Wednesday to the newbies. To the tune of the welcome song on She's The Man). (MTC

Ciao Famiglia!

This week has been so awesome! Friday we got our travel plans!!!!!! We go from SLC to Chicago to London to Rome! We leave at 5 am on the 11th and get there at 2:20pm on the 12th! It'll be a long day of travel! I'M GOING TO ITALY! Holy.cow. It doesn't even seem real! I've been so distracted all week though! I can't even concentrate!

Saturday we went out into the real world! I had to go to and eye appointment, and yes...I'll be a four eyes (hopefully before we leave!) They had to dilate my eyes and so I had to wear those fun glasses all day! It seriously make me look like I was blind. So we had a fun time walking around the MTC with my colega leading me around and pretending like I was blind. Perchè No?! What else do we have to do for fun around here?! To make things even better, Sorella Stephens was on crutches for the day, so we gave her my glasses and we had an even more fun time pretending like she was blind! hahaha we had the whole campus interested!

Blind crippled Sorella Stephens.

I JUST SAW SISTER HAMBLIN (One of Kaeli's best friends who is going to Hong Kong)! Like 20 minutes ago! I bawled like a baby. But you know what, I don't care! :) She seemed happy! A little confused, but we didn't really get to talk. Hopefully we'll be on the same meal schedule and we can sit down and talk before I leave!

So you wanted to know more details of the MTC. Well....it's pretty much the same every day, but here is our schedule!

6:35 Gym
7:45-8:30 Additional Study Time
8:30 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Class *
12:00-1:40 Personal Study
1:40 Lunch
2:25-5:30 Class *
5:35-6:35 TALL (Technology Assisted Language Learning)
6:40 Dinner
7:25-9:00 Language Study
9:00-9:30 Planning
10:15 Quiet Time
10:30 Lights out

* During one class period we teach an "investigator". We have 2 (they're really just our teachers) but they are both named Francesco. The other half of the same class we either learn Language or Gospel Stuff. The other 3 hour class block is dedicated to whichever we didn't cover in the morning.

On Tuesdays and Sunday's we have Devotionals. Wednesday is our P-day. We do laundry, email, go to the temple, buy stuff in the bookstore, just random stuff. Then at 7:25-9:00 we do Language study. And...ya that's how the MTC works!

I've gotten so close to all of the Anziani and Sorelle in my district! I love them all! Sometimes it's frustrating because we get really chatty and distracted. But it's great!

My District! Top Left: Anziano: Jimenez, Apple, Zemp, Leorcher.
Bottom: Sorella Kippen, Matthews, Stephens, Pancheri, Me

On Sunday's after the devotional we go and watch a video devotional of a General Authority. This week I went and watched one by Anziano Holland (my fav). During the devotional my mind kinda started wondering and I found myself thinking about other things. I was pondering them in my heart and had some questions that I decided I would study later. Not but 3 minutes later Anziano Holland starting talking about just what I was thinking about. He said EXACTLY what I needed to hear and in such a powerful way. I didn't even say a prayer about it, yet moments later I recieved an answer. I didn't even say a prayer and he was listening. I don't understand how, but He knows me. Heavenly Father knows exactly every part of my soul. Isn't He the absolute best person to turn to for everything? He understands your exact pains, your exact sorrows, your exact frustrations. Don't you think He's the best person to turn to for advice?

He knows your exact happiness, your exact excitment, your exact joy. Wouldn't he be most excited to hear about it.

I know I talked about prayer and such a few weeks ago, but it's just been really exciting to have all of these awesome testimony building experiences. I'm coming to realize the reality of this gospel. This gospel isn't just something that makes you feel good inside. It's not just a set of standards to live your life. IT'S REAL!!! The stories in the scriptures are about real people! With real excperiences! Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and Jesus Christ! Nephi really saw a vision of the latter days! I wish I could convey my excitement over email! It's just so awesome. But don't get me wrong... I knew it was real, I just didn't realize how real!
One last exciting gospel fun fact! We live in the most awesome dispensation! And I think that we take it for granted. We know that the gospel is never going to leave the Earth. I know that my missionary work isn't going to be in vain, because I know the gospel is going to affect the lives of so many....forever.

I think that when the Prophets of old were....being prophetic...they knew it wouldn't last. They knew the people would fall. Wouldn't that be so discouraging! But maybe, just maybe, God strengthened those prophets by showing them us. Showing them a time when all the world would be able to hear the joyfulness of the gospel. A dispensation where it would never slip back into apostacy. Think about Mormon. All of his people were dead. He was the very last one. Yet he had things to write about in the scriptures. They were to us! Not to his people. But to us in the latter days. God showed him this wonderful era where missionary work is the strongest it has ever been in the history of the world, and I'm sure it gave Mormon strength to keep going. Keep writing just a little more for us lucky ducks in the latter days. We're destined to win! We know where the church is headed and it's uphil. So buck up and help spread this wonderful gospel! We've got all of the members and prophets from the past cheering us on.

Well this is all for now. I'll write you again from the beautiful land of Italia! Over and out!

TI AMO!
Sorella Wiltbank

p.s. eccitato does not mean excited.... Never believing the dictionary again!

pps. The MTC has 1000 new missionaries coming in today! And 422 of them are Sisters!!! wooo!!!