Hello! I have officially survived my first entire week at the MTC and today it has been so fun to see the new greenies come in. I feel so experienced...hahaha ok so maybe not, but I'm glad I'm not the brand new missionary anymore. This week has been the coolest, LONGEST, most spiritual, hardest week of my life in different ways than I've ever experienced before. Everyone who has been in the MTC before knows exactly what I'm saying. If you haven't, its just something that you have to experience! But I honestly can say that I love the MTC! I always heard about how strong the Spirit is all the time and how much you learn in a short amount of time. It's absolutely true, I can vouch for that.
My compa
nion is Sorella Soh (I know...Soh and Sobeck...it's awesome) and she's 22 and from North Carolina I guess you could say. Her dad's in the military so they've moved a little. She has taken 18 credits of Italian at BYU. So she can communicate in Italian already with a fairly good vocabulary, she knows all the conjugations and the tenses and all that fun stuff...and her collega (companion - myself) is just in awe all the time. This week has been VERY overwhelming as I've tried to get a grasp of how to pronounciate this new language and my companion isn't sharing that challenge with me. HOWEVER, she helps me sooooooooo much!!!! I am always always always asking her how to say something, and I always forget it and ask her to repeat it a million times and she never gets annoyed with me. I was worried about that at the beginning, but not anymore. It's helpful for her too. So yes, the very first day of the MTC we went to class and began to be immersed in the langage. They use an Immersion program where our teachers don't speak English, they don't necessarily teach us the conjugations and all that. We have to read out books and SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK. It has been hard for me but I'm getting used to it and I really do believe that it is the best way to learn a language the quickest! These people definitely know what they're doing when they teach missionaries.
So far I can bear my testimony and pray in Italian, along with a few other little things. When I say I can do these things, I mean they are always very simple testimonies and prayers. One thing I have learned so far is that simplicity can be very effective. It doesn't matter if you don't know how to say all that you want to say, or if the grammar is correct. As long as you can get your point across with simple words, the Spirit can be there. We began teaching an investigator our second day in teh MTC...only in Italian. Sorella Soh does almost all the talking in our lessons, but I do bear my testimony and say a prayer in the lessons. We've had 4 lessons with him (his name is Luigi) so far and each time my language is improving and my understanding is increasing. He does talk very fast though and because my collega understands everything he says and she speaks quickly, I don't always keep up haha. It's kinda entertaining. I'm trying my best to participate because I know the more I practice here the better off I will be when I get to Italy!
My district is very unique, in our boy/girl ratio. Last week we had 3 Anzioni (Elders) come in, and 7 Sorelle (Sisters)!!! That is unheard of and is so backwards from what it usually is. It is fun though. The ölder and wiser" Italian missionaries who came 6 weeks before us seem so experienced and they have a normal ratio, i believe 7 Anzioni and 3 Sorelle. I will simply say that I love all the Italian missionaries who are here at this time! They are so much fun to be around and I believe we are such a unified group of missionaries. At every meal the Anzioni always take the girls trays for them when we're finished eating. They always open our doors and they treat us with respect. It was weird at first but I have realized how uncommon that is in the MTC! Our guys are THE BEST! The older Sorelle have all taken Italian before so they know a lot and they are a lot of fun to be around and they always help us.
Some fun stuff that has happened this week:
1. Obviously I'm new at learning a language. And people always make mistakes. Whether it's in the meaning of the word or just the pronounciation, it can be hilarious. Sorella Soh was telling me how to say good job: buon fatto. Immediately I tried to mimic and sayed buon farto. Yep, like a fart. We don't know why but it was hilarious at the time and it involved me crying with tears rolling down my face. I guess stupid thigns are funny when you spend hours and hours in a classroom every single day.
2. The Sorelle in my room (there are 4 of us who came in the same day: Sorelle Soh, Ivory, and Teichert) have some physical goals we've set. Everyday we try and do at least a couple pullups and since I've never been able to do one this makes me happy. I am determined to do one real pullup before I leave the MTC. We also decided to do at least 50 pushups (no knees on teh ground) a day. It's been fun to have that goal together. SOme of the Anzioni do 300 a day hahaha...wé aren't aspiring for that.
3. I know that the gift of tongues is REAL! I have felt it and know that without the Lord's help I wouldn't be able to say anything in Italian at this point.
4. Subject quote - Willy Wonka. Quote from Sorella Soh when we walked in our room and found candy on our bed from Sorelle Ivory and Teichert. They are so cool. I love all my roommates.
5. I have felt the Spirit SOOOO much this week. I am so grateful for the things I've learned and how much I've come to rely on what I feel.
6. I have prayed more than I ever have in my life. It is so important and it helps me and comforts me. We all need comfort here from the feelings of overwhelmingness.
7. I love my Heavenly Father and I know that He is there!!!
SO yes, my pday is Wednesday. We went to the temple today and it was great. I love the temple.
Thanks to Mom, Sarah, Ana, Aunt Donna, and Janine for loving me this week. It was great to be remembered this week. I love you all!
Love, Sorella Sobeck :)
PS - 30 minutes on computer a week to read and type. SOrry for the typos and sorry it's not longer. I have so much more to say. Sorry! Love yoU!.
Classmates/roommates/FRIENDS
Matchy-match day with the sorelle
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