Francesca's First MTC Letter

Hello Family!!!

Wow well first off...I made it!!! Hahaha it is absolutely crazy insane busy here! I love it though. News about the pope resigning spread like wild fire here! We couldn't help but joke around. It was quite comedic. A little less than 1000 missionaries came in last week and over 1000 came in yesterday. The Lord is truly hastening up his work!

As for all your questions...i have answers! My companion is Sister Gillette. She's from Vegas and converted at age 15. She is super cute and I love her. We have very different teaching strategies though that we're working through. Because I know more italian I can go off script more and she still needs to read directly from the script so when I go off she gets lost and freaks out. We're working on it though. I can hardly remember my first day to be honest. It was crazy. I walked in and saw sister Hope and literally ran to her familiar arms, cried a little than got a hold of myself. Then I ran into Haylie Lund right after that which was very fun. Our classes are on the same floor so I see her regularly. I dropped my stuff off then went to meet sister gillette in our classroom. I was the last of my district to get there. We've got six elders and four sisters. Our teacher is Fratello Cena and he came in, as i expected, and only spoke italian. Mom dad, I would kiss your feet for teaching me because comprehending the day i was there was a major blessing. I understood everything he said when everyone else was confused. I kinda felt bad for them! We then went to the new missionary meeting and where we met the president and sang "Armies of Helaman" with the altered words...we are now the armies of helaman. It was so powerful. I loved it. We are the biggest group of italian missionaries going in at one time ever. There are 55 of us...26 are sisters :) We have an entire zone to ourselves with one romanian district to tell us what to do kinda. Haha. They're great though. I see Marrianne regularly. She is not in my district but her class is across the hall and her bedroom is nextdoor to mine. We've been able to be a major support to each other. I love that girl! Scott is not our teacher he is with the district downstairs.

So many miracles have taken place within this week! First...on day two a friend of mine here got some disturbing news... I asked her what I could do but she said nothing. I just held her and then she went to class. I went into my class and I began to cry. My district asked what was going on and I sorta not really told them. One elder asked if we could kneel in prayer for her. So we all knelt down and prayed together. Then I saw her again and asked if she wanted a blessing from one of the elders. She again refused, but as i walked back into class, Elder Gemell from New Zealand ran past me to her and told her that he had a prompting that he needed to give her a blessing. She agreed and we all came in and the moment the door closed the spirit flooded the room like a tsunami over the beach. I could hardly breath. The elders in my district surrounded her and gave her the most powerful blessing. It addressed her every need. I knew more details than he did and they were all addressed. After the blessing her ora changed. She was still struggling, but more at peace. She left and all the elders collapsed in their chairs.  Elder Gemelle said his body was literally exhausted. Everyone was. The priesthood is so strong, so powerful, and is directly from God. The elders in my district are goofy boys, but for that moment their bodies were taken over by the spirit and they were stripling soliders of God. I am getting chills as I'm writing this.

Second story; I had an amazing experience teaching. We were teaching about God's love for this young women named Fiorella. We had said a prayer before planning, before going in and wow...my italian sored. I've never been able to speak like that. The words flowed from my mouth and the spirit was so strong. I honestly don't even remember what I said, or the exact lesson to be honest, but it felt so good to testify to her and really touch her heart. I felt like i tapped in to Heavenly Father's love for one of His daughters who was a stranger to me. So many more miracles have happened this week but I don't have time to write them all. If the next 18 months are going to be like this, haha I just might not come home! Haha kidding...kinda.

Daddy thank you so much for your message. I loved it so much. It has been my goal to not be hesitant at all - to be strong and courageous in opening my mouth to speak the language. I had to change my perspective though. Previously I was learning italian to understand my surroundings, it was selfish. Now I am learning it to preach the gospel and that is much more important. Since i've done that, much more inspiration has come.

As for weirdest adjustments: having to be "taken" to the bathroom is odd. I had to basically go through a debutaunt training: we basically have to look pristine 24/7 which includes wearing lipstick or lipgloss. Not my favorite thing as you know. Second, seeing friends and not calling them by their first name. Third, sitting in a four walled room for nine hours of the day in a skirt. I can honestly say that i love jeans right now! Who'd have thought those words would leave my mouth! Waking up and going to bed has acutally been an easy adjustment, cuz i'm exhausted by 8:30.

About the fast track...they haven't made one for the italians cuz we're the first six week group to go through. Although, today a sister who already speaks german and is in the same situation just was told she leaves in a week and a half. They just created it for her and a few others. There are about 5 of us who know italian well enough to go out sooner. Maybe there is still a chance cuz marianne and I are often bored during class instruction. I'm often teaching the class.

Haha my poor companion. Growing up in Utah Valley makes for a lot of friends here. We get stopped very regularly! My comp says that we need to put a bag over my head to get from point a to point b!  I love it though cuz it doesn't make this place as foreign.  Thank you so much for all the letters! The boys weren't kidding when they said they were gold. I count myself very blessed to receive any! I love you all and  thank you so much for your love and support. I hope grandmother is doing better and that everything went welll. I am happy and healthy and working my heiny off!

Ti voglio bene

Sorella Montagnoli