Arrrriba!

Family and Friends,

So today is Day 28 in the MTC.  So in five weeks as of right now I will probably be on a bus heading to the Salt Lake airport starting my long journey to Italy.  So really not a lot happens in the MTC from week to week.  The language is coming along pretty well. About half the people in my district can roll their Rs. I am lucky that I made those annoying sounds as a kid. I guess that's where I learned it or yelling arrrriba with Graham one of the two. So I have learned all five missionary discussions and really don't even need to know them honestly. Considering we teach to people's needs.  We don't teach lessons.  So I have some very unique experiences here in the MTC so far.  While teaching people my companion and I have made a few people cry, which is really cool in a spiritual way.  I am not going to share the stories over letters, they are too personal for a letter.  I will share them when I get home though.  Well is has officially rained here for a week straight. Its still really weird to be in here considering the fact I can see the outside world from the gate.  Its kind of sad not having any freedom or personal time, but I know what I am doing is more important.  So I really hate the food here.  Going from healthy foods mostly smoothies to greasy, fried, and nasty food here is really doing a number on me.  However, I can endure another 5 weeks with nasty MTC foods for the 22 months of Italino cibo (food).  Well I hope everyone at home is doing well and I would love to hear from people to know how they are doing.  I am pretty good at writing back.  Talk to everyone later.

Anziano Hosford

Family and Sunny,

So things are getting better here.  My companion and I have had a couple rough companionship inventories.  We have actually come out better than before we argued and the branch president has given us some help and advice for working stuff out.  I think my comp and I am too similar.  For some reason I get along better with people that have different personalities as me.  Things with the district are getting better.  Half the district goofs off and the other half works.  I have become good friends with a few anziani in it and its wonderful.  A lot of guys in my district look up to me because of how much school I have done.  That and my mere knowledge of the scriptures.  We have been having alot of fun in the zone.  I really wish I could get some Oh yeah, protein drinks for breakfast.  They are about $3 a bottle depending where you buy them.  Don't bother sending them because it would be expensive.  Well, I hope all is well at home or school.  Look forward to everyone's letters.  If you dearelder.com me on Sunday night I can email responses in my general letter to everyone.  I was very happy to see a letter from everyone this week. 

Anziano Hosford

John 3:16-17

Donna e Padre,

Thanks for sending the care package. I really enjoyed it. My district really liked the scotcharoos.  Well I finally got something from Megan and Amy wrote me again. If you could discuss the war chapters that Alma teaches us. If you get a chance try to read them before you talk with Amy. Tell her about how we prepared in peaceful times and how we should do that with the family. I gave her a challenge to read 3 Nephi 11.  I would love to see both girls in the temple when I am sealed.  So I am challenging you and dad to do that and I am taking away your agency to say yes or no about it. Go to the temple and pray about how to do it. Also send me your Dad's address.  I have a feeling I need to send him a letter as well.  Just because I am not in Italia doesn't mean my mission hasn't started yet. I am starting it through my letters and gathering some lost sheep which might take a while. I swear I am most in tune with the spirit and revelation at night. It's 11:45 pm and I am feeling very good. I never really heard you or dad bear your testimonies to us as kids a lot. Now is the time most important for that. The spirit only speaks one language.  Megan and Amy both need to feel and see the light of the gospel from you. Be very patient with Megan.  Next time you are in the temple or whenever you are on your knees plead. I am doing that a lot so I may be whatever help I can be.  This was supposed to be just a letter for Mom, but Dad needs to read it as well.  Well enough of my talking time for the less important stuff.

I am going to return the coat tomorrow. It's been raining a bit here so I decided to wait for my other jacket before I sent it back. I did get some cool pictures with it though. I can't wait to get to Italia. I am running out of things to take pictures of here for my daily picture. Its a good thing I am doing it though because it forces me to write in my journal every day. I consider by letters more my journal than anything though. I write to Sunny and everyone a lot. The family is getting a load this week. By the way, Sister McCall has been writing to me.  What do you tell her about me and Sunny by the way?

The butterscotch cookies are regular cookies with butterscotch chips in them. I have a story about butterscotch.  I will tell you in a couple years.  Good news -- only 5 more weeks in Spiritual Prison!  We leave on June 28 early in the morning.

When I come home I will post all my photos on Facebook.  Well put them on Facebook anyways so people can see them.  You should talk to Brian McCall about Chinese.  I don't know him well enough to ask him to bring me Chinese.  It needs to be coordinated so I don't eat in the cafeteria first. 

Ask Amy what she thinks about John and have the missionaries over and invite him.  GOLDEN opportunity.  The Lord dropped that one in your lap.  He is a little curious about the missionaries already. I wish you two could see things as I do over here 2000 miles away.

Now to Dad's letter:

Don't complain about too much rain. Always remember that drought.  Always give thanks for the rain. It's been raining here since last Tuesday. Its' weird because I have never seen it rain that much.

Well, Padre.  Every problem in life can be fixed through the atonement.  I know that to be true.  Name anything and I will tell you how. The Book of Mormon may be the Keystone of our religion, but the atonement is the core of our gospel. The use of Priesthood and being able to help others come to knowledge and use of that atonement is pretty much what my whole mission is about.  

