Family!

Carissima Famiglia!

Sorry I'm sending this so late, but I was busy this morning. I got a crown put in this morning, and I will get a permanent one in 2 weeks. I'm mostly over my cough, but it's still there a little. This week hasn't been terribly exciting, but during mission conference on sunday morning, our MTC president forbid us drinking Caffeine drinks. That's not really a problem for me, but some of my district had a hard time with that. Please don't send me any mountain dew.

Also during the conference, our president told us not to lean forward during meetings. He sees many missionaries doing this and having their companion scratch their back. "This isn't a massage parlor. Missionaries don't fondle each other."

I'm learning lots of italian, super fast, which is good, because next week we have to teach in italian in the TRC. I hope we can get it down well enough to do that. TRC this week went decently well, and we just taught the second lesson. I'm going to try to get into the RC this week to see about talking with real people.

Joseph is heading out soon, so I hope I can get a picture with him in front of the map. Elder Jolley's Chinese seems to be coming along pretty well. I see them fairly often.

One of my friends is coming into the MTC this week. His name is James Usevitch. I'm excited to see him.

I've got to go to dinner soon, so I'll finish quickly.

I love you all so much! Keep praying for me.

I have to send a picture of myself to my mission president... I don't know that I have any mugshots of myself... so I don't know what to do. Can you send me some, maybe?

Vi Amo!

Anziano Benjamin Jolley

Carissima Famiglia!

Carissima Famiglia!

I love you all! So... This week after P-day, Elder Cook came and talked about the economic circumstances in 1837, which was the year section 112 was given. He said that the economic situation today is similar to then, and that that means good things for missionary work. People have been humbled by the economic situation.

My life here at the MTC has been pretty repetitive. We've taught in the TRC 3 times now, and yesterday, I was very impressed by my skills in talking in Italian. I was a little peeved that I didn't know how to explain stuff about priesthood authority, but all in all, it went well.

On my birthday, I got an incredible amount of letters and packages. I have so many cookies now that I can't handle it. MERCY! Stop sending the cookies for a while. I can't handle it.

I've had a really bizarre time with my health. My sickness I had a week ago is gone, but I still have a cough that's pretty nasty. Last night, my tooth that's been having a cold sensitivity for a year just started killing, so I talked with a doctor. He prescribed Lortab and Amoxicillin. My tooth hurt quite a lot, and I started crying because it hurt so bad. I took a Lortab, and an hour later, the pain subsided. This morning, I woke up with minor pain in the same tooth, and general nausea (could this be a side effect of either of those drugs, dad?). I picked up a sack lunch, and then threw up. Not a fun feeling. I still feel nausea right now.

In other news, I've read through the book of Alma, and I have finished Isaiah finally. I'm learning all sorts of fun things in class, and life here is actually pretty good, in spite of my health problems. I hope I get better soon. I'm going to the temple for the 12:40 session... we go every tuesday. Hopefully this time I can make it through without coughing up a lung.

I have pictures of my district and my companion and me that I'll send in the physical letter.

Abbraci e baci!

Anziano Benjamin Jolley

P.S. Can you send my blue hoodie from south pacific in my next package? I need a P-day sweater. I want that one.

Elder Benjamin Jolley's birthday is March 19 & he would love to hear from you!

Dear friends and family of Anziano Jolley,

Benjamin's birthday is on Friday, March 19th and his sister, Caroline is requesting that as many people write letters to him as possible for his birthday.

His address is:

Elder Benjamin Jolley

MTC Mailbox # 112

ITA-MIL 0427

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604-1793

The easiest way to write him is to go to dearelder.com and type a letter.  At the beginning it asks for the mission and the mission is the PROVO-MTC, then it asks the MTC mailbox which is #112 and then the mission, ITA-MIL, then the expected departure date which is April 27.

dearelder.com letters that are written by noon will be delivered that day.

Thanks for being such a great support to Anziano Jolley!

~Carrie Jolley (his mom)

Cara Mia Famiglia

I love you all! I only have 25 minutes to write today because the computer I tried to use had been set up with a romanian keyboard. I can't type my password on that! I hope you're all doing very well

Hey! The enter key works on this computer! anyways, I've loved receiving all of your letters, and I hope they keep coming.

This week, our fireside was Bruce C. Hafen, and he talked about the pillars of a testimony. It was pretty cool. He talked about the fact that mormon scholarship has turned the balance of the intellectual argument in the church's favor. That was pretty cool.

During our discussion of the devotional on tuesday night, I quoted from Jeffrey R. Holland's most recent conference talk, "None of these frankly PATHETIC excuses" come close to debunking the Book of Mormon. That talk was so powerful that as I quoted him, I felt the spirit just as strong as when he actually gave it.

