4/27/10

Cara Mia Famiglia,

Ti amo molto! Questa settimana stava bene. Io godevo questa settimana molto.

From the begginning of the week, we had a seventy talk to us about missionary stuff... that's specific... um... I can't remember which person spoke about what this week. oh well. It was good!

On wednesday, we hosted!!!! that was way fun. I brought 3 new missionaries into the MTC. I get to do that again this week. It's a lot of fun. One of them was going to Korea... I'm so glad I'm not here for another 3 weeks. I'm going crazy enough with wanting to leave. That'd drive me absolutely crazy. But I feel so excited and ready to go. 7 days from now, I'll be on a plane to Italy. Oh... yeah... We GOT OUR FLIGHT PLANS!!! on thursday. I fly out of SLC airport at 8:04 AM, and arrive at noon:08 at chicago O'hare. We then have a 3 hour layover, so I'll probably call. That means to expect a call between 10 AM and 1 PM on May 4. It's prolly going to be me. at 3:30 Chicago time, we leave for frankfurt, Germany, and arrive there at 6:50 AM local time. We have a 2 hour layover, and then we leave at 8:45 for Milan, and arrive at 9:55. May 5, 9:55 AM, I'm IN ITALY!!!!!!

It's crazy to think that my MTC experience is almost over. I mean, it feels like I've been here forever, but it also feels like I haven't even been here for any time at all. I am so excited to teach real people.

On sunday, our Branch president challenged us to not use english at all, except when absolutely necessary. course... so far... that's gone ok. right next to me, two anziani are chatting in English... so... judge for yourselves.

yesterday, we had our last TRC. we taught the same guy as our first TRC, Davide, and he was way cool. He talked super fast about his work, and I didn't really understand, but........ It was good. yesterday was an off day for my italian. same with for my collega. Anyways, today has been good so far. We're going to the Temple for a long time today. We're intending to go do initiatories, a session, and then eat in the cafeteria. It'll be fun.

Ti Amo!
Anziano Benjamin Jolley

4/20/10 from Anziano Jolley

Caro Famiglia,

Vi amo! come state? abbiate diligenza?

I hope you're all doing well. I'm doing wondefully. My dental work is (I hope) finished for two years. I have a nice shiny new crown on my very back molar. (#31 tooth for those that understand that.) I have had a pretty good week.

Starting from yesterday, and going backwards. Yesterday, we had TRC, and we made up a lesson plan of what we would teach this guy, based on the teaching record. When we actually got in there, we didn't follow the plan at all. That was pretty exciting. We had to teach about the Word of Wisdom.... in Italian... and then he asked about repentence. I went through the steps, of recognizing, stopping, making amends, asking forgiveness from God, and never returning. I'm pretty sure the "making amends bit became "making righteousness." I'm pretty sure that's what rettitudine means.... oops! When we were teaching the Word of wisdom, I had no idea whether I was reading the right verses or not, but our guy got the idea, so I think I did.

Also, one of our new sisters is going through the temple today, and asked for a blessing because she was worried about it. That was cool.

On Sunday, I gave the sacramental prayer on the water, in italian. I also took some pictures with elder jolley. I'll send some pictures home next week after I get them printed. We also had a guy from the missionary department talk with us for devotional. He told some horror stories of missionaries that broke rules. What did I learn from this? Hanging out with another companionship... bad idea. Building a bomb with sad companionship... worse idea. Lighting it off in the street? even worse. Having the sheriff live 2 doors down... fail. Having a map with pins where all the members live posted on your wall......... EPIC fail. Spending a few nights in jail as a missionary? priceless.

At some point during the week, I went to the RC, and talked with people. THEY ANSWERED THE PHONE THIS TIME!!! I didn't get anyone to accept missionaries coming over, but I talked to a catholic lady who did a research paper on Mormons, and said that if she weren't catholic, she'd be mormon. She got her college degree and 57. I also talked with a lady who said that she thinks Jesus is coming very soon. She loves Jesus. I then said that I had another book about Jesus, a record of his ministry in America, called the book of Mormon. She very quickly ended the conversation and hung up. I think if I hadn't said what the title was she would've listened for a long time. She heard Mormon and was done.

I hear there was an earthquake in SLC. true? or false?

In other news, I'll be done with the Old Testament in 2 weeks, and be able to say that I'm a real man. (real men have read through the old testament, apparently) This has been a project of 3 years, and I'm less than 40 pages away. WOOT!

Also, I'll have finished the Book of Mormon again at the same time. Yay!

um... I just heard that a volcano erupted in Iceland... and it's causing flight delays and such... I hope Peter Christiansen is alright... and that my flight isn't delayed.

In regards to when I'm leaving, the estimated date of 4/27 was lying. just lying. I've always been leaving 5/4, not 4/27. Just an FYI.

I love you all. I might send off another email later... don't count on it.

Vi amo!

Anziano Benjamin Jolley

(imagine that signature in bad cursive).

4/13/10

Cara Famiglia!

Io sono multo grato per le lettere che io ho ricevuto da voi! grazie per queste lettere! Io amo mia famiglia! Mamma, dica mie sorelle che Io amo loro, quindi abbracia loro. dica loro fare lavoro di scuola. Mamma, Io imparavo multo italiano qui. Io bastero con l'italiano adesso.