Was the the Sunday you spent away from home for a disciplinary court?  I hate that name.  I like atonement court a lot more.  Well pending on how the person's attitude towards the Church is.  Something I learned here is to always see the potential in people.  Attempt to look at them through God's eyes.  Good luck.  But try anyways.  You will gain a new love for people.  I really struggle with that and being open with people.  I guess tell people when in these courts to keep an eternal perspective on things. If one day in heaven is equal to 1000 years on earth then the average human life is only 70 years old.  That equals 1.68 hours in heaven that our earthly life is.  I would hate to mess up that 1.68 and lose exaltation because of it.  Either ways Atonement courts suck but learn how to teach and testify to these people.  Help them see their errors and help them fix it. The atonement of Gesu' Cristo is like that magic potion Lucy has in the Chronicles of Narnia. It heals everything when applies properly.  Last let them know how much they are loved.

I have fallen in love with John 3:16-17.  I am on a mission to spread that knowledge.  I have seen and done good things here.  I will never be able to deny.  I will tell you in a couple years.  Is so che Gesu' Cristo vive e c'ama.  Io so che Joseph Smith a un profeta di dio anche Thomas Monson.  Io so che Joseph Smith restorato la verita vengelo di Gesu' Cristo.  I hope everything is well at home.

Love, Anziano Hosford

Would kill for PF Changs

On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Mitchell Hosford <mitchell.hosford@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I haven't returned the coat. Mail over dear elder the address. I got some pictures with it first. I have flash cards for Italiano. I told Chase goodbye and got some pictures with him. I would like a care package with butterscotch cookies and scotcheroos and also with popcorn extra butter. Just things like that. Try to limit sweets. Okay tell me when your sending me the acne stuff.

Has Jared's package come yet? I sent a letter home with a picture card in it. Its not full and only contains about 70 pics from 4-27 to 5-16. Put those photos in a folder and save them. I thought you would like some photos of the MTC so far.

I talked with Brian McCall. I have been kinda writing his mom a bit.

I would kill for some PF Changs. PF Changs friend rice and some pork and brocoli or something.

I got your letter with bank account. Looks good. Move all my money from checking to savings except for about $100. Didn't have to write a $500 check.

Have megan write me and I want to hear for her. Its been three weeks.

Tell me about Amy's boyfriend.

That's all I have. I would love a care package.

I have some cool pics with stories behind them.

I love you all very much looking forward to hearing from everyone.

Friends and Family,

I hope everyone is doing well in North Carolina or where ever everyone is at right now.  Well, the MTC is a lot of fun still.  Tomorrow is my preparation day (Wednesday) and I am very excited to have a day off to rest and recover. I am learning a lot here. The Italiano is going a lot better as I work on verbs.  I might know 50 to 75 verbs.  I am learning three of the fourteen tenses right now. We are learning more of them in the upcoming weeks.  We have a district goal of speaking all Italiano by the time the next Anziani come here which will be in about three weeks.  We lost about 36 Anziani.  They flew out to Roma and Milano today. We get about 24 more soon though.  I am learning the lessons  pretty well.  I can teach them in English pretty well, at least the first two lessons.  I think we start teaching them in Italiano in a week or so. I am very excited to get to Roma.  Only six more weeks from today and I will be there. I am trying to work as hard as I can so I can be as prepared as possible. Only have six more short weeks in here and those weeks go by very quickly. I am ready to eat the food in Roma instead of the goo they feed us here. I hope everyone is doing well on the outside world.

Sincerely, Anziano Hosford

One photo a day

Dear Family and Friends

Hello once again from the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Things are going pretty well here. I am picking up Italian pretty well. Just had a lot of irregular verbs dropped on me. I study them a lot leading the class currently in Italian. I have memorized the First Vision and mission in Italian. Only problem I have besides learning the language is developing an Italian accent. My teachers make fun of me because I have a French accent. I am learning a lot about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I spent a lot of time studying it. Well, I have survived 13 days in the MTC. Only bad thing here is the food and no nap time. My Italian teachers are very good teachers. One served in Milano and one served in Roma. I have heard a lot of things from them that I won’t explain in letters even though there are no words to describe them.

I had an epiphany today to take one photo a day from now on. I leave for Italy on June 28. I found out I leave my mission on April 21, 2013. Just food for thought. I hope everyone is doing well at home. Any letters I get I would appreciate. I love hearing how everyone is doing on the outside. Here are some answers to my mom’s questions from her last dearelder.com letter.

My district name is E. We are in a zone (#33) of straight Italian missionaries. The first three districts A, B, and C leave for Italia a week from Tuesday which means we are losing about 36 missionaries. We’ll have 16 missionaries in 2 districts (or 8 in each district).

In my district 4 are going to Milano and 4 are going to Roma. I am too lazy to write everyone’s names out. They are all from the west; Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Washington.

More thoughts – Italians only wear clothes that are in style so clothes that are like a year or more old are very highly discounted so I might come back with a lot of ties, Armani suit, and just a lot of nice clothes. Haha gotta love Italians and fashion.

