Conspiracy Theories and Nacho Libre

Ciao famiglia e amici!!!!! Come state???? I am doing well here in the MTC! I can't believe that I have been here for 9 days now; it has gone by so fast, but at the same time it feels like I have been here for years! The days are longer than I am used to, but I am getting more used to the bedtime at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30. We try to be super obedient at the 10:30 lights out thing, but my district is so chatty that sometimes we say we are going to say our prayer, so we all kneel and then someone starts quoting Nacho Libre or something and everyone laughs for 10 minutes so then we have to pray really fast and hop in bed so that we are obedient hahahaha. We are a strange group together for sure.

We have now taught our "investigator," Francesca 4 lessons completely in Italian (the quotes are there for a reason, people). The first 2 were kinda ehh... I basically just read straight out of Predicare il mio Vangelo (Preach My Gospel), but the last one that we had last night, we committed her to baptism! And I spoke almost completely on my own, an entire 45 minute lesson! With help from my companion, Sorella Williams of course. It is amazing to see how much everyone has progressed in such a short amount of time... A week ago, I never would have thought that I could teach someone about La Restaurazione, Il Piano di Salvezza, e il Vangelo di Gesu Cristo and commit them to baptism, but I did! Okay so now the reason for the quotations, which actually makes the baptism commitment a little less awesome... Francesca is actually our other teacher that we haven't met yet... Funny thing is she doesn't know that we know because we're not supposed to know, but our branch president's wife accidentally told us on Tuesday. So last night during our lesson we just had to pretend not to know hahahha. Sorry if I spoiled that for anyone, but I just had to. I don't know why everyone says the best-kept secret of missionary work is that it's work because really the best-kept secret is that if you're learning a language, your first investigator turns out to be your teacher!!! And is DATING YOUR OTHER TEACHER!!! Which were actually 2 of our many conspiracy theories, which we brought up before and everyone told us that she wasn't our teacher and she wasn't actually married to Fratello Harbin, but lo and behold!!!! Look who was right!!!! Okay so that's it on the conspiracy theories hahaha it was probably a lot funnier in real life.

On Tuesday, Elder Gary E. Stevenson from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles came and gave an AMAZING devotional! He talked a lot about missionary work and our purpose as missionaries, but he gave a lot of great advice for anyone to hearken to. Sister Stevenson talked about how God knows each and everyone of us individually, even when we feel alone. In fact, in the times when we are most alone, He is there. Go read D&C 84:88 when you have time. 

Elder Stevenson talked about a lot of things, but I just wanted to share one part of it with you. He talked about obedience as it pertained to missionary work, but he also gave a lot of good points for life in general. Sometimes, it's difficult to keep commandments or little rules because they seem silly or unimportant (trust me, I know). Like sometimes you hear something in church and you just do the biggest inner eye roll because you don't think you need to do that. But just try it! Put your trust in Him and stop being scared of change and just try it! Act in faith, and He will bless you immensely for it. Even if it seems silly, or if the world is telling you that it is unimportant, I would challenge each of you to pick something this week that you struggle with or have thought is just a "suggestion" instead of a commandment from God, and work on it as much as you can! Pray for strength and faith to do it, and I know that you will see so many blessings and that He will help you through. Also, after our Sunday devotional, we watched "Character of Christ" by David A. Bednar, and I seriously have never heard a better talk. If you have a free 45 minutes or so, go watch it. So there are my 2 invitations for you this week (:

The MTC is so spiritually uplifting, but, like always, my district finds ways to be funny all of the time hahahahaha. I definitely have the strangest district in the MTC; I'd bet my meal card on it. I love you all; thank you so much for all of your letters, emails, packages, and prayers. You are amazing! Keep on persevering and enduring to the end! "[You] can do all things through Christ." Sorry for the long email; pictures are coming next! Have a great week everyone and remember to think of your Savior!

Love,

Sorella Henderson (:

Pic 1: standing in front of the SLC temple after our appearance at the Italian consulate

Pic 2: idk how we calmed everyone down enough to get this picture after one of our lessons... We are so rowdy

Pic 3: goofing around as always

Pic 4: after the Sunday devotional with the Romanian district who left this week!

