Week 4

Ok, first about the plaque, I am torn between 2 verses: Alma 29:9 and 3 Nephi 5:13.  I'll leave that choice to you.  Also, could you send me an sd card replacement so I can send this one to Abby and she can upload them to facebook or send them in an email, but that’s the only way I can get them to you at least until I leave...  um about the bike, it should be on a bike rack in between Maeser and Horne halls in Heritage Halls.  It's yellow and has a u shaped lock, hope this helps... 

I got the package and thanks so much for everything!!!  Just send me some pictures to put in the photo album!  Sorry about not being able to write last week, there was some problem with my account but it's fixed now and everything is swell. =]

A couple requests: some family history, preferably stories that I can share with investigators.  I would like my line of authority for the melchisedec (i only know how to spell that in italian now...) priesthood and some moleskin journals, like a 9X6ish size but just a couple, and if you can't it's not a huge deal but it would be nice. 

Another note, the small one liner dear elders are nice.  If you don't want to write a novel just log on and say hi (and this goes for anyone!) =]   But I might not respond to it because my computer time is so limited but it is so great to hear from everyone.

I found out that Fratello Lameroux was in Heidleberg and he was actually President Allreds home teacher! Pretty cool eh?!

(sorry about the poor spelling/punctuation/capitalization.  I'm going for quantity here! haha)

That is soooo great to hear about Roz!!!  Not only about her eye but also about her being baptized!!!!!! I'm so happy for her! =D  It's so fun to hear about the family reunion and everyone that was there, how awesome! (che forte!)  I wish I could've been there for Josh's homecoming, I always loved to read his letters.  And tell Diana I am happy for her, that's so great, and to get married on boxing day!  How special! =P  jk (in Italian there is zero sarcasm so I need to get a little out some how.)

You should tell Elder Bednar when he comes to come to the MTC (before Sept 19th)!!!!  We have yet to have an apostle come visit us. =[ But speaking about apostles, we watched a video from Elder L. Tom Perry about Italy and he was saying that the missionaries going to Italy now are going to be the best missionaries that Italy has ever seen.  When you couple that with how well we are being prepared with the new MTC program and how ready the Italians are to hear and accept the gospel, really we're the luckiest missionaries in the world. =] 

Oh, and speaking of the changes the MTC has made, I got to see Jourdan Hafen (a sister missionary we knew in Sicily) in the TRC (as you all know) but it was so awesome to be able to see her!   She almost didn’t come, multiple times, but what a blessing that she did! 

The MTC has officially lost all its charm and I am so ready to go to Italy!!  It's not bad, but the food however is.  Ugh!  I'm sooo tired of hard boiled eggs, salads and wraps.  Everything else they serve is just bad news...

However (pero), I love getting to study for hours each day, I think I have finally learned how to study after 19 years, haha!  I was able to give a talk in church last Sunday and it went really well!  However, I was told it was too long (13 minutes!!) and I should really cut it down. haha addiritura! (unbelieveable) 

So being a zone leader above all it's awesome!  It's hard to accept the fact that we have to sacrifice study time to do ZL stuff but it's so nice.  The past 2 weeks we've gotten new Portugesse (again, not sure how to spell in English...) missionaries.  Our branch went from 11 to 51!! Next week we get the new Italians!!!!   There's only gonin to be 10 of them but it's so exciting!  We were called as ZL’s when the old districts left and we're ZL's until we leave. 

How are Maren and Sara liking soccer or has it not started yet?  Thats great to hear that Mattie loved volleyball, you should get her to start working on it now and maybe she can play for BYU?!!  Maren, how exciting that, you’re going be in the 3rd grade!  Who is you’re teacher going to be?!  Also, let me know how those teeth work out for ya.  Thats great you have all kinds of room now to play, I heard you were all settled in 5 hours after you were home from the airport! Crazy!

Abby!  Thats so funny about grandma Pinder!!!  Grandma Batty said she had a really good time with you.  I wish I could have been there to see Josh, but there's time for that in 2 years.  Oh and about the krispy kremes... you know you can have them delivered to the MTC right?!! ;)  Oh and let me know if you got that letter... Brynn gave me an address and it looked like Wyview so I sent one there... hopefully it worked.  Also, I'm going to send you my sd card and if you could take the pictures off and send it back it'd be wonderful.  If you could send them to mom/dad or put them on facebook so they can get them or something like that that would be wonderful.  Thanks so much for the letter!  I love you hope you have a wonderful first couple days of college!!!

Thanks everyone for all the letters, it's wonderful to hear from you all.  But if you could remember to keep your addresses up to date that would be ideal. =P  Dad, the ward letter is on it's way. =]   Hope I didn’t forget anything!!

--

Distinti Saluti e vi voglio bene,

Anziano Stewart

Week 3

I love hearing from you all!! It's so nice to hear about what's going on and what you're doing.  I'm sorry if I cant reply to everyone but I'll try, just don't think that it means I don't care I'm just limited on time.

Thanks for getting those last few things ready for me, you guys are wonderful! How is the Schwab account going to work? Is it credit or debit, is the money in NFCU going to be transferred to it?  And thanks for the advice with the contacts, thats what I've been doing already.

Yes, please send the American to Italian plug, just a couple would suffice but if you need to get rid of them, I could give some to the people in the zone.  I was hoping you'd have some good news about a job offer but I'll keep praying for you all. Hopefully you can get free tuition so mom doesn't have to work.