My italian is coming along, but I still have no idea what I'm doing. In TRC this week, we had an italian part, and my companion and I really struggled through it. But it'll come. I already have started misspelling english words with italian spellings. Example: Profet. Profeta.

Ever since the second day I was here, I've been sick with some unknown disease. I went to the doctor last monday, and they took a strep and flu test. They both came back negative. The doctor diagnosed me with an "unknown viral illness." I'm finally starting to come around. It was pretty bad though. But... I'll live.

Before we start the day in class, we always sing a hymn and say a prayer. also, during every devotional, we sing like a bajdrillion hymns. I was particularly touched this sunday by one of the hymns we sang. It was the Army of Helaman, but they changed the words. "And we will be the Lord's Missionaries" changed to "And we are now the Lord's missionaries." I was particularly touched. I had the thought.... HEY! I'm actually on a mission. I wear that nametag thing.... yeah! whoa!

I love you all, and I may send more later.

Benjamin Jolley

Elder Benjamin Jolley's address

Dear family and friends of Benjamin,

I have had requests for Benjamin's address, so here it is:

Elder Benjamin Jolley
MTC Mailbox #112
ITA-MIL 0427
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Thanks for your interest in his mission!  I know that all of you mean so much to him and he would love to hear from you, even though he won't have time to respond back to  letters (which is why we have this email list to forward his letters).

We love to send letters by email, by using the dearelder.com service.  It is free and if your letter is submitted by noon, he will receive it that same day.  For the mission, just click on Provo MTC and then it will ask you his name and his mission (ITA-MIL 0427) and approximate date of departure- that is the 0427 part --April 27.

Thanks!
Carrie

PS  Just a reminder to NOT open his blog since it has been compromised and now contains malware.

Don't open Benjamin's Anziano blog

Dear friends and family of Benjamin,

We tried to open Benjamin's Anziano blog and our McAffee warned us that it contains elements of malware, and warned us not to open it.  Someone suggested that it might have been hacked into, since Benjamin would not knowingly do that.

So from now on, we will just forward his emails to the people on his mission list.  If you know of anyone else who would like to receive the weekly emails let us know.

Thanks!
Carrie and Dean Jolley

Caro Famiglia!

Mia Famiglia! Come va? Voi Amo! It is now my P-day, and I have 30 minutes to send an email. I'm doing very well, enjoying the cannon center-esque food. I have eaten all sorts of strange things. One of them reminded me of Mom's chicken and rice casserole. It was essentially the same, but with broccoli, which entirely ruined the flavor. I have been in class for like the entire time I've been here. We've watched YouTube videos of the "6 billion others" project, had discussions about how to find out where investigators are spiritually, and generally had a good time. We've had italian lessons. I can now pray in Italian, and bear testimony in Italian. It may be kind of badly done, but I can. Io so che il profeta Joseph Smith e un profeta vero. I have learned that obedience here is taken extremely seriously. My room, of Anziani Jolley, Bolnick, Curtis, and Palmer, wake up at 6 am every morning so that we don't have to wait for the showers, and can have time to study before class. Mio capo distretto e Anziano Palmer. (sorry anyone who actually understands italian. I don't have accents. That translates to "My district leader is Elder Palmer.) Also in my district are Anziani Lesa, Zanni, Bona and Dunshee, and Sorelle Tressler, Johnson, Shuel, Costley, and Langham. We're a pretty tight group. When I went into the MTC on wednesday, 24 other italians came in as well. 3 of them are going to rome. That means that a LARGE portion of my mission is in the MTC with me right now. My companion, Elder Bolnick, is a convert to the church of 13 months. He is very bright, and has a love of the temple that rivals or betters mine. I'm very impressed. His family are not members, and disapprove of his being a member, let alone being on a mission. He has one sister and no brothers. He's from Herriman, UT, and went to Jordan High. I did an endowment session today. It was pretty great seeing all of my anziani in white. Some of them are very funny, and some are very quiet. Anziano Zanni is from Argentina. (Which mission did dad and Jeremy and Peter serve in?) Most of my anziani in my district are Utah boys, but there are one or two from colorado, idaho, and arizona. They're all wonderful people, and I love them. As I've been at the MTC, it's been kinda surreal, like a veil of forgetfulness of my life before has been laid down. When I get letters, though, I know I'm still alive. It's sometimes all I can do to convince myself that this is real life. It's a very strange feeling. I love you all! I hope life is going well for you! (Please send me letters to tell me about it.) Io so che Dio ci ama. With much love, Anziano Benjamin Jolley P.S. I'm sorry this is one giant paragraph. The enter key doesn't work. P.P.S. I'd appreciate a few family names being sent to me, as I can do them. P.P.P.S. Can you send me a backpack? or should I just buy one here? I can if that's needed.