21 Feb 2013

So things are getting pretty boring around here. Italian all day every day, class all day every day. Il capo (our district leader) Anziano Taylor came up with the best description of the MTC I’ve ever heard. He said one day at dinner "I've never laughed so much in a day in my life than when I’m in the MTC. At the same time, i've never felt so deprived of joy and happiness." He hit it right on the money. There are days where I hate it, and days that I love it. Don't worry though i'm totally glad i'm here and the only reason I hate it is because Italian is like a foreign language to me haha. Which brings me to a few stories.

While teaching an investigator, I was trying to translate "God's priesthood is on Earth." So I looked in the dictionary for "earth." Under it, it said "What on earth" so I was like hey i'll just use that. According to the dictionary, the word for "on Earth" is "devolio." So I was like that's weird but whatever i'll just go with it. So I put it on paper, and as we're getting ready to go teach, I decide to look up "devolio" in the Italian part. Devolio means devil. So I guess instead of saying "what on earth" they say "What the devil." So if I wouldn't have checked, I would have told an investigator that God's priestood is the devil. Good thing I double checked or I don't think she would have gotten baptized.

Anz. Taylor during his lesson told our investigator that he would "Recieve women from God" instead of "Recieve gifts/blessings from God." That was hilarious.

As for pictures Dad, i'll send my SD card home like next week. I'll try and throw some pictures onto another email if I have time, and if I can get a computer in the laundry room/ It's the only computer with an SD card reader.

We got a new teacher this past week named Srrla Turley. She is actually the investigator I almost lead astray. She speaks SO fast (she's slowing down now) but the first day she taught she explained to me what we were supposed to be reading and studying in Preach My Gospel, and she spoke so fast I just sat there for a bit. I just said "Yeah, I have no idea what you're saying." And she laughed so now were friends.

Today was a Brennen filled week. Anz. Burton is seriously just like him in a lot of ways, and I ran into an Elder Lee who knows Brenn. I also saw William Cutler who we went to EFY with.

I loved the cards and packages. The candy posters were so funny! Kate, they don't sing "look down" to us while we study or anything, but since that was stuck in my head before I got here I was singing it a lot, which meant my district was singing it a lot. There was a time when you would walk down a hall and hear people singing it. Looks like i'm a trend setter here. And Kate/Sophie, no Sister Missionaries to be my Valentine. That's kind of frowned upon here. And nope nothing special for the hollidays. I'm glad Sophie is still in school. She's fallen behind in social skills from being home schooled, but I think she'll catch up (just kidding). Hopefully Amanda got her letter, I felt awful that it didn't come. And Sophie, don't get mad at me for barely writing anything to you cause you hadn't written me yet.

Here is my list of things I need: A scripture bag for my Italian Scriptures. They are a little longer than English ones, so the dimensions are like 9X5 approx.

  

Thanks to the people writing me. Lauren and Whitney, your letters are on the way. And I just read your email Brynn, that's awesome Keeton is coming to Milan! I'm super stoked. If you could write a hand letter that would be better, cause I have limited time on the email. We talked about Fival Goes West, so if Cierra is reading these that'll make you happy.

It's amazing how the Lord works. I know i'm jumping around a lot in this letter, but whatever. Every single day i've been frustrated or mad or anything, i'll get something that'll cheer me up. I've gotten the Valentines packages, or learned good lessons. Our zone leaders just left to Romania, but there was a night I was frustrated again and he came to talk to me. his name is Elder Baielli. I told him I was frustrated because it's taking a long time to click. He just said the Lord called me here for a reason, and even thiiiiiiis (little) progress is still progress. My favorite moment though was when I was frustrated again (I promise i'm happy most of the time) and Anz. Taylor knocked on the door and said he forgot to give me a letter during dinner. It was from James telling me to keep my head up. It's the small simple things that really amaze me. Well it looks like i've got some time left so if I can snag a computer in the laundry room i'll send some pictures.

I love you all so much! I can feel your prayers, they're helping a lot. And Italian really is slowing down for me. I can put together sentences without looking at notes and stuff. Anz. Burton said that he wasn't learning the stuff we're learning in High School Spanish until his second year, and we're only in week two! Crazy!

Much love, Anziano Christian McKinnon