First Email

Padre, 

to answer your questions uno by uno, I am in the Edward Stevenson building also known as R2. I'm in room 415 on the fourth floor. My companion, Anziano De La Rosa is from mexico city and speaks very little English. I have no doubt that the Lord has a purpose for giving me Anziano De La Rosa as my companion in this group of 24 Anziani and Sorelli. He will be speaking the italiano language much faster than the rest of us and since the day I met him I knew that Italiano language be our meeting point. Him and I have been reading from Il Libro Di Mormon, and he corrects my pronunciation and then he reads from the book of Mormon and I correct his. I have much faith and respect for him because he has to learn not just uno, but due languages. (I apologize for the Italian but SYL is a thing I'm trying to incorporate at the moment) Last night we were interviewed by the district presidents, all three of them and they pulled us out tres at a time and interviewed us to see what concerns we had, expectations we had and just who we were. The president that interviewed me was one of the 12 Missionari that opened the Rome, Italio mission. He told me that when I was able to talk to my companion my Love for him would grow, I would get to experience his powerful testimony and that my understanding heart would love the people of Italia that much more as well. I miss the Familia, but it's not on my mind all day. I think about you in my prayers and at night while I scrive in my giornale. But after that, i forget myself and trust that Padre Celeste is watching out for you and the Familia and that Tempo will fly by so I will be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with the people of my missione. Also as for the Dear Elder account, basically I have beentold that if you write me an email, it gets printed out and I recieve it in my weekly mail. Also it lets you create care packages for me buy putting what you want me to have in them and then the MTC putting that in a box and giving it to me. I can recieve email anyday of the week and read it any day of the week, but am only allowed to send email on Friday. I Love you Padre, Ciao until next week.

Anziano Anderson 

PS. Anziano(i) is elder(s)

Sorello(i) is Sister(s)

Scrive is Write 

Giornale is Journal or newspaper.

Ciao is hello/goodbye

Hurt Leg?

Hey dad,

     Sorry about that phone call, I was meeting with the doctor about my sleep and the lack thereof when he asked me why I was limping. I told him how yesterday I was playing soccer and in my jumping to block the ball with my chest because we can't use our heads or hands, I was somehow kneed in the air which basically pushed me parallel to the ground because of how hard I was hit and then couldn't move my leg for a good ten minutes because of how much it hurt. He checked it and said I had a hematoma that went probably to my bone. I said I'd be ok in a few days but he told me it would probably  calcify if we didn't clear it out and it would be there for the rest of my life. So I opted to do some physical therapy to be safe.

     I'm sleeping better by the way, and I'm doing well with the mechanics of the language but I can't roll my R's and it's an essential part of the language so I'm doing a lot of exercises to train my tongue to be able to do that. Also I heard that Regann is pregnant and I'm super excited for her and for the rest of the family as well. You're going to be a grandpa! I don't know how you feel about that and I won't know how that feels for a good 45 years or more but I imagine that it's all good thoughts.

Anziano Anderson

Crazy Week

Dad, 

     I appreciate hearing from you every week, your letters always have words that I need to hear. This week a lot happened, one of the sisters went home, we talked more in depth about how the savior went and suffered for all of us and felt our pain on a personal level. We were also privileged to hear from president Russell M. Ballard this Tuesday. He talked about Joseph and Hyrum Smith, how blessed they were in this life and how great missionaries they were and still are in the spirit world. 

     I took your advice and have been praying in the janitors closet almost every night because some nights the elders that are departing are packing and the scale is in there so I find someplace else to pray. I’ve done all that I need to do and am now just wrestling with myself because I’m learning how to gain better self control over my thoughts and over my feelings as I try my best to align my heart with Gods will. I know that it will happen, I just hope that it will happen soon. 

