Sorella Sobeck in Rome: The Book of Mormon is TRUE!

3 weeks down. Every week I will say that I feel like I've been here for months, because its true! Not in a bad way, but we have lost all perception of time and it is really funny. We don't remember the things we did in the mornings, and if we do we think they happened last month. Yet we weren't here last month...hahaha it's grand fun.

Ok. Stuff for my 3rd week at the MTC:

-Lots of people have asked if my companion, Sorella Soh, will be leaving the MTC early because she already knows Italian or if she will be staying here the whole 9 weeks. I am happy to report that she will be with me until November 1st, when we will then depart from each other - me to Rome, and her to Milan. It will be sad, but I'm grateful that she can be with me now and help me learn the language.

-Sorella Soh did leave me for 2 days, however, to apply for her visa. Yes, I said apply. That is abnormal for missionaries to apply while on their mission, because it's supposed to get taken care of before we even come tothe MTC. She had lots of problems though. So early early MOnday morning she flew to the Italian consulate in Miama to apply for her visa. She was gone for 2 days, during which time I was in a trio with my other 2 roommates, Sorelle Teichert and Ivory. Sorella Soh had a wonderful experience as she applied for her visa, and miraculously they said it should be mailed to her NEXT WEEK. That doesn't happen. It really is a miracle, and because of that she will get to go to Italy on time and not serve stateside. She must need to be in Italy soon. It is soooo cool how it all worked out :) She is back safe and sound and I missed her so I'm grateful she's back!

-I love my teachers in the MTC: Sorella Swenson and Fratello Mortensen. They are just both filled with the SPirit so much and they help us every single day with something. I had a cool experience this week. One late night class Fratello Mortensen asked us to write down a question that we have maybe been struggling with about our investigators, and then told us to pray about it. After we wrote down our questions we sat in a circle and read from the Italian Book of Mormon together out loud. We then had a discussion together, in Italian. We are all trying really really hard to only speak Italian in class, and it's really helping us. So our topic of discussion went to exactly my question that I had asked. Afterwards I showed my classmates what I had written down, and we were all like "woooooow - that's so cool". The next day I told Fratello Mortenson about it and he got this completely humbled look on his face. He's a brand new teacher (we are his 1st district and he has been home from his mission for only 2 months!) and I know telling him that helped him realize that class really is directed by the SPirit. SO COOL.

-The Italian group 6 weeks ahead of us left yesterday morning and it was sad to say goodbye. Some of them I will see in Rome, but some are going to Milan and if I see them again it won't be for a long while. We always talk about how we're going to have a huge reunion with each other in Italy at the temple dedication haha. How amazing would that be if we could actually make that happen. I hope ALL THE TIME that I will be able to make it back for the temple. With my family hopefully!!!! Especially that one sister who served in the same mission as me...oh yeah...hahaha. :)

Here is my big sprititual shpeel of the week:

READ THE OCTOBER ENSIGN. I don't know when you at home will have access to it. They gave every single missionary a copy of this Ensign and told us to read it cover to cover. It is a special issue about the Book of Mormon and oh my gosh it is sooooo amazing. I think everyone should read it all the way through and think about how amazing that book is.

An awesome thing about why they gave everyone a copy. We have our Tuesday night devotionals, and last night was really special. We figured someone big was coming again, even after Elder Ballard came last week and it being so close to General Conference, because there were signs EVERYWHERE telling everyone to bring their Ensign and their scriptures. Very odd. And there was a little rumor going on in our district for a reason I'll share later. Elder Russell M. Nelson came to the MTC last night and shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon as well as some history about the printing and everything. It was such an amazing meeting. And then afterwards each district meets with each other with a member of their branch presidency to talk about the devotional and share thoughts. My branch president, President Johnston, is the BEST.

Here are some of my favorite things from the Ensign and also the devotional and my brach president, because I'm sure you all want to know what I think:

-Missionaries are NOT PESTS. While people may think that, we can never think that of ourselves. We are people's connection to their eternal glory. They don't know that yet, but we do.

-pg. 14 in Ensign - talk by Elder Nelson (coincidently) - "As we become His true disciples, we gain the power to love as He does. As we keep His commandments, we become more like Him."

-The Book of Mormon was made for OUR DAY. It was made for US. THe prophets who wrote saw us and knew what we needed. When Mormon compiled the book together he chose from TONS of writings. He chose what we specifically would need in this day - "included the topics and examples of greatest importance to the inhabitants of the earth in the latter days." - pg. 37

-pg. 40 - Wilford Woodruff said "All the ingenuity of all the men under heaven could not compose and present to the world a book like the Book of Mormon. Its principles are divine--they are from God. They could never emanate from the mind of an imposter, or from the mind of a person writing a novel. Why? Because the promises and prophecies it contains are being fulfilled in the sight of all the earth." AMAZING>

-Read the talk by President Ezra Taft Benson. He spoke it in General Conference in 1986 but I had never read it. Read it - it's so cool.

-on pg. 71 theres a story about an Italian man. :) :) :)

-pg 80 - testimony from Elder Holland - my favorite. "The Book of Mormon is the sacred expression of Christ's great last covenant with mankind." As a missionary, it is my responsibility to convey the GIFT of the Book of Mormon to the world.

I just said a ton of spiritual stuff, but I am a missionary. :) I know the Book of Mormon is true!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so grateful that I have a testimony of it, and that I can soon chare it with people in italy. 6 weeks away! Being a missionary is hard, from ALL my experience in the MTC, but I feel the spirit everyday and I know that I am supposed to be here right now.

I love my family! I went to the temple today and instead of doing a session I was able to participate in sealings and I'm so grateful for the temple and everything it represents.

The Italian language is beautiful. It is hard to learn, but it is beautiful. I love singing hymns in Italian.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me. I am so grateful for letters that you take the time to write me, and for the support I have. You are all wonderful. Read the Book of Mormon! I tell you that because I love you and because that book is so important to this work. Have a wonderful week! Write me! :)

Love, Sorella Sobeck