At the MTC the Elders don't call home so this was a Christmas surprise to even get an email from Ben!
(One of Mom's favorite gifts of the day).
Dear famiglia!
Buon Natale!!! Sorry you all didn't get my mail but I just found out that I didn't put in the letter from last week. Mi dispiace but its good because you all are going to receive 2 letters from me this week so that's nice! So I hope all of you are having a very merry Christmas! Don't worry about me I'm loving Christmas here at the MTC. Today we had Elder Bednar give a great talk regarding the character of Christ I really enjoyed it and felt the Spirit! So thank you for all the presents, my favorite was the picture book you gave me , I really do love it! When I was going through it, it just reminded me how lucky I am to have such a great family that really does care about me! I also liked the Navajo scarf I'm wearing it right now and have gotten many compliments from wearing it! But this morning Anziano Collins and I woke up (we are the only 2 people in our room) and opened the presents. We then had breakfast and after breakfast we had sacrament meeting with Elder Bednar! It was really incredible because there was 2,000 missionaries that all took the sacrament with the apostle. It was nice also because our whole district got to sacrament early so we had a chance to be up at the front. It was really a cool experience. We then went on our temple walk, tonight we'll have another fireside, hopefully by another general authority! I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas! What I've been trying to do today is remember Christ, his miracles, and his ministry! Buon Nattale!
-Love, Anziano Thomas
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
November 30, 2011 - Happy Thanksgiving!
Dear Famiglia,
I can’t believe I’ve already been here for 2 weeks it has gone by so fast! I love getting all of your letters it makes my day so keep sending them! Right now I’m doing my laundry but my companion and I woke up at 5:30! In the morning! We have to wake up this early because it’s our P-Day and if we were to do laundry at our scheduled time we would be here all day. Thanks dad for keeping me updated on ASU Football… if Erickson does get fired hopefully we get a better coach! Joe thanks for letting me know how good the Packers are doing even though the Vikings are the BEST!! Haha just kidding. Emmy thanks for writing me, I’m glad I’m glad that you’re the fastest on your team that’s so awesome! Also I can’t believe I’m going to miss the Hunger Games movie while I’m gone! It is going to be epic! Hailey I think that you should try out again you will definitely make it! If your collarbone wasn’t broken you would’ve made it easy the first time so don’t worry! Daniel thanks for the letter it really meant a lot to get that and I’m glad I could be your brother! Keep taking Joe out for Gelato and play bball and catch with him! Mom and Dad thanks for the letters and Mom thanks for the package it was a huge help for my day! It’s funny because at the MTC they call packages, care packages like on Call of Duty, its funny! Daniel I’m mad I can’t play the new Call of Duty… you must get 15th prestige!!! Anyways, happy Thanksgiving!! Wasn’t the same not having turkey at the house… but it’s okay because Thanksgiving at the MTC was great! We had 2 apostles, Elder Christofferson and Nelson both gave talks. The random people we have that give talks do an amazing job! So I guess you’re all dying to hear about the life of an MTC missionary! Well, I wake up at 5:58 every day because around 6:30 the showers get super packed! Then at 7:50 I go to breakfast. After breakfast it changes according to the day. Usually we will have Gym where I play 4 square! Or Basketball! Then we will have personal study for an hour. Then our teacher will come in to teach us gospel principles or Italian. Fratello Meril and Fratello Mortenson are our teachers. Then at 12:30 we have lunch. Then language study for an hour. 5:30 we have dinner and then 9:00 we have planning for the next day. Then some days we have a TALL Program in the computer lab where we learn Italiano!
Sundays are nice because we have temple walks to the Provo temple! P-Days we wake up at 5:30 in the morning so we can be the first ones to the laundry room. Our P-Days are on Wednesday. After laundry we get a sack breakfast then go to the 8:20 morning session at the temple! This last P-Day I shined my own shoes and then fixed the button on my suit! The rest of the day I just sleep and write letters so that’s great. The Italian lingue is coming along alright. I get really frustrated because everyone in my class is so far ahead of me. There are Quattro sorelle (4 sisters) in my class and all of them have taken college Italian. Plus mio college is fluent in espanoglo. But I keep going haha. Thanks for the box of cookies and candy. I love it! I’m not going to lie a mission is pretty hard but we just have to remember that it’s the Lord’s work not ours. I Love you all! Thanks for everything and prego for you all every giorno! Grazie! Ci Vidiamo!
Love,
Anziano Thomas
Monday, December 5, 2011
First Letter!!!
