It's twenty12? What? My life is flying by. Literally. Well, it's not that bad I guess. But while we're talking about time and how it makes my brain explode, I live here in less than three weeks! Three weeks from this moment I will be in Italy and I will know where I will be serving first! Mamma freaking mia! I have two more p-days, two more temple trips and then I'm in Italy. Whoa. I'm getting so excited. I feel like my Italian really does keep getting better. I can listen to conference talks in Italian and read along in italian now, not English, and understand so much. Hello, gift of tongues. I'm just grateful I've always loved to learn so studying isn't so bad.
Let me now begin my telling you about my great new year. I was a little sad to hear there were no pizzas, but I didn't eat pizza either so at least we were consistent. We celebrated at 4:00 because that was midnight in Italy. Sorella Forbe's mom ha mandato un pacco con molte cose per festiggiare. E tutte le cose erano italiane. Then Sorella Bunker and I decided to just keep wearing our party hats the rest of the day, because 2011 only dies once. But people kept telling us happy birthday as we passed and I never really knew what to say. I usually settled on "Thank you," but in my brain I wanted to say "Are you stupid? Do you know what today is?"
After class that night we headed back to the dorms, I took a shower, but my party hat back on for a bit, and then crawled into my super bed, read a chapter of Jesus the Christ and was no sad at all that it was only 10:30. On Sunday we had an extra long meeting with err'body since it was fast Sunday and I decided it was the perfect time to write down a review of my year, month by month. The beginning was a bit rough with nothing to job my memory, but it came along nicely and I once again settled into the conclusion, that my life is fantastico. Sicuramente.
As far as missionary related thoughts, here is your tidbit of the week: the parable of the talents. We hear a devotionaly last night that touched in it and went along so nicely with your last letter, babbo. I was reminded of a lot of good thing. Everything I'm going right now isn't for me. All my studying all my practice, all my whatever, it's for the people in Italy that need to hear our message, the people God has been preparing to hear me teach them the full and restored gospel, which will, I have no doubt, bless their lives forever.
I liked thinking about the parable of the talents and my mission and how I can look at the things I left with, the talents I already had, and now my goal is to use them to serve and come back with more. God knows exactly what I can become, as long as I faccio le cose giuste, e sempre volgio migliorare mi stessa, e servire and I'll be ok. But Dad, I really liked what you said about the people to fire yesterday, I think the character I'm most likely to adapt at times is the know-it-all, especially since here the fact of the matter is I do know a lot more about a lot of things than some of these elders that have never left home, or studied things on their own time. What makes the difference now I guess is what I do with the things I know.
Other highlight, I saw my lovely friend Dani, the one who lived in NYC for a spell, yesterday. Her mom works in the Cafeteria so she came and found me and handed me a cold bottle of diet Dr. Pepper. There was a multitude of angels singing praises, I am sure. She is so wonderful it just made me so happy to see her and remember how I love everything about her and that when I get home, there will be a lot of excellent things waiting for me and the rest of my life, mosrly because of the fabulous people I already know. My life won't stop being great when I get home just because my mission has changed, espesh if I have anything to say about it.
I really love teaching. I think we've been getting better in that realm too. I feel like for me these are the keys:
1) Prepare: studying the scriptures and the doctrine and praying like whoa, so that when I'm teaching the Spirit can help me remember the things I've studied, and know what my simpatizanti need to hear.
2) Love the people I'm teaching, remember what they've said before about their lives or their questions, and show that you remember, and be happy to see them and happy about what we're teaching.
3) Ask good questions, make it a discussion, keep them engaged.
I guess that's my advice for you Ian. Study, love, and learn to ask insightful questions, not "How does that scripture make you feel?" To which I say, "Well, it's a scripture so I feel fine, idiot."
Thanks for all your letters! Including the many movements of Lady McFluff around the house. And Mom, I did remember that that was your fav scripture, but not until I was rereading that story here a few weeks ago, I think you told me that when I was 12-14 but it was nice to hear what you had to say about it. Hooray for cetaceans!
What's the latest on Doug Clark? He's wandered into my thoughts now and then. It's still hard for me to grasp how much time is passing out side of the MTC as well as in it. Lauren's married (which means to all you people that were there I expect pics asap). I saw Meagan Ricks this week and the Em and Chuck had their baby. Whoawhoa.
Oh and finally, in the next few weeks, Mom, could you maybe tell Anchor Bank not to be bad when I leave the country for 17 months, and if someone could tell me monies status, that would be rad. The first thing I'm going to have to do there is buy a real coat so I don't freeze. Babbo, we got the blankets yesterday. Thanks! We love them.
Oh! And a note to the masses, go out and buy a sheet of international stamps, and stick it on your fridge or something and then writing me letters in Italy will not be hard, because with the power of God nothing shall be impossible, including you staying my friend every couple months, or whenevs. Read: I love all your letters, I love hearing about your lives and knowing that you remember me and all your wise words.
And I've almost finished my first journal, mostly I wanted Katy to see that. It's been a lovely 122 pages, taking it along with me and having people drool over how beautiful it is. I'm hoping that by starting off strong it will be easier for me to keep up on my journal writing. I want to remember! I've been thinkng about about how much the Book of Mormon talks about remembering, makes me think it's a bit important.
Life here is still great. Still love it all. Only real compaint is I didn't bring more of my dresses. Somedays putting on more than once item of clothing is just too much for me to handle.
LOVE LOVE LOVE to you all!!! keep me updated on the sleep study and whatever else is going down.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Sorella Bush
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