Sono Partando!

Ciao a Tutti!

How is everyone this week? I've been great! So, last week, I printed off some of
my emails I've sent and have realized that pretty much every email starts off
with..."What a wonderful week!" or something to that effect. Sorry if that's the
same everyweek but it's true. Every week is so good because of the work I am
doing. This past week has been another great week. I have exciting news! I got
my travel plans!!! So, Anziano Cox and I are leaving this next Monday, the 18th.
I am so excited and nervous and anxious and probably every other emotion in the
book but that's just how I get right before anything new (especially moving to a
new place) so it's normal. The MTC has been great. I've enjoyed every minute of
learning here. Here's the update from week:
I taught my last lesson at the TRC which was SSOOO much better than last week. I
was able to say everything that I needed to and the language is really starting
to click. Key word: STARTING. haha. Next week I might have a different story.
haha. I was talking with one of the teachers who just came back from her mission
in Catania and she taught me, Anziano Cox and Sorella Pickett (all of us are
going to Catania) a little bit of the Sicilian dialect. There are different
phrases and words they use in Southern Italy and I LOVE her accent so I can't
wait to hear how real Southern Italians speak. I've also been talking with some
of the missionaries that are from Italy and going to English speaking missions.
One of them came in a week after me and knew barely any English and I knew
barely any Italian so there was definitely a language barrier, but it's been fun
to talk to them now that I know a little more Italian. He told me about a
"Castello del Mar" which is in Southern Italy where he lives. I first thought it
was a figure of speech because that means a castle of the sea so I was like, oh
ya, he's probably just telling me how beautiful Italy is by saying Sicily is a
castle in the sea but I guess there really is a castle in southern Italy called
that that I'll be able to go visit. It's been fun practicing Italian with a
native. So, every sunday, during Sacrament meeting, there are 2 or 3
missionaries that are called up to give a short talk in their mission language
and guess who got called on this week? Me! It went suprisingly well. I'm feeling
more and more confident as I speak the language although I am no where near
perfect at it. I've had some wonderful experiences as I've shared my testimony
this week. If there's nothing else I can do in Italian, I can atleast bear my
testimony which is the most important thing anyways. I am not a public speaker
kind of person but sharing my testimony in Italian is something that I have been
blessed with being comfortable at. I can't wait to help the Italian people come
closer to Christ through my simple testimony. I can't wait! Have a great week!

Love,
Sorella Hashey