MTC Week 3!

November 30, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been such an amazing week!  I've seen so many miracles, and learned so much!  Last Tuesday, I may have mentioned that I was auditioning to play a "special musical number" for one of the firesides here.  After Anziano Nelson and I finished playing, the sister in charge came and asked if we'd play on the Thanksgiving Morningside... this past Thursday.  !!!  It was AMAZING!!!   Elder Jeffrey R. Holland came and after we finished playing, he went to the pulpit, thanked us, and then told us to thank our mothers for making us practice. :)  So thank you, Mother, for making me practice and for all of the opportunities you've given me over the years!  Thank you all for your constand love and support as well!  Thanks, Dad for bringing my cello by.  It was nice to play on my own cello.  After the fireside was over, as Sorella Diehl and I were walking back to the office to lock up the cello, we happened to see Elder Holland again.  Two kind elders had offered to help carry my cello, and he shook their hands.  Then he gave me and Sorella Diehl a hug and kiss on the forehead!  He apologized for breaking protocol (sp.?), but he was so kind, and we all felt it was a miracle that we were able to meet him and feel of his authority and testimony.  The elders were pretty excited that they'd offered to carry the cello too.  :)

Let's see, so much to share!

This week I was praying for some very special blessings for my district.  We needed to find more unity, and I felt that we needed some outside help.  Yesterday both of my teachers came back (they had been out of town for Thanksgiving), and they both addressed both of the concerns that I was having!  It was amazing to see the Spirit working through them as they told us just what we needed to hear!  There are so many more examples of this, but that was the freshest on my mind.

And now for my district spotlight.  This will be a little longer because it has a backstory.

Today the older districts flew out to Milano and Roma!  Now there are just two districts of 3-week-old missionaries left.  Mine and one other.  Except, on Friday evening, Anziano Scwing, an amazing elder from Germany, broke his fingers playing volleyball.  He went in for some tests, and found out yesterday that he has to get surgery (in just a couple of hours), and he'll be joining my district for the next couple of weeks!  He's one of the most gifted with the language, but he also works incredibly hard.  He'll be so good for our district.  Ever since I got here, I've had the deepest respect for him, but now I am even more amazed by his attitude and excitement to go wherever the Lord wants him to go.  He's going to have to wait another 6 weeks before he flies to Rome.  In the meantime, after a couple more weeks in the MTC with us, he'll be in the Provo Mission for a few weeks.  He bore his testimony last night that everything that happens is for a reason.  We'll be so lucky to have him in our district.  He's splitting the "trio" into two companionships, so now we have an even number of everything.  Which is such an unimportant detail, but it's fun. :)  Anziano Schwing (Georg) is actually 26 years old.  He was in the army, and he got special permission to serve a mission even though he was a few weeks too old for the deadline.  We're so blessed to have him here, and please pray for him in his surgery today!  I believe he starts his appointment at noon, so pray for him please!

On Sunday, because of the other districts leaving today, Brother Johnston (from the Branch Presidency) asked me to be the "coordinating sister" for the Italian Zone.  It comes with a few extra responsibilities, and a few extra meetings, but I've learned so much and really enjoyed being able to serve my sisters.  Sorella Diehl is very supportive and helps me out with things whenever I have to go to extra meetings, etc.  She's so great.  I really love her, and I'm learning so much from her.

For my last couple of minutes, I want to quote from Joseph Smith's History.  This is in his words (translated into Italian) his experience seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove:

"Vidi essatamente sopra la mia testa, una colonna di luce, piu brilliante del sole, che discese gradualmente fino a che cadde su di me. . . Quando la luce stette su di me, io vidi due Personaggi, il cui splendore e la cui gloria sfidano ogni descrizione, ritti sopra di me nel'aria.  Uno di essi mi parlo, chiamandomi per nome, a disse, indicando l'altro, 'Questo e il mio figlio diletto.  Ascoltalo.' "

I know that this is true. I know that Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son, and that through him, the true church was restored.  I have gained such a strong testimony of this.  I've felt the love and Spirit of God resting on me as I have striven to be obedient.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he that He lives!  I know the Book of Mormon is true.  I have learned so much from my study of it these past few weeks, and my entire life!  I know that President Monson, and all of the apostles of the Church are guided by God.  What a beautiful world we live in! 

I love you all so much!  I love hearing from you, and I'm sorry that I'm not able to write more of you individually by hand!  My Preparation Days are very limited in time, especially now that I have extra meetings and responsibilities.  But I do love you, and hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thank you again for your love and support, and please forgive my spelling (and the lack of correct symbols in the Italian, for those of you who know!).  No time to double check or question my spelling!

Keep the faith!

All my love,

~Sorella Elizabeth Willey

--
Sorella Willey

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sister Elizabeth Denise Willey
MTC Mailbox # 194
ITA-MIL 0112
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Dear Family

November 23, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

What an amazing week I've had this week!  Sorella Diehl and I have learned so many lessons and experienced so many emotions and spiritual experiences!  One of my favorite experiences this week (aside from our TRC teaching that we have every Monday) was when I lost my "blue card."  I use it to buy meals, get into my dorm, etc. etc. etc.  At breakfast, I asked if someone had turned it in, and the lady told me that not only had nobody found it, but the office that replaced them was closed for the entire weekend.  When I sat down for personal study, I said a prayer pleading that I'd be able to find my card.  At nearly the exact moment that I said "Amen," a little voice in my head said, "It's in your purple jacket pocket."  I was surprised because I don't usually wear my jacket, but when I thought about it, I realized that I had worn that jacket to gym the previous evening.  It was amazing.  And that's just one of the many examples of the love that the Lord has shown me since I've arrived here.  My prayers have become so much more personal, and I really feel that even while I'm praying, aloud or silently, the Lord is speaking to me and putting things into my mind that I should pray and ask for.

