WOW, I can't believe that this is my last email from the MTC. On Tuesday I will leave for Italy. It doesn't seem real. I feel like I have been born in the MTC and I feel like I will be here forever. This week has been really bitter sweet because I am excited to go to Italy but I am also sad to leave my new friends I have met here and I am also terrified to leave the good ol' US of A. I know I will love it but it will take some adjusting. I was so nervous before I came to the MTC and now I don't want to leave. I can only imagine how hard it will be to leave Italy in 17 months. The Italian is coming. I have probably said this a million times but I probably don't even realize how far I have come. I know more Italian now, after 6 weeks, then I ever learned in the 6 years of jr. high and high school french classes. I can carry on simple conversations, understand for the most part (what the teachers say to me), say prayers, teach gospel related lessons. It is challenging... my teachers told us that in about 6 months we should be fluent. So by my birthday next April I should be good! ;)
Ok so I have to tell you a funny story......
Every six weeks a new group of Italian missionaries come and go from the Missionary Training Center. Around last March a group of Sister missionaries found a old, gigham, NEON green button up shirt in a give away box. They started a tradition that every Italian sister missionary has to wear the shirt one day before they leave the MTC.
Let me tell you... this shirt is so ugly. At first sight it doesn't seem bad but it really does look like an alien/cowgirl decided to go on a picnic. It's bad. Of course it is hilarious. One sister, who is like 5 feet tall made it into a skirt.....
It is really funny and she worked it!
Another difficult problem with this shirt is that we can only do laundry once a week on Wednesday! SO....... lets just say that it doesn't smell the best after week.
Yesterday was my day to wear the shirt. I actually was kinda excited because it was all part of the MTC experience. I thought it would be hilarious... and let me tell you it was!
First off... I wore it on Tuesday. This was problematic because Wednesday is laundry day and so when I wore it 6 girls had already worn it. It literally smelled like rotting subway stations mixed with Fabreze. I was gagging all day. Nevertheless, I was determined to rock the look.
Besides the smell, it wasn't that bad. Until devotional time.....
Every Tuesday night we have devotional where a Church general authority/leader comes and speaks to us. The Missionary choir also sings at the devotional. They broadcast the devotional on large screens in the auditorium AND to like 20 other MTC's around the world.
So my companion is an amazing singer. (#classic mormon girl probs) I am a terrible singer/border line if I auditioned on American Idol someone would make a remix of my voice and it would be a total joke on Youtube. Anyways I always go to choir because I know my companion loves it. In weeks past when we perform it is a pretty easy song/arrangement. I can fake it (not really ever making it) but I make it work. THIS WEEK was the most difficult/advanced song arrangement I HAVE EVER HEARD! The entire time I am mouthing the words to the song. I can't even catch a bit of the tune. It's hilarious. During rehearsal I try to convince my companion that we should just leave and not sing.. but... long story short I did not win that debate.
So it's time for the devotional. We take our seats in the choir. I am seated in the EXACT center of the choir. I am like oh great (typically I hide in the back to avoid the cameras that scan the entire choir that broadcast the performance to the entire MTC and the WORLD) I might be on the camera.... I have no idea how to sing this song AND I AM WEARING THE PICNIC SHIRT!!!! I am so nervous. We start to sing the song and automatically I look at the huge screens all around the room. The green shirt might as well have been neon green lights! It was radiating! Then... I kid you not... The camera does a close up RIGHT ON MY FACE! I am not even singing.. I am mouthing every word and in the Italian picnic shirt that smells like a car full of post-workout teenage boys. I totally started to crack a smile and my entire zone just started to bust up laughing. It was just classic.
To top it all off... the speaker at the devotional was Elder Godoy. He spoke at general conference in his native language of Portuguese. This is important because his SON is in my zone! So right after the devotional our entire zone met him, have a devotional review(discussion) with him and the ENTIRE MTC Presidency. At the end of the night everyone congratulated me on making the shirt famous. Haha! Good times, good memories!
I love you all! I just finished reading the Book of Mormon again. My goal was to finish it before leaving the MTC! I did just in the nick of time. I honestly encourage everyone to read it and pray to our Father in Heaven if it is true. At least read the last chapter in the Book of Mormon. It is so powerful! XOXO! Next time I write I will be in ITALY! AHHHHHH!!!
Sorella Fuller
in heaven reading this.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill! It's Cammy! Should I add you to the weekly email? :)
Delete