     One thing I’m curious to know about though, is how goes the teaching with the iPad? It’s helped me tremendously with all the information it has in the gospel library in all the languages I need it to be in. Also, Anziano DeLaRosa And I are able to hold conversations now. Rough ones, but I know what he’s saying and he knows what I’m saying. Aside from that, not a whole lot else has happened aside from me figuring out the right amount of shirts to have ironed and in rotation, random room checks and learning how to deal with one of my room mates in a Christlike way. 

Anziano Anderson

My Week

Papa,

     This week at the mtc has been rather turbulent. Not because of the food, or the people but because this whole week I’ve been haunted by the memories of the things I did that kept me from coming here in the first place. I know I’m worthy to serve and I know that those transgressions are behind me but there’s a part of me that keeps pestering me about what I’ve done, constantly reminding me. My president suggested a see a counselor, so I did. I have a follow up appointment this Monday and a doctor appointment in about 2 hours because I can’t seem to close my eyes at night without a flurry of those thoughts. I was prescribed medicine that helps combat insomnia and is supposed to allow me to get some sleep, and it works to a point.

     But I wanted to ask you your thoughts on what I should do. I was prompted to do so after reading my patriarchal blessing when it said to trust my parents and know that they love me. I trust you, I love you. I need your help. Aside from that, this week was rather fun because we got to mess with the efy kids. I’ll send a video later today about that. I found out we have an elder who is 26 serving in Milan Italy with us. I’m going to Rome as we know, but most of the missionaries are not. Also I never realized how appreciative I was of our laundry detergent until now when I’m forced to use tide. That’s the only option they have. It smells good, but that’s about it. I also found out that a dear elder account let’s you send me packages same day that you can either build on the website or buy a pre-made package. Helpful if you want to send me party supplies or water bottles and the like.

     I’m doing laundry right now and it’s quite the experience. I’m here in the middle of week three of six and I speak Italian well enough that I won’t go hungry, but not well enough to teach effectively. I’ve almost finished reading the Book of Mormon all the way through since I started last week, and I’ve made good friends with my companion because we are able to communicate a little better every day. He’s such a spiritual missionary with such power for good that I see why we were put together. I love you and hope to hear from you soon.

Anziano Anderson

The move went well

Padre, 

     I sent you two pictures. One of which is a close-up of my tag to answer what the white thing on the bottom of my name tag is. Basically, I'm in a pilot program called SYL which stands for Speak Your Language. There are five steps to this program and they are:

1. Try in the language first. 

   They want you to try saying whatever it is that you are trying to say in Italian so that way you are applying what you know all the time. 

2. Use what you know 

   Don't feel like if you cant say it in Italian you shouldn't say it at all. Use as much Italian as you can but mix in the words that you don't with your native language. 

3. Ask permission 

   If you just don't know how to say anything you want to in Italian, ask permission to speak in English or your native tongue 

4. Find out how 

   Ask how to say those words in Italian and then work on remembering them for next time 

5. Do something more 

   What can /will you do to make sure this doesn't happen again? How will you better study and learn the language? 

     It's supposed to get us in the mindset of using our mission languages all the time and then after about three to four weeks, we are only supposed to be using our mission languages to communicate with our teachers, the investigators that the MTC brings in form outside or calls on Skype that we teach for twenty minutes in Italian (We start those calls in about four days) and members who just want to be of help to the church and let missionaries teach them. They come in for workshops and we get critiqued on how to better connect with people, how to turn any situation into a contacting one and how to tun almost any rejection into an opportunity for a pass along card or an invitation to visit LDS or Mormon.org. 

     I'm able to read my emails everyday because when I got here, I was given and I-pad. They want us that will have devices on our missions to start learning how to use them here in the MTC so that we will be more effective in the field and not have to wait for a few months before we are able to effectively use and incorporate them into our lessons. So send emails anytime during the week and I'll be glad to get them. 

     In my district there are 9 missionaries that are headed to Italy. I sent you a picture of all of us as well. Three of the Nine if us are headed to Rome, and that would be myself, my companion and the Elder who is in the middle of the picture with the blue tie. in total there about 23 missionaries headed to Italy, seven going to Rome and the rest to Milan.