Last night, Anziano Nelson and I decided to try out for the "fireside special musical numbers."  When I went to check out the MTC cello, it had been taken to the shop, and wouldn't be back until Saturday or Sunday!  But I really wanted to be able to play for the half of my zone that's flying out to Italy next week.  So, the lady at the office called home, and my dad, (thanks, Daddy!!!) dropped my cello off!  We ran through an arrangement of "Jesus the Very Thought of Thee" by Marshall MacDonald, and this morning we took our audition.  After we finished, the lady running the auditions told us she wanted us to play for the Thanksgiving fireside!!!  ... Ummm, is Thanksgiving this week?  I have really lost track of time.  But it was so nice to be able to play on my own cello.  At one point I was going to have to sell it, but thanks to a miracle, it all worked out!  Thank you!!!

So, for my weekly District 33B spotlight.  I've chosen Anziano Macmullen.  He's from England, and, of course, has the shnazzy accent to go with it!  He's one of the more outspoken elders in our district, but always has an uplifting thought.  He has introduced us to fun phrases like: "Are you winding me up?" or "Lets have a walk about," and "That's just rubbish," and "Do American's like banter?"  Imagine the most amazingly British accent, and it sounds even greater. :)  He's struggling a little with the language, but he's got a heart of gold, and last night we were conversation "partners," and he made "a load of improvement."  It's so fun to watch these young men grow into their calling, and I'm learning so much from all of them.

I hope you all are doing fabulously well!  I miss everyone so much, but I'm grateful and so blessed to be here now!  Every day the Spirit confirms to me just how important this is for me.  I know that if I'm obedient and faithful, I'll be able to have His Spirit with me when I meet my Italians in just 7 weeks!  The past two Sundays I've been able to watch Music and the Spoken Word.  It's my only window into the outside world besides letters, and it's so wonderful to see all my friends and MoTab/OTS family on the huge screens in the gym!

Well, I suppose I'd better hurry and print off the emails I have received this week before my time limit expires!  There's no such thing as proofreading my emails anymore.  I just have to type as fast as I can and hit "Send!"  This is probably the most stressful 30 minutes of my entire week!  S.lla Diehl and I have to take notes during the week of what we're going to type so we can send it all in time.

Thank you all again for your love and support!  I love you so much, and wish you the very best in all your endeavors!

Keep the faith!

Love always,

~Sorella Elizabeth Willey

P.S.  I don't remember if I sent this in my last email, but DearElder.com is the best way for me to receive mail.  <3 <3 <3

--
Sorella Willey

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sister Elizabeth Denise Willey
MTC Mailbox # 194
ITA-MIL 0112
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Greetings from the MTC

November 16, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

What a wonderful week this has been!  I have seen so many miracles and felt an incredibly strong Spirit here!  We are studying the gospel over 10 hours a day, with a little food, gym time, and Italian sqeezed in as well.  :) 

I have a beautiful companion, Sorella Diehl, and an incredible district of 5 Anziani (elders) and 2 Sorelle (sisters- S.lla Diehl and S.lla Willey, that's me).  I'll tell you about one of them each week because I only get 30 minutes of email per week, and they cut you off whether you finish or not! 

Sorella Diehl is from Michigan, and she is 22 years old.  She has beautiful curly hair, and impecable style.  The only hard part about being her companion is that I have to be really careful about my outfits.  She could be a model!  She went to Smith Women's College in Boston, MA, and is incredibly spiritual!  One of the greatest things about being with her all the time is that her Italian is beautiful!  She's the most advanced in the entire zone, probably.  She spent a year in Firenze (Florence, IT) studying and learning the language, so she helps me a lot!  I just want to quote to you my purpose in Italian.  Just because I can:

Il mio scopo e invitare le personne a venire a Cristo aiutandole ad accettare il vangelo restaurato, mediante la fede in Gesu Cristo e la sua espiazione, il pentimento, il battesimo, il conferimento di donno dello Spirito Santo, e perseveranto sino alla fino.

In Inglese:  My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

I did that without peeking, so spelling might not be perfect yet..  :)  My next project is the 1st Vision...  I've got one sentence which I won't write here now.

One of the lessons I have learned this week is that charity is the most important quality I can attain.  Yesterday we taught an "investigator," and S.lla Diehl and I felt such a love for him!  I really am beginning to understand that there is a power that comes with this calling.  I can feel the Spirit weighing on my mind and heart, helping me know what I need to do.  I know there are people in Italy who will be able to benefit from this beautiful message if I can just be prepared to have the Spirit with me and learn the language!

I love you all!   Thank you all for your love and support!

Keep the faith!

Love always,

S.lla Elizabeth Willey

--
Sorella Willey

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sister Elizabeth Denise Willey
MTC Mailbox # 194
ITA-MIL 0112
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793