23 June, 2016
Buongiorno!
This week has flown by- yesterday was my half-way mark for the MTC!!! But
things are going well. It has been a little challenging this week trying to keep
up my language study plan and making sure I stay working at it all the time but
I also know I shouldn't be too stressed about it since this Italian thing is
just going to take time.
Teaching has been going well, not every experience goes as well or exactly
as I planned but I know that is just part of the learning process and I am
always excited for more opportunities to improve.
Generally we are on more of a routine schedule now, except this week has
been full-force nuts getting ready for the Mission Presidents to arrive for
their training. They slowly shut down building 1M- the main building where we
eat- all throughout last week and things were completely crazy haha. Last Sunday
they took out half the seating in the cafeteria because they were setting up the
teaching stage/podium for the conference but there were so many missionaries
that we just started sitting on the floor or standing at any open counter
#streetlife. Also I shed a few tears inside because the food deteriorated
rapidly- they took down the salad bar, wrap bar, and basically I have been
living off toast, peanut butter, apples, bananas, and oranges :) They hit an
all-time low Tuesday morning when they ran out of rolls for biscuits and gravy
at breakfast (which looks pretty sketchy anyway) and just started serving gravy
on wonder bread, untoasted LOLOLOL HELLLPPPP. The kitchen staff feel really bad
about it. Slla Shelton and I were chatting with them after lunch Tuesday and
asking how everything was going to work and they told us that Chick Fil A is
coming again! That is how I survived last week and the cafeteria shutting down
with Slla Morgan- we honestly had a countdown going we were so excited. But as
we were talking to the staff they were super cool and nice and offered to find a
calendar for us, then their supervisor came over and started chatting and he is
the nicest guy! He said he had a gift for us and came back with a peach Chick
Fil A shake!!!!! Talk about tender mercies haha. But it was really nice of him
and now we see him all the time and are pals.
Also I forgot to tell you- last Thursday night we were put on lockdown
AGAIN because there was ANOTHER pipistrella (bat) loose in the hall!!! They had
security guards in the halls patrolling and we had to sneak into the bathroom to
brush our teeth before bed! Slla Morgan got booted out of the shower and we just
sat quarantined in our rooms for 35 minutes since apparently our building is a
bat cave. Oh gioia (joy).
The Lord's Hand
I had a cool experience in the temple last Thursday as well. We went to do
initiatories and while I was waiting to move on the lady working looked down and
said "God loves you very much, I can feel it." It was such a sweet experience
and definitely how I saw the Lord's hand in my life that day, feeling of her
genuineness and spiritual power.
Other ways I have felt the Lord guiding me is through our teachers. Last
week especially we were all struggling to stay motivated and were all pretty
tired, but our cute teachers Slla Francom and Russell really took the time to
spiritually teach and help us. In the morning we went around the room as a
district and told each other the growth we've seen in one another these past 2
weeks and what we appreciated about each other. That was a much-needed booster
for morale and we also have watched a lot of the District and videos about
Christ which are always spiritually uplifting.
All-in-all, I have seen myself grow so much through this missionary
experience, and I know I am only 3 weeks in! But I know it's going to go so fast
and all I have been able to think about is how I will be in Italy in less than a
month. Lately I have been thinking about the President Hinckley quote about
forgetting yourself and getting to work and that is what I want to focus on
more, on the service and on the people I am getting ready to teach. In our last
devo the speaker talked about John chapter 15 and how we can become better
disciples of Christ, comparing us to a plant that needs to be pruned. I have
felt that throughout my whole life but especially here on the mission. I have
been pruned by the Lord. He has cut out the dead vines and things that don't
matter to my life, and has at times cut back at the things that I thought I
wanted or needed, but he did it and does it so that I can focus my energy and
nourishment on reaching deep down into my roots, so that I can bloom even more
fully in the future. Sometimes we have to be pruned to bloom more fully and I
know that is the case in my life.
I am grateful for this gospel and the joy it gives me, and I am so excited
for the further pruning and blooming that lies ahead. God is our loving Heavenly
Father and Christ our gardener. They know who they want us to be and who we can
become if we let them help us and I'm so grateful for this refining journey!
Ciao,
Sorella Gleave Xx