     Anziano De La Rosa and I are getting along ok, and we are both working on our Italian so that we can better hold a conversation, or just a conversation at all. I've been teaching him English and he's been correcting my pronunciation of Italian words and "giving you an accent that isn't so Americano". I appreciate his concern and am working as hard as I can to learn a language that is so different from my own. 

     Also, in other news, my black shoes finally stopped giving me blisters and hurting my feet. And, the other day as I was walking to class, I was called to by first name by a missionary that used to come to our house when you were Ward Mission Leader. I didn't catch his name or rather I don't remember it. But I thought it would be fun to tell you that he remembers us and is excited to hear that we moved. We didn't talk long because I had class but he said it was fun getting to know us. Also, the Fourth of July away from home was interesting because we obviously couldn't stay up until 12 watching the fireworks but we couldn't sleep because of the fireworks. I got to see a few para-sailors jump out of a plane and trail with a blaze of sparks for about two minutes. It was fun but bittersweet because I won't be able to watch those again until I get back from Italy. The have fireworks there but they don't use as many of them or as often. I have only one question for you and that is: What can I do to better learn the language? Rather, what did you do to better learn the language?

Ciao for now! 

Anziano Anderson.

More from week 1

Well Madre, 

It’s funny that you mention the brother of Jared because we were just talking about him yesterday and about that very same thing. In the paintings when God is touching the stones, Jared is shown watching him do that from the first stone but that didn’t actually happen. He saw Gods finger after a few stones had been touched because the whole point of the stones and the light source was a test of his faith. After a few stones had been lit up, it wasn’t a matter of faith but rather a matter of priesthood power and a surety of the existence of the Lord. Somewhere between stone 1 and stone 16 he saw the finger of God because there was no denying what was happening and that is what lifted the veil from his eyes.

     Yes I do have to clean, although it’s  always something different and I’ll find out tonight or tomorrow when I serve and what I’ll be doing. I would very much enjoy getting emails from Harmon and Nolan as well and maybe regain if she can find the time because I really do care whats going on in all of your lives. 

Its been a week

Hello Madre! 

     It's been a little over a week since I was left in a parking garage surrounded by a bunch of people with white shirts and black name tags only to be given my own name tag and schedule that allows for 8 hours of sleep and 16 hours of work and study sessions a day. I'm currently writing this email in the Laundry room because i have 18 minutes until my dryer is done and I can then proceed to iron all of my clothes because that is the way of missionary life. Dad asked me a few questions about what was going on over here so collaborate with him if you want pictures of my tag (Not my tag picture but just me trying to explain SYL) and of my district. there are like five missionaries going to Rome and the other 17 or so headed to Milan. 

     I've been writing in my journal every day so there will be plenty to share in the week that i'm allowed to stay with you and dad wherever we are living at the time after I get off my mission. I'm excited to have you come pick me up in Italy because I'm sure by that point I'll have tons of stuff i can show you and a ward to introduce you to. Here at the MTC there are are a few sisters from Italy that are keen top help us earn their language and they are just the most expressive people that i know. a lot is said with their hands and more is said when they don't say anything. It's weird and different but I really enjoy it. 

     The food here is alright, but sometimes it's just a nice thought. I've been told that Milan Italy has better spaghetti while Rome has better pizza and nicer people. I'll let you know if that's the case when I get there but as of now that's the assumption I'm operating under. It's getting easier to understand the language but i'm still far from where I need to be. my teacher told us that it'll take about 6 months in the field before you become proficient enough to start picking up on the very very slight differences between some of the masculine and feminine words which sound the same but are the difference between calling someone a beautiful women or a drag queen. it's not a mistake I look forward to fixing. 

     I don't know if I mentioned it but they gave me an iPad for my stay at the MTC so I can get email's every day and see them but I can only respond from 6 to 6 on Friday.

Ciao for now! 

Anziano Anderson