Bom Tarde!

Man this whole week since I've left home has been one big whirlwind of emotions, inspiration and confusion. I got to say a lot of goodbyes but mostly just see you later. I was a bit worried last week that I would get homesick because I was realizing how much I'll miss all of my good friends and family "in the great state of Maine" (Look up James Taylor's song "Gotta spend just a little more time with you" and there are some lines that sound like they were written for how I felt that week). But once I said goodbye all I felt was excitement for the new opportunity I have ahead of me. I still love you all but I'm so excited to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. 

So the first thing I got to do when I got to Salt Lake before I hit the MTC was a super highlight because I got to go to the Salt Lake Temple with my Grandma Cooley, Aunt Gina and my Grandpa and Grandma Thompson. I was able to perform the endowment for my Great-Uncle Zoof and it was so cool because everything just worked out so perfectly for it to happen and because I had been able to perform his baptism and confirmation as well. Afterwards we were able to seal him for time and all eternity to his Mother and Father in Christ's authorized manner in the Temple of the Lord. It was so cool, I can't wait to see him someday and see how he has accepted the covenants that he has become entitled to through the performance of his Temple Work. 

Then after an open house, some last minute shopping the next morning and a stop for an In'N'Out Burger I finally arrived at the MTC. Grandma and Grandpa dropped me off and I was escorted through an efficient missionary making machine, receiving keys to rooms, name tags, stickers, you name it I got it and came out the other end wearing a nametag with a big orange sticker to say "HEY I'M NEW." All of the missionaries that have been in the MTC think it's the funniest thing to say "welcome to the MTC" to the new missionaries because you hear it so much that you eventually get sick of it and don't even respond. Eventually I caught on and so I started welcoming people to the MTC as well which got quite a few double takes when they saw my tag and realized I was just as new as them. My companions thought it was the funniest thing ever.

Which brings me to my companions. Yes plural, I am in a companionship of three which is very rare and can be awesome and drive you crazy at the same time. Luckily I love both of my companions. Elder Burton and Elder Klingler are both hillarious and even though neither of them are anything like me we get along great. One thing that I have learned about each of them is that they are both very quoteable guys. Which makes every day awesome.

Elder Klingler is having a hard time with portuguese and was getting kind of discouraged. But he had a great moment of strength when he pointed out that at least we're not learning Japanese and we get to use the same alphabet so we need to suck it up and quit acting like a bunch of "wimp-baby-nuthin's" and learn portuguese. He's doing well now. 

Elder Burton had another great quote. At lunch the other day I complained about the pineapple on my teriyaki burger and he instructed me, using a comparison similar to Lehi when he told his son Laman "oh that you would be like unto this river," except Elder Burton said "oh that you were like unto this napkin, forever wiping away the sauces of unrighteousness" - deep. 

I can't believe how fast we are covering material in portuguese! The first time we walked into class we hardly spoke English. We didn't spend much time that day but the next day we studied hard and by that night we taught our first lesson in Portuguese!!!!! It was nuts I couldn't believe I was doing it. Then on our third lesson on Monday I did a lesson that required me to ask questions and respond to his concerns and carry on a conversation and I DID IT!! After four days of study I carried on a choppy conversation in a language that I had previously not known how to say anything!!!The gift of tongues is true! We can receive gifts of the spirit as we seek them (See Moroni 10:8,15-6 - read that whole chapter it is so powerful and strengthening!). 

I have so much more to write but that will have to come next week, I have run out of time allotted for email. Search the scriptures they will edify your soul and lead you to happiness more than any other source you could turn to.

~Elder Della-Piana

PS - There's this great service called Dear Elder that makes it REALLY easy to send letters to me while I'm at the MTC. I'm pretty sure it's free while I'm at the MTC and then cheap when I'm in the field. Look it up and feel free to write, I'd love to hear from all of you