The purpose of having everyone write a talk for Sacrament meetings in the MTC is so the missionary has 9 talks in italian that they can give at any moment on their mission, it's a great idea!!  I'm not sure where Bro Lameroux was stationed, my first guess would be Wisbaden but I'm not sure...that's good that the ward is growing, it's about time! 

It's interesting that you sent me the talk from Elder Christofferson. This past week we had Elder Lund and Elder Bateman both come and speak to us and both their talks were on faith and Elder Christofferson's talks are all really, really similar.  Maybe the lord is trying to tell/teach me something...but thanks for the talk it was nice.

Now for a response to moms letter. Things are flying, one day feels like forever but when you look behind, they FLY by!  Thanks for getting the iPod ready, the guidance on music is that it should invite the Spirit and not be solely for entertainment or have any romantic lyrics, so use your discretion to put Disney songs on there.  It also depends on the mission president so if we aren't allowed to listen to them I just won't, but it would be nice to have if we are allowed.  Thanks for the package!! I can't wait!! Hey, this is kinda silly but could you send me a couple bouncy balls... just because it never hurts to have. =]   awesome thanks so much for working and dealing with that blog, you all are great!! 

Anziano Roisum is from Idaho Falls and Anziano Devincent is from West Virginia.  Well there is just 11 Italian speakers in the MTC right now there's 100's in Italy, don't worry!!  TheItalian is good, we were able to teach a couple from Naples in the teaching resource center (TRC) and it was really interesting, their son was baptized last month and they wanted to learn more.  We taught about how to receive answers to prayers, but it was so difficult to understand them because they were speaking Napolitano, not Italian, and don't think they are the same because it's a COMPLETELY different language!! But it went well and the spirit was strong, the wife was actually crying after we shared our testimonies!! =] 

During exercise time we always play soccer against the Russians and it's a lot of fun. Kyle Collinsworth is actually here right now and it's so cool to talk with him!!  It's hard to I'm studying the gospel so it's not all bad. 

It's great to hear about the girls and how they're doing, let them know i love them!! Man Ab, that stinks about the babysitting experience with the

Reikers... Hahah =] oh and you want to talk to Mike Zarian about where the bike is.  You'll need paper, folders, pens, pencils, just basic school supplies but you can buy them all at the bookstore as needed.  

OH, i forgot to say, i'm one of the Zone Leaders now!!! Anyways I need to go, only 10 seconds left!!! I love you!

Week 1

It's so great to hear from you all, thanks for all the letters!!!  Before I get into this week there's some stuff to get through... on the plane ride over I was talking with this member who lives in SLC, but he was talking about a company called Mantech... maybe you could look into that company.  Also could you send me some contacts, I have about 9 months left so there isn’t a rush but I want to have them before Italy.  Also do you guys have any more of the 3 prong adapters from Sicily? If so could you send them to me?  About the iPod, could you put some Disney music on it,  just a thought?  Do you have the classical music I bought on Amazon?  Thanks for looking for the small PMG, hopefully you can find it but if not don't worry about it.  Once you get to the Y could you send me a "rise up" t-shirt from the bookstore?!?!  And how much money is in my account?

Now onto the good stuff =] thanks mom for getting those happy hippos, I'm looking forward to them very much!!! =] I've seen so many people since I've been here its awesome. I've seen Kenny, Zac, Steele, Logan, Kenna, Kameron, Jon Hogge, Jon Gill, and even someone from EFY in Denmark! And I'll keep my eye out for Elder Bodily.  Kenna and Logan left earlier this week; it's crazy how fast time flies!  It feels like I've been here for only a couple days but I'm halfway through week 3!!  

I'm in a trio now with Anziani Roisum and Devincent.  I love them but it's hard to be in a trio just because you have to coordinate with 2 other people... but it's teaching me patience so it's not all bad.  Then we have another companionship in our district, Anziani Droghi and Nelson.  Anziano Nelson is from Wales and has a sick accent but I think it makes it harder for him to speak Italian... but they're all really great!  Our zone is so awesome.  Everyone is going to fit right on in Italy.  The two older districts are leaving on Tuesday to go to Italia, leaving us with only 11 Italians in the entire MTC!  In 3 weeks we'll get some more but not much more...  

We're all dreading Sundays because they pick random people to give talks so everyone has to prepare one and it has to be in Italian.  Once the older districts leave all of us will be sure to give a talk! haha. Our branch presidency is just awesome, do you know someone named Bro. Lameroux?  He was in Germany in the army... he's our 2nd councilor.  That’s great about the Cartegenas!!!  I'm so happy for them, I wish I could be there when they go through the temple too.  We get to go to the temple every P day, Wednesday by the way, and it's just amazing.  I might have said that last time but it's still true. 

Every Sunday and Tuesday we have a fireside/devotional and every time it's spectacular!!!  Yesterday, Gerald Lund came and talked on faith for like 50 minutes.  It's no wonder we haven't received everything from Heavenly Father when we can talk on such a "simple" topic and leave feeling like we know less about it!!! =P It's just amazing. =] Our teachers are Fratelli Merril and Calder and they are both outstanding!!  We now have 2 investigators and know the lesson of the restoration in our sleep!

I feel like I learn so much everyday.  My testimony of: faith, obedience, patience, the spirit, and charity have all grown so much this week. Now I only need to keep them and grow them in my life. =P 

Hopefully this letter was a bit more organized then the last one. Thanks for using dearelder.com, it makes it much easier and nicer. =] Don't hesitate to tell others to write. =]

Vi amo, Ciao!!!

    Anziano Stewart

P.S. Sorry about the spelling errors, learning Italian is really making using English very hard... Haha