Translation: I love you all! Thanks so much for the letters! Mommy, tell my sisters that I love them, then give them a big hug from me. Tell them to do their homework. Mommy, I've learned a lot of italian here. I'll stop with the italian now.

This week in TRC, we taught a lady who was pretending to be a practicing Jew! It was way exciting. I and my companion had to totally change our approach to teaching the restoration lesson. She knows nothing about Jesus, but she knows the Torah, so I related the Book of Mormon to her by saying that it's the story of a people who left Jerusalem during the time of the prophet Jeremiah, just before the babylonian captivity. She asked me what tribe they were, and we discussed the fact that genealogy is important to Jews. Then my companion bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, and of Jesus Christ, then challenged her to read it. It was way exciting to teach such a lesson. Mind you, all of this was taking place in Italian.

Our devotional Sunday night was the BYU Men's Chorus. That was cool. They sang a bunch of cool songs.

In other news, I'm not allowed to speak english to anybody in my zone except when absolutely necessary, like during weekly planning, and companionship study. Even then, English is discouraged. We're supposed to speak as much Italian as possible. It's actually really fun, if only because when other language elders and visitors are nearby, they can't understand us. We could be saying awful or really kind things about them and they'd have no idea what we're saying.

So in the Italian Innario (hymnbook), there's a song that isn't in the english hymnbook. It's way fun to sing. It's super upbeat, and very exciting. It's inni 44, Mandate voci in Gioia all'Eterno. I love it. We sing it all the time.

So... sometimes I wonder whether I'm thinking in english and translating to italian, or whether I'm thinking in Italian. It's sorta both. Sometimes I have to translate what I'm thinking in my head, and sometimes I'm just thinking in Italian. What's really annoying is when I'm thinking in half Italian and I'm writing letters in English. Wait... That hasn't ever happened yet.

Ooh. More exciting MTC news. The Gym is being closed tomorrow for serious rennovations, and so the Field is open. We get to have gym outside! Time for some CALCIO! or pallavolo. or some other exciting outdoor sport. Perhaps some Bochi Ball (scherzo!).

hmm.... Interesting bit of information. All of the Elders in my district hate the Y, and 3 of the Sorelle went there, as did I. I feel so hated on and alone sometimes when they have their little I hate BYU sessions. Then I just go read my scriptures or something like that. I like BYU.

So... I'm to the 6 week mark now. If I were in the field, This'd be transfers time. But for now I've got the same collega till May 4. Some of our elders, the Giganti (because they're like 7 feet tall) just left for Catania. That makes my district and the other district that came in the same time the oldest Italians. We don't have any new ones yet. Apparently though, we're getting two new sorelle, one today and one tomorrow. The one today is from Russia. That'll be very interesting.

Anyways, I love you all, and my time's about up, so...

Ciao!

Anziano Benjamin Jolley

Anziano Jolley

Carissima Famiglia!

I heard that mommy waited anxiously for my letter last week, so I decided I'd send this first thing.

 

This week has gone by extremely fast. Joseph is leaving today! I've been here longer than I have left here!

This week's devotional was a really old emeritus seventy with a sweet combover and a french accent. He talked about something. I was too intrigued by his combover. I'm sure I paid attention, but I can't remember now.

 

I went to the RC again at some point... called nearly 100 people.... no answers.

 

Most of my week is swallowed up by the awesomeness that is general conference.

 

First of all, during President Monson's first talk... I was pretty sure he'd lost it at one point... and then he brought it back. The first session had so much cool stuff. also all the rest. After this conference, all of my questions that I was going to ask President Monson were answered. Also... I'm excited to be a daddy. (hopefully not for a few years) Like... every single talk was about being a parent. That was awesome.

 

Elder Christofferson's talk was AWESOME. Read the scriptures. They expand our memory. "many christians believe in a Christ that would have them pursue 'social justice' but has no claim on their personal life." That man... is my hero.

 

I decided that Elder Bednar's talk applies almost as much to investigators as to children. In a way, Children are investigators. They MUST gain their own testimony.

 

Elder Holland, as always, is super cool. "You shouldn't be serving tea anyways." :)

 

Priesthood session was awesome, as President Monson said. Uchtdorf: We must have patience. It's one of the most important character traits.

 

Actually, I noticed that the talks NOT about raising a family were about the Christlike attributes in PMG. Work on those... is something I need to do, I guess.

 

I encourage all of you to do as Elder Nelson suggests, and do SOMETHING in New FamilySearch. It's not difficult. If all you can do is help an old lady get on there, go for it. New FamilySearch is cool. If you want somewhere to start, I suggest finding the interactive family tree part. You can display a massive tree of your family back to adam if you want. It's really cool!

 

To Emily, Eliza, and Caroline. In Neil L. Andersen's talk, he told YOU to read the gospel of John and ask your parents any questions you have. DO IT! ask mom and dad and everybody else questions! Pray about what you read. But... read it. I think that's great advice.

 

Back to an account of my week, Yesterday, I went to TRC, and I was amazed by the fact that even though the investigator spoke super quickly in Italian the whole time, I picked up 99% of his words. I was able to respond with decent ability as well, and my collega noticed the same thing! I can understand the Italian! I'm excited!

 

Vi Amo!

Benjamin Jolley