I had a dream that I got to Italia and I just felt so stupid because I didn’t know anything and that really motivated me to crack down. I just wanted to express my appreciation for everything you two have done for me to be here and trust me I am working hard. Cause I want to be honest with the Lord when I pray to him and report my mission when I am done.

By the way … I have been finding a lot of those paper quotes everywhere. Saving them all for rainy day though.

Woman – spank the VISA card but don’t give away my inheritance! I had a lot of fun reading Dad’s letters about the trip to Utah. Thanks for the pictures. I put a few of them in the albums you and Sunny gave me. Margo McCall sent me a letter. I talked to her son yesterday during my service ting and I get to see him tomorrow.

Thanks for everything.

Anziano Hosford

Mom and Dad,

Thanks for writing me.  I really enjoyed reading your letters about home. How do all the raised beds/gardenish things look? are you guys having any luck growing berries? Save enough raspberries so when I get home we can have raspberry ice cream.

I really like the comment Mom said about the wars and such in the Book of Mormon and thought that it was a great point. We learned in class that in times of prosperity we need to prepare for the hard times like when Moroni in the Alma war chapters prepared all the Nephite cities for war against the Lamanites.

We have been getting quite a bit of rain here as well.  Maybe not comparable to North Carolina, but its a bit for here.  Remember the summer with barely any rain?  Never complain about getting too much rain.  Better too much than not enough!

Amy told me she got a wetsuit for going out on the boat and that she has been bringing her boyfriend or someone out with her which you neglected to mention. Tell me about this guy.  I have heard a little from Amy about him and that he always wants to feed or give the missionaries a ride. I think that sounds like a good thing.  I really want you two to work with the girls because when I get sealed in the temple I want them both there.  So I hope you two do everything in your power to help them.

Either ways.  The stories you snet me about Hayden were really funny.  She is such a silly baby.  I told my district the stories and the monkey story.  I think they are pretty funny.

So it sounds like Dad is pretty busy at work. Given its important to spend time with family.  Just be glad he has a job.  Do everything you can at work.  Its very important to have a job because it does progress the Lord's work. Every tithed dollar you give and every service you give to the Church is what the Lord needs now to maintain His kingdom and expand it.  I will do my best to bring those unto Christ.  Every service you do especially to nonmembers is a seed planted.

Well I hope everything is going well with both of your callings.

Love, Anziano Hosford

The power of missionaries

Here are some parts from my last letter from mitchll (:

“So I have been learning a lot here about the power that missionaries hold. So whenever you have a problem write and I should be able to answer better than I ever will.” 

“I was talking to another Anziano (elder) and he said some pretty interesting stuff. He said that since the temple was built, whole families have been going to church. Seeds have been planted in Italy for the past 40 years and now is the time for the harvestors. The il vangello (the gospel) is really going to spread in Italy. I know I was preordained to serve in Italy at this time, but I don’t know why yet. The anziano also said that Padro Celeste (Heavenly Father) takes care of his missionaries and the things they care about most.”

“So here’s what’s been going on in the MTC. My first, second, and third day were very long. It was just a lot of introductions in the MTC. I have learned a little Italiano. I have learned how to say basic prayers and a basic testimony. “

“BY THE WAY. Next time you’re in SLC I am going to have you mail me PF Changs or something.”

“My companion is pretty cool, he is almost completely like me. We have a lot in common and it’s great. The other two Anziani in our room are great. We have so much in common and a lot of little jokes between us. Haven’t had a lot to write about in three and a half days of being here. It’s wonderful, a few Anziani in my zone (those who are going to Italy) play volleyball and we have had great discussions about gospel principles and thoughts on life. I will share more about the MTC in my general email on Wednesday which is my preparation day.”

Three awesome roommates

Dear Friends and Family,

This is my first official update letter from the MTC. I am really enjoying life here.  I have three awesome roommates.  Anziano Longhurst (my companion), Anziano Tayler, and Anziano Atwood. They are great guys and we are having a blast together. We have four missionaries going to Milano in my district.  We have two great teachers.  Fillo Sylva e Fillo Merrell.  They are great at teaching us how to speak Italiano. I know a little bit of Italino so far, however, this week we are going a lot more in depth in the language and gospel principles. I am studying here a lot.  I am not able to study as much or as effective as I did in college but I am trying very hard.

The food here is alright, nothing special. 

I have the nicest Branch President you could ask for.  Our DL is nice but tries to act like my mother. 

I am lucky, my zone consists of a lot of missionaries going to Italy both Anziani and Sorrez and a few of them play volleyball which is great for me.  I really miss my freedom and news of the outside world.  They really restrict what we can do in here. Well any letters or anything from anyone I would appreciate.  I hope everyone is doing well on the outside.

Sincerely,

Anziano Hosford

To Amy:

Thanks for writing me!  I was so excited to see your letter.  I am actually doing pretty well.  Just taking a break from everything to write people back as a break. I hope work is going well and that you send me some stories of stuff that happens at work. I like those stories a lot more than your IHOP stories!  I always hate packing and moving to a new apartment or somewhere.  I miss my personal time and my bed.  

Well, I hope baby is doing well.