Pic 5: hahaha haha Anziano Davey is from Australia and says that "American humor is so unintelligent" so we make fun of him a lot hahahahaha

Pic 6: the best district in the MTC. please note the references to page 33 of the white handbook (which discusses Elder/Sister relationships if you don't know)

Pic 7: I know I'm not in this picture but please appreciate the Anziani hahahaha

This photo was posted to the mission facebook page from Italian consulate trip to SLC 

and these two photos were sent to the family this week but not the group email

Ciao from the MTC!!!!!

Well I'm here at the MTC, Day 3 and it's already my first p day, which was a welcome relief, not gonna lie. But the MTC is so great and so much fun!!!! My companion is Sorella Williams from Glen Rock, Wyoming. We get along well so far, and she is a great teaching companion! The real test of our teaching skills will be tonight when we sit down with Francesca, a supposedly real investigator from Italy, to teach her La Restaurazione in Italiano. So we will see how that goes... We are far from ready so we will have to use most of our p day to practice and memorize some stuff, but we are happy to do it because we want to do well and see the progression in ourselves and hopefully Francesca understands at least 50% of what we are saying hahahaha.

My MTC District is amazing! There are 2 companionships of Anziani, and 3 companionships of Sorelle (go Sisters!) and we are all so close and good friends already! Anziano Abplanalp, who is also our zone leader, also speaks Italian basically fluently already so hearing him speak when I cannot is super frustrating to me, to say the least. But it's great to have a missionary who can answer questions besides just our teacher, Fratello Harbin. He's a great teacher, though! It is going to be an awesome 6 weeks! Our entire zone is great too, we have the Romanian district as well, and hearing them speak Romanian makes me so grateful for Italian hahahaha.

THE MTC IS SO FUN I PROMISE

It really is great and I'm not even lying. Yesterday, my cheeks literally hurt from smiling by the end of the day, so I tried to stop laughing but I couldn't because everything just becomes so funny here. You have no other source of entertainment besides yourselves, so everything and everyone becomes a comedian hahahaha. Like every night at dinner, this Romanian sister in my district does this thing where she chops an apple in half with her hand, and an Elder tried it and apple flew literally everywhere... like in my hair and everything and I just died hahahahaha it was so funny. Having so many teenagers cooped up in one place all day makes for some funny times hahaha. Especially when you have the Anziani in our district around all day. They think they are seriously comedians. It's good because all the Sorelle are super serious and focused most of the time. Seriously being a missionary is so much fun. The MTC is filled with so many kind and happy people. There is no other place that I would rather be! Even though my friends are literally like down the street and around the corner from me right now; it's a little weird, but it's okay. I love the mission so far, and I love learning Italian. Hopefully this positive attitude keeps up for the next 6 weeks. I'm just so happy to be in sweats right now!!! Hahahahaha p days are the best. 

I love you all, and I love reading your emails! I can read emails whenever I have time during the week, but I can't reply until p day. So I love reading your emails and seeing pictures at night! Thanks for all of the sweet messages and words of encouragement. I love you all, please write me! I love to hear from you. The church is true, and missions bless the lives of everyone involved! It is so great! Until next week... HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Sorella Henderson

Here are some pictures! Sorry I don't have many, it's only day 3, so next week I will probably have some more (: 

Pic 1: me and Sorella Williams with our Santa Bibbia

Pic 2: the new classrooms in the mtc. They are so nice!!!!

Pic 3: I live in the same building as Sister Jensen, and it is so fun seeing her sometimes!

 and one more

Missionary Training Center Send Off!

Sorella Henderson entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on October 18, 2017. We hit Chick-Fil-A on the way down and parked near the temple to take pictures. Then came the drop off in the parking garage. As we were getting out of the car, we heard a voice call out Ashlyn’s name. It was Sister Peel, who graduated from Davis with Ashlyn and is going to Denmark.  Sister Peel was Ashlyn’s host missionary, the person who helped her with luggage and getting settled. We are so grateful for her desire and willingness to serve.  This blog will be where we post her weekly emails and pictures.