Buongiorno mia famiglia e amici

I'm in tears reading her letter.  I waited all morning and every time my phone made a sound, I ran to see if it was her letter.  Finally it came and it is so full of the spirit.  I'm so glad she is where she is.  It's exactly where she needs to be.  Thank you to all for your support.  the site...www.dearelder.com is a place that will send messages to her from you that same day.  It's free you just need her MTC address.  Scripture quotes, daily thoughts or just a hello.  It's fun for them and I didn't quite catch on to it while Daniel was there.  Here it is....

MTC Mailbox #112

ITA-MIL 0518

I had to cry a bit when she says she is referred to a "Sister Sparkle" and they love her laugh.  THAT IS MY GIRL!!  Oh how I miss her and Daniel soooo much but I am SOOOO thrilled with this decision in their lives and they will be SO AWESOME (I'm a bit prejudice I think but....) when they return.  

Love,

Rosalee

Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 10:20 AM

CIAO TUTTI!!

I don't have much time....honestly, I can't read all the emails and send all I have to share. So if we could do DEARELDER.COM during the week, I can answer ALL questions in this one Email. First and foremost, Mom thank you so so much for the package and all the goodies there-in. The postcards and pictures just made my day. Thank you to Chase, Autumn, Sister Griggs, and Sister Ostler for the awesome letters. I didn't get them the day you expected because we were still settting things up...but I got them when I needed them most!!

Agh, I have SOOO much to tell and so little time! If anything, the MTC is great! Mia collega (companion) is Sorella Jenifer Jones. For the longest time I wondered why I needed to report so late...and it was because I needed to be her companion and she mine. I'm sending pictures ASAP so you can see what she's like and all the MTC life entails. We help each other grow and learn each and everyday. I could not have asked for a better partner in riding the CONSTANT roller coaster of what is the MTC. Each morning we have started off with a smile on our faces, by lunch we are stretched beyond belief, but then we go to bed feeling our Savior's love. Yesterday I had a complete meltdown...I didn't even know why I was crying!! But two of the Elders gave me a blessing and immediately I was at peace. I had felt peace earlier in our room because I was just not feeling well and I rolled my suitcase over my toe...and yeah, I fell on the floor and sobbed. I had not felt so low in SO LONG...and mia collega just started crying with me. She offered a prayer just pleading with the Lord to just please help us make it through the day. And even in my time of distress, I felt the Savior's arms around me. I've felt them MULTIPLE times. I can't express the LOVE I feel for the people we teach here. Not only the Anziani in our district but the people who come to volunteer for teaching opportunities. Sorella Jones and I have experienced the gift of tongues and also when that gift is taken away. All in one day, we had an AMAZING experience of speaking in FULL Italian and preaching the gospel and feeling so excited...to going to a complete opposite of not remembering how to speak a lick of it. Needless to say, we still pray in full Italian both night and morning and sing songs and pray as a district...both morning and night. Nostri Anziani (our elders) are just amazing. When I was so stressed yesterday, I found a little notecard in my bag that had D
&C 68:6 written on one side and then "We are with you too :) Be of good cheer! -Anziani" They are just wonderful. I'm known as Sorella Sparkles in my zone, by the Branch President and I just love living up to that. Everyone just thinks it's so funny because I just laugh when I'm frustrated or sad...I just laugh all the time and, well, i guess they think it's great!

DAD! I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I'm sorry I won't be there tomorrow, but I will be thinking of you :)

The food is really good here, but it DOES DO what people say it does do :) At first I was just miserable, but I've learned to find a balance and don't really have any problems anymore :) We literally have NO TIME here. Our schedules are schedules and there is no changing them. But, I honestly love it. I want Cadha to know that a mission is really the BEST thing you could do with your life..Aleia and Brielle too. I pray everyday that this desire will be instilled in your heart, so that your goals will be clear and you won't struggle as much to get to the MTC front doors. You really do feel the spirit all the time and like I said, I have felt my Savior's arms LITERALLY around me and had a BEAUTIFUL experience of feeling that He was really LISTENING to me...and from that point on my prayers have changed. It's almost like I can visualize Him looking on me and really being interested in my life. I always had a feeling that He was listening, but now I know, e Io so che Gesu Cristo e mio amico :) I know that Jesus Christ in my friend. I speak Italian all the time, and I love it so much. I have learned SO MUCH MORE in 7 days than I have in 7 semesters of taking Spanish...Italian is just great :) I have had multiple opportunities to teach and to really gain a love for my district. I will tell more next time, but there isn't much time to write everything I have to say. I had a BEAUTIFUL experience with an investigator. I hadn't even met the man and I immediately had a love for him when I walked into the room. I felt that this man NEEDED to know the gospel. As we sat and listened to his story, (his wife just passed away and he was in his mid 50's-60's) he just wanted to know if his wife was alright. I bawled...bawled, bawled, bawled, the WHOLE TIME. I eventually had the blessed opportunity to TESTIFY of the Love the Savior has for him and that his wife IS wonderful and that he WILL see her again. I asked him if he knew of a way to be with her forever, would he do it? And in front of ALL The new elders and sisters who reported on Wednesday, he and I just had a discussion of the plan of Salvation and how I KNEW he would see his beloved wife again :) Still bawled, and still felt the Savior's love for him!! It was amazing and made me want to go and teach the gospel right then. I will NEVER forget that experience. The volunteers who come it are sometimes LDS and sometimes not...you never know. That's why they encourage you to take each person as a real situation, becuase you never know who's life you'll change.

I don't really NEED anything right now, I'm truly enjoying this life experience. I WILL have a different outlook on life as some letters have stated, but it will be a blessed one at that.

Just a few random things:

-The peanut butter is absolutely disgusting here...no mi piace (I don't like it)

-The muffins are pretty much the best

-We can't chew gum...so mints are the best thing to send

-I would really love some moleskin if that's possible

5 Things I'm grateful for

-Laughing until you cry

-Anziani who eat so much that they are already started to burst their suit buttons a little

-Prayers in Italian

-Moments of bearing a simple testimony in Italian but knowing the truth it entails

-Using MY life experiences to truly teach others of the Savior

Io se che il vangleo restaurato sta vera! (I know the restored gospel is true)

Familigia e amici- Voi amo (I love you all!)

Sorella Jones*

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, UT. 84604-1793

*I just noticed Camille signed her letter "Sorella Jones".  That's her companion.  She must REALLY be hurrying.  LOL!

Rosalee