November 23, 2011
Dear Family,
Ciao! Sorry it has taken me so long to write back! I have been unbelievably busy here! My P-Day is on Wednesday so that will be usually when I write to you all! So I might as well let you know how things have been going for me. When dad dropped me off on Wednesday, an Elder who was headed to Billings, Montana helped me get settled. We first go my I.D. card picture taken, then I checked in, and then I sat in this huge room with all the New Missionaries. The MTC president then welcomed us there. After I was taken to a classroom where I sat down and listened to a teacher speak ALL Italian!! At first I thought it was a joke but he just kept going and going and going !!! I wish I would of known this but when they teach you a language at the MTC, they just immerse you in the language. Seriously I had no clue what he was saying! It was so frustrating! After I got to meet my companions. Elder C. from Manassas, Virgina and Elder J. from Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. We were supposed to have another Elder from Brazil, but he was having Visa problems. Anyway, we got to our room and settled in. We have 3 other elders in our room 2 going to Indiana and 1 going to Columbus, Ohio. Anyway it is good to get mail from all of you! It really makes my day! It's nice that all of you are making dinner for the sister missionaries. Now that I am a missionary I can see how much of a help it is to have them for dinner! So about my first week at the MTC! Thursday I woke up at 6! Earliest I've been up since high school. Went to gym, I ususally play basketball or four square haha! Then that night I met with the Branch Presidency. Everyone introduced themselves and then we had individual interviews. The Branch Presidency then called me in to be the District Leader! Later in the week, on Tuesday I had a sad but spiritual experience. Lately for whatever reason my companion has been in to see the Branch President. Anyway this Elder was in talking to the MTC president while Elder C. and I were in the computer lab working on the language. All of the sudden, I feel a tap on my shoulder and see it is one of the MTC presidents with Elder J. The MTC president told us to follow him and I was like shoot! What did we do?! We went in a room where he told us that Anziano (Elder) J. was being sent home. The MTC President then asked Anziano J. to ask one of us to give him a blessing of comfort. Anziano J. picked me and I pulled out the missionary handbook to see how to do it because it was my first blessing. As I was blessing him I could feel the Holy Ghost's presence, it was incredible! After the blessing he gave us both hugs and we helped him pack his stuff and go. As we were walking him there I couldn't help but think that I should of blessed or said some other things. But then I remembered it's not what I want, it's what the Lord wants! So now it is just Anziano C. and I he's great and helps me a ton with the language. About the language... when you do family prayers pray for me to do my best to learn the language. Learning Italian has been the hardest thing for me so far. I'm thankful to be out here on a mission and everyday I try to do my best. I'm thankful for this true church and how it can change peoples lives! Keep the mail coming and know that I love you all!
amare (Love),
- Anziano Thomas
Dear Family,
Ciao! Sorry it has taken me so long to write back! I have been unbelievably busy here! My P-Day is on Wednesday so that will be usually when I write to you all! So I might as well let you know how things have been going for me. When dad dropped me off on Wednesday, an Elder who was headed to Billings, Montana helped me get settled. We first go my I.D. card picture taken, then I checked in, and then I sat in this huge room with all the New Missionaries. The MTC president then welcomed us there. After I was taken to a classroom where I sat down and listened to a teacher speak ALL Italian!! At first I thought it was a joke but he just kept going and going and going !!! I wish I would of known this but when they teach you a language at the MTC, they just immerse you in the language. Seriously I had no clue what he was saying! It was so frustrating! After I got to meet my companions. Elder C. from Manassas, Virgina and Elder J. from Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. We were supposed to have another Elder from Brazil, but he was having Visa problems. Anyway, we got to our room and settled in. We have 3 other elders in our room 2 going to Indiana and 1 going to Columbus, Ohio. Anyway it is good to get mail from all of you! It really makes my day! It's nice that all of you are making dinner for the sister missionaries. Now that I am a missionary I can see how much of a help it is to have them for dinner! So about my first week at the MTC! Thursday I woke up at 6! Earliest I've been up since high school. Went to gym, I ususally play basketball or four square haha! Then that night I met with the Branch Presidency. Everyone introduced themselves and then we had individual interviews. The Branch Presidency then called me in to be the District Leader! Later in the week, on Tuesday I had a sad but spiritual experience. Lately for whatever reason my companion has been in to see the Branch President. Anyway this Elder was in talking to the MTC president while Elder C. and I were in the computer lab working on the language. All of the sudden, I feel a tap on my shoulder and see it is one of the MTC presidents with Elder J. The MTC president told us to follow him and I was like shoot! What did we do?! We went in a room where he told us that Anziano (Elder) J. was being sent home. The MTC President then asked Anziano J. to ask one of us to give him a blessing of comfort. Anziano J. picked me and I pulled out the missionary handbook to see how to do it because it was my first blessing. As I was blessing him I could feel the Holy Ghost's presence, it was incredible! After the blessing he gave us both hugs and we helped him pack his stuff and go. As we were walking him there I couldn't help but think that I should of blessed or said some other things. But then I remembered it's not what I want, it's what the Lord wants! So now it is just Anziano C. and I he's great and helps me a ton with the language. About the language... when you do family prayers pray for me to do my best to learn the language. Learning Italian has been the hardest thing for me so far. I'm thankful to be out here on a mission and everyday I try to do my best. I'm thankful for this true church and how it can change peoples lives! Keep the mail coming and know that I love you all!
amare (Love),
- Anziano Thomas
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