Anziano Orso Letter July 17, 2013

LAST P-DAY IN MTC!!

ciao tutti!!

questa sentimana (this week) has been crazy!! so much has happened, but i can bet that next week will be more hectic! but im pressing onward and doing my best to prepare and go take questo vangelo (this gospel) to the le persone in Italia (people in Italy). its going to be a whole day worth of travel, but with all the other missionari it will be really awesome!!
 

so basic news, every GYM time, me and the other anziani go play sand volleyball!! im actually really good at serving surprisingly, i felt like iron man when i would serve haha.
 

la lingua (the language) is coming a long pretty well!! i can understand most of what is said in a conversion, and talk back! im also starting to understand which tense to use, esempio (example):  furture, past, and present. there is so much to learn about a language, i can see why english would be really hard! haha, if english wasnt my first language i dont know what i would do haha. we're at that stage in the MTC where all your suppose to do is speak your language (SYL) and im like half on it, i speak english/italian, and now i speak without even thinking!! its crazy haha. i wake up blessed with how quick i was able to learn the basics of the language(:
 

nothing really interesting happened until saturday this week....life in the MTC gets boring sometimes haha. anyway i had a huge spiritual experience!! sat we were teaching an investigator and i felt prompted to give the first vision, from the moment i said the first word the spirit came into to the room and i gave the first vision in perfect italian!! it was awesome! my testimony grew a whole lot after that(: later me and the other anziani in my district played a huge game of "hackey-sack" im realizing that little things can be fun haha.
 

sunday was very crazy!! so much happened that has influenced this week for me! after sacrament we went on our temple walk! its was awesome, i love the temple, and the spirit it has! after dinner my companion threw away his retainer on accident, i felt bad for him, but i told him that everything will be fine, hes getting a new retainer, and some good things came out of it for me anche (also). so after dinner we had a devotional like always, as the devotional started the speaker asked for people in the audience to stand up if you were baptized within that last two year, so i stood up, there were about 10 of us, out of 300 in the auditorium. the speaker then asked for 4 of us to come to the front to help him with his purpose of his talk. after he said that all the elders and sisters in my branch pointed to me, so i was chosen to come sit in front of a total of 3,000 missionaries. three other missionaries were selected also. we all had to pass the mike and give our conversion story in less than 4 minutes (like that is possible for anyone haha) the first elder had crush on this girl, and then somehow he was adopted by that girls family!! everyone was like whoa! and then they were also sealed in the temple!! crazy story!! then next girl was introduced through a friend, she had the best laugh! and then the other girl was from Gilbert Az! after she said that we looked at eachother and "hi-fived" (which i guess in the MTC is like opening pandoras box) i guess your not allowed to do that so everyone went ahh! so i just did something your not suppose to do in front the MTC President, and 3,000 missionaries (you know how i get red....i was as read as a cherry slushie...) but now everyone knows me haha. anytime i go somewhere everyone says, arent you the convert from the devotional? the one who high-fived that sister and went to seminary without being a member. i think i will always be remembered that way haha. so im kinda an MTC celebrity (not being prideful about it haha)
 

on monday i was talking to my teacher and he was telling me about the people in italy, he then told me to be prepared for people to change my name when i get there haha. he said they may change my name to "ORSINO" which means little bear haha. he said just act cute when they call you that and they'll love you haha.
 

tuesday my companion had to go get a new retainer! so we were able to leave the MTC! its weird being in the outside world, i have not left the MTC in 6 weeks, the world seems so strange haha jk. while at the orthodontist, i heard the song dyanmite....lets just say it was weird... haha but they orthodontist gave me a slushie!! it was awesome haha i got something out of it lol. but its really funny an orthodontists gets out sugar haha. and lastly we were able to hear from Elder Hinkley for the devotional!! it was awesome!. hes such an inspiration, and he had great advice for us. then after we had our picture taken! they have only taken a group picture of the entire MTC 3 times in history!! it was really cool to be apart of it(:
 

anyway that was my week!! ill have a lot to share with you guys next email since i will be in italy!! its crazy how fast time flies!! it seems like i was just leaving yesterday haha. so if you want to write me no my mailing address has changed to my mission address!!
 

so che il vangelo di gesu cristo e vero, anche il libro di mormon e la saccra bibbia e vero. Joseph Smith era un profeta, e chiamati di dio. lui restaurato la chiesa. so che mediante l'espiazione possiamo tornaremo a dio. gesu cristo la morte per i nostri picatti. nel nome di gesu cristo amen.
 

ciao!! vi amo!!
 

anziano orso