Shawn's first letter home Hey, I totally know what Dallan means about emailing fast so please ignore any mispelled words because my fingers are flying away on the keyboard. I love you guys so much! I just want you do know that I am doing great. It was hard because we had to wait 8 days to write back. The rule is that you can only write email and letters on p-day, but Anziano Pizza (Anziano is Italian for "Elder"...a title and office in the priesthood) and I are the only ones that really observe that rule. The MTC is great but extremely hard for the first few days at least. I see Dallan three times during the day when we eat in the cafeteria. We laugh so much together.I don't think anyone in my district is funny so when I get to talk to Dall we both get all our jokes and conversations out in the 3-4 min we have to talk. I will love him forever. I am picking up on the language quite nicely. I thought I was the worst but I am actually in the middle about average in the class. I can feel the gift of tongues, the spirit, and your prayers helping me learn this language. I know I could not learn it this fast if it was only me. The MTC does a great job preparing you for the country on the first day they tell you that you cannot pray in english. We say our testimonies, prayers, and investigator lessons all in italian from day one. Think how big of a train wreck our first dicussion with our investigator (stefania) was haha. Anziano Pizza and I had no clue what she said or what we should or could say. I am staying focused on my task. I understand that I am on the Lords time and I am trying my best to prepare myself to be only the instrument to spread the gospel. I am only here to let the spirit speak through me. I will do absolutely nothing by myself. I can only convert the Italian people if I let the spirit speak instead of me. I must decrease so that he can increase. I am sure that the church is true. Anziano Pizza and I are exact opposites. He likes to go in with no plan and go by the spirit, but I like to plan every step with Preach My Gospel in that exact order. We butted heads the first 3 days, but now we are great friends, and we learned to put the best of both worlds together. Now we teach by the spirit, and use Preach My Gospel to preach of truths. Last Tuesday we had the best fireside ever!!!!! Elder L. Tom Perry (One of the twelve apostles) spoke and ten of the twelve apostles were on the stand! Jeffrey R Holland (One of the twelve apostles) is a man! I could feel their spirt from my seat. They are men called of god. My roomates are Anz. Pizza, Anz. Hansen, and Anz. Jones. Anziano Hansen and Anziano Jones are great companions too. Jones is socially awkward but great at italian and Anziano Hansen is socially great but bad at the language. The Lord has put the four of us together for a reason. I have already learned so much from them. I know that the lord sent me to Italy. not someone behind a desk. It would not be such a perfect match between us if it wasn't the lord. I got an email from Preston so I got to write him to. I love all of us being out in the mission field. Alex Dragoo hasn't sent me a letter yet, but tell him the I pray for him often. I don't know why really, but I always ask God to watch over him. Alex is such a great person and I can tell (he) has a huge future ahead of him. I pray for him so much asking God to lead him down the path that can make his family proud and most importantly, make his God proud. I hope charles had as good a time as I did for the twenty minutes after oral surgery. I never had that much fun being pushed in a wheel chair my entire life. I think there should be a national anathesiologist day to thank them haha. I play a lot of soccer during gym. I like it a lot because the field is right in front of the temple. Questo e il mio testemonianza So che il vangello restaurato e vero. Credo che la chiesa di Gesu cristo dei santi delgi untimi giorni e quell Joesph Smith ha veruto profeta e quell profeti di ultimi girouni parlare con dio. Diciamo questo cose nel nome di Gesu Cristo Amen. I love you guys so much. This church is true and just know that every day I put my all into letting the spirit spread His Gospel through me. Con tutto ill mio amore in mi coura. Anziano Wortham