Hello Everyone!

 

Much love from the Missionary Training center in Provo, Utah! I am loving it here! I have many new freinds and the food here is pretty decent too :)

 

Welll so much has happened in the week since my arrival here. Let's see what I can remember to tell you....

 

I'll start with our district motto: "C'è lo facciamo con Dio!" (We can do it with God ['s help] Chay-low-faw-chi-amo-cone-Dee-oh) I feel like my district and my zone are big happy families! We have had so much fun together and we have learned a lot from one another. I am so lucky to have them and they blass me so much. We have been through many trying times together, but we have each other and we have the Lord who is backing us at all times!

 

Language learning here at the MTC is intense! We learn how to speak a language in that language. I actually forget sometimes that my teacher speaks any English. It's shocking sometimes when he switches over to talk about something else. We taught lessons in Italian on the morning of the third day in the MTC! Like everything else, the Lord is backing us in everything! Our motto is really a lot like our mantra! We repeat it to one another when we seem discouraged or doubt our abilities to teach with power or to learn what we need to learn.

 

Today itself has been a fun day. We got up early and went to the Italian Consulate in Salt Lake City, to submit our visa papers. Due to a recent policy change, visa applicants are required to show up in person to a consulate That was a nice break from the routine of life here.

 

Just know that I am being well taken care of here. Everyone is so kind and loving, we are well fed (in fact I hear many Anziani e Sorrelle complaining that they have gained a bunch of weight (I myself have made good friends with an eliptical machine during gym time and also have a very fitness minded companion; Anziano Miller)). There is a certain kind of Spirit here at the MTC. We are always studying the Sciptures and praying together and singing Hyms (which are so much better in Italian than they already were in English. There are actually a few hyms that are written specifically for Italian found only in our Itlian Hymn Book).

 

My companion is Anziano Miller. We get along really well. We laugh together and pray together and do everything! Our district consists of us, Anziano Waters, Anziano Stuart and Sorella Ehorn. We are such a happy group! So much so that it is difficult to concentarte during study time. We arew getting better though.

 

I am looking forward to hearing some things from you and how things are back on the Homefront in Washington! I love you so vey much! Pictures later! Please forawrd this to everybody you can think of who would like to hear from me!

 

Love Always,

Anziano John Colin Cook