"i can still recall our first wednesday" (April 27, 2010)

We made up words to that Abba song “I can still recall our last summer,” but for coming here: I can still recall, our first Wednesday. I still see it all....walking in the door, backpacks on the floor..." and then that part for "now you're working in a bank, a family man, a football fan, and your name is Harry" is now "now we like to SYL, we've got one week, and we have had, all the food they offer" (we are all pretty sick of the food here, it's the same stuff over and over, and especially with the promise of real Italian food we just can't wait to get there!). I can't believe it is our last p-day here in the MTC. In fact, this is the last email I will send from the MTC, and I am not sure I will have a chance that first couple of days in the field, so don't be worried if you don't hear from me for two or two-and-a-half weeks instead of just next week, but I will certainly still email as soon as I get the chance. We got our flight plans on Thursday! So now I can tell you it: we report to the travel office here in the MTC at 5 am (ugh) on Tuesday morning, May 4. Our flight leaves the SLC airport at 8 a.m. and goes to Chicago, where we have a 3 ½ hour layover, and then we fly to Frankfurt, have a two hour layover, then fly to Milan and arrive at about 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. So I had better sleep on the plane if I want to make it through that first day!

In Relief Society on Sunday Elder Worthlin's daughter came and spoke to us. Do y'all remember the story he told in conference before he died about his daughter who was going on a blind date, so she left with him, but came back a few minutes later super embarrassed because it turned out that the man was actually there to pick up her sister for babysitting? Well, it was that daughter, and it was hilarious! She told us the story again from her perspective, and that was really cool. She was neat and way fun to listen to.

Last Saturday we had a contacting activity, where we split into missionaries and potential investigators, and some of us were supposed to listen to the message and others weren't, and it was all in Italian. We combined with the other district, so there were 25 of us plus some teachers all practicing contacting in Italian. It was really neat to see how much Italian we've learned; the gift of tongues really is a real thing! Sometimes it's hard to recognize, though, because it is not a gift of sudden fluency, that's not how the Lord works. He teaches us line upon line, as we learn in the scriptures, and that is true with the gift of tongues as well, and conditional upon our diligence. We've tried really hard, our district, to SYL, and our teachers have spoken to us almost only in Italian since day one, especially Fratello Clarke. What's interesting is that sometimes it was really frustrating and hard and we really wanted him to speak in English and we wanted to speak in English, but we stuck with it and now it really is a miracle how amazing we speak Italian for only 8 weeks. Fratello Clarke's last day was on Friday (he went home for the summer), and he talked to us about how proud he was that we really stuck with Italian. He said he's never seen a group of missionaries so prepared to arrive in the field, and said that every one of our trainers will comment on how well we speak. We noticed it especially because the other district who did that exercise with us really just can't speak like we can, and they haven't syl-ed as much and their teachers haven’t pushed them as hard. God really does bless us line upon line, and based on our diligence. But He helps; we don't have to be superstars all by ourselves, we just have to put forth the effort to try.

That being said, sometimes I still fall asleep in class because it's hard to stay awake...woops, but I thought y'all would think it is funny to hear how my comp wakes me up by flicking my nose. So bizarre. Try it, and see how it feels. It is so startling...

Also, I played softball in gym yesterday, and I totally hit the ball when it was my turn to bat! I would have made it all the way to first base too, without getting out, but I was so excited that I hit the ball I forgot to run...hehe...

Ok, I am just about out of time; I had computer troubles so I lost about 5 minutes, so sorry this email is a bit shorter, but know that I love you and I am thinking of you, even when I don't email next week.

Love,
Sorella Langham